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Sony just revealed its lineup of new TVs for 2024. While many boast interesting features that well get into later, the biggest change is naming conventions. Sony TVs used to be named confusing strings of numbers and letters, but thats all gone now. The names here are clean and simple. They all use Bravia, a long-time Sony moniker for televisions, and a single digit number. The Bravia 3 is a standard 4K LED TV with dynamic HDR, upscaling technology and a 60Hz refresh rate. This is the most basic box within Sonys lineup, but it still looks plenty capable. The company promises that it also uses eight percent less power than last years equivalent, which is always nice. The TV is available in sizes ranging from 43-inches all the way up to 85-inches, with prices going from $600 to $1,800. Sony Dont ask what happened to Bravia 4, 5 and 6, because the next TV in the lineup is called the Bravia 7. This is a mini LED box with some neat tech, including a powerful updated processor and Sonys proprietary Backlight Master Drive local dimming algorithm. The company says this allows it to feature 790 percent more dimming zones compared to last years similar X90L. The more dimming zones a TV has, the smaller each one will be. This leads to an increase in precision and a better contrast ratio. It also uses less power than the X90L, to the tune of 15 percent, and boasts a new calibration mode primarily intended for Prime Video content. The Bravia 7 is available in sizes ranging from 55-inches to 85-inches, with prices fluctuating from $1,900 to $3,500. The Bravia 8 is the companys latest OLED model. The OLED panel ensures a perfect black response and the box includes the same calibration mode for Prime Video found with the Bravia 7. However, the most interesting aspects of this line have to do with size and form factor. The Bravia 8 is 31 percent thinner than last years equivalent model, with a slimmed down bezel. It should really pop when hung on a wall. There are only three sizes in this lineup, and the 55-inch model costs $2,000, the 65-inch version costs $3,400 and the 75-inch box costs a whopping $3,900. Sony Finally, theres the flagship Bravia 9. This is basically a souped-up version of the Bravia 7, as its another mini LED box. Sony says that the display technology is similar to whats found in a mastering monitor, which is a lofty promise. Its 50 percent brighter than last years X95L, which was already plenty bright, with a 325 percent increase in dimming zones. Theres also a 20 percent reduction in power consumption when compared to the X95L and new beam tweeters for improved audio. The Bravia 9 features Sonys proprietary Backlight Master Drive and the new Prime Video calibration feature. The 65-inch version of this TV costs $3,300, while the 85-inch model comes in at a jaw-dropping $5,500. All of these TVs are available right now for purchase, so go ahead and empty that bank account. In addition to the new televisions, Sony just released a whole bunch of new audio products, including soundbars and an update of its neckband speaker.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-new-bravia-tvs-boast-powerful-processors-and-a-prime-video-calibration-mode-160046996.html?src=rss
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Sony didn't announce any new home theater audio gear at CES, so it was only a matter of time before the company would reveal its latest soundbars and speakers. Today, the company unveiled its new Bravia Theater line, a moniker that the company's soundbars and living room speakers will carry for the foreseeable future. Sony is ditching the HT-XXXX naming scheme, which should be less confusing for all parties. For the initial offering, the company has two new Dolby Atmos soundbars, a four-speaker surround system and a wearable neckband speaker. At the top of the list sits the Bravia Theater Bar 9. This is Sony's new flagship soundbar, but the company says it's 36-percent smaller than the former premium model, the HT-A7000. Inside, a 13-speaker setup includes three tweeters, four woofers, two beam tweeters, two up-firing and two side-firing drivers. The slightly smaller Bravia Theater Bar 8 houses 11 total speakers, lacking the the two beam tweeters from the Bar 9. Sony says the Bar 8 is 30-percent smaller than the unit it replaces, the HT-A5000. Both soundbars feature very similar spec sheets, including support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio and Hi-Res audio content. The pair will also gain IMAX Enhanced capabilities with a pending update, but that feature will require additional wireless rear speakers and a subwoofer. Connectivity is the same on both models with one HDMI input and one HDMI output (eARC). HDMI 2.1 is supported, so you can expect 4K/120 passthrough and all the other perks that standard affords. Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8Sony There's also a host of Sony-specific features on both soundbars. That list includes Sound Field Optimization for room calibration and 360 Spatial Sound that places virtual speakers around a space for more immersive audio via virtualization. Acoustic Center Sync combines the speakers of a Bravia TV with either of these soundbars for a more realistic cinema experience where it sounds like the audio is coming directly from the screen. The soundbars also support Voice Zoom 3 from Sony's Bravia TVs, a tool that uses AI to recognize human voices and amplifies them so it's always heard clearly. The Bravia Theater Bar 9 and Bravia Theater Bar 8 are compatible with Sony's current rear satellite speakers and subwoofers. Those include the SA-RS5 and SA-RS3S speakers and the SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 subs. Unfortunately, there's no bundle option, so on top of a $1,400 (Bar 9) or a $1,000 (Bar 8) soundbar, you'll have to shell out hundreds more for a better setup. At the very least, you'll want a subwoofer, which will currently cost you either $350 (SW3) or $620 (SW5). Sony Bravia Theater QuadSony And then there's the Bravia Theater Quad. This four-speaker set replaces the HT-A9 that Sony introduced in 2021. Instead of four cylindrical units, the company opted for flat, square designs this time, which will allow you to mount them on a wall more easily. Like the A9, there's a separate box that holds all of the necessary connections. You'll get HDMI 2.1 here too, with one input and one output (eARC). Inside of each speaker, there are four drivers: one tweeter, one mid-range, one woofer and one up-firing unit. That's a total of 16 across the set, and Sony says you can add on either the SW3 or the SW5 subwoofer for more low-end thump. The Sony-developed features from the new Bravia Theater Bars are here as well, including 360 Spatial Sound, Sound Field Optimization, Acoustic Center Sync and Voice Zoom 3. Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, 360 Reality Audio and Hi-Res tunes are in the mix too, and IMAX Enhanced will arrive later via an update (you'll need a sub to use it). The Bravia Theater Quad is the priciest of the bunch, setting you back $2,500 for the initial set without a bundled subwoofer. Lastly, Sony has a new neckband speaker for "open-air yet personal listening." The Bravia Theater U ($300) supports Dolby Atmos when paired with a compatible Bravia TV. Two of the company's X-balanced speakers power the device, which supports 360 Reality Audio on its own. There's also 12-hour battery life, multipoint Bluetooth and a built-in mic for calls. Sony says the Bravia Theater Bar 9 and Bar 8 will be available for preorder this spring from Amazon and other retailers. Ditto for the Bravia Theater U. The Bravia Theater Quad is available for preorder now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-debuts-bravia-theater-line-of-dolby-atmos-soundbars-and-speakers-160034176.html?src=rss
