Experience Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV: Unbox stunning visuals, immersive sound & smart features in our review. Upgrade your viewing for 2024.
The new Sony A80L 65 Inch OLED TV was first introduced by Sony in 2023 and is one of Sonys newer OLED TVs. It boasts a range of impressive features at a more affordable price than some of Sonys previous OLED models. This is our Unboxing and Review of Sonys A80L OLED TV. This TV was purchased by us and this is our own genuine review of it as an average TV consumer and viewer. Sony has also just announced the new Bravia 8 OLED TV for 2024 which doesn't appear too different from the A80L. 
Unboxing the Sony A80L 65 Inch OLED TV:
The Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV arrived in a large brown cardboard box with simple Sony branding printed on it. The box was packaged well, ensuring that the contents were well protected during transit.
Removing the top part of the box as per the instructions, we couldn't help but admire the slim and elegant design of the TV through the plastic wrap. There were instructions on how to install the feet while the TV was still in it's packing. This was really a two person job to ensure the TV didn't topple over while the feet were installed. The feet are metal and look to be high quality and sturdy.
Once the two feet were installed the TV was lifted up onto the entertainment unit and switched on. As we live in an earthquake zone, we also screwed on the plastic securing strap to both the TV and entertainment unit This should also prevent the TV toppling if someone accidently knocks or pushes it.
First Impressions of the Sony A80L 65 Inch OLED TV:
Turning on the Sony A80L OLED TV for the first time we were greeted with the Android TV setup experience. We connected it to our existing Google account and eventually the home screen loaded as shown below. Visibly the bezels are very thin, giving the TV a modern and sophisticated look that would complement any living space. The 65-inch screen immediately captivated us with its stunning clarity, vibrant colors, deep blacks and it was a truly immersive experience.. The OLED technology is able to deliver a picture quality that makes every scene come to life with incredible detail.
The Dolby Vision and HDR10 support further enhance the viewing experience, ensuring that you get the most out of your favorite movies and TV shows. Whether you're watching a blockbuster action movie or a nature documentary, the picture quality is excellent.
The remote control is very small, and Sony have decided to remove the number buttons from the remote to make it smaller. This means that if you are watching conventional TV such as UHF Freeview TV, or using the official Freeview app, you can no longer simply type in the channel number and go to that channel. You are instead forced to use the channel up and down buttons, which could be a pain for many Freeview viewers.
The back of the TV is very simple and most of the connectors and cables can be covered up by a removable panel. This means that the TV could be put in the middle of a room, and it will still look good from the back as shown below.
Why did we buy a Sony OLED TV, instead of a Sony LED TV with Full Array Mini LED backlighting?
The main reason we purchased an OLED instead of a LED /QLED TV was for the deeper blacks and more intense colours. OLED TVs have the benefit that only the pixels that need to produce colour and light, are illuminated. Unlike Full Array LEDs which use LED lights behind an LCD panel layer to illuminate a block of pixels. So LED backlighting can create halo effects around a bright object on a black background. The viewing angles on LEDs are also often not as good as they are with OLED TVs.
However the downsides with OLED screens is that they are traditionally not as bright as LED TVs, so may not be as good in rooms with a lot of light. They also can suffer from screen burn-in effects if you don't follow the instructions on how to avoid this.
OLED TVs have decreased a lot in price in recent years, and there wasn't much of a price difference between the two different panel technologies for this size of TV screen.
We did notice that there were more reflections with this TV than our previous LED TV which had a special anti reflective coating. Sony do also have their higher priced QD OLED A95L models, which Sony says 'Reduces the effects of glare and reflection from daylight and room light so you can see images clearly in even dark scenes'. So we would suggest that model if reflections could be a problem for you.
Sound Quality on the Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV:
While the Sony A80L OLED TV offers impressive visual performance, it also delivers exceptional audio quality. The Acoustic Surface Audio technology produces immersive sound by vibrating the screen itself to produce sounds. The result is clear dialogue, rich bass, and an overall immersive audio experience that enhances every viewing session.
Smart Features and Apps on theSony A80L 65-inch OLED TV:
In addition to its stunning picture and sound quality, the Sony A80L OLED TV comes equipped with a range of smart features that elevate the viewing experience. The Android TV platform provides access to a wide variety of streaming apps, allowing you to enjoy your favorite content with ease.
This TV also has access to the official New Zealand Freeview app, so you can watch most streaming Freeview TV channels over your broadband connection without needing a UHF aerial. Other popular apps such as TVNZ, Three Now, Netflix, Apple TV, YouTube etc, can all be downloaded and installed from Sonys built in Android TV interface. We are solely using this TV with Android TV, so all content will be streaming over our broadband connection. So having a good built in Android TV was very important to us. But a third party streaming box, such as a Fire TV 4K , an Apple TV, or Google Chromecast TV can also be plugged into it.
We did notice that there were occasions where some apps did lock up during use, and it caused the TV to become slow and unresponsive. This has occurred on the TVNZ, Netflix and Bravia Core apps while we were using it. So we are not sure if a future Sony firmware update will fix this. This is the only negative we have found with this TV, but it can be quite annoying when it happens.
This model of TV also includes Bravia Core, which for this model gives us 2 years of free access to around 100 older movies. Plus 10 free credits to watch up to 10 newer movies. Some of the movies are in 4K and IMAX for a superior viewing experience. Full details are at https://www.sony.co.nz/electronics/bravia-core
The intuitive user interface makes navigation a breeze, and built-in Google Assistant support allows for hands-free control using voice commands. There is also a optional Bravia Cam that allows the TV to be controlled with hand gestures. These all allow you to control some of the TVs features without the remote control. We also purchased one of these to try out and it works well, and you can also use it as a camera for Zoom meetings.
Gaming on the Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV:
Final Thoughts on the Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV:
Overall, we are impressed by the Sony A80L 65-inch OLED TV. It is a premium offering that delivers on both style and performance. The colours and deep blacks are intense. From its sleek design to its stunning picture quality, this TV is designed to impress. Whether you're a cinephile or simply looking to upgrade your home entertainment setup, the Sony A80L OLED TV is sure to exceed your expectations. We would recommend this TV.
Recommended.
If you are based outside New Zealand, you can purchase or view specs on the latest Sony OLED TVs here.
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