Bravia 9 75" vs A97L 65"

[ashic]

I currently have the LG 960V 65 inch OLED. It's been decent, and was bought in 2013. I went into a store and modern TVs look so much better. Of course, being an OLED, I get inky blacks. However, I do see burn in, which I guess is inevitable given its age. Areas around logos, subtitles, etc. are noticeable on scenes that aren't too busy. Sort of gotten used to it. I can probably keep it going for a bit longer, but thinking it's time to move on.

I've just got enough space for a 75". The vast majority of usage would be watching TV, movies, and a bit of PS5 gaming. I don't game too much these days. The tv will be paired with an ST9000 soundbar + subwoofer. It'll be in the lounge, which is quite bright during the day (to the point where I'd close the translucent blinds and even then need to bump brightness in order to see dark scenes, and even then it's a struggle), but most of our watching is in the evenings. We're in London, so evenings can still be bright outside in the summer.

With Black Friday, I can get the 65" A95L for very close to the price of the 75" Bravia 9. So it's a choice between the two. Given the above, which would you recommend? I understand in ideal lighting, the A95L has a better picture, but would I even notice given the ancient tv I'm used to? Would the larger screen + longevity be better for me?

 

[R2D2]

I currently have the LG 960V 65 inch OLED. It's been decent, and was bought in 2013. I went into a store and modern TVs look so much better. Of course, being an OLED, I get inky blacks. However, I do see burn in, which I guess is inevitable given its age. Areas around logos, subtitles, etc. are noticeable on scenes that aren't too busy. Sort of gotten used to it. I can probably keep it going for a bit longer, but thinking it's time to move on.

I've just got enough space for a 75". The vast majority of usage would be watching TV, movies, and a bit of PS5 gaming. I don't game too much these days. The tv will be paired with an ST9000 soundbar + subwoofer. It'll be in the lounge, which is quite bright during the day (to the point where I'd close the translucent blinds and even then need to bump brightness in order to see dark scenes, and even then it's a struggle), but most of our watching is in the evenings. We're in London, so evenings can still be bright outside in the summer.

With Black Friday, I can get the 65" A95L for very close to the price of the 75" Bravia 9. So it's a choice between the two. Given the above, which would you recommend? I understand in ideal lighting, the A95L has a better picture, but would I even notice given the ancient tv I'm used to? Would the larger screen + longevity be better for me?

I had the Sony 55A95L TV and the Sony 55a95K and there was virtually no difference between the 2 of them. They also weren’t all that considering the reviews and I ended up with a Samsung TV which I found to be better and nowhere near as much. I would recommend this newer and 5 star Samsung TV:

https://www.reliant.co.uk/samsung-qe65s95datxxu-black-1000025158?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=samsung&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Performance+Max+%7C+Samsung+TV&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=9930288323&hsa_cam=20578807875&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtNG9c26xkWRi7-kP9kLBxOaNzNL&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIupuCmKuBigMVPptQBh3eHiSpEAQYAiABEgJGGPD_BwE

You could even stretch to the 77-inch Samsung, that is what I would recommend. Forget the Sony TVs. 77-inch here:

Samsung QE77S95D | S95D 77 Inch OLED TV

4K Ultra HD 77" Screen Size OLED Screen Technology Smart TV FREE Manufacturer Warranty for 5 years

www.reliant.co.uk

Claim £250 cashback too.

 

[ashic]

I had the Sony 55A95L TV and the Sony 55a95K and there was virtually no difference between the 2 of them. They also weren’t all that considering the reviews and I ended up with a Samsung TV which I found to be better and nowhere near as much. I would recommend this newer and 5 star Samsung TV:

https://www.reliant.co.uk/samsung-qe65s95datxxu-black-1000025158?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=samsung&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Performance+Max+%7C+Samsung+TV&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=9930288323&hsa_cam=20578807875&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtNG9c26xkWRi7-kP9kLBxOaNzNL&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIupuCmKuBigMVPptQBh3eHiSpEAQYAiABEgJGGPD_BwE

You could even stretch to the 77-inch Samsung, that is what I would recommend. Forget the Sony TVs. 77-inch here:

Samsung QE77S95D | S95D 77 Inch OLED TV

4K Ultra HD 77" Screen Size OLED Screen Technology Smart TV FREE Manufacturer Warranty for 5 years

www.reliant.co.uk

Claim £250 cashback too.

Thanks for the response. At this time, I'm set on one of those two mainly to have my whole setup be Sony. And while my phone is Samsung, my tv prior to the LG was a Samsung, and it died just outside of warranty, but more importantly, I hated the software. I'm sure there've been improvements since then, but I'm keen to have a Sony setup end to end this time around. I don't mind the Sony premium currently in place, but just wondering if the image quality in the A95L is better enough than the Bravia 9 to choose it giving up on 10 extra inches. I'm beginning to think the answer is no... everybody's suggesting they're very close in most scenarios, and I'm in a well lit room with reflections. When I first saw traces of burn in on the OLED, it felt really bad. And while I've come to accept it, not worrying about it would be rather nice.

