Compare Hisense U8NQ vs Sony X85L

Hisense U8NQ is an example of a television that shows the brand does not intend to stay in the shadow of the competition. Thanks to MiniLED technology, it has achieved a truly high level of contrast and deep blacks. This is especially noticeable in movies – dark scenes appear vivid, while bright elements in HDR stand out with intensity. Interestingly, the TV supports multiple formats, including the most popular one - Dolby Vision, which highlights details that might be overlooked on other screens. Of course, there are times when, in more demanding scenes, the details of smaller elements are somewhat less well-rendered, but the overall picture performs very well. The Hisense U8NQ is quite a comfortable and versatile television during everyday use. The ability to record programs and support for AirPlay certainly adds to its appeal. The remote control is classic and simple, but very intuitive to use. As for the VIDAA operating system – it works quickly and without major delays; however, we won’t find all applications here, such as Spotify or SkyShowtime. For those who use these platforms daily, the absence may be felt, though for many it will not be a crucial issue. When it comes to motion on the screen, the U8NQ performs well. The 144 Hz panel and features like VRR and ALLM make the TV handle smoothly in dynamic movies and while gaming. The gameplay was enjoyable, and the low input lag along with stable picture allowed for enjoyment of every detail – even in fast-paced, intense games. Hisense U8NQ is a television that proves it can compete with Korean manufacturers shoulder to shoulder. It offers really solid picture quality and practical features - despite a few minor shortcomings. In its price category, it performs excellently and can be a good choice for both movie lovers and gamers.

Sony X85L is a model from 2023 that will continue to be offered in 2024 by the Japanese manufacturer. Its biggest advantage is the Google TV system. It currently provides the greatest access to applications, so we don't have to fear that any of our favorite apps will be missing. The intuitive interface and voice control feature via Google Assistant make daily use of the television convenient and modern. In terms of picture quality, Sony X85L performs well. Thanks to local dimming (albeit with a very average number of zones), black looks really decent. Additionally, its quite high brightness allows for comfortable TV viewing during the day, even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the television offers the ability to record programs from built-in tuners, which is a great convenience for those wanting to control what and when they watch. In terms of motion fluidity, the X85L also does not disappoint. The 120 Hz panel and Motionflow system provide smooth display of dynamic scenes, pleasing both movie buffs and sports fans. The TV is also equipped with a range of features for gamers, including VRR, Game Bar, and G-Sync support, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. Of course, the television is not without its drawbacks. The lack of HGiG support and high input lag in Dolby Vision mode can be disappointing for more demanding gamers. Additionally, the compromise between font readability and image fluidity when connected to a PC may not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, Sony X85L is decent equipment, particularly worth noting if it can be purchased on promotion.

Hisense U8NQ is a TV with a VA panel and advanced Mini LED backlighting. The 65-inch version has as many as 1600 local dimming zones, significantly improving image quality, especially in terms of brightness and contrast management. Larger TV sizes have more zones, naturally enhancing contrast. Hisense U8NQ achieves a contrast ratio of as much as 250,000:1, allowing for deep blacks and clear details in both bright and dark parts of the image. With Mini LED technology, the TV effectively controls brightness, making details in darker scenes more visible.

Sometimes in more demanding shots, where small, bright elements appear against a dark background, a halo effect may occur—a gentle glow around objects. This effect can be observed, for example, in the movie "Sicario 2," where glows around small lights can be somewhat bothersome. It may also happen that elements may appear muted but at the expense of better black - a noticeable effect in the test scene from the Pioneer Kuro disc. Despite these minor drawbacks, the use of Mini LED makes the Hisense U8NQ offer very good image quality. The TV performs excellently when watching movies in a dark room—the blacks are truly deep, and the contrast is sharp, allowing one to fully enjoy details even in the darkest scenes.

