At CES 2017, HDR was unsurprisingly everywhere and the format has become a key differentiator of 4K. Simply put, once you see 4K HDR, you’ll never want to go back to HD, let alone 4K content. When Sony announced PS4 Pro, one of it’s main features was the ability to play 4K HDR games but HDR gaming was also coming to the normal PS4 despite its inability to output 4K. Typically 4K and HDR have gone hand in hand and many, including yours truly, had assumed that in order to have HDR, you’d need to have 4K as well. Apparently, I’m wrong.

Chris Hall from Pocket-lint writes about a series of new Sony HDR HDTVs that are set to come to market this year.

 So far, HDR has followed 4K, i.e., higher resolution TVs, and that was certainly the story through 2016. Now there is a selection of 2017 Sony Bravia TVs that offer HDR without that bump in resolution. That should mean cheaper prices and it also means smaller sizes, but still bringing the advantage of that dramatic visual experience that HDR offers.

There are a number of different models, starting with the Sony Bravia RE40, a 32-inch entry-level 720p TV with the added benefit of HDR and the RE45, a 40-inch Full HD TV with HDR.

Then we step up to the WE61 and WE66 which basically repeats this position with a 32-inch and 40-inch model, but at this level it adds in smart TV functions (using Sony’s own platform) and giving you Wi-Fi with access to YouTube, for example.

The pick of the bunch, however, is the WE75. This offers the same features as the WE66, a Full HD HDR panel, but this one is Triluminos and comes in 43 and 49 in sizes. That leads to better colours than the WE66: we’ve seen them side-by-side and the WE75 is definitely the better looking display. 

Seeing how you can easily get a Sony 4K TV for under $1,000 and a lot of other cheap brands offering 4K TVs around $500, I’m not sure I entirely see the point of these TVs no matter the cost. This might have been great 2-3 years ago but looking at current TV pricing, does Sony really need to play in the $300-$800 TV category? In fact I’d assumed that Sony was planning on transitioning their HDTVs out as 4K prices continue to fall but this obviously points to a different strategy.

I’m curious to see what the price tag on these TVs will be though I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony didn’t release these in all markets like North America and instead targeted more developing nations where there might not be an appetite for 4K yet. One thing is for sure, these HDR HDTVs are good looking for a “budget” TV.