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Sony Europe announced two new television series, both offering unprecedented picture quality by virtue of employing multiple proprietary technologies and solutions with the next generation Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate at the fore. The new AF9 OLED and ZF9 LCD TVs arrive as the MASTER Series – a name Sony reserves exclusively for its highest picture quality TV models. Sony’s goal is to create a television capable of displaying images that faithfully convey the content creators’ full intent and as such the MASTER Series provides picture quality approaching that of a professional-grade monitor in a motion picture production studio. Having developed and followed a very strict set of product evaluation criteria by its most experienced picture quality engineers, Sony is confident the flagship MASTER Series delivers the highest quality picture possible in a home setting.

Both the AF9 and ZF9 MASTER Series models come equipped with a newly developed, next-generation Picture Processor X1 Ultimate. This processor plays a vital role in delivering the faithful picture in the MASTER Series. With a long history and expertise in developing professional cameras and monitors, Sony recognises that precision in the crafting of fine components of signal processing results in an immediately visible difference to the whole image. The Picture Processor X1 Ultimate can intelligently detect and analyse each object in the picture through Sony’s new Object-based Super Resolution for exceptional accuracy and detail. Also, the Object-based HDR remaster has been notably updated and now allows each object to be remastered individually for better depth, accurate texture and all-in-all more realistic picture.

Sony has historically been working with the professionals. Together with Sony Pictures Entertainment, from making of a picture mode which meets the film creators’ criteria in 2000 to the recent standardisation of HDR and bringing them into movie creation. For MASTER Series, in conjunction with Netflix, Sony is now introducing “Netflix Calibrated Mode.” This unique feature was specially developed to mirror the same picture quality as a studio evaluation master for television in order to preserve the artists’ creative vision and intent. By clicking one simple menu setting, Netflix Calibrated Mode faithfully reproduces the visuals that help bring a story to life, and entertainment enthusiasts can now enjoy this experience when watching their favourite TV series, films, documentaries and more on Netflix.

Also, the MASTER Series is ready* for CalMAN®, the industry-leading display calibration software from Portrait Displays. CalMAN is widely used by professionals as a tool to ensure quality control of the strict requirements demanded by content creators in broadcast, production, and post-production. CalMAN eliminates the struggle of maintaining the picture quality throughout the life of the TV. (*Requires CalMAN calibration software to be installed on your PC, a pattern generator, a meter (colorimeter, spectrophotometer etc.), and “CalMAN for BRAVIA” app to be downloaded from Google Play and installed on your TV.)

Innovation in TV picture, sound and design

The flagship AF9 TV comes equipped with the Pixel Contrast Booster, which is Sony’s original panel controller for OLED. It maximises the dynamic range by widening the area of colour reproduction at high brightness. Pictures are enhanced with extra detail and texture.

The AF9 OLED TV has top-of-the-line sound quality thanks to its new Acoustic Surface Audio+™ technology. Acoustic Surface™ was first introduced last year with the critically-acclaimed A1 series followed by the AF8 this year. The improved Acoustic Surface Audio+ gets an additional actuator in the centre of the screen and an extra subwoofer channel, totaling to a 3.2 channel sound system. The additional centre actuator acts just like centre speakers hidden behind an AT (acoustically transparent) screen which are found in cinemas. With the three actuators and two subwoofers facing sideways, the AF9 creates a rich sound field that greatly enhances the viewing experience. Also, the AF9 has a centre speaker mode that allows the Acoustic Surface Audio+ to be used as the centre speaker of a home theatre system.

The AF9, with its OLED display, represents a masterful fusion of the viewing and listening experience. And all this condensed into a single slate – the screen, with only a stand in the back to hold it up. Its shape and materials are imbued with softness, with a rounded bezel and fabric-covered rear stand. These characteristics allow the AF9 to exude an emphatic visual presence, while also blending into its surroundings.

