Sony has launched its 8K TV, the Z8H in India. The TV is priced at Rs 13,99,990. In India, the TV is available in 85-inches only and the official model number of the TV is KD-85Z8H. Considering this is Sony’s flagship TV it packs in every piece of technology Sony has to offer under its TV umbrella. It features Sony's X1 Ultimate chip, TRILUMINOS Display and even support for HDMI 2.1 making it compatible with the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Let’s take a look at the features of the TV in detail.
As we’ve mentioned above, the Sony Z8H is an 8K TV giving the display a resolution of 7680 x 4320. To put things into perspective, a 4K TV has a resolution of 3840 x 2160. So, the 8K TV brings with it 4 times the resolution of a 4K TV. It also packs Sony’s TRILUMINOS Display. Powering the TV under the hood is the Sony X1 Ultimate chip. We had a chance to see this chip in action at CES 2020. According to Sony, “The X1 Ultimate, picture processor, precisely analyses and processes data to power 8K pictures with four times the resolution of 4K for scenes rich in depth, texture and detail. Even images filmed in 4K and 2K are upscaled close to 8K by 8K X-Reality PRO using a unique 8K database. Resolution of each subject is then optimised by Object-based Super Resolution to reproduce greater depth, textures, and more realistic pictures textures.” This means that if you watch 2K or 4K content on the TV, then the processing power of the TV will upscale that content to 8K. How this works is something we will only know when we get our hands on the TV.
The Sony Z8H also has full-array backlighting with local dimming. The TV is also ready for PS5. The PS5 boasts of support for up to 8K which we think will mostly be for video output to support streaming services as and when they start streaming content in 8K. However, the Sony Z8H is ready for the PS5 in other ways and that is all thanks to HDMI 2.1. With HDMI 2.1 support on the TV and the PS5, users will be able to take advantage of features like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), support for up to 120fps, and more.
The Sony 8K TV runs on the Android TV platform and comes with access to the Google Play Store. You also have access to all popular streaming services built-in including Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Prime Video, Voot, ZEE5 and more. The TV also supports AirPlay so you can consume content from Apple TV+, provided you have an iOS or macOS device to AirPlay from. Just like the Sony A9G (review), you can talk to the Sony Z8H as it features built-in far-field mics. So, you can control the functions of the TV without resorting to the remote control.
Sony’s X-Wide Angle is another feature making an appearance on the TV. We saw this feature last year on the Sony X9500G (review). Put simply, this is a layer on the display to help with wide viewing angles. When it comes to audio, the Z8H has Sony’s Acoustic Multi-Audio. This makes it feel as though the sound is coming directly from the screen. The TV can also be used as the centre speaker in a home theatre setup.
In addition to 8K, the TV also supports HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The TV also comes with a new backlit remote control.
The Sony Z8H will be available across Sony retail stores (Sony Center and Sony Exclusive), www.ShopatSC.com portal, major electronic stores and e-commerce websites in India from 5th October 2020. The TV is priced at Rs 13,99,990 only.