Compare Sony Bravia 9 II vs Sony Bravia 8 II

Picture quality earns near-universal praise for its blend of brightness, color, detail, contrast and Sony’s restrained processing.

Picture quality is the defining strength: sharp, dimensional, colorful and cinematic across strong sources, with only bright-room and rival-brightness caveats.

Audio passthrough is marred by a reported eARC bug that can prevent sound from reaching compatible external gear correctly.

DTS playback and passthrough are useful for legacy disc collections and make it easier to hand audio off to an external system.

One setup developed a noticeable audio-sync problem with PlayStation and an external Samsung sound system, requiring a Toslink workaround.

Screen-based audio can track the picture extremely closely, though one source encountered a noticeable YouTube audio-sync problem.

Brightness can remain extremely high for sustained periods; one test held near 4,000 nits for several minutes.

Full-screen brightness remains a relative OLED weakness, especially beside the brightest rivals, although SDR full-field performance is less limiting than on older OLEDs.

Noise handling is strong, preserving a sharp image without adding distracting noisy artifacts.

Processing does a strong job cleaning compression noise and lower-quality sources without making the image look harsh or overly processed.

Bass is the weakest part of an otherwise strong audio system. It has useful punch for a TV, but several accounts wanted more depth or found an external subwoofer transformative.

Bass is punchier and more controlled than on many thin TVs, but deep low-end weight remains limited enough that movie fans may still want a subwoofer or sound system.

HDR is a defining strength, combining intense highlights, wide color and disciplined tone reproduction rather than brightness for its own sake.

HDR is one of the TV’s strengths, with punchy highlights, deep blacks and excellent Dolby Vision rendering, although some presets and bright-room conditions reduce impact.

Bright-room viewing is one of the TV’s clearest advantages. Huge light output and the anti-reflective screen keep the picture readable, colorful and punchy in daylight.

Bright-room performance is serviceable and the anti-reflective treatment helps, but strong ambient light can flatten blacks and make brighter rivals more suitable.

Peak brightness is a flagship-level strength, giving HDR highlights and bright-room viewing exceptional headroom.

Peak brightness is a substantial step up over earlier Sony OLEDs and plenty strong in practice, but LG and Samsung flagships can still reach higher peaks.

Contrast is excellent for an LCD, producing deep blacks and strong image depth. It still cannot equal OLED’s per-pixel contrast in every dark-room scene.

Contrast is excellent in favorable lighting, combining deep blacks with bright highlights, though the screen coating can reduce perceived contrast in bright rooms.

HDR brightness is extraordinary, reaching several thousand nits while preserving impactful highlights and strong full-screen output.

HDR highlights are vivid, controlled and often spectacular, but the Sony is not the brightest flagship and some modes can push highlights away from reference.

Sony’s True RGB implementation is widely praised as one of the most convincing RGB-backlit LCD designs yet. The technology still carries LCD limits such as blooming and imperfect blacks.

QD-OLED is a major part of the appeal, combining OLED black control with unusually strong color and brightness performance.

The soundstage is broad, tall and spatially convincing, with effects extending beyond the screen and good positional precision.

Acoustic Surface Audio creates a wide, well-localized presentation that extends beyond the screen, though a full surround system still adds more immersion.

Color is usually accurate, natural and well balanced, including convincing skin tones. A few measurements and modes reveal small deviations, so it is not flawless in every condition.

Natural skin tones, nuanced hues and very accurate calibrated results are major strengths; a few measurements find minor white or light-color errors.

Image accuracy is one of the TV’s signature strengths, especially in Professional mode, with natural color and reference-like tonal balance. A few mode-specific quirks keep it from perfection.

The picture is strongly oriented toward natural, reference-style reproduction, with especially accurate HDR and calibrated modes despite some criticism of Sony’s calibration targets.

Dark-room movie performance is strong and cinematic, but opinions become more qualified when compared directly with OLED’s perfect blacks.

