BRAVIA CORE is a custom technology and service designed to bring a cinema level viewing experience to your lounge. It means that all BRAVIA XR models will come with either 24 months (Z9J, A90J) or 12 months (A84J, A80J, X95J, X94J and X90J) of BRAVIA CORE included, giving you access to a selection of titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s “premium and classic” films and the largest IMAX Enhanced library available anywhere. UK buyers will be pleased to learn that while they were absent at launch, the UK's core catch-up apps are now all supported by the A80J, and both Now and BT Sport are also on board. The minimalist One Slate design embraces the screen in a single pane of glass that's naturally elegant and keeps you focused on the picture. This OLED TV looks and sounds beautiful, whether on a stand or mounted on a wall. Even deep into 2022, it's a great buy, particularly in the UK and Australia where it's one of the very cheapest 55-inch OLED TVs you can buy. You should of course consider spending a little more on a newer, 2022 TV. The Sony A80K and LG C2 are both better overall, particularly in terms of brightness and, in the case of the LG, even better specified for gaming. But there's no denying that the A80J is still an excellent TV that will reward buyers for years to come.

We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.I measured input lag at 16.3ms, which in the grand scheme of things is very good, though short of Samsung and LG, with even Panasonic ahead in the gaming stakes with their performance and features. For a start, the A80J gets all the basics right with excellent uniformity and no signs of banding, dirty screen effect or colour tinting anywhere on the panel. It also handles reflections well, while the viewing angles are very wide, ensuring everyone can enjoy an optimal image, no matter where they’re sitting. And if you're looking to elevate your viewing experience with cable management, then why not take a look at our wall mounts and TV stands. Watching sports and fast-moving movies just got a whole lot better. Cognitive Processor XR with XR Motion Clarity cross-analyzes data to ensure action stays smooth, bright, and clear.

XR TRILUMINOS Pro: produces a wider palette of colours with an enhanced range of hue and saturation, allowing natural shades and precise detail. As far as audio, XR Sound Position works with Acoustic Surface Audio+ (see the Audio section below) to create the illusion the sound is coming from the point on the screen where it occurs in your content. XR Surround purportedly “creates surround sound from the sides and vertically,” even if all you have are the TV’s integrated speakers. And Voice Zoom 2 detects and enhances dialogue so you can hear it better, regardless of what else is happening on screen. Connectivity is good, with four HDMI inputs, three of which face downwards and one of which faces sideways. One of the downward-facing inputs also supports eARC (enhanced audio return channel), and all the HDMI inputs support 4K/60Hz, HDCP 2.3, and high dynamic range in the shape of HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision (but not HDR10+). Was it "Standard", "Cinema", "Dolby Audio" or some other sound mode and was it used with defaults or were the settings customised?Other than the traditional speaker terminals (which the A90J has and the A80J does not), the A80J has identical connections to the A90J, both in terms of positioning and specification. That means you get aerial, satellite (Freesat in the UK), ethernet and optical ports, plus three USBs and four HDMIs. The Sony A80J is a good TV for gaming, but not perfect. For a start, there’s the previously mentioned problem of only having two inputs that support 4K/120Hz and ALLM. There’s also no support for VRR, but that should be added soon, and there’s a tendency to dim the image when a HUD has been on screen for a while. This is obviously to avoid issues with image retention or screen burn but can become annoying if you’re prone to marathon gaming sessions.

The A80J is just as adept at handling color. In The Rise of Skywalker, the festival on Pasaana looked rich and varied, with the rainbow of hues of its celebrants’ robes surging (but not too much) against the bland sand and brown mountains of that desert world. The mid-20th-century, palette-busting fantasia of the new Disney-Pixar film Luca really popped, in the aquamarine tidal waters and the lush above-waves Italian Riviera landscapes alike. We test every televisions we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product. One of the biggest selling points for all the new BRAVIAs is the new Cognitive Processor XR which understands how we watch TV, cross referencing everything from where we’re focussing to what we’re listening to. They then analyse the information using next-generation Cognitive intelligence to optimise every pixel, frame and scene to create the most realistic, true to life image possible.If you want to connect your TV to a blu-ray player, games console, soundbar or soundbase then you'll need a HDMI cable. Sony XR-55A80J : Read moreWith the UK catch-up apps missing, are you able to record one programme onto a USB HDD whilst watching another channel at the same time?

Dolby Atmos Sound: surround sound fills the room for immersive audio realism. Combined with Dolby Vision, it produces a richly cinematic experience. Now, if Sony played the Samsung game, of not putting Dolby Vision in their sets, I wouldn't buy it. Pre-calibration the Sony A80J offers a decent attempt at producing depth, and it’s more forthright and direct in its presentation than other TVs I’ve tested recently. Calibrate the Acoustic Surface Audio+ sound system that uses actuators to vibrate the screen to produce sound and the TV’s audio performance goes up another level.

And just because the A80J isn’t as bassy or spacious as its much more expensive sibling doesn’t mean it doesn’t sound very good by TV standards. It’s certainly weightier and more controlled at the bottom end than the LG C1 and G1, for example, and significantly punchier and more dynamic, too. Moving on to the XR-55A80J’s 4K HDR performance, and it’s very good, though compared to the latest OLEDs there’s an unsurprising performance deficit. Reset: Resets all the Picture Adjustments settings to the factory settings excluding Setting Memory, Picture Mode and Advanced Settings.