Compare LG OLED G6 (G64LW, G66LS) vs SONY Bravia 9 II XR95M2

There’s no doubt the LG G6 is outstanding in places. Thanks to the new 2nd-generation Tandem OLED panel it does something no other glossy-screen display on the market has managed so far: it suppresses reflections brilliantly while keeping perfect, untouched picture quality. Add record brightness and the panel’s unique characteristics, and the G6 can produce images that at times literally knock you off your feet. The excellent webOS and gamer-oriented features only reinforce the impression that this is a worthy successor to the G5. But that’s only one side of the coin, since expectations for a device in this class are as high as they get. During detailed testing we ran into an issue with digital image processing in near-black scenes. We’re talking about overly aggressive grain (dithering) and slight flickering of details in dark sequences. While during normal couch viewing this flaw isn’t dramatically noticeable and doesn’t negate the overall wow factor of the contrast, a trained eye will readily see that LG’s engineers stumbled at the final stage of panel tuning. When you buy a fairly expensive flagship product right now, you simply expect perfection out of the box.

Despite this obvious slip-up, the LG G6 is still at the absolute forefront of the market and one of the most interesting TVs of the year. It has a solid foundation to become the ultimate display. We firmly believe the manufacturer will quickly diagnose the issue and release an appropriate software update. If that happens, the competition won’t stand a chance. We promise to monitor the situation closely, and as soon as a patch appears we will verify how well it performs.

Sony Bravia 9 II is, without a doubt, one of the most advanced TVs that has ever passed through our editorial office. The Japanese have built a real beast, using a completely new RGB Mini-LED backlight design they call True RGB. But the technology alone is only half the success. Only combined with Sony’s years-refined image processing algorithms did a TV emerge that is closer to the director’s vision than any other screen we’ve tested so far. This is where you can see why Sony has enjoyed such a reputation in the world of imaging for years. HDR looks spectacular, brightness at times seems almost absurd, black levels for an LCD can be surprising, and colors are both incredibly vivid and natural. Most importantly, all these elements form a coherent whole. There’s no sense that the TV is trying to impress only with specification numbers — you simply enjoy watching it, whether it’s a movie, a series, or gaming. Beyond the excellent picture quality, it’s worth remembering that this is simply a complete TV. Google TV runs quickly and offers practically all the major apps, gamers get a full set of premium features, and support for audio and video formats makes it hard to complain about the equipment. These are exactly the qualities we expect from a device that aspires to be the TV of the Year 2026.

Are there any downsides? Of course there are. Even the Bravia 9 II is not a perfect design. Interestingly, our biggest reservations are not about picture quality, because that is at an absolutely phenomenal level. We are far more surprised by the manufacturer’s decisions. In the flagship model for 2026 we still get only two HDMI 2.1 ports, which with a console, PC, or audio gear can be simply annoying. The other issue is the lack of a 98-inch version. It’s really hard to understand why a TV of this class doesn’t come in a size that’s recently become so popular.

So is it worth buying the Bravia 9 II? Our answer is: YES, YES, and once again YES. If you’re looking for an absolute top-tier TV and you care above all about picture quality, it’s currently hard to find a better choice. Sony has not only proven that RGB Mini-LED has huge potential, but also shown how the technology should be used. The “True RGB” label didn’t appear here by accident. What’s more, looking at the current price of this model, you can safely say it has been set quite reasonably compared to the competition. The Bravia 9 II is not just one of the best TVs of 2026. It’s a TV that sets a new benchmark and shows the whole industry what an RGB Mini-LED TV’s image should look like.

Since the LG G6 is based on OLED technology, specifically the 2nd generation WOLED TANDEM matrix, we are talking about perfection in terms of blacks and contrast, which is confirmed by our lab measurements – in every test scenario, the television achieved an absolute infinity mark. The ability to control each pixel independently gives it a powerful advantage over any LCD panel on the market. This translates to a brilliant, plastic depth of image that immediately draws you into every possible viewing experience. This is clearly visible in the example of a dark, demanding scene with a helicopter from the movie Sicario 2. While traditional screens with local dimming (including Mini-LEDs) can generate annoying "halo" effects in such moments, lighten black bars in films, or lose details in shadows, the LG G6 handles it flawlessly. Black where it should be black remains pitch-black and perfectly separated from bright points.

