Sony Z9K is 8K UHD TV series that introduced as the successor of Sony Z9J. Sony Z9K comes as part of Sony’s 2022 TV lineup while Sony Z9J was released as part of Sony’s 2021 TV lineup. Both Sony Z9K and Z9J come with 2 screen size options: 85-Inch (XR85Z9K & XR85Z9J) and 75-Inch (XR75Z9K & XR75Z9J). What is improved in Sony Z9K that comes as the successor of Sony Z9J? This article will talk about comparison between Sony Z9K and Z9J so that we can find out what is improved in Sony Z9K as the successor series.
What Should You Know about Sony Z9K?
Sony Z9K is currently the only 8K UHD LED TV series introduced by Sony in their 2022 TV lineup. Sony Z9K is completed with the most advanced LED TV technology in 2022. It comes with Mini-LED Backlight on top of XR Backlight Master Drive Technology. Mini-LED backlight with XR Backlight Master Drive Technology is able to deliver excellent contrast vibrancy between the bright and dark parts of the screen of this TV. The contrast is also enhanced by XR Contrast Booster 20, XR HDR remaster and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer. XR Contrast Booster 20 brings higher peak brightness, XR HDR Remaster reproduces greater depth and textures while Dynamic Contrast Enhancer adjusts the contrast to match the lighting condition of the environment. Sony Z9K comes with XR Triluminos Pro that brings rich and accurate color details. The color is also improved by XR Smoothing that creates more natural color and Live Color Technology that brings more lively color details. XR 8K Upscaling is integrated on top of 8K UHD resolution of Sony Z9K so that we can enjoy excellent picture clarity not only from original 8K content sources but also from non 8K contents that upscaled into near 8K picture quality. We can also find Dual database processing and XR Super Resolution as two additional clarity technology. Dual database processing can reduce on-screen noise especially for upscaled non 8K contents while XR Super Resolution can detect every objects in a picture then upscales their resolution for better clarity and details. Sony Z9K already supports HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG so that we can enjoy enhanced details and expanded contrast from wide range of HDR content sources. XR Motion Clarity that based on 120Hz native refresh rate is integrated as the motion technology of Sony Z9K. It can deliver fluid motion images for our favorite action movies and sports while also can bring minimum input lag when we use this TV as our gaming monitor. To bring more immersive gaming experience, Sony Z9K already supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) on top of its HDMI 2.1. The color, clarity and contrast of Sony Z9K are optimized by Cognitive Processor XR that integrated as the picture processor of this TV. Google TV is the operating system integrated with Sony Z9K. Google TV is able to brings wide collection of smart apps from our favorite content providers as well as allows us to run wide collection of smart apps with the access to Google Play Store. We can also find 802.11ac wireless is already attached to this TV that can help us easily connect this TV to our home network. Sony Z9K is also completed with ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) that allows us to enjoy HDR OTA (Over the Air) entertainment. The remote control included with Sony Z9K is Premium Backlit Remote that allows us to control this TV conveniently even in dark watching environment. Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit/AirPlay are also supported by this TV to give us more options to control this TV using our voice. Bravia CAM is bundled with Sony Z9K that allows us to video chat with our friends and families on the TV’s big screen while also allows this TV to optimizes the picture and sound to match the room’s condition. Sony Z9K can deliver rich and powerful sound with its Acoustic Multi-Audio speaker that powered by 12.5 W + 12.5 W + 20 W + 20 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W audio output. We can also attach more advanced AV system with eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) to enjoy higher quality audio formats.
| Sony Z9K Prices | |
| 85-Inch (XR85Z9K) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
| 75-Inch (XR75Z9K) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
What Should You Know about Sony Z9J?
