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The Japanese have done it again with this Sony AE1 4K TV. The set has a gorgeous design, HDR, an astonishing picture and sound quality and a lot of smart features, including voice control. However, it is really pricey and Sony could still work some more when it comes to interface. All that aside, the Sony A1E remains one of the best UHD TVs money can buy.
Sony is one of the biggest and most popular brands when it comes to 4K TV sets. The Japanese company is a giant in the electronics industry altogether, be it smartphones, cameras, headphones, etc. and their TVs make no exception when it comes to quality.
Their A1E Bravia OLED is one of their best-selling models right now. The TV comes is 3 sizes: 55”, 65” and 77”. It was released in 2017.
Its OLED 4K screen with HDR and 8 million self-emitting pixels provides an astonishing picture quality, with an impressive contrast and rich colors.
We are going to review the 65” version.
Here are the main specifications:
The Sony A1E Bravia is an expensive TV, but you’ll get your money’s worth. It has a flat design, it is slim and 'all screen' and its attractive design will make anyone stop and stare at it, regardless if it’s on or off.
Setup
It is quite heavy and setting it up is a two men job. It comes with a non-detachable stand where almost all the electronics are found. Once you do mount the TV and turn it on, you’ll be guided through the initial setup and be asked to choose your language (you can choose between English, French or Spanish).
You have to enter your WiFi details and specify whether you have any Android mobile device.
The TV will also check for any updates and then you can start scanning channels. The last step is to accept the terms of use and then you’re all good to go.
Sound
Because the TV only consists of the big screen itself, you won’t see any speakers; they are placed behind the screen, on the right and left sides, using the Acoustic Surface technology. The speakers make the screen vibrate gently on high frequencies. There is also a subwoofer on the back for the lows, to minimize the vibrations of the screen. Although you can’t beat an additional sound system, especially when you invest in such a great TV, the integrated speakers of the Sony A1E are some of the best sounding we’ve encountered in a TV so far.
Features and image quality
The included remote control is simple but has all the buttons you might need, plus a mic for voice command. There are also two giant dedicated buttons for Google Play and Netflix, which, truth be told, aren’t helping with the aesthetics of the remote. There’s no touchpad though, no illumination or other fancy features.
On to the picture quality of the A1E, there are no words that can do it justice. A picture is indeed worth 1,000 words. The combination of OLED display, HDR technology and number of pixels in this Sony TV ensure the best image quality there is, even right out of the box, with no tweaking and adjusting. The contrast and colors are simply perfect. The image is sharp and detailed, the black levels are fantastic and the viewing angles are wide. The only thing that might not be for everyone's taste might the brightness of the TV, which is specific to any OLED display, meaning less bright than LCDs.
Unlike cheaper TVs, the Sony A1E is very generous when it comes to HDMI inputs, offering 4.
The interface of the Sony A1E is user-friendly enough, but it does leave room for improvement and has minor issues. It can be laggy at times and the apps don’t support as many file types as some competitors. The menu could be more intuitive, too.
On the bright side, the Netflix, Amazon and Sony’s Ultra apps support 4K and HDR, and there’s 4K support on the YouTube, Google Play Movies and UltraFlix. The Google Cast feature allows you to add many more apps to the Sony. There’s Google Assistant and Alexa control, too.
The A1E only supports HDR10 for now, but Sony promised to include Dolby Vision HDR with a future firmware update.
The Sony A1E is definitely one of the best 4K TVs you can buy right now, if your wallet can take the hit, that is.
The price of the 65” Sony A1E Bravia 4K is $3,500. In addition to the TV, the box also contains an IR blaster, batteries, an AC power cord, operating instructions, quick setup guide, table top stand, voice remote control.
Contact support: https://esupport.sony.com/US/p/select-system.pl?DIRECTOR=CONTACT
Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sony
The support section on the Sony website is very extensive, with myriad of resources and information on various topics: software, drivers, troubleshooting, remote control programming, setup, Android TV FAQ and so much more. The Sony community can also be very helpful.
Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.
By: Tamara | Last updated April 11, 2018 
