The Sony KD-55A8 (herein simply referred to as the ‘A8’) is a powerful testament to continual innovation and evolution in the television entertainment industry. A 55-inch OLED TV by makeup, this premium product is a platform that portable, irreproducible and immersive images and sounds through which the future of entertainment can be envisioned. This product review enumerates and assesses the salient features of the A8, runs it through use scenarios, and attempts to furnish some answers to the question of why this TV, despite numerous luxury OLED TV competitors, continues to be lauded by consumers as one of the best OLED TVs presently available on the market.
A Symphony of Colors and Contrast: Unveiling the Power of OLED
The Sony KD-55A8 is equipped with a revolutionary piece of hardware sometimes referred to as the World’s Brightest OLED TV . Behind this impressive display lies an inventive OLED panel, a technology that fundamentally differentiates it from LED TVs. In Sony’s own words, each individual pixel of the 4K display ‘emits its own light creating even more blacks and infinite contrast.’ What exactly does that mean? Here’s a short primer on the main advantages of the most impressive piece of technology in this fantastic Sony KD-55A8 TV: 1. Completely Black, and Infinite Contrast Next to a LED TV, the black level of an OLED TV is only described as completely black. The consequence for the viewer is something incredible. The contrast ratio on this TV cannot be compared.
That means much deeper blacks, more natural looking shadow regions, and so much more detail. 2. A Spectrum of Vibrant, Accurate Colours Next to a LED TV, the OLED panel in this Sony 4K TV manages individual pixels to create a much wider colour gamut. That allows it to render colours that are even more vivid and accurate than any other display format. All colours from the most natural shades to the loudest and most vibrant hues will explode out of the display with pixel-perfect accuracy. 3. Incredibly Detailed: 4K Resolution on an OLED TV Next to a LED TV, the 4K resolution of this TV is vastly superior. It delivers four times as many details as a regular HD screen.
Combined with the wide colour gamut, next-level black levels and pixel-perfect for each colour, the delivered picture is as sharp and detailed as it gets. It also looks incredibly mesmerising given how realistic these displays have gotten. 4. Smooth as Silk – The World’s Fastest Motion Clarity Sony’s new A8 OLED TVs are the fastest competing in the market. It helps turn continuous motion into a buttery, silky image; the motion blur you often see on a TV has become a thing of the past, and now even the fast, racey footage from an action movie looks incredibly smooth. For sports fans, the reduced motion blur is an advantage for football, basketball and tennis games, or fast-paced video games where every fractions of a second count.
Beyond HDR: A Deeper Dive into a World of Dynamic Range
Sony KD-55A8 HDR (High Dynamic Range) support brings visuals to life like never before. HDR (High Dynamic Range) significantly increases the dynamic range of an image by increasing the amount of shadows and light levels and includes a greater range and accuracy of colour, creating the ultimate life-like picture and bringing the best out of HDR content. The KD-55A8 supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats which is key to access a full spectrum of HDR-enabled content available on streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video) and on Blu-ray discs.
Acoustic Surface Audio+: A Revolutionary Audio Experience
When it comes to TV speakers, the Sony KD-55A8 is in a league of its own thanks to its innovative Acoustic Surface Audio+ technology. Combined with a dedicated centre speaker, the KD-55A8 gives audiences a real treat in the sound department. When watching a movie or TV show at home, people tend to overlook the audio. They watch shows on the liveliest screen and consider that good enough. By turning on the KD-55A8 with its Sony sound modes setup, users are floored by the movie’s sound – like never before. It’s almost like having a local cinema in your living room. The sound emanates from where the action is on screen, not from speakers in the back of the TV.
The Google TV Advantage: A World of Entertainment at Your Fingertips
The Sony KD-55A8 runs on the easy-to-navigate Google TV platform, a one-stop repository for every single one of your streaming services, apps and games. Everything you could possibly want to access is easily navigable by intuitive interface and has a search function that can be controlled by voice. All you need to do is pick the medium – whether it’s the next cinematic hit to watch, your favourite TV show from yesterday or the first-person shooter you’ve never even heard of – and Google TV will step in to sort the rest.
The KD-55A8's Gaming Prowess: Unmatched Smoothness and Responsiveness
Sony’s latest TV, the KD-55A8, is a gamer’s dream. Thanks to a super-fast response time, negligible input lag, and a dedicated auto game mode, you’ll find your games get a smooth damper, minimising the delays you can experience between TV and gamepad. The KD-55A8 features VRR (variable refresh rate) and supports HDMI 2.1, so you can get the most out of the latest gaming consoles and take advantage of 4K 120Hz gameplay. Whether you’re zipping around with a lightsaber or slicing through an alien throat, you’ll feel the same instantaneous feedback, keeping your experience seamless and immersive without any wrong moves or stuttering that could ruin the fun. A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ENGINEERING THAT FEATURES EXCELLENT DESIGN: FORM AS GOOD AS FUNCTION. The Sony KD-55A8 is designed to look great in any home. With its thin bezel and slim profile, this TV will fit seamlessly alongside any interior décor. Its stand is compact and minimalistic with a pure black finish and iconic low-profile legs that add to its sleek design.
A Comprehensive Look at the Pros and Cons of the Sony KD-55A8
Pros:
* **Unrivalled picture quality:** With the astonishing OLED black levels, exceptional vibrancy of colour, and breathtaking detail, this telly’s picture is as good as it gets. * **Immersive, film-like sound:** Masters the immersive art of creating a truly dimensional and convincing aural experience with Acoustic Surface Audio+. * **Built for gamers, it never compromises:** Responsive, buttery smooth, low-latency performance with gaming-optimising features and fast response times. * **A wealth of features:** Google TV, HDR, a variety of picture modes all add up to a versatile and feature-rich viewing experience. * **Pure design elegance:** The KD-55A8’s looks are simple and tasteful to perfectly blend into any home surroundings.
Cons:
**Price:** The KD-55A8 costs more than other TVs in the same class, but its better performance and features make it worth the investment for a lot of people who want the best possible picture and sound. **Burn-in Risk:** OLED technology has significantly improved in the past few years, with better and more robust materials, but it’s still possible that static images could cause burn-in if you left them on the screen for a long time. That’s not a big risk for most users to consider, but you should know about it, and it’s certainly worth considering if you plan to display static content such as a clock or a logo left on the screen for a significant amount of time.
The Verdict: A Cinematic Experience That Redefines Home Entertainment
The Sony KD-55A8 is a premium OLED TV. In fact, it is currently the best TV in virtually every area – picture quality, sound, features and design. There quite simply isn’t anything else on the market that can provide you with such an immersive, cinematic experience, transporting you through the privacy of your home into a world of complete wonder and amazement. If you’re looking for a premium home entertainment TV system that delivers the best there is in terms of picture and sound as well as the features to complete your viewing experience, look no further than the Sony KD-55A8.
Beyond the KD-55A8: Exploring Similar Sony OLED Models
The Sony KD-55A8 set a new high-water mark for OLED picture quality, but ever since it has had plenty of good company, with newer Sony models refining the look and adding features, most notably its sound: * Sony KD-55A8G: Building on the KD-55A8’s core technologies, it further refined the Sony OLED experience with onboard features including a more powerful processor and refined sound system; * Sony XR-55A80J: This model takes the OLED experience even further with Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR, adding even better picture quality and processing.
Final Thoughts: A Television Built for the Future of Entertainment
The Sony KD-55A8 (and every iteration since) is the zenith of OLED TV technology. It is the new gold standard of home entertainment. Whatever one’s adoration for films, gaming or simply owning the best picture quality, this is ultimately the menu to order from. Christmas 2018 was very good indeed.
