Xiaomi S Pro 2026 vs Haier M90E

When it comes to HDR quality, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly a very bright television. On our synthetic measurement patterns, we were able to achieve peak brightness of around 1400 nits. This result is not only very good but quite spectacular, considering the price of this model. However, as we always say, our editorial team values measurements and the viewing experience of content that people watch on a daily basis – from movies to series. So let’s analyse how Xiaomi performs with film material. The result is, unfortunately, quite mixed. When very bright scenes appear on screen, the S Pro 2026 truly shows its full capabilities and can achieve a real 800-1000 nits on bright elements. Moreover, even smaller objects can "burn" the eyes – in scenes from the movie Sicario 2, small metallic parts of the helicopter were really vivid. The problem is – and here the story comes full circle, returning to our contrast assessment – that in such scenes, we can’t count on absolutely cinematic black. In our opinion, this compromise is too significant; the high visibility of details in bright sections should not come at the expense of such a substantial drop in blacks. And even though the HDR effect can create a stunning impression here, it’s important to remember that when very challenging, mixed scenes appear on screen, we may feel a slight disappointment. Precisely the one we mentioned in the previous paragraph regarding issues with dimming in HDR mode. As a consolation, it’s worth adding that the S Pro 2026 is equipped with an additional PFS filter (similar in function to a QLED layer), which effectively broadens the colour gamut coverage. As a result, measurements showed DCI-P3 coverage reaching 94%. This gives us confidence that in most colourful scenes, the image will look rich and properly saturated.

Haier M90E is a television that doesn’t lack brightness. In most film scenes, peak luminance exceeds 1000 nits, which gives the image a distinct "punch" and high dynamics. This performs really well with typical bright HDR material. However, one must take into account the previously mentioned dimming algorithm. In scenes that are not evenly flooded with light – for example, when displaying individual stars on a black sky – the high brightness highlights the shortcomings of zone control. Instead of a precise light point, we often see a distinct halo effect around bright objects. Despite these drawbacks, the overall presentation of the image can be pleasing, thanks in large part to the colour reproduction. The manufacturer has applied a PFS phosphor coating, which allows for wide coverage of the colour palette. In our measurements, the coverage of the DCI-P3 space reached a solid 95%.

Of course, all our measurements were conducted in "Film" mode, which is typically the best and most faithful choice we get straight after taking the TV out of the box. And to put it bluntly: while this is the best mode, it is still very far from perfect. Above all, the TV has a clear tendency to give the picture a cool, blueish tint – this is due to poorly set colour balance. Additionally, there is the issue of how the S Pro 2026 manages its brightness straight out of the box, which results in an over-saturated image. These two flaws contribute to really significant colourimetric errors (Delta E). In HDR content, they could double exceed our expected error scale of "10" (i.e. reaching values close to 20). Just to remind you – the threshold of perceivable error by the human eye is a Delta E value of around 3. Results at the level of 20 mean that the image significantly deviates from what the director intended.

For the measurements, we chose the Film mode, which is supposed to provide an image closest to the intentions of the creators. Unfortunately, in the case of the M90E, its characteristics – besides the reduced brightness – differ little from the Dynamic mode. In both SDR and HDR materials, the image is noticeably tinged with a cool blue hue. The white balance is heavily skewed towards blue, reminiscent of typical, aggressive "store" settings. This results in unnatural skin tone reproduction and makes the image tiring to the eyes during longer viewing sessions. The way brightness is managed also negatively impacts colour fidelity. The TV struggles to maintain proper levels – small details are often too dim, while larger, bright areas of the image become overexposed. These deviations in the brightness curve, combined with the cool white balance, lead to very large colour reproduction errors (DeltaE) in the factory settings.

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform after our calibration process? We must admit that after calibration, the TV becomes a really enjoyable device for watching everyday content. As you can see in the charts, in HD (SDR) material, both white balance and gamma values have been brought to nearly perfection. Most importantly, colourimetric errors have become practically invisible to the human eye. In this scenario, the S Pro 2026 is simply a great TV that, after professional calibration, can provide a lot of joy from viewing. However, it is worth noting clearly – our efforts did little to help in 4K HDR mode. Despite the calibration, the TV still interprets the image quite strongly in its "own way," which is clearly evident in the measurement of the EOTF curve (brightness tracking). It's a bit of a shame because it shows that the problem lies not with the panel itself, but with the software. Poorly refined image management algorithms in HDR content can, unfortunately, rule this TV out for many more discerning users.

Haier M90E clearly improves after undergoing professional calibration, especially for SDR content. The television's menu offers a sufficient number of tools to effectively correct factory errors. We managed to "tame" the white balance and eliminate the dominant blue glow. We also adjusted, albeit to a lesser extent, the gamma curve, which allowed us to recover some details in the shadows that were too heavily dimmed in the factory settings. The final effect in SDR is a significantly more natural and pleasing image. In HDR mode, the success is only partial. While we managed to improve the white balance here too, color reproduction errors (Color Checker) remained at a high level. Analysis of the EOTF curve (responsible for brightness in HDR) points to the cause of the problem: the television imposes its own interpretation of the signal and does not provide tools to modify this curve. The source of high errors is not the calibration itself, but the specificity of the device – aggressive and imprecise zone dimming interferes with measurements and is "stiffly" embedded in the characteristics of this model.

