Samsung QN90F / QN92F vs Sony Bravia 3 50' (VA)

The Samsung QN90F can truly shine with brightness. In our measurements, it achieved over 2200 nits, which directly translates to the viewing experience. In practice, this means that when a film features a very bright scene – for example, a sunrise in The Meg – the screen looks as if it is actually lit by natural light. This is not just a number from a chart, but a real sense of image intensity! However, the television may not always deliver this full power. With smaller details like reflections or lamps, brightness drops to 500–700 nits. This is a deliberate decision by the algorithms – it allows for better control of the contrast between large and small elements, preventing the image from losing balance. Importantly, this is still a huge improvement compared to last year's QN90D, where similar details were often almost invisible, shining at just 200 nits. Here, the HDR effect is much more consistent and credible. The only downside is the colours. The DCI-P3 coverage has stalled at 91%, which in this price bracket can be considered a rather average result.

Interestingly, the 50-inch version of the Bravia 3 performs slightly better in terms of brightness than its larger variants. In measurements, it achieved around 370 nits, which still does not compete with top-tier televisions, but is sufficient to suggest a semblance of HDR effect. For some users, this level will be acceptable, while others will view it as typical for SDR content, where striking highlights or strong contrasts are not expected. It must be clearly stated that the Bravia 3 is not a television for those looking to extract the maximum quality from the most challenging film materials.

This does not mean, however, that everything performs averagely. Sony has equipped this model with an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions used in QLED televisions. As a result, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut has increased to over 91 percent. In everyday use, this means more vivid, saturated colours and also a more pleasing image texture. Even though it lacks strong lighting effects, films and series can look significantly more appealing than with its predecessor, the X75WL.

The colour reproduction of the QN90F was tested in Filmmaker mode and, as is often the case with Samsung televisions, this mode proves to be the best starting point straight out of the box. However, this does not mean that the image is free from flaws. The white balance in both SDR and HDR content was surprisingly good – the colours did not drift in any direction and even in its factory settings, it looked solid. A problem arose with the gamma curves and EOTF, which dictate how the television manages brightness. Here, the QN90F significantly brightened the entire image, causing blacks and colours to lose their intensity, and the overall effect resembled that of an applied milky filter. Fortunately, Samsung, unlike many competitors in the miniLED world, provides the user with plenty of tools to control the settings that we do not find with other manufacturers, such as Chinese producers. Therefore, we decided to see if we could squeeze the full potential out of the QN90F because we know that such a high-end series is capable of much more.

Sony Bravia 3 was primarily tested in film mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. It is not an ideal picture, but compared to the eco mode that the television offers right out of the box, the difference is clear and it is a positive one. In film mode, one can notice a certain issue: the image appears too warm, which results from the lack of blue in the white balance. Nevertheless, in SDR content, the final effect can still be regarded as quite decent and satisfying for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors occur in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed significant deviations, and poor brightness management, combined with limited colour gamut coverage, further exposes the shortcomings of the image in this mode. All of this means that HDR in the Bravia 3 edition is unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by a quite decent SDR content setup. Fortunately, this is not a hopeless situation. Various errors can be mitigated to some extent, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. Therefore, we decided to check how the television would perform after such adjustments.

After our adjustment of the settings, the QN90F displayed what it is truly capable of – and it must be admitted that this is one of the best images we have seen on a miniLED screen this year. As we mentioned earlier, the white balance was not a major issue even in its factory state, but only after gamma calibration did it manage to get close to reference values. The same is true for HDR content, where the EOTF curve post-adjustment presents mature and cohesive results. Indeed, in some films, it is noticeable that the smallest elements of the image are slightly brightened, and with a limited number of dimming zones, there is still a risk of halo effect. However, it should be remembered that such phenomena are characteristic of all miniLED televisions, and it is difficult to expect miracles even from the QN90F. The most important thing is that after calibration, the television delivers an image that, in terms of representing the director's vision, confidently competes with many OLED screens available on the market.

Calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the ChooseTV 3 than we could have expected at first. Firstly, it was possible to address the lack of blue, which had previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment to the white balance, most of the errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The shades of white became more natural, and the brightness management in gamma stabilised to a nearly perfect level, not exceeding the threshold of human eye perception. Therefore, it can confidently be said that in SDR content, after a few adjustments in settings, the ChooseTV 3 performs really brilliantly. Much worse, although still definitely better than before calibration, are the HDR contents. The white balance was brought into order, but the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which is immediately noticeable. Colour-wise, the effect is also improved, although far from ideal – many errors still exceed the threshold of four, or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear earlier that the ChooseTV 3 is not a television designed to impress with HDR quality. Nonetheless, it is pleasing to note that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look truly excellent, and in this category, the television positively surprised us.

