The Sony Bravia 7 is a democratic TV . It ’s a mini - lead television receiver that , while still fairly expensive , costs far less than the flagshipBravia 9 . And because it ’s a Sony TV , we can expect that it will be pretty awing . And in many ways it is .
But it ’s also a curious TV . I do n’t hump if I ’ve ever critique a TV that aced so many exam and yet still had to fight for my testimonial .
In most way , the Bravia 7 is a big upgrade over last year’sSony X90L. And while it is n’t quite the aggressive performer that Sony ’s set - up Bravia 9 is ? It is indeed an awe-inspiring TV .
Yet , the number of people I ’m going to recommend the Bravia 7 to is … well , relatively pocket-sized .
How do we square that up ? get ’s get into it .
Sony Bravia 7 specs
Out of the box
Sony commence out with a boastful profits . This TV is so easy to set up .
Not only can the feet be placed at multiple breadth and at multiple heights , but when it come to putting the understructure into the telecasting , they just slot right in . You do n’t have to make out them in . If you want enough height to accommodate the soundbar , you do have to set some screws in the feet . But most folks are gon na be able to get this TV out of the box , pop the invertebrate foot into the bottom of the TV , and stop up it in with minimal hassle and in record time .
Fit and finish
And the Bravia 7 feeling and experience great , too . It has “ class ” write all over it .
Basic day-to-day use
Dig below the surface and you ’ll retrieve a television set that is extremely loose to habituate . Sony has created a customized UI that sits over Google TV that , at least for now , is my favorite among TV manufacturers ( although , to be fair , I have n’t get to the new Panasonics that just land in the U.S. so whether Sony stay on my favorite , it ’s well practiced than the competition ) .
This TV is so easy to lay up .
Of course , you’re able to only spend so much fourth dimension rooting around in the options , which Sony try out to minimize by automate a draw of things . And the beneficial news here is that this TV has turn tail Google TV darn nigh flawlessly for me thus far . It looks like there was a problem getting custom picture preferences to baffle when the TV was in its basic mode , but that was make with a late software update .
The remote control — which is n’t backlit — is not rechargeable like the Bravia 9 . But you will notice it looks a chip different . This is n’t a new finish , per se . That ’s not paint splatter . The remote control is now made withSony ’s SORPLAS recycled plastics textile , which Sony now utilize in a bunch of its product to lower its carbon footprint . That ’s a yay , from me , for the planet .
The ins and outs
TV enthusiasts already know this , but Sony does n’t make its own organisation on cow chip ( SOC ) , although it does program that chip with its secret sauce . But that SOC is part of a whole board that includes the inputs and output . That signify that you only get two HDMI 2.1 input signal , and one of those is the eARC port , which for a lot of folks will be taken up by a soundbar or A / V pass catcher . Sony would very much like you to occupy that port with an HDMI cable leading to its Bravia Theater Quad scheme ( a move I whole - heartedly endorse , by the way ) . This is n’t going to be a problem for most family . But for anyone with both the up-to-the-minute Xbox and up-to-the-minute PlayStation , or one of those consoles and a gaming PC they need to cabbage up … only one of those devices can link up to the TV for full - on 4 K 120Hz play .
But do n’t yell at Sony about this . scream at MediaTek to make a next - gen SOC with four HDMI 2.1 inputs and a cow dung that is more or less the same as the Pentonic 1000 so Sony does n’t have to rewrite all its code ( again ) and we do n’t have to suffer the develop nisus with Sony ( again ) just to have four HDMI 2.1 inputs .
Sound quality
For well-grounded tone , the Bravia 7 make a thumbs up from me . However it ’s not two enthusiastic thumbs up — like I ’ve been giving some of Hisense ’s television receiver — but one well - earned thumbs up for crystal decipherable sound with good Libra the Balance and passably gamey fidelity . It ’s a short light on basso and comportment , but these day , if voices sound intelligible , it gets my nod of approving .
Like the X90L , the sound is not good enough for me to want to arrange up Sony ’s acoustic center sync with theBravia Theater Quad . The Theater Quad ’s phantom center is very convincing , and the Bravia and TV ’s speakers will only be a distraction . So skip it .
Picture setup tips
Before getting into picture calibre , I ’ll share an interesting experience I had when getting this television ready for rating . On Sony TV ’s , I instantly switch the picture fashion to “ professional ” and make adjustments from there . This mean the TV is drop dead to be dial in for its most exact picture — not necessarily its most bright , but that ’s easy to adjust . I ’m used to go out a dimmer picture in SDR when choosing professional mode , but in the case of the Bravia 7 , even in its out - of - the - box received picture mode , cinema mode , and professional modality , the SDR pictorial matter seemed really dumb . So if you get this goggle box , expect to make adjustments to smack .
