Sony packs Dolby Vision into new X93/94E, 4K, 2017 LCD TVs (first look)

Dolby Vision has been the province of LG’s recent OLED and Super UHD LCD range, but Sony’s 4K HDR X1 Extreme processor on its X93E and X94E (E denotes 2017 model) coupled with a new Slim Backlight Drive+ give these TVs the power and control needed to display the full Dolby Vision HDR.

Sony invited audio and video specialist media to preview side-by-side the new “good, better, best” range of its TVs – the X85E, X90E, and X93E/X94E. Individually, each model showed the colours, depth, crispness and gamma that Sony’s TRILUMINIOUS display is well known for.

But placed side by side, the differences became obvious.

{loadposition ray}Media present agreed that the X94/94E with Dolby Vision set new standards for HDR on an LCD bringing out the details and colours as well as a new sound standard from its 60W, stereo, 3-way speakers (down/front firing tweeter, mid, and woofer on each side).

Base specifications (where a cell is left blank it means the same as the cell to its left)

What the specifications show is that the X93/94E has the additional processing power and all importantly the new Slim Backlight Drive+ that allows precision control of dimming to support Dolby Vision on an LCD screen.

Dan Kennedy, Sony TV product specialist and known as someone who really knows TV technology, took us for a deeper dive.

“We are not here to make everyone drool over the X93/94E – yes, it is the best LCD Sony makes, but the other new models cater to the value and mid-price points. Not everyone can afford $5299 for a 65” X93E or $8999 for a 75” X94E. The lower cost 55” X85E at $2499 is equal or better than the performance of last year’s models,” he said.

Then he proceeded to extol the X93/94E virtues.

Sony has been using Android TV for the past three years and Android N is a very polished and a strong contender for the “global” TV operating system. There are plans to update its older D 2016 series to Android N and the E series to Android O once it is available and tested.

The question comes down to Dolby Vision – do you want to pay a premium for it? Certainly, in the demonstration using a clip of Sydney’s amazing Vivid festival lighting, the X93/94 sold itself.

Dolby Vision  is all about showing movies as they were intended with the full-colour gamut and detail. Of course, it works best with native Dolby Vision content (from Netflix, Amazon, Vudu and an increasing number of 4K Blu-ray movie titles) but it is a superset of HDR so it shows all that content at its best too.

Put side-by-side, no demo settings, no tricks, the same non-Dolby vision content on the X93E looked vastly superior to the X85E, and subjectively 30% better than the X90E.

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