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Sony A1E OLED TV unboxing and setup: Uncomplicating your new centerpiece

The Sony A1E OLED TV was easily one of the most talked about TVs of the year. That said, the setup for this TV can be a little complicated. To make it easier, we have created a video explaining the Sony A1E OLED TV unboxing and setup. Follow along with the video for tips and tricks to setting up your TV.

Unboxing Tips and Cautions

Before you start unboxing your TV grab a friend to help you. This TV is heavy and you will need help moving it around. When you first open the top of the box, there will be a setup guide with detailed instructions on how to install the TV. The big takeaway from the guide is that you will be using the box to prop up the TV later. That said, still read the guide to get more information.

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Near the bottom of the box there are four plastic squares. Remove these and then lift the sides of the TV box from around the TV. You will see the TV sitting on a base of cardboard and Styrofoam – it will be much easier to remove the TV from this base later.

What’s in the box

  • A piece of ballast.
  • A support rod.
  • Screws.
  • A plastic cover piece.
  • A power cable.
  • A cover for the power cable.
  • A back cover.
  • A remote.

Not included items

Several items are not included with the TV. You will need to buy HDMI cables to connect your TV to other devices. The easiest way to ensure you have HDMI cables is to buy the AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI cables at the same time you buy your TV. If you do not buy that specific cable, make sure that the HDMI cables you do buy are rated as “high speed” cables as they’ll need to be able to handle the large amounts of data 4K HDR content requires.

The TV also does not come with wall-mounting equipment. For more information about wall mounting, check out our wall-mounting guide video.

TV setup

The stand for the TV takes three steps to set up. First, fit the piece of ballast and the support rod together by sliding the support rod into the piece of ballast and secure the pieces together with two screws. Second, pull the tabs on the cardboard out in order to lay the cardboard down and easily remove the center piece of Styrofoam. Third, pull up the latch on the back of the TV and pull out the back portion of the stand. Carefully lower the stand and connect it to the ballast. Secure the ballast to the stand with two screws on each side.

The power cable is not hardwired to the TV, so locate where it says “AC In” on the stand and insert the power cable. Use the cover for the power cable to secure it in place. To the right of the power cable are all the inputs. There are four HDMI inputs, two USB inputs, and an Ethernet connection. Below the inputs, there are channels for cable management to keep your cables organized.

The last step is to cover the back of the TV with the supplied decorative cover.

Design Features

Looking at the TV from the front, it becomes apparent why the easel style stand is in place. There is no gap between the bottom of the TV and the entertainment stand — all you see is the screen. Sony was intentional in its design of the Sony A1E OLED TV, wanting it to be a form of art as well as a TV.

At first glance, there does not appear to be any speakers. That is because the screen is the speakers with Sony’s acoustic surface technology. On the left and right sides of the screen, there are actuators connected to the panel. When the actuators vibrate so does the panel resulting in sound. There is not much bass with this setup, which is why there is a subwoofer on the back of the TV.

Set up connections

When you first power on the TV, Sony will lead you through a setup wizard. The first step is to pick a language and then you will be told to connect to Wi-Fi. There will be a slight pause for updates and then the TV will scan for channels either through an antenna or channel box. Once you accept the terms of use and privacy policies, your TV will be set up.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
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