NEW YORK: Sony’s 4K TVs with Android TV integration is available in the United States. Unveiled at CES 2015, the wafer-thin (0.19-inches to be precise) sets can now be reserved ahead of the July release date.
The 55-inch X900C model starts at a cool $2,499, which is around £1,580, while the 65-inch iteration will be $3,999 (about £2,527). There’s a 75-inch model also available through Sony, Amazon and Best Buy, but that’ll set you back $5,499 (£3,476).
Those paying attention at home will have soon cottoned onto the fact it’s a cool $1,500 per extra 10-inches of display.
So where is all that money going? Well the awesomely thin displays boast Sony’s Trimluminos screen technology as well as the 4K X-Reality Pro software that’ll help with upscaling HD content to the new UltraHD resolution. It’s also running the image enhancing Sony X1 chip, which the firm says offers contrast, brightness and clarity boosts.
The major selling point for these sets is likely to be the Android TV operating system; Google’s latest crack at breaking into the Smart TV market.
Android TV owners will be able to catch an array of apps, channels and games, while a boost in the search interface gives users access to 600 new apps via the Play Store.
Sony is up against sets from Philips as well as set-top boxes like the Nexus Player and the recently-released Nvidia Shield Android streaming device.
In the TrustedReviews’ verdict posted this week, our review gave Sony’s system (not the set itself) props for its huge range of content, YouView integration and ability to interact with Android devices. It lost points due to the lack of TV tuner integration within smart menus and its lack of focus on the content TV viewers actually wants.
