At CES 2020, Sony has shown off a few new TVs, but sadly not the headphones that were rumoured to be announced.
We’re always hyped for new technology, but some gadgets are inherently more exciting than others: fantastic projects that can save the world, niche ideas that we can see people falling in love with, and follow-up models to some of our favourite gadgets over the past couple of years are all things we’ve definitely push up in terms of excitement.
In that last category, the rumoured announcement of the Sony WH-1000XM4 for CES was one gadget we had been hyped and excited for.
For the past few years, Sony has shown that it has the ability not just to make some of the best headphones around, but a pair that is arguably the best wireless headphones you could find and would want to wear. As such, the current model, the Sony WH-1000XM3 has won a Best Pick award for Pickr two years running, because they’re just that good.
And a little rumour had suggested they might even see release of a follow-up at CES.
Sadly, it seems it’s not to be, and the WH-1000XM4 are missing in action at CES, though Sony does have something new on offer with TVs.
Sony’s 8K TV arrives
Most of the gadgets Sony has launched are of the big screen TV variety, and while there are several 4K TVs, and a few new entries for 4K OLED, there’s also a move in the 8K TV space.
The new 8K screen is the Z8H, an 88 inch screen that sees a stand with legs that reach out from either side at the ends of the frame, which itself is more interesting than being merely just a frame. Rather, Samsung is making use of the frame as par of the sound system, developing a tweeter and building that into the Z8H’s frame, so it becomes a sound system without showing obvious speakers.
Sony’s 8K Z8H also uses the Picture Processor X1 Ultimate for colour processing and a Full Array LED system to control the lighting, as well as an Ambient Optimisation mode that calibrates the sound and picture quality to where the TV is being run. This appears to be different to the Netflix Calibrated Mode, which calibrates Netflix quality to the way the studio and director intended, and is available across not only the Z8H, but Sony’s other TVs, too.
But the Bravia Z8H is an LED-backlit LCD TV, and Sony doesn’t appear to have an 8K OLED. Rather, that seems to be solely going to LG at the moment, though Sony does have some OLED models.
OLED and LED-backlit in 4K, too
You’ll find a new A series OLED TV, with the A8H, adding many of those picture processing technologies to the mix, plus support for Android 9 “Pie” to the operating system, as well as subwoofers to the Acoustic Surface audio technology, and even support for Dolby Atmos, too.
“We are thrilled to be launching our latest range of premium TVs featuring new, Sony proprietary technologies including Ambient Optimisation,” said Aki Hosoda, Head of TV for Sony in Australia and New Zealand.
“This technology intelligently calibrates both picture and sound to precisely suit the environment in which the consumer watches TV, taking their viewing to new heights. Our next generation of TVs are defined by delivering a personalised, immersive and incredibly true-to-life experience, the fundamentals that Sony has kept at the core of its Bravia range.”
Sony’s other TV choices are LED-backlit options, and kinda move down in position as they go down, with the X95H, X90H, and X80H, none of which has pricing in Australia, though none of the announcements by Sony do, either.
However we’ll let you know when that changes, with Sony not expecting to show these TVs off until April or May at the earliest.
Leigh Stark was flown to CES 2020 in Las Vegas, USA as a guest of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
