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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Sony A9G OLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.6
Review updated Apr 22, 2020 at 10:52 am
Latest change: Retest May 06, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Sony A9G OLED Picture
8.7
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
9.4
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.1
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.6
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.7
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.8
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.6
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.4
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The Sony A9G is an excellent OLED TV that delivers an amazing picture quality with perfect blacks and smooth motion handling. It has wide viewing angles, making it suitable for any type of room configuration, and it handles reflections exceptionally well. It provides a great HDR experience thanks to its wide color gamut and decent peak brightness, and its remarkable uniformity is a big plus for sports fans. Although it doesn't have any advanced gaming features like variable refresh rate, most gamers will appreciate the 120Hz panel and low input lag. It comes with support for Dolby Vision as well as eARC, and Android TV is a user-friendly platform with access to an enormous library of apps.

Our Verdict

8.7 Mixed Usage

The Sony A9G is an excellent TV for most uses, whether it's for watching HDR movies or for use as a PC monitor. It has remarkable dark room performance and its exceptional motion handling results in clear images with nearly no visible motion blur. Its low input lag and 120Hz refresh rate provide a responsive gaming experience, but unfortunately, it doesn't support any VRR technology. It runs on Android TV, which is a great platform for those who get most of their content through streaming.

Pros
  • Almost-instantaneous response time.
  • Remarkable dark room performance.
  • Excellent wide viewing angles.
Cons
  • Brightness is limited in white scenes.
  • Possibility of permanent burn-in with static content (see here).
9.4 Movies

The Sony A9G is an exceptional TV for watching movies. With its emissive technology, this TV can produce perfect blacks, which is great for watching in a dark room. It can remove judder from any source and has a motion interpolation feature to make motion look smooth and fluid.

8.1 TV Shows

This is a great TV for watching TV shows. It isn't the best choice for watching in very bright rooms, but in an average-lit or dark room, it performs remarkably well. Its wide viewing angles allow you to walk around without the image degrading and it upscales lower-resolution content like cable TV without any issues.

8.6 Sports

The Sony A9G is an excellent TV for watching sports. Its response time is extremely fast and fast-action sports are displayed with minimal motion blur. Gray uniformity is excellent, with no noticeable dirty screen effect, and it has wide viewing angles, making it a great TV for watching a big game with friends and family.

8.7 Video Games

The Sony A9G is an outstanding TV for playing video games thanks to its extremely fast response time and low input lag. It has a 120Hz refresh rate to make motion look silky smooth, but sadly, there's no support for FreeSync variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing. Also, there are risks of permanent burn-in with OLED TVs, especially with static content like the user interface of a video game.

8.8 HDR Movies

The Sony A9G is a remarkable TV for watching HDR movies. It can produce vivid and vibrant colors thanks to its wide color gamut, and it can get decently bright to bring out small highlights in dark scenes. Since OLED TVs can turn off individual pixels, there aren't any issues with blooming around bright objects. Additionally, this TV supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

8.6 HDR Gaming

The Sony A9G is an excellent TV for playing HDR games. The TV can display HDR content with vibrant colors due to its wide color gamut, but its peak brightness in HDR mode is only decent and doesn't feel as dramatic, especially when using the TV in a bright room setting. On the upside, it has a low input lag in HDR mode to make gaming feel extremely responsive and its fast response time results in clear images with minimal motion blur.

8.4 PC Monitor

The Sony A9G is a great TV for use as a PC monitor. It can display most common resolutions with proper chroma 4:4:4 without any issues, and it has excellent wide viewing angles, so the sides look uniform when you sit up close. Input lag is very low to provide incredible responsiveness, but unfortunately, a static desktop interface increases the risk of permanent burn-in.

