The Sony Bravia 9 II is the most anticipated new TV in years, and it lives up to the hype as an incredible RGB LED television. With its advanced RGB backlight technology, it offers a wider color gamut and higher brightness than traditional LED TVs. However, at a starting price of $3,600 for the 65-inch model, it faces stiff competition from both OLEDs and cheaper LED alternatives.
RGB LED Technology: A New Era
Unlike conventional LED TVs that use a blue backlight with a yellow phosphor coating, the Bravia 9 II employs clusters of individual red, green, and blue LEDs. This allows for precise control of color mixing, resulting in more vivid and accurate colors. Sony has been at the forefront of this technology, having shown a prototype as early as 2025. The Bravia 9 II is the culmination of years of development, offering a significant leap in picture quality.
The RGB backlight not only improves color but also enhances brightness. In HDR mode, the TV can achieve peak highlights of up to 3,800 nits, making it one of the brightest TVs on the market. Full-field white brightness measures at 885 nits, ensuring that even large bright scenes retain their impact. This makes the TV ideal for bright rooms, where ambient light can wash out lesser displays.
Design and Build
The Bravia 9 II features Sony’s cool lenticular stand, which is both stylish and functional. The stand includes a cable management slot that routes wires behind the screen, keeping the front clean. The TV is available in 65, 75, 85, and 115-inch sizes, catering to a wide range of room sizes and budgets. The build quality is excellent, with a sleek profile that looks premium from any angle.
One of the standout design features is the anti-reflective screen. Sony has developed a coating that scatters ambient light without affecting black levels. Bright lamps and windows are reduced to a dim glow, making the TV watchable even in direct sunlight. This is a game-changer for living rooms with lots of windows or overhead lighting.
Picture Performance
Out of the box, the Bravia 9 II delivers excellent color accuracy. In Professional mode, gamma and EOTF tracking are near-perfect, ensuring detailed shadows and proper depth. Colors like sky blue, foliage, and skin tones look natural and lifelike. The TV also handles HDR content brilliantly, with specular highlights popping off the screen. From the glowing sword in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to the explosions in Mad Max: Fury Road, the Bravia 9 II brings movies to life.
However, the TV is not without flaws. In SDR mode, reds can appear oversaturated and not as bright as they should be. This is a minor issue that can be corrected with calibration, but it’s worth noting for purists. Additionally, while the TV controls blooming well from straight on, off-axis viewing reveals some light bleed. At extreme angles (close to 70 degrees), color bleeding becomes noticeable, which may affect group viewing.
Brightness and Anti-Reflection
The Bravia 9 II’s brightness is a major selling point. It outshines most competitors, including the TCL X11L, which reaches higher peak brightness but lacks the same color accuracy. The anti-reflective screen is the best in class, making reflections almost invisible when content is playing. This combination of high brightness and excellent reflection handling makes it the ultimate TV for bright rooms.
During testing, World Cup games streamed via ATSC 3.0 antenna looked sharp and clear even with curtains open. The image detail remained intact, and colors remained vibrant. This level of performance is unmatched by any LED TV currently available.
Dimming Zones and Blooming
The Bravia 9 II has more dimming zones than its predecessor, the Bravia 7 II. This allows for finer control of backlight transitions, reducing blooming in most scenarios. From straight on, subtitles and fireworks produce only a slight haze. However, off-axis blooming is more pronounced, with white and color bleeding into adjacent areas. This is likely due to the anti-reflective coating, which scatters light in a way that becomes visible at angles.
Despite this, the Bravia 9 II handles blooming better than the 7 II and most other RGB LED TVs. Only mini-LED TVs like the TCL X11L outperform it in this area. For most viewers, the off-axis blooming will not be a dealbreaker, especially if the TV is placed in a central viewing position.
Gaming and Features
The Bravia 9 II supports HDMI 2.1 on two of its four ports, with one supporting eARC. It offers 4K/120Hz, ALLM, VRR, and Dolby Atmos passthrough. While having only two HDMI 2.1 ports is a limitation compared to some competitors, it’s sufficient for most console gamers. The TV also includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner for free over-the-air broadcasts.
The Google TV operating system is fast and responsive, with access to a wide range of streaming apps. The remote is USB-C rechargeable, a welcome move away from disposable batteries. Overall, the feature set is solid, though we hope Sony will offer four HDMI 2.1 ports in future models.
Comparison with Other Models
The Bravia 9 II sits at the top of Sony’s 2026 TV lineup. Its closest sibling, the Bravia 7 II, offers similar picture quality for $1,000 less at 65 inches. The 7 II lacks the anti-reflective screen and has fewer dimming zones, but it gets 90% of the way there for most users. For those who prioritize reflections, the 9 II is worth the premium.
Sony’s own OLED TVs, like the Bravia 8 II, offer perfect blacks and superior contrast. The Bravia 8 II is $600 cheaper at 65 inches and provides pixel-level control that LED can’t match. For dark-room viewing, OLED is still the king. The Bravia 9 II’s main advantage is brightness and reflection handling, making it the better choice for bright, well-lit living rooms.
Outside Sony, the TCL X11L mini-LED TV offers higher peak brightness (over 5,000 nits) and more dimming zones at a lower price. However, it doesn’t match Sony’s color accuracy and image processing. The Samsung QN90F is another competitor, but its RGB LED implementation isn’t as refined as Sony’s.
Ultimately, the Bravia 9 II is aimed at enthusiasts who want the best possible LED TV and are willing to pay a premium. It excels in bright environments and delivers stunning HDR performance. But for most people, the Bravia 7 II or an OLED will provide better value.
The Sony Bravia 9 II is a remarkable achievement in LED TV technology. Its combination of high brightness, excellent color accuracy, and best-in-class anti-reflective screen makes it the best bright-room TV money can buy. While it has minor off-axis blooming and a high price tag, it sets a new standard for RGB LED televisions. For those who can afford it and need a TV that performs in any lighting condition, the Bravia 9 II is an easy recommendation.
Source:The Verge News