*A small note: during this test, a fairly strong grain and flickering of the image stands out. However, we do not take it into account when evaluating the contrast itself and this part of the review – we will describe this specific problem in further detail in the section: "Smoothness of tonal transitions".

In the 65-inch size we tested, we counted exactly 1,500 independent local dimming zones. Combined with the VA panel's native high contrast, this translates into very good results when rendering dark scenes. Although the number of zones isn't as staggering as on classic QD-Mini LED-backlit displays, Sony's algorithms more than make up for that. The measured contrast reaches very high levels, and in simpler dark shots dominated by deep blacks the image can even resemble OLED screens. Of course, Mini LED has its physical limitations and it is not an OLED. When small bright elements appear on a dark background, the halo effect — the characteristic bright glow around a bright point, caused by the fact that a backlight zone is much larger than a single pixel — is still visible.

In the Bravia 9 II, however, this phenomenon behaves completely differently than in classic LCD TVs. Thanks to the new architecture, the glows around objects take on the color of the displayed element. You can see this clearly in a helicopter cockpit scene: the halo glow around the indicators isn't white-blue but takes on the exact green hue of the LEDs in the cockpit. To the human eye that image is much more coherent and gives a greater sense of depth, even if the purely mathematical, measurable contrast at that specific point isn't revolutionary. Sony again proves it has the best local dimming algorithms on the market. The software doesn't cause artificial, sudden brightening of the picture and handles unwanted side effects of zoned backlighting very effectively. If you're wondering which RGB display currently manages backlight zones best, the Bravia 9 II is the answer.

The LG G6 is currently one of the brightest OLEDs on the market. Its peak brightness reaches nearly 2500 nits, and best of all – this has a direct impact on real film scenes. The television flawlessly pulls out details in the bright parts of the image. And this is regardless of whether we are talking about very small points like stars in the sky or slightly larger elements on the screen. Naturally, with full-screen, uniformly white scenes, the brightness of the G6 decreases due to the panel's protection system (ABL). However, in real, varied film shots, this value still hovers around 2000 nits, which can be considered an outstanding result. The coverage of the color palette also deserves praise. The new 2nd generation Tandem OLED panel brought only a cosmetic change, but still an improvement. The DCI-P3 color gamut coverage reaches nearly 99.5%, while the ultra-wide BT.2020 is around 84%. These are very good results, although one must remember one thing: at extremely high brightness levels, the volume of colors will be lower than in QD-OLED panels from Samsung Display due to the use of a white sub-pixel (WOLED). However, in everyday content and most films, detecting this difference will be very difficult.

The real showcase of the new backlight architecture and Sony’s processor is the reproduction of HDR content. At the official launch engineers at Sony said (not officially 😉) that the Bravia 9 II’s brightness would be almost identical to the capabilities of their professional director’s monitor BVM-HX3110, which is priced at astronomical sums. Our lab tests confirmed these were not empty promises. During synthetic measurements on the L20 test pattern the TV easily exceeded the 4000 nits peak brightness barrier. More importantly, these remarkable results translate directly to real movie scenes. In most of the demanding shots we tested the screen easily maintained brightness around 2500–3000 nits. Regardless of the scene, whether the light was small and pinpoint or flooded nearly the entire screen, the HDR effect was incredibly intense.

Colors

Color is another key pillar of RGB Mini LED technology (True RGB as implemented by Sony). Specifically for testing these kinds of screens we added a permanent new testing section to see how TVs handle colors in real-world conditions. Traditional synthetic test patterns are no longer enough to confirm real color-gamut coverage. From now on we also measure color saturation directly in selected movie scenes by overlaying measurement points. So how do the colors perform?

