Sony KD-65ZD9

The 65ZD9 is an HDR hero and a prime contender for best TV of the year.

- John Archer

HDR IS PROVING a tough nut for TVs to crack. Not a single model I’ve seen this year has been able to cope with every part of its demands. Sony's 65ZD9, though, gets closer than any of its rivals to solving the HDR conundrum.

The TV sits at the top of the brand's current range (there are, though, larger models available, including a 100in beast for those with a spare £60,000). So, how does Sony denote that top-flight status? By introducing a new aesthetic that sees its bezel flaunting a gold trim. It's eye-catching, although the chunky feeling of the TV (aided by the angled stand) might not be to everyone's taste.

The TV doesn’t offer anything ‘out there’ on the connections front. You get the four HDMIs, three USBs and network hookups you’d expect on any 2016 flagship. But what's special about the 65ZD9 is what's on the inside. For starters it uses a direct LED lighting system (where the lights are placed directly behind the screen). Even better, every one of the more than 600 LEDs that illuminate the TV's pictures can have its light controlled independently of its neighbours.

That’s not the end of the 65ZD9’s light management either. Sony says it employs ‘focused beam’ technology to enable groups of LEDs to combine their light for especially intense parts of the picture, while the brand's X-Tended Dynamic Range processing is on hand to redirect power from dark areas of the picture to bright ones.