Compare: LG QNED87T6B vs Sony X90L

LG QNED87T is a television that definitely stands out. It's a bit unconventional – it doesn't try to forcefully compete with top OLED models, but it makes up for it with modern features and user-friendly operation. It's equipment that works great for those who value comfort and versatility. The 120 Hz panel, VRR, and ALLM make the television perform well with dynamic content. Games run smoothly, the picture is sharp, and the responses are quick. If we spend time on a console, we will appreciate the lack of lag or blurring. When watching sports, quick actions are clear, without stutters. On a daily basis, LG QNED87T is simply comfortable. WebOS operates intuitively, apps launch quickly, and the Magic Remote control significantly eases operation. Voice control saves time, especially when searching for movies or series. Features like USB recording or Bluetooth provide more options, enhancing its versatility. The IPS panel is a big advantage regarding viewing angles. No matter where we sit in the room, the picture looks good. It's a great solution in larger spaces where not everyone has a direct view of the screen. Older films or standard television from built-in tuners also present quite well – the improvement in the quality of lower resolution materials works surprisingly well. However, there are certain things that can be eye-catching. The contrast is simply terrible. In dark scenes, there are no details at all. In the evening, in a darkened room, this is very noticeable. During the day, these imperfections are less felt, so LG QNED87T performs better in well-lit places. LG QNED87T is a television that has its strengths. It handles dynamic materials well, is easy to use, and is excellent for bright rooms. It's not the ideal model for evening viewings in darkness, but in everyday use, it definitely stands out. It's a universal device worth considering when choosing a new television.

Sony X90L is a premium model from the Japanese manufacturer, which premiered in 2023 but will successfully continue into 2024. The Sony brand and the name Bravia are associated with excellent picture quality, and this model confirms that reputation – it offers great brightness and very good blacks. Despite having fewer local dimming zones than the competition, it makes up for it with an advanced algorithm. Additionally, after calibration, the television presents very well-rendered colours, resulting in a natural and cohesive image associated with IMAX cinema. In everyday use, X90L performs excellently, mainly thanks to the picture processor that effectively upscales lower resolution content, as well as the recording function from the built-in tuner, which is becoming increasingly rare in today's televisions. Sony is also strongly linked to the world of PlayStation, and in this regard, X90L Sony does not disappoint. It comes equipped with HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, and a convenient Game Bar, making it a good choice for gamers who expect smooth gameplay and quick response times. However, even in such a successful model, there are some drawbacks. Gamers may be disappointed by the lack of support for HGiG, which could improve image quality in HDR games. Furthermore, Sony has yet to release an update that would reduce input lag in Dolby Vision mode – something achieved in the higher-end model, the A95L. Those who prefer slimmer devices should know that although Sony X90L looks elegant with its aluminium frame, it is not among the thinnest televisions on the market. Even though X90L already has a year behind it, it remains a solid piece of equipment that combines good picture parameters with functionality and support for gamers. It’s a successful choice for those looking for a versatile high-end television.

In the category of black levels and contrast, the television LG QNED87T6B faces some challenges. Equipped with an IPS panel, it doesn't match the VA panel models in terms of performance in this area. Additionally, edge-lit dimming affects its poor results in this category. It's worth mentioning that the exception is the 50-inch variant, which has a VA panel and is not subject to this test.

Despite the manufacturer offering a dimming control option, the effects remain relatively weak. Test patterns show that the contrast is really poor, and in the test clip from the film "Sicario 2," it's clear to see how the television struggles with the backlighting, illuminating a large portion of the screen from below. This indicates that in more demanding scenes, the television has difficulties maintaining an appropriate level of contrast and black levels, which negatively impacts the overall visual experience.

The Sony X90L television is equipped with a VA panel and in the tested size of 65', it has 88 backlight zones. It may seem that such a number of zones doesn't make a big impression, but thanks to the local dimming algorithm, the television handles blacks exceptionally well. This is clearly visible on the first and third test screens, where the contrast reaches nearly 100,000:1. In more demanding scenes, the X90L doesn't achieve such spectacular results – a contrast level of 6000:1 is just fine. The light separation performs really well, which is confirmed by a scene from the film "Oblivion". However, the small number of backlight zones means that the halo effect is noticeable, especially in the test footage from "Sicario 2", where the helicopter lights cause quite a significant flare over a large area of the screen. Despite the limited number of backlight zones, the Sony X90L does really well in reproducing blacks. Although it doesn't match the top series of miniLED or OLED televisions in terms of black depth and contrast level, it offers solid results that are sufficient for most demanding users.