In synthetic tests the Bravia 9 II posts excellent results. For the popular DCI-P3 color space for HDR the color-gamut coverage was almost 98%, while for the very wide, demanding BT.2020 space the instrument indicated nearly 90%. However, in real, varied scenes these values drop by a few percent. This is directly due to the nature of zone-based RGB backlighting. When differently colored elements or bright white highlights appear side by side, light from the zones starts to mix slightly, creating a white backlight. This of course affects color saturation, slightly reducing it. This shows that despite Sony’s brilliant RGB LED control algorithm, the number of zones is still too small to eliminate this effect entirely.

Is this a reason to complain? Of course not. The Bravia 9 II’s color coverage ultimately matches that of a very good QLED TV, and it’s important to remember: the vast majority of HDR movies and series are distributed in the DCI-P3 gamut. In that standard Sony easily maintains very high color saturation, regardless of the scene.

We tested the LG G6 in the best factory mode for color fidelity, which is FILMMAKER MODE. For our test unit, this mode was fairly well-tuned right out of the box. In SDR content, the only thing we could nitpick was the white balance, which leaned towards warmer tones. As a result, the image could sometimes appear slightly yellowed; however, overall, it wasn't a bothersome issue. The G6 performed a bit worse with HDR content. There, we noticed too much blue component in the white balance. This caused the image to take on cooler shades, resulting in quite noticeable errors. As can be seen in our ColorChecker chart, colors were indeed shifting towards these cooler registers. Nevertheless, for factory settings, the television displayed a completely decent level. However, we know that OLED screens – especially those from LG – respond wonderfully to professional calibration, which is why we immediately proceeded with it.

Contrary to appearances and high expectations, the Bravia 9 II we tested showed some issues with its factory tuning straight out of the box. Looking at the white balance charts, you can see it is not perfect. In SDR content the red component was primarily lacking, causing the picture to shift toward cooler, bluish tones. In HDR the white balance in this respect looked much better. So where do the visible errors in image reproduction come from? They result from unexpected tuning of the gamma and the EOTF curve. In both cases the Bravia 9 II straight from the factory showed a clear deviation from reference standards.

In SDR content the gamma was definitely too high; at its most extreme it hovered very close to 2.8 instead of the reference 2.4. In practice this meant the image was artificially darkened and appeared washed-out, with details in dark areas (shadows) completely disappearing. The opposite occurred with HDR material, where brightness reproduction is handled by the EOTF curve. That curve was pushed too far above the correct value, resulting in the image being artificially brightened across most luminance ranges. As with every TV we test, we subjected this unit to professional calibration. You can see the results and how we managed to correct these factory errors below.

After conducting a professional calibration, we gained complete control over the panel, and we were able to adjust all parameters to nearly zero. We managed to perfectly tune the white balance, which made the factory-cool and warm tints disappear from the screen. The effects are clearly evident in the ColorChecker test – the average color reproduction errors dropped below the critical value of 1-2. And what does that mean? PERFECT colors, with no distortion whatsoever! However, from a reviewer's obligation, we must comment on how the LG G6 autonomously manipulates brightness, for which the EOTF curve is responsible. When we look at the standard synthetic graph, it may seem that the line is quite straight. The situation changes, however, when we turn on the measurement filter, which shows how the television interprets brightness in real, moving film scenes (EOTF in MOVIES). At that point, it becomes clear that some of the smallest fragments on the screen are slightly over-brightened by the algorithm. Of course, for the average viewer, such a deviation will be practically unnoticeable, but in the test of such an expensive screen, it is worth noting – especially since we are talking about a model that has huge aspirations to be the best television of the year.

Fortunately, with professional calibration, most of the Bravia 9 II's factory missteps can be effectively eliminated. We were able to precisely correct, above all, the white balance and the gamma curve and EOTF. After these adjustments, in everyday use and during movie sessions the TV looks much better. The image gained proper depth, the cool tint in the whites disappeared, and shadow details that had previously been lost due to too-high gamma finally became clearly visible. Although we ultimately rate color accuracy as very good, as specialists we must point out one fairly serious design flaw in this model. The Bravia 9 II could look even better if not for the complete lack of an advanced color management system in the TV's menu.