The Bravia 8 II is at its best with the lights down, where its precision, blacks, HDR punch and cinematic balance become especially convincing.

Built-in sound is unusually strong for a TV, with impressive scale, clarity and immersion. Bass depth and ultimate refinement remain the main reasons to add external audio.

Built-in sound is unusually strong for a thin TV—direct, detailed and spacious enough that a soundbar feels optional rather than mandatory for everyday viewing.

Gaming performance is mixed. Console play can look excellent with low lag and strong HDR, but limited HDMI 2.1 connectivity and weaker high-refresh motion keep it from class-leading status.

Console gaming is good overall, especially on PS5, but only two HDMI 2.1 inputs, a 120Hz ceiling and weaker PC-oriented features keep it behind the best gaming TVs.

Out-of-box grayscale and white-balance behavior is solid, providing a good foundation for accurate picture modes.

White balance is a mixed area: some out-of-box settings run too cool or blue, but calibration can bring results very close to reference.

Motion handling is mostly strong and natural, but there is genuine disagreement: some testing found blur, noise or poor motion behavior in specific modes and games.

Motion is natural and cinematic out of the box, with only slight judder or blur that can usually be reduced without obvious soap-opera artifacts.

Input lag is generally low and responsive in the proper game mode, making controller response suitable for mainstream gaming.

Input lag is good enough for most console players, with sub-frame results at 60Hz and 120Hz, though some comparisons find Sony slower than rivals.

Apps Only mode can provide a notably clean, clutter-free home screen for buyers who want to avoid advertising.

Google TV runs smoothly, but its overly zealous advertising is a recurring annoyance in an otherwise polished smart-TV experience.

One test found unusually poor pixel response and backlight speed at high refresh rates, a serious weakness for demanding gaming.

OLED pixel response is effectively instantaneous, keeping motion clean and ghosting minimal for games and video.

The Mirage Stand hides routed cables extremely effectively, helping the TV keep a clean, floating appearance.

Cable routing is not ideal because the power lead sits away from the other connections, making a clean installation less convenient.

One demanding gaming test found 120Hz motion response notably weak, making the TV less appealing for high-refresh competitive play.

120Hz gaming can feel smooth and responsive, but the lack of 144Hz or 165Hz support leaves serious PC players better served elsewhere.

Google TV’s recommendation rails can feel poorly matched, with at least one suggested-content row showing little connection to the title it referenced.

Google TV recommendations are usable but not especially personal; suggestions can lean generic or surface services the viewer does not use.

Cinema Motion can create an artificial soap-opera or uncanny effect, so disabling it may produce a more natural film presentation.

Sony’s interpolation is unusually subtle, smoothing pans while preserving a cinematic look better than many aggressive motion systems.

The premium remote is well liked for its rechargeable battery, backlighting and solid everyday usability.

The remote is usable and intuitive, but losing backlighting and rechargeable power feels like a downgrade on a premium TV.

The native refresh rate tops out at 120Hz, which is sufficient for consoles but trails newer 144Hz and 165Hz competitors.

The 120Hz refresh rate is perfectly workable for consoles but looks conservative beside premium TVs offering 144Hz or 165Hz.

Color crosstalk can appear in synthetic patterns or isolated UI elements, but it is usually subtle in real content and some testing found it essentially a non-issue.

The QD-OLED subpixel layout can create a red or colored fringe on sharp high-contrast edges, especially visible around fine text and small bright details.

The flat rear panel allows a neat wall-mounted installation that should sit close to the wall.

Wall mounting works, but the low screw placement can leave the TV sitting higher than expected on an existing mount.

Game mode is responsive and can look excellent, particularly with PlayStation 5, even though the TV is not the strongest option for every kind of gamer.

Game mode can be very effective for PS5 use, but Dolby Vision gaming can run too bright and some gaming presets sacrifice natural tone for performance.

VRR works well alongside 4K/120Hz and helps keep fast console gaming smooth.

