Verdict
Another impressive OLED TV from Sony with big appeal to home cinema fans. There are improvements to the Bravia 8’s picture, the design is more convenient and Google TV offers a slick smart experience; but this isn’t a big jump over the A80L. It could arguably do with a boost to brightness to compete with five-star models from LG and Philips.
Pros
- Expressive and natural picture quality
- Engaging Google TV smarts
- Convenient design
- Dolby and DTS support
Cons
- Less bright than the competition
- Sounds tamer than previous models
Key Features
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Review Price: £2199
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Google TV Get all your entertainment from Google's interface
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Perfect For PS5 Exclusive features for PS5 gaming
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IMAX Enhanced IMAX support with Disney+ streaming service
Introduction
The Bravia 8 is the mid-range OLED in Sony’s 2024 TV range, replacing the A80L.
It joins the Bravia 9 and Bravia 7 Mini LED models in Sony’s slimmed-down offering – the UK didn’t get the Bravia 3 – and at first glance, the Bravia 8 isn’t altogether different from the A80L.
Is the Bravia 8 an upgrade or a sidestep? And can it beat the likes of the LG C4 and Philips OLED809? Let’s find out.
Design
- Customisable stand
- Slimmer design
The Bravia 8 OLED’s Slim One Slate design adopts a minimalist, slender look. At 37mm, the Bravia 8’s screen depth is less than the Philips 55OLED809 (113mm) and LG OLED55C4 (45.1mm), and thinner than Sony’s own A80L (53mm).
The bezel is thin, the rear of the screen is flat and if you choose to wall-mount, it’ll sit flush against a wall. Assembling the TV is fast, taking just over a minute to attach the feet.
The feet can be arranged in a low position or a higher one that accommodates a soundbar. They can be attached in the middle of the screen or out to the sides, depending on the surface the Bravia 8 is on. The feet come fully formed with no need to be assembled, so all that needs to be decided on is the height and position.
You can plonk a soundbar in either orientation and it balances on the feet. I’ve had the Bravia Theatre Bar 8 for review and it goes well together with the 55-inch Bravia 8. It’s almost as if they were made for each other…
User Experience
- Sony Pictures Core streaming
- Lots of content recommendations
- UK catch-up apps
Unlike LG or Samsung, Sony doesn’t invest in its own UX (user experience). Instead, it chooses Google TV, though unlike other UK Google TV models, Sony’s sets feature all the UK catch-up and on-demand apps.
It’s not as if Google TV lacks content, either. You’re covered for film, TV, sports, music, news, and more, as Google claims to have over 40,000 movies and TV episodes.
The interface is separated into For You, Movies, TV, Apps, Library, and Sony tabs. For You features apps, channels, and recommendations, with Rotten Tomatoes ratings to help you find something to watch.
Google TV is easy to navigate and responsive – it’s more visually attractive than Android TV ever was too. It’s slick and well-organised, though I wonder whether the recommendations really work. Oftentimes, I’m recommended something I’ve seen before.
The ‘Continue Watching’ row makes it easier to dive back in, but it only works with Apple TV+, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, and Netflix, not the UK catch-up apps. You can access the individual channels through the YouView live TV portal.
There isn’t as much scrolling through the interface, and flicking down the rows brings up suggestions from dramas to trending films, free ad-supported content, action films, and comedies, so there’s a wide variety to get stuck into. Once at the bottom, there’s a ‘manage services’ section where you can change which apps feed into Google TV’s recommendations.
BRAVIA Core has been renamed Sony Pictures Core, and offers Sony streaming titles in 4K and IMAX Enhanced. Each Bravia TV owner can redeem up to 15 movies and enjoy two years of access to a curated selection of up to 100 movies that regularly change. Think more like MUBI rather than Netflix.
The Bravia 8 OLED ships with two remotes. The ECO remote has fewer buttons and quick access buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and Disney+, as well as Sony services in Sony Pictures Core and Crunchyroll. Like previous remotes, its buttons feel responsive and are not bunched up. The look has changed to a speckled look (it’s made from recycled plastic), and this remote can be charged via USB-C.
Features
- Prime and Netflix Adaptive modes
- IMAX Enhanced support
- Google Home and Apple Home
The Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode uses the TV’s light sensor to adjust contrast and brightness depending on the room’s environment, and a new feature is the Prime Video Calibrated Mode, which does the same for that streaming service.
There is IMAX Enhanced support with Disney+. I had a conversation with the folks at DTS who confirmed that the feature has been rolled out to Google and Android TV models so far. As long as you’ve got an IMAX compatible soundbar, you can switch from Dolby to DTS.
HDR covers HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision. Sony TVs are a rarity with support for Dolby (Dolby Audio, Dolby Atmos) and DTS (DTS Digital Surround, DTS Express, DTS Master HD Audio, DTS High Resolution Audio, DTS:X). That’s useful for DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Blu-rays.
