Samsung QN90F / QN92F vs Sony Bravia 3 50' (VA)

The Samsung QN90F can truly shine in brightness. In our measurements, it achieved over 2200 nits, which directly translates to the viewing experience. Practically, this means that when a very bright scene appears in a movie – for example, the sunrise in The Meg – the screen looks as if natural light is actually shining on us. This isn’t just a number from a chart, but a real sense of image intensity! However, the TV cannot always deliver that full power. With smaller details, such as headlights or lamps, the brightness drops to 500–700 nits. This is a conscious decision by the algorithms – this way, the contrast between large and small elements is better controlled, and the image does not lose balance. Importantly, this is still a huge improvement compared to last year's QN90D, where similar details were almost invisible, shining at just 200 nits. Here, the HDR effect is much more consistent and credible. The only downside is the colors. The coverage of the DCI-P3 palette stopped at 91%, which can be considered a rather average result in this price range.

Interestingly, in the 50-inch version, the Bravia 3 performs slightly better in terms of brightness than its larger variants. In measurements, it achieved around 370 nits, which still aren't values that can compete with top-end televisions, but enough to speak of a semblance of HDR effect. For some users, this level will be acceptable, while others will view it as typical for SDR content, where spectacular bursts or strong contrasts are not expected. It must be clearly stated that the Bravia 3 is not a television for those who want to extract maximum quality from the most challenging film materials.

However, this does not mean that everything is mediocre. Sony equipped this model with an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions used in QLED televisions. As a result, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette increased to over 91 percent. In everyday use, this means livelier, more saturated colors and a more pleasing image texture. Even if strong lighting effects are lacking, movies and series can look significantly more attractive than in its predecessor, the X75WL.

We tested color reproduction in the QN90F in Filmmaker mode, and as usual with Samsung TVs, this mode proves to be the best starting point right out of the box. However, this does not mean that the image is free from flaws. The white balance in SDR and HDR content was surprisingly good – the colors didn’t shift in any direction, and even in the factory setting, it looked solid. However, a problem arose with the gamma and EOTF curves, which are responsible for how the TV manages brightness. Here, the QN90F significantly brightened the entire image, causing black levels and colors to lose their intensity, and the overall effect resembled a milky filter being applied. Fortunately, Samsung, unlike many competitors in the miniLED world, provides users with a lot of tools to control the settings that we don’t find with other manufacturers, such as Chinese brands. Therefore, we decided to check if it was possible to extract the full potential of the QN90F because we know that such a high series can deliver much more.

We primarily tested the Sony Bravia 3 in movie mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. It's not a perfect picture, but compared to eco mode, which the TV suggests right out of the box, the difference is clear and positive. In movie mode, one can notice a certain problem: the picture seems too warm, which results from a lack of blue 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 appear in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed significant deviations, and poor brightness management, combined with limited color gamut coverage, further exposes the shortcomings of the picture in this mode. All this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 look unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by the quite decent SDR content settings. Fortunately, this is not a hopeless situation. All sorts of errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. That’s why we decided to see how the TV would perform after such adjustments.

After our adjustment of the settings, the QN90F showed what it is really capable of – and it must be admitted that it has one of the best images we have seen on a miniLED screen this year. As we mentioned earlier, the white balance was not a major issue even in its factory version, but only after the gamma calibration were we able to get close to nearly reference values. The same is true for HDR content, where the EOTF curve after correction presents mature and consistent results. Indeed, in some films, it can be noticed that the smallest elements of the image are slightly brightened, and with a limited number of dimming zones, there is still a risk of the halo effect. It should be remembered, however, that such phenomena are characteristic of all miniLED televisions, and it's hard to expect miracles even from the QN90F. The most important thing is that after calibration, the television shows an image that, in terms of conveying the director's vision, confidently competes even with many OLED screens available on the market.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the Bravia 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. Most importantly, we managed to address the deficiency of blue, which previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment in the white balance, most of the errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The shades of white gained naturalness, and the brightness management in gamma stabilized to a level nearly ideal, not exceeding the threshold of human eye perception. One can therefore confidently say that in SDR content, after a few adjustments in settings, the Bravia 3 performs really impressively. Much worse, though still definitely better than before calibration, is its performance with HDR content. The white balance has been brought under control, but the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which is immediately noticeable. Color-wise, the effect is also improved, although far from perfect – many errors still exceed four, or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear 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 great, and in this category, the television surprised us positively.

