Update 30.05.2024: During a Dolby Vision Technical Webinar, Nate McFarlin refers to a ‘new’ A95L shown beside the BVM-HX3110 reference mastering monitor at NAB that comes with ASBL disabled out of the box. This must have been the FWD commercial version.
Update 18.04.2024: “Sony can provide custom firmware to Hollywood studios to disable panel ABL (dimming) [on the consumer A95L] but it will void warranty.” Sony must have been referring to ASBL, not ABL. Source: FlatpanelsHD
When Sony announced the release of the FWD-A95L sometime earlier this month, we reached out to Sony Professional and B&H Photo to learn what features differentiate the pro model from the consumer one and whether auto-dimming (employed by manufacturers to reduce the risk of image retention and burn-in) could be disabled on the FWD model for use in a post-production environment. We got conflicting responses from Sony and B&H. Over the phone, Sony Professional Europe said that what distinguishes the FWD from the XR are (1) control over IP and (2) a 3-year warranty. When asked about auto-dimming, we were told that it could be turned off, but upon further discussion, it turned out that they were referring to the ambient light sensor.
When asked what additional features the FWD has that the XR does not, B&H Photo responded, “The Sony BRAVIA FWD-65A95L 65″ 4K HDR Smart Commercial QD-OLED Display is a professional commercial display and includes SONY’s 3 year USA warranty with advanced exchange handled by local partner, on premise where possible. You can also choose to extend your support for an additional 2 years. The Sony BRAVIA FWD-65A95L also has access to menus and features designed specifically for meetings and presentations not available on the consumer Sony BRAVIA XR A95L.”
As for auto-dimming, in the Q&A section of the FWD-65A95L product page, one B&H staffer answered that auto-dimming was disabled, while another staffer sent us an email saying it could not be disabled. More recently, Craig R at B&H wrote, “On Sony Pro Bravia OLED models, such as the Sony FWD-65A95L, the auto-dimming is disabled by default and is no longer able to be controlled by the user.” He added that the FWD comes with a 1-year commercial warranty, whereas it actually comes with a 3-year warranty that can be extended by another 2 years.
The Sony Bravia FWD-65A95L costs USD $2,000.00 more than the XR A95L.
Note: It has not been independently confirmed that ASBL has been disabled on the FWD-A95L.
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