While basic white balance correction can be performed here without issue, the settings lack options for adjusting specific colors. We tried to tackle this in every possible way: both the traditional method using the remote and via dedicated calibration software for Bravia TVs. Unfortunately, that function has been completely locked. We suspect this may stem from the specifics of the new RGB architecture, which imposes its own limitations. It's a real shame, because without it you can't refine color reproduction to perfection. The inaccurate red still stands out, for example. One can only hope Sony will fix this shortcoming over time with an update.

Unfortunately, this is where we come to the least cheerful part of this review. If we were to evaluate solely the smoothness of the tonal transitions, the G6 would score high marks. The color blending is at a very good level, and at times it resembles what we know from Samsung's QD-OLED panels. This is great news because up until now, ugly, banding artifacts in dark shades have been the bane of WOLED panels. In this category, we would easily give it a strong 8.5 out of 10.

Note: Unfortunately, the final rating in this section drops significantly, and the culprit is very aggressive dithering. In dark scenes, the image literally “shivers,” and in areas close to black/dark gray, the television can be annoyingly flickering. We do not know exactly what this is due to, but looking at the tests from other reviewers around the world - everyone has encountered exactly the same problem. We hope that LG will fix this as soon as possible with an update. We know that LG can respond quickly to negative user feedback, which can already be read online. We will keep an eye on this issue and will inform you in case of improvement.

Sony deserves major praise for the smoothness of tonal transitions, which has been significantly improved compared with last year’s Bravia 9. Color gradation here is at a very high level and, most importantly, it’s consistent regardless of the scene. In both extremely bright highlights and very dark, demanding gradients the TV performs excellently, effectively eliminating the annoying phenomenon of posterization (that is, the appearance of visible “steps” and bands in color transitions, for example in shots of the sky or in fog). The only minor slips in this area can be seen when watching Dolby Vision material. In those specific scenes gradation can sometimes be slightly worse than with an HDR10 signal, but the differences are so subtle and marginal that they will remain completely imperceptible to a typical viewer.

No matter what one may say about the G6's problems with near-black signal, it must be fairly acknowledged that it handles highly compressed material and lower resolution content brilliantly. All unwanted, ugly tonal transitions are effectively reduced here by the “Smooth Gradation” feature. On the “Low” setting, the algorithm operates flawlessly – effectively masking the artifacts resulting from strong compression, without destroying the sharpness and details in the frame. Higher levels of this feature indeed smooth the image even more, but they start to blur the real texture elements of objects, which is why we recommend keeping this slider at a low level. As for the upscaling to 4K, the processor does an excellent job – edge sharpness and detail reconstruction are at the highest level, and in this respect, the G6 does not lag behind the world's best.

Digital processing and upscaling have long been Sony’s signature strength, and after testing the Bravia 9 II we can confidently say nothing has changed on the market in that respect. Sony is still at the forefront. Their proprietary XR image processor, which in this model works with the main MediaTek Pentonic 1000 chip, deserves the highest praise. That combination delivers excellent results. The upscaling of lower-resolution content is extremely effective and precise.

However, what most deserves praise in the XR processor’s performance is the tonal transition smoothing feature. The system can reduce posterization in heavily compressed material to virtually zero. Crucially, the algorithm does this in a very intelligent way. It removes only the annoying digital "steps" in gradients without blurring fine texture details or creating an artificial, "plastic" look that lacks film grain. The image remains sharp, natural, and cinematic.

The LG G6 is an OLED television, so in the category of motion fluidity, it traditionally deserves the highest ratings. The television supports a very high refresh rate of up to 165 Hz in 4K resolution, but most importantly – you will not see any signs of blurring on the screen. The response time of the panel is incredibly fast, ensuring that dynamic images remain perfectly sharp.

The Sony Bravia 9 II's specifications don't list staggering refresh rates above 120 Hz, which some more demanding PC gamers may view as a drawback. However, in everyday use, during movie sessions, playing console games, or watching sports, it's really hard to find any complaints about motion smoothness. The VA-type panel used here does show some slight, inherent smearing typical for this panel type, but excellent Motionflow motion smoothing algorithms come to the rescue. In the system menu you'll find sliders for blur reduction and smoothing that let you precisely tailor the motion characteristics to your preferences.

