Hey everyone! Thanks for watching! As you may notice, I misspeak and cal THIS Tv the X90K instead of X90L a few times. I guess that comes from talking about the X90K and U8K so much on the X90L video. Whooops! Too many ‘K’s! I apologize for the goofs. Outside of that, what do you think of this TV? The Sony Tax in this case isn’t so big.
I'm really shocked at how well the X90L performs, I really didn't expect this. I was going to look at Hisense again to replace my dated A6. But now I'm going to check out the Sony, thanks!
Idk why, but I don’t served me really well for the past 5-6 yrs and the TV is still great this day of my time. BTW, how does your new TV performs in comparison with your old Hisense?
I have nothing against LG or Samsung or even the other less expensive brands but when I’m in the market for a television the first and only place I look is Sony. I’ve been a Sony fan for decades and that includes audio equipment or speakers. Just an opinion of mine.
Bought Sony X80H 65 inch 3 yrs ago and 3 days ago screen went black but with sound...did hard reset but 0 result, will have to change the backlight and led 😢
Bought this tv 2 weeks ago, & i can tell you that this review is accurate; yes off angle is not great and has minimal blooming but what hit me most was the brightnesses and clarity. Got a good deal here in Australia & im loving the beautiful 75" display, absolutely no regrets
Thanks the review and info. I had the funds set aside to purchase a 65" OLED but after spending some time at our local Sony dealer we went with the X90L. After living with it for a couple months I'm thrilled with the purchase. Simply put it just has a really nice picture that's enjoyable to watch. It pairs nicely with the latest Apple TV and when I screen mirror from the latest Macbook Pro the image is very close the the native display. A lot of other TVs I've been around don't handle the solid colors from a mirrored computer screen and show tints with uneven lighting/color. While this isn't being used as a monitor it's great to be able to cast a recently edited 4K60 video and have it look true to life. I won't buy another Vizio or TCL after a couple bad experiences. Both Sony TVs we've owned have been excellent.
Well THIS Review did it for me I got my X90L yesterday I was considering Hisense U8K (TCL doesn't make a 55 inch in the QM8) But it was the Features & Picture Quality described in your review (Plus Black Friday Deals) that made me happily pay the "Sony Tax" I am Extremely pleased with this TV Thank You
I just got mine today and I want to know where this TV has been all my life. It just destroys my 2016 Samsung. I didn’t know watching TV could be so enjoyable and one of the underrated additions is the digital TV tuner. It works great and I can get all of my local channels crystal clear. I watched “The Polar Express” and “White Christmas” back to back and they’ve never looked so good. And that’s just streaming. I have lots to learn about the TV, but I can’t wait to see some 4k Blu-rays and sports on it. I’m sure there must be better TVs, but it’s probably just a matter of degrees and not magnitudes. By the way, this TV is more than bright enough. I don’t know what nit numbers mean in real world viewing, but the vivid mode, for instance, is super bright. How bright some manufacturers TVs get just seems like marketing after getting this TV. This thing isn’t dim in any way and why you would need or want something that would practically melt your eyeballs is beyond me. For my money Sony is still the king of televisions. 👍
I bought this Sony 65” X90L on sale for $899. At that price it easily competes with the Hisense and TCL. Picture is amazing especially when compared to my (6) year old 55” Samsung (not a fair fight). Thank you for the great review…
Man, I wish this was out a year or two ago when I replaced my office TV... I really wanted to get a Sony, but the price to performance compared to Hisense just was not there. This TV sounds fantastic though. Even if it's regular LED and not as bright, I'd probably get this over the equivalent Hisense or TCL since Sony has better upscaling and motion, two categories that Hisense and TCL struggle with but are pretty important to me.
Funny, two years ago I got a Hisense for my office after buying a Sony for my theater. And just now bought a TCL for the living room. I think I like all 3 for different things.
I went to Costco and stared at the Hisense, LG, and this Sony for a good 45 minutes. To my eyes I just kept coming back to the Sony. The picture was just smoother and truer to real life. I don't game, so that wasn't a factor for me. Returning a 75" TV is a real pain, so to me the build quality over the Hisense and TCL helps make the cost difference justifiable, especially with an additional 2 yrs of warranty over the others. The 75" version will be in my living room next weekend.
After watching and reading too many TV reviews, I decided to go have a look in person at this TV in a showroom and it was absolutely stunning for the price point. The image definition was super crisp and the colors are very vivid and saturated. Regarding the blooming, the blacks are deep (not grey or blue-ish) and the haloing is barely noticeable, you have to actively look for it IMHO. I'm absolutely satisfied the performance of my X90L thus far!
I’m the Sony advisor at my local BestBuy so yes I have some bias. But the actual Samsung rep that comes into our store we were discussing the lineup of both brands. He even said in his mind the X90L probably one of our best tvs and better then the Q80. Said the X93 for being the Mini LED which is supposed to be better then the 90 seems like it underperforms. Where he said with the X90L you feel it punches above especially for the price.
Finally! This feels like the set we've been waiting on Sony to produce since Hisense and TCL really stepped up their game. And, shockingly, Sony hasn't overly applied the infamous "Sony Tax" (TM) to this model. I was afraid that Sony was completely exiting anything other than the high end Master Series/premium panels...and they may yet, based on how thin the margins are on TVs. I will definitely keep this on my short list this Black Friday, which will be when we finally upgrade our aging 55" LG SM8600.
@@TheKwod Yeah, I often forget to acknowledge that us good ole US of A folks are often the recipients of better or more fair prices. But we make up for it by totally missing out on Panasonic, LOL. 🤣😱💀👀
@@TheKwod Well that’s a double bag of suck (TM)! Panasonic makes some fabulous sets from what I see on Vincent Teoh’s HDTVTest channel. I’m 46, so I can recall what it’s like to have at most 480ish interlaced lines lol. I’m curious if younger people today realize what a golden age they are in for display quality! 🧐
It's that time of the year again for TV reviews! Have watched your X900H, X90J, X90K over the years and now X90L finally getting some praise from you guys after their previous lackluster iterations (which I agree as I've seen the others in person). Thanks for the honest review again! RTINGs has also published their X90L review and the local dimming functions the same with and without Game Mode at 4K 120hz. Assuming you guys have tested the local dimming with VRR enabled, this TV would've been even better if they had solved the issue.
I think the combination of picture quality and expected better reliability and long term durability, this is worth the slight premium over the budget Chinese brands.
Great review Caleb! I was originally going to go with a QM8 but then after seeing reviews of the X90L and it only being $100 more, I decided to go with it instead. I went to Best Buy to take a look and actually ended up finding an open box X95K for the price of a QM8! I'm super happy with it but I think I would have been just as happy with the X90L. Crazy to think that Sony is selling arguably the best value TV in 2023.
Sony as a best value tv? That has to be a first or very near to it. I have been a big fan of Sony tv's for quite awhile but mainly because I usually feel like I know what I am getting with a Sony and am rarely disappointed. I have accepted that I was going to pay more for a Sony so it is great to see that Sony have now decided that they are ready to take on the Hisense and TCL's in the world of value or "bang for your buck ". Sony has long been known for their processors and that might very well be why they are now at least on par when it comes to value. I am watching an older top of line XBR that is still going strong albeit with only 1080p capability and when it finally gives up this Sony X90L will be a tv that I will be giving serious consideration to.
@@ChrisDavis333- Excellent point but I’ve had a Sony conk out on me before it’s time. I have a TCL Series 8 that’s running like a champ still purchased at about the same time as the Sony. That was 2019.
I've been waiting on this review comparing the X90L to the Hisense and TCL models. The X90L looks terrific and is definitely on my short list when Black Friday deals roll around. My questions are around how the X90L stacks up to the X93L? Does the XR Clear Image processing on the X90L give it an noticeable advantage on the X93L in noise reduction and motion? Does the X93L provide enough added capability to justify it over the X90L? Thanks as always!
It’s best for you to get it now or after the Super Bowl. They make different TV’s just for Black Friday. So the deal you see now is the same deal you will see on Black Friday.
Brought back my hisense u8k after i couldnt handle the HORRIBLE smearing and got this instead. This tv smokes it out of the water. People need to realize brightness does NOT make a tv better. Processing is SO important.