For smart home devices, there is Google Assistant voice control and Apple Home. Alexa control is possible through another connected device. The Bravia 8 also supports the Bravia CAM (not included), which can detect where you are and adjust the brightness, sound balance and volume of the TV accordingly. You can also carry out Google Meets video calls, though the idea of video calls seems old hat.
Gaming
- SBTM for HDR tone-mapping
- Improved input lag
Gaming-wise, the Bravia 8 OLED isn’t an all-round powerhouse, but it has VRR, ALLM, 4K/120Hz, and SBTM (Source-Based Tone Mapping). The latter produces an HDR image optimised in line with the display’s specs. There’s no built-in AMD or Nvidia VRR for PC gamers.
There are PS5-specific features in Auto Genre Picture mode that switches automatically to the TV’s game mode. There is Auto HDR Tone Mapping (which is SBTM) and Dolby Vision Game mode.
The Bravia 8’s input lag is improved to 12.7ms compared to 16.4ms on the A80L. That puts it on the same level as the LG C4 OLED.
Connectivity
- Two HDMI 2.1 inputs
- AirPlay and Chromecast streaming
Of the four HDMI inputs, two are designated as HDMI 2.1 (HDMI 3 and 4). Those two inputs support eARC (for pass-through of lossless audio to a soundbar), auto low latency mode, and variable refresh rates. The other is left free for a device that supports 4K/120Hz refresh rates.
If, however, you have more than two HDMI 2.1 devices, you’ll have to swap. I think it’s unlikely many will have more than two devices of this nature, but if you do, there are TVs from LG and Samsung that can sate that thirst.
There’s also a digital audio out, two USB ports, Ethernet, two satellite connections and an input for terrestrial TV. Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi are covered with wireless streaming, which includes built-in AirPlay and Chromecast.
Picture Quality
- Slightly richer, bolder HDR performance
- Still excellent motion processing
- Some black crush in HDR and SDR modes
If I still had the A80L in the testing rooms, this section would have been easier. But as I’m running off my memory banks, I don’t think there’s a big difference between it and the Bravia 8. That’s not a knock, but if you are interested in jumping from the A80L, I’d say you don’t need to.
By and large, the picture performance is similar. There’s the same red push to colours – perhaps even more than on the A80L – and a 4K Blu-ray in HDR10 of Across the Spider-Verse shows the Bravia 8 delivers rich and wide-ranging colours. Sony’s processing draws out more tones for a richer and vibrant look, a slight boost over the A80L.
Banding, contouring and posterization aren’t an issue when watching Blade Runner 2049 on 4K Blu-ray. Like it was with the A80L, the Bravia 8 delivers a brilliantly natural and refined image that’s hard to find a massive fault with.
This 55-inch model offers excellent sharpness for its size, with what can only be described as ecstatic levels of fine detail with a film such as Alien: Romulus. All the dirt, grime and grit are fleshed out to transport the viewer into the film’s world. Dolby Vision enriches the sense of colour further, with a more vivid sense of red, orange and yellows than I see on my personal A80L.
Contrast is strong with deep blacks, and the brightest parts of the image look brighter than on a Panasonic Z90A. There’s a nice sense of three-dimensionality, though not as great as the LG G4 OLED.
Black levels in Professional mode with Zero Dark Thirty seem spot on, but there’s a degree of black crush – loss of detail in the darkest parts – in Cinema and Standard modes in a bright room.
In fact, to touch upon Cinema and Standard modes, among the tweaks Sony appears to have made is to bring them closer in look. Cinema mode offers deeper, richer blacks over Standard but the two modes are nevertheless close in appearance.
Stranger still is that Standard mode is only slightly brighter than Cinema, with 430 nits on 10% window compared to Cinema’s 367 nits. Standard mode is less bright than it was on the A80L, but both Professional and Vivid have been boosted. Vivid hits 1231 nits on a 10% window, brighter than any mid-range Sony OLED I’ve seen.
Sony’s MotionFlow processing has been challenged by LG’s TruMotion in recent years, but I still think Sony’s solution is the best. On its Auto setting, the processing is super-slick with no tearing, softness, or issues in terms of edge definition. The Soap Opera Effect is visible, but it’s an excellent, stable, and clear image with high levels of detail.
Enabling the custom settings and pushing them to ‘max’ results in judder and stutter, but it’s still pretty good. The one setting I’d avoid is ‘Clearness’. All it does is create a buzzing image that looks like it’ll give you a headache.
Upscaling
- Fine work with low-quality sources
- Streaming sources can look slightly rough
It’s with the upscaling that there’s the biggest leap. Watching What Is Dead May Never Die from Game of Thrones’ second season and a DVD of Spider-Man 2, the Bravia 8 isn’t the sharpest image (naturally) but produces a clear, detailed, and impressively defined image without much noticeable noise.
