Sony Bravia 7 (65XR70) review: an efficient and bright Mini-Led television

There have been some changes in strategy at Sony in recent months, as we explained to you in our dedicated article. The new 2024 range now simplifies the model names and we will find at the top of the range a mixture of several technologies: Mini-Led, Oled and QD-Oled.

The Japanese brand’s new standard-bearer, the Bravia 9 is equipped with a Mini-Led panel and becomes Sony’s best equipped model alongside the A95L which we tested at the end of 2023. But here we are testing the Bravia 7, its little brother also Mini-Led, which makes some concessions for a lower price. The TV promises a high peak brightness in HDR and excellent picture quality boosted by its in-house XR processor, but we’ll check all of that in our review.

At Sony, prices remain high in this segment and the Bravia 7 (65XR70) put on our test bench is sold for €2,200. There are currently proven Oled competitors, such as the LG 65G3, as well as new Mini-Led models that are hitting hard from TCL and Hisense for a lower price. Will the Bravia 7 be able to do well?

Other versions of the Bravia 7 are available at the following prices:

• €2,800 for the 75-inch model (75XR70)
• €3,500 for the 85-inch model (85XR70)

All brightness and colorimetry measurements mentioned in this article were carried out with a SpectraCal C6-HDR probe and CalMAN Ultimate software.

Image quality

Mini-Led panel generally rhymes with VA technology, and these are vertical sub-pixels that we were able to observe here.

Sony still refuses to integrate a Filmmaker mode, currently present in many television manufacturers. This mode removes all treatments applied by TVs in order to best respect the original work. That said, Sony chooses to make certain changes to the image, even minimal ones. After trying several profiles including IMAX Enhanced, it was the Professional that seemed the most faithful to us.

We then measured an average delta E of 1.9 in SDR, below the threshold of 3 which should not be exceeded. The average color temperature of 6950 K is, however, a little cold, as is often the case with Sony. In terms of contrast, the local dimming of the TV is effective and the blacks displayed are very deep. The native contrast measured without local dimming is 6200:1, an excellent result, although the Oled and the QD-Oled are obviously unbeatable in this aspect.

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2 – Gamma curve – average 2.1 3 – Average Delta E SDR measured at 1.9 1 – Color temperature curve – average 6947

The problematic element of the Bravia 7 remains its gamma. We measured an average of 2.1 which is not catastrophic (we expect a value close to 2.4) and the grays are precise over a good part of the spectrum. But as soon as the TV approaches 70% grays towards 100% white, the gamma goes off the rails. The television actually pushes the brightness to the maximum and the grays/whites are therefore greatly overexposed. We should therefore observe clipping in certain bright scenes.

The viewing angles are frankly not very good with a loss of brightness of 55% at an angle of 45°. Those who are not seated perfectly in front of the screen will see the colors degrade and some blooming (halo effect) appear around bright objects on a dark background.

HDR

The Sony Bravia 7 is compatible with all HDR formats (HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision), except HDR 10+ pushed by Samsung.

The brightness of the Bravia 7 is its strength in HDR with a light peak of 1850 cd/m² over a 10% window. This is huge, even superior to the best Oled models like the Samsung S95D or the LG G4, which top out at around 1600 cd/m². Mini-Led technology therefore proves itself once again, even if other televisions have exceeded 2000 cd/m², TCL in particular.

The EOTF curve confirms the phenomenon of clipping : it is perfectly tracked and the TV does not smooth the curve to attenuate the highlights and preserve the details. By sending a signal at 10,000 cd/m² or 1000 cd/m², the Bravia 7 does not seem to change the way it processes information.

The colorimetry is impeccable with an average delta E of 2.3. The coverage of color spaces is, however, somewhat limited by Mini-Led technology, since DCI-P3 is only 90% covered and Rec. 2020 at only 70%. It’s a little worse than Oled and QD-Oled, but remember that the Rec 2020 space is little used in cinema.

Clouding and blooming

THE clouding (light spots that may appear on the screen) is absent thanks to the use of mini-LEDs and the blooming remains very limited overall. It’s much more noticeable when you move away from the center of the screen and look at it from the sides. The homogeneity of the slab is 3.6%, which is excellent.

Reflectance

Finally, reflectance is clearly not the strong point of the Bravia 7, measured at 40% on average, one of the worst results in our comparison… In comparison, recent Oled panels display a reflectance of 18% and the champion S95D goes down at 8 %. In a living room with windows close to the TV, this could prove annoying. Fortunately, the high brightness of the TV will compensate for some of the reflections.

Video games

The Bravia 7 can be used to play without problem, even if it is clearly not the best in this area, Mini-Led technology cannot match Oled and QD-Oled in terms of responsiveness. We thus measured a delay in display (input lag) of 21.1 ms, i.e. more than one image delay compared to the moment when an action is performed on the controller. This won’t be a problem for ordinary people, but fans of competitive multiplayer games may turn to another model.

The afterglow of 10 ms is frankly good for an LCD model, but again, the Oled models do better since there is simply no afterglow, therefore ghosting.

By activating Game mode, the colorimetry is excellent and other manufacturers should take an example from Sony on this point. In SDR, the average delta E is 2.8 and 2.5 in HDR. The colors therefore remain faithful.

The Bravia 7 only has two HDMI 2.1 ports compatible with 4K 120 Hz, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). Other high-end competitors generally offer four, which may be necessary if you connect several consoles/PCs in addition to a soundbar. The Bravia 7 also reaches a refresh rate of 120 Hz, technically sufficient today, even if others offer a little better by going up to 144 Hz.

Ergonomics

The Bravia 7 (65XR70) measures 144 x 91 cm with 35 cm legs and weighs 28 kg. Although the design of the feet is probably not very pretty to our taste, it is very well thought out. You can actually place these feet close together if the TV unit requires it, or apart if necessary. No need for screws or tools, the feet slide into their dedicated location, nothing could be simpler. It is also possible to adjust the height of the feet, enough to place a soundbar under the TV.

On the back, there is unfortunately no cable management system. The connectivity is classic with a CI+ (Common Interface) port, an optical digital audio output (mini-jack format), an Ethernet port, a satellite tuner, one for cable and a TNT antenna. As we wrote above, there are only two HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a shame, especially since most high-end models offer four. Wifi 6 is included, as well as Bluetooth 5.3 for cutting-edge connectivity.

Sony still trusts Google TV in 2024 with still an in-house overlay for all settings management. Everything is fluid, the Sony menus are clear and many settings are available. You will also find all the usual streaming apps (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Arte, Disney+, etc.).

The remote control benefits from a new sleek, but effective design. It is rechargeable via USB-C, which is very practical, and it has the advantage of being backlit. There you will find shortcuts to classic streaming apps in addition to Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Core. In short, everything we expect from a good modern remote control!