  • 8.7 Mixed Usage
  • 9.4 Movies
  • 8.1 TV Shows
  • 8.6 Sports
  • 8.7 Video Games
  • 8.8 HDR Movies
  • 8.6 HDR Gaming
  • 8.4 PC Monitor
  1. Updated May 06, 2022: We changed the subtype from WRGB to WOLED as it's more accurate and more consistent with other TVs.
  2. Updated Apr 04, 2022: We retested the peak brightness with the latest firmware, PKG6.5066.0634NAA, but there's no change.
  3. Updated Jul 28, 2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.
  4. Updated Mar 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.6.
  5. Updated Jan 11, 2021: We've retested the Black Frame Insertion feature in 24p content.
  6. Updated May 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  7. Updated Feb 21, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
  8. Updated Jun 14, 2019: Review published.
  9. Updated Jun 12, 2019: Early access published.
  10. Updated Jun 11, 2019: Our testers have started testing this product.
  11. Updated Jun 10, 2019: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  12. Updated May 23, 2019: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 55" Sony MASTER Series A9G (XBR55A9G), and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 65" model (XBR65A9G) and the 77" model (XBR77A9G) as well.

The European variant of the TV is also known as the AG9, and we expect it to offer the same performance.

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Sony A9G doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.

Size US Model Alternative Name EU Model
55" XBR55A9G XBR-55A9G KD-55AG9
65" XBR65A9G XBR-65A9G KD-65AG9
77" XBR77A9G XBR-77A9G KD-77AG9

The Sony A9G we reviewed was manufactured in April 2019.

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: Vizio P Series Quantum (PQ65-F1). Bottom left: LG C9 (OLED55C9). Middle: Sony A9G (XBR55A9G). Top right: Samsung Q90R (QN65Q90R). Bottom right: Sony A9F (XBR55A9F).

The Sony A9G is an excellent OLED TV, but it faces steep competition from LG and Samsung in the top-end TV market. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best televisions and the best OLED TVs.

Sony A90J OLED
55" 65" 83"

The Sony A90J OLED and the Sony A9G OLED are both excellent OLED TVs. They can both turn off pixels individually to produce an infinite contrast ratio and perfect black levels, which is great for watching movies and other content. If you're a gamer, though, the A90J has a bit of an edge because it supports HDMI 2.1 and has a bit less input lag. It also gets a bit brighter in HDR if you watch a lot of HDR content.

Sony A8H OLED
55" 65"

Overall, the Sony A8H OLED is slightly better than the Sony A9G OLED. They both perform very similarly, but the A8H can get a lot brighter, it has better out-of-the-box color accuracy, and its input lag is much lower. However, if you use your TV as a PC monitor and you need native support for a 1440p resolution, then you're better off with the A9G.

Sony A9S OLED
48"

The Sony A9S OLED and the Sony A9G OLED are almost identical. The most notable change is the A9S' significantly lower input lag. The A9S also has better accuracy out of the box, and its Black Frame Insertion feature can flicker at 120Hz for 120fps content. The A9G has slightly better viewing angles, and its Automatic Brightness Limiter isn't as aggressive, so the overall brightness is more consistent.

Sony A80J OLED
55" 65" 77"

The Sony A80J OLED and the Sony A9G OLED are excellent TVs capable of completely turning off individual pixels to produce perfect blacks. That said, the A80J is a newer model with improved features and performance, particularly when it comes to peak brightness, as well as having a different processor. The A80J also has two HDMI 2.1 ports, less input lag, and has VRR support.

Sony A9F OLED
55" 65"

The Sony A9F and the Sony A9G have very similar performance. They have a very different design and different remote control. It's hard to notice any differences in performance when watching normal content.

LG CX OLED
48" 55" 65" 77"

The Sony A9G OLED and the LG CX OLED each have similar picture quality thanks to their OLED panels. They each have an infinite contrast ratio, perfect black uniformity, and wide viewing angles. However, the CX is much better for gaming because it has VRR support and a much lower input lag.

Sony Z9F
65" 75"

The two TVs have different panels, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The Sony A9G is an OLED TV that displays perfect blacks in a dark room, has excellent wide viewing angles, and it is a better choice for watching movies or HDR movies in a dark room. On the other hand, the Sony Z9F can get brighter in SDR so it can easily fight glare. Also, the Z9F has a much higher HDR peak brightness and can display HDR highlights much brighter. The Z9F doesn't have the burn-in risk that the Sony A9G has.