LG QNED87T6B delivers truly decent visual experiences when it comes to HDR. During our tests on test patterns, the television achieved brightness close to 500 nits, which is a satisfactory result and allows for good visibility of details in high dynamic range scenes. Support for basic HDR formats such as HDR10 and HLG ensures proper image quality. Unfortunately, the television does not support more advanced standards such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, which are particularly important at this screen brightness. The lack of support for dynamic metadata means that in certain scenes, the television may struggle to fully reproduce details, especially in very bright areas – this is precisely when dynamic metadata could significantly improve image quality. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the excellent coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching as much as 96.4%. As a result, the colours displayed by the QNED87T6B model are more vivid and natural, enhancing the quality of 4K content viewed with a wide colour palette.

HDR on the Sony X90L television looks promising. The luminance chart indicated that the TV has a solid power reserve, achieving a maximum of 1000 nits in synthetic tests. But how does this perform in real-world scenarios? In scenes such as the opening of Life of Pi or the final sequence from The Meg, the TV is capable of delivering that power on HDR content, reaching around 800 nits. Unfortunately, displaying small light elements on a black background, like in the scene from Sicario 2, presents greater challenges for the X90L – here the results reach around 600 nits. Nevertheless, when looking at competitive models with mini-LED technology, the effect looks very good and can shine enough to impress us. The colour gamut coverage is also noteworthy, with a result of 96% for DCI-P3 and 76% for BT.2020, which indicates good colour reproduction in HDR content.

The colour accuracy in the LG QNED, even in Filmmaker Mode, which is the best factory setting, is not without its flaws. The main issue is white balance – we noticed that the level of blue on the graph tends to drop. This results in a shift in colours towards yellow, making the image have a warmer tone than it should. This deviation affects the naturalness of colour reproduction, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. The Color Checker test confirmed that some colours are distorted and deviate from reality. Such distortion can make film scenes appear less realistic, and details are presented in incorrect colours, negatively impacting the overall image quality.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed significant drops, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker parts of the image brighter in some scenes, which reduces their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural drop was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon can result in less accuracy in reproducing dark scenes, which in turn affects the overall image quality. The television may not convey full black depth, causing more demanding scenes to lose realism and detail. As a result, viewers may notice that details in the darker parts of the image become less distinct.

The best mode on Sony televisions is the IMAX Enhanced mode. Although IMAX is mainly associated with the cinema experience, the colour reproduction out of the box is average here. In the case of lower quality materials, such as HD – regular television or YouTube – it's worth paying attention to the white balance. It suffers from a shortfall in red and excessive dominance of blue, which gives the image a pinkish hue. The brightness characteristic, or gamma, for HD content is quite acceptable, but a slight boost can cause the image to appear washed out and look as if it’s behind a light fog.

For 4K HDR content, the situation is somewhat different. The white balance shows a significant boost in blue, which makes the image unnaturally sharp and gives it an artificial feel. Such an exaggeration in colour reproduction may not appeal to everyone, especially if one prefers more realistic tones. Additionally, the EOTF curve in Sony X90L looks quite acceptable at first glance. However, at the end of the graph, there are certain fluctuations that suggest the television is trying to maintain the correct brightness to avoid overexposing larger elements.

After calibration, the colours in SDR content look very good. The improved white balance translates to natural and harmonious shades in various scenes. Thanks to precise gamma tuning, details in shadows and bright areas of the image are accurately reproduced. The television performs excellently in everyday use, offering vibrant, well-balanced images and solid colour quality in HD. The biggest beneficiary here is also contrast. The gamma graph has been stripped of significant errors, giving the television a new dimension.

