Bravia Core Explained: The Streaming Service Built For Sony Bravia TVs

Bravia Core is a streaming service that’s only available on Sony Bravia XR smart TVs. Of course, the idea of including some form of free streaming with a TV is not new. Roku smart TVs can access The Roku Channel, while Samsung smart TV owners can take advantage of Samsung TV Plus. Although Bravia Core is yet another example of a combined software and hardware strategy, the relationship between the two is far more apparent and effective.

Sony smart TVs are known for their quality and typically come with a number of premium features and support. As is often the case, opting for a more expensive model also increases or expands on those features and support, and the company’s Bravia XR line is a prime example. In addition to the OLED display, the latest models also feature support for 4K, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, Netflix Calibrated Mode and Pure Stream, among others.

Bravia Core is simply Sony’s take on an in-house streaming service with owners of a compatible 2021 smart TV able to stream a number of movies for free. While that’s the basic take, what Sony is really offering here is a streaming service that’s specifically designed to maximize the very technologies included in the TV. In this sense, it is not a streaming service that’s simply included for free with a TV, but one that’s pretty much built specifically for these TVs. At the same time, this also makes Bravia Core a service that’s built for movie lovers. For example, beyond the actual titles available to stream, there’s also a Studio Access section which Sony describes as the ability to “go deeper into the creation of your favorite movies.” This translates as a section where users can find additional related content, such as trailers, behind the scenes clips, making of documentaries, and bloopers. For movie fans, this section is similar to the extras often included on Blu-ray discs and DVDs.

Unlimited, IMAX Enhanced and Pure Stream streaming

Arguably, two of the main selling points with Bravia Core is the ability to watch in IMAX Enhanced and in Pure Stream. Both are designed to upgrade the viewing experience, albeit in slightly different ways, and both can be used together for the best streaming experience possible on a Sony Bravia TV.

Of the two IMAX Enhanced, or IMAX E, is likely to be the one many are already family with. First announced in 2018, IMAX Enhanced essentially looks to offer a movie theater-like experience at home with titles having been remastered to enhance both the image and sound. The catalog of IMAX Enhanced titles is still growing, but Bravia Core seems to have a good amount available to stream already. In fact, the single largest selection of IMAX Enhanced titles currently available, according to Sony.

Pure Stream, on the other hand, is Sony’s lossless streaming solution. Designed to improve the quality of the streaming experience, Pure Stream is said to be able to deliver streams at up to 80 Mbps. Naturally, this comes at a data and speed cost with Sony recommending a minimum internet speed of 115 Mbps for those that want to maximize the experience. Due to the higher demand for lossless video streaming, Pure Stream is optional and can be enabled or disable at any time through the Bravia Core app’s settings.

As one might expect, streaming IMAX Enhanced movies with Pure Stream enabled is clearly a winner. Users end up with an enhanced picture and sound quality that’s underpinned by a lossless streaming experience, and this is without even taking into consideration the various benefits of the smart TV to begin with. If the goal is simply to watch movies at home over the internet, in the best quality possible, then it’s hard to see a better way right now than through Bravia Core. Furthermore, as everything is taking place on the one device, there’s no need to worry about compatibility between connected devices or ensuring everything along the streaming chain supports all the same features. Not to mention, all of this doesn’t cost Sony Bravia XR smart TV owners anything at all. Sounds too good to be true, right?

The Bravia Core Small Print

There’s a lot to be said for Bravia Core. The enhanced experience is something that genuinely adds to the streaming experience. The fact that it is free also makes it a service that every compatible Sony TV owner should be making use of. However, there are caveats here, and free access is one of them, or at least could become one.

As the service is free, there is currently no payment solution set up in the app. While that’s not a problem in itself, users are somewhat limited when it comes to the newer titles. Sony provides consumers with a small number of credits (either five or ten) when purchasing an eligible TV and these enable the user to redeem titles. Each redeemed title costs a single credit. These redeemed titles are best understood as long-term rentals as they are not owned, but don’t expire for quite some time either. During this period, they are available to watch as often as wanted, as long as they are watched on the TV.

However, without a payment solution in use, the credits gifted with a purchase are all the user has access to. Once used, there’s currently no option to buy more or pay for any of the newer Sony Pictures titles that become available at a later time. That is, without buying another eligible Sony TV. While this may change in the future, it’s currently one of the limitations of the service. Credits and redeemed titles aside, Bravia Core does come with an Unlimited Streaming section which doesn’t require any credits, although the selection is mostly padded out with older classic Sony movies. Again, these are all available to stream on the TV for free, but it remains to be seen how long that will remain the case. Technically, Sony refers to this as a ‘subscription’ and indications point to comped individual subscriptions having an end date. Whether that means Sony will eventually start charging for access remains unknown, but it is certainly a possibility.

Another small print with Bravia Core is the device limitation. Bravia Core is only available on Sony TVs. As a result, all other devices, including other Sony products like the PlayStation 5 can’t access the service. For the foreseeable future, that doesn’t look likely to be changing either. While it would be beneficial for Bravia Core to be taken with the user, whether it’s to another room, to work, or while on vacation, Sony currently seems intent on locking this down as a benefit of owning a Bravia TV. For most, this will also mean keeping Bravia Core locked to the living room. For those that opt to purchase more than one eligible Sony Bravia TV, there is the option to sign in using the same login credentials, but that’s about the limit to how the service can currently be shared across devices.

On the TV itself, there are also some additional caveats to be aware of. Sony’s Bravia TVs make use of Google TV as their primary operating system and Bravia Core is simply an app installed on the device. While this does mean it is easy enough to deliver app updates to the device, Bravia Core lacks some of the other Google TV-related features. Most notably, there is no search and discovery support outside of the app. For example, one of Google TV’s strengths is the ability to search in apps and show the user which ones can be used to watch a show or movie. If searching for a movie that is currently available to stream through Bravia Core, Google TV won’t really know this or be able to provide that information to the user. This may change in the future but, for now, Bravia Core will require the app to be launched and searched using the in-app search feature.

A Good Addition To An Already Good TV

In reality, no one should be buying a Sony Bravia smart TV just for Bravia Core. However, the service is not designed to sell the company’s TVs, but to enrich the experience that’s already on offer. In this sense, it is a complimentary service and one that compliments very well. While many brands do offer some form of a free service with their TV, Sony is attempting to take that experience to the next level, and it does.

Although there are already plenty of services available through Google TV, many won’t automatically come with support for every feature the TV offers. While this is also the case with Sony TVs, Bravia Core does, and therein is the difference. Whether it is 4K HDR, lossless streaming, or an IMAX-like experience at home, Bravia Core offers support, making it the streaming service that really is built for Sony’s newer TVs.

Speaking of which, with the service not available on all of the company’s existing TVs, the Sony TV model is going to be the main hurdle for anyone wanting to check Bravia Core out. For now, owners of either the Z9J or A90J Master Series models, as well as those with access to a Bravia A80J, X95J, X92, X90J, A80CJ, X90CJ, X91CJ or X80CJ smart TV, will find they do have access to Sony’s Bravia Core app and streaming service.

Source: Sony

About The Author

John Finn
(827 Articles Published)

John Finn is a technology editor and writer for Screen Rant. John has been covering technology since 2014 and focuses on where tech meets the movie and TV industry. A Psychology graduate from England who now lives in the US, John previously worked in the aviation industry as an airline reviewer. You can find John on Twitter (@J_Finns) or contact directly at john [at] screenrant [dot] com.

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