Sony A8G OLED
55" 65"

The Sony A9G OLED is very similar overall to the Sony A8G, but is a bit better for gaming. The A9G has much lower input lag, and all four HDMI ports support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.0. The A8G only supports ARC over HDMI, whereas the A9G supports eARC, which allows for new, higher quality audio formats. The A9G also has a better remote, and the smart features are smoother and faster, due to the inclusion of a better smart processor.

Samsung Q90/Q90R QLED
65" 75" 82"

The two TVs have different panels, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The Sony A9G is an OLED TV that displays perfect blacks in a dark room, has excellent wide viewing angles, and is recommended if you love watching movies in a dark room. On the other hand, the Samsung Q90R can get brighter, which is great for a bright room, is packed with gaming features to please gamers, and performs well in a dark room. The Samsung doesn't have the burn-in risk that the OLED Sony has.

LG C8 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG C8 OLED is slightly better than the Sony A9G OLED. The C8 can get a little brighter in SDR, which is important if you watch TV shows or sports in a brighter room, and it also has lower input lag, which is great for gamers. The Sony A9G has a less aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which is important if you watch movies in a dark room.

LG C9 OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG C9 OLED is slightly better than the Sony A9G. The LG has a lower input lag, which is great for gamers, and supports HDMI Forum VRR for nearly tear-free gaming. The C9 can also get brighter in SDR which, however, isn't that noticeable and could be due to panel variance.

LG E9 OLED
55" 65"

The LG E9 OLED is a bit better than the Sony A9G OLED. The LG is a better choice for gamers as it has a lower input lag and supports HDMI Forum VRR for nearly tear-free gaming. The E9 can also get brighter both in SDR and in HDR, which isn't noticeable in normal conditions and could also be due to panel variance.

LG SM9970 8k
75"

The Sony A9G OLED is significantly better than the LG SM9970 in mixed usage. Since the Sony is an OLED TV, its contrast ratio and black uniformity are much better than the LG. Also, the Sony has better gray uniformity and viewing angles, but the LG can get brighter in both SDR and HDR content. However, the Sony has a risk of permanent burn-in, while the LG doesn't, since it has an IPS panel.

LG GX OLED
55" 65" 77"

The LG GX OLED is better than the Sony A9G OLED, mainly because the LG has extra gaming features. The LG has VRR support, a Black Frame Insertion feature that can flicker at 120Hz, and much lower input lag. It also gets brighter and it has HDMI 2.1 support. However, the Sony has much better gradient handling.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Sony A9G's design is outstanding. It has a clean and minimalist look, with thin bezels on all sides, and the flat stand doesn't take up a lot of space. However, unlike the A8G, the stand isn't adjustable, making it difficult to place a soundbar in front without blocking part of the screen.

Design
Stand

The stand is flat and it supports the TV well, with only a slight wobble when nudged. As mentioned, the stand isn't adjustable, which can be an issue if you also have a soundbar.

The footprint of the 55" model is 18,3" x 10.1"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

The back of the TV has an interesting checkerboard design, with vents for cooling the TV's internals and panels to hide the inputs. There's cable management built-in, routing all the cables to a single exit at the bottom for a clean setup.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.31" (0.8 cm)

The borders are thin and won't distract you in any way.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.59" (4.0 cm)

The TV is very thin and won't stick out when wall-mounted.

9.5
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is excellent. The TV feels premium and is very solid with no gaps or loose ends. You should have no issues with it.

Picture Quality
10
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
Inf : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

Like all OLED TVs, the A9G has an infinite contrast ratio capable of producing perfect blacks.

6.3
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
281 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
347 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
346 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
346 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
256 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
147 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
282 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
283 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
282 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
236 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
147 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.044

SDR peak brightness is decent. The TV gets bright enough for most settings, but visibility can be an issue in very bright rooms.

