Compare: Sony X85L vs TCL A300W NXTVision

Sony X85L is a model from 2023 that will continue to be available in the 2024 range from the Japanese manufacturer. Its biggest advantage is the Google TV system. It currently provides the greatest access to applications, so we don’t have to worry about missing any of our favourite apps. The intuitive interface and voice control feature using Google Assistant make daily use of the television convenient and modern. As for picture quality, Sony X85L performs well. Thanks to local dimming (albeit with a very mediocre number of zones), black levels look quite decent. Additionally, its fairly high brightness allows for comfortable TV viewing during the day, even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the television offers a program recording feature from built-in tuners, which is a great convenience for those wanting to control what and when they watch. In terms of motion smoothness, X85L also does not disappoint. The 120 Hz panel and Motionflow system provide smooth display of dynamic scenes, which will satisfy both movie lovers and sports fans. The television is also equipped with a range of features for gamers, including VRR, Game Bar, and G-Sync support, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. Of course, the television is not without its flaws. The lack of HGiG support and high input lag in Dolby Vision mode may be disappointing for more demanding gamers. Additionally, the compromise between font readability and smoothness of the image when connected to a PC may not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, Sony X85L is a decent piece of equipment that is particularly worth considering if it can be purchased on sale.

At first glance, it’s clear that the TCL A300 NXTVision aims to be more than just an ordinary television. It offers a picture display mode that – unlike competitors from Korea, Samsung The Frame – is completely free. Additionally, just like its rivals, extras are included at no charge. In the packaging, alongside the television, we find extra frames that mimic light wood and a flat wall mount, allowing the television to truly resemble a gallery piece. When it comes to everyday use, the standout feature is the Google TV system – comprehensive, fast and offering access to a massive number of apps. And if we feel like stepping out of the digital museum and jumping straight into the gaming world, the A300 can surprise us. With two HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and a very low input lag, even demanding gamers can feel at home here. Well... perhaps except for those sensitive to motion blur – as this remains one of the bigger issues with this model. There are also downsides. While the picture mode is free – which is commendable – the actual quality of the available graphics falls noticeably short compared to what Samsung offers in its paid ART Store. The displayed images resemble photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Unfortunately, the A300 – much like the competing Hisense S7NQ – performs poorly here and additionally has some software issues. The brightness of the television itself also leaves much to be desired – it’s the dimmest of the “framed trio,” which translates to average daytime viewing and limited HDR effect. Nevertheless, the TCL A300 NXTVision is a reasonably sensible alternative to Samsung The Frame or S7NQ – especially if we are looking for a cheaper solution without additional charges for access to the “gallery” mode and with an operating system that doesn’t limit us in any way regarding the number of apps. However, it’s important to remember that this is a proposal with a lot of compromises. If we want to save a bit and don’t expect top-notch picture quality, the A300 can hit the visual bullseye. Otherwise, it’s worth looking at its competition.

The Sony X85L television is equipped with a VA panel, which offers quite decent contrast on its own. Additionally, this model features local dimming technology – in the 55-inch version, it includes 24 zones. Although this number isn’t impressive, it naturally increases with the size of the television. The contrast in the X85L is good, though not the best, especially compared to other televisions also equipped with advanced local dimming technology. Results at a level of 8000:1 are satisfactory, but they average out against the competition. In some cases, such as the third scene from the movie Arrival, the contrast is promising and performs quite well. This is thanks to the very good dimming algorithm that Sony has been using in its televisions for years. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of local dimming zones, the television struggles with noticeable blooming, which can be seen in scenes with the helicopter from the movie Sicario 2.

TCL A300, also known as NXTVision, uses a VA panel, so from the outset, decent contrast could be expected. On our test screens, the television indeed showed typical results for this type of panel – in the best case, the contrast reached around 5000:1, which is not a bad result for this segment.

However, it should be noted that the model is not equipped with any local dimming technology, which unfortunately is evident in practice. Black, although at times quite deep, often turns into navy blue or grey – especially in darker scenes. In short: for a television without local dimming, it’s not bad, but it shouldn't be compared to models that already have such a feature on board.

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.

