Ahead of the official launch of the biggest consumer electronics show in the world, CES 2021, Sony has revealed details about its new TVs.
Sony TV announcement at CES 2021
Calling these new 4K and 8K TVs “the world’s first cognitive intelligence televisions,” Sony has placed them under its Bravia banner. The new BRAVIA XR televisions will include MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED, MASTER Series A90J and A80J OLED, and X95J and X90J 4K LED.
What is a cognitive intelligence television?
While the name certainly implies your TV might have a mind of its own, Sony’s media materials say the cognitive intelligence televisions include a processor that “cross-analyses multiple picture elements combined with focal points, recreating human perspective.”
Interesting; so your TV is designed to better replicate reality? Sony says in its news release, the Cognitive Processor XR or the brain of the new BRAVIA XR uses “a completely new processing method designed to replicate the ways humans see and hear,” explaining further that “when we see objects, we unconsciously focus on certain points. Cognitive Processor XR, powered by cognitive intelligence, divides the screen into numerous zones and detects where the “focal point” is in the picture.”
How will Cognitive Intelligence change my TV viewing?
What might that mean for your TV viewing? That the primary parts of the video picture where your focus will be directed are optimized and given better colour, contrast and detail. It could also help your brain by better matching elements of the video to the audio, so that it seems like sounds are coming from the exact place on the screen where they would be in real life.
If you picture a character walking in fresh hard snow while talking; in reality we’d hear both the words coming from the person’s mouth and the crunch of the snow underfoot; two different locations. Indeed Sony’s press release says, “Cognitive Processor XR can also analyze sound position in the signal so the sound matches precisely with what’s on the screen.… delivering cinematic surround sound and accurate sound positioning, providing pictures and sound in perfect harmony.”
This could be considered the next logical step for Sony, who created Acoustic Surface technology for its TVs a few years ago where the entire TV screen in essence became a giant speaker.
“Sony’s goal is to offer viewers the best and most immersive experience – authentically delivering the creator’s true intent,” said Mike Fasulo, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics, Inc. “Our new BRAVIA CORE technology and the XR lineup takes the industry to the next level with a powerful, cinematic experience, enabled by the world’s first TVs with cognitive processors.”
Of course, we on the blog will be hoping to get our eyes on one shortly after their release. Meantime, shop all Sony TVs here and watch the blog and follow our threads for more up-to-the-minute announcements from CES 2021.
Until these new TVs are available you can still shop all Sony TVs at Best Buy.