 

[R2D2]

Thanks for the response. At this time, I'm set on one of those two mainly to have my whole setup be Sony. And while my phone is Samsung, my tv prior to the LG was a Samsung, and it died just outside of warranty, but more importantly, I hated the software. I'm sure there've been improvements since then, but I'm keen to have a Sony setup end to end this time around. I don't mind the Sony premium currently in place, but just wondering if the image quality in the A95L is better enough than the Bravia 9 to choose it giving up on 10 extra inches. I'm beginning to think the answer is no... everybody's suggesting they're very close in most scenarios, and I'm in a well lit room with reflections. When I first saw traces of burn in on the OLED, it felt really bad. And while I've come to accept it, not worrying about it would be rather nice.

Fair enough. QD-OLED is still a new technology and it is suppose to be sceptical to burn in still, so with that in mind and with the Black Friday prices then I would probably opt for the Bravia 9 and the bigger TV in the 75-inch. What Hifi gave it 4 stars but I am sure with the price drop then it might get a 5 star now. Perhaps demoing in a shop is the way to go too.

 

[R2D2]

This video might be of interest to you too:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVv3PcniYEk

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

This video might be of interest to you too:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVv3PcniYEk

Not with him pulling a face like that it's not!

 

[ashic]

This video might be of interest to you too:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVv3PcniYEk

I'd actually seen that too. I did see both in store, and while the A95L and the B9 seemed close (A95L having better image quality... just), I could see weaknesses in the B7, namely in off angle viewing and reflections. Those two aspects are important to me, and daytime viewing would be quite difficult with the reflection handling. I also expect Sony to fix the issues (which seem to be minor) with the B9 with some firmware updates. I have the budget for the B9... if I were looking to save a bit, the B7 definitely would be very appealing (very close perf at 28.5% lower... hard to argue).

 

[R2D2]

I'd actually seen that too. I did see both in store, and while the A95L and the B9 seemed close (A95L having better image quality... just), I could see weaknesses in the B7, namely in off angle viewing and reflections. Those two aspects are important to me, and daytime viewing would be quite difficult with the reflection handling. I also expect Sony to fix the issues (which seem to be minor) with the B9 with some firmware updates. I have the budget for the B9... if I were looking to save a bit, the B7 definitely would be very appealing (very close perf at 28.5% lower... hard to argue).

The A95L is pretty good with reflections to be honest, I have a bright room and I was very impressed and didn’t have a problem with the Sony, the only reason I got rid was to get the Samsung S90C which I found to be just as good but a lot cheaper, and I could get a bigger size too.

How much gaming do you intend to do and are you going to watch the news channels a lot? If yes, the B9 would be my choice, if not then perhaps the A95L. After all I love my TV and it’s virtually the same as the A95L.

 

[R2D2]

If you go for the B9 I have just seen this deal:

Sony Bravia 9 K75XR90PU QLED 75Inch 4k HDR Google Smart TV Acoustic Surface Audio Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2024 | Fenwick

Shop Sony Bravia 9 K75XR90PU QLED 75Inch 4k HDR Google Smart TV Acoustic Surface Audio Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2024 at Fenwick today. With fast reliable delivery, free and simple returns plus all you know and love from Fenwick.

www.fenwick.co.uk

 

[ashic]

If you go for the B9 I have just seen this deal:

Sony Bravia 9 K75XR90PU QLED 75Inch 4k HDR Google Smart TV Acoustic Surface Audio Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2024 | Fenwick

Shop Sony Bravia 9 K75XR90PU QLED 75Inch 4k HDR Google Smart TV Acoustic Surface Audio Chromecast and Apple Airplay 2024 at Fenwick today. With fast reliable delivery, free and simple returns plus all you know and love from Fenwick.

www.fenwick.co.uk

Yeah... I'm looking at that deal... would probably get it from John Lewis and get a price match refund. That's what I meant... the 65 inch A95L is almost the same price for a 10 inch smaller screen.

I won't game too much, but then most of the stuff we watch has static logos, and some in the family like to have subtitles on, specially in recent movies (ahem, Tenet...). The OLED burn in on my LG started and is most prominent across the Sky subtitles area, which is understandable as that bit is almost always static with only the text changing. The other thing that very often happens is I'm working from home and a meeting starts if I'd have had something running in the background, like Sports. I've been guilty of pausing and only getting back to it an hour or two later. The OLED definitely didn't like that.

The A95L picture is amazing. I saw both in store, and the A95L is definitely better... but I had to get close to notice the differences. And in reality, for normal viewing, without having them side by side, I think I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. And I'm upgrading from an 11 year old burnt in OLED, so I guess both would be massive improvements.