VRR can deliver very smooth console gameplay, but the 120Hz cap and lack of low-frame-rate VRR below 60Hz limit flexibility for PC use.

Film cadence can be handled smoothly with the right setting, preserving proper 24p pans without unnecessary judder.

Motionflow handles judder naturally with only mild artifacts, and small adjustments can smooth difficult pans without making movies look artificial.

Distortion is generally well controlled, especially at normal levels, but it can become more noticeable when the TV is pushed very loud.

Low frequencies are generally controlled, but high volume can introduce treble hardness, fuzz, buzzing or outright distortion.

The on-screen game bar is useful and well liked, putting key gaming controls within easy reach.

The gaming menu is handy and convenient, putting picture adjustments and assist features within easy reach during play.

The built-in speakers can play at cinematically high levels without immediately losing composure.

Built-in audio can reach room-filling levels and sounds more dynamic than most thin TVs, making it viable without a soundbar in many rooms.

Screen uniformity is excellent, with very even full-field performance and minimal dirty-screen effect.

Panel uniformity is consistently strong, with clean grayscale performance and little visible variation across the screen.

Stutter is a real weak point for some viewers, with multiple sources noticing micro-stutter or choppy motion in certain material.

24fps stutter is present but well managed, and modest smoothing can reduce it without adding a heavy soap-opera effect.

Glare resistance is exceptional and repeatedly singled out as one of the best anti-glare implementations on a premium TV.

The anti-reflective treatment cuts glare effectively, but direct lamps can still mirror and the coating can contribute to lifted blacks in bright rooms.

The True RGB backlight delivers an exceptionally wide color gamut, with BT.2020 coverage and saturated HDR colors among the TV’s standout strengths.

The QD-OLED panel delivers exceptionally wide color coverage, with strong BT.2020 performance and vivid colors that stay controlled rather than cartoonish.

Reflection handling is outstanding in bright rooms, dramatically diffusing direct light. Matte-screen preferences are more mixed in dark dedicated theaters.

Reflections are handled well overall and rarely distract, though direct lights remain visible and the coating’s effect on blacks is a tradeoff.

Professional mode is the strongest starting point for accurate viewing, while the other presets give useful flexibility for brighter or punchier presentation.

Sony’s presets are unusually accurate and easy to use, while deeper picture controls still leave room for enthusiasts to fine-tune the image.

ALLM complements 4K/120Hz and VRR well, making automatic low-latency switching useful for console play.

Automatic low-latency behavior contributes to responsive, smooth gameplay without requiring manual mode switching.

Sony’s image processing is a major strength, producing natural, refined images and strong cleanup across a wide range of sources.

Sony’s XR processing is repeatedly singled out as class-leading, producing clean, natural, dimensional images and especially strong low-quality-source cleanup.

Blooming control is strong from a central seat and often close to invisible in normal content. Haloing becomes easier to see off-axis or in especially difficult high-contrast scenes.

Per-pixel OLED lighting keeps blooming and haloing essentially absent, preserving clean separation around bright objects on dark backgrounds.

Fast motion can remain clear and easy to follow, with strong visibility in quick gaming sequences.

Fast sports and movement stay crisp with little blur, reinforcing Sony’s long-standing strength in motion resolution.

The Mirage Stand is a design highlight: attractive, easy to assemble and unusually effective at making the screen appear to float while concealing cables.

The two-height feet are a simple, useful solution for fitting a soundbar, even if the overall stand design has placement limitations.

Remote layout is mixed: the basic arrangement is friendly and intuitive, but the oversized Sony Pictures Core emphasis drew criticism.

The remote is comfortable enough, yet the abundance of fixed app buttons makes the layout feel more cluttered than necessary.

Gradients are usually smooth and clean, with strong 10-bit handling and very little visible posterization in difficult scenes.

Gradients and dark shading are usually excellent, with smooth tonal transitions and strong near-black detail; the gradation control itself does not always make a large difference.

