Meet the Sony X900H 4K HDR TVs
HDMI 2.1 with 4K 120fps, Apple HomeKit & AirPlay 2, and Nextgen ATSC 3.0 tuner
If you’ve already read up on the Sony X950H, which was announced at CES 2020, prepare to have a bit of deja vu. The X900H, like the X950H, was also unveiled at CES, and like its higher modeled counterpart, it too wasn’t put on display. Despite both TVs not being showcased at the mega tech conventions, the two are quite noteworthy because these are the sets Sony will sell the most of.
Where the Z8H and A9H are all about pushing TVs forward with 8K and OLED respectively, the X950H is the premium TV from Sony that makes the most sense for people. Then there’s the X900H, a more modest take, except from everything I can tell, it offers just about everything the X950H offers. There’s still a lot of nitty-gritty details we don’t know about the two lineups, so instead of turning this article into a comparison piece, I’ll tell you everything it offers.
The most striking this about the X900H is its new, aluminum bezel, and though it’s not quite edge-to-edge like we see on some smartphones, it’s pretty damn close. With a new Metal Blade Stand to go along with it, nearly all of Sony’s 2020 TVs are as gorgeous as they get, while at the same time the most invisible as they’ve ever been. Sony wants the focus to be what’s on display and to show that off, the X900H offers:
- Dolby Vision
- HDR
in 4K, of course. The Full Array LED TV also features Netflix Calibrate Mode, which promises to play back TV shows and movies as the creators of them intended. It’s worth noting, to use the Netflix Calibrate Mode, you have to use the Netflix app, which comes pre-installed on the Android 9.0 powered TV. The feature, unfortunately, doesn’t work if you use Netflix through an Apple TV 4K or PS4 Pro.
With Android 9.0 comes smarts like Google Assistant, but if that’s not your jam, the X900H also works with Alexa. On top of that, there is also Apple HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support, which allows it to be easily incorporated in various home automations scenes, Siri integration, and easy streaming of movies, TV shows, music, photos, and games from iOS and macOS devices. I can’t tell you how excited I am by this.
If a soundbar isn’t in your future, you’ll be pleased to know that the X900H also offers Sony’s new Acoustic Multi-Audio speakers that promise to deliver fuller and richer sounds that appear to come right from the screen. Having experienced it at a demo during CES 2020, I can attend for how fantastic the new audio technology is. Though it doesn’t replace a soundbar, it puts previous TV speakers to shame, including my TV at home, the 75-inch X950E. The only caveat is that this feature is only offered on the 65-inch and larger models.
Following the same philosophy of not requiring you to have a soundbar, just so you can enjoy good audio, Sony doesn’t want everyone to rely on streaming to experience 4K. Built into the X900H lineup is the Nextgen ATSC 3.0 tuner, which allows for 4K content from over-the-air. Support for the standard is minimal, but here in the US, we’re starting to see some momentum for 4K from traditional cable operators and broadcasts channels. As an example, the 2020 Super Bowl will be broadcasted in 4K for the first time, making the X900H a more future-proof TV set.
Speaking of the future, it’s already been announced that PS5 will support gaming at 4K 120fps, something that required HDMI 2.1. Though Sony never mentions HDMI 2.1 anywhere on the TVs product page or press release, they do note X900H will be
4K 120fps compatible
through a future software update. Seeing how 4K 120fps requires HDMI 2.1 and cannot be brought to older TVs with HDMI 2.0 via a firmware update, it’s likely a safe bet that the X900H does indeed come with HDMI 2.1. Why Sony is being coy about it is anyones guess.
Shipping sometime in spring, the XBR-X900H will be offered in 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inches. Sony has yet to announce pricing.
Thanks for being an SRN reader. If you liked this post and want to help me cover Sony even more with reviews, videos, and podcasts, please clap (you can 👏 more than once!), share on your favorite social sites, and subscribe to the SRN newsletter.
