If you’ve been waiting not-so-patiently for the release of the Sony BRAVIA XR televisions, you’re not alone. They were announced at CES 2021, and it’s been a long wait for the release of Sony BRAVIA XR TVs. The biggest reason behind the build-up is Sony Cognitive Processor XR, the brain that produces the closer-to-life picture quality on the new Sony MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED, Sony BRAVIA XR A90J Master Series OLED, Sony BRAVIA XR 80J OLED, and Sony BRAVIA 90J Full Array LED televisions.
Here’s a look at the science behind Sony Cognitive Processor XR and why you’ll want one of the world’s first TVs with cognitive intelligence.
How does Sony Cognitive Processor XR work?
Sony is well known for delivering TVs with outstanding colour, contrast, and superior motion rate, but the new Sony BRAVIA XR televisions have leveled up to an all-new realism with Sony Cognitive Processor XR. It stands apart from traditional TV AI in that standard AI can only analyze colour, contrast, and details individually. With Sony Cognitive Processor XR, your TV can cross analyze simultaneously, picking out the most important elements of whatever you’re watching.
What does that mean exactly? Just think about how you view the world. When we look at something or listen to something we don’t ‘think’ about what we’re looking at or acknowledge that we’re hearing and seeing something at the same time. It’s a fluid process, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes when your brain processes your worldview.
As an example, take a detailed look at a flower in your garden. You might think, “OK, I see a flower”, but your brain is processing the fact that the flower is yellow, has water on a few of its petals, and that the sun is shining on it. At the same time, the wind could be blowing slightly, and you hear the trees rustle behind you. What you see and hear is all pieced together at once so it’s presented to you naturally, and that’s essentially how Sony Cognitive Processor XR works too.
The world’s first TVs with cognitive intelligence
Sony Cognitive Processor XR divides the TV screen into hundreds of thousands of zones, and as you watch your favourite movies and TV shows, your TV analyzes and recognizes the objects in each zone. It narrows in on a main focal point, and to produce the best picture quality possible, the data it ‘sees’ is cross-referenced all at once in the same way our brains do. If your TV was displaying a clip of the flower in your garden it would recognize that it needs to enhance the colour of the flower, highlight the water droplets, and enhance the pattern of sunshine as it moves across it, all while simultaneously projecting audio from the rustle of the trees in the wind.
It’s a lot to take in, but when you watch a Sony BRAVIA XR TV you’ll instantly understand. Every TV with Sony Cognitive Processor XR onboard has astounding realism and offers a completely natural feel for colour, contrast, clarity, and motion.
With Sony Bravia XR TVs, it all comes down to details
Break down each element of what Sony Cognitive Processor XR brings to your screen and you’ll understand why watching it is a revelation. While there are too many details to dig into, there are a few main highlights you’ll be interested in.
XR 8K Upscaling
The Sony MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED TV is the only 8K TV in the Sony BRAVIA lineup. While 8K content isn’t as widely available as 2K and 4K right now, you won’t feel like you’re missing anything with XR 8K Upscaling. XR 8K upscaling takes 2K or 4K and brings them as close to true 8K quality as possible.
4K Sony BRAVIA XR TVs use XR 4K Upscaling, so standard 1080p and 2K content is upscaled as close to 4K as possible.
XR Sound Position and XR Surround
When you have a picture quality this amazing, there’s no question the sound has to match up. Sony BRAVIA XR TVs have XR Sound Position and XR Surround, although the sound options differ slightly depending on the model.
For the most immersive viewing experience, Sony BRAVIA XR OLEDs use the screen as the speaker. The TV panel microscopically vibrates and sound is amplified via built-in subwoofers. The Sony BRAVIA XR Full Array TV upconverts everything you watch to 5.1.2ch surround sound and has two tweeters on the sides of the TV to deliver the best possible audio for everything from movie soundtracks to streaming playlists.
Voice control makes searching simple
All Sony BRAVIA TVs have built-in voice control so you can use Google Assistant and Alexa to search for your favourite YouTube videos or the latest movies. It also has Chromecast built-in and works with Apple AirPlay and Apple HomeKit.
A practically invisible bezel
One thing to note about the Sony BRAVIA XR lineup is the bezel, or in this case, the lack of bezel. To go along with the realistic screen experience created by Sony Cognitive Processor XR, the BRAVIA lineup has a minimalist One Slate design with a bezel edge that fades away when you’re watching. To ensure nothing distracts you from the screen, cable management has also become a big part of the design. Everything is neatly tucked away.
Choose your Sony BRAVIA XR TV
Sony Cognitive Processor XR creates a closer-to-reality feeling for everything you watch, and you’ve got a few great choices when you’re upgrading to a Sony BRAVIA XR TV.
8K, Full Array, or OLED?
You have a difficult decision when you’re choosing your new Sony BRAVIA XR TV. To make your decision easier you can take a look at the Best Buy blog for an in-depth look at the differences in premium TVs, as well as general overviews of 8K, Full Array, and OLED.
Size range of Sony BRAVIA XR TVs
You’ll be able to choose from two sizes of Sony MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED TV. It’s available in 75” and 85”. There are two OLEDs in the BRAVIA lineup. The Sony BRAVIA XR A90J Master Series OLED will be available in 55”, 65”, and 83” inches and the Sony BRAVIA XR 80J OLED will be available in 55”, 65”, and 77”. Last, but certainly not least, the Sony BRAVIA 90J Full Array LED will be available in sizes ranging from 50”, 55”, 65”, and 75”.
Now that you know how Sony Cognitive Processor XR works, you’re probably just as excited as I am to take a look at these TVs. The good news? Your wait is over. Sony BRAVIA OLED TVs with Sony Cognitive Processor XR are available right now at Bestbuy.ca with Sony BRAVIA Full Array LED coming soon.