When it comes to brightness, the TCL A300W is definitely the dimmest TV among all frame-style models, such as Samsung The Frame or Hisense CanvasTV – and unfortunately, you can see that right away. In our measurements, peak luminance reached only around 400 nits, and on test movie screens, this value dropped to 350 nits. That’s definitely too little to feel the real "magic" of bright HDR effects. As a consolation – the TV is equipped with a PFS LED coating (which is something like QLED), which provides very good coverage of a wide colour gamut, both DCI-P3 and BT.2020. In addition, there is full support for all popular HDR formats – HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision – which somewhat compensates for the shortcomings in brightness and helps improve the overall experience of materials in this quality.

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.

TCL A300 offers several picture modes, but without a doubt, the movie mode performs the best. Unfortunately, even though it is the best option available, it is not free from errors. Both in HD and HDR content, the image has a noticeably too warm hue – it has a slight pink tint, which is particularly noticeable in snowy scenes. Instead of pure white, we get a pinkish coating that spoils the natural perception of colours.

The management of brightness is also lacking. In the case of older HD materials, the image often seems too dark – confirmed by an elevated gamma value. Conversely, with HDR content, the effect is the opposite – the image is overly bright, as we observed in scenes from the film Pan. Such a lack of consistency also affects colour accuracy – a test with a ColorChecker showed that many samples clearly deviate from reference values.

Fortunately, TCL allows for manual adjustment of settings, so we decided to check how the television would perform after our professional calibration. The effects of this adjustment are described below.

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.

After our professional calibration, the TCL A300 has literally been given a new lease on life. The image has stopped being too warm, and the colours finally look as they should – as confirmed by the ColorChecker test, where the colour samples finally started hitting their marks, at least to some reasonable degree. It was also possible to partially correct the brightness management – the image is now more balanced and less "wobbly" between different types of content. Of course, certain limitations can't be bypassed – a slightly visible blooming effect still occurs, but that's a characteristic of the technology, not something that can be eliminated even after professional settings.

Generally: after calibration, the A300 looks significantly better and gains a whole new quality.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in Sony X85L is at a good level – the colour gradation is smooth, even in more demanding areas, making the perception of scenes positive and natural. The biggest issues arise in shadow areas, where subtle colour joins can be visible. Despite this, the television performs well enough that most viewers should not notice these minor imperfections.

TCL A300 NXTVision is another frame-style television that really manages well with the smoothness of tonal transitions. It's hard to find distinct bands or sharp transitions between shades of one colour – it all looks natural and smooth.

However, it's fair to say that among the three tested models (The Frame and S7NQ), TCL performs the weakest in this category. In darker and lighter scenes, you can notice slight imperfections. Nevertheless, looking at it as a whole, for a television in this range – it really presents itself solidly. It might not be the best of the bunch, but it holds a very good standard.

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.

TCL A300 handles tonal transitions in high-quality films very well, but the question arises – how does it perform with weaker materials? The TV is equipped with a tonal smoothing feature; however, its effectiveness can be described in one word: “random”. In one scene, it may work and improve the gradation, but when turned off… the effect remains the same. There is a lack of consistency and predictability here.

Image scaling is also not one of A300's strong points. On the test pattern, the main character actually looked better than on the raw signal, but with thin lines – like fonts or background details – there was noticeable jaggedness and aliasing. On the plus side, the TV does not cut off the image and has no issues with overscan, but the overall quality of scaling is rather average.

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.

TCL A300 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, which should instantly satisfy virtually everyone - both gamers and sports fans. Motion is fluid and the image is clear even during fast scenes. Additionally, the television offers a motion enhancement feature called "Motion," where we find two sliders on a 10-point scale. These allow you to adjust the effect to your own preferences - from a classic, filmic look with visible frames to a very smooth (though already unnatural) image reminiscent of a soap opera effect. This way, everyone can find a setting that suits them.

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.

The TCL A300 is a television designed not only to transport us to a digital art museum but also into the full-fledged world of gaming. It offers practically everything you can expect from gaming hardware: two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz refresh rate, support for VRR and ALLM.

It also deserves credit for the proper implementation of the HGIG mode – something that competing Hisense sometimes struggles with. The television handles lower resolutions (e.g., Full HD) with ease while maintaining high refresh rates, which will be appreciated by owners of older consoles or PCs.