@Chuck-- adding to my earlier comment, my Sony A80J does noticeably better taking crap inputs and making them look better but when I play high quality content through both they look similar in quality with the OLED A80J of course having better black levels but not by much. The contrast appears similar because the Hisense gets so much brighter.
The U8K performs betrer with blacks, and better blooming control thanks to it's hardware/Mini-Led however the X90L performs better with motion, PQ EOTF tracking, and upscaling which makes the U8K look hazy in comparison thanks to it's new 2023 AI. called "XR Clear Image". Which you can see it perform @ the dog scene in Brian's Tech Therapy's old comparison video where he first compared the U8K, and the X90L. However he did not juice up the X90L settings at first which is why they looked similair for more than half way through the video. Thus I wouldn't consider the performance close whether that be the U8K with the better hardware or the X90L with the better software.
Being that Sony is carrying this model over to their 2024 lineup, it's still relevant for comparing similarly priced Hisense and TCL models, especially the Hisense U8N and 2024 makeover of the TCL QM8. While the U8N and QM8 will get brighter, the question is how close their color accuracy, PQ EOTF tracking, motion performance, and upscaling can get to the Sony X90L.
I just purchased the sony x90l. 65 inch got it yesterday. My 1st sony. I must say the clarity.the picture.the colors pop.i know it's sony's midrange.i am very pleased over all.strongly suggest for anyone looking for a midrange $1.000 t.v. the a95l is the Ferrari for those who have the extra cabbage.
New subscriber here and I'm enjoying many of your reviews! I bought this TV this week and I can't wait to fire it up. It's my first smart tv, a replacement for a 15 year old (yep!) Toshiba. Thanks again for all the details.
Thank you for this great review it helped me pick my new Sony TV. I own a Sony A90J 55” (in my master bedroom) and wanted a Sony LED for my living room to match my PS5. I was between this or the X93L. I got this TV for 998 for the 65” and am pleased with the picture and everything else. Thanks again!
I was able to get my hand on the 75' for around 1700 $CAD at Costco Canada (1250$ USD) during Black Friday. We come from a 65' LG who is arround 10 years old (we still running as 2nd TV in our training room). So far no regrets, I chose that over QM8 & U8K mostly because I wanted something I was sure would last couples of years without software issue.
Still rocking my 75" X90J. I chose Sony mostly due to the color accuracy out of the box. Yes there is some blooming, but it doesn't impact my experience. I wouldn't choose it for gaming but this is my TV for watching movies and quality content.
I have the same X90J in a 65in & had to buy it even tho it wasent needed. Bought a X95J to replace a bad TV & fell in love with it so much it forced me to upgrade another TV in the house that wasent needed & couldnt quite afford another X95J so got the X90J 65in & it replaced a old 40in Samsung. That was a major impact full upgrade.
Had a price range I was looking at (which I wish I didn’t) went in with my mind set on the Samsung QN85 NANO QLED. Seeing both the X90L, for me blew the Samsung out of the water… so far I love the Sony… maybe I’m bias, have a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which I still love the picture… thought I upgraded it with a Samsung LM76 but still thought my NX720 had a better picture… fast forwarding I upgraded with a Samsung 65” MU8000 2018 and now the X90L and couldn’t be happier! You’re review definitely made put my mind at ease with my choice!
The previous K version from Costco which we purchased last year ended up getting the infamous fade to black screen. Dealing with Costco and Sony warranty has been perfect. Sony asked us to send some pictures of the issue to them and two days later we got an email saying that they are going to ship us this model. We were ready to try and move onto a different brand but I’m very impressed by Costco and Sony’s warranty department
TCL and Hisense get praised a lot, but is there any consideration of overall quality? What about over time? Maybe they look good for the price for the first year, but do they fail or lose quality more frequently?
Compared with x90H this new TV X90L is significantly better in terms of color richness, hdr highlights, overall brightness and motion. That Vivid setting is actually usable now and to my surprise I watch most of my content on standard instead of cinema on 90L. Can confirm blooming is not an issue. But man add the reduced bezels to the list and with those colors yeah this tv sucks you in. It is also thinner in width. Definitely worth considering. P.S. Sony's service is great, at least in India, my personal experience.
You had me sold on the TCL QM8 until this review. I’ve always like Sony but they have been way too expensive…until now! I’m going to Best Buy this weekend to check out the Sony before I make my purchase.
I would love to see a software comparison between tvs. Im going with a sony because of the android based UI. It works with my phone and is easy to navigate. I tried some Samsung models and it was frustratingly slow and locked up with proprietary restrictions to simple usability.
Caleb. Your review of the x90L is impressive. Thank you for time and effort in this review--much appreciated! I bought last years x90k from Costco with a backlit remote. I do notice blooming from time to time and in certain scenes but overall really like the TV. I have hearing issues do do use captions all the time--I just change it to the yellow color font and all is good. Even with white lettered captions it is not so bad or as dramatic as some would like to believe. I bought it with tax and all for $2160 for the 85 inch model. I was wondering if I made a mistake but really cannot afford the $2800 price tag for the x90L 85 inch and did not want to wait a year plus for the price to go down to about 2000. My budget was 2000 so I stretched myself a bit as I also bought a VIZIO M-Series M512A-H6 sound bar system--your review on this sound bar helped me a lot! Thanks and I hope that you are enjoying your new digs!
I bought this Sony X90L, from Costco for the $2,300, I could waited for Black Friday get it for two grand, The best part of it like always TVs from Costco comes with the 5-year extended warranty free, you can f*n beat that 👍🤙👌
I'm not surprised at all! Sony has shown year after year that their out of the box accuracy , build quality and video processing can't be beat. Honestly I think more people need to be willing to not max out their backlights just because they're watching HDR content. Which I know is a controversial thing to say. However when you have a non self emissive display the more you max out the backlight the more you're going to notice blooming, haloing, flashlighting and any other uniformity issues. Prior to HDR being a thing, standard guidance was to set your backlight to what was correct for your particular viewing environment. I maintain that advice is still generally correct whether you're watching SDR or HDR content.
I sell all major brands, samsung Sony an LG, we sell Sony oleds more than any other tv. Sony is 95% calibrated out of the box and there Google software is in my opinion superior. Sony does always have a higher price tag but it's worth the extra money. Great review. This x90 line has always been a good go to led TV. Unless people really like the brightness of samsung.
I wish there were comparisons between X85L and X90L. The major difference is the processor (X1 vs XR) and I'd love to see how much improvement the processor can bring.
@@joystic08 Yep. Looked at the X90L today and the XR processor is nothing short of terrific. The X90L also was pretty impressive for the money. I just don't think you can beat SONY picture processing.
In Canada, the 65" TCL QM8 is $1399 vs $1899 for the X90L (currently $100 off at $1799). With those prices in mind, it'd appear the TCL is still the value pick but if they were
I'm in Canada too. Right now the 65" TCL QM8 is $1499(Best Buy) and the 65" SONY X90L is also $1499 (Visions). Seems like depending on the week the value proposition is there for the Sony.
I just ordered the x90L for 1499 in Toronto. It’ll be delivered on Thursday and I can’t wait! Hopefully it won’t disappoint. Upgrading from x900h here. The folks at Best Buy also said that if the price drops further during Black Friday in any store across Canada, they’ll match the price and refund the balance.
@@chiragkamra7454 nice dude! I’m sure it won’t disappoint. I wanted to get one too but it looks like I’ll be moving soon so trying not to buy stuff until that’s all sorted out.
I went to bestbuy toronto today.65 inch X90l is priced at 1499, same as qm8. The only reason why I prefer qm8 over Sony is because of the centre stand! Thats so vital for me
I dunno… it still doesn’t sound like glowing praise… there seems to be a lot of compromises (gaming picture quality takes a hit, blooming isn’t bad, but more noticeable the TCL, etc.). I’m glad to hear the motion processing is good when not gaming, but it doesn’t sound like a complete product. I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on it though. Caleb said it’s a “budget” tv, so it isn’t fair to compare it against higher priced tvs from Sony, LG, etc.
