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Gooood point. I’ll definitely stick with my Apple TV then.
To give you an idea, the processor in my 2020 Sony ‘Master Series’ 4K 48” OLED A9 TV benchmarks between Apple’s A7 and A8 processors on Geekbench. Granted, the Sony TV has a co-processor to handle 4K motion processing... but the gaming experience, for instance, is inferior to the current Apple TV 2K.
 
the sad thing I see on forums about the Apple TV service on Android TV is that the streaming bitrate it offers is reportedly way lower than when using an Apple TV device. Meaning, more compression artifacts. Has anybody here witnessed this first-hand?
 
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Ahead of CES 2021 next week, Sony has introduced new 4K OLED, 4K LED, and 8K LED smart TV models with support for HomeKit and AirPlay 2.

sony-tv-homekit.jpg

The new lineup includes the MASTER Series A90J with 55-inch, 65-inch, and 83-inch 4K OLED TVs, the X95J Series with 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch 4K LED TVs, the X92 Series with 50-inch to 100-inch 4K LED TVs, and the MASTER Series Z9J with 75-inch and 85-inch 8K LED TVs. Sony says pricing and availability will be announced in Spring 2021.

AirPlay‌ 2 support allows users to stream videos, music, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, and Mac to compatible Sony smart TVs, complete with lock screen controls. ‌HomeKit‌ support enables users to easily control the TVs using Siri voice commands or the Home app on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac. The features are also available on select 2018, 2019, and 2020 TV models sold by Sony, with a full list available on Apple's website.

All of the TVs announced this week feature Sony's artificial intelligence technology, known as the Cognitive Processor XR, for continuously optimized picture and sound quality. Other features and specs include Google TV support, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration, HDMI 2.1 compatibility, and more.

Article Link: CES 2021: Sony Unveils New 4K and 8K LED TVs With HomeKit and AirPlay 2
Is there any 8K content available?
 
Good idea. I should do that...

Does that mean you turn off wireless totally on your TV and just use your Apple TV boxes' wireless?

I just don’t connect my TV to my wifi network and use my Xbox to stream everything. Every once in a while, if I’m changing my wifi password, I’ll connect my TV prior to changing it to see if it has any software updates.
 
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The crap content is still crap, even at 8K.
Add in that the human eye cannot tell an 8K picture is any different for 4K. It is all a con job to get people to buy a new set since manufacturers make only a small profit on them.
 
Sony do make amazing tvs

A few years ago we had a fire in our flat and everything was destroyed apart from one item , a crt portable Sony tv

it was all melted but switched on first time !

ive bought only sony ever since
 
Thank you! How do you apply TV firmware updates?
you can go online, make the update, then disconnect again. I know some TV's can be updated via a file on USB.
Sony do make amazing tvs

A few years ago we had a fire in our flat and everything was destroyed apart from one item , a crt portable Sony tv

it was all melted but switched on first time !

ive bought only sony ever since

Unfortunately this is not the case. Company quality control vary from era to era and technology by technology. We live in an era where every product has planned obsolescence engineered by them. I do not know if Sony is still holding out on their quality but for sure Sony lost its place as a top tech. company, the spotlight is on LG and SamSung now. Sony is mostly the company that makes Playstation now.
 
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If these are truly HomeKit compatible, does that mean that if I have a HomeKit Secure Router that I can lock it down to not phone home? That could be awesome. As of now I turn off all “smart” features on TVs and just use an Apple TV box.

whats a homekit secure router?
 
Thats your opinion

I had a Samsung , it developed a fault in 3 days , went back , never again thx .

Only other tvs I buy are bang and Olufsen

Ive heard good things about LG though and they make the screens for bno so they can’t be that bad
 
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whats a homekit secure router?
It’s when you integrate a compatible router into your Home app. It allows you to lock down “smart” devices that you have, and restrict them to only be allowed to talk to each other on the network, instead of letting it phone home like it normally would try to do. Very very cool. I use the tri-band Linksys Velop mesh routers. Not a single problem with mine!

 
Just a warning to those counting on AirPlay and Sony TVs... In my very recent experience AirPlay Display does not work for MBAir (M1) and the Sony A8H OLED. It works great on the LG CX. Also, AirPlay from iPhones much more smooth on the LG CX vs the A8H.
 
My tech only knows 2 brands, Apple & Sony.

However, having said that (and having spent 2K$ in the last 60 days on Sony tech - TV X90H, PS5 and soundbar), I’m really dissapointed in 2020’s TV. Android is pure crap, it freezes, forgets channels, AirPlay is dead, sound cuts, etc. No, a firmware update did not solve the issues.

Anyway, I can’t do any other brand, simply because the image quality is second to none. I’ve had LG’s before and they were okay, but Sony was always the very best. I get away with the above issues by using the Apple TVs.

Thanks to Sony, one more reason to hate Android 🤖☠️
 
If I was in the market for a new TV, the Sony would definitely interest me.

However I find that 99% of the time these days we are watching streaming or live TV on one of our smaller devices, and the television in the living room is almost never being used.
 
My tech only knows 2 brands, Apple & Sony.

However, having said that (and having spent 2K$ in the last 60 days on Sony tech - TV X90H, PS5 and soundbar), I’m really dissapointed in 2020’s TV. Android is pure crap, it freezes, forgets channels, AirPlay is dead, sound cuts, etc. No, a firmware update did not solve the issues.