Let's start with the issue we raised in the previous paragraph: can a TV even fix the problem of terrible tonal transitions in dark scenes? Theoretically yes – in the menu, we find a feature with the promising name "Colour Contour Removal." Well, "theoretically." Unfortunately, in practice, this setting – regardless of which of the three power levels is chosen – yielded absolutely no real results. So we are dealing with a feature that practically only exists in the menu. Moving on to the quality of upscaling (scaling from a lower resolution to 4K), unfortunately, we have more bad news for you. The S Pro 2026 handles this task very poorly. Interestingly, the phenomenon of "overscan" (slight image cropping) is not a major issue here. The problem is that the TV simply shows a very raw, unprocessed image. Its attempt to boost the signal to a higher resolution looks simply dull and lacks any "intelligent" enhancement. There's no denying it – the entire digital image processing is the true Achilles' heel of this model.

The evaluation of the image processor must be divided into two distinct aspects, as the Haier M90E behaves inconsistently here. The first issue is the upscaling itself, which is the process of scaling lower resolution content to 4K. In this task, the television performs quite decently. The algorithms effectively enhance detail, making the final image relatively sharp, clear, and readable. In this respect, it’s hard to have major complaints about the device.

The situation is completely different with materials that have a high degree of compression, which we encounter in older recordings or on platforms like YouTube with a lower bitrate. Here, the processor struggles with smoothing tonal transitions and masking the imperfections of the source. The television fails to hide compression blocks, resulting in a very harsh, "digital" character of the image. The lack of effective artifact reduction can certainly deter viewers from watching lower quality content on this screen.

On paper, the specifications of the S Pro 2026 look impressive. The television is equipped with a native 144 Hz panel, capable of displaying images at up to 288 Hz in a dedicated gaming mode. These are incredible results, but what we were most interested in, in the context of everyday use, was how the TV handles motion blur and how the picture looks at 120 Hz. After all, this is the frequency used today by consoles such as the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and it is desirable for sports fans. Generally, the panel "holds up". The matrix is quick enough to meet these challenges, and objects displayed at a native smoothness of 120 Hz are rendered correctly. When it comes to software, the TV is equipped with motion smoothing technology, but with a key caveat – it only works for input signals up to 60 Hz. This means it's mainly suitable for traditional TV, movies, and series. With it, we can adjust the smoothness of the picture to our own preferences – ranging from a very smooth, "theatrical" approach, to setting the slider at "zero" and maintaining a fully cinematic character.

Haier M90E is equipped with a simple yet functional motion smoothing system (MEMC). In the settings menu, users will find a three-level adjustment scale: low, medium, and high. This allows for adjusting the level of intervention in the image to personal preferences – from gentle smoothing of 24p films to maximum fluidity (soap opera effect). The system operates stably and fulfills its purpose in typical applications.

For gamers, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is on paper an almost perfect proposition. It has been equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, which allow us to unlock (although these options are somewhat hidden in the menu) the full suite of features: ALLM, VRR, and, crucially, the ability to operate in 4K at 144 Hz. This last feature should particularly please owners of powerful PCs. The TV also has something resembling a gamer panel – and while it’s hard to call it a full-fledged "Gamebar," it does its job by displaying key information. It’s just a shame that in its default form, it covers a relatively large part of the screen.

The biggest problem we have with this model, however, concerns how the S Pro 2026 handles games in HDR mode. To put it bluntly: it doesn’t handle it well. Due to the poorly implemented HGiG feature (the HDR tone mapping standard for games), during the initial HDR calibration on the console, it’s very easy to "blow out" the image. If someone is unaware of this software flaw and follows the on-screen instructions, they will simply set the picture incorrectly, with burnt-out details in bright areas. Another significant issue is the Dolby Vision mode for games. While it works, it generates such a high input lag that it becomes noticeable in dynamic titles. (You can check all our lag measurements in the paragraph below). In summary: Generally, this is a really very good screen for gamers, but with one small caveat. We would rather avoid HDR mode on it – unless we decide to manually set the brightness slider on the console "by eye," completely ignoring the tips from the console's pictogram.

From a hardware perspective, the Haier M90E is a solid offering. The television is equipped with two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, which ensure support for key technologies: VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode). Another plus is the correct implementation of Dolby Vision for gaming, which maintains a relatively low input lag. Problems arise with the software configuration. The biggest drawback is the forced, continuous dynamic tone mapping by the television's processor. This prevents proper HDR calibration from the console using system panels (HGiG) – the television ignores source settings and processes the image in its own way. We also noted deficiencies in the interface: the M90E does not have a typical "Game Bar" (overlay with parameters), which is standard among competitors. Cooperation with Xbox consoles has also proven problematic with atypical parameters – the device struggles to properly display 1440p resolution at 120 Hz refresh rate. Despite the aforementioned software shortcomings, the Haier M90E remains a very attractive screen for gamers. The final reception is saved by a solid hardware foundation. Native refresh rate of 144 Hz and the presence of full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports are advantages that are crucial in everyday use. If we are looking for a television that provides high fluency and supports 4K signal, this model will do its job.