A gradation further on this : The Bravia 7 counts a Prime Video calibrated modality as well as a Netflix fine-tune fashion among its features . And while it ’s coolheaded that these picture musical mode are available , I do n’t support them being turned “ on ” by default . move around out , this was Amazon Prime Video ’s decision — not Sony ’s — and it ’s a job for Sony tv set owners .
Many of you will be happiest with the local dimming setting on “ high ” and the peak brightness setting on “ high . ” you could then evaluate whether to boost the brightness level . The TV may seem dim out of the boxful , but do n’t concern : This TV has all the light you demand and want , and then some . You just need to do a slight work for it .
Also , I get a software update while I was review the Bravia 7 — one that I intend also break down out to the Bravia 9 . The description prognosticate to fix , among other thing , “ an way out where the projection screen brightness may increase when subtitles are read . ” So , make certain to check for an update when you ready up this TV . It should be implement mechanically during initial frame-up , but , as I like to say from metre to time : trustfulness , but verify .
Numbers for Nit Nerds
If you are a Nit Nerd , then you already bed that this TV is gon na ace almost every measurement , good ? It does . But , as common , we ’ll go with luminousness , which is where most of the interesting results came in anyway .
I ca n’t recall what this TV ’s default SDR light setting was in professional mode — it may have been 20 , but by the time I got started on it , it was up at 30 . disregardless , I have bit for the brightness countersink at 20 , 30 , and 50 with all other options at default , which means that local dimming was at medium and meridian brightness was off .
At a setting of 20 , SDR peak brightness on the Bravia 7 was 265 nits . At 30 it was 375 nits . At a maxed - out 50 , it mensurate 522 nit , which is moderately bright , but far low than I was expect . After turning the visor cleverness and local dimming to high-pitched , I hit the 1,800 nit territory — which is absolutely insane . ( I care that Sony give you a broad range of control to dial the TV in just how you take it to be . )
White balance come in splendid . It was a little hot on the bolshie , but that is easily fixed with a duet of click in the 2 - period white balance wheel menu . Stock professional mood came in with a max delta eastward at about 2 . esteem .
It was a exchangeable story with the 20 - dot grayscale . Excellent performance in the pro mode . Only the bright White were above a delta Es of 2 , and only by a tactile sensation . More respect .
The Bravia 7 ’s video quality is brilliant .
All color in the color gamut run were under a delta E of 2 . And the very intriguing color - checker examination ? The Bravia 7 sweep through it , with a max delta atomic number 99 of 3.8 and an average of 1.8 — that is awesome for a stock pic mode .
colour saturation and luminance tests in SDR were also sail through .
When it do to HDR ( and I may have already spoil the peak brightness intelligence ) , in a 10 % windowpane it was around 1,900 nits — it was test 2,000 nits at one point . Bumping the windowpane size up or down brought the peak luminance number down , often closer to 1,600 nits for me , and 1,300 at default scene , and full cover brightness can be as high as 700 nits .
A real - life story HDR test shows meridian HDR high spot are credibly hanging out nigher to 1,100 nit , which is enough to accurately reproduce most of the HDR content you’re able to lay your eyes on .
The Bravia 7 follows the EOTF curvature like a true supporter — about as consummate as it catch . you could select picture modes that overbrighten HDR if you want , though . But , in a professional modality , this is what you wanna see . Mad respect .
The HDR colouring material chequer is also passing telling . It is so rare to see a TV get all of these right . ( Sony continue to be the received setter for color truth , and I am here for it ! )
DCI P3 color gamut reporting came in at 97 % — a passing mark , but expected . And BT-2020 coverage came in at a delicious 80 % , which is swell for a mini - LED TV — although a admonisher : theHisense UXhit 83 % .
One other nit - nerd specific thing . I fit the Bravia 7 for cheeseparing - black chrominance go-around , which seems to be a known issue on some other Sony TVs that use the Pentonic 1000 SOC , like the A95L and Bravia 9 . There may be a little here , but I really struggled to see it .
Picture quality
Here ’s what you need to fuck about the Bravia 7 ’s picture quality , starting with the undecomposed clobber and ending with two problematic thing .
In short , the Bravia 7 ’s picture lineament is superb . It ’s so clean and crisp , and vibrant and precise . The colouration just look good , even without a material body of reference . ( I know a Sony picture the instant I see it , and the Bravia 7 has all that strut . ) Sure , the Bravia 9 is technically practiced , but most ethnic music probably would n’t see the difference even when it ’s pointed out .
The Bravia 7 ’s video caliber is noticeably better than theHisense U8and TCL QM8 . And , I would put it above the Samsung Q90D in several respect as well .
Let ’s break the characterisation timber down :
Brightness
The Bravia 7 ’s brightness capabilities are stunning . By the bit , it does n’t measure as the brightest television — that pureness goes to the Hisense U8 and TCL QM8 . But in real life-time , the comprehend luminance of this television is correct on equivalence with those other light cannon . It ’s truly unbelievable — when television is arrange up to do it .
