Sony commits to Android TV for its entire 2015 line, intros sets thinner than a smartphone
Today at CES 2015 in Las Vegas Sony revealed that its entire 2015 Bravia line will run Google's Android TV OS. Although Sony has been onboard with Android TV for some time, this commitment to the platform from an industry giant like Sony is a big deal. And following today's press conference we were able to get a first look at the flagship X900C sets running the familiar Android 5.0 Lollipop TV interface.
Coming in 55-, 65- and 75-inch varieties, the X900C series take advantage of Sony's new X1 image processing chip to enhance contrast, boost dynamic range and tune colors in 4K content. The sets use Sony's flick remote, first seen alongside 2014 Bravia TVs.
Lollipop's leanback UI brings a familiar experience to Sony's new TVs.
Android TV brings a familiar experience to Sony's new TVs, in the form of Android 5.0 Lollipop's "leanback UI". This is virtually identical to what you'll find on other Android TV devices like the Nexus Player, though Sony will be bringing its content portfolio to the platform through its Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services. What's more, Sony's "one flick entertainment" navigation bar, first introduced in 2014, will bring an additional scrolling bar into the mix, allowing quick selection of entertainment content.
Beyond that, Sony was keen to highlight Android TV's voice control and voice search capabilities, as well as Google Cast integration, which like the Chromecast streaming dongle allows smartphones to beam content from various online sources to TVs.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about some of these new TVs is their sheer thinness, measuring in at just 4.7mm at their thinnest point, the flagship X900C series are thinner than the company's Xperia Z3 smartphones, as you'll see in our photos below.
Reader comments
First look at Sony's 2015 Bravia TVs with Android TV
What's the point of measuring the thinnest part? It's not like I can put this in a 5mm deep pocket in a wall, so it's flush. The guts will still be at least an inch or so thick. I'm waiting for one of them to measure the little bit of the bezel that goes in front of the detachable feet as the thinnest part. Our tv is only 1mm thick at it's thinnest part!! They either get hung on a wall, in which case it doesn't really matter as long as they are less than 6" thick, or it will get set on a stand, then it doesn't matter as long as the feet, which are almost always 6 to 8 inches front to back, don't hang over the edges.
Sony starts with the best way, Love it.. but i also loving the SUHD TV with TIZEN by Samsung
Posted via the Android Central App
Looks like Sony heard AC during their last live podcast.
"the flagship X900C series are thinner than the company's Xperia Z3 smartphones, as you'll see in our photos below" - but that's a samsung phone in the picture!
I hope Google does something with the Nexus Player. They barely update it with new apps.
I bought a Bravia last year, and I have nothing but good things to say. I can cast YouTube to it from my phone or PC, Play PS3 games on it (via PSN) and it's updated software twice (bug fixes mostly) since I got it last summer. Good TV and on par price-wise to a dumb TV from Samsung. Oh, and the smart phone app remote is nice too.
Posted via Android Central App
If you still can't play non-divx or non-xvid files directly via an external HDD/USB... then Sony yet has to learn how not to be a control freak!
I had a Sony Bravia back in 2010 and it was crap... picked up a Samsung 6 Series in 2013 and it is awesome! I wouldn't want to buy a separate DVD player just to play other formats on my HDTV... too many remotes.
Good to see that this has chromecast integration.
I wanted to buy a Sony TV this year, I hope it doesn't get an overblown price.
Posted via Android Central App of an HTC One M7
I like that they used a Galaxy Alpha to compare thinness.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Tablet Z
"processing chip to enhance contrast, boost dynamic range and tune colors"
Please tell me that crap can be turned off. Don't these guys read AVSForum? Nobody who cares about home theater wants that stuff.
Yes, most likely. I can turn off XReality on my Z3C so I'm pretty sure you'll also be able to do so on the TV.
Posted via the Android Central App
Hmm...wonder where all those Sony TVs are with Google TV? Probably same place my Sony set top box is. Sony will never update these things and Google might just abandon the platform like they did with Google TV.
Agree. Interested to know if Google will update Android TV (ver M) or need to wait for Sony ?
Never understood the theory of stating a device's thickness based on its thinest point. These tvs are clearly over an inch thick and nothing wrong with that but to say they are athin as a smartphone is stupid and misleading.
That being said im all for Android TV and those that do not support it (Samsung and LG) sill not get my business. I cant stand proprietary systems and companies that try to force you to by buy only their devices.
Former Samsung S2, S3, S4 owner. Curreny LG G3 owner...
Wow... I don't know the last time I've actually been actively interested in a TV... Much less a smart TV. But damn, I want this.
Damn, that's sexy. While I usually don't care about smart televisions, I think having the built in casting integration is awesome
Hey team, what "powers" the Android TV side of things? will this be a serious contender as an integrated TV, media Player and android gaming system all in one?
any info on SOC, RAM, internal storage, LAN vrs WiFi?
I would also like to know if it will support the Android controller for passing games.
the Nexus player controller?
Sony declined to say.
That's not promising Alex. hmmm, set top box might still be needed :(
Give it to me. NOW!
My place or yours?
Am I the only one who doesn't care about smart TVs?
You aren't. I would rather them give me a better panel and more inputs than all this smart tv crap.
Everything you hook to a tv now has netflix etc.
I fully support the concept of Android TV on these simply because it will promote expansion of the platform; I will never buy one. I want my TV to be a glorified monitor, so I can upgrade the smart features when and how I see fit. For now, my Chromecast is enough; someday a Nexus Player would be fun, but my Blu-ray player does most of the remote-controlled job anyway.
