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The Bravia 7 II is one of the best showcases for RGB LED tech, and it’s on sale in the lead-up to Black Friday.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
RGB LED is the newest advancement in TV technology, enabling a wider, purer range of colors than ever before. But certain RGB LED TVs perform better than others. I put top models from brands like Sony, Samsung, and Hisense to the test, and the Sony Bravia 7 II stands out as my favorite of the bunch. It’s a great showcase for RGB tech’s biggest strengths while still coming in at a reasonable price. And ahead of Black Friday, it’s an even better deal at up to $1,000 off .
What sets the Bravia 7 II apart from other TVs is its use of Sony’s True RGB backlight. True RGB tech relies on separate red, green, and blue LEDs to create a wider range of colors than you’d get on a typical QLED, Mini LED, or even OLED TV. It also features excellent local dimming and solid viewing angles for a backlit display. The 65-inch model is an especially great value at $1,000 off via Best Buy and the Sony online store .
I’ve covered TVs for more than a decade, and the Bravia 7 II is easily one of the best values Sony has ever offered. The brand is known for charging top-tier prices for top-tier performance, and though the Bravia 7 II still costs a decent chunk of change, its price is surprisingly competitive for such new technology — especially with these savings.
Looking for more TV discounts? Check out my full roundup of all the best early Black Friday TV deals .
50-inch Bravia 7 II – $1,600 $1,300 at Sony and Best Buy
55-inch Bravia 7 II – $2,100 $1,400 at Sony and Best Buy
65-inch Bravia 7 II – $2,600 $1,600 at Sony and Best Buy
75-inch Bravia 7 II – $3,100 $2,300 at Sony and Best Buy
85-inch Bravia 7 II – $4,000 $3,500 at Sony and Best Buy
Why I love the Sony Bravia 7 II True RGB TV
The Bravia 7 II’s True RGB backlight enables better color and contrast than typical QLED and Mini LED TVs.
Steven Cohen/Business Insider
The Bravia 7 II is the best Sony TV for most shoppers. It uses the same core RGB backlight technology that powers the higher-end Bravia 9 II , but costs considerably less.
Its wide color performance is impressive. In my testing, the TV reproduced about 87% of the BT.2020 color gamut. Though it’s still rare for content to take full advantage of such a wide color space, that extra coverage helps future-proof the TV. It also covers close to 100% of the P3 gamut used in most HDR videos today, giving movies and shows natural yet rich colors.
The Bravia 7 II gets plenty bright, too, hitting around 2,243 nits in my tests. More impressively, Sony’s local dimming harnesses that brightness better than most backlit TVs in this price range. I noticed some subtle light bleed in letterbox bars while watching widescreen movies, but otherwise the TV’s black levels often disappear into a dark room, completely avoiding the cloudy, washed-out look that plagues cheap LED sets.
Viewing angles are another pleasant surprise for a backlit TV. In one of my regular test clips, bold red shades stayed rich when I watched from an off-center seat at my desk. On many competing displays, those same tones lose their punch and start to look orange.
Sony also nails the day-to-day experience with the snappy Google TV interface, Gemini voice controls, and a clever “Mirage Stand.” The stand’s transparent front panel uses optical refraction to make cables routed behind it almost appear to vanish. It’s a small design flourish, but one that just makes you smile when you see it.
I’ve tested other RGB LED TVs with strong results, but the Bravia 7 II is the value leader. The Samsung R95H offers an even wider range of colors, but it’s more expensive and measured a little dimmer. Meanwhile, the Hisense UR9 is competitively priced and actually a bit brighter than the Bravia 7 II, but Sony still pulls ahead with more precise dimming and image processing for a cleaner, more consistent-looking picture.
The Bravia 7 II does miss out on a few premium perks that you’d get with the more expensive Bravia 9 II , including higher brightness, an impressive anti-reflective coating, and a rechargeable backlit remote. But considering the price gap, the 7 II comes remarkably close to Sony’s flagship-level performance.
Looking for more TV recommendations? Check out our guide to the best TVs . And learn more about RGB tech in our RGB LED vs. Mini LED comparison .
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