Sony Z9J was released as the only 8K UHD LED TV series from Sony’s 2021 TV lineup. It comes with Full Array LED backlight that is completed with local dimming. Full Array Local Dimming allows us to enjoy vibrant contrast on the screen of Sony Z9J. Sony Z90J is also completed with XR Contrast Booster 15, XR HDR Remaster and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer as its additional contrast technology. XR Contrast Booster 15 is able to brings wider contrast range between the brightest and darkest part of the TV screen, XR HDR Remaster reproduces greater depth and textures while Dynamic Contrast Enhancer adjust the screen brightness according to the environment’s lighting condition. Sony Z9J comes with XR 8K Upscaling on top of its 8K UHD resolution so that we can enjoy excellent picture clarity not only from original 8K content sources but also from non 8K contents that upscaled into near 8K picture quality. There are also two additional clarity technology integrated with Sony Z9J : Dual database processing that reduces on-screen noise especially for upscaled non 8K contents and XR Super Resolution that detects individual objects in a picture then upscale their resolution for better clarity. Sony Z9J is able to deliver rich and accurate color details with XR Triluminos Pro integrated on its screen. The color is also enhanced by XR Smoothing that creates more natural color and Live Color Technology that delivers more lively color details. We can enjoy enhanced details and expanded contrast from wide range of HDR content sources on the screen of Sony Z9J since it already supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG. The color, clarity and contrast of the picture delivered on the screen of Sony Z9J are optimized by Cognitive Processor XR that integrated as the picture processor of this TV. We can enjoy smooth motion images from our favorite action movies and sports with XR Motion Clarity that integrated as the motion technology of this TV. XR Motion Clarity that based on 120Hz native refresh rate also allows us to enjoy minimum input lag when we use this TV as our gaming monitor. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) are already supported by HDMI 2.1 of Sony Z9J to bring more immersive gaming experience on the screen of this TV. With Google TV integrated as its Operating System, we can enjoy wide range of premium entertainment on the screen of Sony Z9J. Google TV is also connected to Google Play Store so that we can also run wide collection of smart apps on the screen of this TV. To help us connect to our home network, 802.11ac wireless is already attached with Sony Z9J. ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) is also integrated with this TV so that we can enjoy HDR OTA (Over the Air) entertainment. We can control Sony Z9J conveniently with its included Premium Backlit Remote that can be used in the dark watching environment. We can also use Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit/AirPlay to control Sony Z9J since they are already supported. The speaker system integrated with Sony Z9J is 85W (12.5 W + 12.5 W + 20 W + 20 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W) Acoustic Multi-Audio that can deliver rich and powerful sound quality. We can also setup additional AV system with eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) of Sony Z9J that can help us to enjoy higher quality audio formats.
| Sony Z9J Prices | |
| 85-Inch (XR85Z9J) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
| 75-Inch (XR75Z9J) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
Similarities & Differences Table of Sony Z9K and Z9J
It’s necessary for us to look at the specs and features of Sony Z9K and Z9J before we can talk more about their comparison. The key specs and features of Sony Z9K and Z9J can be found in the table below with similarities and differences format.
| Sony Z9K |
Sony Z9J | |||||
| Similarities | ||||||
| Brand | Sony | Sony | ||||
| Resolution | 8K UHD | 8K UHD | ||||
| Display Technology | LED | LED | ||||
| Dimming Technology | Local Dimming | Local Dimming | ||||
| Contrast Technology |
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| Clarity Technology |
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| Color Technology |
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| HDR Support |
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| Motion Technology | XR Motion Clarity (120Hz Native) | XR Motion Clarity (120Hz Native) | ||||
| Gaming Technology |
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| Picture Processor | Cognitive Processor XR | Cognitive Processor XR | ||||
| Operating System | Google TV | Google TV | ||||
| Remote Control | Premium Backlit Control | Premium Backlit Control | ||||
| Control Support |
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| Built-in Wifi | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | ||||
| ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) | YES | YES | ||||
| Sound Technology |
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| HDMI/USB | 4/2 | 4/2 | ||||
| Differences | ||||||
| Introduced | 2022 | 2021 | ||||
| Backlight Technology | Mini LED | Full Array LED | ||||
| XR Backlight Master Drive | YES | NO | ||||
| XR Contrast Booster Version | XR Contrast Booster 20 | XR Contrast Booster 15 | ||||
| Bravia CAM | YES | NO | ||||
| Price | Higher | Lower | ||||
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Comparison of Sony Z9K and Z9J
The similarities and differences table above shows us the key specs and features of Sony Z9K and Z9J. Based on their specs and features, let’s talk more about comparison between those two 8K UHD TV.
Picture Technology
Both Sony Z9K and Z9J come with 8K UHD resolution that is completed with XR 8K Upscaling so that we can enjoy excellent 8K picture clarity not only from original 8K content sources but also from non 8K contents that upscaled into near 8K picture quality. XR 8K Upscaling is already integrated with both Sony Z9K and Z9J. It can upscales non 8K contents into near 8K picture quality so that we can enjoy excellent picture clarity not only from original 8K content sources but also from non 8K contents that upscaled into near 8K picture quality. The clarity of Sony Z9K and Z9J are also enhanced by Dual database processing that reduce on-screen noise especially for upscaled non 8K contents and XR Super Resolution that detects individual objects in a picture then upscales their resolution for better details.
