A few years ago, Sony made the decision to withdraw its TV line out of South Africa. Since, it’s been an absolute hassle to get your hands on one of them, until now. Sony has officially announced that its TVs are coming back to South Africa, and here are the models you can expect.
According to the press release, Sony is planning on shipping the new A8H, X90H, X75H and X80H TVs to South Africa.
The TVs will be sold through selected exclusive retail partners, including Incredible Connection and Hifi-Corp. “We’re excited to announce the arrival of our TVs on South African shores… The South African market is extremely important to us, which is why we’ve made it our top priority to fit this exciting new 2020 lineup with Sony’s innovative Voice Search and remarkable premium large screens…” says Shuichi Mugitani, the head of marketing for Sony Middle East and Africa.
Some of Sony’s incoming TVs boast 4K panels, run Android 9 Pie smart TV OS, and are powered by Sony’s proprietary Picture Processor X1 chip (more details on each device below). They all feature something called Netflix Calibrated Mode, which optimises viewing through the streaming platform. They’re all equipped with the wonderful Dolby Atmos sound experience, with some powerful high-quality audio speakers in the incoming A8H Series, while the X950H Series is fitted with tweeters around the screen for more precise sound placement.
Because they’re all fitted with Android TV, each TV is compatible with the Google Home Suite and Google Assistant — every smart home fanatic’s dream. It’s also got Apple HomeKit and AirPlay support for the i-ecosystem friends.
The monster: A8H 4K OLED TV
65in | R65,000
Coming in as the flagship model, the A8H is powered by Sony’s Picture Processor X1 Ultimate processor, features Pixel Contrast Booster for a clearer picture with the help of X-Motion Clarity technology. This is a new feature for the OLED range, which will bring some ultra-vivid and clear visuals to the display.
It features two subwoofers supporting Dolby Atmos, in addition to Dolby Vision, a new Ambient Optimisation mode which enhances the picture and sound quality, something Sony calls ‘TRILUMINOS’ Display which “reproduces the subtle nuances of colour, light and gradation from video lens to living room”, and smarthome connectivity features in addition to Android TV.
The babies: X75H 4K TV
55in, 65in | R13,000 – R20,000
Of course, the range includes some great midrangers. The X76H 4K also runs the 4K Processor X1, is fitted with a thing called a Bass Reflex Speaker, which we’re keen to test out. It features a narrow bezel around the edges, which means it looks hella good, while also sporting the Android smarts you get on the A8H model mentioned above.
But coming in at this price, the X75H seems a good pick as an entry-level smart TV.
The all-rounder: X80H 4K TV
85in, 75in, 65in, 55in | R17,000 – R55,000
As the all-rounder, the X80 has a size and a price for just about everyone. These badboys are powered by the X1 4K HDR Processor, promising increased depth, natural colour reproduction and vivid colours. In terms of sound, you’ll get some internals called the X-Balanced Speaker built into the slim bezels around the sides.
These are also Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos compatible, while supporting all of the smart assistant features compatible with Android TV and Apple Airplay too.
The LEDer: X90H 4K LED TV
55in, 65in, 75in | R40,000 – R50,000
Positioned as the midrange-LED powered models, the X90H devices will come in at three sizes, featuring a Full-Array LED display at 4K resolution. These are also fitted with the X-Balanced Speaker system, Dolby Vision/Atmos support and a diamond-cut bezel around the edges. Even though it’s LED, this model also features the ‘TRILUMINOS’ tech found on the flagshipA8H, so this one’ll also feature some impressive colour reproduction thanks to that.
Again, here you get all of the smarts that come with Android TV, including connectivity options for Apple HomeKit, Google Home and Apple Airplay.
