Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) vs Samsung S90H (WOLED)

The results of brightness measurements on the Sony Bravia 9 are phenomenal. Each scene reaches well over 1500 nits, and when watching films, the television can sometimes shine even brighter. It goes without saying that such brightness allows for unprecedented experiences and engagement with video material at the highest possible quality. Thanks to the high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, the image is full of colours and, combined with such high luminance, it practically breathes. With high peak brightness, viewers can enjoy the full range of colours even in the most challenging scenes, such as those based on dynamic lighting changes. The Bravia 9 offers support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats, which further enhances the viewing experience.

Samsung S90H in the WOLED variant is still an exceptionally bright TV for its price bracket, although compared with the QD-OLED version it is slightly dimmer. The difference is not as significant as in last year’s F series, where the gap could reach as much as 500 nits. Here the parameters of both panels are very similar, and differences in peak brightness are only in the order of 100–150 nits. In small-area measurements the S90H on the WOLED panel easily reaches levels close to 1500 nits. Such a reserve of power allows HDR dynamics to be reproduced phenomenally; all highlights, light reflections and explosions have the necessary punch, exactly as the creators intended in the editing studio. As with most OLED displays, when a very bright scene fills the whole screen protection systems activate and brightness naturally falls to around 700 nits. It is worth emphasising that this is still an excellent result on the market. Often noticeably better than many Mini LED screens in the same segment.

Colour gamut coverage

The biggest difference between the two S90H variants lies in colour reproduction and saturation. This results directly from the different construction of the WOLED panel, which uses an additional white subpixel. As a consequence, colours at very high brightness do not reach the same intense saturation, and the volume of the wide gamut is somewhat more limited than in QD-OLED. That does not change the fact that in everyday use these differences will be hard for most viewers to spot. The DCI-P3 space we measured reaches nearly 99% on the WOLED panel, which means that in the vast majority of real film scenes both variants will present an almost identical picture. The true distance only reveals itself in rarer, exceptionally demanding productions that use the ultra-wide BT.2020 gamut. Due to the specifics of the WOLED panel’s construction, coverage of that standard is about 15% lower compared with the S90HAT with a QD-OLED panel, so the brightest, heavily lit colours in HDR may appear slightly less vivid.

The best factory mode in Sony televisions has consistently remained "IMAX Enhanced" for years. It was this mode that we used throughout the entire testing procedure. Although it is indeed the most similar to the standard compared to other predefined options, it has a number of aspects that can be improved to make viewing even more enjoyable. When we look at the gamma in SDR materials, we notice quite a significant boost that will be associated with image contrast. It is worth noting that the very beginning of the graph has an even greater rise compared to the reference, leading to a blending of details in the blacks, creating a uniform blot. The EOTF curve in HDR content looked quite correct and exhibited only minor deviations from the reference. However, a common feature for both was: a green colour dominance in white balance, issues with greys and overall colour misalignment. The aspect that stood out the most was related to the uneven distribution of hues in white balance. Due to the excess of the aforementioned colour, the image was covered with an unpleasant greenish tint.

In Filmmaker mode, which we strongly recommend switching on straight out of the box, the S90H offers very good factory colour tuning. Colours are natural and faithful to the creators' intent, without the irritating oversaturation found in more aggressive presets. However, as is often the case without full calibration, no two units are identical. In our test the white balance was slightly lacking in blue, causing the image to lean a little towards warmer, yellowish tones. This was most noticeable in bright scenes, such as the snowy sequences from Star Wars. Additionally, the gamma curve was slightly low at 2.2, which produced a minor lift in shadow detail. In HDR mode the tuning was somewhat better, showing only a slight undersaturation in the red region.

The colour reproduction after the calibration process should be regarded as excellent. Regardless of the signal, whether SDR or HDR, we can expect an image that is remarkably close to what the film director saw. Virtually every flaw in the image has been modelled and maximally corrected. This was made possible thanks to the advanced tools used for the calibration process, which Sony has been providing in its televisions for years, including 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustment as well as a very comprehensive CMS.

After a full calibration it’s fair to say the S90H in WOLED guise looks almost perfect. In SDR mode colour inaccuracies drop to ultra-low levels and Delta E values very rarely exceed 2. That’s a phenomenal result, so if you care about perfectly faithful colour reproduction it’s definitely worth considering calibration. The calibrated HDR mode also performs very well, with the white balance stabilised and earlier deviations eliminated. After professional fine-tuning it’s really hard to find anything to criticise, because the TV delivers an image with almost reference-level naturalness and three-dimensionality. The slightly lower score in this category compared with the QD-OLED variant is solely due to the aforementioned limitation in saturation in extremely bright scenes; the tuning options and colour fidelity themselves are at the highest level.

