Sony Bravia 7 (XR70) vs Samsung QLED Q80D

Now that we know the TV handles contrast well, let’s check how it performs in terms of HDR effects. The luminance graph shows very high capabilities for this model – 1500 nits is truly an impressive result. HDR effects are particularly striking in scenes where most of the screen is covered in light, such as in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th test scenes. Minor imperfections, typical of this technology, are still visible with very small light effects, as seen in the scene from the film "Sicario 2," where brightness drops to 500 nits. Although these aren't staggering results, they can be considered decent. Additionally, it's worth praising the TV for its high coverage of a wide colour gamut – DCI-P3 at 96%, which allows for vibrant, saturated colours.

In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television, as expected, achieves very positive brightness results in the tested movie scenes, where the frame is filled with light, reaching values from 600 to 900 nits, allowing for a great juiciness of the image. Such results enable the user to feel the difference between HDR and SDR quality. Unfortunately, problems arise in situations where small light effects occur against a dark background. In such cases (e.g., the 4th test screen from the film Sicario 2), a noticeable drop in brightness is observed, which is caused by the large size of the dimming zones used here. This limitation, combined with the dimming algorithm, affects how the television handles small bright elements on a dark background. At that point, we may experience an undesired lack of brightness, and the HDR effect resembles that of SDR.

The IMAX Enhanced mode on the Sony BRAVIA 7 TV is definitely the best mode available on this model, although it is not without its flaws, as its name might suggest. The biggest issue is white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, there is a noticeable dominance of the red colour, which causes the image to take on pinkish hues. This is particularly evident on the test image with snow, where the pinkish tint becomes very noticeable. Errors in the Colour Checker test also confirm these deviations – although they are not catastrophic, there is a tendency to lean towards warmer tones. In terms of brightness characteristics, the gamma remains at a decent level with a slight spike but without major issues. However, the biggest challenge is with 4K material. It is clear that the EOTF curve is significantly above the reference graph, making the image appear overly bright.

In "Filmmaker" mode, which is the best choice right out of the box, the Samsung Q80D television shows solid colour reproduction. For SDR content, a noticeable drop at the start of the gamma curve suggests that details in dark scenes may be less clear, affecting the overall viewing experience. Regarding white balance in SDR content, while generally correct, significant drops in blue at screen coverage above 70% can result in less natural shades in both bright and dark scenes. Users may notice that some blue elements in the image may appear less vibrant, and the overall colour will have a warmer hue.

In HDR content, the EOTF curve being above the reference line for most of the time indicates that the television may struggle to accurately reproduce brightness and details in the brighter parts of the image, which can be detrimental for the viewer. It is also worth noting the significant drop at the start of this chart, indicating that the television has difficulty reproducing brightness in the darker parts of the image, as seen in the contrast and black test, where several scenes were unable to show the full capabilities of the television’s brightness. In terms of its white balance, the initially good performance on the graph is promising, but the steep decline in red, coupled with a significant increase in blue, can lead to inaccuracies in reproducing some skin tones and other key colours. This phenomenon may be noticeable to viewers in scenes where colour details are crucial.

Sony BRAVIA XR70 offers a wide range of tools that allow you to customise the image to your own preferences, enabling significant adjustments to the settings. White balance has been freed from the red colour dominance issue – snow no longer takes on pink hues, which was previously noticeable. Although there are slight deviations in the final part of the white balance chart regarding a drop in blue colour, they are acceptable and difficult to notice in everyday use. The Colour Checker test confirms that colour reproduction errors are no longer as pronounced and rarely exceed a value of 2, which is a very good result. As for brightness, gamma, although it didn't require major improvement, has been slightly adjusted. However, the most significant change has been noted in the EOTF curve – the television no longer has issues with excessively brightening the entire image in 4K materials. However, upon closer examination and incorporating the EOTF characteristics in film materials, some limitations of the television become apparent due to the previously discussed dimming algorithm. Some small elements may be slightly more illuminated, but these errors are minor enough that most users won't notice them. Overall, the calibration results are very, very positive.

The movie mode after calibration looks significantly better than the one you see right out of the box. Samsung offers an advanced range of calibration tools in its televisions. Among them are 2- and 20-point greyscale adjustment and CMS (Color Management System). Both in HDR and SDR mode, white balance has improved significantly, although there are slight errors at the end of the graph for HDR content. Contrast has also been greatly improved, and the gamma curve responsible for SDR shows better results. However, when it comes to HDR, the EOTF curve on the television appears to be at an ideal level at first glance. However, when we dig a bit deeper and enable the EOTF graph while watching films, we may notice that all the lines of the curve are above the reference line. You could even say that the television is "cheating" when playing film material. Such a situation, where the EOTF curve is above the reference line, causes the screen – although it may appear brighter, which some users might find appealing – to lose detail in the darker parts of the image. In practice, this means that in scenes with a lot of shadows or dark elements, the television is unable to accurately render the details that should be visible.

