Sony's OLED A1E 4K Television Hits Store Shelves
Sony(April 14, 2017) One of the more exciting tech reveals at CES 2017 was Sony Electronics new A1E BRAVIA 4K OLED TV. Sony, which has staunchly navigated the HD and 4K television marketplace using various LCD technologies, announced its future OLED-based line late last year. Now, buyers have access to the television model in stores nationwide. This is certainly exciting news for enthusiasts looking for options beyond LG’s successful OLED sets, but it also introduces much needed competition in the segment that’s sure to lower prices and spawn innovation.
Using LG’s OLED panel technology, the A1E pairs LG’s panel with Sony’s exclusive image processor and one of the coolest audio delivery systems in television history. The “4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme” advanced image engine is designed to deliver improved color accuracy, support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision, and upconversion of non-HDR material via contrast optimization. It also delivers “Super Bit Mapping” which helps to smooth picture processing to eliminate banding and other nasty image artifacts.
The A1E’s speaker system is, unbelievably, the screen itself. Dubbed “Acoustic Surface Sound Technology,” Sony has taken advantage of the OLED’s backlight-less structure to allow the entire screen to resonate to create sound. Not only does this remove the need for bulky speakers, but it also helps to focus sound directionality from the screen. Low frequencies are created using a subwoofer hidden in the A1E’s easel support stand, which can be folded to the back of the television when wall mounted.
“With over 10 years of OLED experience Sony is pleased to introduce the BRAVIA OLED 4K HDR TV, its first large screen consumer OLED television,” said Kevin Brinkman, Director of Product Marketing, TV and Projectors, North America. “Our long experience with OLED technology, together with the new 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, meant that this was the right time to return to the consumer OLED market. The A1E features a powerful mix of our exclusive image processing with a striking new design concept that is sure to make an impression in anyone’s home.”
The A1E's easel stand houses the television's subwoofer unit.The A1E’s Smart TV functionality is designed around Android TV, which delivers access to most of the typical streaming services in addition to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Starting mid spring, anyone who buys a new Sony Premium 4K HDR Ultra HD TV will receive a Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 4K movie to watch on Google Play and three months of access to Google Play Music.
The cost of the A1E is fairly competitive with available OLED models from LG. Introductory MSRP pricing is $4,999 for the 55-inch XBR-55A1E and $6,499 for the 65-inch XBR-65A1E. Pricing for the 77-inch XBR-77A1E will be released at a later date.
For more information visit Sony on the web.
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