Let’s take another look at the quality of tonal transitions, but this time we will analyse the quality of image scaling, which will be significantly important when watching lower quality materials. For starters, we will take a look at the function responsible for the quality of tonal transitions. And while by default they are quite average, after activating the option, even at the lowest level, we can confidently say that these are among the best we have seen. You can confidently enable this feature, as it does not cause any negative phenomenon, such as film grain blurring.

Sony has been boasting for several years now that its "XR" processor is unmatched when it comes to image scaling. And we find it quite easy to believe, because in fact the image is extremely sharp, yet very natural.

In terms of posterisation reduction itself, Samsung has kept the solutions known from last year’s models. The dedicated gradient-smoothing function performs quite well and can effectively mask unwanted tonal banding, which is useful on a WOLED panel that is slightly more prone to banding. However, you should be aware of its aggressive behaviour. This mechanism, alongside the artefacts themselves, can clean up fine film grain and gently soften detail. Ultimately it is a matter of compromise, but if you want an absolutely faithful reproduction, it is safer to leave this option off.

Similarly, in the area of scaling it is difficult to call this a breakthrough. The S90H uses the same NQ4 Gen3 processor as its predecessor, so the upscaling quality was almost identical. The chip sharpens lower-resolution material very well, extracting a satisfying level of detail. Samsung still has not dealt with the longstanding overscan issue, though. With some older recordings or archive footage the edges of the image can be slightly cropped. It’s a minor flaw, but it’s a pity the manufacturer still hasn’t eliminated it.

The maximum refresh rate of the Sony Bravia 9 is 120 Hz. This is the essential minimum for watching primarily sports or materials with significant motion dynamics while maintaining a sharp and smooth image. For demanding users, the manufacturer has implemented a very comprehensive smoothing system, which has been divided into three segments: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two correspond to the degree of blurring and the degree of smoothing, respectively. The third option will be described in more detail below. Moreover, we can adjust all settings to various degrees, each of which will produce an effect, ensuring that we can find our own golden mean. In the picture, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

In terms of motion handling, the S90H is simply excellent. This year's panel offers a boosted refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, though in practice the benefit will mainly be for gamers connecting a high-end PC. For films, series or sports broadcasts such a high refresh rate makes no difference and the picture looks exactly the same as at the standard 120 Hz. Regardless of the source, however, the OLED panel's lightning-fast response time does its job, so motion is clean and the ghosting or smearing familiar from LCD screens simply does not occur here.

The Sony Bravia 9 television is equipped with four HDMI ports. However, somewhat inexplicably for a device of this class, only two of them operate in the 2.1 standard. That said, it should not be overlooked that almost all functions perform excellently and do not cause any negative feelings when being activated. Games running either in HDR10 or Dolby Vision have very low input lag, allowing for a very comfortable session with the title. A consolation remains in the form of a good implementation of the HGIG mode, which, after proper adjustment, does not differ significantly from Dolby Vision.

A year ago, Sony added to its televisions what has long been a standard for some manufacturers. This refers, of course, to the GameBar, enabling quick adjustment of settings without the need to exit the game. The implementation of this feature was successful and works very efficiently. We have been provided with conveniences such as: a crosshair grid, black level correction, and the option to reduce the screen to the proportions of gaming monitors.

The Sony Bravia 9 will undoubtedly find its fan base, most likely among PlayStation enthusiasts. Here, we must admit that it will be the most sensible choice, as in practice both the console and the television possess exactly the same capabilities. Looking at the bigger picture, while overlooking the issues with Dolby Vision in games, one cannot detract from the fact that the Bravia 9 is a very good television in the context of gaming.

Players should feel at home with the S90H, because Samsung has left few reasons to complain in that respect. The TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports, each of which supports VRR, ALLM and high refresh rates. There’s also the Game Bar, a handy menu that lets you quickly check key parameters and change settings without leaving the game. Importantly, Samsung has also improved HGiG mode. In last year’s models it could cause problems when used with a console, but on the S90H it now works as it should. What really stands out against the competition is the Game Motion Plus feature. It’s a special motion smoothing mode for games that works best with titles running at 30 or 60 fps. Motion becomes noticeably smoother, while latency remains at a reasonable level. In our measurements it was under 50 ms, so gaming is still comfortable. That’s important, because on many TVs enabling a similar smoothing feature causes such a large increase in input lag that controls become noticeably sluggish. Samsung has managed to find a good compromise here. There’s still no Dolby Vision Gaming, but in practice Game Motion Plus may prove to be a much more useful feature.