Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
Sony is one of the top names in OLED TVs, and for good reason. Their flagship models consistently deliver high-quality picture and audio as well as premium features. I got to check out the Bravia 8 II at our testing lab in Louisville, pitting it head-to-head against models from Samsung, LG, and even TCL to see how it stacks up.
Also: The best Sony TVs you can buy
The first thing I noticed about the Bravia 8 II is that the screen is very dark right out of the box, especially when set beside the Samsung S95F and LG G5 OLED.
Every picture mode, even Vivid, was very dim and shadowy, which made viewing in brighter environments a bit difficult. Sony seems to have designed this particular OLED with darkened home theaters and living rooms in mind, but, fortunately, you can tweak the brightness settings in the main menu and either apply them to a single picture mode or across all TV settings. That's one of the Bravia 8 II's biggest strengths.
Also: The default TV setting I always turn off when setting it up - and why experts recommend it
You can also fine-tune things like color temperature, sharpness, and contrast to get a custom picture setting that works best with your space. While adjusting settings for the testing lab, I really appreciated how easy it was to navigate Sony's TV menus and how quickly I could make changes on-the-fly.
This particularly came in handy when I was switching between movies and games; with just a few menu options, I could easily tweak settings to get the most out of my movies and games.
Adam Breeden/ZDNET
With the help of both Dolby Atmos and Sony's Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology, the Bravia 8 II gives you rich audio that does, indeed, follow on-screen action and helps separate left and right channels for streaming music to give you a more immersive experience. You can also set up custom equalizer profiles for everything from streaming music to watching the local news.
... continue reading