After several months of anticipation and speculation, RGB Mini LED TVs are starting to hit the market.
The panel technology promises better colour accuracy, improved brightness and better contrast than a regular Mini LED display – and now one of the more affordable RGB Mini LED options, the Sony Bravia 7 II, just got another price cut.
The 55-inch model is now down to £1699 at Smart Home Sounds with the code SONYRGB15.
We put Sony's spin on RGB Mini LED to the test only last month and found the Bravia 7 II to be indeed one of the best backlit TVs we've ever tested, with excellent depth and vibrant natural colours.
RGB Mini LED, or True RGB as Sony markets it, is next-gen panel technology that uses independent red, green and blue LEDs rather than filtering a blue LCD layer, to try to counteract some of the shortcomings of backlit TVs.
And after some rigorous testing, our TV experts did find the Bravia 7 II rectified many of the weaknesses that come with traditional Mini LED.
"The general sense of nuance and sophistication extends to how the Bravia 7 II manages its backlight, our Sony Bravia 7 II review reads. "When this TV is in its element, it becomes possible to forget that this is a backlit TV, as the RGB Mini LED system doesn’t distract or detract from the experience.
"This extends to general blooming control, which is extremely impressive by prevailing standards. In a shot from Oppenheimer in which the nuclear bomb testing site is lit up at night by a series of spotlights, we find that the halos of light that we’ve seen time and time again on other backlit TVs have been strictly confined. There is still a very faint amount of blooming, but this is leagues ahead of other LCD TVs that we’ve recently tested."
Colours are presented with punch and saturation without veering into overblown territory, while Sony's usual excellent picture processing results in impressive motion handling and a tangible sense of three-dimensional solidity.
However, the Bravia 7 II is still a backlit TV, and still falls behind OLED when it comes to contrast, black levels and viewing angles. So we'd also recommend looking at similarly-priced OLED rivals such as the LG C6 or Sony's own excellent Bravia 8 II.
The Bravia 7 II can go toe-to-toe when it comes to features, however. Gamers can enjoy four HDMI sockets with ALLM, two of which have full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets with 4K/120Hz gameplay and VRR.
The Bravia 7 II also supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision – though HDR10+ is missing – and the built-in Google TV has all the major domestic and international streaming services.
Sony's usually impressive built-in audio is also lacking this time around – there's a good sense of clarity and detail, but the sound system seems to struggle dynamically. Nothing a good soundbar can't fix, however.
We'd still recommend considering an OLED TV, but if you're after a backlit set, then the Sony Bravia 7 II is one of the best we've tested. It's also one of the more affordable ways to get your hands on brand new RGB Mini LED technology, especially with 15 per cent off at Smart Home Sounds.
MORE:
Read our review of the LG C6
Read our TCL C8K review
Best TVs: flagship OLEDs and budget Mini LED sets tried and tested