My GF just bought the 65X90L today at the $999. At that price, this TV is an especially fantastic bargain. I’ve got two LG OLED’s and a 2013 Panasonic TC-PZT60 Plasma and I thought the X90L was a fantastic TV. I’ll probably replace the Plasma with the Sony X80L as it will be in a room that has well controlled lighting and not a lot of direct sunlight (ie I don’t need a TV in that room to burn my retina:). But, in a brighter room….I wouldn’t hesitate to go with the Sony X90L.
Looking for advice on the X90L. Does the difference in the number of zones between the 55 inch which I read has about 60 zones and 65 inch having 80 mean the 65 inch would have less blooming and a better picture quality or is it the 55 that would be better. Or are they the same. Thanks..
The bigger difference IMO is for non 2K and 4K content, the X90L does a far better job up-scaling, to make that content more watchable. Also looks better overall IMO for higher res content.
Have a 65" Hisense U6H in the living room and recently got a 50" Sony X80K for next to nothing. Its color, motion handling, and image processing are clearly better than the Hisense despite weaker specs and worse reviews. The Hisense gets brighter, but I don't care about that. Looking at Sony's OLEDs now.
"TCL has a little less halo",lol the contrast on the qm8 absolutely is many levels greater than the x90l to the point where it actually seems like an OLED is being compared to an LCD
@@brianmcalinden8671 I do wonder if a Sony made after 2020 will last like the older models. I am quite leery of most things made post Covid. Quality has seemed to take a hit with so many products and services.
Thanks for this video. I'm actually returning a 75" TCL QM8 for the 75" Sony X90L. The TCL judders way too much with fast motion content so I'm going with Sony's better processing.
You’re my hero! You restored my faith in Sony , you saved me a trip to the store, I was in a brink of return my X90L , particularly when I noticed the awful “soap opera effect” nothing to do with my 10 years old Samsung which I replaced only because the lack of DOLBY VISION/ATMOS .
If you were to choose between the X93L and the X90L, which would you choose based on picture quality? When I saw them side by side the X93 had deeper blacks and better contrast but the X90L seened cleaner amd more detailed. I am not sure that the X93L is worth paying $1000 more for better contrast and blacks but with less clarity amd detail. Might be better to have the better detail and just tone down the brightness?
Really glad to see this review. I bought an X90L yesterday to replace a 2017 Samsung. Glad to see I made the right decision. 😊 Eagerly waiting its delivery and installation in two days time.
Would love to see a X90L vs the X93L review. Is the X93L worth the extra $500ish bucks over the X90L? Especially for bright room situations, I'm between the two right now.
In my opinion, if it's a really bright room and you watch movies during the day then go for the X93L or if it's available go for the X95k (I own an X95k) it's basically the same, the only difference being a slight upgrade the processor and sony remote. I used to work for best buy as a certified sony expert and the only tv I saw being a huge improvement for 2023 was the X90L over the X90k.
$500 is way too much difference to jump into the 93L. Too many other compromises. Sure, you get the mini-LED, but you get lesser processing. No XR Clear Image on the 93L. I wish the 90L had the X-Anti Reflection that the 93L has, though.
@@coscokro but IS clear Image so much Difference? I have the x90l x95k and the a80j and cant See a Difference at streaming or gaming. They all Look amazing
@@Uncle_Titus if YOU can't see the difference, then it doesn't matter to YOU. If you're looking for a TV to watch sports on, it probably matters quite a bit.
@CoreyKronengold I own an A80j 55" and a X95k 65". I prefer movies on my oled, but sports are more enjoyable on my X95k just cause of the brightness. Really any Sony tv has one of the best motion handling, especially with the XR processor. Hope that helps.
Despite the price gap it would be interesting to see how your X90L performs compared to the X95L, just to see how much those extra dimming zones really help.
@@Chuck-- It is not mistake. Watch X95L review. There's comparison with X90L. Night and day difference in black level when watching in dark room. X90L just can't control backlight in HDR mode
Not gonna lie, when Sony said they were bumpong up the zones and brightness i didn't think it'd make mich of a difference. But this seems like a good option
I got the 75" X90J at the end of the season for $1500 + tax. Best tv purchase for me so far. And this is coming from a big distruster of Sony, going all the way back to their "EVERYTHING WE MAKE WILL BE PROPRIETARY!!" days in the 80's & early 90's. I mean they even made propietary plugs so you could not use portable DC adapters. Even though every other device used one of 5 plugs. They used to sell the plug kit at Radio Shack for about $15. It fit every brand, but it WOULD NOT fit Sony. I avoided sony for years until the Minidisc came out and fell in love with Sony again. Even did custom edits *in-unit* on that deck. Had a few Sony items over the years, mostly recievers and bluray, until I got the X90J based on the Rtings review. I can tell you it's a great TV even without the top bells and whistles. Very Bright, with great blacks. The X95 at 80% more is not worth it.
The problem in countries like mine with weak purchasing currency is the worst part. This costs a retail of 8,799 MYR, and our living costs is more or less like in the US, imagine paying 8799 usd for this. 😢😢 Its not even a budget tv to us
@@asole100 yes thats what I'm saying. Imagine paying 8k+ usd for this. What I'm saying is you just need to pay near 2k to get such a great tv, while for us malaysians we need to pay near 9k MYR, whilst our average salary per month is 6,590 MYR and your average $6,228 USD. In short, you just need to spend 1/3 of your salary to buy this tv, while we need to spend 1 month of a half of our salary to buy the same tv.
I did a deep dive into tv's and here's how I arrived at buying the X90L: I have a well lit room, so I eliminated the OLED (yes, I know that they have improved) plus I was concerned about burn-in with the OLED. That left the QLED anfd the minis. I did not want Hesense or TCL bucause of durability issues and I'd prefer not to buy a Chinese product. That left the Big 3. They were pretty much all even, but I picked the X90L because it sounds as if it has the best ability to upscale. I don't game or watch too much streaming, but I do watch a lot of shows and movies on Dish and it sounds like the X90L will do the best job of upscaling those older shows.
The only thing that has me really worried is the off centre viewing angle concerns. We have a couch on each side of tv area. The angle we view at is about 30 degrees, and while is seem it starts to already degrease there it is only slight at that angle really need to go and see one in store. The 75 once is AUD 2775 now in Oz, so USD ~2k
Every time I see a critique of a new TV that discusses dimming zones, blooming, and off-axis viewing it reminds me that Hisense essentially SOLVED these LCD panel problems back in 2021 with the introduction of their U9DG "Dual Cell" model. Hisense placed a 1080p black-and-white panel behind the 4K RGB panel of the U9DG, which functionally provided the TV with over 2 million dimming zones. While it's true that the extra panel increased the price of U9DG I'm surprised that neither Hisense nor any other company has continued to develop this technology (Sony would make an AMAZING dual cell TV). Both Caleb and RTINGS have published full reviews. Unfortunately, the Hisense U9DG Dual Cell model is no longer available from major retailers.
Great review. I still would be sold on the QM8 here. Yeah yeah I know TCL’s rep isn’t what Sonys is but the better blacks and less bloom are things I care about more.
Caleb, I am deciding between the 98" Sony X90L vs 98" TCL QM8. I will only use it for 4k blu ray movies in a dark room. Which one would you recommend in this scenario?
I'm getting the X90K Thursday it's going to be my first 4k experience I seen a little bit of review on it sounds like might be good hopefully the right decision you seem to have like it also on earlier video I'm really excited for my first 4k experience!
I don't know Caleb, at $1300 for the SONY, you can save a couple hundred more and buy a LG C series OLED which is going to be head and shoulders better in picture quality. If the SONY were $999 I'd be with you, but not for what its selling for now.
Will be replacing a 50” with a new 65” as part of a move and this is at the top of the list now vs the U8K and QM8. Pretty hard to beat Sony picture and reliability. TCL and Hisense are still very much a question about longevity and service/support. Better tech for less money isn’t necessarily the best choice. Thanks for this review Caleb. Spot on as always.
Just curious, do you know what the dimming zone count is on the XR 98x90L? Great review by the way . I ordered mine in April and less than 48 hours away from delivery. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from you, Brian and Vincent. If I had a dollar for every comment I read about blooming on the L 90 series ….well this Texas giant would be paid for.😂
I bought a X90k 55" in December for $900. Its good, but what sucked was the A80K went down to $1000 a few weeks later. It's not that I am unhappy, but I would say I'm not sophisticated enough to notice the difference to a cheap 4k fire tv I own all the time. I will probably feel better about it when it gets atsc 3.0 and none of my other tvs do. I am an antenna user, alas in a market still waiting for 3.0.