The Sony X85L TV is equipped with a VA panel, which in itself offers quite good contrast. Additionally, this model features local dimming technology – in the 55-inch version, it includes 24 zones. Although this number is not impressive, it naturally increases with the size of the TV. The contrast in the X85L is good, though not the best, especially in comparison to other TVs also equipped with advanced local dimming technology. Results at the level of 8000:1 are satisfactory, but they appear average against the competition. In some cases, such as the third scene from the movie Arrival, the contrast is promising and performs quite well. This is thanks to the very good dimming algorithm that Sony has been using in its TVs for years. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of local dimming zones, the TV suffers from noticeable blooming, which can be seen, for example, in scenes with the helicopter from the movie Sicario 2.

Hisense U8NQ showcases its capabilities in HDR, achieving a brightness level on the luminance chart exceeding 2000 nits. In the first, third, and fifth scenes where the screen is covered in light, the television displays very high brightness, which impresses and allows one to enjoy the full effect of HDR. Unfortunately, in the second and fourth scenes, such as those from the movie "Sicario 2," the television encounters issues maintaining brightness, resulting in disappointing results around 250 nits. Although a large number of dimming zones should theoretically help, the algorithm responsible for their control does not always perform perfectly—bright, small elements like the moon or helicopter lights are too dim, which detracts from the typical HDR effect. Instead of dazzling brightness, we get a more subdued light that does not reflect the full HDR potential. Nevertheless, the television deserves praise for its very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 97%. As a result, colours are vibrant, and most movie scenes look really good, significantly enhancing the viewing quality.

The Sony X85L TV offers solid HDR performance with a brightness level of 750 nits, which is sufficient to enjoy vivid effects. In scenes of moderate difficulty, such as the first, third, or fifth test scenes, a brightness of around 600 nits allows one to fully experience the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in more demanding segments, such as the scene from the movie Sicario 2, the TV shows its limitations. Drops in brightness to 250 nits make the HDR effect lose its impressive quality and resemble regular SDR instead. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the very good coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 95%, which definitely deserves praise and positively affects the overall image quality.

The Filmmaker mode on the Hisense U8NQ TV can be described as the most accurate mode available in this model. Despite its accuracy, it has significant errors in reproducing the reference image, which we will describe now. In the case of HD content, the white balance shows a clear dominance of red, making the image overly pink and warm. The comparative photo below illustrates how this effect influences content presentation. The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired — too low gamma causes the screen to be excessively brightened, and blacks look lightened, making the overall picture seem cooler than it should be.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the problem is reversed — the white balance shows too much dominance of blue, resulting in an artificial character to the image and making it appear unnaturally sharp. These deviations for HD and 4K HDR content can be confirmed with the Colour Checker test, which clearly shows how colours deviate from the correct patterns.

The Sony X85L television was tested in IMAX Enhanced mode, which, although associated with world-class cinema, does not guarantee an image that aligns with the director's vision. The main issue is the white balance – there is a noticeable strong dominance of blue color and significant lack of red. As a result, the image becomes unnaturally cool and appears artificial. The color reproduction errors were confirmed by the Colour Checker test, which showed significant discrepancies – colors were "scattered" like shots from a rifle, and only a few samples hit the target values. This clearly shows that the precision of color reproduction leaves much to be desired.

The brightness of the image is one of the positive features of the TV. The gamma for HD content is at an acceptable level, although there are minor errors, but generally, it is quite good. However, the brightness characteristics for 4K materials remain an issue, controlled by the EOTF curve. It is evident that very small, bright elements of the image are too dim, which is a result of the limited number of dimming zones due to the design of the television.

The white balance for both 4K and HD content has been significantly adjusted, greatly improving the image quality. Although some errors are still visible, they are not substantial enough to heavily affect the perception of the image. A notable improvement can also be seen in the gamma brightness characteristics — the image is no longer overly bright, resulting in more natural blacks and better contrast.

However, as with many other Hisense models, there are visible issues with the EOTF curve, which is responsible for managing brightness in high-quality materials. Although it may seem correct, once the filter is applied on the "EOTF in movies" graph, it is evident that the TV is somewhat "playing around" with 4K content. It is clear that the EOTF curve is significantly below the reference level, leading to an overall dimming of the image compared to the reference. We noticed this effect in previously tested scenes from the movies "Pan" and "Billy Lynn." While it is not a serious problem, it is worth mentioning. It may be of great importance to those looking for a display with the most accurate image reproduction. Despite this error, the image will be more enjoyable for most. Colours are better reproduced, and the overall image quality is significantly improved.

