Compare: Sony Bravia 8 (XR80) vs TCL A300W NXTVision

Bravia 8 XR80 is the only Sony OLED model from the 2024 production that will certainly attract the attention of image quality enthusiasts. The television offers excellent picture quality with the characteristic deep blacks of OLED, vibrant colours, and infinite contrast. This makes every scene incredibly realistic. Thanks to OLED technology, dark scenes look perfect, and the reproduction of black and bright elements stand out with great detail. This creates an amazing effect - a cinematic experience. While watching sports or action-packed films, we particularly appreciated the fluidity of the image. The 120 Hz panel performs excellently – no issues with blur, even in the most dynamic moments. This is a television that truly excels in situations where fast action and vivid details are important. The Google TV system is another strong point of Bravia 8. The interface is simple, clear, and easy to navigate. We had no trouble finding all the popular apps like Netflix, YouTube, or Prime Video. The USB-C rechargeable remote is a nice addition – it fits well in the hand, and the backlighting proved invaluable during evening use of the television. Of course, not everything was perfect. The SDR brightness of 330 nits is a result that does not impress, especially in well-lit rooms. This model definitely performs better during the evenings in darker conditions. We also noticed that the colour gradation is slightly worse than in previous Sony models - this is a very strange move because, after all, they have always been known for their superb digital processing. Another limitation is that there are only two HDMI 2.1 ports (including eARC) – with a larger number of devices, such as two consoles and a soundbar, it becomes problematic. Despite these minor downsides, Bravia 8 XR80 is a great television that is suitable for both everyday use and evening screenings. Excellent picture quality, motion fluidity, and an intuitive Google TV system make for a combination that makes a difference. If we are looking for a decent OLED in 2024, this model is definitely worth considering.

At first glance, it is clear that the TCL A300 NXTVision aims to be more than just an ordinary television. It offers an image display mode that – unlike its competitors from Korea, Samsung The Frame – is completely free. Additionally, just like its rivals, it comes with freebies. In the packaging, besides the television, we find extra frames mimicking light wood and a flat wall mount, allowing the television to actually resemble a gallery piece. In terms of everyday use, the standout feature is the Google TV system – extensive, quick, and offering access to a vast number of applications. And if we feel like stepping out of the digital museum and jumping straight into the world of gaming, the A300 can surprise us. Two HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and very low input lag ensure that even demanding gamers can feel at home here. Well... perhaps except for those who are sensitive to motion blur – as this remains one of the major issues with this model. There are also downsides. Although the image mode is free – and that is worth appreciating – the quality of the available graphics is clearly lacking compared to what Samsung offers in its paid ART Store. The displayed images resemble photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Unfortunately, the A300 – like the rival Hisense S7NQ – performs poorly here and additionally has certain software issues. The brightness of the television itself also leaves much to be desired – it is the darkest television of the entire "frame trio," which translates to average experiences during the day and limited HDR effect. Nevertheless, the TCL A300 NXTVision is quite a reasonable alternative to Samsung The Frame or S7NQ – especially if we are looking for a cheaper solution without additional fees for access to the "gallery" mode and with an operating system that does not limit us in terms of the number of applications. However, it is essential to remember that this is a proposition with a significant amount of compromises. If we want to save a bit and do not expect top-notch picture quality, then the A300 could be a hit in the picture stakes. Otherwise, it is worth taking a look at its competition.

The Sony Bravia 8 television, equipped with an OLED panel, offers exceptional black and contrast quality. Thanks to OLED technology, each pixel emits its own light, providing excellent black depth and precision in light reproduction. In tested scenes, such as sequences from the films Oblivion and Sicario 2, the television achieves perfect light separation, resulting in a very detailed and realistic image, even in challenging contrast conditions. The Sony Bravia 8 truly stands out among other models in this category.

The TCL A300, also known as NXTVision, uses a VA panel, so right from the start, one could expect decent contrast. On our test charts, 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 noticeable in practice. The black levels, though quite deep at times, often lean towards navy blue or grey – especially in darker scenes. In short: for a television without local dimming, it's not bad, but it cannot be compared to models that already have this feature on board.

Sony Bravia 8 performs reasonably well in terms of HDR brightness. A maximum brightness level of 880 nits is satisfactory and allows for enjoyable light effects in most scenes. In the tested segments of the films Life of Pi and Sicario 2, the television looks really good, offering vibrant and detailed images that fully convey the atmosphere of these productions.