Viewing angles are better than most LCD TVs, often retaining color and contrast well from the side. Blooming and some color shift still become more visible at wider angles.

Off-axis image quality is excellent, with strong color and luminance retention across wide seating positions, though one source found the glossy screen less forgiving.

Black levels are unusually deep for an LCD and can look impressively OLED-like head-on. OLED still has the edge in the darkest rooms, and some modes or angles expose the backlight more clearly.

OLED blacks are usually deep and convincing, especially in controlled light, but ambient light can lift them toward grey on the QD-OLED surface.

Dialogue is consistently clear and well positioned on screen, even with busy soundtracks. Some voices can sound a little harder than on Sony’s OLED models.

Voices are clear, full and closely anchored to the on-screen action, with Voice Zoom adding extra intelligibility when backgrounds get busy.

Lower-resolution sources are cleaned up impressively, often looking detailed and natural without excessive artificial sharpening.

DVD, 720p and 1080p material is usually cleaned up impressively, though the TV cannot completely hide weak-source artifacts and some rivals extract a little more detail.

Only two HDMI 2.1 ports is a recurring frustration, especially because one also serves as eARC and can leave multi-console setups short on bandwidth.

Only two HDMI 2.1 inputs are provided, and one doubles as eARC, making multi-console plus soundbar setups unnecessarily restrictive.

Color volume is a major strength: bright colors retain richness at luminance levels that conventional LCD and many OLED sets struggle to match.

Bright saturated colors are a standout, giving HDR highlights and bold hues unusual intensity while retaining Sony’s restrained tuning.

Overall satisfaction is very high, with the TV repeatedly described as outstanding, spectacular or among the best LCD/RGB LED sets available. The strongest reservations center on price and OLED competition.

Overall reactions are highly positive, with the TV repeatedly described as excellent or close to the best, even when price and feature omissions temper enthusiasm.

Upscaling is among the TV’s strongest processing tricks, making HD and even DVD material look cleaner without obvious over-sharpening.

Upscaling is among the TV’s strongest processing talents, making SD and HD material look cleaner, sharper and more detailed without excessive artifacts.

Color banding is generally well controlled, with smooth transitions and only limited issues in demanding material.

Banding is generally very well controlled, with several tests finding none at all, although faint banding can still appear in very dark tones.

Shadow detail is handled very well, keeping subtle near-black information visible without washing out the image.

Near-black and shadow detail are exceptional, preserving texture and subtle information that many OLEDs crush or wash out.

Screen cleanliness is strong, with minimal dirty-screen effect noted on full-field test patterns.

Screen cleanliness is strong, with one direct test praising Sony’s handling of dirty-screen effect.

The stand feels sturdy once installed and combines stability with effective cable concealment.

The metal feet hold the panel securely and can raise it cleanly for a soundbar.

A handful of software and connection problems—including HDMI handshakes, eARC and Dolby Vision issues—raise some reliability concerns despite updates resolving at least one problem.

A frustrating HDMI/HDR hardware hiccup required a power cycle, introducing a small but real reliability concern despite otherwise normal operation.

HDMI 2.1 features materially improve gaming, enabling the high-bandwidth modes expected from a modern flagship console setup.

The available HDMI 2.1 ports provide the expected high-bandwidth gaming features, but limiting full bandwidth to two inputs is a persistent flagship-level complaint.

HDR10+ is absent, but one assessment found Sony’s HDR10 tone mapping good enough that the missing format was not missed in practice.

HDR10+ is not supported, a genuine format omission for services or sources that rely on it.

Dolby Vision support has a notable caveat: one detailed test found a processing-related picture bug on certain Dolby Vision material.

Dolby Vision content looks especially accurate, detailed and vibrant, making the format one of the TV’s strongest viewing modes.

4K/120Hz works well for current-generation console gaming, especially alongside VRR and ALLM.

4K/120Hz works well for console play and can look excellent, but 120Hz is also the ceiling rather than a cutting-edge refresh target.