There’s a softness to the image – mainly with background detail – but the XR Processor is excellent at picking up on the finest details. Film grain is treated normally rather than mistaken as noise. It’ll make you think you’re watching at a quality better than DVD.
Colours look rich and resplendent, especially the reds and browns of Game of Thrones’ cinematography, while there’s nuance and a natural look to skin tones. Aside from some black crush in some picture modes, the Bravia 8’s upscaling of lower-quality sources looks authentic.
Blu-rays also look fantastic. Everything I’ve mentioned about its upscaling of DVDs applies to a Blu-ray of Avatar: colours are expressive but appear true to the source. Sharpness, clarity and detail are excellent – nothing feels out of place.
It’s with streaming content where the Bravia 8’s upscaling can look a touch inconsistent. A 720p YouTube stream can look cruder than expected, but play higher-quality streams – Traitors series 2 on iPlayer – and the Bravia 8’s finesse is more on point.
Sound Quality
- Clear, detailed sound
- Dolby and DTS support
The Bravia 8’s audio system uses actuators to vibrate the screen and create sound. It’s a clever system, though I’m not sure this latest version is any better than before.
The Bravia 8 sounds thinner than I remember of the A80L. It lacks heft and weight with Dolby Atmos films like Romulus and Dune: Part One. It’s not the most expansive – it certainly doesn’t reach beyond the TV’s width and height – and to my ears, it’s not the clearest-sounding, but it’s good in terms of dialogue clarity.
It’s solid at reproducing the ambience of scenes, and sound comes from where it’s positioned on the screen, but bass is lacking in scenes in Romulus and Civil War. The Bravia 8 can be partnered with the Bravia Theatre Bar 8, but that has bass issues of its own.
DTS tracks sound clearer, sharper, and more detailed, with more dynamism, and they hit a better sense of loudness. But it still sounds thin, lacking weight and punch. There is a lack of power and grunt to the Bravia 8’s sound for Sony’s usual standards.
There are settings to explore, but do they make a difference? Some offer more detail, while others sound slightly sharper. In any case, while the Bravia 8 is fine, it could use a sound system to give it a lift.
Should you buy it?
Expressive and natural picture quality
Slightly richer, bolder, and more vivid with HDR sources, while its upscaling extracts every bit of detail it can find from lower quality sources.
If you watch TV in a bright room
Like the A80L, the Bravia 8 isn’t the brightest TV, and in a bright room you’d be better off with a brighter OLED or Mini LED TV
Final Thoughts
The Bravia 8 is better than the A80L but those improvements are slight, slight enough that I wouldn’t say you should upgrade if you have the A80L. If you have an A80J or older A-series OLED, then upgrading to the Bravia 8 makes more sense.
The design is more convenient when it comes to assembling the TV. The gaming performance is slightly better though no concessions are made to PC gamers. Google TV offers an engaging smart experience and unlike other Google TV models, the Bravia 8 has all the UK catch-up apps.
The audio performance is lukewarm but the picture is richer and more colourful, however slight that improvement is. For home cinema fans the Bravia 8 is an excellent TV, especially if you have plenty of physical media.
But perhaps next time Sony, you could use a brighter OLED panel? That would really give LG and Philips rivals something to think about.
Trusted Score
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- Tested over two months
- Input lag measured
- Brightness measured
- Tested with real world use
FAQs
The Bravia 7 is a Mini LED model, while the Bravia 8 is an OLED TV.
Test Data
| Sony Bravia 8 | |
|---|---|
| Input lag (ms) | 12.7 ms |
| Peak brightness (nits) 5% | 463 nits |
| Peak brightness (nits) 2% | 462 nits |
| Peak brightness (nits) 10% | 430 nits |
| Peak brightness (nits) 100% | 121 nits |
| Set up TV (timed) | 69 Seconds |
Full Specs
| Sony Bravia 8 Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £2199 |
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Screen Size | 54.6 inches |
| Size (Dimensions) | 1223 x 248 x 786 MM |
| Size (Dimensions without stand) | 706 x 1223 x 37 MM |
| Weight | 18 KG |
| ASIN | B0CZTZTQXJ |
| Operating System | Google TV |
| Release Date | 2024 |
| Model Number | K55XR80 |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| HDR | Yes |
| Types of HDR | HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision |
| Refresh Rate TVs | 40 – 120 Hz |
| Ports | Four HDMI, digital audio out, two USB ports, Ethernet, two satellite, RF terrestrial |
| HDMI (2.1) | eARC, ALLM, VRR, HFR, SBTM |
| Audio (Power output) | 50 W |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Display Technology | OLED |