Anyone having problems with their X90L shutting itself off randomly? Just bought it a few days ago and still trying to figure it out. Came from a 7 year old Vizio so it’s very different. My initial impressions/comparison of this tv: I’m surprised how quickly the backlight system reacts to changes on screen. Significantly faster than the Vizio I had. BUT… the blooming is worse from looking dead on and a bit worse from angle. The colors in HDR are much more accurate. Strange that SDR is almost as bright as HDR. My old Vizio the HDR was twice as bright as SDR was. So far I’m liking it a lot though.
I bought the hisense u8k 2 days ago and I'm returning it for this sony. The hisense is trash straight up awful!! Maybe I got a bad tv but the picture didn't look real at all sure the black levels were fantastic but that's it and omg the motion was dreadful and up streaming cable tv was non existent. I bought this for cable and streaming and most importantly sports and let me tell you when it comes to football this tv is unwatchable. The jittering was so bad the football in the air looked like there was 3 of them and the players running around was horribly lagging. I couldn't watch this tv I put it back in the box and set up my old Samsung 6 series 55" from years ago and that tv was better not as clear but at least you could see wtf was going on. I should've known better than to bargain shop. I really hope this helps people and they listen to a novice viewer instead of the experts on CZcams. Thank you for recommending the sony hopefully I'm happy with this purchase. Oh and before anyone asked yes I played with every setting I could to help the motion but just couldn't get anything to work. God bless and best wishes to everyone
I had a similar experience. I went with the Q7 75 inch and had to return it immediately. The upscaling and motion on cable football was awful. Had to go to the X93L 65inch. Wish I would have given this a shot at 75inch as the 65 inch is just a tad too small. Curious to see what this tv upgrades to for 2024 model
If it’s the same problem I had on my 65” LG Nano Cell, idk if you tried, but I turned TruMotion off, seems like the same problem I was having with a football being thrown and watching hockey with the hockey pucks
@@Propynyl I didn't try that but will if I get a replacement tv for the living room. I expect better upscaling features in the future. Itd be great also if broadcasters spent just a little on 4k broadcasts so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
90% of the content you're not going to see blooming, but you will 100% of the time see a better image processing with Sony. The only real flaw it has is more blooming, but it doesn't show it all the time and in a lit room even less so. It also doesn't crush detail, at all. It shows as many stars as an OLED. They don't try and suppress the blooming the same way MiniLED does with the zones. So honestly if you plan to use it with lights on, you're going to be fine 99% of the time. Only with subs might you see blooming or in some other exceptionally hard scenes. Mind you with LIGHTS ON in the room. As soon as they are off, you will see it way worse. Blacks will easily be spotted as just dark grey and lifted, when zones cannot cover it to make it black looking.
Yeah Hisense are really killing the game with bang for buck. Im about to buy 2 55in U7K tvs for a his and hers gaming room. Right now they are going for $530 bucks on Amazon. Nothing beats Hisense in quality for the price.
Caleb, what soundbar would you pair with the X90l? Just bought the 85" model from Costco for $2000. Came with a 5 year warranty and backlit remote. You and Vincent helped me decide on the X90l.
Great review! Watched it on one of my two X90K’s tho lol. Glad to have a video that explains so well what I like about Sony’s style of TV picture. Thanks Caleb 👍🏽
The TV stand I've been using since '09 is just short of 4 ft across. I have never been a fan of the direction manufacturers have taken putting the little feet at the ends of the panels. I've always preferred the pedestal design. Which is why I'm glad Samsung has stayed with that form factor. Can the X90L feet be repositioned inside of 48"? I would otherwise have to put a sturdy slab on top of the stand to allow for the size or wall mount it. Wall mounting may be an option but just not right away. The T or claw feet stands are darn near deal breakers for me. Coming from a '09 Samsung UNB8500 46", anything would be an upgrade. The QN90C would be a huge step up as an LED replacement. As would the S90C going to OLED. While they both have a center stand, I hear good things from you and others on the X90L and the 75" price point is compelling. It's just the goofy stand I don't like.
Hey everyone! Thanks for watching! As you may notice, I misspeak and cal THIS Tv the X90K instead of X90L a few times. I guess that comes from talking about the X90K and U8K so much on the X90L video. Whooops! Too many ‘K’s! I apologize for the goofs. Outside of that, what do you think of this TV? The Sony Tax in this case isn’t so big.
I only noticed it a couple of times but I have a particular new goal of not correcting anymore.🥳 Plus it really is totally understandable.
I just wish it were a little better for gaming. It would be a for sure sell for me then. Now I'm not so sure....
Will this TV be referenced in the upcoming U8K vs QM8 comparison video?
@@YaBoiOtanamaton probably mentioned, but I’m not planning a three-way comparison
What about Reflection Handling on the X90L ?? Please do address that issue as well for people watching in bright, well-lit rooms. Thanks Caleb.
I'm really shocked at how well the X90L performs, I really didn't expect this. I was going to look at Hisense again to replace my dated A6. But now I'm going to check out the Sony, thanks!
Idk why, but I don’t served me really well for the past 5-6 yrs and the TV is still great this day of my time. BTW, how does your new TV performs in comparison with your old Hisense?
I have nothing against LG or Samsung or even the other less expensive brands but when I’m in the market for a television the first and only place I look is Sony. I’ve been a Sony fan for decades and that includes audio equipment or speakers. Just an opinion of mine.
Same here XD
I just my choice i feel is always deliverys what i want 👌😎
That sucks because only their flagship TV and audio equipment have been good for awhile now anything less isn't worth the money
Ehh to each their own I personally love the lg c series I have the c1 and I think it’s fantastic the neo qled 85 is pretty great too
Everyone has their personal preference of what they like. You are a Sony man.😊
Bought Sony X80H 65 inch 3 yrs ago and 3 days ago screen went black but with sound...did hard reset but 0 result, will have to change the backlight and led 😢
Bought this tv 2 weeks ago, & i can tell you that this review is accurate; yes off angle is not great and has minimal blooming but what hit me most was the brightnesses and clarity. Got a good deal here in Australia & im loving the beautiful 75" display, absolutely no regrets
What angle would you say it starts to go bad?? Thinking of getting one but I have a couch on the side of the room when looking at the TV.
@@johntv4319 I would recommend less than 45degrees, definitely at it's best looking straight on
@@johntv4319 RTINGS has tested the Sony X90L and you can find their exact off-angle viewing measurements of this TV in their review.
@@johntv4319it gets bad really quick. I think 35-45 degrees and the colors just doesnt make since anymore.
@@johntv4319Get TCL C745 in stead. You can thank me later. 👍
Thanks the review and info. I had the funds set aside to purchase a 65" OLED but after spending some time at our local Sony dealer we went with the X90L. After living with it for a couple months I'm thrilled with the purchase. Simply put it just has a really nice picture that's enjoyable to watch. It pairs nicely with the latest Apple TV and when I screen mirror from the latest Macbook Pro the image is very close the the native display. A lot of other TVs I've been around don't handle the solid colors from a mirrored computer screen and show tints with uneven lighting/color. While this isn't being used as a monitor it's great to be able to cast a recently edited 4K60 video and have it look true to life. I won't buy another Vizio or TCL after a couple bad experiences. Both Sony TVs we've owned have been excellent.
Well THIS Review did it for me I got my X90L yesterday
I was considering Hisense U8K (TCL doesn't make a 55 inch in the QM8)
But it was the Features & Picture Quality described in your review (Plus Black Friday Deals)
that made me happily pay the "Sony Tax" I am Extremely pleased with this TV Thank You
Sony is definitely going back in the right direction and get to the position they were in with the x90e and z9d
I just got mine today and I want to know where this TV has been all my life. It just destroys my 2016 Samsung. I didn’t know watching TV could be so enjoyable and one of the underrated additions is the digital TV tuner. It works great and I can get all of my local channels crystal clear.