As for the white balance in 4K HDR, it has also been significantly improved. However, some errors still appear at the end of the graph. This may be due to the television's overly aggressive local dimming, which in some scenes affects the inaccurate reproduction of colours. It's difficult to talk about an improvement in brightness represented by the EOTF curve. The television, due to its construction limitations, has some drawbacks, and we can't overlook them. The Color Checker test confirms the issue with colour saturation – even though the television offers a wide colour palette, it fails to fully convey the director's intent.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality after calibration is significantly better than before. Adjustments in white balance and gamma tuning make the images more vivid and the colours closer to reality.

Sony offers many tools for improving picture quality, including two extra picture modes that we decided to use during testing and apply calibration to. This solution greatly simplifies the calibration process and is very effective, provided you have the right tools. In the case of HD content, white balance was almost perfectly aligned – only one shade of grey exceeds an error value of "1", which is a great result. The same can be said for the brightness characteristic (gamma), which presents almost perfectly, with microscopic deviations of around 0.01.

For 4K HDR content, the situation is not as ideal. Although white balance has been significantly improved, it was not possible to completely eliminate the dominance of blue. Nevertheless, errors in the Colour Checker test only occasionally exceed the value of "2", which means that picture distortions are practically unnoticeable. When it comes to the EOTF curve, it's worth activating the filter in the top right corner "EOTF in Films" – the graph looks correct, but the TV struggles with illuminating very small elements, which is due to the limited number of backlight zones. Despite these minor errors, it's thanks to the calibration that the IMAX Enhanced mode in the Sony X90L makes watching movies feel like a true cinema experience.

The gradation in LG QNED is quite good, despite minor issues on the colourful dark sky. These small drawbacks do not detract from the fact that the gradation is one of the positive aspects of this model. Overall, the television handles smooth colour transitions well.

The smoothness of tonal transitions in Sony X90L is excellent. The gradation is beautiful on high-quality sources such as streaming in 4K. One can only notice slight cuts on more demanding gradients, but the overall effect is very good and should satisfy even the most discerning viewers.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the gradation looks really good. The feature called "Smooth Gradation" effectively smooths out the most problematic parts of the image, while not negatively affecting the film grain. For the best effect, it’s worth setting it to a low level. This solution significantly improves the quality of the displayed content, making the viewing of lower resolution materials more enjoyable and smoother.

In terms of digital processing, the image is displayed without cropping, known as overscan. Although slight fraying of the branches can be noticed against the model's background, everything looks very good. Users should be satisfied with the image quality when watching low-quality materials like standard television. The TV handles this task exceptionally well, providing a satisfying visual experience, even with lower quality content.

The Sony X90L television features a smooth tonal transition function known as Gentle Gradation, which is incredibly effective. Even at the "low" setting, the effects are satisfactory, but at the "medium" setting, it works like a dream – we recommend using this option for the best results. The image scaling on the Sony X90L is simply excellent. The image is not overly sharpened, which gives a natural effect and makes everything look cohesive. It's clear that the engineers have really put effort into this aspect, creating a solution that impresses and performs well in everyday use. This means that even when watching content like regular television or YouTube, where the image is by nature not stunning, you can enjoy a smooth, coherent, and visually pleasing experience.

The television provides decent smoothness when watching movies, thanks to the “Tru Motion” feature, which allows adjustment of motion smoothing from 0 to 10. De-Judder regulates motion smoothness, while De-Blur adjusts motion sharpness. Users have the option to choose between a traditional cinematic effect with subtle juddering motion (lower settings) and a smoother, theatrical image. Although the latter deviates slightly from the cinematic standard, it may be appealing to many viewers.

As for gamers and sports fans, the LG QNED87 television with a 120Hz panel will surely not disappoint. And with the use of an IPS panel, the response time is typically better than that of VA panels available at a similar price. This ensures smoother gameplay and dynamic experiences when watching sports events.

Sony X90L with a 120 Hz display is an excellent choice for both gamers and film enthusiasts. The television is equipped with the Motion Flow smoothing feature, which allows for adjusting motion smoothness using two sliders: "smoothness" and "clarity". The "smoothness" slider controls the level of motion fluidity, which affects the reduction of image stuttering, while "clarity" is used to reduce blurriness and enhance motion sharpness, which is especially useful in dynamic scenes.