LG G6 is a true monster for gamers and one of the best-equipped TVs in this regard on the market. The manufacturer did not seek compromises and equipped this model with as many as four full HDMI 2.1 ports with a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps. This means that no matter which port you plug your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or powerful PC into, you will extract the absolute maximum from them.

The TV supports a full suite of gaming technologies: from VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), through AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, to Nvidia G-Sync Compatible. Let's add to this the remarkably low, almost imperceptible input lag and a brilliantly functioning gamer panel (Game Optimizer), which allows you to continuously monitor the signal parameters. Gaming on this screen, with the perfect black of OLED and powerful refresh rates, is pure pleasure.

Apart from a fairly serious design oversight, limiting the platform to just two full HDMI 2.1 ports, the Bravia 9 II offers almost all key gaming features available on the market. Sony has already accustomed us to such a rich package in its previous models. The list of supported technologies is very long. It includes automatic low-latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), as well as a proper implementation of the HGIG standard and the Dolby Vision format specifically designed for gamers.

When it comes to signal delay, the results are remarkably low. For a standard 120 Hz signal, the Input Lag is just 5 ms. At 60 Hz, this value increases to 13 ms, which is still an excellent and completely imperceptible delay. The only thing we need to point out is the television's behavior after receiving the Dolby Vision Gaming signal. In this format, the Input Lag nearly doubles, reaching 13 ms for 120 Hz and 22 ms for 60 Hz. Despite this jump, we believe that these values in games are low enough that absolutely no one will feel any discomfort during gameplay.

Alongside a rich package of gaming features comes an extremely important parameter for every gamer: input lag. Here the new Bravia 9 II is simply flawless. Our lab tests showed that input lag in "Game" mode is super low. The values we recorded during measurements are completely imperceptible to the human eye and place this model among the very best.

As we mentioned earlier, the LG G6 is an amazing screen for gamers but also for those using computers. With full support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync technology, as well as a high refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, this TV will work brilliantly as a giant gaming monitor. On the other hand, everyday office work with text looks a bit worse (although in our opinion still very well), which is a typical feature of every WOLED screen. Due to the specific arrangement of four subpixels (with an additional white subpixel), rather than three as in traditional computer monitors, system fonts can sometimes have an additional, in this case red glow around black or white letters. This is directly due to the new structure of the 2nd generation Tandem OLED matrix, which now operates in an RGWB arrangement (last year's first generation Tandem OLED used a BWRG arrangement). In our opinion, the sharpness of font edges has slightly worsened because of this, but it is definitely not something that will immediately catch your eye when occasionally working with documents or browsing the web.

Bravia 9 II also works great as a powerful computer display. Although there are no special PC modes that would let you push the refresh rate above 120 Hz, as a huge monitor the TV performs superbly. Full frame synchronization works flawlessly and is compatible with the most common graphics-card vendor implementations. You can enable both G-Sync and FreeSync without any problem.

A very welcome surprise and improvement is the change to the panel’s subpixel layout. In the new model Sony has moved away from a BGR arrangement in favor of the more conventional structurally RGB. That change directly improved the legibility of fonts and other fine elements in Windows and macOS compared with the first-generation Bravia 9. At very close viewing distances a trained eye might notice that the edges of dark text on a bright background are not "perfectly" sharp, but in everyday use, whether working with documents or playing games, this is completely unnoticeable.

As befits an OLED panel, the viewing angles on the LG G6 are really good. When viewed from the side, the TV does not drastically lose brightness or color saturation. In this regard, the picture quality is infinitely better than in any LCD TV – and this applies to both IPS panels and even more so to VA panels without special wide-angle coatings. In this matter, the only better screens on the market remain QD-OLED panels from Samsung Display, where the angles are simply perfect, as well as older WOLED panels with MLA (microlens) technology, which LG abandoned in this series two years ago. Unfortunately, we assess the viewing angles in this year's model as slightly worse than last year's. We noticed that the 2nd generation Tandem OLED panel has a tendency to take on more greenish hues when viewed at a steep angle, while last year's model maintained greater neutrality in this regard.

