Sony Z8H/ZH8 8K TV review

So good that its 8K resolution is just a bonus

Sony Z8H/ZH8 8K TV
(Image: © Sony)

TechRadar Verdict

The Sony Z8H / ZH8 combines rich contrast, gorgeously saturated colors, outstanding video processing and, best of all, extreme HDR-friendly brightness, it produce the best LCD TV pictures of 2020, but its 8K support is more limited than it ought to be, arguably making it look expensive for a TV that is essentially a 4K TV "plus".

Pros

  • +

    Bright, colorful pictures

  • +

    Powerful, detailed sound

  • +

    Content-rich Android TV

Cons

  • -

    Limited 8K support

  • -

    Android TV can be fussy

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While undoubtedly ground-breaking and spectacular, Sony’s debut 8K TV, the Sony Z9G (called the ZG9 in the UK) wasn’t exactly mainstream. It was only available in 85-inch and 98-inch sizes, priced at $13,000/£14,000 and $70,000/£85,000 respectively.

But the new Sony Z8H/ZH8 8K LED-LCD looks to change things. At $5,999/£5,999, the Z8H/ZH8 is vastly more affordable than anything in Sony’s previous 8K range... though it would have looked better value if it had provided more 8K input options.

As you’d hope of a TV boasting 8K resolution, the Z8H’s connections include an HDMI input capable of receiving 8K/60Hz sources, as well as 4K/120Hz, which could be handy for the next generation of gaming systems. With that in mind, though, it’s a shame only one of the HDMIs supports this level of specification. There will, after all, be two next-gen gaming consoles, as well as a new generation of PCs.

It's a pity, too, that the ZH8 / ZH8 doesn’t support 8K playback via USB or YouTube streaming. We were disappointed to see that the 8K HDMI inputs didn't support variable refresh rates – though this last point has since changed, thanks to an over-the-air update in October. And in spite of any small gripes, the Z8H feels like our best hope yet for 8K.

For starters, its huge 2500 nits of brightness does a spectacular job of unlocking the potential of HDR. Especially as Sony’s approach to backlighting means that the brightness is retained with peerless consistency. 

It has more than enough color range to keep up with all that brightness too, ensuring that the picture never looks washed out, and thanks to Sony’s inspired backlight management, the extreme brightness doesn’t come at the expense of impressive black levels or shadow detailing. 

Wrapping up a stellar all-round performance is some of the most detailed, powerful and clean sound we’ve heard from a built-in TV audio system. 

Is it worth all that money? Well, mostly, yeah.

UPDATE: This Sony TV got something of an upgrade in October 2020, with an over-the-air update adding in support for Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode – ostensibly to prepare for the launch of the PS5.

Price and availability

Sony’s debut Z9G/ZG9 8K TVs were about as far from mainstream as it’s possible to get. As well as being way too big for most consumers to handle (they started at 85 inches), they cost an absolute fortune.

The Z8H/ZH8, new for 2020, are a whole lot more mainstream: the 75-inch screen size is more manageable for most UK homes, and its £5,999 price tag is far more approachable than the £14,000 starting point of the ZG9.

Over in the US, the 75-inch Sony XBR-75Z8H will only set you back around $5,999 while in Australia your only option is the 85-inch model that costs AU$18,999. None of those sticker prices are cheap, they put Sony in similar territory to Samsung’s latest mid-range 8K models like the Samsung Q950TS, finally introducing some genuine competition for the Korean brand in this niche but growing TV market.

Sony’s current flagship 75-inch 4K model, the Sony X950H/XH95, only costs $2,799/£2,699 but before you decide that you’re happy to sacrifice a few tens of millions of pixels to save more than three grand, bear in mind that the Z8H’s improvements over the X950H aren’t limited to pixels.

Design

Sony Z8H/ZH8 specs

(Image credit: Sony)

Screen sizes: 65 and 75 inches |external/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-320-80.jpg.webp 320w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZrctwhNgJKQcgVVb8nQVi-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w" sizes="(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)" data-pin-nopin="true">

(Image credit: Sony)

Screen sizes: 65 and 75 inches | Tuner: Freeview HD | 8K: Yes | HDR: Yes | Panel technology: FALD LCD | Smart TV: Yes, Android TV 9.0 | Curved: No | Dimensions: 1680(w) x 977(h) x 84(d)mm | Weight: 47.9kg | 3D: No | Inputs: 4xHDMI (one with HDMI 2.1 support) 3xUSB, RF input, optical digital audio, CI slot, headphone output, Ethernet; center-channel audio inputs

The Z8H/ZH8 doesn’t look especially cutting edge. The frame is reasonably slim, but nothing like as narrow as the barely-there bezel of Samsung’s flagship Q950TS 8K TVs. The bezel feels a touch untidy, too, thanks to its mixture of different finishes. 

That said, while the silvery metal outer trim that runs right around the screen maybe looks a bit much when viewing the TV head on, it does add a nice premium feel when you’re looking at the screen from any other angle.

The two metal feet Sony provides with the 75ZH8 can be attached either flat towards the screen’s center, or on their edges under the screen’s bottom corners. The latter fit is much more elegant, but the more central mounting option is welcome for people looking to mount the TV on a narrow piece of furniture.

Unlike the

(Image credit: Sony)

Screen sizes: 65 and 75 inches | Tuner: Freeview HD | 8K: Yes | HDR: Yes | Panel technology: FALD LCD | Smart TV: Yes, Android TV 9.0 | Curved: No | Dimensions: 1680(w) x 977(h) x 84(d)mm | Weight: 47.9kg | 3D: No | Inputs: 4xHDMI (one with HDMI 2.1 support) 3xUSB, RF input, optical digital audio, CI slot, headphone output, Ethernet; center-channel audio inputs