Sony’s new Bravia TVs are slimmer than an Xperia and as smart as an Android

By AJ Dellinger January 6, 2015

Sony Android TV Google Assistant — Image used with permission by copyright holder

CES is the time of year when televisions get more pixels, more inches, and sometimes more curves to their screens. For Sony’s line of 2015 Bravia-branded TVs, they’re getting smarter, too.

Sony announced that its new lineup of screens runs on Android TV, the operating system powered by Google. The company is apparently undeterred by its experiences with the Google TV experiment and has adopted the new OS as the guiding interface on its 4K displays.

The Bravia TVs will be available in 55-, 65-, and 75-inch models, and are an impressively thin 4.9mm thick – that’s thinner than an Xperia smartphone.

Sony-Android-TV-smarter-2 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

All models of the screens will be powered by Android TV. The OS brings native support for Google Cast, making it possible to instantly stream content from the Google Play store and from other screens like your phone or tablet. Android devices also become remotes for Android TV-powered displays, meaning the Sony offerings can be controlled from a Google Wear device. It also supports voice search and commands.

Greg Rogers from Netflix joined Sony Electronics USA COO Mike Fasulo on stage during Sony’s CES press conference to announce that the new line of Sony screens would be Netflix Recommended TVs, part of a new initiative by the streaming service to certify smart TVs.

Sony also announced that the Bravia TVs would support high-dynamic-range (HDR) imaging, and that HDR content from Netflix would be available later this year.

In addition to support for Netflix, Sony also announced partnerships with Amazon, Video Unlimited, and YouTube, so content from a range of providers will be available on the TVs.

The new Sony Bravia systems are expected to be on sale during the spring of 2015.

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AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…

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