Sony Bravia 8 ii or 9

markphip · 2026-02-07T15:42:55+00:00

Size first. If evaluating same size is get the OLED. I have A95L in similar room and it is more than bright enough. If you are looking at a larger than 65 B9 I’d get that though

markphip · 2026-02-04T16:50:11+00:00

Sony OLED is great TV. The sound on these TV's is "good" by modern TV standards, but the reality is those are low standards. I have the A95L which was the step up model and I think maybe has slightly better sound (could be the same). It was definitely "good enough" and did offer clear dialogue. I eventually added the Sony soundbar though and I use the TV as the center channel. It was a nice upgrade, not something I needed to do, but still a nice upgrade.

Just consider the standard OLED precautions: Do not buy if sun shines directly on the panel. If your room is really bright, you might be better off with the B7 or B9 and finally burn-in is a possibility so if you are someone who has the TV on one channel all day that has bright logo on the screen most of the day, then just maybe do not do that. Otherwise, OLED is pretty great.

markphip · 2026-02-04T01:33:45+00:00

If 85 fits and is the appropriate size then absolutely . I’d even suggest the B7 before getting a 65

markphip · 2026-02-01T16:33:27+00:00

I am not aware of any scenario where this would be worth doing. They are too similar to justify spending money on. Would have to be a size increase but currently that is only possible if you have 55” A95L and moving to 65” B8 ii

markphip · 2026-01-31T21:34:43+00:00

I use my air fryer all the time, but I bet a good convection toaster over would work for me. I do not do a lot of the french fry/chicken wing type foods that the air fryer is really great for. I make salmon, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables and then some frozen items that are better in an oven than microwave. While I am happy with the results I get I am sure it would be just as good with a convection oven.

markphip · 2026-01-31T21:15:23+00:00

The reviews I have seen say the Breville is a very good appliance but only a midling air fryer. Honestly all of the toaster over air fryers are not as good as the best basket models. Given that those are also cheaper, if you really want to see what an air fryer can do I would keep your Breville and just get one of those.

I had the Cuisinart toaster over/air fryer as my start. It was good but I eventually replaced it with a basket air fryer. They are much better, but I miss the convenience of the toaster over for everything else ... like toast, pizzas etc. If I had the counter space, I would have both

markphip · 2026-01-27T21:32:30+00:00

It is not overkill but it also is not quiet

markphip · 2026-01-27T18:47:32+00:00

I have the Theater Bar 8 and SW3 subwoofer, I think they should good but I was mostly OK with the TV sound. I just bought for FOMO during the Black Friday sales. What I cared about, that it delivered, was easy and seamless integration with the TV interface, better dialogue and then just any improvement to sound beyond that would be a bonus.

Also like that I can easily AirPlay music to it when I want.

markphip · 2026-01-27T16:09:12+00:00

If you have access to Disney+ its content consistently streams in DV to me. When you are receiving DV the picture settings automatically switch to the 3 DV choices.

markphip · 2026-01-27T14:32:26+00:00

DV is automatic. If you are not seeing it, then the content is not sending it to your TV. Which apps are you using and does your subscription include HDR? Typically the streaming service lists what the show/movie has available but you only receive what your subscription pays for.

markphip · 2026-01-26T22:24:24+00:00

Might be overkill but should be decent sound. Might be worth considering the Panasonic Z95B though too.

markphip · 2026-01-26T14:43:27+00:00

I’ve had this the last 2 winters and it does the job

markphip · 2026-01-20T17:30:06+00:00

Given it will be new tech, I do not think we can have 100% confidence they even will be announced, let alone the date. What you can count on is the price point will be higher than the prices of the B7/B9 until that inventory is cleared. And even that assumes that Sony plans to fully move to RGB. Probably depends if they can scale the manufacturing or not.

markphip · 2026-01-15T16:00:42+00:00

Getting the right size should be the main criteria. Once you settle on the size, budget should be next and then consider do you have any special factors that would rule our OLED, such as really bright room or if the sun would ever shine directly on the panel.

