In a crowded market for QLEDs, Sony’s Bravia 7 doesn’t do too much to stand out.
Still, its bright, beautiful display makes watching colorful films a real treat with some excellent HDR.
The Bravia 7, on the other hand, is your bread and butter 4K QLED TV.
The Bravia 7 sports some great picture quality, even if it doesn’t quite meet the standards of its much more expensive big brother, the Bravia 9.Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
Sonys push for mini-LED is subtle and overt throughout the latest Bravia line.
Thats something we reviewers are more keen to point out, but Sony positioned its TVs similarly.
No, not quite.
Can it match up to QD-OLED?
It makes a really solid attempt, though.
The blacks are very close to ink-deep.
An already dark movie like the horrendousMadame Webmight only feel a little extra muddy.
It doesnt play as nicely with non-Sony gaming products as with PlayStation.
I rocked and quaked the TV, but everything seemed solid.
Youll first notice that while there are 4 HDMI ports, only one supports 4K at 120 Hz eARC/ARC.
Thats annoying if you have multiple game consoles or players that support high refresh rates at 4K.
The plug in the box wasnt nearly long enough to reach the outlet.
Getting a good picture quality going is another story.
The Picture & Sound menu.
After that, I realized my picture was dipping in brightness and graininess.
The Sony Bravia 7 isnt as high-flying as the amazingly bold claims made about the Bravia 9.
Its not quite a match for the best OLED screens, but it still has some excellent contrast.
This TV likes it when you use other Sony products with it,like a PlayStation 5. you’re free to also directly see your current resolution and refresh rates.
Its probably not the most important thing for most people, but its handy to know its there.
Thats with the Black Equalizer in the Game Menu turned off and on the Standard mode for visuals.
FPS mode greatly increases overall brightness but blooms the color to a cartoonish degree.
What youll also find is that the viewing angle on the Bravia 7 isnt too great.
Take a few steps out of line, and the picture looks washed out.
I was only 30 to 40 degrees off-center before seeing a dip in image quality.
Another big issue that becomes apparent quite quickly is how reflective the screen can be.
Theres a good deal of glare during some daytime viewing or whenever any lights shine nearby.
So this TV wants you to be in perfect viewing conditions; otherwise, it will falter.
Still, Ive seen it done better on cheaper televisions than the Bravia 7.
The base speakers on Sonys TV are nothing to write home about.
That doesnt mean you shouldnt shop and perhaps find the best deal.
Just dont expect to reach flagship heights on whats still an upper-mid-range TV.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
PS5 and Xbox gamers are out of luck… for now.
