Support NeoGAF

[HeisenbergFX4]

Sony X900H Review (XBR55X900H, XBR65X900H, XBR75X900H, XBR85X900H)

The Sony X900H, also sold as the X90CH at Costco, is a great 4k TV for nearly any type of content. It has a VA panel with an excellent contrast ratio and a full-...

www.rtings.com

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Sony X900H Review (XBR55X900H, XBR65X900H, XBR75X900H, XBR85X900H)

The Sony X900H, also sold as the X90CH at Costco, is a great 4k TV for nearly any type of content. It has a VA panel with an excellent contrast ratio and a full-...

www.rtings.com

Pretty great input lag even without HDMI 2.1 so far. At 4K@60Hz + 10 bit HDR 15.2ms for X900H, 13.4ms for C9, 14.0ms for CX. For 1080p@120Hz it's 7.2ms for X900H, 6.8ms for C9, and 7.4ms for CX without VRR.

I hope that 4K@120Hz is a standard for PS5/XSX so even 30fps games should benefit from better input lags with VRR, CX:

Should all perform close to each other, I think, but we need to wait for the HDMI 2.1 firmware update to confirm that.

====

For stutter, they gave X900H 7/10, C9 5/10, CX 4.8/10! That's pretty critical for 30fps gaming, at least.

And for permanent burn-in risk: X900H (10/10)

We don't expect VA panels to experience permanent image retention, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.

LG C9 (2/10)

Update 11/01/2019: Updated text to include our stance on burn-in.

Although we don't expect most people who watch varied content to have any issues, OLED TVs, such as the LG OLED C9 do have the possibility of experiencing burn in.

This TV has three features to help mitigate burn-in. We recommend enabling the Screen Shift option, and setting Logo Luminance Adjustment to 'Low.' There's also an automatic pixel refresher that can be run manually if needed.

You can read about our investigation into this here.

LG CX (2/10)

Unfortunately, like most OLED TVs, the CX isn't immune to permanent burn-in. However, we don't expect people who watch varied content to have any issues, but rather it's a problem if there are constant static displays, like if it's used as a PC monitor.

This TV has three features to help burn-in risk. Enabling Screen Shift option, and setting Logo Luminance Adjustment to 'Low' may help with this. There's also an automatic pixel refresher that can be run manually if needed.

If you're concerned about burn-in and you prefer an LED TV, check out the Samsung Q90T.

You can read about our investigation into this here.

====

Both OLED's have perfect blacks (10/10), and X900H in black uniformity test got 8.7/10:

Excellent black uniformity. Without local dimming, the entire screen looks a bit grayish and there's only some faint clouding around the top and bottom edges of the screen. With local dimming enabled, uniformity is much better throughout the screen, and surprisingly, there's very little blooming around the test cross.
====

More about the contrast, pretty interesting to confirm that it has better blacks than X950H:

The X900H has an excellent native contrast ratio. It's higher than that of the X950H, as it doesn't have Sony's 'X-Wide Angle' layer, which has the side effect of lowering the contrast ratio. The local dimming improves the contrast a bit, but not by much. That said, blacks still look deep, making it a great choice for dark room viewing.

====
TV's color accuracy pre-calibration :

X900H: 8.7
C9: 7.6
CX: 8.3

Post-calibration:

X900H: 9.2
C9: 9.5
CX: 9.6
====

I hope this sums things up, and they have all recommended settings for them:

X900H - C9 - CX

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Very interesting though, they couldn't get 4K@120Hz out of LG C9, nor Samsung Q90T? About C9:

Update 06/01/2020: We've retested the input lag with G-SYNC enabled using the latest firmware (04.70.05) and the score has been adjusted accordingly. Unfortunately, we were still unable to get a 4k @ 120Hz signal, we'll retest it once an HDMI 2.1 source is available. The tests were performed on a PC equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 2070 graphics card.

