Every new Sony TV released in the UK this year will support High Dynamic Range content, TrustedReviews has learned.
At a press event at Sony’s HQ in Weybridge, Surrey earlier today, Sony confirmed that High Dynamic Range (HDR) support would be a feature on all new Sony TVs for 2017. Importantly, this promise doesn’t just apply to 4K Ultra HD televisions, but standard HD TV sets too.
That means you won’t need to buy the expensive top-end TVs to benefit from the HDR found on PS4/PS4 Pro consoles, or from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon. The Full HD models don’t support the HDCP 2.2 specification, however, which rules out movies on 4K Blu-ray.
Ced Yuen, our home technology editor and resident TV reviewer, thinks it’s brilliant: “4K is great, but HDR is a more important and noticeable development in TVs. By separating HDR from expensive 4K TVs, it means more people will be able to benefit. It’s great that Sony has made the jump – I hope to see other non-4K HDR TVs from other manufacturers in the future.”
HDR is an increasingly requested feature on televisions, with many manufacturers now clamouring to make sure their TVs come equipped with the feature. When you watch HDR video on a TV, you’ll benefit from two things: (1) a wider range of lights and darks, and (2) a wider colour gamut, i.e. a bigger selection of colours that can be displayed.
But to view HDR, you need a few things. First, you need a television that can support HDR footage – there are several HDR standards, so it’s worth doing your research before buying a set. Then you’ll need to actually source some HDR content. For instance, Netflix already offers some HDR content, but it’s only available on a select number of shows.
In any case, Sony’s announcement is good news for consumers, as the more common a feature like HDR becomes, the less expensive it will be to buy a TV that offers it.
Related: Best TV 2017
Watch: TV Buying Guide
Do you own a HDR television? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
