Everything You Need to Know About Sony’s New TV Lineup for 2023

Sony introduced the XR as a cognitive processor at CES 2022. Its algorithms are supposedly programmed to mimic the human brain when trying to understand images. It is a fancy way to say that what it does is prioritize some visuals over others.

Instead of analyzing the image as a whole like the X1, the XR’s algorithms analyze color, contrast, texture, depth and detail in multiple zones; then cross-analyze this information within and between frames for brightness and contrast optimization. Sony claims 5% more efficiency in the XR over the X1 Ultimate, which was the company’s most powerful TV prior.

Ok, but… what does 5% more efficiency mean in real life? During the press events, we were able to check the XR performance compared with an X1 processor and a professional Sony Trimaster monitor. Don’t underestimate its 30 inches and 90’s retro style. Trimaster monitors are monsters worth thousands of dollars and are used in movie studios to adjust images. They are also notorious for showing contrast and color just as it was recorded, without effects, digital editing or HDR paraphernalia. Consider them the RAW version of what you can see in your TV. Now, for what matters, the XR processor TV colors were indeed more natural and closer to what you can see on a professional monitor, but not necessarily more vivid.

The biggest change is in brightness and contrast. XR chips are way better at illuminating dark areas next to bright areas. In LED and Full Array LED TVs, the XR improves both brightness and local dimming, and this translates into less bloom. As you probably know, bloom is the halo effect that occurs when light from a very bright object on the screen illuminates the dark areas around them. OLED models do not have blooming problems because each pixel lights up on its own. What the XR does for them is improve the general brightness and extend the color range.

To sum it up, yes, the image quality is better, but not enough to run to the hills for a new TV set if you already have a Sony TV with an X1 Processor, especially if it is a X1 Ultimate or X1 Pro, which was the most advanced of that generation.

Sony introduced the XR as a cognitive processor at CES 2022. Its algorithms are supposedly programmed to mimic the human brain when trying to understand images. It is a fancy way to say that what it does is prioritize some visuals over others.

Instead of analyzing the image as a whole like the X1, the XR’s algorithms analyze color, contrast, texture, depth and detail in multiple zones; then cross-analyze this information within and between frames for brightness and contrast optimization. Sony claims 5% more efficiency in the XR over the X1 Ultimate, which was the company’s most powerful TV prior.

Ok, but… what does 5% more efficiency mean in real life? During the press events, we were able to check the XR performance compared with an X1 processor and a professional Sony Trimaster monitor. Don’t underestimate its 30 inches and 90’s retro style. Trimaster monitors are monsters worth thousands of dollars and are used in movie studios to adjust images. They are also notorious for showing contrast and color just as it was recorded, without effects, digital editing or HDR paraphernalia. Consider them the RAW version of what you can see in your TV. Now, for what matters, the XR processor TV colors were indeed more natural and closer to what you can see on a professional monitor, but not necessarily more vivid.

The biggest change is in brightness and contrast. XR chips are way better at illuminating dark areas next to bright areas. In LED and Full Array LED TVs, the XR improves both brightness and local dimming, and this translates into less bloom. As you probably know, bloom is the halo effect that occurs when light from a very bright object on the screen illuminates the dark areas around them. OLED models do not have blooming problems because each pixel lights up on its own. What the XR does for them is improve the general brightness and extend the color range.

To sum it up, yes, the image quality is better, but not enough to run to the hills for a new TV set if you already have a Sony TV with an X1 Processor, especially if it is a X1 Ultimate or X1 Pro, which was the most advanced of that generation.