Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) vs SAMSUNG S95F (TANDEM OLED 83")

The brightness measurement results on the Sony Bravia 9 are phenomenal. Each scene achieves well over 1500 nits, and while watching movies, the TV can sometimes shine even brighter. It goes without saying that such brightness allows for unprecedented experiences and engagement with video material at the highest possible quality. With a high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, the image is full of colours and, combined with such high luminance, it practically breathes. Thanks to the high peak brightness, viewers can enjoy the full spectrum of colours even in the most difficult scenes, such as those based on dynamic lighting changes. The Bravia 9 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats, which further enhances the viewing experience.

The Samsung S95F in the 83-inch variant with a Tandem OLED panel also enchants with its HDR effects. In test movie scenes, such as “Life of Pi” or “Sicario 2,” where smaller light points dominate – stars in the night sky, the glow of the moon, or headlights – the TV easily achieves brightness levels surpassing 2000 nits. This is a result that not long ago seemed unattainable for OLEDs and places this model in the same category as the best Mini-LED constructions.

The limitations of organic panels only emerge in full-screen scenes completely filled with white. In the case of this model, for example, in the final scene of the film The Meg, brightness drops to around 1000 nits – slightly lower than in the smaller QD-OLED variants, where the result hovered around 1400 nits. Nevertheless, we are still talking about an outstanding result, unprecedented in OLED TVs of this size. The colour reproduction is equally impressive. The new Tandem OLED panel nearly catches up to QD-OLED TVs, offering excellent coverage of a wide colour gamut. The results are slightly weaker than those of QD-OLED, but in practice, they still provide an image whose intensity and naturalness of colours are hard to compare with any other television.

The best factory mode on Sony televisions has remained "IMAX Enhanced" for years. This is what we used throughout the entire testing procedure. Despite being the closest to the reference compared to other predefined options, it has a number of aspects that can be improved to make viewing even more enjoyable. When we look at the gamma in SDR materials, we notice quite a significant boost that is related to over-contrasting the image. It is worth noting that the very beginning of the graph has an even greater spike compared to the reference, which leads to the merging of details in the blacks, creating a uniform blob. The EOTF curve in HDR content looked quite accurate and only showed slight deviations from the reference. However, a common characteristic for both was: a greenish tint in the white balance, issues with greys, and general colour misalignment. The most noticeable issue was related to the uneven distribution of colours in the white balance. Due to the excess of the aforementioned colour, the image was covered with an unpleasant greenish tint.

The best picture mode right out of the box is undoubtedly Filmmaker Mode. This mode has been present in Samsung televisions for several years and is intended to reproduce the image as faithfully as possible to the creators' vision. In SDR material, it performs reasonably well, though not without flaws. The image is slightly dimmed, and the white balance tends to shift towards red and blue, resulting in a slight pinkish tint on the screen. Average colour errors hover around values of ΔE 3–4, which is on the borderline of what most people can detect with the naked eye.

The limitations are much more apparent with HDR content. Here, a slight excess of blue in the white balance isn't such a big issue – the real obstacle is how the television manages brightness. In many scenes, the image looked as if it had been blown out, and details in the blacks could completely vanish. The final effect didn't do justice to what such a device is capable of, leading to significant colour inaccuracies. It's hard to understand why such a factory characteristic was chosen, as the perception of HDR in this rendition was definitely not what it should have been.

The colour reproduction after the calibration process should be regarded as excellent. Regardless of the signal, whether it's SDR or HDR, we can expect an image incredibly close to what the film director saw. Practically every image flaw has been modelled and maximally improved. This was made possible by the advanced tools used for the calibration process, which Sony has provided in its televisions for years, including 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustment and a very elaborate CMS.

After calibration, the S95F shows what it can really do. The white balance has been straightened out, and minor inaccuracies have been corrected, making the image in SDR content look nearly exemplary. Colour differences have fallen below the level that the human eye can detect – looking at the screen, one just gets the impression of complete naturalness and harmony of colours.

In HDR, the improvement is equally noticeable. The TV handles brightness much better, and there’s no longer the 'blowing out' of the entire frame. Bright scenes are more controlled, and blacks retain more detail, though sometimes a slight brightening of the overall image can still be noticed. However, this doesn’t change the fact that after calibration, the S95F delivers an image that can confidently be called one of the best on the market – regardless of whether we’re watching movies in SDR or spectacular productions in HDR.

