Sony just announced its new 2025 TV lineup with just three new TVs. It's the Bravia 8 II that's got everyone excited, largely because it's a major step up from last year's Bravia 8 OLED TV, but the Sony Bravia 5 is a great new mid-range offering.
Where Samsung and LG have gone for the use of catchy buzzwords like AI-upscaled pictures, Sony's letting its new TV's performance do all the talking.
It's totally refreshing at a time where it feels like you can't go more than five minutes without hearing about how AI is going to change the world. These new sets might well be some of the best TVs this year, and it all starts with Sony's disregard for extraneous features and its emphasis on cinematic presentation.
Unfortunately, with tariffs looming large on the horizon, these beautiful new screens could also be Sony's priciest yet.
Sony's focus on picture performance above all else
I've spoken ad nauseum about my love for Japanese culture across a variety of verticals here at Tom's Guide. So it's no surprise that when the phrase "kando" came up in relation to Sony's newest TVs, I was instantly gratified.
Like many Japanese phrases and concepts, kando (感動) doesn't have a direct English translation. Instead, it's best understood as a sort of feeling, a deep satisfaction one receives in the pleasures of experiencing art, music, or (in this case) movies and shows.
As a Sony spokesperson tells me in an email correspondence, "We want the feeling creators get when making their content to be felt through the screen." In other words, when watching a movie you should literally see and feel exactly what the director sees and feels in creating their art.
"We want the feeling creators get when making their content to be felt through the screen."
Sony spokesperson
It's a fascinating perspective, one that rings true on Sony's designs. Take the Bravia 8 II as evidence, with our own Kate Kozuch explaining in her hands-on a similar experience I had at the event held in NYC:
"When I viewed a high dynamic range sunrise scene compared to Sony’s reference monitor, I noticed a significant difference in quality compared to some other competitor OLED TVs from last year. Instead of the usual clipped highlights, I could see a well-defined sun with smooth color transitions and more refined details."
We'll have to wait until we get them in for testing to see how they stack up against both LG and Samsung's offerings, but the prospects already look phenomenal.
AI comes built-in, but it's not the focus
A major focal point for several TV makers this year is AI. For its 2025 TV lineup, Samsung's pushing especially hard on the technology and you'll likely see it on the side of TV boxes as "Samsung Vision AI".
And Samsung's not alone: LG is also touting AI on the C5 OLED TV. I got a close look at LG's refreshed C-Series TV during a press event at its North American HQ in New Jersey, and much of the conversation was relegated to its new 4K upscaling chops.
It's not too surprising that companies are keen to talk AI, it's the bleeding edge of technology right now and it's the kind of thing investors love to hear about. Heck, even I think Samsung's 2025 TVs will change how you feel about AI in the living room. But it won't serve every end-user with major benefits, least of all your everyday TV watcher.
It's not emphasizing any AI-related software, upscaling, or the like — it's simply about Sony making the best screens to watch movies and shows on.
Sony, on the other hand, has skirted around this. It's not emphasizing any AI-related software, upscaling, or the like. At an event held in NYC, I got to see its new TVs in person and one of the major focuses wasn't features, nits, or AI — it was simply about Sony making the best screens to watch movies and shows on.
Sure, the new Bravia 8 II OLED TV has some AI baked into it, and the one thing Sony did touch on was a new AI scene-recognition system that amplifies picture performance in accordance with the type of content you're viewing, enhancing contrasts, colors, and more.
That's basically the only major AI feature Sony wanted highlighted and it goes to show that its TVs don't need a ton of software to make them stand out.
But will they be affordable? Not likely...
We got tentative pricing on the Bravia 8 II earlier this week — and it'll run you $3,499 for the 55-inch version — but that price could get even higher once tariffs settle in.
That's a hard sell in a market that's flooded with value options, and with last year's top Samsung and LG models selling for half that amount, it could be a tough sell for Sony.
The Bravia 5 doesn't fare any better, starting at a whopping $1,699 at 55-inch. Set against the myriad of alternatives in the best budget TVs from the likes of Hisense and TCL, this comes at a stark premium even with its dedication to the creator's intent.
I'm wildly impressed with Sony's 2025 lineup and its focus on pure performance. Sadly, at these prices, I'm not sure many others will get to appreciate them.
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