I Compared Sony's Newest QD-OLED TV to the A95L Side by Side – Here's What I Found

Summary

In this video, the Sony Bravia 8M IQD OLED is compared with the award-winning A95L and a Sony BVM HX3110 reference monitor. The Bravia 8M IQD OLED shines with its increased brightness, achieving a closer match to the reference monitor's HDR performance. The lack of white subpixels in QD OLED technology reduces near-black chrominance overshoot, ensuring better shadow detail. The Bravia 8M also boasts a smooth gradation decontouring filter for pristine HDR content. For those unsure about which Sony QD OLED to purchase, Richard Sounds offers expert advice and exclusive deals.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Sony Bravia 8 M I QD OLED is 25% brighter than the A95L, providing better brightness and clarity in HDR content.
• 😀 The reviewer conducted a side-by-side comparison of the Sony Bravia 8 M I, A95L, and the BVM HX3110 reference monitor at Sony Europe's headquarters.
• 😀 In real-world tests, the Sony Bravia 8 M I was able to produce brighter highlights, especially in scenes with the sun, compared to the A95L.
• 😀 Despite the Bravia 8 M I's impressive brightness, the BVM HX3110 still outperforms both in terms of HDR brightness.
• 😀 One of the key advantages of the QD OLED panel in the Bravia 8 M I is the absence of near-black chrominance overshoot or flashing artifacts in dark scenes.
• 😀 The Sony Bravia 8 M I's HDR performance comes closer to the creative intent in high-brightness sequences, particularly with sun scenes reaching 4,000 nits.
• 😀 The reviewer noticed some light reflections in the test environment, but the Bravia 8 M I still showed superior shadow detail compared to the A95L.
• 😀 The Bravia 8 M I features a smooth gradation decontouring filter, though the native gradation is already excellent for most HDR content.
• 😀 Unlike the Bravia 8 W OLED, the Bravia 8 M I QD OLED model offers additional features, such as the smooth gradation filter, improving overall picture quality.
• 😀 The reviewer recommends Richard Sounds, a trusted UK AV retailer, for good advice and deals on Sony QD OLED TVs, offering 6-year warranties and VIP-exclusive benefits.

Q & A

What is the main difference in brightness between the Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED and the Sony A95L?

The Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED is rated to be 25% brighter than the Sony A95L, offering increased light output for better brightness and clarity in HDR content.

How did the Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED compare to the Sony A95L in terms of HDR performance during the comparison?

During the comparison, the Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED displayed brighter and clearer HDR footage, particularly in scenes involving bright sunlight and clouds, making it closer to matching the HDR performance of the reference Sony BVM HX3110 mastering monitor.

What role did the Sony BVM HX3110 reference monitor play in the comparison?

The Sony BVM HX3110 reference monitor, capable of hitting 4,000 nits on a 10% window at D65 white point, served as a benchmark for evaluating the HDR performance of both the Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED and the Sony A95L.

How did the Sony Bravia 8 MI handle high-brightness scenes compared to the A95L?

In high-brightness scenes, particularly those graded to 4,000 nits, the Sony Bravia 8 MI showed noticeably brighter highlights, offering a more accurate representation of the creative intent compared to the A95L.

What advantage does the Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED have over the A95L in terms of near-black performance?

The Sony Bravia 8 MI QD OLED does not use white subpixels, which eliminates near-black chrominance overshoot and flashing artifacts, offering better shadow detail and darker scene handling compared to the A95L.

What was the issue with the reflections seen during the comparison footage?

The issue with reflections in the footage was due to light entering the room through the entrance door, despite the effort to turn off all mood lighting. This caused visible reflections on the screens, but the video still demonstrates the performance of the displays.

How does the Bravia 8 MI handle shadow detail in comparison to the A95L?

The Bravia 8 MI provided a closer match to the reference BVM HX3110 mastering monitor in terms of shadow detail, with better handling of near-black luminance compared to the A95L, which had slightly elevated near-black luminance.

What is the unique feature of the Bravia 8 MI's picture menu for handling gradation?

The Bravia 8 MI offers a smooth gradation decontouring filter in its picture menu, which helps to minimize unwanted artifacts during HDR content viewing, though its native gradation performance is already excellent.

Why might someone consider buying from Richer Sounds when purchasing a Sony TV?

Richer Sounds is a trusted British AV retailer that offers a 6-year warranty on most TVs and provides exclusive deals through its VIP club, including discounted prices and complimentary gifts, making it a reliable option for purchasing Sony TVs.

What should viewers do to learn more about the Sony Bravia 8 MI's technical details?

To find out more details about the Sony Bravia 8 MI, such as the number of HDMI 2.1 ports, viewers are encouraged to watch the additional coverage video linked in the transcript.