LG QNED offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-performance television. The TV is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing connection to the latest consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, utilising full functionality including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Thanks to the Game Bar feature, gamers can quickly and easily manage all game settings without needing to navigate complex menus. Parameters such as VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and frame rate monitoring can be adjusted. The TV also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which is particularly important for owners of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card. The 120Hz panel guarantees incredible motion smoothness and image clarity. Combined with the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, which is available at 60Hz and 120Hz, gamers can enjoy an even sharper and smoother picture. LG QNED87 is a television that meets the expectations of even the most demanding gamers, offering modern technologies and features that significantly enhance comfort and satisfaction during gaming.

Sony X90L is a TV that performs well in terms of compatibility with consoles and features for gamers. Its 120 Hz panel and two HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 48 Gb/s allow for smooth playback of high-resolution games at high frame rates. Gamers can also take advantage of the ALLM feature, which automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, and VRR, which ensures smooth gameplay without frame tearing. The Game Bar is an added bonus – an intuitive tool that provides quick access to essential settings and gaming features, making it easier to control the gameplay.

Unfortunately, when it comes to HDR in games, the Sony X90L has its limitations. It lacks support for HGiG, a standard that many gamers consider crucial for accurate HDR representation in games. While the TV supports Dolby Vision, which theoretically could enhance image quality in games, the practical implementation of this feature is problematic. Dolby Vision in game mode comes with very high input lag, making gameplay less comfortable and precise movements more difficult. Additionally, Dolby Vision cannot be enabled alongside VRR. This means that despite numerous advantages, gamers seeking the perfect HDR in games may feel unsatisfied.

The LG QNED stands out with an extremely low input lag, which is crucial for smooth and responsive gaming. For a refresh rate of 120Hz, the input lag values do not exceed 6 ms, while at 60Hz, the input lag is a maximum of 15 ms. These are truly impressive results that ensure a player's reactions are almost instantaneously reflected on the screen.

Input lag in Sony X90L can be rated as decent, although it’s not outstanding. In Dolby Vision mode, the television operates only at 60 Hz, and the high input lag complicates matters because it makes gameplay practically unplayable. For games at the popular 60 Hz frequency, the input lag is around 25 ms – this is an acceptable result, but for more demanding players, it may turn out to be disappointing.

Those more advanced players who have equipment supporting higher refresh rates can expect better results. With a 120 Hz signal, the input lag drops to around 12 ms, which provides significantly better responsiveness and smoother gameplay, meeting the expectations of more demanding users.

The LG QNED television works perfectly with a computer, offering very good font readability. This makes working and browsing content exceptionally comfortable. The high refresh rate of 120Hz provides a smooth and vivid image. It combines a large workspace with performance, making it a genuine pleasure to use. However, for more demanding users, it may be disappointing that the TV has issues displaying fonts on a dark background. Instead of white letters, they take on a greenish hue.

Collaboration with a PC in Sony X90L is at a good level. The X90L television supports chroma 4:4:4, which provides quite good text visibility, essential for work or browsing content on a large screen. Although there are minimal issues with font readability on a dark background, it is not problematic enough to be a significant concern in everyday use.

An additional advantage for PC users is the 120 Hz refresh rate and support for G-Sync. This means gamers can expect smoother gameplay without the effects of stuttering or tearing, which significantly enhances comfort and gaming experience.

When it comes to viewing angles, LG QNED87 performs really well. Thanks to its IPS panel, it offers wide viewing angles compared to VA panels. This means that the picture remains clear and does not lose quality even at an angle. While it may not achieve the perfect results of OLED TVs, which maintain colours and brightness regardless of the viewing angle, in terms of LCD QNED87 screens, it stands out positively. This makes it a great choice for larger rooms where viewers often watch at an angle.

The viewing angles on the Sony X90L are unfortunately very poor, which is typical for VA panels. The image quality deteriorates when viewed at an angle, which can be problematic when watching from a greater distance or with a larger group of people. It's a shame the manufacturer didn't apply a coating to widen the viewing angles, as this could significantly improve this aspect and make the TV more versatile for different room layouts.