However, a greater challenge is presented by a scene from the film The Meg, where the screen is entirely very bright. In such situations, the limitations of OLED technology are evident, as the television loses brightness, dropping to about 450 nits. This decline is less satisfactory, especially when the entire scene requires intense lighting. Despite these limitations, Sony Bravia 8 remains a competitive model, offering excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and a BT.2020 standard coverage of 74%. As a result, colours are rich and details are precise, which significantly enhances the quality of HDR content consumption and makes viewing a pleasant experience.

When it comes to brightness, the TCL A300W is definitely the darkest television among all frame-style models, such as Samsung The Frame or Hisense CanvasTV – and unfortunately, this is immediately noticeable. In our measurements, the peak luminance reached a mere 400 nits, and on test film patterns, this value dropped to 350 nits. This is definitely too little to experience the true “magic” of bright HDR effects. As a consolation – the television is equipped with a PFS LED coating (which is something like QLED), providing very good coverage of a wide colour gamut, both DCI-P3 and BT.2020. In addition, it has full support for all popular HDR formats – HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision – which somewhat compensates for the lack of brightness and helps improve the overall perception of content in this quality.

The best factory mode available on the Sony Bravia 8 television is IMAX Enhanced, which provides the most cinematic experience, although it is not perfectly set up. The television tries to faithfully reproduce cinematic settings, but certain shortcomings are noticeable. Starting with the white balance, both for SDR and 4K materials, a pronounced blue tint can be observed. This causes the image to appear too cold, stripping it of its naturalness. Tests using Colour Checker show that colours shift towards cooler tones, which may affect the accuracy of colour reproduction and make the image less realistic.

As for brightness and contrast characteristics, the gamma shows a significant drop at the end of the chart. This means that dark details may be too dark and bright elements too bright, resulting in a loss of subtlety and becoming less visible. As seen in the sky - in the comparative photo. In turn, the EOTF curve is well above the reference value, causing bright elements of the image to be too intense. As a result, users may perceive the image as unnatural, and bright areas may lose details, negatively impacting the overall viewing quality.

TCL A300 offers several picture modes, but without a doubt, the best is the movie mode. Unfortunately, although it is the best option available, it is not free from errors. In both HD and HDR content, the image has a noticeably too warm hue - it leans slightly towards pink, which is particularly noticeable in scenes with snow. Instead of pure white, we get a pinkish tint that spoils the natural perception of colours.

The management of brightness is also not very good. In the case of older HD material, the image often seems too dark - which is confirmed by the inflated gamma value. Conversely, with HDR content, the effect is the opposite - the image is overly bright, which we observed in scenes from the film Pan. Such a lack of consistency also affects the accuracy of colour reproduction - a test with the ColorChecker showed that many samples clearly deviate from the 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.

The calibration process of the Sony Bravia 8 television has brought significant improvements in image quality. The white balance has been noticeably enhanced, for both SDR and 4K HDR content, with minimal errors in the middle of the graph. Gamma has proven to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of calibration – it has been completely rid of previous dips, which has significantly impacted brightness stability and better detail reproduction in the darker parts of the image. The EOTF curve has also been levelled, making bright elements of the image appear more natural, and the overall tonal dynamics are now more balanced.

However, the most attention should be paid to colour reproduction, where, despite calibration, certain issues still persist. Sony has omitted the use of a CMS system in this model, which allows for very precise control over colours. As a result, the Colour Checker test for 4K materials still shows significant errors in colour samples. Despite these difficulties, we recommend performing calibration, as the effects are noticeable and significantly enhance image quality, particularly in terms of brightness and contrast.

After our professional calibration, the TCL A300 has literally received a new lease of life. The image has stopped being too warm, and the colours finally look as they should – which was confirmed by the ColorChecker test, where the colour samples finally started to hit their marks, at least to some reasonable extent. 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 cannot be overcome – a slightly noticeable blooming effect is still present, but that is a characteristic of the technology and not something that can be eliminated even after professional settings.

Generally speaking: after calibration, the A300 performs significantly better and gains a completely new quality.

The grading in 4K materials is simply poor and clearly disappointing. There are noticeable seams both in dark and light colours, which affects the image quality and lowers the overall satisfaction with watching high-definition materials. Something that has always been a strong point of Sony's processor evidently fails this time.

TCL A300 NXTVision is another frame-style television that handles transitions of tones really well. It's hard to find distinct bands or sharp transitions between shades of the same colour – the overall appearance is natural and smooth.