Anyway, I can’t do any other brand, simply because the image quality is second to none. I’ve had LG’s before and they were okay, but Sony was always the very best. I get away with the above issues by using the Apple TVs.

Thanks to Sony, one more reason to hate Android 🤖☠️
Sony uses Android for its TV software?☠️☠️☠️
 
It’s when you integrate a compatible router into your Home app. It allows you to lock down “smart” devices that you have, and restrict them to only be allowed to talk to each other on the network, instead of letting it phone home like it normally would try to do. Very very cool. I use the tri-band Linksys Velop mesh routers. Not a single problem with mine!


So they have their own private network of talking, they can't talk to the outside world and the outside world can't talk to them? Do I have to be at home or can I like be at work and turn the lights on? This works for all IoT devices or HomeKit enables ones only?
 
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So they have their own private network of talking, they can't talk to the outside world and the outside world can't talk to them? Do I have to be at home or can I like be at work and turn the lights on? This works for all IoT devices or HomeKit enables ones only?
They'll be able to talk to your home network and you will be able to remotely control them, but the devices themselves will not be able to talk outside your home network.

This also means the devices will not be able to receive firmware updates.
 
So they have their own private network of talking, they can't talk to the outside world and the outside world can't talk to them? Do I have to be at home or can I like be at work and turn the lights on? This works for all IoT devices or HomeKit enables ones only?
Exactly! It basically firewalls all of your HomeKit accessories into your local network so that they can’t talk to the outside network unless you allow them to. You can set granular settings too, for each individual lightbulb or camera if you wish.

I do believe it does need to be in your home app, so HomeKit yes not necessarily just an IoT device. Not sure if homebridge fixes that (that brings in non-HomeKit devices into HomeKit).

But yes it still allows you to remotely control and view your home just like before (if you have an Apple TV, iPad, or HomePod set up as a hub).
 
You're not gonna see a difference between 4k and 8k at that screen size. Even if you sit your eyes glued to the screen.
Of course I do.
People get the wrong impression about how to use a 40" screen.
It's THE SAME as when people have two 24" 1080p displays sie by side.
Just that you have another 2x 1080p on top.
At 43" 4k it's the same Pixel pitch as a 21.5" 1080p display. And you sit as close as you would to those. Hence... you use an unscaled 1:1 resolution that is non-retina. So you can totally see the difference.
LG'S 5k oder Apple's pro display, while smaller, have exactly twice the ppi, and it's immediately noticeable.
A 4k TV was just the cheaper option for me... with greater screen real estate.
 
Exactly! It basically firewalls all of your HomeKit accessories into your local network so that they can’t talk to the outside network unless you allow them to. You can set granular settings too, for each individual lightbulb or camera if you wish.

I do believe it does need to be in your home app, so HomeKit yes not necessarily just an IoT device. Not sure if homebridge fixes that (that brings in non-HomeKit devices into HomeKit).

But yes it still allows you to remotely control and view your home just like before (if you have an Apple TV, iPad, or HomePod set up as a hub).

Interesting, I would never have installed IoT in my home but this got me thinking. So it doesn't even see the other devices even on its own network? Unfortunately this has to be a router feature and so for seems only eero and 1 other supports it.

Such thing should be a standard like Bluetooth or PDF.
 
Interesting, I would never have installed IoT in my home but this got me thinking. So it doesn't even see the other devices even on its own network? Unfortunately this has to be a router feature and so for seems only eero and 1 other supports it.

Such thing should be a standard like Bluetooth or PDF.
Yeah I was reluctant to do it as well before I learned about HSRs. The HomeKit secure router would allow the devices to talk to each other on the local network, yeah, but not outside of the network unless you say it’s okay. But yeah I wish the compatibility was more widespread for sure! I’m sure it will grow in the next few years.
 
Was there 4K content available when 4K TVs came out?
When I got my 4K TV in 2014, yeah, there was. But I learned my lesson, after spending $1300 on a 4K TV, two years before HDR became standardize: freaking wait, lol.

also, my question wasn’t meant to be snarky. When 4K TVs came out, theatres were using 4K projectors, so you could connect the dots (QUANTUM DOTS!)

So, I’m gonna re-ask the question: is there currently any 8K content out there? Are there films shown in 8K in theatres (pre Covid, of course)? I’m genuinely interested.

But hey, maybe once 8K TVs come out, sports games will be broadcast in 4K!
 
When I got my 4K TV in 2014, yeah, there was. But I learned my lesson, after spending $1300 on a 4K TV, two years before HDR became standardize: freaking wait, lol.

also, my question wasn’t meant to be snarky. When 4K TVs came out, theatres were using 4K projectors, so you could connect the dots (QUANTUM DOTS!)

So, I’m gonna re-ask the question: is there currently any 8K content out there? Are there films shown in 8K in theatres (pre Covid, of course)? I’m genuinely interested.

But hey, maybe once 8K TVs come out, sports games will be broadcast in 4K!
No films AFAIK. A few pro and prosumer cameras can shoot 8K (e.g. the latest top of range Sony Alpha). NHK in Japan and the BBC are running tests for 8K broadcasting during the next Olympics, if they happen, like they did during the last few editions.
These 8k TVs are probably going to be superseded by better, cheaper, more future-proof models when standards become more prevalent, over the next 3 years.
 
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