 

[R2D2]

Yeah... I'm looking at that deal... would probably get it from John Lewis and get a price match refund. That's what I meant... the 65 inch A95L is almost the same price for a 10 inch smaller screen.

I won't game too much, but then most of the stuff we watch has static logos, and some in the family like to have subtitles on, specially in recent movies (ahem, Tenet...). The OLED burn in on my LG started and is most prominent across the Sky subtitles area, which is understandable as that bit is almost always static with only the text changing. The other thing that very often happens is I'm working from home and a meeting starts if I'd have had something running in the background, like Sports. I've been guilty of pausing and only getting back to it an hour or two later. The OLED definitely didn't like that.

The A95L picture is amazing. I saw both in store, and the A95L is definitely better... but I had to get close to notice the differences. And in reality, for normal viewing, without having them side by side, I think I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. And I'm upgrading from an 11 year old burnt in OLED, so I guess both would be massive improvements.

I see you can get the Sony 65A95L for £2599 here:

Sony XR-65A95LU 65" A95L 4K HDR QD-OLED TV

AskDirect

askdirect.co.uk

You could always price match with John Lewis and then they have a further £100 off promotion on the product page, bringing it down to £2500, which is what I paid when I bought the Sony 55A95L direct from Sony. That is a good deal, you could always try not pausing and buy that. I would still have that TV now if it hadn’t been for the Samsung QD-OLED I ended up with.

QD-OLED is brilliant, it’s like the next big jump in technology since standard OLED, I personally would buy that but be careful with burn in.

 

[flashgordon1952]

I would always pick a Sony over any other make (what ever it is ) i Have a 2016 model 48 inch bought second hand for £80 in a charity shop 2 months ago I am well pleased with it , ( bedroom tv ) Compares very well with my 50 inch TCL 2023 model ,except it dopes not have 4k . But that is not really a problem . Ideal for Netflix and Amazon

 

[ashic]

So over the weekend, I did some testing on my old LG 960V. And I really didn't like what I saw. The burn in is pretty bad. And yes, I should have taken care of it better and not left it on pause all the time, and yes I shouldn't have allowed subtitles for most things, but the fact is that it's highly unlikely that our behaviour patterns will change. I also remembered the pang I felt when I realised my amazing TV (and let's face it, it's pretty amazing even now) has burn in. I also went in store, and in bright light store conditions, both the bravia 9 and A95L looked very good. Yes, pixel peeping, the A95L is better on blacks; well... obviously. But on balance, and considering we'd prefer not to replace the TV for a good few years, we went with the extra 10 inches with the Bravia 9. I used the calculators and apparently our couch is exactly at the recommended distance for 75 inches, and a bit far for 65 (though we've happily been using a 65 which was an upgrade from a disastrous Samsung 55 plasma). I'd have loved the 77 inch A95L, but £2K extra with the risk of burn in... just couldn't. We also watch some ye olde SD programmes on Sky, so the upscaling should be interesting too.

It arrives on Friday. Will update here with my thoughts once I've given it a run. Thanks for all your input so far. JL price matched the Fenwick offer, as expected. I'm rather excited to see how tv tech has evolved in the last 11 years!

 

[R2D2]

So over the weekend, I did some testing on my old LG 960V. And I really didn't like what I saw. The burn in is pretty bad. And yes, I should have taken care of it better and not left it on pause all the time, and yes I shouldn't have allowed subtitles for most things, but the fact is that it's highly unlikely that our behaviour patterns will change. I also remembered the pang I felt when I realised my amazing TV (and let's face it, it's pretty amazing even now) has burn in. I also went in store, and in bright light store conditions, both the bravia 9 and A95L looked very good. Yes, pixel peeping, the A95L is better on blacks; well... obviously. But on balance, and considering we'd prefer not to replace the TV for a good few years, we went with the extra 10 inches with the Bravia 9. I used the calculators and apparently our couch is exactly at the recommended distance for 75 inches, and a bit far for 65 (though we've happily been using a 65 which was an upgrade from a disastrous Samsung 55 plasma). I'd have loved the 77 inch A95L, but £2K extra with the risk of burn in... just couldn't. We also watch some ye olde SD programmes on Sky, so the upscaling should be interesting too.

It arrives on Friday. Will update here with my thoughts once I've given it a run. Thanks for all your input so far. JL price matched the Fenwick offer, as expected. I'm rather excited to see how tv tech has evolved in the last 11 years!

Congrats! AVForums gave the Sony Bravia 9 a stunning review recently too. Fenwick have now upped their price so you got a cracking deal.

 

[davidf]

I'll be looking at the Bravia 9 65" about this time next year - I'm not risking any possibility of burn in issues, so sticking to Mini LED and avoiding OLED.