Let's take another look at the quality of tonal transitions, but this time we will analyse the quality of image scaling, which will be crucial when watching lower quality materials. We'll start with the function responsible for the quality of tonal transitions. While they are quite average by default, after activating the option, even at the smallest degree, we can confidently say that these are some of the better ones we've seen. You can confidently enable this function, as it does not cause any negative phenomena, such as grain blur.

Sony has been boasting for several years that its "XR" processor is unmatched when it comes to image scaling. And it's not hard for us to believe that, because the image is indeed incredibly sharp, yet very natural.

The Samsung S95F model features noise reduction, aimed at improving the fluidity of tonal transitions. Its effectiveness is difficult to call ineffective – on the contrary, it can excessively interfere with the image. Older films or materials of lower quality, such as those from YouTube, take on a soft, smoothed character reminiscent of a painting effect thanks to this feature. The problem is that along with the noise, the natural film grain, which gives the image a cinematic quality, also disappears. Fortunately, the feature does not blur significant details, so its use is more a matter of preference. If someone prefers a slightly polished and smooth image, it’s worth turning it on, but in our opinion, the most sensible setting is “Standard”.

Upscaling leaves a better impression. The S95F efficiently enhances the quality of lower resolution content – even 576p videos look quite good, although minor artifacts in the form of blockiness can be noticed. Overall, the effect is very solid, although when compared to the competition – such as the Sony Bravia 8 (II) or LG G5 – it is noticeable that those models can extract a bit more from the image. However, one inconvenience to remember is that in the case of older films and photos, there is a problem with overscan, which causes a slight trimming of the left edge of the image.

The maximum refresh rate of the Sony Bravia 9 is 120 Hz. This is the essential minimum for watching primarily sports or content that has a lot of movement dynamics while maintaining a sharp and smooth image. For demanding users, the manufacturer has implemented a very advanced smoothing system, which is divided into three segments: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two correspond to: blur degree and smoothing degree, respectively. The third option will be described in more detail below. Additionally, we can adjust all settings to various levels, each of which will have an effect, ensuring that we can find our very own sweet spot. In the photo, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

In the case of the 83-inch S95F with a Tandem OLED panel, the fluidity of motion also makes a huge impression. The panel in native 4K resolution offers a refresh rate of 165 Hz, and this combined with organic technology makes games and sport look fantastic. Additionally, the manufacturer has added a motion smoother and a motion blur reduction system, allowing each viewer to customise the picture to their own preferences – whether a more 'choppy', cinematic effect or a smooth, almost theatrical spectacle.

The Sony Bravia 9 television is equipped with four HDMI ports. However, somewhat incomprehensibly for this class of device, only two of them operate in the 2.1 standard. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be taken away that almost all features work excellently and do not cause any negative feelings upon being activated. Games operating in either HDR10 or Dolby Vision have a very short input lag, allowing for a very comfortable session with the title. A consolation remains in the good implementation of the HGIG mode, which after proper tuning does not deviate significantly from Dolby Vision.

A year ago, Sony added to its televisions what has been standard for some manufacturers for years. This is, of course, the GameBar, allowing for quick adjustment of settings without the need to exit the game. The implementation of this feature was successful and works very smoothly. We have been provided with conveniences such as: crosshair grid, black level correction, and the ability to reduce the screen to the proportions of gaming monitors.

Sony Bravia 9 will certainly find its group of fans, most likely among PlayStation enthusiasts. Here, we must admit that this will be the most sensible choice, as in practice both the console and the television have exactly the same capabilities. However, looking more broadly, aside from issues with Dolby Vision in games, one cannot deny that the Bravia 9 is a very good television in the context of gaming.

Low motion blur and phenomenal motion fluidity, hallmarks of the OLED panel, are just the warm-up. The Samsung S95F has been designed with gamers in mind – and this is evident at every turn. Four HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 40 Gb/s may sound like a compromise on paper, but in practice, neither consoles nor PCs will feel the slightest limitation here. Onboard is a full set of gaming features: variable refresh rate VRR, automatic game mode ALLM, and an excellently implemented HGiG standard, which allows you to enjoy HDR exactly as the creators intended. All this is complemented by Game Bar – an intuitive command centre where you can check and adjust the most important settings in seconds.

Particularly noteworthy is Game Motion Plus, Samsung's proprietary motion smoother. It can add additional fluidity to animations, which can be a lifesaver in games running at 60 frames, where stability doesn't always hold up. Yes, there's no support for Dolby Vision in games, but it's hard to consider this a serious flaw – the manufacturer compensates for this gap with other solutions. The S95F is one of the absolute favourites for the title of the best gaming television on today's market.