Sony Bravia TVs: 2012 line up [Video]

As well as recently showing off Crystal LED TVs and a partnership with Google, Sony has also unveiled its line up of regular TVs for 2012.

Sony Bravia 2012 TVs

What’s new with Sony’s 2012 line up of TVs?

The forthcoming Sony Bravia line up of TVs ranges from models designed for a second room, such as the bedroom or the kitchen, to high-end TVs for (wealthy) enthusiasts. However last year’s top end model, the HX9 hasn’t been replaced and will continue to sell throughout 2012.

In the line up of models that have been upgraded, Sony has incorporated a new processing tool called X-Reality. Sony claims that this improves the picture quality of the source feed so, for example, standard definition content will look better. Sony says that the real benefit of this feature, however, is its ability to improve web-based video from sources such as YouTube or BBC iPlayer.

What are the key differences between the Sony TVs?

The Sony EX3 and EX4 TVs are designed for second rooms, rather than the living room, although they may serve many customers as perfectly good living room tellies.

Available in 22- and 26-inch sizes respectively (and with black or white frames) they offer standard definition Freeview and lack any Smart TV features.

The EX3 model offers an HD quality picture at 720 resolution, while the larger EX4 boasts Full HD quality at 1080 resolution.

Sony Bravia EX5 and EX6

The Sony EX5 and EX6 have Freeview tuners offering HD channels and are wi-fi enabled, providing viewers with access to a range of web-based content – including Sony’s revamped SEN (Sony Entertainment Network) service that offers music and video access.

These Smart TV offerings from Sony also include access to the new Play Memories tool that provides a means to sharing your photos and home videos with selected friends and family members.

The EX6 boasts many of the same features of the EX5 model but comes in larger screen sizes and shows off the new stand that Sony has added to this year’s line up of TVs well in the video. The EX6 will be available in 32-, 40- and 46-inch variants, while the EX5 series will only be available in 22- and 26-inches.

Sony Bravia HX7 and HX8

We begin to move in to the higher end TVs here – 3D is available though all models in the HX7 range and ranges above. The HX7 sports a newly designed chrome finish, and Sony claims that its panel offers high-speed picture rendering that makes it better-suited to action films and fast-paced sports than lower-end models.

Available in 32-, 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes, the HX7 has an edge lit LED panel. The HX8 also has a backlit LED panel but employs Sony’s local dimming technology, which Sony says improves the picture’s contrast.

Sony also claims that the 3D picture on the HX8 model is superior to that of the HX7 TV thanks to the Super Resolution 3D processing. We’ll reserve judgement on all aspects of these TVs’ picture quality until we’ve had them side-by-side in our labs alongside our benchmark model. The HX8 is available in 40-, 46-, and 55-inch versions. Here’s an excerpt from our review of the 2011 Sony HX8 TV:

The standard definition (Freeview and DVD) picture is a cut above many rivals. The natural images are enhanced by a strong sense of depth, while a touch of motion smearing shouldn’t prove to be too much of a distraction (for the best overall picture effect we preferred 200Hz Motion flow turned off).

Freeview in particular looks good thanks to a hefty dose of detail and good strong colours. However, this Sony doesn’t quite match the noise-free pictures on the best TVs and we did pick out a very slight yellow tint.

Natural detail and depth of the high-definition picture is superb. The only real downside? The picture can fade when watched from an angle. Depending on your room set-up it could prove irritating, but won’t be a big problem if it’s in the corner and you watch it head-on.

Find the full lab-based review of this model and hundred of other TVs in our expert TV reviews