We measured the peak brightness after calibration, using 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Peak Luminance set to 'High', and Color temperature set to 'Expert 1'.

If you don't care about image accuracy, you can obtain higher brightness levels. We were able to momentarily reach 768 nits with the 2% window using the default settings of the 'Vivid' Picture Mode, Brightness set to 'Max', Contrast set to 'Max', Peak Luminance set to 'High', Adv. Contrast enhancer set to 'High', and Color set to '60'.

10
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
No Backlight

Update 07/28/2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.

Due to OLED's emissive technology, this TV can turn individual pixels off and doesn't need a backlight. As such, there are no issues with blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, and subtitles are displayed perfectly.

10
Picture Quality
Local Dimming In Game Mode
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
No Backlight

Update 07/28/2021: Added the real content local dimming videos.

6.6
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Real Scene Highlight
593 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
689 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
584 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
437 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
258 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
130 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
380 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
336 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
363 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
252 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
126 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.070

Decent HDR peak brightness. It's good enough to display bright highlights in HDR content when viewing in a dark environment, but it isn't as noticeable in a bright setting.

We measured the peak brightness, using 'HDR Cinema' Picture Mode, with Brightness set to 'Max', and Color temperature set to 'Expert 1'.

If you don't care about image accuracy, you can obtain higher brightness levels. We were able to momentarily reach 794 nits with the 2% window using the default settings of the 'Vivid' Picture Mode, Brightness set to 'Max', Contrast set to 'Max', Black Level set to 'High', Adv. Contrast enhancer set to 'High', and Color set to '60'.

6.7
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Real Scene Highlight
593 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
690 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
602 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
444 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
287 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
176 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
396 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
353 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
358 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
249 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
174 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.052
8.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
1.296%
50% DSE
0.117%
5% Std. Dev.
0.555%
5% DSE
0.111%

Gray uniformity is excellent. There's no noticeable dirty screen effect and uniformity in darker scenes is equally outstanding. Like previous OLED TVs, there are some very faint horizontal and vertical lines that are noticeable when displaying near-black scenes in a dark room.

10
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
0.269%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

Like all OLED TVs, black uniformity is perfect.

8.8
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
51°
Color Shift
31°
Brightness Loss
65°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
67°

The Sony A9G has excellent viewing angles. This is great for large rooms or seating arrangements that require you to view from the side.

9.3
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.5%
Indirect Reflections
0.1%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.3%

Outstanding reflection handling. Although it has a glossy finish, it's very effective at reducing the intensity of reflected light, making it suitable for use in most bright rooms.

7.1
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
4.25
Color dE
2.38
Gamma
2.11
Color Temperature
6,076 K
Picture Mode
Custom
Color Temp Setting
Expert 1
Gamma Setting
0

The color accuracy is decent out-of-the-box. There are some inaccuracies with several colors, particularly with shades of gray, and the color temperature is much warmer than our target of 6500K, resulting in a slightly reddish tint. Gamma doesn't follow the target, with most scenes appearing brighter than they should. If you want a TV that has better out-of-the-box accuracy, check out the Sony A9S OLED.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.40
Color dE
1.07
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,506 K
White Balance Calibration
10 point
Color Calibration
Yes

Color accuracy is exceptional after calibration. The color temperature is almost right on target and gamma is perfect. Any remaining inaccuracies shouldn't be noticeable without the aid of a colorimeter.

The TV features an auto-calibration feature, but you still need a colorimeter.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

The A9G upscales 480p content, like DVDs, well, with no obvious upscaling artifacts.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content, like cable, looks good and is displayed without any obvious issues.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content, like Blu-rays or older game consoles, looks excellent.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

4k content is displayed perfectly.

0
Picture Quality
8k Input

The Sony A9G can't display an 8k signal.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type OLED
Sub-Type
WOLED

Like all other OLEDs, this TV uses a 4 sub-pixel structure, but all 4 sub-pixels are never on at the same time. This image shows the green, white, and blue sub-pixels. You can see the red sub-pixel in our alternative pixel photo.