QN90F handles upscaling very well. Materials in lower resolutions, even SD, are enhanced to a clear and sharp image, in which a lot of detail in the background can be seen. This is a significant advantage, as the television makes older content or everyday television look considerably better than on most budget screens. However, the issue of overscan remains, which is the trimming of the screen edges, and this cannot be turned off in Samsung TVs. This can cause some subtitles on the screen to disappear or Auntie's face from the wedding on the VHS tape to be slightly cut off. 😉

Digital image processing also works well. In the menu, we find a function called "noise reduction," which can smooth tonal transitions and improve the reception of lower quality materials, e.g. from YouTube. At the medium setting, the effect is most beneficial – it does not heavily interfere with details, while eliminating the problem of "stepping" in colours. However, it is worth remembering that the function can be quite aggressive and removes natural grain from older films, so it is best to use it in moderation.

Bravia 3 brings something more than just a shared name to the Sony television family. It stands out primarily for its ability to enhance the quality of inferior materials thanks to the processor used. Of course, we won't find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but nevertheless, it's worth noting that the image at lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The upscaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge tearing characteristic of budget constructions. The feature enhancing the smoothness of tonal transitions is also noteworthy. In the high setting, it performs really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant loss of detail. It does happen, however, that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – but overall, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to those watching lower-quality content.

The QN90F is equipped with a panel that has a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz, and although this advantage will primarily be appreciated by PC gamers, it is still worth highlighting. In films or sports broadcasts, we are limited to the classic 120 Hz, but this is not a cause for concern. In practice, the additional motion smoother is of greater importance here. With the "Motion Clarity" setting, we can adjust the picture to our own preferences. The blur reduction option is responsible for fluidity and ghosting in sports. Meanwhile, the "judder reduction" function improves motion smoothness in productions shot at 24 frames, such as films and series. If we set it high, the film appears smoother and more fluid than it was actually shot. Lower values, on the other hand, preserve its cinematic "rawness" with a visible film frame.

The fluidity of motion has never been a strong point of televisions equipped with 60 Hz panels, and the Bravia 3 is no exception. Nevertheless, Sony has added something that may appeal to those more sensitive to the way images are displayed. This refers to the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which offers users a considerable amount of adjustment options. With it, one can make the image smoother, even theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with the characteristic judder that many associate with a filmic atmosphere. These functions work with content shot at lower frame rates, such as films and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which is the kind of material we encounter daily. It is precisely at this point that the motion smoother turns out to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and here the Bravia 3 performs quite well.

QN90F has almost everything to become the perfect television for gamers. Features such as four HDMI ports, VRR, ALLM, and refresh rates reaching up to 165 Hz hardly need reminding. It deserves high praise for the Game Motion Plus mode, which is an original motion smoother for games. Thanks to it, you can add a few “artificial” frames and make the image generated by the console look smoother than it should. This is a very unique solution in the world of televisions – competing systems usually do not offer this – and that is why Samsung has had a strong bargaining chip among gamers for years, even despite the lack of support for the still niche Dolby Vision in games.

So why do we refer to it as an “almost” perfect screen? Unfortunately, similar to recent Samsung models, we noticed a problem with the absence of the HGiG feature. This is a solution that allows the television to leave the control over tone mapping to the console, so that games look exactly as the creators intended. What’s worse, this feature was previously present and disappeared after software updates. Instead of minor improvements, we received a step backwards. It’s a shame, because without this deficiency, the QN90F could truly be the ideal choice for gamers in the miniLED category.

Bravia 3 is not a device for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of late-night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports puts an end to that discussion before it can even begin. This is a television for casual gamers who, after work, will fire up FIFA or racing games, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has included a few nice extras so that it isn't all so bare. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There's even a simple Game Bar, which is clear and straightforward. However, the biggest curiosity here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch games from the PS5 wirelessly and see them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant delays. In our opinion, it is more of a showcase of capabilities than something you can use on a daily basis. If someone really wants to play, it is better to connect the console with an HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.