The ZF9 LCD TV’s new X-Wide Angle ensures the picture retains its quality regardless of the angle from which it is being watched. It enables a wider viewing angle that reduces colour shifts when viewing the screen off-axis, so that the colours stay true no matter the viewer’s position. Together with X-Motion Clarity™, which minimises motion blur without sacrificing screen brightness, it helps the ZF9 overcome the usual challenges LCD panels face.

The ZF9’s bezel has a black, speckled finish like that of a DSLR camera, which stands out against the metallic look of the rest of the TV. The minimalistic look extends to the stands, which are simply moulded in aluminum.

Both the AF9 and ZF9 series are based on Android TV™, which lets you explore a world of movies, music, photos, games, search, apps and more. The Voice Search function makes it remarkably easy to find content, ask questions and control the TV. With Chromecast™ built-in, you can effortlessly send content from your smartphone or tablet to the TV, while access to Google Play™ allows you to enjoy your favourite movies, TV shows, and games on your TV.

Using the Google Assistant with both the AF9 and ZF9 will be even easier. Both models have built-in microphones that will free the hands; now you simply talk to the TV to find what you quickly want, or to ask the Google Assistant to play TV shows, movies, and more.

Sony will announce the availability date of the MASTER Series in Europe at a later time.

MASTER Series AF9 (55” and 65” models) 4K HDR OLED TV

Features OLED as display device with Pixel Contrast Booster. 8 million self-illuminating pixels and Sony-original panel controller for OLED brings a significantly enriched visual experience with unprecedented black, authentic colour, and a wide viewing angle.
Features Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate providing the ultimate 4K HDR viewing experience with the following technologies: Object-based Super Resolution, Object-based HDR remaster, Super Bit Mapping™ 4K HDR and Dual database processing.
Acoustic Surface Audio+™ creates a rich sound field delivered from three actuators and two subwoofers facing sideways, that greatly enhances the viewing experience
Features Netflix Calibrated Mode that brings the creators’ vision directly to the TV
Supports CalMAN’s professional-grade calibration.
Features vibrant, expanded colour with TRILUMINOS™ Display, further enhanced for colour accuracy
Android TV with hands-free help from the Google Assistant: Find what you want quickly, simply by talking to the TV. Ask your Google Assistant to help you play TV shows, movies, and more. Dim the lights and control your compatible, connected devices while you watch a movie for a better viewing experience
Minimalism styled with softness: the screen being a single slate with only a stand in the back to hold it up.
HDR formats supported: HDR10, Dolby Vision™, HLG

AF9

MASTER Series ZF9 (65” and 75” models) 4K HDR LCD TV

Features Picture Processor X1™ Ultimate providing the ultimate 4K HDR viewing experience with the following technologies: Object-based Super Resolution, Object-based HDR remaster, Super Bit Mapping™ 4K HDR and Dual database processing
Features X-Wide Angle which minimises the colour change when seen from the side. View faithful shades and hue from wherever you watch the TV.
Features full-array LED Backlight for ultra-high contrast
X-Motion Clarity™ keeps fast action clear and smooth. Moving images are precisely controlled to minimise blur. Even during fast-moving scenes, pictures stay true with no loss in brightness
Features Netflix Calibrated Mode that brings the creators’ vision directly to the TV
Supports CalMAN’s professional-grade calibration
Includes X-tended Dynamic Range™ PRO to produce better contrast by precisely balancing the light output across the screen, dimming some areas and boosting others. It reveals a brightness range three times that of a conventional LED-backlight TV, and it enhances any source to near HDR quality with a wider range of brightness
Features vibrant, expanded colour with TRILUMINOS™ Display, further enhanced for colour accuracy
Android TV with hands-free help from the Google Assistant: Find what you want quickly, simply by talking to the TV. Ask your Google Assistant to help you play TV shows, movies, and more. Dim the lights and control your compatible, connected devices while you watch a movie for a better viewing experience
Clean cable management for table top mount
HDR formats supported: HDR10, Dolby Vision™, HLG