Contrast
The backlight command on this television is very in effect . I sometimes wish well it were a small more speedy so that any visible halo following objects moving around the blind disappeared faster . But that ’s when I ’m looking for that kind of mistake . When I relax and just savour content and get caught up in the story ? I notice none of that . And neither will most of you . Again , the Bravia 9 is technically better , but the Bravia 7 , with few zones , beat most of its mini - precede competition for real - life viewing .
Any halo or blooming is hardly visible from dead - on . However , off - axis vertebra is another story . But bootleg levels and contrast are superb . The one caveat : tenuous dissonance in top-notch dark blacks . They are n’t crushed , but you get a little racket and banding in really dispute dark scenes .
Color
When it follow to color , and SDR and HDR ? The Bravia 7 is an A++++++++++++++ . Valedictorian . Magna Cum Laude . Sony wins , catamenia .
Motion
As for motion , Sony is the queen . LG is not far behind . Panasonic , I suspect , will give Sony a run for its money , but Sony ’s processing helps ensure it is the sound at motion .
Upscaling
Sony ’s upscaling and low bitrate depicted object clean-living - up is as good as it gets . Again , LG is close . But you are n’t go to do better than Sony . Upscaling 720p is intemperate — and even the corking Sony can only do so much — but again , nobody else does it better .
Gaming
I ’m a very nonchalant gamer . I do n’t care about 144Hz . I do wish about getting VRR just because I want that feature of speech , but most of the game I dally do n’t offer it . I ’m fiddle 4K/60 most of the time , and that fit me just o.k. .
The cons: off-angle performance and reflection handling
Now for the bad news . The off - angle functioning is not good . I ’ve been willing to forgive much less expensive TVs here , but this expensive Sony Bravia 7 does n’t get that flip . Samsung is out there with some awful off - slant viewing tech . Sony , you’re able to do it too . Please do .
For anyone out there who wants to criticize Sony for not using an ADS Pro jury , see that , as far as I ’m cognisant , BOE , the top provider of ADS Pro panels — like the one you see in some Hisense 75 - in model — is only usable in 75 and ( I retrieve ) 85 - column inch sizes . So , ADS Pro and its naturally superior off - slant viewing , while still maintaining salutary dividing line and gloss , is not an option for the 65 - column inch size . And it could be that Sony is not a lover of that panel for other lineament reasons , which is why we may not see it used in the 75- and 85 - inch versions of this television .
But , an off - angle betterment filter is something I would wish to see on a telecasting like the Bravia 7 .
For now . If you have a big enough projection screen size of the Bravia 7 TV , it may not be a problem . But if you are serve a big room with a sectioned couch using a 65 - inch TV , the phratry on the side seats will get a washed - out scene . Actually , you do n’t have to be that far off to the side for the characterisation to suffer . That ’s why I am so disappointed .
Also , the anti - glare , anti - reflection treatment on this TV ? It has me dumbfound , because I can see there is something in use here but it does n’t seem like it is doing much . Anything that is illume behind you — not just verbatim light sources — is going to show up on the screen when viewing spiritualist to dark setting . This TV can get bright enough to combat back ambient light , but I ca n’t remain firm behind it as a daytime living room TV when it is a disconsolate mirror like this . I ’m pretty bummed about that .
One other annoyance . I know the professional mode is intend to playact like film producer modal value — that it is meant to be viewed in a pitch - shameful elbow room and express the Almighty ’s intent . But I sense like sometimes this tv set is too dark . Dolby Vision Dark is specially trying . It seems like the middling pic level is too downhearted . My experience does n’t square up with the measurements and it is too dim too often . I seldom settle on Dolby Vision Bright because it lifts the smartness across the board . But on this TV I have to , because Dolby Vision dark is just unwatchable for me .
Final verdict
The off - angle performance and the hapless reflection treatment are two big collision for a video at this Leontyne Price — and it is exceedingly frustrative given that nearly every other performance spot on this TV is just state - of - the - prowess awesome , bar - setting timbre . Otherwise the Bravia 7 is so , so , so good . And just pleasurable . You do n’t have to be an enthusiast or purist to see how awesome the picture is — all in a really attractive package with an easy - to - enjoyment experience built in .
But , at the end of the day , I feel like this telecasting go in consecrate amusement space where light control is built in and other fitting can be made for the brooding covert . And sadly , that produce for a pretty corner group of folks for whom this idiot box would be my top good word . The average American living elbow room is just not the right spot for this television , I recollect .
However , if you ’re appear for a orca idiot box for your amusement room , home plate theater , or game room , the Bravia 7 is brilliant . It ’s a step up for Sony , and I ’m beaming they made it ( well , I ’m glad with 90 % of it ) .
