Sony X85L vs LG OLED C5

The Sony X85L TV offers solid HDR performance with a brightness of 750 nits, which is sufficient to enjoy vibrant effects. In scenes of moderate difficulty, such as the first, third, or fifth test scenes, a brightness of around 600 nits allows you to fully experience the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in more demanding segments, like the scene from the film Sicario 2, the TV reveals its limitations. Drops in brightness to 250 nits make the HDR effect lose its impressive quality and resemble ordinary SDR. Nonetheless, it is worth highlighting the very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 95%, which definitely deserves praise and positively impacts the overall image quality.

LG C5 has finally done what we've been waiting for years in the C series – it exceeds 1000 nits of brightness! This is a significant change compared to previous models in the series and very important – because most HDR content on streaming platforms is created around such luminance today. The image finally has the right "glow," and details in the highlights look as they should even without the use of dynamic metadata. However, there are scenes where the C5, like most OLED TVs, has certain issues. Especially when the screen has to light up entirely. In our test sequences, like the bright scene from the movie The Meg, brightness noticeably drops. Don't get us wrong, this result is not bad; it’s more of a reminder that OLED technology still has its limitations. Year by year, they are getting smaller, but they still exist.

Now, what about the colours? They are very good. Although the C5 doesn't match OLEDs with QD-OLED or Tandem RGB panels, its coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut at 97% and 73% of BT.2020 will satisfy even the more demanding viewers. The colours are saturated, natural, and very consistent in HDR materials.

The television Sony X85L has been tested in IMAX Enhanced mode, which, while associated with world-class cinema, does not guarantee an image consistent with the director's intent. The main issue is the white balance – there is a noticeable strong dominance of blue and significant deficiencies in red. As a result, the image becomes unnaturally cool and looks artificial. Errors in colour reproduction were confirmed by the Colour Checker test, which showed significant discrepancies – colours were "scattered" like shots from a rifle, and only a few samples hit the target values. This clearly shows that the precision of colour reproduction leaves much to be desired.

The brightness of the image is one of the positive features of the television. The gamma for HD content is at an acceptable level, although minor errors occur, but generally it is quite good. However, the issue remains the brightness characteristic for 4K materials, controlled by the EOTF curve. It is evident here that very small, bright elements of the image are too dim, which is the result of the limited number of backlight zones due to the design of the television.

LG C5, like other TVs we tested, was checked in the best possible factory mode – which remains the Filmmaker Mode. And here we have good news: in SDR materials, LG has once again done a solid job. The white balance and colour reproduction right out of the box are at a very high level. Most errors – both in balance and in the Colour Checker test – did not exceed a ΔE value of 3, which is the threshold above which differences become visible to the naked eye. Such factory settings are what we'd like to see in many more TVs!

However, the situation is different for HDR content, which is what the C series was truly designed for. Here, the C5 performs weaker. An excessive amount of blue in the white balance causes the image to appear distinctly cooler – which affects things like unnaturally pale skin tones or somewhat shifted tonality of the entire scene. Fortunately, LG provides very precise calibration tools, and we – as always – made use of them.

Thanks to the use of calibration tools offered by Sony X85L, it has been possible to significantly improve the image quality. After calibration, the white balance for HD content is much more stable, making colours look more natural and enhancing the authenticity of the image. Although it's not perfect, these changes allow viewers to enjoy a more realistic representation of colours, eliminating the earlier cool tone. The gamma, which already performed reasonably well, has been adjusted to an even better version. As a result, tonal transitions and brightness are more consistent, positively impacting the depth and detail of the image.

As for 4K content, despite efforts, the white balance still struggles with a lack of red, which can cause overly warm colours in some scenes. Synthetic tests showed that the EOTF curve in HDR is fairly stable, with a slight boost in mid-bright scenes. However, in actual film material, the TV can still be too bright with fine, light details, which is a result of the limitations of large local dimming technology.

Nonetheless, the calibration has brought significant benefits, particularly in terms of colour accuracy, improving overall image quality and providing a more natural and consistent directorial vision.

We must honestly admit – in the case of the LG C5, it took very little to achieve an almost perfect image. After carrying out calibration, we managed to achieve compliance with reference screens at a level that impresses even compared to significantly more expensive models. The image after our adjustments looks exactly as filmmakers and series creators would want – with no colour distortion, natural depth, and subtle plasticity. LG has done a great job this year regarding factory settings and calibration potential. Hats off!

In terms of smoothing tonal transitions, the Sony X85L television doesn’t offer any dedicated enhancement options, which is a bit of a downside. On the other hand, the image scaling performs quite well – the television adds a touch of artificial sharpness, which can make details such as tree branches more pronounced, although sometimes with visible jagged edges. This type of effect may appeal to some viewers who prefer a more detailed image.

LG C5 handles lower quality materials exceptionally well. One of the main issues that older WOLEDs faced was posterisation – unwanted “steps” in colour transitions. The C5 utilises a system function that smooths these transitions, and it works surprisingly effectively. The banding effect is nearly completely eliminated, and the image gains consistency. Compared to last year's model, we feel that this function operates slightly weaker – but the good news is that it doesn't compromise the image structure. Film grain, textures, and details remain on the screen – nothing is forcefully smoothed out.

The C5 also excels at enhancing the quality of older recordings. Thanks to the α9 Gen6 (8th gen) processor, "scaling to 4K" is impressively solid. The image is clear, details are sharp, and the only minor drawback might be a slightly noticeable aliasing on some edges. However, there is no problem with overscan here – the image is not artificially cropped or shifted, which is a significant plus and still not a given.

Sony X85L, equipped with a 120 Hz panel, will meet the expectations of a wide range of users – from sports and gaming fans to movie enthusiasts. Movie lovers will surely appreciate the presence of one of the best motion smoothing systems, known as Motionflow. This system offers adjustment using smoothness and clarity sliders – smoothness is responsible for fluid motion, eliminating the stuttering effect, while clarity enhances the sharpness of fast scenes, reducing blur.

The LG C5 is equipped with a 144 Hz display, and this, combined with virtually zero response time of the OLED pixels, makes it one of the best screens for watching dynamic content. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sports, fast-paced games, or just action – the image is razor sharp.

And what about movies at 24 frames? LG has thought of that too. The built-in "TruMotion" smoother allows you to adjust the picture to your own preferences. The “de-judder” slider increases fluidity in films, while “de-blur” subtly reduces motion blur – although to be honest, it’s practically invisible here.

Sony X85L offers a fairly solid set of features for gamers, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. First and foremost, the television has a 120 Hz panel, which translates to smooth and dynamic image display, ideal for both fast-paced action games and more demanding sports titles. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, allowing for the full capabilities of next-generation consoles to be utilised. Additionally, Sony X85L supports VRR (variable refresh rate) technology, which helps reduce stuttering and artifacts during gameplay, ensuring a smooth experience. The television also supports G-Sync, which is particularly beneficial for gamers using NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for screen refresh rate synchronization with GPU performance, eliminating screen tearing. It’s worth mentioning the Game Bar feature, which facilitates quick access to important game-related settings, such as VRR, brightness levels, or display modes, making it convenient and useful during gameplay.

However, there are some limitations. The television does not support HGiG, which may be a downside for some gamers, as HGiG optimises HDR effect rendering in games, providing a more authentic visual experience. Additionally, the Dolby Vision mode, although available, is not practical for gaming due to very high input lag.

LG C5 is a TV designed with gamers in mind – and there's not a hint of exaggeration in that. It's hard to find anything to criticise here. We have a refresh rate of 144 Hz, full support for VRR, ALLM, and as many as four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. For those who have an Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and a gaming PC in one room – no limitations, everything can be connected without any hassle.

Configuring HDR for gaming is also straightforward. The TV correctly supports the HGiG mode, which allows you to achieve an image that aligns with the creators' intentions. For those interested, there is also Dolby Vision in the Gaming version, although we still recommend HGiG as the most predictable and "clean" variant of HDR in games.

It also includes the Game Bar, which is a "command centre" for the gamer. Everything important, from VRR settings, picture modes, to frame rate information – is at our fingertips. The interface is simple and clear. It may look like something out of a space simulator, but it serves its purpose and just works; exactly as it should.

C5 is truly a complete package for any gamer.