Should you spend more for a Sony TV? Why Sony TVs cost more

Though the premium Sony charges for its TVs has come down a little recently, Sony still tends to charge a little extra. Why does Sony charge more for its TVs, and are they worth the added cost over competing TVs from LG, Samsung, and others?

00:00 Intro
01:38 Sony TV's move into "Premium"
03:51 How Sony stacks up today
05:56 Can Sony still justify the premium price?

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#Sony #TV #WhySonyTVscostmore #Explained #SonyA95K #SonyX95K #SonyZ9K #SonyA80K #LGC2 #SamsungS95B #SamsungQN900B #SonyTax #HomeTheater #DigitalTrends

[AJdarkfire]

I'm a Repair Agent and I generally work on some Sony TV's once in awhile. Whenever I'm needing to service a Sony TV, Sony is the only brand that provides a step by step triage system, puts everything step by step in the most simplistic format, and retrieves all the parts I'll need depending on issues with their particular TV I'm dealing with. No hunting for parts online, google, parts store, etc.. That is some quality stuff right there. They also utilize these triages to see what kind of issues they have with their TV's so they can use that to improve their products every year.

[miguelalbarracin]

I love Sony TVs because they have the most natural color profiles. I know this can be adjusted on other tvs, but something about Sony looks so cinematic and natural.

[terrowsnap]

I bought my first Sony a “Trinitron” in 1975. The Sony tax was real high then. I have purchased Sony’s since then with other brands mixed in. I still prefer Sony.

[Beamber]

Out of the box color accuracy is worth it for me personally. I’ve gotten used to Sony TVs looking more accurate than other TV brands owned by friends and family. You’d be surprised how how much more sophisticated your eyes get after extended exposure.

[mutedmutiny]

I will always be happy to pay more for Sony, they have the quality, reputation and tradition to warrant it. Not only that but they are still a design driven company and their industrial design aesthetic is second to none - in fact they were one of the few companies that Steve Jobs looked to as inspiration as far as what he wanted apple to be like, and he was a huge fan of their consumer electronics.

[Caleb_Denison]

Hey everyone. I misspoke twice on the same bullet point. It’s Sony X95K vs. Samsung QN95B (not S90B), and the margin of up charge is less expensive, but the Sony is still more. At 65-inches, the premium is $200 for the Sony — it reinforces my overall point, but the sun-hed was misspoken and I apologize for the error!

[myvolvoforlife]

Bought my parents a 55" Z9D. Still amazes me how bright that TV is even today! Was definitely the best TV on the market when it came out!

[ChucklesMcChuckleson]

The thing about Sony is that, when the sales finally kick in, it's usually worth it as those MSRPs get much closer - especially if you can find a nice condition open box to carve even more off the price. And like this video says, Sony is now producing offerings that are competitively priced.

[Bryan-gign]

Bought a sony tv way back in 2013, still working, used it everyday. For 8 hrs. Really a solid tech. Bought a sony phone way back in 2017 still working. The brand is the most reliable ive seen just like toyota.

[vaxick]

Quality control always leads me back to Sony. Replaced my 8-year-old bedroom Sony LCD recently and decided to try Hisense based upon reviews. Was disappointed with the image processing and even more disappointed in the quality of the panel. Replaced it with a Sony X85J and had a much more pleasurable experience all around. I most certainly could have gotten more for my money with a Chinese brand, such as local dimming, which this television lacks, but the peace of mind of having a set that will be as dependable as the set it's replacing is worth it for me. I'm considering doing the same when I replace my living room TV, as every LG OLED I've tried has had a tint on one side of the display. As I sit off angle in there, it was just too distracting to live with.

[extracurricular]

I have a Sony Bravia from 2011 and it still works really well now in the spare bedroom. No lag, audio and picture quality is good. I attach a chrome cast to it and it feels just like a brand new tv. I have a newer one in the living room, which has been a joy to watch 4K movies on and honestly am still amazed at how well the old one has held up.

[vincentfox]

My old sony tv is still going strong after 15 years. Best brand.

[tjhrulz]

Absolutely agree with your point of the Sony tax being less of a thing this year compared to the other "premium" brands with the exception of their flagship sets. Also I would even add Sony has had really good sales this year on the J series as well, while they started a little higher MSRP ever since the beginning of 2022 they have been rock solid on sales that are very competitive, so I will highlight some of their 65in pricing since it is what I am most familiar with off the top of my head over time.

Getting into say a entry 4K 120 set like the X85j and you look it it's equivalent Samsung and its usually $100 more, and LG didn't do a basic 4K 120 this year in the US (Except I think they did a limited run costco special that I would probably avoid).

Want entry level FALD? Sony X90J has usually only been like $50-$100 more than the Q80A, and for a bit was cheaper until Samsung realized how stupid they were being and reacted. For that little extra you are while none of the over saturation Samsung is known for as well as a VA panel so better dark room performance at the cost of some view angles. LG Nano 90 is typically closer to $100-$200 but lacks the brightness of the other sets

Overall I was really happy with Sony's lineup and I feel that most of my tweaks I would have said they should make they have made (Although since they have not announced it in all sizes could the A90K be a little closer to the G2? Would be great if it was only a couple hundred dollars more and then you could just say well it is the cost difference of a good soundbar and it has better sound so it being more is moot for many customers)

[starman]

My Sony LCD tv lasted 10 years, I had to give it away instead of waiting for it to breakdown. My new Sony tv is already 2 years old now and not a single issue with it. It looks and works great for the price however it is the peace of mind which is immeasureable to me.

[busht]

Really great take on this topic Caleb. I am a life long Sony owner. Started my journey in the late 90's with a 40" Trinitron Vega. I think the stiff competition has yielded better products from all brands to be sure. One major event cemented my path with Sony. In the early 2000's I had a rear projection 1080p Sony that went all green (something with the color wheel...idk), and I contacted Sony even though it was out of warranty. Well, someone somewhere thought my business was worth it cause they shipped me a then new HX series LCD from their back stock but UN-OPENED and all I paid was my state tax on the MSRP of the TV. (Guess it was good I registered all my purchases LOL) Anyway...I am a purist in terms of image quality. I have mountains of 4k discs and enjoy the best the format has to offer. I am currently rocking an X950G in the 75" range but am swooning over the X95K. Cheers to Sony for still making great products.

[stopthefomo]

Gladly paying the Sony tax since 1990 (or rather my parents did LOL)

[kor]

For someone that was hesitant between LG and Sony. I was concerned about burn in and thought let me get something that gives me a cinematic experience. I have the X90J and I love it. I do know that Sony take their sweet time using new features while the rest have done it long ago. I plan on getting an OLED (C2) for gaming and stick with Sony for cinema and sports. You do get high quality with Sony.

[sarinc]

I am using Sony KlV32V550 , its picture and sound quality is top notch even today without any subwoofers etc. Its a 32 inch LCD TV bought in 2010. yes compared to the bigger screens nowdays only - is the 32 inch size other than no issues at all.

[tanker]

My Sony 1080p KDL-40XBR3 was $3, 000 in 2006 and is still working strong today with zero issues. As far as I'm concerned the quality has always been there and I've seen many other brands just die out after a few years.

I only recently replaced it because I wanted to go 4k and OLED, but the old TV still worked fine and had 9 inputs including at least 3 HDMI.

[craigosterberg]

Some people like Hondas, some like Fords others Electric cars. If you like Sony, Lg, Samsung go for your choice. I like the competition between these companies.