Sony has entered the RGB LED TV market with its Bravia 7 II, a model that aims to bridge the gap between traditional LCD and OLED displays. While the technology is still new, the Bravia 7 II proves that RGB LED TVs are capable of serious performance, offering high brightness and vivid colors that rival premium OLEDs in many respects.
The Technology Behind RGB LED
RGB LED TVs use red, green, and blue LEDs as their backlight source, rather than the all-blue or white LEDs common in conventional LED TVs. This allows for more precise color control, as each LED can be individually driven to produce a mix of colors. The Bravia 7 II leverages Sony’s advanced processing to manage the backlight zones, reducing the need for heavy reliance on the color filter. This results in wider color gamuts and higher brightness levels.
One of the main concerns with RGB LED technology is color crosstalk, where light from one color bleeds into adjacent pixels. In the Bravia 7 II, this is largely mitigated by Sony’s processing. In test patterns, some crosstalk is visible—such as a green rectangle creating a subtle halo—but during normal viewing of movies and TV shows, it is almost imperceptible. The effect only appears in extreme scenarios, like app tiles on an Apple TV, where blue or red emblems slightly tint nearby white text. However, in content like The Last Jedi or Mad Max: Fury Road, the crosstalk is nonexistent.
Performance and Picture Quality
The Bravia 7 II measures an impressive 88 percent of the BT.2020 color space, a significant achievement for an LCD-based TV. This translates to rich, saturated colors in content that supports wide color gamuts, such as Planet Earth II. The green jungles of Ecuador look lush, and the shimmering blues and cyans of hummingbirds pop off the screen. However, the majority of current HDR content is mastered in the smaller P3 color space, so the full potential of BT.2020 is rarely realized.
In terms of brightness, the TV reaches 2,200 nits peak, which is more than enough for most living rooms, even those with some ambient light. While it doesn’t match the extreme brightness of TCL X11L or the LG G5 OLED, it provides excellent specular highlights and HDR impact. The Professional picture mode delivers accurate colors and grayscale in SDR, though reds are slightly oversaturated and light grays in HDR are a touch brighter than reference. These minor inaccuracies are not distracting during normal viewing.
Bloom control is another strong point. Despite being an LCD, the Bravia 7 II handles blooming well, though it cannot match the pixel-level contrast of OLED. In dark scenes, the backlight zones work effectively to keep blacks deep, though some blooming is visible around bright objects against black backgrounds. The inclusion of a mode that switches the backlight from color to white light reduces color gamut coverage to 73 percent of BT.2020 and 91 percent of P3, but it eliminates any residual crosstalk for those who are particularly sensitive.
Design and Features
One of the most innovative design elements is the pedestal stand, which incorporates a lenticular screen. When cables are routed behind the TV, the lenticular effect hides them from view while preserving a transparent look. This is a clever solution to cable management. The remote is lightweight and battery-powered, but it lacks a backlight, which can be inconvenient in dark rooms.
A notable drawback is the limited number of HDMI 2.1 ports. The Bravia 7 II offers only two HDMI inputs that support 4K at 120Hz, with one of those shared with the eARC port. This is a step behind competitors like Hisense and Samsung, which now include full HDMI 2.1 support on all four ports. For users with multiple game consoles or a PC and a soundbar, this can be a limitation. Additionally, the screen is quite reflective; while it doesn’t produce the rainbow effect seen on some TCL or Hisense TVs, it does not mitigate reflections well. For rooms with overhead lights, the Bravia 9 II with its anti-glare panel is a better choice, albeit significantly more expensive.
Price and Competition
At $2,600 for the 65-inch model, the Bravia 7 II is priced about $500 to $600 higher than comparable RGB LED TVs from Hisense and Samsung. However, Sony’s superior processing and color accuracy justify the premium for buyers who prioritize picture quality. The Hisense UR9, for instance, initially launched higher but was later discounted, and while it offers similar brightness, it falls short in color accuracy and motion handling.
The TV is available in sizes from 50 to 98 inches, with pricing varying by size. For those who can control their room lighting, an OLED like the LG C series may still be preferable for its perfect blacks and infinite contrast. But the Bravia 7 II makes a strong case for RGB LED technology, especially in bright rooms where OLEDs struggle with reflections and brightness.
As the first wave of RGB LED TVs mature, the Bravia 7 II demonstrates that this technology can deliver impressive real-world performance. Color crosstalk, a theoretical concern, proves to be a non-issue with Sony’s processing. While the reflective screen and limited HDMI 2.1 are drawbacks, the overall picture quality is excellent, making it a compelling option for home theater enthusiasts who want high brightness and wide color gamut without moving to OLED.
Source: The Verge News