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Sony has just taken the wraps off two new TVs, but if you were expecting a new QD-OLED to replace the Bravia 8 II or a successor to the Bravia 9, you might be disappointed.
That's because these two new models are both budget-oriented – and one of them came out in the US last year.
The genuinely new TV is the Bravia 3 II which, as the name suggests, replaces the three-star Bravia 3.
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The good news is that the Bravia 3 II features several upgrades over its predecessor.
The most eye-catching of these upgrades is the introduction of four HDMI 2.1 sockets, which, in combination with the 120Hz panel, means the TV supports 4K/120Hz gaming (plus VRR and ALLM) across all of its HDMI inputs.
That's a first for a Sony TV, and hopefully it points the way towards this becoming standard across the brand's range in the future.
The next major upgrade is the processor: the Bravia 3 II receives the XR Processor, which has until now powered only models from the Bravia 5 and up.
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This XR Processor brings with it Sony's XR Triluminos Pro technology for wider colour gamut coverage and the XR Clear Image feature for AI-powered upscaling.
Unlike the Bravia 3, the Bravia 3 II also features Netflix Calibrated, Prime Video Calibrated and Sony Pictures Core Calibrated picture presets, which are designed to deliver the most authentic picture quality from their respective streaming services.
What hasn't been upgraded, at least on the face of it, is the backlight.
Sony refers to the Bravia 3 II as simply having a 'Direct LED' backlight, and makes no mention of local dimming. That leads us to believe it will, like its predecessor, lack any form of local dimming.
In a world in which TCL offers affordable models with backlights that feature Mini LEDs and 1000+ dimming zones, that's undeniably disappointing, even though Sony has a reputation for squeezing the absolute best out of its hardware.
If you're a UK reader thinking that the Bravia 3 II still sounds like a tempting TV proposition, I'm afraid I have some more bad news: it's not currently scheduled to launch in the UK.
Sony says this is something to do with catch-up app certification, which sounds a little strange, but it does at least seem as though there's a good chance the TV will make it from mainland Europe to the UK at some point in the future.
In the regions in which the Bravia 3 II is launching, it will be available in sizes ranging from a fairly bijou (by modern standards) 43 inches, right up to a whopping 100 inches.
Bravia 2 II
(Image credit: Sony)
Then we have the Bravia 2 II which, as mentioned, launched in the US last year.
As the name suggests, this TV sits below the Bravia 3 II, and it is in fact the new entry point to the Bravia range (there are models further down in Sony's range, but they're not designated Bravia models).
Once again, this is a 'Direct LED' TV, and as you would expect, it lacks the 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 sockets of the Bravia 3 II.
The Bravia 2 II also features Sony's X1 chip, rather than the XR Processor.
As with the rest of Sony's Bravia range, the 2 II features the Google TV smart platform, and it has the Sony Pictures Core app built in.
It will be fascinating to see how much the Bravia 2 II launches for in the UK. It will be available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes, and in the US, the 65-inch model currently goes for around $700, which seems a little high in comparison with many TCL models.
We'll update this piece with confirmed pricing when we get it, and we will of course be reviewing the Bravia 2 II just as soon as we can get our hands on one.
Tom Parsons has been writing about TV, AV and hi-fi products (not to mention plenty of other 'gadgets' and even cars) for over 15 years. He began his career as What Hi-Fi?'s Staff Writer and is now the TV and AV Editor. In between, he worked as Reviews Editor and then Deputy Editor at Stuff, and over the years has had his work featured in publications such as T3, The Telegraph and Louder. He's also appeared on BBC News, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and Sky Swipe. In his spare time Tom is a runner and gamer.
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