Thanks to the use of calibration tools offered by Sony X85L, the image quality has been significantly improved. After calibration, the white balance for HD content is much more stable, making colors look more natural and the image gains authenticity. Although it is not perfect, these changes allow viewers to enjoy a more realistic representation of colors, eliminating the earlier cool tone. The gamma, which already performed decently, has been adjusted to an even better version. As a result, tonal transitions and brightness are more consistent, positively affecting the depth and detail of the image.

As for 4K content, despite efforts, the white balance still struggles with a deficiency of red, which can result in overly warm colors in some scenes. Synthetic tests showed that the EOTF curve in HDR is quite stable, with a slight boost in mid-bright scenes. However, in real film materials, the TV can still be too bright with fine, light details, which is a result of the limitations of large local dimming technology.

Nonetheless, calibration has brought significant benefits, particularly in color accuracy, improving overall image quality and providing a more natural and cohesive directorial vision.

Hisense U8NQ offers excellent smoothness of tonal transitions. The image is very well-balanced, and the transitions between different shades of colours are nearly flawless. For more discerning viewers, small joins in darker colours can be noticed, but these imperfections are minimal and do not significantly affect the overall image quality. The tonal fluidity is at a very high level, making watching content on this television exceptionally enjoyable, without noticeable issues with gradients and colour transitions.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the Sony X85L is at a good level – the color gradation is smooth, even in more demanding areas, which makes the perception of scenes positive and natural. The biggest problems occur in the shadow areas, where subtle color blends may be visible. Nevertheless, the television performs well enough that most viewers should not notice these minor imperfections.

In the context of smoothing tonal transitions, the Hisense U8NQ television unfortunately does not perform well. The "Smooth and Gradient Image" function does not produce noticeable effects — there is no improvement in any setting, which is disappointing, especially in demanding scenes with subtle tonal transitions.

As for digital processing, or the so-called upscaling, the scene with the model is presented correctly — its outline is clear, without significant cropping. Similarly, thin lines, such as tree branches, have slight jaggedness, but the overall appearance is plastic and soft, which creates a good impression. Unfortunately, there is also an issue with the so-called overscan, which causes cropping of the image at the edges. This can be annoying when watching content such as news, where the lower information bars may be partially invisible.

In terms of smoothing tonal transitions, the Sony X85L television does not offer any dedicated enhancement options, which is a downside. On the other hand, image scaling performs quite well – the television adds a bit of artificial sharpness, which can make details such as tree branches more pronounced, although sometimes with noticeable jaggedness. This type of effect may appeal to some viewers who prefer a more detailed image.

Hisense U8NQ is equipped with a 144 Hz matrix, making it a great choice for sports and gaming. The television will also easily satisfy movie fans, as it features a built-in "Ultra Motion Smoothness" processor that allows you to control the fluidity of the image — you can decide whether you prefer a more "framey" look or a smoother, cinematic effect. This provides great flexibility in adjusting the quality of motion to the individual viewer's preferences.

The Sony X85L, equipped with a 120 Hz panel, will meet the expectations of a wide range of users – from sports and gaming fans to movie buffs. Movie enthusiasts will surely appreciate the presence of one of the best motion smoothing systems, Motionflow. This system offers adjustment via smoothness and clarity sliders – smoothness is responsible for motion fluidity, eliminating stutter, while clarity enhances the sharpness of fast scenes, reducing blur.

Hisense U8NQ offers everything a gamer may need for comfortable gameplay. The TV supports a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which ensures an incredibly smooth picture, especially in dynamic action games. The VRR (variable refresh rate) feature allows for adjusting the image to varying frames per second, eliminating stuttering and tearing effects, resulting in an exceptionally smooth gaming experience. Additionally, the TV is equipped with the ALLM (automatic low latency mode) feature, which automatically switches the TV to game mode, minimizing input lag. This allows gamers to enjoy responsive gameplay without manually adjusting the settings.