Since we know that the television handles high-quality content very well, it's worth checking how it performs with lower-quality material. Here, the television shows its potential, and the graphics processor used works remarkably well. On the test screen with the light bulb, there are no issues with colour blending, and the gentle gradation function works very well – we recommend setting it to "Medium".

When it comes to digital processing, or the so-called upscaling, the television sharpens the image quite significantly, which leads to a slight jaggedness, for example on branches in the background, but it doesn't remove desired details. Despite this, the overall appearance is really attractive and may appeal to most users. However, if you prefer a softer, more plastic image, you can reduce this effect in the settings by adjusting the sharpness level to your liking.

Samsung Q80D performs very well with low-quality materials. The noise reduction works on the principle of gentle gradation, making it very effective in smoothing out unwanted image disturbances. Unfortunately, this same effectiveness also causes it to blur elements that shouldn't be smoothed, such as film grain. For those who prioritise a plastic, smooth image, this can be seen as a significant advantage, especially with lower-quality content.

In terms of image scaling, Samsung Q80D stands out positively in this aspect, significantly enhancing the viewing comfort. The TV handles the conversion of lower-resolution materials, improving their quality and details. For example, in the attached image featuring a model, there are no visible artefacts or excessive fraying of branches, which demonstrates advanced image processing technology.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 TV with a 120 Hz panel will satisfy most users in terms of motion fluidity. Additionally, Sony offers a Motion Flow feature that allows for the selection of three different picture settings, adjusting them to personal preferences: Smoothness – Film: This setting improves motion fluidity, giving the image a more cinematic or theatrical quality. Smoothness – Camera: This setting provides even greater fluidity, useful for watching dynamic scenes like sports broadcasts. Clarity: This setting focuses on minimising noise and motion artifacts, resulting in a more stable and clear image.

The Samsung Q80D television stands out very positively in terms of motion fluidity and minimizing blur, mainly due to the 120Hz panel and above-average panel response time. Users have two options for adjusting fluidity: "Motion Smoothing," which allows for adjustments in a 10-step scale, and "Blur Reduction," particularly effective at higher refresh rates, improving the sharpness of fast-moving objects. In the UFO test, there is no blurring behind the moving object, and the image is not cloned forward, indicating the absence of an overshoot effect.

Sony Bravia 7 has significantly improved its capabilities in terms of compatibility with consoles compared to earlier models. The TV supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing, and it syncs with graphics cards to ensure smooth display. The automatic low latency mode (ALLM) effectively reduces input lag, which is crucial in dynamic games. Dolby Vision with low latency further delivers impressive HDR effects that look great during gameplay.

Sony Bravia 7 also offers a Game Bar feature, providing quick access to settings and monitoring parameters while gaming. An interesting option is the ability to enable a virtual on-screen reticle, which can give a slight advantage in shooter games. However, compared to the Bravia 9 model, the HGIG feature in the Bravia 7 doesn't perform as well, which may be noticeable for more demanding gamers – particularly as the HGIG mode is becoming increasingly popular among gamers as the preferred method for reproducing HDR effects.

A downside is the lack of support for 1440p@120 Hz resolution, which could make gaming easier for users with less powerful graphics cards. Additionally, the Sony Bravia 7 is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is often used to connect an audio system via eARC, limiting the number of available ports for connecting next-gen consoles.

The Samsung Q80D TV is a real gem for gamers. It is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a rarity, especially in this price range. This allows users to enjoy features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz at 4K resolution. These features ensure smoothness and responsiveness of the image, which is a key aspect during dynamic gameplay. The TV also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), enabling optimal HDR content display in games. Additionally, it comes with a Game Bar, providing quick access to gaming settings. Users with Nvidia graphics cards will also be pleased with the implementation of G-Sync. This feature eliminates stuttering and screen tearing. The only downside is the lack of support for Dolby Vision, which may be disappointing for users looking for that HDR format. It's also worth mentioning that since 2022, thanks to the collaboration with Microsoft, Samsung TVs offer the Xbox Game Pass app, allowing for cloud gaming. This is an added bonus for gamers who want to take advantage of a wide library of games without needing a console.