Sony BRAVIA 8 K65XR80 64.5"

At its best price of $1,214, this 65" OLED is a phenomenal value for dark-room lovers. The picture quality feels top-tier despite a mediocre 36th percentile ranking — just know that brightness is the trade-off. With smart features and audio both ranking above the 90th percentile, the only real compromise is daytime viewing.

This Sony BRAVIA 8 sits at the top of the charts for smart TV features, landing in the 95th percentile. Google TV runs buttery smooth, and the connectivity suite, ranked 94th percentile, packs all the HDMI 2.1 ports you'll ever need. On paper, the picture quality score is a head-scratcher: just the 36th percentile for its class. That number might scare you off, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Owners are nearly unanimous in praising the deep blacks, vibrant colors, and superb upscaling. The catch? Brightness in well-lit rooms leaves something to be desired, and that's what drags the picture score down.

The OLED panel is the star here. Individual pixels shut off completely, so black levels are essentially infinite. Combine that with Sony's XR Triluminos Pro and Cognitive Processor XR, and you get smooth motion and lifelike color that's hard to beat. Upscaling lower-resolution content is a real strong point, with multiple owners noting that 1080p streams look shockingly close to native 4K. Gaming chops are solid too — 4K at 120Hz, VRR, ALLM, and dedicated PS5 features put the gaming percentile at a strong 79th, though there are a handful of sets that push brighter HDR highlights at the same price. Audio is a pleasant surprise: the 2.1-channel 50W setup with Dolby Atmos lands in the 91st percentile, meaning you might not feel the immediate need for a soundbar unless you crave deep, room-shaking bass.

Pricing is all over the place, likely due to the mix of refurbished and bundled options from different vendors. We've spotted this set as low as $1,214 and as high as $3,396 — a spread of $2,182. At the low end, you're getting a premium OLED experience that punches way above its price tag. At the high end, you're flirting with territory where brighter competitors and even larger OLEDs start to make more sense. The sweet spot is definitely under $1,500; any higher, and you should cross-shop aggressively.

Against the LG C4 OLED, the Sony leans on superior processing and upscaling, but the LG tends to push a bit more brightness for HDR pop. The Hisense U8 mini-LED and TCL QM8K offer blistering peak brightness that wallops the Sony in a sunny room, but they can't match the OLED's pixel-level precision. The Samsung QN900F is an 8K monster with eye-watering sharpness, but you'll pay dearly for that extra resolution. For a dark-room cinephile who values Google TV and Sony's motion handling, the BRAVIA 8 is a compelling pick, but if you've got a bright living room, the mini-LED crowd will make you happier.

If your main viewing area gets a lot of natural light and you can't control it, this TV will constantly remind you of its brightness ceiling. The 36th percentile picture score isn't a fluke — it's a direct consequence of the panel's limited peak luminance. Home theater purists with dedicated dark rooms will be thrilled, but casual daytime viewers should redirect their budget toward a bright mini-LED like the Hisense U8 or TCL QM8K.

If you do most of your viewing in a dim or light-controlled room, this Sony is a gem. The perfect blacks, natural colors, and killer upscaling create a genuinely immersive picture. The 36th percentile picture score is a red flag only if your room is flooded with sunlight; in the dark, it's a knockout. Given the wild price swings, patience can land you a stellar deal that makes this OLED an absolute steal.