Samsung QN900F vs Sony Bravia 8 MK2

QN900F is really a bright TV – it can generate nearly 2000 nits, which is a value that remains unattainable for most models available on the market. But the mere ability to achieve such brightness is not everything – it also matters whether the TV can use it well. And this is not always perfect. Our tests on movie scenes showed that in scenes such as those from Life of Pi or The Meg, the QN900F can truly shine – literally and figuratively. In such moments, its greatest advantage, which is brightness, makes a huge impression. However, in more challenging scenes, the issues begin – similar to assessing contrast. When smaller, bright elements appear on the screen, the TV often struggles with the decision: whether to highlight them at the expense of black levels, or perhaps maintain deep black but tone down the brightness. The result of this is situations where, for example, in the movie Sicario 2, the brightness dropped to just 200 nits, making details barely visible. The dimming algorithms could definitely be better for a TV of this class.

Thanks to the new QD-OLED panel, the Sony Bravia 8 II can achieve astronomically high brightness levels of around 2000 nits, translating to nearly reference quality in films and series recorded in HDR format. In test materials such as Life of Pi and Sicario 2, the effect is simply stunning – details in bright parts of the image remain perfectly visible, while night scenes captivate with depth and contrast. However, it's not perfect. Compared to the fiercest competitors, the Bravia 8 II shows a noticeable drop in brightness during full-screen, very bright scenes. When comparing peak luminance to 100% white brightness in HDR mode, the Bravia 8 II is even two or three times dimmer than the LG G5 or Samsung S95F models. This was particularly evident in a scene from the movie The Meg – the screen became noticeably darker than in competing televisions. Despite this drawback, the results of the Bravia 8 II still place it among the very top of the market. It deserves praise for its absolutely top-notch color gamut coverage – DCI-P3 at nearly 100%, and BT.2020 close to 90%. These parameters allow for fully extracting the potential of HDR content and providing a cinematic experience in the comfort of your home.

Testing the QN900F in Filmmaker mode, one quickly noticed the characteristic features of the image despite the fact that this mode is designed to reflect the director's vision. The white balance was not perfect – the television had noticeable deficiencies in blue color. This made the entire scene take on a warmer tone, as if someone had applied a subtle filter in shades of yellow and orange. In movies where bright shots dominate – for example, scenes in the snow or in strong daylight – this created a slight warming effect, which does not always convey the director's intent. The second noticeable element was brightness management. The QN900F sometimes managed to brighten the image more than necessary. It looked as if the exposure had been slightly "pulled up," causing the scene to lose its naturalness. Shadows were sometimes too shallow, and contrast was slightly weakened. These are not disqualifying errors, but for a television in this price range, it is evident that Filmmaker mode has not been perfected one hundred percent. This is particularly evident when comparing its image to what was visible after screen calibration.

Right out of the box, the Bravia 8 II performs really well. In the best IMAX® Enhanced mode, the television can reproduce colors in a pleasing and natural way, although “good” here does not mean “best in class.” The white balance definitely needs adjustment – skin tones tend to lean into slightly pink/cool hues, both in SDR and HDR materials. We also noticed that the EOTF curve characteristics show a tendency to brighten the darkest parts of the image. This is probably due to the manufacturer's desire to highlight as many details as possible, even in deep shadows. Is this a good approach? It's hard to say definitively, but we know one thing – it's not an ideal solution.

After calibration, we were able to eliminate the errors in white balance and adjust them to a level that can be considered acceptable. It's not perfect, but definitely better than the factory settings. Most color errors are now within the deltaE 2–3 range, so in practice they shouldn't be noticeable during everyday viewing. The biggest improvement is seen in how the television manages brightness in SDR content. Shadows and details are no longer flattened, giving the image depth and naturalness. When it comes to 4K HDR materials, colors themselves are no longer an issue, but some imperfections of the Mini-LED technology can still be observed. The QN900F tends to dim the smallest bright elements too much, causing them to sometimes disappear from view. However, it should be added that this is a much better solution than boosting the entire screen, which would spoil the contrast. It's more of a characteristic of this technology than a typical flaw, but it's worth keeping in mind. The effects of calibration are really very good.

After calibration, the excessive cooling of the image caused by the strong boost of blue color was eliminated. Reds became deeper, and skin tones took on a natural, healthy appearance. Actors who previously seemed "cold" now appear much livelier and more convincing on screen. However, one thing has not changed – the analysis of the EOTF curve still shows that the Bravia 8 II tends to lighten the darkest parts of the image. It's hard to say whether this is a deliberate choice by the manufacturer or a result of the panel design and software. In practice, this means that scenes the creators wanted to leave in deep darkness can reveal more details than intended. Nevertheless, the viewing experience after calibration is clearly better – warm, natural colors and realistic skin tones make watching on the Bravia 8 II simply more pleasant to the eye.