However, it must be admitted that among the three tested models (The Frame and S7NQ), TCL performs the worst in this category. In darker and lighter scenes, slight imperfections can be noticed. Nonetheless, looking at it as a whole, for a television in this price range – it presents itself really solidly. It may not be the best of the bunch, but it maintains a very good level.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in low-quality materials on the Bravia 8 is poor. Unfortunately, the soft gradation feature (which was available in previous models) is missing, which is a significant downside. The digital noise reduction feature can considerably improve tonal transitions; however, it also tends to remove some details, such as clouds in scenes from the film The Martian, which may not be to everyone's liking. As for digital processing, the Sony XR80 performs quite well. The model in test scenes was displayed without noticeable errors, and the branches in the background are not overly jagged. This shows that the Bravia 8 is capable of effectively processing complex low-resolution image details.

TCL A300 handles tonal transitions in high-quality films very well, but the question arises – how does it perform with weaker material? The television is equipped with a tonal transition smoothing function, but its effectiveness can be described in one word: "random." In one scene it could work and improve the gradation, but when turned off… the effect remains the same. There is a lack of consistency and predictability.

Image scaling is also not one of A300's strong points. On the test chart, the main character actually looked better than on the raw signal, but with thin lines – such as fonts or background details – there was noticeable jaggedness and aliasing. On the positive side, the television does not crop the image and has no problems with overscan, but the overall quality of scaling is rather average.

Sony Bravia 8 offers a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which forms the basis for smooth viewing of dynamic content such as sports and games. This ensures that movements are sharp and fluid. For more demanding users, the Sony XR80 television is equipped with an advanced motion smoothing system, which is divided into three segments: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two are responsible for regulating the degree of blur and smoothness of the image. The third option, concerning clarity, will be described in more detail below. Each of the parameters can be adjusted to personal preferences, allowing users to find the optimal setting tailored to their individual needs.

The TCL A300 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, which should immediately satisfy practically everyone – both gamers and sports fans. The motion is smooth and the image is clear even during fast-paced scenes. Additionally, the television offers motion enhancement functionality 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, cinematic look with visible frames to a very smooth (though somewhat unnatural) image reminiscent of soap opera effects. This way, everyone can find a setting that suits them.

Sony Bravia 8 has significantly improved its compatibility with consoles compared to earlier models. The television supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing, and it synchronises with graphics cards to ensure smooth image display. The automatic low latency mode (ALLM) reduces input lag, which is crucial in fast-paced games. Dolby Vision with low latency additionally provides impressive HDR effects that look stunning during gameplay.

The Sony XR80 television also features a Game Bar, allowing quick access to settings and monitoring parameters while gaming. An interesting option is the ability to enable a virtual crosshair on the screen, which can provide a slight edge in shooting games.

A downside is the lack of support for 1440p@120hz resolution, which could facilitate gaming for users with less powerful graphics cards. Additionally, the Sony XR80 only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is typically used to connect an audio system via eARC, limiting the number of available inputs for connecting next-generation consoles.

TCL A300 is a television designed not only to transport us to a digital art museum but also to a full-fledged gaming world. Here, we find practically everything one could expect from gaming equipment: two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and ALLM.

The proper implementation of the HGIG mode also deserves praise – something that competitor Hisense sometimes struggles with. The television easily handles lower resolutions (e.g., Full HD) while maintaining high refresh rates, which older console or PC owners will appreciate.

In addition, there is an attractive and clear GameBar that facilitates quick access to settings for gamers. The A300 is really well-prepared for top-level gaming – it's just a shame that issues with smearing slightly tarnish its overall image as a gaming device.

Low input lag in Sony Bravia 8 is undoubtedly an advantage – results at the level of 13 ms are excellent and provide outstanding responsiveness. The Dolby Vision mode is also noteworthy, which performs remarkably well in this model. In many cases with other manufacturers, this mode looks much worse, but here you can enjoy its full potential, especially in gaming.

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 e-sports titles. One might criticise the result of 23 ms in Dolby Vision mode at 60 frames, but it is still a sufficiently low value that it's hard to have serious objections. In this category, the A300 really excels.

The cooperation of Sony Bravia 8 with computers is very good, similar to most televisions with WOLED panels. The readability of fonts is at a high level, making work with documents or browsing websites comfortable. The low input lag of 5 ms makes an impressive impression and provides excellent responsiveness during gameplay. The only downside is that the fonts displayed on a dark background appear slightly muted.

If we plan to use the TCL A300 as a monitor for a computer, 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 have already mentioned, offers very low input lag, so gaming on it with a connected PC is a pure pleasure.

Working with text is also possible, though with some limitations. The TCL A300 has slight issues displaying dark fonts and thin lines – this stems from the subpixel structure, which in everyday use can be somewhat bothersome, although it looks better in photos than in reality.

The television supports chroma 4:4:4, but only up to 120 Hz. Therefore, we have indicated that this feature is available, but with a limitation – if we care about perfectly readable fonts, it is advisable to stick to a refresh rate of 120 Hz. At 144 Hz, the sharpness of the text may suffer slightly.

