Sony has safely found its footing in the premium TV space and the recently introduced Bravia TVs further solidify this. The latest Bravia 8 is another OLED TV added to the kitty, which includes everything that one can ask for a cinema-like experience at home. And to ditch those noisy theatres would be anyone’s dream, right? I spent over two weeks with the new Sony Bravia 8 and here’s my review.
Sony Bravia 8
Rs 1,99,490
What Is Good?
- Slim desig, easily blends into any decor
- Great picture quality
- Clean and easy-to-use UI
- Top-notch features
What Is Bad?
- Pricey
- Bass performance can be distorted
Price and Availability in India
The Sony Bravia 8 comes in two variants: the 55-inch variant costs Rs 1,99,490, and the 65-inch variant costs Rs 2,99,240. Yes, the pricing is high-end, but you can get the same for a lower price on Amazon and even better deals offline. The prices are subject to change, so it would be great to grab it during sales.
These can be purchased via Sony’s online store, Amazon, Sony Centres, and third-party retailers.
Design and Build Quality
The Bravia 8 has a simple look, and while it looks like its previous model and the 2022 A80K model, I don’t have anything to complain about. It perfectly fits in the living room. The TV is now slimmer and has a depth of 37mm, as opposed to the A80K’s 53mm depth. The slim profile makes it appealing, especially when placed on the tabletop.
| Design | Specs |
| Weight without stand | 22.3 kgs |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 1442 x 829 x 37 mm |
| Power input | 203W |
| Box contents | TV, stand, remote, and guide |
The TV’s feet are adjustable so that you can include soundbars, which is a great touch. The TV comes with a stand mount, which is great for flat tabletops. If you prefer having the TV on the wall, that is also possible. The 55-inch variant that I have with me is ideal for living spaces and medium-sized rooms. For much larger rooms, the 65-inch model will be a better choice.
The bezels are thin, with silver tones, making them appear premium and well-suited for all types of decor. The bottom bezel has the smallest ever Sony logo, a yellow LED (which lights up when the TV is plugged in), along with a white LED light. The overall aesthetic is appealing, especially if you like things minimal.
| Ports |
| HDMI x4 – (one supports eARC/ARC) |
| Optical digital audio out |
| LAN (Ethernet port) |
| USB ports x2 |
| RF antenna port |
The back side is neatly arranged with the power port placed on the left side and the other ports on the right side. This also makes it easier to organise the cables. While accessing these ports is convenient, the USB ports are aligned together, which makes it difficult to use them at the same time — we faced this same issue with the Bravia 2 65-inch TV (see review).
Display and Speaker Quality
The Bravia 8 has an OLED panel with a 4K resolution. You also get a 120Hz refresh rate. OLED technology needs no introduction and we know how it helps in producing colours, especially deeper blacks.
| Display | Specs |
| Size | 55-inch (139 cm) |
| Type | OLED |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 (4K) |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Other features | HDR 10, HLG, Dolby Vision, Motionflow XR (MEMC) |
Sony has technologies like XR Colour Booster, XR Triluminos Pro, and 4K upscaling for enhanced visuals. You also get Dolby Vision support, along with Netflix and Amazon Prime calibration modes.
I consume a lot of content on TV, and the Bravia 8 was a delight for me. This will be more amusing for those switching to an OLED TV for the first time. There are several picture modes to choose from. The Vivid and Cinema modes offered the best colours that matched my taste.
From watching season three of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (it’s my guilty pleasure!) and even rewatching the previous seasons to a little intense tale of The Buckingham Murders, I enjoyed every bit of the shows. The TV’s major test was shows and movies with much darker scenes and it did a great job. One of the scenes from The Buckingham Murders carefully highlighted Kareena Kapoor’s Aubergine hair colour very well in the dark scenes of a park. This is visually appealing in The Batman too.
And if you are a horror movie fan, the Bravia 8 will please you a lot. Watching You Should Have Left and Gerald’s Game, especially with the lights off was a great experience. I also compared the display output with the existing A80K and I was impressed to see how both TVs are alike despite being two years apart. However, the Bravia 8 has slightly better contrast and brightness.
The TV has excellent viewing angles and watching the panel under different lighting caused no issues. There’s some reflection when the curtains aren’t drawn but since there wasn’t direct encounter with sunlight, my experience wasn’t hindered.
I watched a few football matches alongside my husband, and the players’ movements were smooth and hard to miss. Sony’s Motionflow XR—its term for MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation)—greatly helped with this. It is enabled by default, but you can customise or disable it.
| Audio | Specs |
| Power Output | 2 tweeter + 2 actuator (10W each) |
| Speaker Type | Acoustic Surface Audio+, Sound Positioning tweeter |
The great display quality is met with impressive audio, making the TV a complete package. There’s support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and 3D surround sound, and the whole system does an impressive job of creating the perfect movie night setup you want at home.
The Bravia 8 gets the Acoustic Surface Audio+, which utilises the tweeters for the entire TV to emit sound. So, every part of the screen will act as a speaker. If a person on-screen standing on the left talks, the sound will come from that part of the TV.
This is quite impactful in climax or horror sequences when you tend to be on the edge of your seat. The audio is loud and clear and impactful for the medium-sized room in which it was placed. I hardly had to go above 60% volume levels, which is great, especially when the fan is switched on. However, the bass feels distorted at higher volume levels.
Performance and Remote
The Bravia 8 includes the XR processor and runs Google TV. I have been using Google TV on my Sony A80K for a while, so I was very familiar with the interface. The UI is quite easy to navigate and the experience was smooth throughout.
As soon as you launch the TV, the homepage recommends a handful of TV Shows, movies, and apps. It also has a Netflix-inspired ‘Continue Watching’ section to pick up from where you left off.
I can’t emphasise enough how convenient it is to use Google TV. Compared to Samsung’s TizenOS, this has been clean and easy to navigate. There’s also support for Chromecast and Apple AirPlay so that casting content onto the TV is easier. You also get access to the Sony Pictures Core to watch a range of Sony Pictures movies.
The accompanying remote control (with a gradient texture) is lightweight and again, easy to use. The keys are well-spaced, so, you can access them even without looking at them. There are hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Sony Liv, and Sony Bravia Core that are super handy but are offered on almost every TV remote, so, nothing too surprising. The special part is that it’s backlit, which not only adds to the overall aesthetics of the remote but helps greatly in navigating in dark rooms. Plus, it’s made of 80% recyclable materials.
Verdict
The Sony Bravia 8 is another premium TV option, which has all the bells and whistles you would need for the immersive experience at home. The 55-inch and 65-inch screen size options should also prove ideal for many people.
Add the functionality of the Google TV and loads of Sony’s audio and picture-focused features, you can have a gala time. The Netflix and Amazon Prime-calibrated modes are also an add-on, making it such a good product you won’t regret buying.
However, at a starting price of Rs 1,99,490, it’s not in the affordable league and therefore, may not be the obvious choice for many. The bass performance also feels a little underwhelming, so, if that’s your concern, you may feel slightly disappointed. At a lesser price, the Haier C11 OLED (see review) may fit the bill.
That said, you can always score some deals, especially during events like Christmas and Republic Day. If price is not a problem and you can let go of the slight hiccup in the audio department, this Sony Bravia 8 is a pretty good deal.