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ASUS latest 14-inch gaming laptop is an incredibly versatile and stylish all-rounder. But for those who want something even beefier, theres the ROG Zephyrus G16. Not only does it feature a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, it supports up to NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics cards. Thats not all. Its OLED display refreshes twice as fast at 240Hz and it has surprisingly good speakers as well as a full-size SD card reader for quickly transferring files from a camera. So despite being aimed at gamers, the G16 is better equipped to serve as a portable editing rig, which makes this a great system even for people who dont care about bunny-hopping and fragging. Design The G16s new all-aluminum chassis is simply fantastic. Thats because in addition to being a touch lighter (about 0.1 pounds) and thinner (about 0.2 inches) than the previous model, it feels even sturdier. For 2024, ASUS ditched the dot matrix display on its lid for a single diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs running down the center, which gives the laptop a much more sophisticated look without becoming boring. Its like a teenager who grew up and learned to dress properly without losing touch with their gamer roots. On the inside, theres a backlit keyboard with rainbow lighting (though its single-zone and not per-key) flanked by some surprisingly punchy speakers with an absolutely massive touchpad below. All told, its a beautifully designed system that looks as good as it feels. ASUS has also included the right blend of connectivity options. The G16 features two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A slots, two USB-C ports (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is the kind of arrangement that lets you travel freely without needing to worry about extra dongles or adapters. Plus, thanks to ASUS new Slim Power Jack, you dont have to hog any other ports while charging. And in a pinch, you can also juice up the G16 via USB-C, albeit at slower speeds (up to around 100 watts) than with the included 240-watt brick. Display The G16s 2.5K (2,560 x 1,600) OLED screen might be the best component here. Its vivid and supports a huge color gamut (100 percent of DCI-P3), while its 240Hz refresh rate makes it great even for gamers looking to squeeze out every last competitive advantage. Though brightness is just average at around 400 nits in standard definition mode or 450 nits in HDR, I didnt really have any trouble seeing the screen unless the G16 was in direct sunlight. One last bonus for photo and video editors is that ASUS does include a few calibrated viewing modes in its Armoy Crate app for sRGB, D65 P3 and DCI-P3 so you can more accurately adjust hues or color grade footage. Performance Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget The G16s performance is pretty solid thanks to an Intel Core ultra 9 195H CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage and NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics. However, heres where some trade-offs for the G16s slim chassis factor in. Compared to similarly-sized rivals like the Razer Blade 16, the G16 features a lower overall TDP (total device power), which means even if they appear to have the same listed components, theres still a difference in capabilities. For example, on our review unit with an RTX 4080, the amount of power sent to the GPU caps out at 115 watts versus 175 watts for the Razer. The G16's RAM is also soldered in, so you can't add more post-purchase. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p and ultra graphics with ray-tracing on, the G16 hit 68 fps, which is just barely ahead of what we saw from a smaller Razer Blade 14 (66 fps), despite the latter having a lower tier RTX 4070 but with a similar wattage. That said, those figures are more than adequate to keep AAA games running smoothly. And let's not forget that the Blade 14 model I referenced costs $2,700, which is the same price as our G16 review unit. This makes it an apt comparison even if Razers laptop has a smaller footprint. Battery life Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget One of the main advantages of a larger system is having extra room for a bigger battery. On PCMark 10s Open Office rundown test, the G16 lasted 9 hours and 17 minutes versus just 5:12 for the smaller G14. Thats a solid mark considering its also better than an XPS 16 (8:31) we reviewed. However, overall longevity depends on your workload, because when I ran the battery test a second time only using the GPU instead of relying on NVIDIAs Optimus graphic switching feature, that time dropped to just 3:08. That means the system will last all day if youre using basic productivity app, but for more demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, youll want to keep ASUS 240-watt power brick close by. Wrap-up Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Just like its smaller sibling, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is an almost ideal thin-and-light gaming laptop. Its got a sleek all-aluminum build, a gorgeous 240Hz OLED display and longer battery life. Granted, it might not be quite as powerful as some of its rivals thanks to lower-wattage components, but its still got enough oomph to handle practically anything you can throw at it. And thanks to a full-size SD card reader, it makes for an even better portable editing workstation. But most importantly, with a starting price of $1,750, the G16 is more approachable than many of its high-end (and bulkier) competitors, which makes it a great pick for people who want a larger system that wont weigh them down.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-g16-2024-review-not-just-for-gamers-153001954.html?src=rss
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