Hi, I’m Carl from Abt and in this video, I’ll be giving you a closer look at the Sony Z9K series 8K
mini LED TV. This is one of Sony’s flagship models for 2022 and gets all the best of what they offer,
and it shows. If you’re watching this on YouTube, be sure to click the link in the description after
the video to see our latest pricing or to get in contact with one of our experts for help.
The design of the Z9K is similar to what we’ve seen on the Z series in the past. There’s a thin
metal bezel surrounding the edges and the rest is pretty much all screen, and the pedestal can be
arranged in three different positions. There’s low profile for wide and narrow entertainment stands,
and there’s a wide setup that can accommodate a soundbar. Another thing you’ll notice right away
that is similar to previous generations is the weight, it’s very heavy. It’s a little awkward to
grip too so be mindful of your fingers, make sure you have at least one other person present to help
you, and most importantly, follow the instructions for attaching the pedestal the proper way.
When it comes to connections, the Z9K has bluetooth and wifi for wireless,
an IR input, a mini plug analog that doubles as an s center speaker in, 2 USB ports, one on the
side and one on the bottom, ethernet, optical, rs232c an antenna input with an ATSC 3.0 tuner,
binding posts to use the TV as a center channel in a surround system, and 4 HDMIs which I’ll go
through one by one. Number 1 is a standard HDMI that can handle up to 4K at 60 hertz,
number 2 can handle 4k at 120 hertz, variable refresh rates and auto low latency mode, number 3
can do all the same as number 2 plus it’s where you’ll find your enhanced audio return channel,
and number 4 can handle up to 8k at 60 hertz, meaning it’ll do 4k at 120 as well,
but it is NOT compatible with variable refresh rates or auto low latency mode. So remember,
if you’re using a next gen gaming system, be sure to plug it into numbers 2 or 3
The Z9K also comes with a couple accessories you’re not gonna find on all the new Sony TVs.
It gets the new premium remote which is backlit and comes with a finder feature. So if one of your
kids hides it between the couch cushions next to their half eaten pop tart, you can just ask
the TV to locate the remote and it’ll play a tone to help you find it. The other is the Bravia Cam,
which attaches magnetically to the top of the TV and allows you to make video calls. It’s supposed
to get a firmware update at some point that will activate the Ambient Optimisation Pro feature,
which optimizes the picture and sound based on where you’re sitting and the ambient light
in the room, but as of the filming of this video that update hasn’t gone through yet.
As far as audio goes, the sound on the Z9K is some of the best you’ll get out of a stock TV system.
It’s got 4 subwoofers, 2 mid range drivers, and 4 tweeters all powered by a total of 85 watts,
and it uses Sony’s Acoustic Multi Audio technology to bring everything together.
Voices come through clearly and you get a lot of detail in the mid range as well,
and you CAN feel the bass, although it’s not the same as having a separate sub. Now,
with all this being said, if you’re adding this TV to your home theater, you’ll wanna do yourself
a favor and add a better audio system, whether it’s something simple like the HTA7000 soundbar,
or a full blown Atmos surround setup, this picture is so good that it needs audio to match.
Which brings us to the picture, which is incredible. And I’ll just get this out of
the way right off the top, yes, there is some light blooming, but that’s going to be the case
with any LED backlit TV, and it’s not bad at all on this one. It uses mini LEDs, which help keep
the blooming in check, and the local dimming works really well. The colors are beautiful right out of
the box and the black levels are incredibly deep which makes for an excellent viewing experience.
The black levels may not be quite to the levels of an OLED, but what this has over any OLED on the
market is brightness. This gets extremely bright. When you’re watching a scene with the sun shining,
you feel like you’re sitting outside. It’s truly incredible.
For HDR, the X9K can do HDR10, HLG and DolbyVision, and because of how well
this handles contrast you get a ton of detail in the bright and dark areas of every scene.
You also get several picture presets to choose from like IMAX enhanced,
Dolby Vision bright and dark, and Netflix calibrated, or
you can get more detailed and make individual adjustments to the different picture aspects,
although you really don’t have to, this picture is that good right out of the box.
Motion looks natural whether you’re watching sports, a movie, or just a random youtube video.
And it’s a great TV for gaming with any next gen system like X Box series X, playstation
5 or even gaming PCs. One thing to mention though, as of the filming of this video the Z9K
is only compatible with FreeSync, not G-Sync. That may change in the future,
but right now it’s just FreeSync if you want to take advantage of those variable refresh rates.
The Z9K works great in dark or bright rooms with its X-Anti reflection coating too.The sun
shining through a window or a light in the room aren’t gonna be a big deal as it does
a great job dulling them down, and the picture gets so bright that it doesn’t get washed out.
This really is one of those TVs that needs to be seen in person to fully
comprehend how good the picture is. If you live in the Chicagoland area,
we have it on display on our sales floor to check out so be sure to stop by.
For the operating system the Z9K uses Google TV which is really simple to use and gives you
access to a ton of apps through the Google Play store so you’ll likely never run out
of content to watch. It’s compatible with google assistant, Apple Airplay and homekit,
and if you download the Google Duo app you can use the bravia cam to make video calls.
Sony’s flagship TVs always impress, and this one is no different. The only real negatives are the
available sizes and the price. It’s only available in 75 or 85 inches, and this is a top end TV that
requires a Top end budget. However, if you like the idea of the Z9K but don’t need an 8K picture,
you may want to check out the X95K series. The resolution drops to 4K,
but you still get the mini LED backlights and the picture quality is excellent on that one too.
If you need any help finding a TV to fit your budget, or have any questions on this one,
be sure to contact the experts at Abt. We’re here 7 days a week and can be reached by phone,
email, or online chat if you can’t make it into the store. Thanks as always for
watching, and we’ll see you in the next one.