Hands-On With The Best Android TV -- The Sony ZD9

Earlier this year, Sony introduced its new flagship Android TV the ZD9, which is also the company’s second-generation Android TV. Building on the critical mass of Android in the mobile segment, Sony is betting big on the potential for Android in home entertainment by launching its premium products with Android. While Google is still maintaining tight control on the applications for Android TV, Sony makes the platform attractive through a TV with exceptional performance and functionality.

The ZD9 is available in three sizes ranging from 65 inches to 100 inches, we tested the 65-inch version. The ZD9 also comes with a voice-enabled remote control with dedicated Netflix and Google Play buttons, and two pairs of 3D glass. The ZD9 itself is packed with the latest features and technology, including the 4K HDR resolution (3840x21600), 4K Direct

LED Backlight Master Drive, and 4K HDR processor X1 Extreme. In terms of connectivity, the ZD9 resembles a network hub with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth (4.1 HID) and Bluetooth Low-Energy (HOGP), USB ports, the traditional A/V inputs, and both Chromecast and Miracast for wireless A/V connectivity. The entire specification sheet on the ZD9 takes several pages and reads like a complete home entertainment system.

At the heart of the system is the MediaTek MT5832 SoC running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, the latest version of Android TV. The MT5862 features four ARM Cortex-A53 low-power processor cores and ARM Mali TP860 GPU, bringing the latest in mobile technology to the living room. The MT5863 is paired with up to 16GB of memory, but only 8GB as tested. Additional storage can be added via the three USB ports, which work just as well with high-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs) as they do with flash drives. The ZD9 also comes preloaded with a variety of applications, some that are region specific.

The TV is very aesthetically pleasing with covers on the connectors and a panel to hide the cables as they run down through the stand for a very clean look. When first starting the TV, the first thing noticed is the incredible black levels that rival an OLED. In terms of content, the ZD9 was tested with 4K content from Amazon and Netflix, Android games, and a variety of other content. In the end, the ZD9 delivers the best picture quality in the industry. (For a complete review of the test results and specifications, please refer to the full review)

The ZD9 also provides one of the industry’s best user experiences with an easy to follow-up setup menu for networking and accounts, an easy to use and fairly accurate voice recognition through the remote control, easy access to content through other devices via Miracast and the photo and video sharing applications. And yes, the ZD9 even supports 3D for those interested.

Overall, the ZD9 stands out as the best Android TV and one of the best TVs and home entertainment solutions in the industry. However, at $3,200 for the 65-inch version, the ZD9 is only for the most demanding consumers, but look for the technology to migrate down to lower-priced units over the next year or two.  

The ZD9 also demonstrates a continued improvement in the user experience of the Android platform. While there are still competing proprietary platforms available from companies like LG and Samsung, the Android platform is gaining momentum and is likely to supplant the proprietary solution in the future.