Spring is in the air again, and that means gorgeous blooms, rampant allergies and, most important to the tech nuts among us, a sparkling new stream of 4K UHD TVs. This week, it’s Sony’s time to shine as the company has released pricing and availability details on its new line of Android TV-powered 4K UHD TVs. The feature-packed lineup includes premium pricing to go with its premium pedigree, with 10 new models starting at 43-inches ($1,300) and stretching all the way up to a mammoth 75-inches ($8,000).
| Model | Class size | Pricing (MSRP) | Release date |
| X830C | 43-inch, 49-inch | $1,300, $1,600 | May |
| X850C | 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch | $2,200, $3,500, $5,000 | May |
| X900C | 55-inch | TBA | Summer |
| X910C | 75-inch | TBA | Summer |
| X930C | 65-inch | $4,500 | May |
| X940C | 75-inch | $8,000 | May |
Adopting Android TV was Sony’s biggest move this year, and with it comes an entirely new smart TV platform along with plenty of Google-backed technologies. New features for this year include the ability to mirror Android smartphones onscreen and the ability to “cast” content from iOS or Android devices, similar to Google Chromecast. Other features include voice-operated search, PlayStation gaming, Google Play access, and more.
As for picture enhancements, all of the new TVs will offer Sony’s latest X1 processor engine, which is designed to maximize contrast and “takes another step forward” in Sony’s commitment to expand color gamut and offer better brightness. In addition, Sony TVs sized 55-inches and up will all feature the company’s Triluminous display type, which offers what the company claims is “the widest color range ever,” as well as dynamic color correction to relieve color saturation for accuracy across content.
With a network update this summer, this year’s lineup will also be the first in Sony’s arsenal to proffer High Dynamic Range (HDR), an exciting new technology designed to blast brilliant brightness in the lightest scenes, as well as darker black levels to create stark contrast, better emulating the light we see in the natural world. HDR will only be made available in the top two models in the lineup — the 65-inch X930C ($4,500 MSRP), and the 75-inch X940C ($8,000 MSRP). As for HDR content, Sony has forged partnerships with Netflix and Amazon, both of which are set to produce some of the first HDR-ready streaming content on the market.
In addition, the new TVs will offer Sony’s Playstation Now gaming service this summer, allowing users to stream PS3 games straight to the TV and play via a Dualshock 4 controller (sold separately), as well as offering a bevy of the most popular apps, from Netflix and YouTube to PBS and iHeartradio, and games and apps from Google Play. And, though HBO Go won’t be native, users will be able to cast content from the mobile HBO Go app thanks to the new Android TV operating system.
Sony’s new lineup also boasts “the thinnest LED TV in the world” in the company’s X900C TV, which is only .2 inches thick.
