Sony has announced the arrival of its top LCD TV for 2021. The hotly anticipated Sony X95J will be available to buy in June in the UK and is even open for pre-order already in some regions in 75in and 85in panel sizes. The 65in model will be released later in the year.
The X95J features Sony's all-new Cognitive Processor XR – a picture processor that aims to add a more human perspective and enhancement to each sound and frame – as well as a full-array 4K HDR panel with X-Wide Angle and X-Anti-Reflection technologies.
These IMAX Enhanced-certified TVs have much of the premium look and feel of the Master Series sets from the 2021 range. They have aluminium, backlit, voice remote controls as well as the super-skinny Seamless Edge Bezel design. There's a three-way stand on the two bigger panel sizes with a central position not required for the smaller 65in variant.
The X95J gets the slight step-down version of the Sony Contrast Booster technology, XR Contrast Booster 10. It's designed to boost peak brightness while maintaining well exposed whites and blacks in the image. X95J owners also get 12 months' access to Sony's Bravia CORE high bitrate streaming service with credits for five film purchases.
Like all the sets in the Sony 2021 TV range, the X95J gets Sony's Ambient Optimization technology, Dolby Vision HDR, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth with A2DP. There are HDMI 2.1 features, such as 4K 120fps, VRR (when available) and ALLM, and it's also one of the first Sony sets to make the switch from Android TV to the Google TV platform.
There's no pricing on the X95J at present, but the fact that the step-down 65in X90J retails at £1799 should be a decent steer.
If these premium, big screen LCD TVs are a little out of budget, then take a look at the Sony X85J range, which Sony has also confirmed for a June release today.
The X85J is an edge-lit LED TV without local dimming abilities. It comes in 43in, 50in, 55in, 65in, 75in and 85in sizes but doesn't get the Cognitive Processor XR. Instead it makes do with the very able Processor X1 from the 2020 range – so that means no XR Contrast Booster or 3D Sound Upscaling either.
Sony's X-Balanced speaker system takes care of sound, but there's still Google TV and much of the other technology support mentioned above, as well as Sony's high-performance motion processing. Again, no pricing is available at present.
MORE:
Read more about the whole Sony 2021 TV line-up.
These are the best TVs available now.