I don't want 50 devices hooked to one TV that all try to hook to Netflix/etc... I want one device to do that job, the rest is excess. It gets extremely redundant and clumsy.
Posted via the AC App on my Nexus 6
That's actually a great idea.
I agree but you're not the average consumer (neither am I). The average person, you know the type that complains about any type of software update on anything because it might change where some random button is, just wants something that's easy and works. I prefer to buy my components based on need and features and piece them together myself, most people don't. Many people see more than one remote and start to look like a deer in headlights, smart TV's are for those people.
So what you're saying is Smart TVs are for dumb people.
I'm the kind of guy that stops a microwave at 1 second to feel like a bomb defuser.
I don't think I said that, I said that they're for people that want things simple which includes the vast majority of the population.
A Smart TV is only Smart for about 6 months. Then it's outdated.
I was hoping Android TV would fix that. I don't expect a TV manufacturer to ever update the "smarts" in the TV's they sell. But Google will. An Android TV will likely get regular updates.
I'd prefer an Android TV with a lot of memory and thousands of apps in the app store that make all the nonsense I have to hook into my TV now obsolete. A good Smart TV would replace my XBOX, PS4, Roku, Cable Box, DVD/Blu-Ray Player, DVR, and Chromecast.
In the absence of a truly "smart" TV I want a TV with a lot of inputs. But I would prefer to have a TV that doesn't need them.
Yehe i dont want any more devices that just a TV, some can do everything record etc.
Is just uggly watch tv and see like how many devices as possibol.
No, but it's a lot faster accessing Netflix or anything else using the built in apps than it is using a smart accessory... At least on mine it is.
Posted via the Android Central App
Assuming those claims are true does the extra 10 seconds it takes to boot up your Xbone, PS 4/3, Wii U, Blu Ray player really justify spending more $$$ on the smart feature of a TV?
That would depend on how much it's adding to the cost of the TV.
Smart TVs seem to cost $100-$200 more than a dumb that has similar specs
Posted via the Android Central App
Wait, when did they get the Wii U to boot in only 10 seconds?
Do you want me to time mine? I get mine to boot almost instantly. Loading the takes a little longer but it boots fairly fast.
Posted via the Android Central App
No, that's fine. I've just heard nothing but complaints, from day one, about how insane load time was on it. From what I understand, most of the "fixes" came in the form of being able to pick what you want to load via the controller so it loads it right away, saving some time after the long boot.
You are assuming everyone has a Xbone, PS4, Wii, BluRay players. Not everyone is a gamer and physical discs are so 2000s.
A Chromecast may be the solution for some people, but the Chromecast can't play high bitrates, it does not support subtitles properly (it supports only unpopular formats), and you need another device to control it and Chromecast support in the media you want to watch.
Everything integrated in the TV is actually a very clean solution, but unfortunately it is not yet optimal. Here in Germany I have Satellite TV, Terrestrial TV and Internet based TV (Zattoo, Filmon, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video) all in one device controlled with a single remote control.
What I think it is missing is tha the "Smart" component of the TV should be swapable. It should be a small box that can be docked into the TV, so every couple of years when you need more raw power you can just swap the smart-player and continue using the same TV.
Exactly, Havohej, you hit the point: the "Smart" component of the TV should be swapable. It should be a small box that can be docked into the TV, so every couple of years when you need more raw power you can just swap the smart-player and continue using the same TV.
if physical discs are so 2000s then how come gamestop is still in business?
Even I bought the physical copy of Dragon Age Inquisition for PC just because.
and then proceeded to download it through origin.
The only place where physical discs seem to be a thing of the past is on the PC.
It's alive and well on consoles which is what I listed.....
firestick > chromecast
I already have 4 consoles that do everything a smart TV does so to ME it's pointless since the consoles aren't going anywhere. Well maybe the Xbone since that a impulse buy.
I think he was referring to disc being 2000s in terms of technology and not based on popularity. While having discs are great for backups, today we should be in an age where we can rely on other terms of media (cloud based or not).
I agree it's a smart and clean solution. If done right, I had an option to buy my current TV with builtin 3D or Smart functionality. I opted for 3D because I don't think I would like the smart features. I already have devices connected to the TV that are smarter.
My friend currently got a beautiful brand new 50" Samsung LED with Smart features. And jesus christ is that thing slow and laggy. The interface is horrible and I doubt it will ever get updated. That's what I'm worried about with these smart TV's.
In the future the technology will get better, but atm I would stay away from smart tvs. I would however love to own one with Android TV as the UI. Now that I would actually use, then I could ditch the Chromecast and have a free HDMI port for another console, or whatever else.
I don't get it either. Give me big and dumb with lots of inputs. And thin. Who cares. Still gonna stick out from the wall 6 inches once it is mounted. It is hard enough to get OS updates for phones. I can only imagine the neglect manufacturers will have for TVs. Most TVs have a MUCH longer lifecycle than a phone.
Hmm good point
With Android TV, the updates will come directly from Google. That still does not guarantee that the latest update will not brick the TV. So I would prefer a plug in option.
You're not, I personally would rather have and do have a Nexus Player over a smart TV, for one I zero faith in any TV manufacturers providing timely updates to the software, or any updates at all honestly, plus when the hardware is outdated I want to be able to spend just $100 for a new Nexus Player type device, not $1-2K for a new TV.
Looks like a rip off of the LG TV design
Posted via my GOAT Note 4
A large rectangle with slim edges and feet to stand on? :P
Very funny. Go look them up fuccboi
Posted via my GOAT Note 4
You know you could just say fuckboy?
SONY RULES PERIOD ANDROID TV OR NOT SONY IS ALL ABOUT QUALITY FIRST