CES 2016

For Sony’s CES exhibit, the company put the focus on its proprietary TV technology, rather than trot out an extended lineup of 2016 models. The model it used for the demos, which encompassed its new Slim Backlight Drive, 4K Processor X1, and X-tended Dynamic Range PRO, was the XBR X930D.

Available in early 2016 at a price TBA, the XBR X930D will come in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes and sport a “4K HDR” logo. The Slim Backlight Drive uses “grid array local dimming backlighting” to selectively enhance contrast in specific picture zones. When I asked if the technology was similar to edge-lit LED backlighting variations, I was told that Sony wouldn’t be discussing that detail. One thing was for sure, the X930Ds on display did show excellent contrast with HDR content. Also, they were thinner than the company’s 2015 models.

Elsewhere in the booth, Sony displayed its 75-inch X940D Series model on a rotating table. That 4K HDR set will have a full array backlight when it ships in early 2016.