Value is the biggest sticking point. The flagship price is difficult to justify against cheaper OLEDs and the Bravia 7 II, though a few comparisons felt the performance gains could merit the premium.

The premium price is difficult to ignore, but strong picture, sound and processing make the cost easier to justify for cinema-focused buyers, especially after discounts.

The TV handles 4K console gaming well, with 120fps, VRR and ALLM forming a strong current-gen feature set.

4K gaming is enjoyable at 120Hz and benefits from Sony’s console-focused features, though Dolby Vision gaming and the refresh ceiling bring some tradeoffs.

AirPlay is a welcome convenience and was specifically called out as a useful addition.

AirPlay is a useful part of the TV’s broad wireless streaming toolkit and gives Apple-device owners an easy local playback option.

Built-in casting is a useful part of the Google TV experience and helps make everyday streaming straightforward.

Casting is a useful strength thanks to Chromecast and AirPlay, covering both Android/Google and Apple households.

Chromecast adds convenient local streaming and contributes to the TV’s easy everyday smart-TV experience.

Built-in Chromecast adds convenient local streaming and complements the TV’s strong Google TV integration.

DTS:X playback helps produce a very large, immersive soundstage and is a meaningful plus for movie audio.

DTS support is a useful differentiator for disc libraries and is welcomed alongside Dolby Atmos compatibility.

Setup is notably straightforward, including quick Google Home configuration and an easy physical stand installation.

Initial setup is generally quick and straightforward, from physical installation to Google TV configuration, though some steps still require switching between interfaces.

The ATSC 3.0 tuner is useful for high-quality over-the-air event TV and sports without relying on a paid streaming service.

ATSC 3.0 support is a useful broadcast advantage, especially because some competing premium TVs omit next-generation over-the-air tuning.

The 120Hz ceiling is a limitation for high-end PC gaming, with rivals already offering 144Hz or 165Hz at 4K.

There is no 144Hz or 165Hz mode, a clear limitation for PC players comparing the Sony with faster premium rivals.

The up-firing beam tweeters give Dolby Atmos playback more height and immersion than most built-in TV systems manage.

Dolby Atmos is a welcome part of the audio package and pairs well with the TV’s screen-based sound presentation.

The attached power cord on at least one size was specifically disliked and reduces flexibility compared with a detachable cable.

The partially detachable power cable is useful, but the plug arrangement is less wall-mount-friendly than it could be.

The bezel is slim and unobtrusive, keeping the front of the set focused on the picture.

The ultra-thin bezel helps the screen look chic and minimal without drawing attention away from the image.

Build quality feels appropriately premium and sturdy for a flagship TV, with strong fit and finish.

The chassis, metal frame and finish feel appropriately premium, with solid construction matching the TV’s flagship positioning.

The size range has an odd gap: the absence of a 98-inch version was specifically criticized on a flagship offered in very large sizes.

The 55- and 65-inch-only range is one of the TV’s clearest limitations, especially for buyers wanting a 77-inch or larger flagship OLED.

The design looks clean and premium, though the thicker RGB Mini-LED cabinet has more visual presence than a slim OLED.

The slim-bezel, minimalist One Slate design looks refined and premium without being flashy, with a finish that suits wall mounting or a modern room.

Google Home setup is quick and straightforward, making smart-home integration easy to get running.

Google Home integration extends the TV beyond streaming, giving it useful smart-home control from the same interface.

Sony’s dynamic tone mapping is well judged, preserving highlight detail while making strong use of the panel’s enormous HDR headroom.

Sony’s tone mapping is generally excellent and natural, preserving highlight detail and PS5 compatibility, though a few sources note mapping errors or less impactful choices.

Streaming-app support is comprehensive, with the major services present and a broad downloadable library through Google TV.

Major streaming and catch-up services are well supported, with the Google TV catalog leaving few meaningful gaps.

Google TV feels quick and familiar in operation, with responsive navigation during everyday use.