If we would like to eliminate non-fluid tonal transitions that can be annoying, for example while watching YouTube, we can use a feature called noise reduction. It works really effectively – it removes the issues with color blending when we set it to Standard level. However, as with most Samsung televisions, this comes with compromises. Although we did not notice that this feature significantly affects the structure of objects in the image, it unfortunately reacts rather aggressively to film grain. Most people will appreciate this effect – the noise is simply removed – but if someone is looking for an image as close as possible to reference settings, then we definitely recommend turning off this option.

As for scaling, which means handling very low-quality content, the QN900F performs really well. On the test screen with the model, the image looked clear, with only slight aliasing that should not bother most viewers. However, it is worth mentioning one issue – the television has problems with so-called overscan, which can cause older content to be slightly cropped. This can manifest itself, for example, with subtitles disappearing from the bottom of the screen.

Upscaling and digital image processing are a true showcase of the capabilities of Bravia 8 II. Sony has long been regarded as a master in this field, and here it only confirms its reputation. The proprietary XR processor can extract nearly maximum quality from lower resolution materials—whether it's television or an old DVD movie, the image looks sharper, with more details and better depth. Sure, if we feed it exceptionally low-quality material (like our archival photo with the Model), it won't work miracles, but in everyday viewing, it's hard to find anything to complain about.

The soft gradation feature also performs excellently. In the "Medium" setting, it effectively smooths tonal transitions, eliminating banding on colored and gray gradients, while simultaneously preserving film grain and fine image details. It is this balance between delicacy and effectiveness that keeps Sony TVs among the best on the market in this category.

There really isn't anything to complain about here – the QN900F looks very good when it comes to motion. Thanks to the 165 Hz panel in 4K, one can confidently say that this TV is suitable for both watching sports and gaming. The motion smoothness feature plays a key role here. It works remarkably well – not only during sports broadcasts, where it can eliminate blurring and image jitter, but also in games, where the animation becomes clearer and smoother. And of course, if someone likes to experiment with movies – they also have that option. At lower settings, there's a slight graininess and filmic character, while at higher settings, it reaches soap opera effect territory. So everyone can adjust the picture to their preferences, and the TV has the power to handle it.

Motion smoothness is practically a closed topic in the case of Bravia 8 II. The OLED with 120 Hz refresh rate naturally provides a very clean, clear image in dynamic scenes, so there is little to complain about. However, particular praise is due to one of the best motion smoothing systems on the market. They allow for precise adjustment of film smoothness according to one's preferences – from gentle smoothing to an almost "theatrical" effect – without the risk of artificial jumps, tearing of the image, or annoying artifacts. This is one of those features that will be appreciated both during movie screenings and while watching sports.

It is really nice here. The QN900F offers a full set of features that we would expect from a top-tier gaming television – we have VRR, ALLM, Game Bar, and also cloud gaming applications. However, the biggest highlight is the proprietary motion smoothing, which also works in games and – importantly – does not add noticeable delays. This is something we won't find in its other competitors.

Unfortunately, there is also something concerning. This year, Samsung has apparently messed something up with its televisions. During the test of the QN900F before its update, it had the HGIG feature, which allowed for perfect adjustment of HDR settings for the console. However, according to our procedures, we always update the equipment to the latest version – to give the manufacturer a chance to fix any shortcomings. And here… it turned out the opposite.

After the update, the HGIG feature disappeared from the menu, making the proper configuration of the console for HDR practically impossible. It was supposed to be complete – 165Hz, four HDMI 2.1 ports, a full gaming package… but unfortunately, it turned out to be a little blunder. Such a shame.

Sony really learned its lesson from previous years and in the Bravia 8 II prepared a package of features for gamers that is difficult to describe as anything other than "almost perfect." We have everything expected in equipment of this class – VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Gaming mode, HGiG, and even a convenient Game Bar that allows you to quickly preview parameters and change settings without leaving the game. Additionally, it's worth noting how smoothly and flawlessly these features work – no delays, no strange stutters. You simply turn on the game and everything looks as it should. Unfortunately, there are a few "buts." The manufacturer still gives us only two full-bandwidth HDMI ports, so if someone has a console, a PC, and another device like a Soundbar connected via eARC, it starts a game of cable swapping. It's also surprising that there is no support for 1440p resolution at 120 Hz – particularly important for Xbox gamers. Overall, however – this is one of those TVs that can comfortably be placed in the center of a gaming lounge, allowing you to enjoy gameplay without significant compromises.