Sony recently unveiled its newest Sony Z Series 4K HDR Ultra HD television screens, successors to the current X series.
The jump in alphabetical branding may be attributed to the latest tech integrated into the flagship Z series, or Z9D, which touts of capabilities that bring TV viewing to a whole new level, presumably far more superior that it skips the series from "Y" to "Z" directly.
"Sony brings 4K [HDR] to a new level with ultra-contrast and even more realistic, accurate color, in order to express what the content creators truly intended," reads the official press release from Sony, adding that the Z series is a combined effort of the company's engineers and creative teams with deep experiences in their respective fields that focus on the "aspects of 4K HDR shooting, editing, recording, transmission and display."
The Z series features the company's Backlight Master Drive technology, which was earlier showcased during the company's panel at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016. At its core, the innovation carries a specifically manufactured and dedicated LED structure where diodes are individually boosted — an upgrade from the previous X series where LEDs are grouped — to further bring out the crisp vibrancy and contrast in content viewed on its screen, thereby effectively producing moving images as how the original creators intended.
Furthermore, the Z flagship is powered by an improved processor, 4K Processor X1 Extreme, which carries three Sony-developed technologies that work together to produce "40% more real-time image processing power" than the previous 4K Processor X1. These technologies are:
• Object-based HDR remaster, which analyzes each and every image that flashes across the screen not only to correct its display accordingly but also to upsize the individual frames to a near 4K HDR quality without losing the original quality;
• Dual database processing, which adds to the upscaling abilities of the former tech by removing unnecessary image noise produced by enlarged pixels in real-time, thus more defined and clear textures; and
• Super bit mapping 4K HDR, which upgrades the 8-bit (FHD) and 10-bit (4K) color band levels to a 14-bit channel, enabling a smoother and more accurate representation of real-life sceneries like the gradation observed in sunsets.
To top all that, the Z series runs on the latest Android TV platform, which unlocks more capabilities than the standard viewing experience, allowing users to perform other activities on their TV through Google Play, Google Cast and Voice Search features.
Currently, the Z series is offered in two variants — a 65-inch (XBR65Z9D) for $6,999 and 75-inch (XBR75Z9D) for $9,999 — available through Sony's authorized dealers such as Amazon and Best Buy. A 100-inch (XBR100Z9D) version is slated for an announcement regarding specs and pricing later this year.