The Bravia 9 II is equipped with a VA LCD panel. Naturally its strongest point is high native contrast, but unfortunately that comes at the cost of weaker viewing angles. Importantly, because a new deep matte screen coating was used, the manufacturer had to forgo special angle-expanding filters.

Does that mean the viewing angles are simply bad? Not entirely. When you look at the panel from a moderate angle (say around 45 degrees), color saturation and brightness remain at a perfectly acceptable level. It all comes down to the specifics of the RGB backlight. Because the backlight takes on the color of the image currently being displayed, what we see appears much more natural to the human eye. We perceive such an image as more coherent compared with conventional Mini LED screens with quantum dots. On the other hand, when comparing the visibility of zone operation at a steep angle to a standard Mini LED, the Sony screen made the halo effect and zonal banding more noticeable.

The LG G6 will perform exceptionally well as a TV in a brightly lit room. Thanks to its powerful peak brightness, the television can easily cut through most external light sources. Best of all, the new generation of Tandem OLED panels has brought significant improvements in terms of reducing glare. Although the screen coating is still shiny (which helps maintain well-saturated colors even in difficult conditions), it effectively suppresses reflections. It does this significantly better than classic OLED screens with standard glossy coatings. We could confidently compare this level to that of shiny QD-OLED panels, but with one key advantage for LG. Unlike the competition's technology, the deep black in a bright living room remains intact in this model. There is no sign of grayness or purplish tints due to incoming light – the black in the G6 during the day is simply perfect, just like it is at night.

High brightness combined with the new coating makes the Bravia 9 II one of the best TVs on the market for watching in demanding conditions. Average brightness in SDR content is about 2000 nits, and smaller highlights can reach up to a powerful 4000 nits. In practice this means the picture stays readable even when direct midday sun pours into the living room. The new, deeply matte panel coating plays a key role here. Unlike the glossy screen finish of the previous model, this filter deals with scattered reflections exceptionally well. When direct light from a window or lamp hits the screen, you won’t see annoying reflections of your face or the furniture. The natural trade-off of a matte finish is a slight reduction in perceived color saturation and black levels compared with perfectly glossy panels. In very bright light the image can look a bit flatter. That said, it’s a fully justified and almost symbolic price to pay for a dramatic improvement in usability. If you’re looking for a TV for a living room with large windows and want to put an end to bothersome daytime reflections once and for all, the Bravia 9 II is ideal in this regard.

webOS System and Smart Features

The TV runs on the latest version of the webOS system. Although it is a closed platform, it supports absolutely all the key streaming applications on the market. You can also easily access useful wireless connectivity features, such as built-in Chromecast, AirPlay, or classic screen mirroring. However, the biggest distinguishing feature of LG's platform remains the brilliant Magic remote. Although it is quite compact and lacks a physical numeric keypad, it does something that competitors still can't replicate – it works like a wireless mouse. It is equipped with a gyroscope, allowing us to move an intuitive cursor across the screen, which drastically speeds up password entry and navigation through the menu. Additionally, LG has one of the best voice assistants for device control, and this combination with the Magic remote offers great possibilities for smoothly navigating the system. The only thing that can be quite annoying here is the intrusive ads and sponsored tiles that LG increasingly clutters the main screen of the system with. Nevertheless, the absence of Google TV is no drawback for the G6 – given the smooth operation of webOS, it can even be considered an advantage.

Features for Traditionalists

In terms of traditional television, the LG G6 also performs excellently and does not forget about traditional users. Despite the minimalist remote, there are plenty of useful solutions on board. The manufacturer has not given up on the PVR function, which allows for recording programs from built-in tuners directly to external USB storage or a hard drive. There is also an efficiently working TimeShift for pausing live television and the option to schedule recordings. These features may prove to be a perfect fit during the upcoming World Cup matches when games will be played late in the evening and we may not be able to watch them live. Of course, standard features are also included, such as the ability to connect wireless headphones via Bluetooth.

