Sony TV model number decode, mean, explained 2012-2024

Sony TVs are pretty good, but unfortunately, this brand is losing popularity in the US and Europe mainly because of the price, which is higher than most similar-class TVs from other manufacturers. Still, Sony’s picture quality is better, and customers appreciate this brand; for example, Sony TVs are popular in Japan. Sony has good mid-range and high-end TVs, but OEMs produce budget models. Sony tries to produce TVs with all the new technological advances in mind, so there are OLED TVs in the lineup. 

In 2024, Sony radically changed its approach to model numbers, organizing them logically and making them more accessible to customers.

Sony TV model number structure since 2024

Prior to 2024, Sony TV model numbers were very confusing and it was possible to understand what class of TV you were buying, but it was quite time consuming to understand and search for information. With the new model numbers, the model number structure is now clearer and consists of four blocks.

1. Model Year
2. Screen size
3. TV line
4. Series and Model

In the figure below, you can see which blocks the model number consists of.

Sony Bravia TV model number structure by year

The model number has changed over time, so I decided to put together a small table that will give you a visual indication of which period the model number of the Sony TV you are interested in belongs to.

year/country	US	Europe	Japan
2024	K-65XR90
2023	XBR-75X95G	XBR-75X95G	XBRJ-75X95G
2022
2021
2020		XBR-55XF9005
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015		XBR-75X95G
2014
2013
2006-2012	KDL-32E480/KDL-32E4800
1990-2005	KV-20TS30		KV-29DS65

Sony TV model number decode

Since Sony changed the model number structure in 2024 and started to position its TVs by series, you may come across a Bravia 3 or Bravia 9 TV using the Bravia brand. This means that Sony has decided to position its TVs more by series, so when choosing a TV, you should pay more attention to its commercial name. For example, you can quote TV names such as

BRAVIA 9 65″ Mini LED QLED 4K HDR Google TV (2024) model K-65XR90
BRAVIA 8 65 class OLED 4K HDR Google TV (2024) model K-65XR80

As you can see from the example, the model numbers are almost identical, and it is impossible to tell that the TVs belong to different classes. In this case, the Bravia 9 is an LED TV, although with a mini LED screen, such a screen is more expensive to produce. The Bravia 8 model is an OLED TV. An OLED TV is better in terms of picture quality, but here, the price plays a role in the series designation; a more expensive TV that is inferior in terms of picture quality belongs to a higher series simply because of the price.

Here’s how to decode the model number of a 2024 Sony TV.

• K – the letter in front of the model number indicates the year the TV was developed, 2024.
• 65 – the size of the screen diagonal in inches.
• XR – type of processor in TVs, XR Processor, this is a trademark registered by Sony, in previous years such processors were called with artificial intelligence or cognitive processor. In fact, it is an ordinary processor manufactured by a specialized company, the video chip supports 4K resolution, 120Hz and HDMI ports of 2.1 standard.
  • KD – conventional processors, usually previous generations or simplified, these TVs are usually produced by OEMs for Sony. These are mid-range and budget class TVs.
  • S – super-budget series of TVs, minimal specifications, OEM production, TVs sold under the Sony brand.

Sony TV model numbers 2021-2023.

Between 2021 and 2023, Sony made the model numbers the same worldwide, possibly due to the transition to the Google TV operating system.

Explanation of the Sony TV model number using the example of model XR-65A90J:

• XR – High-End TV; such TVs are designed and assembled in Sony factories. XR is a trademark registered by Sony for marketing purposes.
  • XRJ is a high-end TV for Japan.
  • KD is a budget TV with a cheap screen and minimal specifications. These TVs can be assembled by OEMs.
  • KJ is a budget TV for Japan.
  • KE – TV assembled for the UK.
• 65 – Screen size in inches
• A – OLED TV
  • R – Low budget segment, used in some countries only
  • W – Medium budget segment, used in some countries only
  • S – mid-range TVs, a budget segment in Europe and the US.
  • X – Premium TVs.
• 9 – TV series
• 0 – TV model
• J is the year of TV release, in this case, 2021.

CJ, CK, CL: You may also see these model numbers; these are TVs that are shipped for sale to large retailers such as Costco in the US. These TVs may have minor technical differences.

Sony TV model number Europe since 2016 (2016-2020)

From 2016 to 2020, for Europe and some other countries, Sony TVs have a slightly different model number designation. The letter representing the year of development is shown immediately after the screen size and class of the TV; it has been moved from the end of the number to the middle. There are more symbols in the number itself, and the last two digits indicate the construction of the TV. I will not explain the meaning of the symbols in detail in this section, but I will explain it in more detail later, using TVs manufactured since 2013 as an example.

Sony TV models number 2013-2023  North America and old model number Europe 2013-2015 years.

Sony changed the model numbers in 2013 due to the release of significant differences that needed to be indicated in the model number, such as Smart TVs or TVs with 3D support. The new model number format was used from 2013 to 2023 in North America and Europe from 2013 to 2015 and 2021 to 2023.

So, more about the model number: Although it is similar to the 2021-2023 model number mentioned above, at that time, TVs had technologies that are now outdated or, on the contrary, have become standard and no longer need to be mentioned in the model number.

Here’s how the model number of the 2013 Sony TVs can be explained. 

• XBR is a line of premium TVs. Since 2015, all 4K TVs in the North American market have been labeled XBR. As of 2021, it is no longer used and will be replaced by XR.
  • KD – TV with standard processor, UHD (4K) resolution.
  • KDL – TV with a standard processor, Full HD resolution or lower.
  • KE – TV designed for the UK.
  • XRJ – XR cognitive processor, TV made for Japan
  • KJ – budget segment TVs for the Japanese market.
• 75 – TV screen size in inches.
• X – premium TVs.
  • R – low-end TVs with minimal features, budget segment.
  • W – mid-range TVs with optimal parameters and budget segment, but slightly better than R.
  • S – mid-range TVs
  • Z – TVs with 3D before the 2017 release year, after 2017 means 8K resolution.
  • A – OLED TVs
• 9 – series
• 50 – model in the series
• G – model of 2019 release year

While most TVs had Full HD screens from 2013 to 2015, the situation changed in 2016, and TVs with 4K screens became a mass segment. There was also a tendency to reduce the number of models, so the R and W models were gradually phased out.

How to find out the year of manufacture of your Sony TV by model number

If you want to know the year of your Sony Bravia TV, look at the model number – it has a letter that stands for the year of manufacture. Sony releases a particular TV model for about one year, from the second quarter to the second quarter of the following year. For example, the XR-65A90L TV model (model year 2023) will be released from the second quarter of 2023 through the second quarter of 2023. Below is a list of matching letters and year of release for Sony TVs.

• A – 2013
• B – 2014
• C – 2015
• D – 2016
• E – 2017
• F – 2018
• G – 2019
• H – 2020
• J – 2021
• K – 2022
• L – 2023

From 2024, since the number format has been changed, the year can be recognized by the new format, e.g. K-65XR90.

K -2024

What Bravia means in Sony TVs

Bravia, “Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture,” is a marketing name registered by Sony. It is used for Sony TVs as a recognizable TV brand and was meant to emphasize the uniqueness of the TVs. Bravia was also used for Sony mobile phones, but that was an experiment. Now Bravia is only used for Sony televisions. Over the 18 years, the name has become very closely associated with TVs; Sony Bravia is now seen as something unique, and many people think that Sony TV and Sony Bravia are different TVs. In 2024, the Bravia name was taken to a new level and Sony TVs were now called Bravia 3, Bravia 7 or Bravia 9.