8.4
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
94.50%
DCI P3 uv
96.95%
Rec 2020 xy
69.59%
Rec 2020 uv
74.13%

The Sony A9G has an impressive wide color gamut. The EOTF follows the input stimulus well until it starts a sharp roll-off towards the TV's peak brightness. The 'Game' mode EOTF is almost identical as you can see here, although some brighter scenes might be slightly brighter than they should be.

If you find HDR too dim, check out our recommendations here. These settings make the TV significantly brighter in HDR mode, as shown in this EOTF.

7.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
76.7%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
38.3%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
64.7%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
29.3%

The color volume is decent. The TV has difficulty displaying bright saturated colors, as the use of the white subpixel to boost brightness desaturates the pure colors at high brightness levels.

9.3
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.066
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.079
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.059
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.069

Exceptional gradient performance, however, there's some very minor banding when displaying gray, green, and red. The TV's Smooth Gradation feature can remove most of it, but it may cause a loss of some fine details.

9.9
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
0.05%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

The Sony A9G exhibits some very faint temporary image retention, although this isn't noticeable in normal use.

This test is only indicative of short term image retention, and not the permanent burn-in that may occur with longer exposure to static images. We're currently running a long-term test to help us better understand permanent burn-in. You can see our results and read more about our investigation here.

2.0
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Yes

Although we don't expect most people who watch a varied content to have any issues, there are risks of permanent burn-in on the A9G, just like on all OLED TVs.

This TV has two features to help mitigate burn-in. We recommend enabling the Pixel Shift option and run the Panel refresh procedure once a year or less, as Sony recommends.

You can read about our investigation into this here.

Motion
9.9
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
0.2 ms
100% Response Time
1.9 ms

The response time is superb. It's near-instantaneous, resulting in a clear image with almost no motion blur.

10
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

This TV doesn't use PWM to dim. However, there's an imperceptible dip in brightness at about every 8ms, which is in-line with the TV's 120Hz refresh rate.

8.7
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
No
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

Update 01/11/2021: We've retested the BFI and can confirm that the backlight flickers at 96Hz in 24p content when the Clearness is set to 'Low' or 'Medium', and 48Hz when it's set to 'High'. This is the same behavior that we noticed on the Sony A8H OLED and Sony A9S OLED.

This TV has an optional black frame insertion feature that can help further reduce the appearance of motion blur.

BFI is enabled on the A9G by setting Motionflow to 'Custom' and Clearness to 'High'. When BFI is enabled, it causes judder when playing back 60p content.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

The Sony A9G can interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120Hz, otherwise known as the Soap Opera Effect. If there's too much motion, the TV stops interpolating in order to avoid causing artifacts. This sudden change in motion can cause the image to appear jerky.

See here for the settings that control the A9G's motion interpolation feature.

4.9
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
39.8 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
14.8 ms

Due to the TV's near-instantaneous response time, lower frame rate content can appear to stutter, as frames are held on for longer. If you're bothered by it, enabling motion interpolation and BFI can help.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Sony A9G can remove judder from any source. However, when BFI is enabled, the TV has judder when playing back 60p content.

See our recommended settings to remove judder here.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
HDMI Forum VRR
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
VRR Supported Connectors
No VRR support

The Sony A9G has a native 120Hz panel; however, it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technology to reduce screen tearing when gaming.

Inputs
8.3
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
27.3 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
102.3 ms
1440p @ 60Hz
27.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz
27.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
27.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
27.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
93.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
85.6 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
1080p @ 120Hz
18.8 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
43.5 ms
4k @ 120Hz
N/A
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
1440p with VRR
N/A
4k with VRR
N/A
8k with VRR
N/A

This TV has excellent low input lag. Two picture modes provide low latency: 'Game' or 'Graphics' mode. You can use either one for proper chroma 4:4:4 support, but 'Game' mode is recommended. Unfortunately, enabling motion interpolation does add a significant amount of input lag.

Note: the 1440p @120Hz input lag measurement was done using another PC, as the TV could not display the 1440p @ 120Hz resolution from our laptop. This shouldn't have a significant impact on the measured input lag.