I watched “The Polar Express” and “White Christmas” back to back and they’ve never looked so good. And that’s just streaming. I have lots to learn about the TV, but I can’t wait to see some 4k Blu-rays and sports on it. I’m sure there must be better TVs, but it’s probably just a matter of degrees and not magnitudes.
By the way, this TV is more than bright enough. I don’t know what nit numbers mean in real world viewing, but the vivid mode, for instance, is super bright. How bright some manufacturers TVs get just seems like marketing after getting this TV. This thing isn’t dim in any way and why you would need or want something that would practically melt your eyeballs is beyond me.
For my money Sony is still the king of televisions. 👍
I bought this Sony 65” X90L on sale for $899. At that price it easily competes with the Hisense and TCL. Picture is amazing especially when compared to my (6) year old 55” Samsung (not a fair fight). Thank you for the great review…
Man, I wish this was out a year or two ago when I replaced my office TV... I really wanted to get a Sony, but the price to performance compared to Hisense just was not there.
This TV sounds fantastic though. Even if it's regular LED and not as bright, I'd probably get this over the equivalent Hisense or TCL since Sony has better upscaling and motion, two categories that Hisense and TCL struggle with but are pretty important to me.
Funny, two years ago I got a Hisense for my office after buying a Sony for my theater. And just now bought a TCL for the living room. I think I like all 3 for different things.
I went to Costco and stared at the Hisense, LG, and this Sony for a good 45 minutes. To my eyes I just kept coming back to the Sony. The picture was just smoother and truer to real life. I don't game, so that wasn't a factor for me. Returning a 75" TV is a real pain, so to me the build quality over the Hisense and TCL helps make the cost difference justifiable, especially with an additional 2 yrs of warranty over the others. The 75" version will be in my living room next weekend.
After watching and reading too many TV reviews, I decided to go have a look in person at this TV in a showroom and it was absolutely stunning for the price point. The image definition was super crisp and the colors are very vivid and saturated. Regarding the blooming, the blacks are deep (not grey or blue-ish) and the haloing is barely noticeable, you have to actively look for it IMHO. I'm absolutely satisfied the performance of my X90L thus far!
I’m the Sony advisor at my local BestBuy so yes I have some bias. But the actual Samsung rep that comes into our store we were discussing the lineup of both brands. He even said in his mind the X90L probably one of our best tvs and better then the Q80. Said the X93 for being the Mini LED which is supposed to be better then the 90 seems like it underperforms. Where he said with the X90L you feel it punches above especially for the price.
That's not saying much Samsung TVs are rarely in the conversation when it comes to what TV to buy
Source: Trust me bro
Finally! This feels like the set we've been waiting on Sony to produce since Hisense and TCL really stepped up their game. And, shockingly, Sony hasn't overly applied the infamous "Sony Tax" (TM) to this model. I was afraid that Sony was completely exiting anything other than the high end Master Series/premium panels...and they may yet, based on how thin the margins are on TVs. I will definitely keep this on my short list this Black Friday, which will be when we finally upgrade our aging 55" LG SM8600.
In Australia, the Sony 55X90L costs more than the Hisense 65U8K, plus, Sony is incredibly resistant to price reductions.
@@TheKwod Yeah, I often forget to acknowledge that us good ole US of A folks are often the recipients of better or more fair prices. But we make up for it by totally missing out on Panasonic, LOL. 🤣😱💀👀
@ryanbaker7404 oh, panasonic left the Australian market as well😪😪
@@TheKwod Well that’s a double bag of suck (TM)! Panasonic makes some fabulous sets from what I see on Vincent Teoh’s HDTVTest channel. I’m 46, so I can recall what it’s like to have at most 480ish interlaced lines lol. I’m curious if younger people today realize what a golden age they are in for display quality! 🧐
@@TheKwodhisense motion processing is abysmal
It's that time of the year again for TV reviews! Have watched your X900H, X90J, X90K over the years and now X90L finally getting some praise from you guys after their previous lackluster iterations (which I agree as I've seen the others in person). Thanks for the honest review again!
RTINGs has also published their X90L review and the local dimming functions the same with and without Game Mode at 4K 120hz. Assuming you guys have tested the local dimming with VRR enabled, this TV would've been even better if they had solved the issue.
Perhaps I missed a setting. Seems the contrast drops off a bit in game mode, and then it’s more obvious with VRR.
I think the combination of picture quality and expected better reliability and long term durability, this is worth the slight premium over the budget Chinese brands.
Great review Caleb! I was originally going to go with a QM8 but then after seeing reviews of the X90L and it only being $100 more, I decided to go with it instead. I went to Best Buy to take a look and actually ended up finding an open box X95K for the price of a QM8! I'm super happy with it but I think I would have been just as happy with the X90L. Crazy to think that Sony is selling arguably the best value TV in 2023.
Smart move, the Sony will last a decade, the TCL could last 10 months or 2-3 years or anything in between.
Sony as a best value tv? That has to be a first or very near to it. I have been a big fan of Sony tv's for quite awhile but mainly because I usually feel like I know what I am getting with a Sony and am rarely disappointed. I have accepted that I was going to pay more for a Sony so it is great to see that Sony have now decided that they are ready to take on the Hisense and TCL's in the world of value or "bang for your buck ". Sony has long been known for their processors and that might very well be why they are now at least on par when it comes to value. I am watching an older top of line XBR that is still going strong albeit with only 1080p capability and when it finally gives up this Sony X90L will be a tv that I will be giving serious consideration to.
Pick the X90L on sale and that amounts to stealing
@@ChrisDavis333- Excellent point but I’ve had a Sony conk out on me before it’s time. I have a TCL Series 8 that’s running like a champ still purchased at about the same time as the Sony. That was 2019.
I've been waiting on this review comparing the X90L to the Hisense and TCL models. The X90L looks terrific and is definitely on my short list when Black Friday deals roll around. My questions are around how the X90L stacks up to the X93L? Does the XR Clear Image processing on the X90L give it an noticeable advantage on the X93L in noise reduction and motion? Does the X93L provide enough added capability to justify it over the X90L? Thanks as always!
It’s best for you to get it now or after the Super Bowl. They make different TV’s just for Black Friday. So the deal you see now is the same deal you will see on Black Friday.
I just bought this TV in the 85in and it's awesome! I was a big Samsung fan till this Sony arrived.
Brought back my hisense u8k after i couldnt handle the HORRIBLE smearing and got this instead. This tv smokes it out of the water. People need to realize brightness does NOT make a tv better. Processing is SO important.
LOTS of complaints on Best Buy AND Amazon about both TCL and Hisense because of bad picture quality and TV's becoming bricks in less than 3 3 years.
I have a 65 inch Hisense U8 coming today. When their performance is this close I'm going for the best value.
Have you personally seen the 2 TVs side by side?
@Chuck-- Not in person. I have a SONY A80J OLED and the Hisense performs very strong beside that.
@Chuck-- adding to my earlier comment, my Sony A80J does noticeably better taking crap inputs and making them look better but when I play high quality content through both they look similar in quality with the OLED A80J of course having better black levels but not by much. The contrast appears similar because the Hisense gets so much brighter.
The U8K performs betrer with blacks, and better blooming control thanks to it's hardware/Mini-Led however the X90L performs better with motion, PQ EOTF tracking, and upscaling which makes the U8K look hazy in comparison thanks to it's new 2023 AI. called "XR Clear Image". Which you can see it perform @ the dog scene in Brian's Tech Therapy's old comparison video where he first compared the U8K, and the X90L. However he did not juice up the X90L settings at first which is why they looked similair for more than half way through the video. Thus I wouldn't consider the performance close whether that be the U8K with the better hardware or the X90L with the better software.
Was absolutely shocked. Went to buy a QM8 and walked out with this. It was on sale as well, so essentially the same price for 85”
Being that Sony is carrying this model over to their 2024 lineup, it's still relevant for comparing similarly priced Hisense and TCL models, especially the Hisense U8N and 2024 makeover of the TCL QM8. While the U8N and QM8 will get brighter, the question is how close their color accuracy, PQ EOTF tracking, motion performance, and upscaling can get to the Sony X90L.