During the day, the LG QNED television performs adequately. It has a satin finish that doesn’t suppress reflections the best, which can be noticeable in bright rooms. Nevertheless, with quite good brightness at 430 nits, the image remains visible and clear. Although reflections may be somewhat bothersome, the brightness of the television allows for comfortable use during the day.

The performance of the Sony X90L television during the day is very good. The satin matrix effectively reduces reflections, which minimizes glare and keeps the image clear even in bright rooms. An SDR brightness level of 785 cd/m² allows for comfortable viewing of standard television and lower quality materials regardless of the time of day. This means that the X90L will work great in both well-lit living rooms and in sunnier spaces.

LG QNED87 TV offers a multitude of features that significantly enhance user comfort. Let's start with the WebOS system, which we believe has the most user-friendly interface among all TVs available on the market. One of its greatest advantages is the remote control with a built-in gyroscope, known as the Magic Remote. Thanks to this, navigation is intuitive and quick, making TV usage a pleasure. WebOS also supports a range of smart features that greatly simplify everyday use of the television. Among them is AirPlay, which allows easy content sharing from Apple devices such as iPhone or iPad. Additionally, the TV supports a wide range of streaming applications, such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and many others, providing access to favourite movies and series in one place. When it comes to everyday use, LG QNED87 does not disappoint. The TV offers a USB recording feature, which is becoming increasingly rare in modern models. This allows users to record their favourite programs and watch them at any time. Furthermore, the TV has a Picture-in-Picture (PIP) function, although only for one tuner, enabling the viewing of two programs simultaneously. Connecting additional devices via Bluetooth is simple and hassle-free. The TV supports various Bluetooth devices, such as mice, keyboards, and headphones, increasing its versatility and allowing easy personalisation of the user experience. With all these features, the LG QNED87 TV is a versatile and convenient device that meets the expectations of even the most demanding users.

Sony X90L offers a rich set of features, starting with the Google TV system, which is the heart of entertainment. This solution provides access to a vast array of apps and streaming services, and the interface is intuitive and straightforward. With the support of a voice assistant, using the television becomes even more convenient – just one command is enough to find your favourite movies, series, or music. Google TV operates smoothly and allows for full personalisation, making everyday use pleasant and hassle-free.

The television also offers a range of practical features. It supports AirPlay and Miracast, enabling easy content sharing from mobile devices. Additionally, you can connect other devices via Bluetooth, which enhances versatility and user-friendliness. For those who prefer traditional TV viewing, there’s even a recording feature available without the need for an external decoder, which is a significant advantage for fans of live programs.

In terms of design, Sony X90L may not be the slimmest, but its appearance is impressive thanks to the metal frame that adds elegance. The television comes with a stand that can be set up in three different ways, allowing you to customise its placement to suit various spaces and user preferences.

The built-in media player in the LG QNED87 television should not disappoint anyone. It offers rich capabilities when it comes to playing video and audio files. It supports many popular formats, ensuring versatility and user convenience. The only drawback might be the limited number of supported photo formats. However, this mainly concerns those less popular formats, so most users should be satisfied with the player's functionality. For everyday use and typical multimedia formats, the player performs very well.

Sony X90L easily handles playback of most popular file formats from USB, which is a big plus for those who often reach for external content. However, there is a minor downside – the built-in player does not allow for changing the font colour in subtitles, which may be problematic for some. Fortunately, thanks to the advanced Google TV system, users have a wide range of options. You can easily install alternative media players that offer more personalisation options.

When it comes to sound, it can be said that it's moderately pleasant. There's a lack of pronounced bass, and the mid tones seem a bit unclear. This isn't an ideal situation for audiophiles, but it's worth noting that the television plays DTS files without any issues. This is a feature that's missing in many other televisions, so the LG QNED87 deserves praise for this support.

The sound on the Sony X90L is pleasant and clear, and the presence of bass makes the audio fuller. The television handles music playback well, offering satisfying audio experiences. An additional advantage is the support for Dolby Atmos and DTS technology, which provide a more spacious and immersive sound. This makes movies, games, and music richer and more realistic, creating better experiences for the user.

LG QNED87T6B vs Sony X90L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound