In a move that has caught many by surprise, Sony quietly introduced a new OLED TV model earlier this week dubbed the Bravia 8A. CE Pro readers will want to pause before searching it up for themselves, however, as currently, the model seems to be available only in UK markets.
The Unique Case of the Bravia 8A
What makes the Bravia 8A unique is that it appears to be a variant of the existing Bravia 8 model. By variant we mean that both displays offer nearly identical performance, however, there have been a few downgrades identified by multiple sources on the 8A despite it having a higher price tag than the baseline 8.
The two main differences between the Bravia 8 and the Bravia 8A, as identified by Sony are such:
- No backlight on the remote for the 8A
- And fewer perks in the streaming bundle (5 credits and 12 months of Sony Pictures Core, versus 12 credits and 24 months on the Bravia 8).
As for the heightened price tag, Sony blames introductory pricing for that.
So, Bravia 8 or Bravia 8A?
According to Sony the Bravia 8A is not meant to be a replacement for the Bravia 8, but instead an option to sit alongside it. It’s a pared down version of the OLED, which, if Sony’s comments on introductory pricing hold true, is likely meant to be a more budget option in comparison. The only question is how much cheaper the display could possibly be by shaving off those minor features.
TV Tier Trade-Offs and Feature Swaps
Now Sony isn’t alone in tuning its TV lineups to appeal to different audience segments. Across the board manufacturers have been experimenting with model variants, feature trade-offs and tiered packaging to better hit diverse consumer segments. The “good, better, best” approach is something that has been widely embraced by the industry over the years.
In an era where pricing wars have driven TV margins into the dirt, it’s more the norm to see all levels of a product have relatively similar performance, with the pricing difference coming in the different features and services offered.
Hardware add-ons, firmware tweaks and various white-glove services have become far more common levers in moving the price tag than raw performance.
What Should Integrators Keep an Eye Out For?
In short: the SKU. In the places where tiered packaging tends to take hold, it often develops into its own cottage industry meant to dazzle with a profundity of options (though it very often confuses), which makes one of the roles of the integrator being that of a translator almost.
Clients like clarity and transparency. And just about everyone likes getting something good for less. The case of the Bravia 8 vs. the 8A highlights the importance of knowing product and being able to explain where those changes in price come from to the user so they’re not getting skimped on features or accompaniments they might want. Especially considering how under the radar this one started off as.
It also might offer a look into how TV manufacturers might choose to segment their products and differentiate costs beyond headline specs. It wasn’t too long ago that brands like LG were exploring subscription-based TV models as a means of generating more revenue. Considering how razor thin the margins are on TVs to begin with, any shift in pricing habits at the manufacturer level is worth paying attention to.