I just purchased the sony x90l. 65 inch got it yesterday. My 1st sony. I must say the clarity.the picture.the colors pop.i know it's sony's midrange.i am very pleased over all.strongly suggest for anyone looking for a midrange $1.000 t.v. the a95l is the Ferrari for those who have the extra cabbage.
New subscriber here and I'm enjoying many of your reviews! I bought this TV this week and I can't wait to fire it up. It's my first smart tv, a replacement for a 15 year old (yep!) Toshiba. Thanks again for all the details.
Thank you for this great review it helped me pick my new Sony TV. I own a Sony A90J 55” (in my master bedroom) and wanted a Sony LED for my living room to match my PS5. I was between this or the X93L. I got this TV for 998 for the 65” and am pleased with the picture and everything else. Thanks again!
I was able to get my hand on the 75' for around 1700 $CAD at Costco Canada (1250$ USD) during Black Friday. We come from a 65' LG who is arround 10 years old (we still running as 2nd TV in our training room). So far no regrets, I chose that over QM8 & U8K mostly because I wanted something I was sure would last couples of years without software issue.
How did you get it that cheap? I’ve never seen the 75 below $2000
Still rocking my 75" X90J. I chose Sony mostly due to the color accuracy out of the box. Yes there is some blooming, but it doesn't impact my experience. I wouldn't choose it for gaming but this is my TV for watching movies and quality content.
I have the same X90J in a 65in & had to buy it even tho it wasent needed. Bought a X95J to replace a bad TV & fell in love with it so much it forced me to upgrade another TV in the house that wasent needed & couldnt quite afford another X95J so got the X90J 65in & it replaced a old 40in Samsung. That was a major impact full upgrade.
Had a price range I was looking at (which I wish I didn’t) went in with my mind set on the Samsung QN85 NANO QLED. Seeing both the X90L, for me blew the Samsung out of the water… so far I love the Sony… maybe I’m bias, have a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which I still love the picture… thought I upgraded it with a Samsung LM76 but still thought my NX720 had a better picture… fast forwarding I upgraded with a Samsung 65” MU8000 2018 and now the X90L and couldn’t be happier! You’re review definitely made put my mind at ease with my choice!
Just ordered a 65” X90L cant wait for it to arrive got a black friday deal ! 👍🏽👍🏽
how you liking it so far? I was going to spend a bit more on an lg oled c3 but im considering this.
@@Pete_123wow am in the same shoe as you now
I received mine on Monday.. it love this tv for the price. Thank yiu for your reviews, it really helped to make my decision
The previous K version from Costco which we purchased last year ended up getting the infamous fade to black screen. Dealing with Costco and Sony warranty has been perfect. Sony asked us to send some pictures of the issue to them and two days later we got an email saying that they are going to ship us this model. We were ready to try and move onto a different brand but I’m very impressed by Costco and Sony’s warranty department
Just saw the Sony above in 85 inch for 2100$ shipped !!! Now I just need a house big enough to fit this monster
TCL and Hisense get praised a lot, but is there any consideration of overall quality? What about over time? Maybe they look good for the price for the first year, but do they fail or lose quality more frequently?
Yup, honestly I trust Sony products to last longer. Every brand has a lemon, but I think its less likely with a Sony.
The price on this TV is excellent, $1800 for a 75"??!! I'm sure it would be perfect for the majority of TV viewers out there.
After your review,, I also bought in Australia, x90l, excellent pictures, colour, and deep contrast, and this is coming from a mini led which I had :
Compared with x90H this new TV X90L is significantly better in terms of color richness, hdr highlights, overall brightness and motion. That Vivid setting is actually usable now and to my surprise I watch most of my content on standard instead of cinema on 90L. Can confirm blooming is not an issue. But man add the reduced bezels to the list and with those colors yeah this tv sucks you in. It is also thinner in width. Definitely worth considering. P.S. Sony's service is great, at least in India, my personal experience.
how is the motion handling bro. when you set it to Cine motion high and smoothness 1. does it eliminate judder without soap opera effects.
You had me sold on the TCL QM8 until this review. I’ve always like Sony but they have been way too expensive…until now! I’m going to Best Buy this weekend to check out the Sony before I make my purchase.
What did you end up buying?
@@asole100 The Sony X90L & I’m loving it!
I would love to see a software comparison between tvs. Im going with a sony because of the android based UI. It works with my phone and is easy to navigate. I tried some Samsung models and it was frustratingly slow and locked up with proprietary restrictions to simple usability.
Just got this in a 75” version, setting it up tomorrow and I can’t wait. Got it at Best Buy on sale $1500, down from $2k.
Caleb. Your review of the x90L is impressive. Thank you for time and effort in this review--much appreciated! I bought last years x90k from Costco with a backlit remote. I do notice blooming from time to time and in certain scenes but overall really like the TV. I have hearing issues do do use captions all the time--I just change it to the yellow color font and all is good. Even with white lettered captions it is not so bad or as dramatic as some would like to believe. I bought it with tax and all for $2160 for the 85 inch model. I was wondering if I made a mistake but really cannot afford the $2800 price tag for the x90L 85 inch and did not want to wait a year plus for the price to go down to about 2000. My budget was 2000 so I stretched myself a bit as I also bought a VIZIO M-Series M512A-H6 sound bar system--your review on this sound bar helped me a lot! Thanks and I hope that you are enjoying your new digs!
I have to admit that the X90L does look pretty good for a mid range tv..😊
@@BrianDPrice_1you aren’t considering the cost of calibrating chinese crap. their out of box numbers are garbage
I bought this Sony X90L, from Costco for the $2,300, I could waited for Black Friday get it for two grand, The best part of it like always TVs from Costco comes with the 5-year extended warranty free, you can f*n beat that 👍🤙👌
@@BrianDPrice_1
I forgot to put the size down, bought the 85 in, I choose it between TCL QM8 & hinese U8K, I went with this SONY
I'm not surprised at all! Sony has shown year after year that their out of the box accuracy , build quality and video processing can't be beat. Honestly I think more people need to be willing to not max out their backlights just because they're watching HDR content. Which I know is a controversial thing to say. However when you have a non self emissive display the more you max out the backlight the more you're going to notice blooming, haloing, flashlighting and any other uniformity issues. Prior to HDR being a thing, standard guidance was to set your backlight to what was correct for your particular viewing environment. I maintain that advice is still generally correct whether you're watching SDR or HDR content.
At 85", the TCL is currently $400 cheaper. That makes it pretty hard to pull the trigger on the Sony.
Bought the X90L in early July. It’s an amazing TV, worth every penny!
How are the side viewing angles … is it as bad as people say ?
You keep saying x90k when you're clearly referring to x90l
What is the best LED TV for Gaming for 2023?
I sell all major brands, samsung Sony an LG, we sell Sony oleds more than any other tv. Sony is 95% calibrated out of the box and there Google software is in my opinion superior. Sony does always have a higher price tag but it's worth the extra money. Great review. This x90 line has always been a good go to led TV. Unless people really like the brightness of samsung.
Thanks for the fantastic review Jason Baitman 😉
You never miss!!! Greetings from Kenya! 🥃🥃
Jambo Ndugu yangu!
Best channel about tvs🫶 greetings from Scotland guys✌️🏴
@@midnight_yota Fiti sana Kaka! 🍻🍻
@@Adrianek81 🥃🥃
Am from Kenya too
I wish there were comparisons between X85L and X90L. The major difference is the processor (X1 vs XR) and I'd love to see how much improvement the processor can bring.
I saw them side by side and you can tell the difference right away.
@@joystic08 Yep. Looked at the X90L today and the XR processor is nothing short of terrific. The X90L also was pretty impressive for the money. I just don't think you can beat SONY picture processing.
In Canada, the 65" TCL QM8 is $1399 vs $1899 for the X90L (currently $100 off at $1799). With those prices in mind, it'd appear the TCL is still the value pick but if they were
I'm in Canada too. Right now the 65" TCL QM8 is $1499(Best Buy) and the 65" SONY X90L is also $1499 (Visions). Seems like depending on the week the value proposition is there for the Sony.
I just ordered the x90L for 1499 in Toronto. It’ll be delivered on Thursday and I can’t wait! Hopefully it won’t disappoint. Upgrading from x900h here. The folks at Best Buy also said that if the price drops further during Black Friday in any store across Canada, they’ll match the price and refund the balance.
