Sony X90L vs SONY BRAVIA 3

HDR on the Sony X90L TV looks promising. The luminance chart showed that the television has a solid power reserve, reaching a maximum of 1000 nits in synthetic tests. However, how does this perform in real-world scenarios? In scenes such as the opening of Life of Pi or the final sequence from The Meg, the TV is able to deliver this power on HDR content, reaching about 800 nits. Unfortunately, displaying small light elements on a black background, as seen in the scene from Sicario 2, poses greater challenges for the X90L – here the results drop to around 600 nits. Despite this, when compared to competing models with mini-LED technology, the effect looks very good and can shine just enough to impress us. Notably, the colour gamut coverage is commendable, with a score of 96% for DCI-P3 and 76% for BT.2020, indicating good colour reproduction in HDR content.

Bravia 3 does not hide the fact that it belongs to the group of televisions that are rather modest in terms of brightness. Our measurements showed around 370 nits, which is a value teetering on the edge of where one can still speak of any HDR effect. For some, this is an acceptable level, while for others it is rather typical for SDR content, where spectacular highlights or vivid contrasts are not expected. The impression is that this is not a television for those focused on the highest image quality in demanding cinematic content. However, this does not mean that we cannot find any advantages here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 colour palette has been significantly widened and reaches over 91 percent, which in practice results in more saturated colours and a more pleasing image texture. As a result, even everyday content looks somewhat livelier, and films and series can surprise with vibrant visuals, despite limitations in brightness itself.

The best mode in Sony televisions is the IMAX Enhanced mode. Although IMAX is mainly associated with the cinematic experience, here the colour reproduction out of the box is average. In the case of lower quality content, such as HD – regular television or YouTube – it is worth paying attention to the white balance. It is characterised by a deficiency in red and an excessive dominance of blue, which gives the image a pinkish hue. The brightness characteristic, or gamma, for HD content is quite decent, but a slight boost could make the image appear washed out and look as if it is behind a light fog.

In 4K HDR content, the situation looks somewhat different. The white balance shows a significant boost in blue, which causes the image to become unnaturally sharp and seem artificial. Such an exaggeration in colour reproduction may not appeal to everyone, especially if one prefers more realistic shades. Additionally, the EOTF curve in Sony X90L appears quite correct at first glance. However, at the end of the graph, some fluctuations can be seen, suggesting that the television is trying to maintain appropriate brightness to avoid overexposing larger elements.

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

Sony offers a range of tools for improving image quality, including two additional picture modes that we decided to utilise during testing and to apply calibration to. This solution significantly facilitates the calibration process and is very effective, provided the appropriate tools are available. In the case of HD content, the white balance was almost perfectly aligned – only one shade of grey exceeds the error value of "1", which is an excellent result. The same can be said for the brightness characteristic (gamma), which presents itself nearly perfectly, with microscopic deviations on the order of 0.01.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the situation is not quite so ideal. Although the white balance has been greatly improved, it has not been possible to completely eliminate the dominance of blue colour. Nevertheless, the errors on the Colour Checker test only occasionally exceed the value of "2", which means that image distortions are practically imperceptible. As for the EOTF curve, it is worth activating the filter in the top right corner "EOTF in Films" – the graph looks correct, but the television encounters difficulties when illuminating very small elements, which is due to the limited number of dimming zones. Despite these minor errors, it is thanks to the calibration that the IMAX Enhanced mode on the Sony X90L makes watching films feel like a true cinema experience.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the Bravia 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. Firstly, it managed to compensate for the deficiency 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 virtually disappeared. The white tones became more natural, and the brightness management in gamma stabilised to an almost ideal level, not exceeding the threshold of human perception. Thus, it can be confidently stated that in SDR content, after a few adjustments to the settings, the Bravia 3 performs remarkably well. Significantly worse, although still definitely better than before calibration, are HDR contents. The white balance was brought into order, however, the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which immediately stands out. Colour-wise, the effect is also improved, though far from perfect – 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 Bravia 3 is not a television designed to impress with HDR quality. Nevertheless, it is gratifying that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look truly excellent, and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

The Sony X90L television features a tone transition smoothing function known as Soft Gradation, which is extremely effective. Even at the "low" option, the effects are satisfactory, but at the "medium" setting, it works like a dream – we recommend using this option for the best results. The image scaling on the Sony X90L is simply excellent. The image is not overly sharpened, which provides a natural effect and ensures that everything looks cohesive. It's clear that the engineers really focused on this aspect, creating a solution that is impressive and performs well in daily use. Because of this, even when watching content such as regular television or YouTube, where the image is not inherently stunning, one can enjoy a smooth, cohesive, and visually pleasing experience.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony TV family than just a shared name. It stands out primarily for its ability to enhance the quality of weaker materials thanks to the processor used. Of course, we won’t find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but even so, it must be admitted that the image in lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The scaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge tearing found in budget constructions.

Attention should also be paid to the function that improves the smoothness of tonal transitions. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant detail loss. 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.

Sony X90L with a 120 Hz panel is an excellent choice for both gamers and cinema enthusiasts. The television is equipped with the Motion Flow smoothing feature, which allows for adjusting motion fluidity using two sliders: "smoothness" and "clarity." The "smoothness" slider controls the level of fluidity in motion, which helps reduce image stuttering, while "clarity" is used to minimize blur and enhance motion sharpness, which is particularly useful in dynamic scenes.

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. We are talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which offers users a considerable range of adjustment options. Thanks to it, one can make the image smoother, even theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with the characteristic judder that many simply associate with the filmic atmosphere. These functions work with content at lower frame rates, such as films and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter on a daily basis. It is here that the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and this is where the Bravia 3 performs quite well.

Sony X90L is a television that performs well in terms of compatibility with consoles and features for gamers. Its 120 Hz panel and two HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 48 Gb/s allow for smooth playback of high-resolution games at a high frame rate. Gamers can also take advantage of the ALLM feature, which automatically switches the television to low latency mode, and VRR, which ensures smooth gameplay without image stuttering. The Game Bar is an additional advantage – an intuitive tool that provides quick access to the most important gaming settings and features, facilitating control over gameplay.

Unfortunately, when it comes to HDR in games, the Sony X90L has its limitations. There is a lack of support for HGiG, a standard that many gamers consider crucial for precise HDR reproduction in games. While the television supports Dolby Vision, which could theoretically improve image quality in games, the practical application of this feature is problematic. Dolby Vision in game mode is associated with very high input lag, making gameplay less comfortable and precise movements more difficult. Additionally, it is not possible to enable Dolby Vision alongside VRR. This means that despite its numerous advantages, gamers seeking the ideal HDR in games may feel a sense of disappointment.

Bravia 3 is not equipment for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports closes the topic before it even has a chance to develop. This is a television for casual gamers who will play FIFA or racing games after work, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has added a few nice extras to ensure it’s not too sparse. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There’s even a simple Game Bar, which is clear. However, the biggest novelty here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch PS5 games wirelessly and view them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but just a few minutes is enough to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it’s more of a showcase of capabilities than something that can be used every day. If someone really wants to play, it’s better to connect the console via HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.