Sony is bundling its new Bravia Core streaming service into purchases of 2021 Bravia XR TVs. The service streams at up to 80Mbps and lossless 4K UHD resolution, provided you've got the bandwidth to support it.
To be clear, the streaming service is only available to those with a brand new TV from Sony's Bravia XR line, which Sony bills as the "world's first TVs with cognitive intelligence." You can check out more on that here, but essentially the TVs tweak the image somewhat in an effort to better replicate how we humans see the real world.
Anyway, Bravia Core will come with hundreds of classic Sony movies and new box office hits, from the original Ghostbusters to last year's Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel. Subscribers will also have access to the largest IMAX Enhanced catalog of any current streaming service. Better yet, the service includes extra scenes, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage so you can dig deeper into your favorite movies.
Sony's flagship collection of new Bravia XR 4K and 8K TVs is launching later this year, with pricing details coming sometime this Spring. Premium models get two years of Bravo Core and 10 credits to redeem for movies fresh off their theatrical runs, while some of the more affordable options include only 12 months and 5 credits. So, it sounds like recent blockbusters will need to be redeemed using credits, while the rest of the catalog is available to stream for free.
It's unclear what becomes of the streaming service after subscriptions time out, but it'd be real nifty if Sony decides to add support for PS5. Again, if your internet plan and connection can swing it, the image quality would be unparalleled in modern streaming. As What Hi-Fi points out, 4K at 80Mbps is a huge jump from the standard 25-30Mbps supported by Netflix and other streaming services.
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