Hisense U8NQ also supports Dolby Vision, which is important for gamers who value high picture quality, high contrast, and deep colours in games that support this format. The TV also has a “Game Bar” — a feature that provides quick access to essential settings during gameplay, significantly enhancing user convenience.

However, it is worth noting that despite its rich features, the Hisense U8NQ does not offer the HGiG standard, which is a popular HDR format in gaming. This may be disappointing for gamers expecting optimal detail reproduction in HDR scenes. Nevertheless, the other features of the TV make the Hisense U8NQ a solid choice for console gaming enthusiasts, offering smoothness, high contrast, and user convenience.

Sony X85L offers quite a solid set of features for gamers, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. First and foremost, the TV has a 120 Hz panel, translating to smooth and dynamic image display, ideal for both fast-paced action games and more demanding sports titles. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, allowing for the full utilization of next-gen console capabilities. Additionally, the Sony X85L supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, which helps reduce stuttering and artifacts during gameplay, providing a fluid experience. The TV also supports G-Sync, which is particularly beneficial for gamers using NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for screen refresh rate synchronization with GPU performance, eliminating the tearing effect. It is worth mentioning the Game Bar feature, which facilitates quick access to essential gaming-related settings such as VRR, brightness levels, and display modes, making it convenient and useful during gameplay.

However, there are certain limitations. The TV does not support HGiG, which may be a downside for some gamers, as HGiG optimizes HDR effect rendering in games, providing a more authentic visual experience. Additionally, while Dolby Vision mode is available, it is not practical for gaming due to very high input lag.

Input lag on the Hisense U8NQ is at an amazing level, with a maximum of 18 ms, which is an excellent result even in Dolby Vision mode (16ms). This achievement is worth highlighting, as Dolby Vision mode often increases latency in other TV models, but it has been avoided here. Thanks to the low input lag, the gameplay is smooth and responsive, which will be appreciated by both casual gamers and more advanced users.

In general, the input lag on the Sony X85L is very good, which is crucial for smooth gameplay and quick reactions in games. In standard modes, especially when using HDMI 2.1 and playing in 4K resolution at 120 Hz, the input lag is minimal.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode is an exception to this rule. In this case, the input lag reaches as much as 95 ms. Such a high level of latency makes the Dolby Vision mode practically unplayable, as reactions to commands are noticeably delayed.

Hisense U8NQ offers full support for chroma 4:4:4, which ensures good readability of fonts, especially when working with text. Overall, the image quality and visibility of letters are at a satisfactory level. However, it's worth noting the issue related to font display on a dark background (similar to the U7N model) — in this situation, the letters become practically invisible, and only vertical subpixels are visible.

The cooperation of the Sony X85L television with a PC is a bit of a balance between image quality and user comfort. If we want to use the television for work, where clear text is important, we need to set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. In this mode, text looks good and does not strain the eyes, which is crucial if we plan to spend a long time in front of the screen.

On the other hand, if the television is to be used for gaming, where we can take full advantage of its capabilities at 120 Hz, we must take into account that the readability of fonts decreases significantly. The image becomes less sharp and the text harder to read, which can be frustrating. In short – the Sony X85L will work well for occasional connection to a computer, but if we need it daily for work and gaming, this compromise may not be to everyone's liking.

The viewing angles on the Hisense U8NQ are typical for a VA panel. Unfortunately, they leave a lot to be desired. The television does not have a coating to widen the viewing angles, resulting in a significant drop in picture quality when viewed at an angle. Colours become washed out, and brightness noticeably decreases. It is best suited for viewing directly in front. This is a limitation that needs to be considered, especially if we plan to watch television with a larger group, where viewers may be sitting at various angles.

The viewing angles on the Sony X85L, as is typical with VA panels, are not the best. The image looks great when viewed straight on, but just shifting to the side reveals that colors lose their intensity and contrast noticeably weakens. This can be a problem if the TV is intended for watching with a larger group, where viewers are seated at different angles. For those who usually watch solo or from one central spot, this won't be a big downside, but when viewing from the side, the picture quality unfortunately decreases.

