Sony's breathtaking Bravia A8H OLED TV is surprisingly Affordable

Sony's breathtaking Bravia A8H OLED TV is surprisingly Affordable

Today marks the release of Sony's Bravia A8H OLED TV, the most anticipated 4K Smart TV of the year. This top-of-the-line Android TV boasts a gorgeous OLED panel, Sony's powerful X1 Ultimate processor, and a wide range of features, from a wealth of apps to Google Assistant.

Ever since we saw this new 4K Smart TV at CES earlier this year, we've been keeping an eye on it because it promises to be one of the best TVs of the year. For our first impressions of the new TV, check out our hands-on with the Sony Bravia A8H OLED TV.

The Sony Bravia A8H OLED is available today and comes in 55" and 65" sizes; the 55" model will retail for $2,299 and the 65" model for $3,099. This is clearly more affordable than last year's Sony Master Series A9G OLEDs, which sold the same sizes for $2,999 and $3,499 respectively.

The A8H looks very beautiful thanks to the combination of an excellent OLED panel and Sony's X1 Ultimate processor. This display combines the deep contrast and true blacks of an OLED display with 180-degree viewing angles and Sony's Triluminos color enhancement.

The new processing chip provides pixel-level color and contrast enhancement, object-based processing for improved HDR and upscaling. The biggest change, however, is the addition of X-Motion Clarity, Sony's per-pixel motion smoothing, which should eliminate the soap opera effects that plague most motion smoothing techniques and deliver quick action with perfect smoothness. [Dolby Atmos is supported and sound is produced directly from the screen using Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio technology, which uses the glass of the OLED panel to produce sound. This allows sound to come directly from the source, so you can hear the dialogue spoken by the actors directly, creating a more immersive viewing experience. The display also functions as a center channel speaker when used in a surround sound setup.

With a long-range microphone embedded in the bezel, the A8H also allows users to use the built-in Google Assistant without speaking into the remote or pressing any buttons. Instead, with the microphone enabled, simply speaking into the room turns the TV into a Google Home smart speaker that can look up information and control other smart home devices. If you want to combine it with your existing smart speakers, the new Sony TVs are also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home speakers, and Apple Airplay 2.

All of this is wrapped up in a sleek design that puts the OLED TV in a slim casing and a low-slung stand that only lifts the TV a few inches.

Stay tuned for our review of the Sony BRAVIA A8H OLED TV and our other articles on the TV.

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