Sony plays it straight with $20k, 85-inch 4K TV

TV giant Sony is backing 4K resolution and big displays as the way of the future — seriously big displays.

Sony X9500B 4k UHD Tv for Switched On

SOME TV makers say 2014 is the year of the curved TV but Sony has taken a different path.

The TV giant is backing 4K resolution and big displays as the way of the future — seriously big displays.

Sony’s top model is the 85-inch, Ultra HD X9500B, that comes with a $20,000 price tag.

Unlike other models in the Sony range, it does not have the strip of magnetic speakers down the side of the screen that are a feature of Sony’s new peak design wedge shape.

Instead, it offers a long duct speaker with an audio output of 40 watts, compared with the 65 watt audio power of the next model down (the X9000B).

Sony works on the reasonable assumption that if anyone is willing to pay $20,000 for a TV, they’re probably willing to pay extra for a surround-sound system.

The X9500B comes with a simple stand of two angled legs.

A port replicator means a single fat cable runs inside the stand’s leg so you don’t have anything to take away from the visual impact of the screen.

And the visual impact is something to admire.

If this flagship can’t match other Sony models in audio output, it certainly outdoes them in picture quality.

The X9500B has Sony’s X-tended Dynamic Range Pro picture engine with direct LED backlight that gives it a brightness range three times that of a conventional LED LCD TV.

The X9500B, as is common with high-end TVs, comes with two remote controls. One is the standard remote, the other is Sony’s one-flick remote that has an attractive absence of buttons but it also takes some time to fully master.

I hooked the Sony up to a Blu-ray player to watch Harry Potter kick Voldemort’s butt, I hooked it up to a PlayStation, which allowed me to kick anyone’s butt, and I hooked it up to streaming services to watch the Tour de France kick a lot of cyclists’ butts.

Sony calls its colour range Triluminos. We will call it the ability to show deep reds, rich greens and bright blues well, and it outperformed two rival 4K TVs in a side-by-side test.

We also hooked up a Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone to this television, using a MHL 3.0 cable, allowing the viewing of a 4K video shot on a 4K screen without the need for upscaling.

Television buyers are not going to be watching 4K home videos every day, but the smartphone camera delivers a rare source of pure 4K content.

Broadcast and streaming TV services are yet to deliver content that you don’t have to upscale to fully appreciate.

Should you rush out and buy this $20,000 4K TV?

The people who are asking themselves the question can probably afford not to even bother to ask.

Would you if you could?

Anyone asking this question is probably unable to afford the answer.

Some questions are too easy.

Bravia X9500B

$19,999, sony.com.au

Verdict: Four and a half stars