@@chiragkamra7454congrats hope you like it. A new tv is not in the cards for me yet
@@chiragkamra7454 nice dude! I’m sure it won’t disappoint. I wanted to get one too but it looks like I’ll be moving soon so trying not to buy stuff until that’s all sorted out.
I went to bestbuy toronto today.65 inch X90l is priced at 1499, same as qm8. The only reason why I prefer qm8 over Sony is because of the centre stand! Thats so vital for me
I dunno… it still doesn’t sound like glowing praise… there seems to be a lot of compromises (gaming picture quality takes a hit, blooming isn’t bad, but more noticeable the TCL, etc.). I’m glad to hear the motion processing is good when not gaming, but it doesn’t sound like a complete product. I guess I shouldn’t be so hard on it though. Caleb said it’s a “budget” tv, so it isn’t fair to compare it against higher priced tvs from Sony, LG, etc.
My GF just bought the 65X90L today at the $999. At that price, this TV is an especially fantastic bargain. I’ve got two LG OLED’s and a 2013 Panasonic TC-PZT60 Plasma and I thought the X90L was a fantastic TV. I’ll probably replace the Plasma with the Sony X80L as it will be in a room that has well controlled lighting and not a lot of direct sunlight (ie I don’t need a TV in that room to burn my retina:). But, in a brighter room….I wouldn’t hesitate to go with the Sony X90L.
Hmmm, I need to reconsider my TCL/Hisense bias and do a recalibration towards Sony.
I have a Sony 75" X90H and I LOVE that TV so I always look forward to the X90 series and your reviews!
Looking for advice on the X90L. Does the difference in the number of zones between the 55 inch which I read has about 60 zones and 65 inch having 80 mean the 65 inch would have less blooming and a better picture quality or is it the 55 that would be better. Or are they the same. Thanks..
The bigger difference IMO is for non 2K and 4K content, the X90L does a far better job up-scaling, to make that content more watchable. Also looks better overall IMO for higher res content.
I think this comment is 100% correct.
Have a 65" Hisense U6H in the living room and recently got a 50" Sony X80K for next to nothing. Its color, motion handling, and image processing are clearly better than the Hisense despite weaker specs and worse reviews. The Hisense gets brighter, but I don't care about that. Looking at Sony's OLEDs now.
"TCL has a little less halo",lol the contrast on the qm8 absolutely is many levels greater than the x90l to the point where it actually seems like an OLED is being compared to an LCD
I just bought one and then saw this video. So, I am relieved. Delivery is today.
The only TV reviewer I fully trust, amazing review as always!
I cant imagine believing Sony when they said they never sent a color corrected sample when they KNEW is was going to a youtube reviewer.
@@user-hm4jm1cy7m, he said they tested it before sending.
Been a Sony fan but always having a hard time justifying the price, this is a very nice suprise. Great review! Thank you
Sony's last. Mine is 6 years old coming and I think next year, I will upgrade the living room and move the Sony to a bedroom TV or garage.
My bedroom, Sony 55 inch 3D is now 13 years old and still performs like it's brand new. Love Sony's longevity!
@@brianmcalinden8671 I do wonder if a Sony made after 2020 will last like the older models. I am quite leery of most things made post Covid. Quality has seemed to take a hit with so many products and services.
Thanks for this video. I'm actually returning a 75" TCL QM8 for the 75" Sony X90L. The TCL judders way too much with fast motion content so I'm going with Sony's better processing.
Yup,,,TCL is no bueno!
Great to finally have a Japanese option instead of just Chinese options at this price/performance point.
You’re my hero! You restored my faith in Sony , you saved me a trip to the store, I was in a brink of return my X90L , particularly when I noticed the awful “soap opera effect” nothing to do with my 10 years old Samsung which I replaced only because the lack of DOLBY VISION/ATMOS .
Damn I feel huge regret for getting X90J two years ago while this TV does sound awesome color accurate brightness & decent View Angle damn 😢
I'm curious... how big is the upgrade from this tv to the X93L. This review was very glowing
If you were to choose between the X93L and the X90L, which would you choose based on picture quality? When I saw them side by side the X93 had deeper blacks and better contrast but the X90L seened cleaner amd more detailed. I am not sure that the X93L is worth paying $1000 more for better contrast and blacks but with less clarity amd detail. Might be better to have the better detail and just tone down the brightness?
Really glad to see this review. I bought an X90L yesterday to replace a 2017 Samsung. Glad to see I made the right decision. 😊 Eagerly waiting its delivery and installation in two days time.
Do you like it?
@@cc41983 Yes, it has been great so far.
Price needs to come down for it to be a true value proposition considering you can snag an QN90B for about the same price on sale.
Would love to see a X90L vs the X93L review. Is the X93L worth the extra $500ish bucks over the X90L? Especially for bright room situations, I'm between the two right now.
In my opinion, if it's a really bright room and you watch movies during the day then go for the X93L or if it's available go for the X95k (I own an X95k) it's basically the same, the only difference being a slight upgrade the processor and sony remote. I used to work for best buy as a certified sony expert and the only tv I saw being a huge improvement for 2023 was the X90L over the X90k.
$500 is way too much difference to jump into the 93L. Too many other compromises. Sure, you get the mini-LED, but you get lesser processing. No XR Clear Image on the 93L. I wish the 90L had the X-Anti Reflection that the 93L has, though.
@@coscokro but IS clear Image so much Difference? I have the x90l x95k and the a80j and cant See a Difference at streaming or gaming. They all Look amazing
@@Uncle_Titus if YOU can't see the difference, then it doesn't matter to YOU. If you're looking for a TV to watch sports on, it probably matters quite a bit.
@CoreyKronengold I own an A80j 55" and a X95k 65". I prefer movies on my oled, but sports are more enjoyable on my X95k just cause of the brightness. Really any Sony tv has one of the best motion handling, especially with the XR processor. Hope that helps.
Despite the price gap it would be interesting to see how your X90L performs compared to the X95L, just to see how much those extra dimming zones really help.
You can see it in Vincent's review. X90L sucks
@@user-oq4rm5ci9p which one?
@user-oq4rm5ci9p do you have a link?!
@@user-oq4rm5ci9p - Why did the X90L receive the "HDTV test Recommended" by Vincent? Seems like your comment is in error, to be nice about it.
@@Chuck-- It is not mistake. Watch X95L review. There's comparison with X90L. Night and day difference in black level when watching in dark room. X90L just can't control backlight in HDR mode
I just got this tv. setting it yup tomorrow. can’t wait to see how it is with ps5. I need to get 2.1 hdmi cables.
Not gonna lie, when Sony said they were bumpong up the zones and brightness i didn't think it'd make mich of a difference. But this seems like a good option
I mean, considering how bad last year's model was, I was sure it would make a difference lol
@@TomiplyWas the Sony X90J from 2021 a decent TV? I read that somehow the X90J was better than the X90K.
I got the 75" X90J at the end of the season for $1500 + tax. Best tv purchase for me so far. And this is coming from a big distruster of Sony, going all the way back to their "EVERYTHING WE MAKE WILL BE PROPRIETARY!!" days in the 80's & early 90's. I mean they even made propietary plugs so you could not use portable DC adapters. Even though every other device used one of 5 plugs. They used to sell the plug kit at Radio Shack for about $15. It fit every brand, but it WOULD NOT fit Sony. I avoided sony for years until the Minidisc came out and fell in love with Sony again. Even did custom edits *in-unit* on that deck. Had a few Sony items over the years, mostly recievers and bluray, until I got the X90J based on the Rtings review. I can tell you it's a great TV even without the top bells and whistles. Very Bright, with great blacks. The X95 at 80% more is not worth it.
The problem in countries like mine with weak purchasing currency is the worst part. This costs a retail of 8,799 MYR, and our living costs is more or less like in the US, imagine paying 8799 usd for this. 😢😢 Its not even a budget tv to us
That's 1,859.86$ in USD not 8k+ $USD
@@asole100 yes thats what I'm saying. Imagine paying 8k+ usd for this. What I'm saying is you just need to pay near 2k to get such a great tv, while for us malaysians we need to pay near 9k MYR, whilst our average salary per month is 6,590 MYR and your average $6,228 USD.
