New material from Vincent at HDTVTest: BRAVIA 8 II vs A95L

A new video from Vincent Teoh has appeared on the HDTVTest YouTube channel, where for the first time we can see a direct comparison of HDR effect between last year's Sony A95L and the latest model, the Sony BRAVIA 8 II MK.2. For a fuller picture, a studio monitor has also been placed between these two TVs as a reference point against which image quality is compared in professional conditions.

BRAVIA 8 II MK.2 – significantly brighter image and more details

And this can be summarised in one sentence: it is brighter. The new BRAVIA 8 II can achieve about 25% higher peak brightness, which translates to clearly better visibility of details in shadows, greater intensity of lights, and a more dynamic image in HDR scenes, especially where differences in luminance are crucial.

Better detail reproduction and proximity to a reference monitor

The new Sony model handles not only bright parts of the image – in many scenes, the final effect really comes close to that of a reference monitor. Shots from "Pan" like the distant sun flare, for example, look clearer in the BRAVIA 8 II, better separating from the background and simply appearing more natural than in its predecessor.

This is also a clear step forward compared to last year's BRAVIA 8 (2024), whose tonal gradation was – let's agree – disappointingly average. In the new Sony model, it is evident that efforts have been made to refine the algorithms responsible for image processing.

Gradation of tonal transitions – Sony returns to the top

In his material, Vincent praises the fluidity of tonal transitions, which – as he emphasises – has returned to the highest level that Sony was known for over the years. It is these details, often unnoticed at first glance, but crucial to the overall perception that make the BRAVIA 8 MK.2 perceived as a more mature product.

Internet users comment: it’s not the equipment, but the content that makes a difference

Although the television itself looks very promising, as internet users rightly pointed out, most content simply doesn’t utilise its potential. The comments under the video are dominated by realistic voices, including one. User Mike-jm5wt summed it up:

“Maybe instead of better televisions, we just need better content?”

And there’s something to that. Because while the differences between models are noticeable in controlled conditions and on reference scenes, in everyday use – Netflix, YouTube, streaming platforms – the effects can be more subtle.

It’s also worth remembering that we’re talking about material from YouTube, and the platform itself employs strong compression, which significantly affects the quality of the image. Additionally, there are distortions resulting from the camera lens characteristics. Nonetheless, it’s hard to disagree with the opinion that better content would be genuinely welcomed – especially on streaming services that the vast majority of users today rely on.

Or could it be that the A95L was just so good it's hard to beat?

You can’t shake the feeling that maybe… it’s not the new model that made such a big leap, but rather that the A95L simply outpaced its time, setting the bar so high that the differences between generations aren’t as spectacular these days. And that’s why this test is so interesting – it shows that sometimes evolution can be more valuable than revolution.

Source: HDTVTest