The viewing angles on the Sony Bravia 8 are very good, as befits a television with an OLED panel. As a result, the image retains its colours and contrast even when viewed from a large angle. The only televisions that will be better in this category are models equipped with MLA (Meta-Lens Array) technology and QD-OLED, offering even wider viewing angles and better image quality at extreme angles.

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

The glossy panel in the Sony Bravia 8 effectively dampens reflections, which take on a slightly bluish hue. Unfortunately, the brightness level of 330 nits is not particularly impressive, making this television better suited for evening viewing. During the day, to ensure optimal image reception, it is advisable to help by closing the curtains, which will reduce the impact of external light.

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 model. Such a surface handles reflections fairly well, although it must be said that it performs worse than Samsung's The Frame, which offers a significantly higher level in this regard. As is often the case with matte displays, blacks lose their depth during the day and appear more gray than black – and this is no different here. Unfortunately, the fact that the A300 is the darkest television of the three tested does not help either. As a result, it has a real problem standing out in brightly lit rooms.

Sony Bravia 8 runs on the Google TV system, which provides very intuitive and quick use of the television as well as an almost unlimited number of applications. Google Assistant works in Polish, allowing for even better integration with the device. The interface is well-designed, and access to applications and features is simple and convenient. It is also worth mentioning the remote control – similar to solutions from Korean competitors, the remote can be charged via a USB-C port. Moreover, it is backlit, which makes it much easier to use at night.

The device offers a wide range of features that will satisfy most users. The Sony XR80 television allows for recording programmes, as well as easy connection of external peripheral devices via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, it lacks the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) function, which would allow for simultaneous viewing of two image sources, which could be useful in certain situations.

The television looks very good. It has a solid, metal frame that gives it an elegant appearance. The television stands on two adjustable feet, which can be adapted in terms of both width and height. This allows for easy placement of a soundbar underneath the screen. Although the Sony Bravia 8 is not the thinnest OLED television on the market, its careful finish and quality of materials make it look really good.

The TCL A300 is a television styled to resemble a painting, which can successfully masquerade as a work of art during everyday use, 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 the television to be hung like a true picture – flush against the wall.

A significant advantage of the image mode is that it is completely free. We have access to dozens of works from which we can choose the one to be displayed in standby mode – instead of a black screen, the picture we selected remains on the wall. The quality of the graphic reproductions is decent, but it must be admitted that it clearly falls short of that from the Samsung 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, the canvas, and the details. In the TCL A300, it resembles high-quality photographs more than realistic reproductions of artworks. Additionally, the implementation of the image mode in the system leaves much to be desired. For example – if we set the brightness in image mode to 10%, that same value automatically transfers to the normal viewing mode, where we could comfortably set the brightness to 50% or even 100%. This works in the opposite direction too – when we set the brightness to 100% in normal mode, switching to gallery mode displays the images with that same maximum brightness, shining too intensely and losing the entire effect of a “picture on the wall.” These are minor but annoying errors that can ruin the experience of what was intended to be visually subtle and elegant.

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

Sony Bravia 8 will satisfy most users when it comes to playing multimedia files. The built-in player handles most popular video and audio formats, allowing for seamless access to a wide range of content. Although there are some shortcomings in photo playback, the Google TV system allows for the installation of other players that will likely resolve this issue.

The built-in player in the TCL A300 works as it should – most popular video and photo files play without any issues. There is a lack of support for the HEIC format from Apple (which is quite common in many televisions), but most users still use AirPlay, so this shouldn't be a major problem. If someone is not satisfied with the default player, the Google TV system offers considerable options – it's easy to install an alternative app that better suits our tastes. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the factory solution is entirely sufficient for everyday use.

Bravia 8 is equipped with a 50W sound system in a 2.2.1 configuration. The speakers are mounted behind the screen, and this system is called Acoustic Surface Audio. The sound is pleasant and well-balanced, which makes it perfectly complement the picture. When it comes to audio format support, Sony Bravia 8 has a lot to boast about – in our tests, it played all popular codecs without any issues, providing a full and rich audio experience.

When it comes to sound, the TCL A300W – like its competitors – plays quite... flat, after all, we are talking about a super flat television. For everyday watching of news or series, this level is entirely sufficient, but during film screenings, we may clearly miss depth and space. On the plus side, it is worth noting that the television supports both Dolby Atmos and the increasingly rare DTS:X – which offers more options when connecting an external audio system. It is also worth mentioning that the A300 PRO model has been equipped with a dedicated, flat soundbar. And not just any soundbar – it performs better than most of the televisions we have tested.

Sony Bravia 8 (XR80) 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