Sony A8H OLED 4K Android TV review: A tech-rich smart TV worth your money

Though not the company's top-end offering, the Sony Bravia A8H is a premium model in the Japanese electronics maker's OLED smart TV portfolio in India

Sony has a history of making technology-rich televisions, and the legacy continues with the Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android smart television. Though not the company’s top-end offering, the Bravia A8H is a premium model in the Japanese electronics maker’s OLED smart TV portfolio in India. Except the 8K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate available on the LED-based Bravia Z8H series, the Bravia A8H does not lack any of the Sony’s premium technology and features. On paper, the Sony Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android TV seems to be a tech-rich smart TV worth your money. But is it? Let’s find out:

Design

The Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android TV is based on Sony’s ‘One Slate’ design concept. It seems carved from a single piece of metal, with vivid 65-inch OLED screen dominating the entire front profile and a plush design on the back. The TV has a thin waistline, but there is a small block-shaped protrusion on the rear side where most of its machinery is placed. Nonetheless, the protrusion is not an obstruction and the Bravia A8H looks uniform on all angles.

Though thin, the TV is heavy (21.8 kg) and requires installation to be done by professionals. It is not the kind of TV that you can move from one room to another without seeking professional installation service. And, it is best used with table-top installation, not wall mount. The TV comes with a flexible metal blade stand which lets you adjust its height to accommodate soundbar in front of the TV without obstructing the view.

Performance

The Sony Bravia A8H boasts a 65-inch OLED screen with the pixel contrast booster technology, which enhances contrast without compromising the colour rendition of the on-screen content. This technology is fuelled by the individually controlled pixels and X-Motion Clarity technology which reduces the motion blur. This results in smooth multimedia play without any significant loss of detail. The technologies work in tandem to deliver a consistent TV viewing experience. Moreover, the Sony Bravia A8H supports HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG high dynamic range (HDR) formats – properties that make it perfect for streaming online content from supported over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, Disney+ Hotstar, etc.

The viewing experience is complemented by the Bravia A8H audio system. The TV has ‘Acoustic Surface Audio’ technology, which uses actuators that reverberate behind the screen surface to create sound. As a result, the audio comes directly from the surface of the screen. The lack of a visible speaker system removes unnecessary distraction and also improves the TV’s overall screen-to-body ratio.

Details aside, the Sony Bravia A8H has impeccable audio performance. It sounds good for every genre of audio — music, movies and games. For personalised experience, there are some built-in sound profiles – standard, cinema, game, etc – that further improve the audio experience.

Being an Android smart TV, the Sony Bravia A8H has built-in Chromecast for screen mirroring. Besides, there is Play Store for TV for apps. Despite running a Google operating system, the Sony Bravia A8H works with Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay and Apple HomeKit, besides Google Assistant.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 3,39,900, the Sony Bravia A8H might seem expensive, but it is the best OLED 4K smart TV that your money can buy. From exceptional picture quality to immersive sound experience, there is no parameter where the Sony Bravia A8H seems lacking. On the downside, it comes with a remote controller that is not intuitive enough. That is one area where its peer LG has done a phenomenal job. Generally, LG OLED TVs are better than Sony ones when it comes to ease of use and convenience. Even so, without a doubt, the Sony Bravia A8H is the best OLED 4K smart TV, with LG’s OLED just a notch behind. It is advised that you compare the Bravia A8H and the LG equivalent in this segment and pick the one that best suits your needs.