Sony's 'True RGB' BRAVIA Innovations for Enhanced Immersion
I am YA from the Public Relations Department.
Sony's 'BRAVIA' televisions continue to evolve as products that deliver a cinema-like viewing experience from the comfort of your home. We have packed numerous technologies into the screen that form the core of the visual experience, such as color expression that
reproduces the picture quality intended by filmmakers and features that make dialogue and human voices easier to hear.
The 'True RGB' BRAVIA models announced on May 28, the 'BRAVIA 9 II' and 'BRAVIA 7 II', are models that embody this philosophy.
Sony Launches Two 'True RGB' BRAVIA (R) Models with Independent RGB Drive and Premium Home Theater System with Spatial Audio | News Release | Sony
Unlike standard backlights, by finely controlling R (red), G (green), and B (blue) light for each color, they achieve the widest color gamut in the history of Sony home televisions (*the range of colors a TV can express). This allows for the display of delicate hues and light gradations to the very corners of the large screen, delivering the visual expression envisioned by filmmakers more faithfully.
In this way, BRAVIA screens are condensed with technologies and insights that can be called the crystallization of Sony's many years of research and development.
This time, we will focus on what you can actually see in stores or at home—the 'outside of the screen'—and introduce the innovations that enhance immersion in movies, along with brief commentary from the product planning team.
We spoke with Washino-san, who is in charge of product planning for the 'BRAVIA 9 II', and Yoshimura-san, who is in charge of the inclusive remote control.
My job is to think about how to make people enjoy their TVs more and how to help them get lost in the world of video, while discussing and examining ideas with the design and marketing teams to bring them to life. While a TV is a product used daily, it is also a medium that connects the visual experiences that content creators want to deliver to customers. Based on this mindset, we sometimes exchange opinions with creators as we develop our products.
Since TVs are not just for entertainment but also serve as important daily sources of information like news, I worked on improving accessibility with the goal of making the product easy to use for all users. Listening directly to the voices of users with disabilities was a valuable opportunity to gain new insights that went beyond specific functional improvements and extended to the product as a whole.
A unique low-reflection film that preserves the filmmaker's intent and deepens immersion in the world of the movie
Have you ever been watching TV in your living room when a dark scene suddenly appears, and the reflection of lights, furniture, or your own shadow on the screen pulls you right back to reality?
The flagship 'BRAVIA 9 II' model uses Sony's proprietary low-reflection film to reduce reflections and glare (*excluding the 115-inch model).
Generally, when processing to suppress reflections, the entire screen can look whitish, or the depth of black and contrast can be weakened. The 'BRAVIA 9 II' low-reflection film is characterized by suppressing reflections while maintaining the depth of black and the contrast between light and dark in dark scenes.
The left half shows reflections of furniture and the outside view
According to Washino-san from product planning, in movie production, creators often check footage in dark rooms where no outside light reaches, finely adjusting brightness and how light hits objects.
How light appears is deeply related to the impression of characters, emotional expression, and even how the story is perceived. A single nuance in how light appears can make a character look unintentionally young or change the nuance of their expression.
Therefore, the goal was to deliver the original picture quality intended by filmmakers without being affected by external factors such as room lighting, sunlight, or human shadows, creating an experience where you can concentrate on the work just like in a movie theater, even in your living room.
A floating appearance that makes the image stand out
No matter how thin and minimalist a TV's design is, if cables enter your field of vision, it exudes a sense of everyday life. Furthermore, when you connect soundbars, game consoles, and other devices, the number of cables increases.
Therefore, to hide the cables and blend the TV into the living space, we developed the 'Mirage Stand', which enables an appearance as if the screen is floating, and used it for the 'BRAVIA 9 II' and 'BRAVIA 7 II' (*excluding the 'BRAVIA 9 II' 115-inch and 'BRAVIA 7 II' 98-inch models).
By suppressing the presence of the stand, you can face the image itself without your gaze being held by unnecessary elements.
That fineness is the key to the exquisite balance
Bringing the intensity of a movie theater's 'best seat' to your living room
Sony has championed the concept of "BIGGER IS BETTER", proposing a movie-viewing experience unique to large-screen TVs". With the new BRAVIA 9 II, we have launched the largest model in Sony's home TV history at 115 inches, delivering an experience that fills your field of vision like a movie theater on a screen over 100 inches.
Director Christopher Nolan, known for films like 'The Dark Knight' and 'TENET', has said,
when watching a movie in IMAX, he chooses a seat "a little behind the center line, right in the middle"
If the distance between the TV and the sofa is about 2 meters, the 115-inch large screen creates a sense of power that wraps around your field of vision, close to the 'best position' envisioned by film directors.
Ms. Washino says, "We want you to experience the picture quality we are so proud of in the largest possible size."
An evolved remote control that stays close to the user
While the TV itself continues to evolve, many may wonder, "Hasn't the TV remote control remained unchanged for a long time?"
Because viewing cultures differ by country and region, remote controls are optimized for each market.
Therefore, the overseas-spec remote control (excluding China) incorporates inclusive design methods, aiming to make the limited number of buttons easier to remember and easier to press. Since TV operation often relies on visual information, we held repeated discussions, primarily with visually impaired individuals, to evolve the remote into one that is easy for many people to use.
What is inclusive design? A method of gaining new insights and designing together by including and understanding diverse users. In this remote control development, we conducted repeated reviews while reflecting feedback obtained through discussions and prototype reviews with users who have various perspectives and needs.
For example, channel and volume buttons are designed to be easily distinguished by touch by varying their shape and tactile feel. We also pursued an easy-to-remember layout and shape by making the microphone button a rounded dome shape and the mute button a recessed shape. The mute button, which also serves as an accessibility shortcut for features like voice guidance, has been
made larger than before to improve responsiveness in sudden situations. Furthermore, we reviewed the
shape and spacing of each button and applied an anti-slip finish to the back to improve grip during operation, ensuring it is easy to press without applying excessive force.
The mute button can be long-pressed to turn on the voice guidance feature.
Listening to the various comments received during the prototype verification process, I realized that it is important not to change to a brand-new design, but to enhance usability while maintaining a familiar design. Also, there was feedback that it is easy to use even when the room is dark, which is a common culture when watching movies, especially in the West, and I realized that it is a useful design for more people regardless of differences in visual needs.
※ The photo shows a remote control for the European market.
For more detailed information on the various technologies housed 'inside' the screen, please be sure to check the product page.
■ Information on exhibitions and events at Sony Stores nationwide
I have reaffirmed that in addition to picture and sound quality, various features "outside" the screen support a rich movie experience at home!