Google TV is usually smooth, responsive and fluid, though one assessment still found it reliable rather than genuinely fast.

App availability is excellent, with the major streaming services covered and few meaningful gaps.

The Google TV app catalog is a major strength, with no significant omissions and strong support for major services and UK catch-up apps.

The menu layout is generally intuitive and easy to work through once the picture-mode structure is understood.

Menus are generally easy to navigate, but some deeper settings can feel slower and less responsive than the best rival interfaces.

Google TV is capable, stable and easy to use, even if it is not always as slick or personalized as the best rival platforms.

Google TV is broadly liked for its app depth and familiar layout, though it can be buggy, ad-heavy and less polished than the slickest alternatives.

A recent software update reportedly fixed an HDMI handshake problem, showing that at least one early issue was addressed after launch.

Long-term Google platform updates add value, even if the interface itself could use more intelligence today.

Wi-Fi 6E performance measured strongly, with wireless throughput comfortably high enough for demanding 4K streaming.

Wireless connectivity is presented as part of an otherwise strong connection suite and is capable enough for typical streaming use.

Voice Zoom can lift dialogue out of busy mixes, and simultaneous Bluetooth headphone plus speaker output is especially useful when viewers need different listening levels.

Google sign-in can make app credentials easier to manage, but tying the TV to a Google account can be undesirable for people who want less ecosystem integration.

Google Photos screen savers are a genuinely liked ambient feature, turning idle-screen time into a more personal display experience.

Power consumption is a weak point, with the Bravia 8 II drawing significantly more energy than the LG G5 in both SDR and HDR testing.

The wired Ethernet connection is limited by a 100Mbps-class port, which can actually be slower than the TV’s Wi-Fi for very high-bitrate streaming.

Formal Nvidia G-SYNC support is inconsistent across descriptions and lacks the clear certification PC gamers may expect, despite usable HDMI VRR.

Four total HDMI inputs are convenient for mixed setups with consoles, audio gear and other sources.

The glossy QD-OLED panel is widely viewed as a high-end choice, delivering excellent picture quality with only a few characteristic subpixel and ambient-light tradeoffs.

Fine white text can reveal QD-OLED color fringing, making the panel less suitable as a close-range desktop monitor.

Button tactility is good and navigation works well, even if the infrared receiver can be a little sensitive.

Google TV search is useful but hampered by limited filters and web-style dead ends that make results less focused than they should be.

The feet sit at the outer edges, forcing owners to use furniture nearly as wide as the TV and making narrow cabinets a poor fit.

VRR does not extend below 60Hz, narrowing its usefulness when frame rates fall beneath that threshold.

Direct wireless subwoofer and surround-speaker expansion is a useful differentiator, adding much deeper bass and true surround without requiring a soundbar.

The Bravia Connect app can make adjustments easy, but connection failures and occasional SDR playback from built-in streaming apps undermine consistency.

Bluetooth audio is unusually flexible, including virtually lag-free accessory use and simultaneous headphone plus speaker playback.

Bluetooth 5.3 is described as fast enough for virtually lag-free headphones and gaming accessories.

A physical microphone control and the option to use voice commands only from the remote provide a welcome way to limit always-listening behavior.

Hands-free Google Assistant is a useful platform advantage and broadens control beyond the remote.

Voice control was unreliable on one test unit, with voice search failing even though the remote appeared paired.

eARC functionality is weakened by a reported bug that prevented correct sound output to compatible devices during testing.

There is no formal AMD FreeSync certification, reducing the TV’s appeal for PC gamers even though standard HDMI VRR works.

Core HDR formats are well covered, but the absence of HDR10+ means those sources fall back to static HDR10 metadata.

Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones and TV or external speakers are unusually practical, especially when two viewers need different volume levels.

The warranty is described as somewhat anemic for a premium television.

Local dimming is highly effective and a major reason blacks and contrast look so strong for an LCD. Rare flares and off-axis blooming remain the main caveats.