Classic features and two remotes

When discussing such an advanced TV, it's easy to focus only on processors and nits, but the Bravia 9 II is also an excellent set in the most down-to-earth aspects. A great example is the return to traditional solutions many competitors have already forgotten. That includes full support for recording TV programs directly to external USB storage.

The Japanese maker's traditional, very practical approach is apparent as soon as you open the box. Sony is one of the few players on the market (maybe the only one right now? 🤔) that still includes not one but two remotes. The first is a nod to older users and traditionalists. It may look like a design from the 2000s, but it offers a full, physical numeric keypad, which makes quickly jumping through cable or satellite channels much easier. The second remote belongs to a completely different school. It's a compact smart remote that's beautifully balanced, sits great in the hand, and the icing on the cake is automatic button backlighting. An interesting fact is that, according to Sony, it is made largely from recycled materials.

Smart TV: Google TV

When you turn the TV on with that remote, you'll be greeted by Google TV. In this model the platform has received excellent optimization. The menu responds immediately to commands, and animations don't drop frames, which used to be a pain in older models. Although the interface can sometimes be overloaded with sponsored recommendations for movies and series (unfortunately a sign of the times), the system makes up for it with an absolutely unrivaled app library.

An additional unique selling point of Sony's platform is built-in access to the Sony Pictures Core app. It's Sony's own streaming service that, thanks to massive data throughput, can deliver images with extremely low compression, offering quality unattainable by other VOD platforms.

The inability to install an external media player (as is the case in Android-based systems) is actually not a problem for the LG G6. The factory-installed media player works great and seamlessly supports most audio, video, or image formats that we provided from our flash drive. However, during testing, we encountered some shortcomings – specifically, a rather strange lack of support for subtitles in the popular .txt format. However, we believe that this option will quickly be added to the G6 with the next software update.

Playing files directly from an external drive or USB flash drive works smoothly and quickly. The interface loads the drive’s contents instantly. We do have some reservations about the built-in media player's out-of-the-box capabilities. While the list of supported audio and video codecs is truly extensive, the TV handled image files surprisingly poorly. It really only supports standard JPG files and Apple's HEIC format, which is great news for iPhone users. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include even such a common format as PNG. Fortunately, thanks to Google TV, this problem is easy to solve. Just download a third-party player from the app store and it will open any missing file format without a hitch.

Despite its very flat design, the LG G6 sounds surprisingly good. The manufacturer managed to squeeze quite nice speakers under the display, capable of producing a rather "spatial" sound – if you can even call the limited physical capabilities of the TV that 😉. The sound is clear, has decent dynamics, and is suitable for everyday viewing of news programs or series without any issues. The TV also easily supports the very popular Dolby Atmos surround sound codec.

Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, it lacks support for the DTS:X format. Regardless of what one might say, it has recently become quite unpopular in streaming services, but a top-of-the-line TV in terms of price and quality simply should not limit users in handling audio formats, in our opinion. Additionally, we have to criticize LG for somewhat downgrading the audio menu. We missed more advanced settings and predefined sound profiles, which were definitely more abundant in last year's model.

The two-year-old Bravia 9 had already gotten us used to the idea that a regular, slim TV without an integrated soundbar can deliver truly pleasant sound. The new Bravia 9 II goes a step further and raises those impressions even more. In our view the engineers have mainly improved the low end. The bass, which was somewhat lacking and occasionally too flat in the previous model, is now much stronger, deeper and noticeably more dynamic.

As a result, watching movies (especially those with explosions) or simply listening to music is much more enjoyable. The built-in sound system can easily replace a basic soundbar that lacks an external subwoofer. As usual, Sony deserves big credit for its approach to audio licensing and formats. Besides the obvious and popular Dolby Atmos standard, the set also offers full support for DTS:X. That’s great news for movie buffs who own extensive collections of films on 4K Ultra HD discs. In terms of built-in audio, the Bravia 9 II is an absolute masterpiece.

LG OLED G6 (G64LW, G66LS) vs SONY Bravia 9 II XR95M2

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Colors

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

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Sound connection options

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

Senior accessibility

webOS System and Smart Features

Features for Traditionalists

Classic features and two remotes

Smart TV: Google TV

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements