Sony X90L vs TCL C75B

HDR on the Sony X90L television looks promising. The luminance chart showed that the TV has a solid power reserve, reaching a maximum of 1000 nits in synthetic tests. But how does it perform in real scenarios? In scenes such as the first one from Life of Pi or the final sequence from The Meg, the TV can deliver this power on HDR content, achieving around 800 nits. Unfortunately, displaying small light elements on a black background, as in the scene from Sicario 2, poses greater challenges for the X90L – here the results reach about 600 nits. Despite this, when looking at competitive models with mini-LED technology, the effect looks very good and can shine enough to impress us. The color gamut coverage is also noteworthy, with a result of 96% for DCI-P3 and 76% for BT.2020, indicating good color reproduction in HDR content.

During our luminance test, the TCL C75B "spat out" about 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the television does not perform badly in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half as low brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger light effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colors in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colors are definitely a strong point of this model.

The best mode in Sony televisions is the IMAX Enhanced mode. Although IMAX is mainly associated with the cinematic experience, here the color reproduction right out of the box is average. In the case of lower quality materials, such as HD – regular TV or YouTube – it is worth paying attention to the white balance. It is characterized by a deficit 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 may cause the image to become washed out and appear as if it is behind a light fog.

In 4K HDR content, the situation looks a bit different. The white balance shows a significant boost in blue, which makes the image appear unnaturally sharp and gives it an artificial feel. Such an exaggeration in color reproduction may not appeal to everyone, especially if one prefers more realistic shades. Additionally, the EOTF curve in Sony X90L looks quite decent at first glance. However, at the end of the graph, there are certain fluctuations that suggest the television is trying to maintain the appropriate brightness to avoid overexposing larger elements.

TCL C75B offers many picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the "Film" mode. Although its settings are quite good, the television struggles with certain color reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish tint compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly noticeable in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally warm. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterized by an excessive amount of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

Another issue was the way brightness was reproduced. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, lost in total blackness (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparative photo - the area around the actress's ear). Similarly, the situation was reflected in the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar problem may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and see how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. Details are described in the next section.

Sony offers many tools to improve image quality, including two additional image modes that we decided to use during testing and apply calibration to them. This solution significantly facilitates the calibration work and is very effective, provided that the right tools are available. In the case of HD content, the white balance has been almost perfectly aligned – only one shade of gray exceeds the error value of "1", which is an excellent result. The same can be said about the brightness characteristic (gamma), which looks nearly perfect, with microscopic deviations of around 0.01.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the situation is not as ideal. Although the white balance has been significantly improved, it has not been possible to completely eliminate the dominance of blue color. Nonetheless, errors in the Colour Checker test only occasionally exceed the value of "2", which means that image distortions are practically unnoticeable. As for the EOTF curve, it is worth activating the filter in the upper right corner "EOTF in Movies" – the graph looks correct, but the television encounters difficulties illuminating very small elements, which results from the limited number of backlight zones. Despite these minor flaws, it is thanks to the calibration carried out that the IMAX Enhanced mode in the Sony X90L makes watching movies resemble a true cinema experience.

After calibrating the TCL C75B, it has clearly improved in terms of color reproduction. Although the TV does not offer many options for adjusting the white balance, we were able to refine its settings significantly. As a result, the image has stopped being overly pink, and the colors now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump, which was previously a problem, has not disappeared completely, but we managed to significantly reduce it. This has made the details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR material.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The "glowing black" effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Despite this, the colors after calibration look vastly better, and the image is much more enjoyable to watch.

The Sony X90L TV features a tone transition smoothing function known as Smooth Gradation, which is incredibly effective. Even at the "low" setting, 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 gives a natural effect and makes everything look cohesive. It is evident that the engineers really put effort into this aspect, creating a solution that impresses and works well in everyday use. Because of this, even when watching content like regular television or YouTube, where the image is not inherently stunning, one can enjoy a smooth, cohesive, and visually pleasing experience.

The TCL C75B has a tonal transition smoothing feature, but unfortunately, we can't praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature didn't work at all. It's hard to say something positive about it because, in practice, it seems completely useless.

The image scaling is better. The TV performs quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can notice slight halos. However, this is not something that significantly interferes with daily viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, which is the trimming of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news tickers or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something worth paying attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

Sony X90L with a 120 Hz panel is a great choice for both gamers and movie enthusiasts. The TV is equipped with the Motion Flow smoothness feature, which allows you to adjust motion smoothness using two sliders: "smoothness" and "clarity." The "smoothness" slider controls the level of motion fluidity, which helps reduce image stuttering, while "clarity" is used to reduce blurring and improve motion sharpness, which is especially useful in dynamic scenes.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The TV is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really great results, especially for a model from the budget range.

Additionally, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-step scale, providing a lot of customization options – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

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 play in high resolution and at a high frame rate. Gamers can also take advantage of the ALLM feature, which automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, and VRR, which provides smooth gameplay without screen tearing. Game Bar is an additional advantage – an intuitive tool that allows for quick access to the most important settings and gaming features, making it easier to control gameplay.

Unfortunately, in terms of HDR in games, the Sony X90L has its limitations. There is no support for HGiG, a standard that many gamers consider essential for precise HDR reproduction in games. Although the TV supports Dolby Vision, which theoretically could 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 along with VRR. This means that despite numerous advantages, gamers seeking perfect HDR in games may feel a sense of disappointment.

The TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed for gamers. It offers almost everything that the most demanding console users need. With the implementation of full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the television supports features such as ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating across the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detail representation in HDR-optimized games. The C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of a Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters, such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all within one click's reach.

In a nutshell: the C75B is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that allow for fully enjoying the capabilities of modern consoles and games.