If you want a TV with lower input lag, check out the Sony A8H OLED.

9.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes (native support)
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

This TV supports most common resolutions and refresh rates. We weren't able to display 1440 @120Hz from our laptop, but it worked fine when we connected the TV to a desktop computer, which is an issue that we had not encountered on the A9F.

To properly display chroma 4:4:4 in all supported resolutions, you must enable full bandwidth by setting the 'Enhanced format' from the External inputs menu and choose 'Game' or 'Graphics' mode.

Inputs
Advanced Console Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
No
PS5, 4k @ 120Hz + HDR
No
PS5, 4k @ 120Hz
No
PS5, 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
Yes
PS5, 1440p @ 120Hz
PS5 can't do 1440p
PS5, 1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
PS5, Variable Refresh Rate
No
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 120Hz + HDR
No
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 120Hz
No
Xbox Series X, 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
Yes
Xbox Series X, 1440p @ 120Hz
No
Xbox Series X, 1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Xbox Series X, Variable Refresh Rate
No
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

The TV is marketed as supporting HDCP 2.3, but we have no way to test this at the moment. It supports HDMI 2.0b and also supports eARC properly. If you want a similar OLED TV with HDMI 2.1 ports, check out the Sony A90J OLED.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 1 (adapter required, not incl.)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
SD/SDHC 0

The TV has speaker terminals, so you can connect it to an external AV receiver.

Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC
Yes (HDMI 3)
eARC support
Yes
Dolby Atmos via TrueHD via eARC
Yes
DTS:X via DTS-HD MA via eARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via ARC
Yes
5.1 DTS via ARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via Optical
Yes
5.1 DTS via Optical
Yes

Update 01/07/2020: DTS passthrough is working over a standard ARC connection as well as optical. It was discovered that system sounds must be disabled for it to work.

To obtain eARC, you must set Speakers: to 'Audio System', eARC mode: to 'Auto', Digital audio out: to 'Auto 1'.

Sound Quality
7.7
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
71.27 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.44 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.96 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.61 dB
Max
92.8 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
3.33 dB

The frequency response of the Sony A9G is good. It has a good amount of punch to its bass, but it lacks sub-bass, so it can't deliver any thump or rumble. Dialogue sounds clear and the TV can get quite loud, but it produces noticeable pumping and compression artifacts under heavy loads.

5.8
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.101
Weighted THD @ Max
6.760
IMD @ 80
1.94%
IMD @ Max
48.56%

The distortion performance is sub-par. The TV can get loud and produce low amounts of THD at most volumes. However, under max loads, the amount of distortion becomes distracting.

Smart Features
7.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Android TV
Version 8.0
Ease of Use
Average
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
2 s
Advanced Options
Many

The Sony A9G runs on Android TV. The interface is fairly easy to use and it runs very smoothly. We tested the TV with Android 8.0 Oreo, but an update for Android 9 has been slowly rolling out since December 2019.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
Yes

Unfortunately, there are ads and suggested content on the home page. They can't be removed from the Customize Channels menu, as can been seen in this picture from the X950G. However, there's a workaround, which you can see here.

9.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Very Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

Outstanding apps and features. Most popular streaming apps come pre-installed, and more can be added from the Google Play Store, which has a large selection to cover any need.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Large
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
Remote App Android TV

The remote control that comes with the Sony A9G is nearly identical to that of the X950G. It's mainly plastic with a brushed metallic finish on top and it has a built-in microphone for voice control through the Google Assistant. To use voice commands, the remote must be paired to the TV via Bluetooth. This allows you to use the remote even if you're not in the line of sight of the TV.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The TV's controls are located on the left, behind the screen. There are three buttons that allow you to turn the TV On/Off, control the volume, and change input.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Instruction manual
  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • Setup Guide
  • Wire strap
Not Shown:
  • Power Cable
  • Plastic panels that cover the input ports

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 96 W
Power Consumption (Max) 149 W
Firmware PKG6.2466.0322NAA