Sony BRAVIA 8 K-77XR80 77"

The 77" Sony BRAVIA 8's display is in the 97th percentile, making it one of the best-looking OLEDs you can buy right now. Its built-in 50W audio is also a leading 91st percentile, which is a rare treat. Just be aware the price swings wildly from $1,724 to $5,696, so your opinion of it will depend entirely on which end of that range you find it at.

This TV's display is the absolute best right now, hitting the 97th percentile. The OLED panel's self-lit pixels mean contrast is effectively infinite, and the XR processor does a brilliant job of upscaling lower-res content without making it look like a smeary mess. Motion handling with XR Motion Clarity is top-tier for sports, which scored an 89.6, so fast-moving pucks and players stay crisp. For gamers, the 120Hz panel with VRR and ALLM over HDMI 2.1 puts it in the 81st percentile for gaming, which is strong. It's not the highest refresh rate on the market, but the response time and dedicated PS5 features make it a fantastic big-screen gaming display.

The audio is a genuine surprise. That 2.1 channel, 50W system with Dolby Atmos puts it in the 91st percentile, which is leading for built-in TV sound. You get actual bass presence and a wide soundstage that most ultra-thin TVs completely miss. It's good enough that you might hold off on a soundbar for a while, especially in a smaller room. The HDR performance is also impressive at the 89th percentile, handling Dolby Vision and the studio-calibrated modes for Netflix and Prime Video with real finesse.

Stacked against the LG C5, the Sony trades blows. The LG will likely have a slight edge in gaming features and input lag, but the Sony's audio and motion processing for movies and sports are a step above. The Samsung Neo QLED QN75QN990FFXZA is the brightness king and will crush the Sony in a sun-drenched room, but it can't touch the BRAVIA 8's perfect black levels and viewing angles. The TCL QM8K and Hisense U8 are the value monsters here. They get shockingly bright and cost way less, but their processing and out-of-the-box color accuracy aren't in the same league as the Sony. You're choosing between raw brightness and value versus Sony's refined, cinematic picture and superior sound.

Value is a tricky word for the BRAVIA 8 because the price is all over the map. We've seen it listed from $1,724 all the way up to $5,696. At the low end, this TV is a steal, offering a top-tier 97th percentile display for less than some mid-range QLEDs. At the high end, you're paying a massive Sony tax for a panel that, while gorgeous, doesn't outperform the competition by a $4,000 margin. The sweet spot is clearly finding it closer to that $1,700 mark. If you pay anywhere near the top of that range, the value proposition crumbles, and you'd be better off looking at a larger or brighter competitor for the same money.

The Sony BRAVIA 8 K77XR80 is a 77-inch OLED that lands in the 97th percentile for display quality in our database, which is about as good as it gets for pure picture performance. You're getting those perfect inky blacks and the XR Triluminos Pro color that Sony is known for, all driven by the Cognitive Processor XR. It's a stunning panel, plain and simple. The audio is also a standout, hitting the 91st percentile with its 50W 2.1 channel system, so the sound actually keeps up with the visuals without immediately screaming for a soundbar.

But it's not a flawless victory. While the picture quality score is a solid 72nd percentile, that's more about the out-of-the-box processing and less about the raw panel capability. The biggest head-scratcher is the price, which swings wildly from $1,724 to $5,696 across different vendors. That's a nearly $4,000 spread, so where you buy it matters more than almost any other TV we've looked at. It's a phenomenal home theater centerpiece, but you have to shop smart.

Skip the BRAVIA 8 if you're putting it in a very bright living room. The OLED panel's strength is perfect blacks, not peak brightness, and a QLED like the Samsung Neo QLED will serve you much better there. Also, if you're on a strict budget, the wild price variance means you could easily overpay. The TCL QM8K or Hisense U8 will get you 90% of the way there in picture quality for a fraction of the price, especially if you're not a stickler for perfect out-of-the-box color accuracy.

The Sony BRAVIA 8 K77XR80 is a phenomenal OLED TV for the discerning viewer who prioritizes cinematic picture quality and surprisingly good audio over sheer brightness. Its 97th percentile display is a knockout in a dark room. The only real catch is the price. If you can snag it at the lower end of its massive $1,724 to $5,696 price spread, it's an easy recommendation. If you're seeing it closer to $5,000, you're paying a premium for the Sony processing and brand name that's hard to justify against the competition. Shop the price, not just the TV.