Sony ZD9 / Z9D (2016) Series

Sensational picture performance ; Premium build quality ; Wide HDR support

Tacky remote control ; Only two HDMIs support 4K 60Hz

Stunning HDR picture quality ; Brilliant SDR picture quality ; Ground-breaking backlight ; Excellent presets

Android TV feels sluggish ; Pretty average audio ; It’s expensive ; Limited effective viewing angle

Although its £4,000 price will likely put the 65ZD9 frustratingly beyond the reach of most AV fans, its combination of ground-breaking contrast, colour and brightness adds up to the most cutting-edge picture quality we’ve ever seen. At £4,000 Sony’s...

Stunning 4K picture ; Clean, crisp detail ; Good colour balance ; Gorgeous design ; Easy to use ; Excellent features ; 3D

Rivals offer better black depth and finer subtle detail ; Motion isn’t stable ; Thin sound

It’s not perfect, but this gorgeous premium Sony TV dazzles with 4K pictures

If you have the space in your cinema room and the money in your wallet, the Sony KD-100ZD9 is a reference screen that does 4K HDR justice.

Delivers benchmark (LCD) picture quality with HDR sources, no slouch with SDR sources either, arguably decent value for the level of performance it delivers, smart system is packed with apps

Powerful backlight system doesn’t deliver completely flawless results, Android TV remains a clunky and overbearing smart system, sound quality is nothing like as good as its pictures

The 65ZD9 is not a perfect TV (if such a thing could ever exist). Its Android smart engine is more of a hindrance than a help, its sound is pretty average, and there's still some evidence of backlight haloing around stand-out HDR objects, despite...

Class-leading HDR performance ; Exemplary video processing ; Dolby Vision support coming soon

Flickery 3D ; Android TV feels clunky ; Limited viewing angles

In summary, the Bravia KD-65ZD9 is a sensational HDR TV. And if you’re waiting for Sony’s recently announced A1 OLED TVs, then you might want to reconsider: going by what Sony told us at CES, the LCD-screened ZD9 still has the performance edge for HDR...

Stunning 4K picture with clean, crisp detail & good colour balance ; Gorgeous design ; Tons of video streaming apps

Rivals offer better black depth and finer subtle detail ; Motion isn’t stable ; Reedy audio performance

Stylish and slick with a stunning picture, but doesn’t match the performance of some cheaper rivals

Impressive local dimming ; Accurate greyscale and colour gamut ; Excellent performance with SDR and HDR ; Good motion handling ; Great set of features ; Surprisingly energy efficient ; Attractive design and good build quality

Limited viewing angles ; Some crosstalk with 3D ; Input lag could be lower ; Expensive compared to competition

The Sony ZD9 is certainly a contender for one of the best TVs of the year, with more local dimming zones and a higher peak brightness than any other model. It has a minimalist but elegant design, with some nice stylish touches and a clever series of...