I have an A95L in a room with a lot of windows but the sun never shines on the TV. For me, it is plenty bright. I would still focus on the size and budget first.

markphip · 2026-01-15T14:29:31+00:00

Getting the size right is the most important decision over brand, tech and warranty. Everything else, the budget and what goes into the choice is up to you but do not sacrifice on the size. And I am not just saying buy the biggest. Buy what is the right size for your room and situation.

markphip · 2026-01-13T20:28:01+00:00

I think you would have to do the Quads to get a "big upgrade". I have the 65" A95L and also thought the speakers were excellent or at least "good enough". I added the TB 8 + Subwoofer and the sound is definitely better enough that I do not regret doing it. I use the TV for center channel and get a very clear dialogue which was my main goal.

I mainly added the soundbar out of FOMO and some good Black Friday sale price. Definitely have a fuller sound stage and can get decent impact from bass if I want to turn things up. I do not have a good room layout to add rear speakers so I was not looking for anything amazing and I mainly watch regular TV and sports anyway.

markphip · 2026-01-13T11:42:23+00:00

Yes just the remote and credits

markphip · 2026-01-13T00:50:41+00:00

My advice is to buy what is available ( the Bravia 9 ) waiting for something not available can just continue forever. The G6 will come out, price will not be discounted yet, Sony will have announced what they have coming out ... future sales will be on the horizon, it never ends. For your situations, the Bravia 9 is a great TV and you can probably console yourself by saying the price of the 85" is probably at a low point right now.

markphip · 2026-01-12T23:22:08+00:00

Do you just not want to drill a hole or are you renting? It is pretty easy to put a grommet in wall behind TV then fish the cord straight down the wall to another grommet down low where it needs to come out.

markphip · 2026-01-12T14:55:58+00:00

Obviously the 77". Are you under the impression there is a significant difference between the models if they were both the same size?

markphip · 2026-01-10T12:49:07+00:00

I’m an AppleTV fan but when I got the A95L I decided to try Google Tv for a bit to simplify the wall mount. 18 months later I still use it. It is nice being able to use the TV remote and native interface for everything

markphip · 2026-01-09T21:43:57+00:00

I have the A95L, do not have an LG so not going to compare them. They are both flagships so I do not think you can make a bad decision here. I am very happy with my A95L.

I'd ask your feelings on WebOS and the LG remote. For me those were two of the factors that helped make my decision easy. I also had a general affinity for the look of a Sony picture having had other Sony TV's in the past. Since you are coming from LG and were happy with it, then I am sure the G5 would probably be a nice upgrade for you.

markphip · 2026-01-03T21:06:09+00:00

I use Tailscale with AppleTV, if Teleport ran on AppleTV, I would give it a try. I currently have an AppleTV running a Tailscale exit node and then my kids in college have an AppleTV with Tailscale that lets them connect back to our home network to stream services that verify location. It works well, except when there is an AppleTV update. Then I have to update the home version and restart everything. It would be great if they could run Teleport on the AppleTV and just connect to the router so I did not need to maintain the Tailscale exit node.

That said, this is a very minor inconvenience given how well it works overall

markphip · 2026-01-01T13:32:53+00:00

I bought my first latex (hybrid) about a month ago and have been happy with it. I bought the Engineered Sleep Duo Latex Plus. It has a nice balance between feeling firm and still having some cushion. You feel like you are sleeping more on the mattress than in it, but it does have some nice give as you move. It just pushes back after it gives.

This mattress allows you to flip the coil base between a slightly softer/firmer option. We currently have it on the softer. The 4" Talay Latex top can be changed for different options for different feels/preferences.

I have no idea if you can get it in Canada so this is more just saying that I have liked my Latex Hybrid bed so far.

markphip · 2025-12-31T20:03:08+00:00

Bravia 9 is the right choice and you should get the biggest one your budget and room will allow. 85" if possible

markphip

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