If you’re hands-off, the TV offers some advanced auto-calibration features, including the new Prime Video auto-calibration that extracts metadata from videos. It is quite similar to Professional mode for cinematic content such as Jack Ryan either The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselBut when I put on the new Patton Oswalt game show the 1% It significantly brightened the image without appearing oversaturated or washed out. I couldn’t test the sports function on Thursday night footballbut it already seems like one of the best options I’ve tried.
Solid Booty
The Bravia 7 is quite well equipped in other aspects, especially for gaming. The TV offers class-standard features like HDMI 2.1 support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) up to 120Hz for stutter-free gaming and ALLM (Automatic Low Latency) for fast response. Sony’s Game Bar lets you add crosshairs and optimize various options on the fly, including a split-screen mode for viewing YouTube tours on screen. PlayStation 5 owners can also access Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping to further optimize performance.
One notable drawback is that, like the much more expensive A95L, only two of the TV’s four HDMI ports support 4K at 120Hz, one of which also houses HDMI eARC for connecting a soundbar or other audio device. . Cheaper options like Hisense’s U8N offer two discrete HDMI 2.1 ports, while advanced models like LG’s C4 OLED and Samsung’s QN90D and S90D OLED offer four. Inputs aside, I love using the TV to play games. Its pristine clarity is almost distracting, evoking fine details like gold rivets glinting in the sun on a worn leather shoulder pad.
The 7’s built-in audio system is useful thanks to dual woofers, dual side tweeters, and features like Voice Zoom 3 digital optimization designed to identify dialogue, but it’s also quite thin and crisp. I recommend purchasing an external audio device like one of our best sound bars or best bookshelf speaker options to get a sound on par with the visual experience.
Other key features of the Bravia 7 include support for multiple HDR modes, including Dolby Vision, HLG, and HDR10 (but not its more advanced HDR10+ version), streaming via AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, and the new Eco Dashboard 2 for deep video monitoring. energy.
Punch, poise and positioning
I was immediately impressed with the Bravia 7’s precise yet attractive image, and in most respects, I fell more in love with it over time. There’s a beautiful subtlety to the way Sony’s best TVs handle everything from fine detail and color to dark hallways and bright HDR. The Bravia 7’s combination of quantum dots for expansive colors, advanced mini LED backlighting for excellent control, and Sony’s latest XR image processing help it build on that legacy with great results.
The 7 doesn’t offer the full-throttle brilliance and brightness of lauded value options like the Hisense U8N (8/10, WIRED recommended) or TCL’s latest QM8 (which I have yet to try). The 7 puts out around 2,000 nits, but that kind of brightness is still plenty powerful for both SDR (standard dynamic range) and HDR content. Laser shots in sci-fi movies burn, explosions explode, and nature scenes, like glowing coral reefs, are rendered with sun-kissed realism.