QN90F handles upscaling very well. Materials in lower resolution, even SD, are boosted to a clear and sharp image, showcasing plenty of details in the background. This is a significant advantage because the television makes older content or everyday TV look much better than on most budget screens. However, the issue of overscan remains, which is the trimming of the edges of the screen that cannot be turned off in Samsungs. This can cause some subtitles on the screen to disappear or a relative's face from a wedding on a VHS tape to be slightly cropped. 😉

The digital image processing also works well. In the menu, we find a feature called "noise reduction," which can smooth out tonal transitions and improve the reception of lower-quality materials, such as from YouTube. In medium setting, the effect is the most beneficial – it does not heavily interfere with details while eliminating the "stair-stepping" problem in colors. However, it is important to remember that the feature can be quite aggressive and can also remove natural grain in older films, so it's best to use it in moderation.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony TV family than just a common 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 still, it must be admitted that the image at lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The upscaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge jaggedness found in budget constructions. The feature that improves the fluidity of tonal transitions is also noteworthy. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant loss of detail. It does happen that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp - for example, faces - however, in general, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to people watching lower quality content.

The QN90F is equipped with a panel that has a maximum refresh rate of 165 Hz, and while primarily PC gamers will appreciate this advantage, it is still worth highlighting. In movies or sports broadcasts, we are limited to the classic 120 Hz, but this is not a cause for concern. In practice, the additional motion smoother plays a more significant role here. With the "Motion Clarity" setting, we can adjust the image to our own preferences. The blur reduction option is responsible for smoothness and trailing in sports. Meanwhile, the "judder reduction" function improves motion smoothness in productions recorded at 24 frames, such as movies and series. If we set it high, the film looks smoother and more fluid than it was actually filmed. Lower values, on the other hand, maintain its cinematic "rawness" with the visible film frame.

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 who are more sensitive to the way images are displayed. We are talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which gives users a lot of adjustment options. Thanks to it, the image can become smoother, almost theatrical, or you can stick with a more cinematic style characterized by the jaggedness that many people simply associate with the filmic atmosphere. These features work for content with lower frame rates, such as movies and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter every day. This is where the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and here the Bravia 3 performs really well.

QN90F has almost everything to become the perfect television for gamers. Things like four HDMI ports, VRR, ALLM, and a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz don't need to be reminded to anyone. It deserves high praise for the Game Motion Plus mode, which is a proprietary motion smoothing feature for games. Thanks to this, you can add a few “artificial” frames and make the image generated from the console look smoother than it should. This is a very unique solution in the world of televisions – competitive systems usually do not offer this – and that's why Samsung has had a strong bargaining chip among gamers for years, even despite the lack of support for the still niche Dolby Vision in games.

So why are we writing about a “nearly” perfect screen? Unfortunately, like in the latest Samsung models, we noticed a problem with the lack of HGiG support. This is a solution that allows the television to leave the control of tone mapping to the console so that games look exactly as the creators intended. Worse, this feature was previously present and disappeared after software updates. Instead of minor improvements, we got a step back. It's a pity, because without this shortcoming, the QN90F could truly be the perfect choice for gamers in the miniLED category.

Bravia 3 is not equipment for e-sports players or fans of late-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 gets a chance to develop. This is a television for a casual gamer 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 make it feel less bare. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There's even a simple Game Bar that is clear. However, the biggest curiosity here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch games from PS5 wirelessly and see them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it's more of a showcase of capabilities than something you can reliably use every day. If someone really wants to play, it's better to connect the console with an HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.