Sony Z9K and Z9J come with different backlight technology. Sony Z9K already comes with Mini LED backlight while Sony Z9J comes with Full Array LED backlight. Mini LED is more advanced backlight technology than Full Array LED that allows us to enjoy better contrast vibrancy across the LED screen of Sony Z9K. We can also find that Sony Z9K is completed with XR Backlight Master Drive that can’t be found in Sony Z9J. XR Backlight Master Drive is able to enhance the contrast quality of Sony Z9K. We can also find that the version of XR Contrast Booster of Sony Z9K and Z9J are different. Sony Z9K comes with XR Contrast Booster 20 while Sony Z9J comes with XR Contrast Booster 15. XR Contrast Booster 20 is able to delivers higher peak brightness on the screen of Sony Z9K than XR Contrast Booster 15 of Sony Z9J. XR HDR remaster and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer are additionally integrated with Sony Z9K and Z9J. XR HDR remaster can reproduce greater depth and textures while Dynamic Contrast Enhancer can adjust the contrast brightness according to the environment’s lighting condition.
The color technology of Sony Z9K and Z9J are similar. They both come with XR Triluminos Pro. XR Triluminos Pro is able to deliver rich and accurate color details on the screen of those two TVs. The color is also enhanced by XR Smoothing that creates more natural color details and Live Color Technology that brings more lively color details.
Both Sony Z9K and Z9J already support HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG so that we can enjoy enhanced details and expanded contrast from wide range of HDR content sources. We can also find that the picture processor integrated with Sony Z9K and Z9J are similar. They are both powered by Cognitive Processor XR that can optimize the color, clarity and contrast of the picture delivered on the screen of those two TVs.
Motion and Gaming Technology
The motion technology of Sony Z9K and Z9J are similar. They both come with XR Motion Clarity that is based on 120Hz Native refresh rate. XR Motion Clarity allows us to enjoy fluid motion images from our favorite action movies and sports. It’s also able to bring minimum input lag when we use the TV as our gaming monitor. Both Sony Z9K and Z9J also support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) to bring more immersive gaming experience on the screen of those two TVs.
Operating System and Remote Control
Google TV is the operating system of Sony Z9K and Z9J. Google TV is able to deliver wide range of premium entertainment from our favorite content providers while also allowing us to run wide collection of smart apps with access to Google Play Store. 802.11ac wireless is already attached with Sony Z9K and Z9J to help us connect those two TVs to our home network.
The remote control that is included with Sony Z9K and Z9J are basically similar. They both come with Premium Backlit Remote. It allows us to control those two TVs conveniently even in the dark watching environment. We can also control Sony Z9K and Z9J with Google Assistant as well as Apple HomeKit/Air Play 2 since they are already supported.
Sony Z9K already comes with Bravia CAM that we can’t find in Sony Z9J. Bravia CAM allows us to video chat on the TV’s big screen while also allows Ambient Optimization Pro that optimizes the picture and sound according to the watching environment.
Sound Technology
Both Sony Z9K and Z9J come with Acoustic Multi-Audio speaker powered by 12.5 W + 12.5 W + 20 W + 20 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W + 5 W (85 Watts) output. Acoustic Multi-Audio speaker with 85 watts output is surely able to deliver rich and powerful sound experience. We can also setup additional AV system with eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) to enjoy higher quality audio formats since both of those two TVs already support eARC.
Price
If we look at the price of Sony Z9K and Z9J, we can find that Sony Z9K that comes as the successor series is normally offered at the higher price than Sony Z9J for similar screen size option. How much is the price difference between Sony Z9K and Z9J? It’s a good idea to check the price of those two TVs so that we can find their latest price difference since TV prices often change over time.
What is Improved in Sony Z9K?
We have talked about comparison between Sony Z9K and Z9J. We can find that there are few improvements in Sony Z9K as the successor of Sony Z9J. The main improvement of Sony Z9K comes from its contrast technology. Sony Z9K comes with more advanced Mini-LED backlight that is completed with XR Backlight Master Drive. It’s also completed with more advanced XR Contrast Booster 20 that can deliver higher peak brightness. We can also find another improvement in the Bravia CAM bundled with this TV. Bravia CAM allows us to video chat in the TV’s big screen as well as adjust the picture and sound to match the environment’s condition. So, if you don’t mind spending higher for more excellent contrast and Bravia CAM then Sony Z9K is the one that you should choose.
| Sony Z9K Prices | |
| 85-Inch (XR85Z9K) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
| 75-Inch (XR75Z9K) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
Sony Z9J is a good alternative choice if you are looking for Sony 8K UHD TV and Sony Z9K is still too expensive for you. Sony Z9J is still able to deliver good contrast vibrancy with its Full Array Local Dimming backlight and XR Contrast Booster 15 although it’s not as excellent as Sony Z9K. As the predecessor series, Sony Z9J also doesn’t come with Bravia CAM. So, if your budget is more limited and you don’t mind with less excellent contrast and the absence of Bravia CAM, then Sony Z9J is a good choice for you.
| Sony Z9J Prices | |
| 85-Inch (XR85Z9J) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |
| 75-Inch (XR75Z9J) | Check Today’s Price (Walmart.com)… |