Michał Wołoszyn
The manufacturer claims that this will be the best RGB Mini-LED television of 2026. And you know what? I'm inclined to believe it. We're talking about True RGB – a new flagship line from Sony. The Japanese invited us behind closed doors for a special showcase in the United Kingdom, from where we brought back some interesting insights. We checked how these displays perform against the competition and what this "true" RGB is really all about.
What is RGB Mini-LED technology?
If you haven't been keeping up with the latest news, here's a quick explanation. In classic Mini-LED, the light-emitting diodes are white. In RGB Mini-LED, the diodes are tricolor, so they create colors already at the backlighting level, without having to deal with additional filters or quantum dots (QLED).
In theory, it sounds beautiful: higher brightness, more saturated colors, and better viewing angles. In practice? We have already tested such TVs from other brands, and the results have varied. With complicated images, the backlighting can get lost, the diodes start to shine white, and the charm of saturated colors simply disappears. Moreover, the tricolor diodes take up more space, which can affect the number of dimming zones, and as a result, we end up with poorer blacks.
"True RGB" According to Sony
Sony enters this topic from a veteran's perspective. The Japanese reminded us at the event that they worked on this solution 20 years ago (with the QUALIA 005 model). For over two decades, engineers have focused on the most challenging task: controlling the diodes. And this is supposed to be their biggest advantage.
Sony uses its own drivers to precisely manage each diode. For a TV to earn the "True RGB" label, it must meet two conditions:
Independent control of the three components – the system must constantly control the color and brightness of the red, green, and blue components, adjusting them to the image. There can be no switching to regular "white" Mini-LED mode during difficult scenes.
Physical diodes, not tricks: They must be separate, true light sources. Some competitors in the market cheat, for instance, by creating red using phosphors. Although phosphor solutions are generally not bad, Sony distances itself from "half measures."
This is important because the naming of this technology is becoming complicated due to the designations used by competitors (e.g., Micro RGB, RGB MiniLED, or Micro RGB evo / Mini RGB). The distinguishing feature "True RGB" is meant to unequivocally indicate the implementation of both of the above assumptions.
Sony Bravia 9 II in Action
At the Sony showcase, they weren't afraid of direct comparisons. They compared the new model BRAVIA 9 II with the already 2-year-old Bravia 9 and a professional studio monitor costing a mere 170,000 PLN (BVM-HX3110), which serves as a reference in our editorial office.
Colors and Brightness - Bravia 9 II
The new Bravia 9 II generates a crushing volume of colors. The colors are purer and brighter. Engineers nodded in agreement when the brightness of 4000 nits was mentioned (unofficially) - if this is confirmed, LCD technology will reach an unprecedented level.
OLED vs. RGB Mini-LED
Next to it is the flagship OLED (BRAVIA 8 II). OLED still wins with its black levels in dark scenes, but with full, bright screens, the new nine simply outperforms it in brightness.
Viewing Angles
The improvement in viewing angles turned out to be a surprise. Despite using a VA panel (similar to last year's model), the nature of the RGB backlighting causes the light to adjust its color to the displayed element. The decreases in saturation at an angle are smaller, and the slight glow around objects is perceived by the human eye as more color-coherent.
Sony True RGB 2026
This year, Sony is not refreshing the mid-range or OLEDs (the BRAVIA 8 II and BRAVIA 5 models will stay with us for another year). All the work this year has gone into new technology. We will see two RGB Mini-LED models: BRAVIA 9 II and the cheaper BRAVIA 7 II.
Appearance: New Central Stand
Instead of side legs, we get a central base with an element resembling ribbed glass (a nice "floating" effect above the cabinet and light diffusion). The frames are now slimmer and black, rather than silver.
Screen Sizes and Coatings
BRAVIA 9 II received a matte coating that brilliantly reduces light reflections without distorting colors. There is also a gigantic size of 115 inches, but note – there the coating is satin, not matte.
BRAVIA 7 II is supposed to be the most versatile (sizes from 50 to 98 inches). The finish is slightly less "prestigious," and on board, we will probably find fewer RGB diodes than in the flagship nine.
Gaming and... a mishap with ports?
In the specifications of the flagship models BRAVIA 7 II and BRAVIA 9 II, the maximum refresh rate is capped at 120 Hz. At first glance, looking at the specifications of the competition, which is already racing to numbers like 144 Hz, 240 Hz, or even 330 Hz, this may seem modest. However, in practice, it's important to remember that for console players (PS5, Xbox Series X), this value is more than sufficient, as the current generation of consoles does not produce more than 120 frames per second. Higher refresh rates are only truly meaningful when you connect a PC to the television.
However, the issue of the connection ports raises much greater controversy. In the top-tier flagship models that we saw at the event, only two of the four available HDMI ports were labeled as standard 2.1. This means that if you simultaneously have two next-gen consoles and, for example, a soundbar that requires connection through the eARC port, you will lack sufficient ports to support the highest quality signal.
This is all the more absurd given that the budget model, positioned much lower, BRAVIA 3 II is supposed to offer a full four ports in HDMI 2.1 standard. It is hard to find a logical explanation for the decision in which a customer paying significant money for a flagship product receives fewer 2.1 ports than someone choosing a basic model. At the presentation itself, Sony engineers were also unable to give us a concrete answer as to why such a configuration exists in these models.
Cheaper televisions: BRAVIA 3 II and BRAVIA 2 II
Budget models BRAVIA 3 II and BRAVIA 2 II were also on display. These are basic screens without local dimming. An interesting fact is that the BRAVIA 3 II is supposed to be Sony's most affordable 120 Hz television, tailored for gamers. However, we will see how it performs in terms of pricing against the aggressive Chinese competition with Mini-LEDs.
Audio News: The End of Ready-Made Sets?
Sony showcased a lot of audio equipment at the presentation, where one main trend is visible – the manufacturer is completely shifting to modular systems instead of rigid, ready-made sets. Changes are already starting with the TVs themselves. The BRAVIA 7 II and 9 II models received a redesigned audio system with additional transducers on the back of the cabinet, which is intended to provide better space and sound that keeps up with the picture.
When it comes to external equipment, the most important innovation is the Trio system. This is a completely new design consisting of a small central speaker (in the form of a mini soundbar) and two side speakers. The entire system was created with the idea of expansion – depending on needs and budget, a wireless subwoofer and rear satellite speakers can be purchased at any time.
In a similar direction, the presented novelties from the Bar and Theatre series are going. Sony is moving away from packaging soundbars and subwoofers in one box. You buy just the soundbar, and you choose the rest of the bass or surround components on your own from the manufacturer's offer. Of course, there are also ready-made sets available, but the vast majority is "modular."
True RGB is the best LCD TV of the last decade?
If the manufacturer's claims and what we saw at the closed-door presentation (which we cannot talk about at this moment) actually hold true in practice, then the new BRAVIA 9 II has a great chance of becoming the best LCD TV in recent years. The question is whether the announcements from the engineers and the demonstration conditions will translate into the reality that you will encounter in your own homes. We will of course verify this in our independent tests, which will be coming soon on our website.