Additionally, there's an attractive and clear GameBar that facilitates quick access to settings for gamers. The A300 is indeed well-prepared for gaming at the highest level – it’s just a shame that issues with ghosting somewhat detract from its overall appeal as a gaming device.

Generally speaking, the input lag on the Sony X85L is very good, which is crucial for smooth gameplay and quick reactions in games. In standard modes, particularly when using HDMI 2.1 and playing at 4K resolution at 120 Hz, the input lag is minimal.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode is an exception to this rule. In this case, the input lag reaches as high as 95 ms. Such a high level of latency makes the Dolby Vision mode practically unplayable, as responses to commands are noticeably delayed.

In terms of input lag, the TCL A300 performs really well. Values below 10 ms at a refresh rate of 120 Hz are something many gamers dream of – such low lag is practically unnoticeable, both during everyday gaming and in more demanding esports titles. One could nitpick about the result of 23 ms in Dolby Vision mode at 60 frames, but it's still low enough that serious objections are hard to come by. In this category, the A300 truly excels.

The collaboration of the television Sony X85L with a PC involves a bit of balancing between image quality and user comfort. If we want to use the TV for work, where clear fonts matter, we need to set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. In this mode, text looks good and doesn't strain the eyes, which is crucial if we plan to spend a longer time in front of the screen.

On the other hand, if the TV is intended for gaming, where we can take full advantage of its capabilities at 120 Hz, we must consider that the readability of the fonts noticeably decreases. The image becomes less sharp and the text harder to read, which can be frustrating. In short – Sony X85L works well for occasional connection to the computer, but if we need it daily for work and gaming, this compromise may not appeal to everyone.

If we plan to use the TCL A300 as a computer monitor, we may be pleasantly surprised. The television performs really well in this role. It is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, supports G-Sync, and, as we mentioned, offers very low input lag, so gaming on it with a connected PC is pure enjoyment.

Working with text is also possible, although with some limitations. The TCL A300 has slight issues displaying dark fonts and thin lines – this is due to the construction of the subpixels, which in everyday use can be a bit annoying, even though it looks better in photos than in reality.

The television supports chroma 4:4:4, but only up to 120 Hz. Therefore, we noted that this feature is available, but with a limitation – if we care about perfectly readable fonts, it's worth sticking with the refresh rate of 120 Hz. At 144 Hz, the clarity of the text may suffer somewhat.

Viewing angles on the Sony X85L, as is often the case with VA panels, are not the best. The picture looks great when you’re watching the TV head-on, but all it takes is a slight shift to the side to notice that the colours lose their vibrancy and the contrast noticeably weakens. This could be a problem if the TV is meant for watching in larger groups, where viewers are seated at different angles. For those who typically watch solo or from one central spot, it won't be a major downside, but the picture quality unfortunately drops when watching from the side.

The viewing angles on the TCL A300 NXTVision are, let’s be honest, average. The TV is equipped with a VA panel, which inherently has quite limited angles, and unfortunately, this is evident here. The video below speaks for itself – even a slight deviation from the centre results in a noticeable drop in contrast and colour saturation. It’s a shame that this is yet another frame-style TV that has done absolutely nothing about it. After all, we don't always have the option to sit perfectly straight on – especially if the device is also meant to serve a decorative function in the living room.

The performance of the television Sony X85L during the day is quite decent. Its satin screen coating handles light reflection moderately well, which means that in bright rooms there may be some glare, but it is not bothersome enough to significantly interfere. The brightness in SDR mode at 570 nits is sufficient for comfortably watching TV during the day, even with natural light coming in through the windows. This ensures that colours remain vibrant and the picture is clearly visible, making the television suitable for everyday use.

The TCL A300 NXTVision is equipped with a matte panel very similar to the one found in one of its Chinese competitors – the Hisense S7NQ. This type of surface does quite well in reducing reflections, although it must be admitted that it performs worse than Samsung's The Frame, which offers a significantly higher level in this regard. As is usually the case with matte displays, blacks during the day lose depth and appear more grey than black – and this is no different here. Unfortunately, the fact that the A300 is the darkest TV of the three tested doesn’t help either. This gives it a real problem in breaking through in heavily sunlit rooms.

