Great news if you're looking to buy into Sony's 2020 TV lineup: Sony has announced the start of pre-orders for its newest Master Series A9 4K HDR OLED television in Europe.
The Sony A9 OLED promises the company's very best OLED picture performance but in a small and manageable form factor. And it's only available in one size – a very reasonable 48-inch model.
The panel sits on a small, central, aluminium stand and is aimed at those with more bijou spaces who still want a flagship 4K experience. As with Sony's A8 OLEDs, this 4K A9 experience includes Sony's X-Motion Clarity motion processing technology and high-end processor, the Picture Processor X1.
The sound design here is interesting too. Two actuators behind the screen vibrate discreetly to turn the whole panel into the TV's speaker, with the aim to create a more immersive audio experience, as per the Sony Acoustic Surface Audio brand. The subwoofer is subtly integrated into the rear of the TV to add bass.
The A9 also features Pixel Contrast Booster, which promises to enhance colour and contrast in bright areas so you can enjoy scenes full of lifelike shades and hues.
Other features include a Netflix Calibrated Mode (specially developed to enjoy Netflix originals), Ambient Optimisation to automatically adjust both picture and sound quality to your environment (it even recognises furniture that might absorb sound), and the A9 is an IMAX Enhanced product, so it'll take full advantage of IMAX Enhanced content in your home.
The A9 features Android TV with Google Assistant, the Google Play Store and Chromecast built-in. Apple AirPlay 2 users can also stream movies, music, games and photos to their television right from their iOS device.
Sony Master Series A9 4K HDR OLED TV is available for pre-order now in the UK and Ireland for £1799 and €2149.
Once we've been 12 rounds with one, we'll of course let you know what we think: but judging by Sony's report card (have a look below), we have high hopes.
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