We need it to be tested with PS5/XSX later, as there is no graphics card with HDMI 2.1 to begin with. And if so, it'll be a shit quality 4K image due to staggering difference in bandwidth (18Gbps vs 48Gbps). They managed to get 4K@120Hz from CX, but it's still needs to be tested with PS5/XSX or newer graphics cards with HDMI 2.1.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Not for next gen for sure but what a set of specs.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Not for next gen for sure but what a set of specs.

No HDMI 2.1 makes it not worthy at the moment, especially that there is no DP 2.0 out yet with 80Gbps that will surpass HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps). It only does DP 1.4 (32.4Gbps).

For monitors, I would rather wait, but this is a wonderful monitor for productivity.

 

[Amaranty]

HDTVTest review:

32 local dimming zones on the 75 inch version. That is ridiculously low. Usually larger TVs have more local dimming zones.

Also, HDTVTest measured 19 ms input lag against Rtings 15 ms input lag.

 

[Rikkori]

The sad thing is, the XH90 is worth trashing for how many downgrades they put it through but as scummy as Sony are in general all the other brands are even scummier and put out even worse products. At least worldwide XH90 is a decent alternative to like a TCL 6 series.

I've been following TVs since a few years ago but it's been so much disappointment seeing continuous regressions for LCDs. 2016 has truly been the last great year for us. And the sad thing is, even for the ultra high-end models like the 85" ZG9 you're not getting a great TV, at least not compared to what the ZD9 used to be. Back then you paid a lot but at least you got your money's worth. Now? Absolutely pathetic showing all around.

OLEDs got better culminating with last year's C9 but they're starting to slip as well and will see more downgrades as prices drop & brands try to save their profit margins (as China joins production). But at least you can be happy for a year OLED fans.

Meh.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

The sad thing is, the XH90 is worth trashing for how many downgrades they put it through but as scummy as Sony are in general all the other brands are even scummier and put out even worse products. At least worldwide XH90 is a decent alternative to like a TCL 6 series.

I've been following TVs since a few years ago but it's been so much disappointment seeing continuous regressions for LCDs. 2016 has truly been the last great year for us. And the sad thing is, even for the ultra high-end models like the 85" ZG9 you're not getting a great TV, at least not compared to what the ZD9 used to be. Back then you paid a lot but at least you got your money's worth. Now? Absolutely pathetic showing all around.

OLEDs got better culminating with last year's C9 but they're starting to slip as well and will see more downgrades as prices drop & brands try to save their profit margins (as China joins production). But at least you can be happy for a year OLED fans.

Meh.

To me it is what it is a decent TV that makes a decent picture that has nice gaming features or at least will have them along side the PS5 at a pretty decent price point.

Sure better options out there but like anything else you're going to pay more for them.

I wish the nits were higher as this TV doesnt have the pop of a 1000+ nit TV but it still does a pretty nice job.

 

[Kuranghi]

The sad thing is, the XH90 is worth trashing for how many downgrades they put it through but as scummy as Sony are in general all the other brands are even scummier and put out even worse products. At least worldwide XH90 is a decent alternative to like a TCL 6 series.

I've been following TVs since a few years ago but it's been so much disappointment seeing continuous regressions for LCDs. 2016 has truly been the last great year for us. And the sad thing is, even for the ultra high-end models like the 85" ZG9 you're not getting a great TV, at least not compared to what the ZD9 used to be. Back then you paid a lot but at least you got your money's worth. Now? Absolutely pathetic showing all around.

OLEDs got better culminating with last year's C9 but they're starting to slip as well and will see more downgrades as prices drop & brands try to save their profit margins (as China joins production). But at least you can be happy for a year OLED fans.

Meh.

I have a 65ZD9 mate, its fucking glorious. They don't care about LCD anymore, just pushing OLED. ZF9 was disappointment, ZG9 was a disappointment, XH this year so far is disappointing, agreed. I like the XF90 and XG95 but there hasn't been a proper ZD9 successor. ZG9 is still amazing, but not worth the money, better to just find a 2nd hand ZD9. I saw a 100ZD9 on my staff store once, its was £38,000 lol

I had Vincent Teoh calibrate my ZD9 and he still thought it was the best LCD in the world in 2019.

