If like us, you’re only just wrapping your head around 100Hz picture processing, today’s launch of Motionflow 200Hz in Sony’s Bravia Z4500 might require some explaining.
It’s something of a Hz overload in HD TV-land of late. Among the options are 100Hz, 120Hz, and now with the Sony Bravia Z series, 200Hz is on the table. It’s Hz this, Hz that...so how to make sense of the Hz-fest?
Along with the ridiculously skinny Bravia ZZX1 launched today, today’s new Bravia Z series (which goes on sale in December) is Sony’s new technology flagship Bravia. It’s interesting because Sony claims it is the world’s first 200Hz LCD TV.
We had the chance to see the Bravia Z4500 series in action at today’s Sony launch, and as you’d imagine, it’s impressive to say the least. The Sony demo we saw, likely picked to make the Z45000 look its best, involved a helicopter flyover of a waterfall – lots of moving water, and lots of camera movement.
Turned on, and Motionflow 200Hz did its job, smoothing both the water flow itself, as well as seeming to smooth the panning of the camera over the scene itself. We reserve our final verdict for the tests.
100Hz TVs have copped criticism for making scenes look unrealistic, so it will be interesting to see how 200Hz shapes up in the real world. The human eye associates movement with some motion blur, which is why natural motion engines can sometime make scenes look funny. Sony claims Motionflow is now more sophisticated, and applies the smoothing effect more intelligently, treating different areas of the screen differently.
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| Sony's Z4500 Bravia, with Motionflow 200Hz |
Interestingly the Z Series uses Bravia Engine 2, but not the Bravia Engine 2 PRO engine seen in the new Bravia XBR45 Series launched today.
The Z Series also misses out on LED backlighting, which makes its way into the super-thin Bravia ZX1, and the new “best of everything” XBR45 series.
Pricing is yet to be announced for the Z Series which will be available in 40in, 46in, and 52in sizes, when it goes on sale in December. Other specs include 1080p and 24p True Cinema.
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| Sony's "Garden of Bravia" at today's launch. On the left, the Bravia W4500, in the middle the Bravia XBR45, on the right the Bravia Z4500 |
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