(January 14, 2021) Sony's CES 2021 home entertainment announcements cover a broad range of products, including a brand-new microLED display technology, so let's dive in and see what the company has cooked-up for the new year.
Samsung's vaunted microLED display system (The Wall) has been making the rounds at trade shows for several years. The challenge has been to shrink the technology small enough to manufacture normal-sized television displays. Sony has also dabbled in the microLED space with its "Crystal LED" technology. This year, it's releasing two new modular models with its Crystal LED C-Series (high contrast) and B-Series (high brightness), both of which cater to commercial and ultra-high-end applications.
Sony has equipped The B- and C-Series with its X1 processor tech, which draws on the same signal processing found in the company's BRAVIA line, in addition to MotionFlow for smooth images and 22-Bit Super Bit Mapping. They're also capable of 1800 nits of brightness, wide color, High Dynamic Range, and 1,000,000:1 contrast.
Pricing has yet to be announced.
Sony is also rolling out new LCD and OLED TV models. On the OLED front, 2021 will see two new series. The A90J will come in 55", 65", and 83" sizes, promising to deliver the brightest output from a Sony OLED to date. The step-down A80J isn't capable of the same levels of brightness but will be available in three different sizes (55", 65", and 77").
Both series carry dual HDMI 2.1 ports, improved acoustic surface audio technology, XR Motion Clarity and Upscaling, and a Cognitive Processor XR that analyzes "sound position in the signal so the sound matches precisely with what's on the screen." The processor can also upconvert sound for 5.1.2 playback.
Sony's 2021 LCD TVs include the all-new 8K Z9J and 4K capable X95J, X90J, X85J, and X80J/X81J models. The X90J, X95J, and Z9J feature full array local dimming (FALD), with the Z9J specified to deliver the highest levels of peak brightness. Much like Sony's 2021 OLED offerings, most of its LCD models feature HDMI 2.1 connectivity and the Cognitive Processor XR.
Sony's complete lineup of 2021 TVs will feature Google TV and compatibility with the AV1 video format. AV1 is a royalty-free alternative to H.265 and is suitable for streaming SD, HD, 4K, 8K, and High Dynamic Range video. This should come in handy, as Sony is launching its own streaming service tied directly to its XR range of LCD and OLED TVs. The Service, called "BRAVIA Core," provides access to classic Sony Pictures Entertainment titles, new Sony box office films, and over 50 IMAX titles. Eligible 2021 Sony TVs will give buyers access to an allotment of vouchers that can be redeemed for current movies, while the purchase of an XR model automatically unlocks more than 100 Sony Pictures titles.
Sony says that BRAVIA Core will stream 4K HDR films at 80 Mb/s (ISP dependent), translating to near-Blu-ray video quality. Audio, however, will be capped at DTS Digital 5.1.
