Last year’s CES 2021 exhibition introduced many new technological solutions in the segment of high-tech TVs, but the main innovation in LCD TVs can be considered miniLED screens. It would seem that such a productive technology will not soon be squeezed from the market. But it turned out a little different. Opening the CES 2022 exhibition, Sony Bravia XR Master Series A95K TV with advanced QD-OLED technology entered the arena.
The innovation boom is accompanied by a large number of new names, acronyms and acronyms. In this case, the name QD-OLED hybrid technology, which Samsung has been developing for several years, means a combination of Quantum Dot (QD) and OLED technologies. In this Sony XR-65A95K 4K HDR TV review, we will describe the features of the novelty.
Contents
QD-OLED technology.
As you know, QD displays and OLED panels represent two major trends in the development of TVs. Quantum dot technology has been successfully used in LCD TVs competing with OLED models for several years. Of course, each has pros and cons. Therefore, the idea of creating a hybrid with a combination of their advantages has long been of interest to many companies.
OLED technology
OLED technology uses a film based on organic carbon. An electric current causes diodes on its surface to glow. Virtually every pixel on an OLED screen is part of the picture and does not require backlighting. In the absence of a control signal, it turns off and provides perfect contrast through absolute black, without affecting neighboring pixels.
In addition, the absence of an LCD matrix reduces panel thickness and eliminates deterioration of viewing angles due to scattering. But the tiny size of OLED pixels limits their brightness. To increase it, LG Display adds a white sub-pixel (RGBW panel) to the matrix. Unfortunately, this reduces the number of color subpixels, reducing the resolution, and distorts the color of adjacent pixels, reducing the accuracy of color reproduction. On top of that, increased brightness reduces the lifespan of the organic material.
QLED technology uses an LED backlight (blue LEDs) and a layer of quantum dots (nanoparticles) on the film, whose size corresponds to the wavelengths of green and red colors. The nanoparticles on the film absorb the blue color and re-emit green and red depending on their size. But the blue also partially passes through the film.
High brightness, wide color gamut and high color fidelity are the main advantages. But this technology requires constant backlighting. As a result, light partially leaks through the RGB-filter and creates grayscale on the screen, reducing the overall image contrast.
QD-OLED hybrid technology uses a stack of blue OLED material to illuminate red and green quantum dots. As a result, a pixel of this matrix contains a blue subpixel of the original blue OLED material, as well as green and red subpixels that are generated using a “quantum dot” filter.
Design
Sony defines the multi-purpose design of the A95K TV with the term Dual Style. It is realized with the original stand, which has two mounting options. The first is the Front position with the One Slate design. The stand “goes” out of sight, helping maximum immersion in what is happening on the screen.
The second option is the rear position.
In this case, the Sony A95K is as close to the wall as possible, blending as much as possible with the interior of the room. Importantly, the cable holders help to make the rear panel of the 65A95K TV completely flat without preventing it from being really close to the wall. The screen itself has an extremely narrow premium metal frame, which also contributes to better immersiveness.
Picture quality.
The Bravia XR Master series has always had excellent picture quality. The new QD-OLED panel and XR Triluminos Max system make colors even brighter and more vivid. The unique Cognitive Processor XR™ chip reproduces natural colors by understanding how the human eye focuses. It cross-analyzes the image to “squeeze” the most realistic depth and extraordinary contrast out of it.
Combined with the QD-OLED panel and XR OLED Contrast Pro system, the Sony 65A95K TV’s color brightness increases by 200% compared to conventional TVs, bringing scenes to life with pure and deep blacks. The detail of the picture is very high both in the bright areas and in the deep shadows of the frame.
Thanks to XR’s 4K Upscaling technology, you can enjoy a picture close to 4K quality regardless of content or source. Again, it’s a credit to the XR™ cognitive processor. It accesses a wealth of data, intelligently recreating lost textures and details for real-world images.
Glare
Glare and reflection make it hard to see what’s on the screen clearly, especially in dark scenes where depth and detail are often obscured. Thanks to the extremely low reflectivity of street light, Sony’s QD-OLED reduces this effect, delivering decent brightness, color and contrast under virtually all lighting conditions.
Motion processing and game mode
The XR OLED Motion system of the Sony A95K TV fights blur by detecting and cross-analyzing key visual elements in successive frames. To eliminate blur, it creates additional frames and inserts them between the original frames, ensuring smooth, crisp action in fast-paced scenes.
The BRAVIA XR A95K automatically adjusts and optimizes the picture to the best settings for the PlayStation®5 console, whether you’re playing a game or watching a movie. With Auto Genre Picture Mode, the TV automatically switches to Game Mode to minimize output lag, or to Standard Mode when watching movies through a streaming service (or from an Ultra HD Blu-ray™ disc).
With HDMI 2.1, you can get frame rates up to 120 fps in compatible games, so you’ll have an edge in shooting, sports, and fast-paced games with nearly instant on-screen action. You’ll also enjoy super-smooth gaming with reduced output lag (no more than 8.5ms at 4K / 120fps and a dedicated game mode).
