Sony Bravia 8 (55XR80) review: a TV that focuses on Oled and a good audio system

Image quality

You now know the structure of the sub-pixels of W-Oled panels aligned horizontally in succession of blue, green, red and white, which are found on many models.

Although we generally recommend that you choose Filmmaker mode to obtain the most faithful image possible, it does not exist at Sony, which prefers to apply “in-house” processing to the image. It is therefore the Professional mode which will be closest to the original work, the Cinema mode displaying many more deviations. The color nuances are generally perfectly reproduced on the screen on the brand's televisions, but this time we note some deviations in SDR.

We actually measured a delta E of 3.2, which slightly exceeds the threshold of 3 considered to be the limit beyond which colorimetric drifts are notable. The white balance is also still cold at Sony with an average temperature of 6850 K, but this remains closer to the expected 6500 K than other models of the brand which sometimes exceed 7000 K. This is therefore rather good news.

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1 – Average Delta E SDR measured at 3.3 2 – Color temperature curve – average 6850 K 3 – Gamma curve – average 2.4

The gamma is absolutely spot on with an average of 2.4, but still hides clearly overexposed whites, as can be observed at the end of the curve. The contrasts are obviously perfect with very deep blacks enabled by Oled technology. There is also an ambient light sensor which allows you to adjust the brightness of the TV according to the light in the room throughout the day. Practical and deactivable if necessary.

The Oled also offers excellent viewing angles and here we measured a loss of brightness of only 15% at 45°, even if the QD-Oled remains the king on this point. Finally, Motionflow movement fluidity management is still as effective at Sony and can be relevant when watching sports. We still advise you to deactivate this option for films (this is the case by default in Professional mode) to avoid the “soap opera” effect, which is very disturbing for some.

HDR

As usual with Sony, all HDR formats are supported (HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision) except HDR10+ from Samsung and Panasonic. Please note, this year again, the HDMI ports are set to 8 bits by default and you absolutely must unblock them. You must go to the settings then Channels & Inputs > External inputs > HDMI signal format > Enhanced format.

The first disappointing element in HDR on this generation, the EOTF curve is clearly not very faithful. We note that the dark scenes are darker than they should be. It is possible to improve this EOTF curve by setting the light peak to “medium” in the TV's image settings, but you will therefore have a more limited light peak in HDR, which is an expensive consideration to pay.

Without changing this setting, the brightness is already not very high: we measured a peak light of 808 cd/m² over a 10% window. This is less than the competition in this segment with the LG C4 and the Samsung S90D which approach 1000 cd/m². This is of course much less than high-end Oleds which reach 1600 cd/m² or Mini-Leds on the market, such as the Bravia 7 which exceeds 1800 cd/m², or even 2400 cd/m² at TCL with the C89B.

In terms of colorimetry, again a small disappointment with an average delta E that we measured at 4.4 and which is therefore more felt than in SDR. Orange and red hues drift more strongly with a delta E exceeding 6. This drift is also accompanied by a slight posterization phenomenon in certain scenes, but this is quite rare. You really need to think about unlocking the HDMI ports so that the image quality is not affected and the posterization becomes too intense.

The coverage of color spaces, on the other hand, is among the highlights of the W-Oled panels with a DCI-P3 covered at 94% and a Rec.2020 covered at 69%, as with direct competitors.

Clouding et blooming

Since we are in the presence of an Oled panel, there is obviously no clouding on the Bravia 8, the same for the blooming (halo effect around bright objects on a dark background like subtitles). As for the homogeneity of the slab, it is simply excellent with a variation in white of barely 2%.

Reflectance

We now know this LG panel well and the reflectance is therefore the same as that measured on competitors which have it, i.e. around 25%. A correct value and better than entry-level LCD televisions, but which does not reach the levels of high-end which can go down to 18%, or even below 10% (Samsung).

Video games

The Bravia 8 hits a refresh rate of 120Hz, which is sufficient today, although some competitors go a little further with displays up to 144Hz which will only be of interest to PC gamers.

Like all the Oled LG Display panels that we have tested recently, theinput lag (display delay) is a perfect 12.6 ms. There will therefore be no delay between the action on the controller and its repercussion on the screen. Oled obliges, there is also no ghosting (ghost trails behind moving objects) on screen.

Game mode is better calibrated than Professional mode, a shame for a television. This is in any case good news for gamers who will see an average delta E of 3.3 in HDR, slightly exceeding the threshold of 3.

The Bravia 8 is equipped with just two HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K at 120Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). For comparison, most other high-end models typically offer four such HDMI ports, which can be useful for connecting multiple consoles or PCs and a soundbar.

Ergonomics

The Bravia 8 (55XR80) has dimensions of 122 x 79 cm with 25 cm legs and a weight of 18 kg. While the design of the legs won't appeal to everyone, their design is ingenious, as they can be installed in the center of the TV for narrower furniture, or spread apart if necessary. Their height is adjustable, which makes it easy to insert a soundbar under the TV. Unfortunately, you still have to install them with screws, unlike the Bravia 7 on which you could do everything by clipping them.

At the rear, the lack of cable management may disappoint, but the connectivity remains complete. There is a CI+ port (common interface), an optical audio output in mini-jack format, an Ethernet port, a satellite tuner, one for cable and a TNT antenna. On the HDMI 2.1 side, only two ports are present, as written above, and there is no wired headphone jack. On the other hand, we will find wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 for advanced connectivity.

The Sony Bravia 8 is based on the Google TV system, a redesigned version of Android TV which integrates all known apps such as YouTube, France TV, Arte, Molotov or even paid platforms (MyCanal, Netflix, OCS, Amazon Prime, Disney+, etc.). The system is smooth, responsive and Chromecast as well as AirPlay 2 allow you to stream videos from a smartphone, tablet or computer. Sony also maintains a quick access bar to the settings, much more practical than having to dig through Google settings, with a more or less in-depth description for each option.

The remote control is really practical and modern. Rechargeable via USB-C, it is backlit and offers shortcuts to the main streaming apps, with Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Core at extra cost. As is often the case with Sony, another more traditional remote control is also supplied with numbered buttons and batteries.

Conclusion

Overall rating

How does the rating work?

With the Bravia 8 (XR80), Sony has created a good television overall, but with some drawbacks in terms of image quality. If it provides the significant advantages of Oled in terms of contrast and responsiveness, as well as a quality sound system, we can only be disappointed by the image management on this model, Sony having given us accustomed to better. Its colorimetry is imperfect, as is its brightness management. It is therefore difficult to justify such a price with this service, especially since we find direct competitors like the LG C4, the Samsung S90D or the Philips OLED809, and sometimes even the more high-end LG G4, as good, or even better and at a lower price. You will have to turn to other Sony TVs, such as the A95L or the Bravia 9 to enjoy a truly “cinema” image.