In short, you just need to spend 1/3 of your salary to buy this tv, while we need to spend 1 month of a half of our salary to buy the same tv.
I did a deep dive into tv's and here's how I arrived at buying the X90L: I have a well lit room, so I eliminated the OLED (yes, I know that they have improved) plus I was concerned about burn-in with the OLED. That left the QLED anfd the minis. I did not want Hesense or TCL bucause of durability issues and I'd prefer not to buy a Chinese product. That left the Big 3. They were pretty much all even, but I picked the X90L because it sounds as if it has the best ability to upscale. I don't game or watch too much streaming, but I do watch a lot of shows and movies on Dish and it sounds like the X90L will do the best job of upscaling those older shows.
The only thing that has me really worried is the off centre viewing angle concerns. We have a couch on each side of tv area. The angle we view at is about 30 degrees, and while is seem it starts to already degrease there it is only slight at that angle really need to go and see one in store. The 75 once is AUD 2775 now in Oz, so USD ~2k
Just unboxed a new X90L! It is bright and meets our budget!
Decisions decisions, now this is making it harder to decide what to purchase. I was leaning towards TCL QM8
Every time I see a critique of a new TV that discusses dimming zones, blooming, and off-axis viewing it reminds me that Hisense essentially SOLVED these LCD panel problems back in 2021 with the introduction of their U9DG "Dual Cell" model. Hisense placed a 1080p black-and-white panel behind the 4K RGB panel of the U9DG, which functionally provided the TV with over 2 million dimming zones. While it's true that the extra panel increased the price of U9DG I'm surprised that neither Hisense nor any other company has continued to develop this technology (Sony would make an AMAZING dual cell TV). Both Caleb and RTINGS have published full reviews. Unfortunately, the Hisense U9DG Dual Cell model is no longer available from major retailers.
Great review. I still would be sold on the QM8 here. Yeah yeah I know TCL’s rep isn’t what Sonys is but the better blacks and less bloom are things I care about more.
Psst check out TCL C745 specs. You gonna love it. Better choice that this...👍 You can thank me later. 😎👍
I would like to see a review of the HISENSE U6K, is this model the best entry level TV on the market featuring MINI LED???
Caleb, I am deciding between the 98" Sony X90L vs 98" TCL QM8. I will only use it for 4k blu ray movies in a dark room. Which one would you recommend in this scenario?
I'm more of a gamer so I would go TCL QM8. If you're not worried about gaming, go for the Sony.
I'm getting the X90K Thursday it's going to be my first 4k experience I seen a little bit of review on it sounds like might be good hopefully the right decision you seem to have like it also on earlier video I'm really excited for my first 4k experience!
I have the x90k & no complaints here..enjoy!
I don't know Caleb, at $1300 for the SONY, you can save a couple hundred more and buy a LG C series OLED which is going to be head and shoulders better in picture quality. If the SONY were $999 I'd be with you, but not for what its selling for now.
Its nice you go over gaming, but I would like more info on how it does with sports - football and hockey with motion.
Football is great on this TV!!!
I'm still rocking my x90j 😊
Will be replacing a 50” with a new 65” as part of a move and this is at the top of the list now vs the U8K and QM8. Pretty hard to beat Sony picture and reliability. TCL and Hisense are still very much a question about longevity and service/support. Better tech for less money isn’t necessarily the best choice. Thanks for this review Caleb. Spot on as always.
Just curious, do you know what the dimming zone count is on the XR 98x90L?
Great review by the way . I ordered mine in April and less than 48 hours away from delivery. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from you, Brian and Vincent. If I had a dollar for every comment I read about blooming on the L 90 series ….well this Texas giant would be paid for.😂
I bought a X90k 55" in December for $900. Its good, but what sucked was the A80K went down to $1000 a few weeks later. It's not that I am unhappy, but I would say I'm not sophisticated enough to notice the difference to a cheap 4k fire tv I own all the time. I will probably feel better about it when it gets atsc 3.0 and none of my other tvs do. I am an antenna user, alas in a market still waiting for 3.0.
Anyone having problems with their X90L shutting itself off randomly? Just bought it a few days ago and still trying to figure it out. Came from a 7 year old Vizio so it’s very different.
My initial impressions/comparison of this tv: I’m surprised how quickly the backlight system reacts to changes on screen. Significantly faster than the Vizio I had. BUT… the blooming is worse from looking dead on and a bit worse from angle. The colors in HDR are much more accurate. Strange that SDR is almost as bright as HDR. My old Vizio the HDR was twice as bright as SDR was. So far I’m liking it a lot though.
Nvm. Had to turn Bravia Sync. No more issues. Strange
I bought the hisense u8k 2 days ago and I'm returning it for this sony. The hisense is trash straight up awful!! Maybe I got a bad tv but the picture didn't look real at all sure the black levels were fantastic but that's it and omg the motion was dreadful and up streaming cable tv was non existent. I bought this for cable and streaming and most importantly sports and let me tell you when it comes to football this tv is unwatchable. The jittering was so bad the football in the air looked like there was 3 of them and the players running around was horribly lagging. I couldn't watch this tv I put it back in the box and set up my old Samsung 6 series 55" from years ago and that tv was better not as clear but at least you could see wtf was going on. I should've known better than to bargain shop. I really hope this helps people and they listen to a novice viewer instead of the experts on CZcams. Thank you for recommending the sony hopefully I'm happy with this purchase. Oh and before anyone asked yes I played with every setting I could to help the motion but just couldn't get anything to work. God bless and best wishes to everyone
I had a similar experience. I went with the Q7 75 inch and had to return it immediately. The upscaling and motion on cable football was awful. Had to go to the X93L 65inch. Wish I would have given this a shot at 75inch as the 65 inch is just a tad too small. Curious to see what this tv upgrades to for 2024 model
If it’s the same problem I had on my 65” LG Nano Cell, idk if you tried, but I turned TruMotion off, seems like the same problem I was having with a football being thrown and watching hockey with the hockey pucks
@@Propynyl I didn't try that but will if I get a replacement tv for the living room. I expect better upscaling features in the future. Itd be great also if broadcasters spent just a little on 4k broadcasts so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
90% of the content you're not going to see blooming, but you will 100% of the time see a better image processing with Sony.
The only real flaw it has is more blooming, but it doesn't show it all the time and in a lit room even less so. It also doesn't crush detail, at all. It shows as many stars as an OLED. They don't try and suppress the blooming the same way MiniLED does with the zones.
So honestly if you plan to use it with lights on, you're going to be fine 99% of the time. Only with subs might you see blooming or in some other exceptionally hard scenes. Mind you with LIGHTS ON in the room. As soon as they are off, you will see it way worse. Blacks will easily be spotted as just dark grey and lifted, when zones cannot cover it to make it black looking.
Yeah Hisense are really killing the game with bang for buck. Im about to buy 2 55in U7K tvs for a his and hers gaming room. Right now they are going for $530 bucks on Amazon. Nothing beats Hisense in quality for the price.
Caleb, what soundbar would you pair with the X90l? Just bought the 85" model from Costco for $2000. Came with a 5 year warranty and backlit remote. You and Vincent helped me decide on the X90l.
Great review! Watched it on one of my two X90K’s tho lol. Glad to have a video that explains so well what I like about Sony’s style of TV picture. Thanks Caleb 👍🏽
The TV stand I've been using since '09 is just short of 4 ft across. I have never been a fan of the direction manufacturers have taken putting the little feet at the ends of the panels. I've always preferred the pedestal design. Which is why I'm glad Samsung has stayed with that form factor. Can the X90L feet be repositioned inside of 48"? I would otherwise have to put a sturdy slab on top of the stand to allow for the size or wall mount it. Wall mounting may be an option but just not right away. The T or claw feet stands are darn near deal breakers for me. Coming from a '09 Samsung UNB8500 46", anything would be an upgrade. The QN90C would be a huge step up as an LED replacement. As would the S90C going to OLED. While they both have a center stand, I hear good things from you and others on the X90L and the 75" price point is compelling. It's just the goofy stand I don't like.
Please review the Q7 next.