Hisense U8NQ is equipped with a glossy panel that moderately suppresses reflections. Despite this, a brightness level of 1200 cd/m² is impressive and makes the television perform very well even in bright rooms. With such high brightness, watching content during the day is not a problem, and the image remains clear and readable even with a lot of external light.

The performance of the Sony X85L TV during the day is quite decent. Its satin screen coating handles light reflection moderately well, meaning that in bright rooms, there may be reflections, but they are not bothersome enough to significantly interfere. The brightness in SDR mode at 570 nits is sufficient for comfortable TV watching during the day, even with natural light coming through the windows. This ensures that colors remain vivid and the image is clearly visible, making the TV effective for everyday use.

Hisense U8NQ offers many practical features. The television supports the ability to record programs, allowing for the saving of favourite content and playback at a convenient time. Additionally, there is support for AirPlay, which enables easy streaming of media from Apple devices directly to the TV screen. The Bluetooth function allows for the connection of various peripheral devices, such as headphones or speakers, which further enhances user comfort. Hisense U8NQ is also equipped with a simple yet functional voice control system that makes navigating the menu and selecting content easier.

The VIDAA operating system runs quite quickly. There are plenty of applications available, but unfortunately, it lacks music apps such as Spotify or Tidal. It is worth keeping this in mind to avoid being forced to purchase additional devices.

In terms of design, Hisense U8NQ looks modern with its narrow bezels and elegant stand. Although the device is not the slimmest on the market, its appearance is still stylish and will easily fit into most interiors. Despite the thickness of the casing being slightly larger compared to top models of competitors, the aesthetic finish and solid construction make the television present well in a living room.

The Sony X85L operates on the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage for many users. The television offers wide access to applications, and using streaming platforms is smooth and user-friendly. The interface is intuitive and easy to master, allowing for quick switching between apps and searching for favorite content. Google TV allows for personalization of the home screen, enabling each user to customize it according to their preferences. Google Assistant further enhances the experience by offering voice control and quick adjustments of settings or movie searches without the need for a remote.

In terms of user functionality, the Sony X85L offers many useful options. The television has the capability to record programs, which is a significant convenience for those who want to watch their favorite content at any time. AirPlay support allows for seamless streaming of content from Apple devices, which iPhone and iPad owners will appreciate. Additionally, thanks to built-in Bluetooth, various devices such as headphones or keyboards can be connected. However, one drawback is the lack of a PiP (picture-in-picture) function, which may disappoint users who prefer multitasking on the screen.

The design of the Sony X85L television, while it may not be the thinnest, is solid and elegant. The metal base with adjustable legs is one of its strong points, allowing for height and width adjustments of the television to fit different furniture and spaces. This practical solution enhances the interior and adds a modern character to it.

In the Hisense U8NQ, the built-in file player handles the most popular video and audio formats, making it a very versatile solution for users. However, certain shortcomings can be seen in less popular image formats, such as Apple's HEIC. For typical formats like JPEG or MP3/4, the television performs flawlessly, easily meeting the multimedia needs of most users.

Sony X85L has no problem playing most popular file formats from USB, which is a big plus for those who often reach for external content. However, it is worth mentioning a small downside – the built-in player does not allow changing the font color in subtitles, which can be bothersome for some. Fortunately, thanks to the advanced Google TV system, users have a wide range of options. It is easy to install alternative media players that offer more customization options.

Hisense U8NQ performs quite well. Both low and high tones are audible, making the sound full and balanced. Even at higher volume levels, the TV handles it without significant distortion, which is a big plus. The sound is strong enough to fill the room, satisfying most users who do not have an external audio system. While the built-in speakers do not match the sound quality of home theatre systems, they are more than sufficient for everyday TV watching or movies.

The sound on the Sony X85L is good – it is clear across the entire scale, allowing you to enjoy both dialogues and music. The bass, although light, is perceptible and adds some depth to the overall sound. However, it should be emphasized that this is a subjective assessment – some will be satisfied with such a sound profile, while others may need additional audio equipment to fully feel the stronger tones and more spacious sound.

Hisense U8NQ vs Sony X85L

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