Sony X85L operates on the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage for many users. The television offers wide access to apps, and using streaming platforms is smooth and user-friendly. The interface is intuitive and easy to master, allowing for quick switching between apps and searching for favourite content. Google TV allows for personalization of the home screen, enabling each user to tailor it to their preferences. Google Assistant further enriches the experience by offering voice control and quick changes to settings or searching for films without using the remote.

In terms of user features, Sony X85L offers many useful options. The television has the capability to record programs, which is a great convenience for those wanting to watch their favourite content at any time. AirPlay support allows seamless streaming of content from Apple devices, which iPhone and iPad owners will appreciate. In addition, with built-in Bluetooth, various devices such as headphones or keyboards can be connected. However, one drawback is the absence of the PiP (picture in picture) function, which may disappoint users who prefer multitasking on the screen.

The design of the Sony X85L TV, while perhaps not the slimmest, is sturdy and elegant. The metal base with adjustable legs is one of its strong points, allowing for the height and width of the television to be adjusted to fit various furniture and spaces. This practical solution enhances the interior and adds a modern character to it.

TCL A300 is a television styled as a painting, which in everyday use can successfully pretend to be a work of art hanging on the wall. It is equipped with a special image display mode, additional frames in a light wood tone, and a flat wall mount that allows you to hang the television like a real painting – without any gap from the wall.

A significant advantage of the image mode is that it is completely free. We have access to several dozen works from which we can choose one to be displayed while in standby – instead of a black screen, the image we selected remains on the wall. The quality of graphic reproduction is okay, but it must be admitted that it clearly falls short of that from Samsung's ART Store. Although access to images there is paid, the quality of the scans is significantly better – you can see the texture of the paint, canvas, and details. In the TCL A300, it resembles high-quality photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Additionally, the implementation of the image mode in the system leaves a lot to be desired. For example – if we set the brightness to 10% in image mode, that same value automatically transfers to the regular viewing mode, where we could easily set the brightness to 50% or even 100%. It also works the other way around – when we set the brightness to 100% in regular mode, after switching to gallery mode, the images are displayed with the same maximum brightness, shining too intensely and losing the whole effect of a “picture on the wall.” These are minor but irritating errors that can spoil the experience of what was supposed to be visually subtle and elegant.

Moving on to more classic functions – the A300 runs on the Google TV system, which currently offers by far the largest selection of applications (full list available below). The responsive voice assistant with support for the Polish language also deserves a big plus. As standard – as with most TCL televisions – the USB recording function or picture-in-picture (PiP) mode was missing.

Sony X85L handles playback of most popular file formats from USB without any issues, which is a big plus for those who often access external content. However, it's worth mentioning a minor drawback – the built-in player does not allow for changing the font colour in subtitles, which may be troublesome for some. Fortunately, thanks to the extensive Google TV system, users have a wide range of options. Alternative media players can be easily installed, offering more personalisation options.

The built-in player on the TCL A300 works as it should – most popular video and photo files play without any problems. It lacks support for Apple's HEIC format (which is quite common in many TVs), but most users still use AirPlay, so it shouldn't be a major issue. If someone isn't satisfied with the default player, the Google TV system offers plenty of options – you can easily install an alternative app that better suits your tastes. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the factory solution is completely sufficient for everyday use.

The sound on the Sony X85L is good – it's clear across the entire scale, allowing enjoyment of both dialogue and music. The bass, though light, is noticeable and adds some depth to the overall sound. However, it should be emphasised that this is a subjective assessment – some may be satisfied with this sound profile, while others might require additional audio equipment to fully experience the stronger tones and a more spacious sound.

When it comes to sound, the TCL A300W – like its competitors – sounds quite... flat, after all, we are talking about a super slim television. For everyday watching of news or series, this level is more than sufficient, but during movie screenings, we might noticeably miss depth and space. On a positive note, it’s worth mentioning that the television supports both Dolby Atmos and the increasingly rare DTS:X – which provides more options when connecting an external audio system. It’s also worth noting that the A300 PRO model is equipped with a dedicated, flat soundbar. And it’s no ordinary soundbar – it sounds better than most of the televisions we’ve tested.

Sony X85L vs TCL A300W NXTVision

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