Smart TV
The smart features of the A95K series TVs are based on the Google TV operating system. With a Google account, you can watch more than 700,000 movies and shows in one place. The Google TV OS collects your favorite content from your apps and subscriptions and organizes it just for you. And easily access all your content and services hands-free (Hands Free Voice Search).
There’s even a special Kids Profile to help guide kids to age-appropriate content so they never watch anything they shouldn’t. You can set kids’ favorite themes, limit TV viewing time, and even set bedtime.
Voice can also be used to control smart home devices. Adjusting room temperature, lighting, and more is easy – just ask Google. Videos, photos, games and more are easily streamed to the Sony A95K from iOS or Android devices using Google Cast or Apple AirPlay.
The remote control has been completely redesigned. The premium remote is now easy to use, with simplified buttons and backlighting. So you can see everything clearly even in the dark. This compact aluminum remote control has a sophisticated look and feel and is comfortable to hold in your hand.
BRAVIA CAM
The BRAVIA CAM adds many interesting new TV experiences. It is a camera attached to the TV that is easy to attach and detach. The camera has a plain plastic cover for added privacy. What does the camera do?
By detecting your viewing distance, the BRAVIA CAM can automatically adjust the volume of your voice so you can hear dialogue clearly. The camera also monitors your position and then adjusts the balance to the left and right for optimal sound. So no matter where you are in the room, you’ll enjoy the same sound quality as if you were sitting right in front of the TV.
The camera provides gesture control, allowing you to change channels, adjust the volume, etc. It can also alert you when a child approaches the A95K TV and dim the screen if it detects that no one is in the room.
Sound
Sound comes directly from the TV screen with Acoustic Surface Audio＋™. The vibration of the large drivers (actuators) uniquely turns the entire screen into a speaker. This creates a powerful acoustic picture that moves with the image, so you hear a more realistic soundtrack with exceptionally crisp and natural dialogue.
The left and right subwoofers amplify the bass for a truly immersive cinematic sound. All audio entertainment is enhanced to 3D surround sound. XR Surround actually creates surround sound on the sides and vertically using only the TV’s speakers, so there’s no need for ceiling or overhead speakers. The BRAVIA A95K TV is Dolby Atmos® compatible.
Connections
The Sony A95K TV’s connectivity specification includes four HDMI ports (two of them version 2.1) and three USB ports (one of them version 3.0). HDMI 2.1 provides 48 Gbit/s transfer rate in 4K 120p mode. The third HDMI port supports the eARC channel. There is also a LAN port, digital audio output and antenna sockets. There’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
A95K characteristics
| Display | |
| Size | 65″ / 165 cm |
| Panel type | QD-OLED |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Compatibility | HDR HDR10, Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) |
| Rrefresh rate | 100 / 120 Hz |
| Viewing Angle | (H x D) 178 ° x 178 ° |
| Video | DVB-T / T2, DVB-S / S2, DVB-C 2 (digital) / 1 (analog) |
| VRR | Yes (with firmware upgrade) |
| ALLM | Yes |
| Connections | |
| Input ports | 4 x HDMI Type A (of which 2 x HDMI 2.1) 1 x RF-type (over-the-air, cable) from below 1 x IF-type (satellite) from below 1 x composite video input on the side |
| Output ports | 1 x optical jack (digital sound) bottom 1 x 3.5mm (headphone) on the side |
| Wireless connectivity | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) Bluetooth v. 4.2 |
| USB ports | 2 x USB on the side 1 x USB on bottom |
| Ethernet | 1 x LAN |
| Sound | |
| Power | 60W 2.2 ch. |
| Type of driver | Acoustic Surface Audio + |
| Supports | Dolby Dolby™ Audio, Dolby™ Atmos |
| Smart TV | |
| Assistant | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant |
| Platform | Google TV 10.0 |
| Internal memory | 16GB |
The results of the A95K review
To conclude our review of Sony’s A95K, let’s summarize. Of course, adequate analysis of the new QD-OLED TV is impossible without price, characteristics and testing. But some conclusions are already possible. The TV market is expanding with the promising QD-OLED hybrid technology. It combines the excellent contrast and viewing angles of OLED panels with the high brightness and wide color gamut of quantum dot displays.
Curiously enough, the palm of the first place went to Sony. As we know, the South Korean giant has been actively working in this area for several years and even invested over 11 billion dollars in factories to produce QD-OLED panels. There were rumors that Samsung Electronics will announce its 4K TV with this technology at CES 2022, but they did not come true.
Perhaps Samsung QD-OLED will appear in the summer of 2022. To be fair, it should be noted that the Japanese company uses QD-OLED display from Samsung Display. In general, QD-OLED technology is a huge breakthrough of developers, opening up great prospects for improving image quality without increasing the price. So it is every viewer’s dream to see the revolutionary nature of the Sony A95K TV with his own eyes.