We checked the skin tones with a picture of some nude women, he's a funny/great guy haha.

 

[Kuranghi]

I'd be recommending everyone buy an XF/XG90 instead of XH90 still in 2020, or XG95 instead of XH95.

If you want HDMI 2.1, wait til next year to buy Sony imo. Although it might never get better, in which case buy an OLED.

 

[Kuranghi]

I can still smell a new Sony processor in September...




The XH lineup is suspiciously downgraded over XG so maybe its a 8K LCD push by Sony as well (as Samsung), that would make sense since an 8K set requires "better" upscaling due to most of what it receives being non-native (for now), so a new chip would help with that.

 

[Kuranghi]

Bo_Hazem How you feeling about that XH90 review? Will you still recommend it over XF/G90+ XG95 due to HDMI 2.1?

If it was just one or two of the downgrades I'd say it less of a big deal, but its seemingly everything thats removed and the smooth gradation isn't even as good as X1 chip TV's like the XE/XF/XG80, which makes me think the X1 in the XH80 and below will be the same one. This move to a single mediatek chip for everything instead of a separate FPGA for image processing is a bad one imo, only upside is UI better faster/better, which I do like.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

HDTVTest review:

32 local dimming zones on the 75 inch version. That is ridiculously low. Usually larger TVs have more local dimming zones.

Also, HDTVTest measured 19 ms input lag against Rtings 15 ms input lag.

He said 18ms
Ratings said 15
Another site said 14

 

[Rikkori]

I'd be recommending everyone buy an XF/XG90 instead of XH90 still in 2020, or XG95 instead of XH95.

If you want HDMI 2.1, wait til next year to buy Sony imo. Although it might never get better, in which case buy an OLED.

I would buy the XH90 still, because 4K 120 is more important to me (have XF90 now), and also - the XF90 bootloops if you do 120hz + HDR so that would be very good to have as well. But I'm also on PC and have greater control over settings & preferences. For consoles I don't think it's as important and would probably lean more towards an XH95.

Though tbh only once they see major price reductions. If I had no TV and I'd buy today I'd still buy an XF90 probably, because the price & quality is insane and these new models are badly priced (until BF).

 

[McHuj]

Got the 85" 900H today. Sadly, it's going to go back. 2 issues: 1. 85" is just too big. That's a little of bummer. and 2. I like the PQ on my 75x950G better. I think the coating on the screen makes it pop a little more plus in my room it handles the reflections better. Oh well, no VRR/4K 120 Hz for me.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Vincent’s review kinda cooled my interest in the X900H. He surely makes it sound like a midrange TV more than any other review I’ve seen or read so far. The Rtings review sounded much more satisfied than Vincent’s.

As I already said, it’s disappointing that a TV with such potential is held back by Sony having one more model on the market (the X950H) that got the better hardware, hence the decision of stripping the 900H of a few features that would’ve made it the most complete LED in that price bracket.

While my OLED doesn’t completely satisfy me, I bought it for less money that a new X900H of the same size, so I don’t think it’s worth considering a switch right now. I’ll keep an eye open for more direct impressions on the Sony, but it seems there’s not going to be another TV on the Euro market this year that’s worth abandoning the C9.

 

[Amaranty]

Vincent’s review kinda cooled my interest in the X900H. He surely makes it sound like a midrange TV more than any other review I’ve seen or read so far. The Rtings review sounded much more satisfied than Vincent’s.

As I already said, it’s disappointing that a TV with such potential is held back by Sony having one more model on the market (the X950H) that got the better hardware, hence the decision of stripping the 900H of a few features that would’ve made it the most complete LED in that price bracket.

While my OLED doesn’t completely satisfy me, I bought it for less money that a new X900H of the same size, so I don’t think it’s worth considering a switch right now. I’ll keep an eye open for more direct impressions on the Sony, but it seems there’s not going to be another TV on the Euro market this year that’s worth abandoning the C9.

What issues do you have with the C9?

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

What issues do you have with the C9?

Motion mainly, as I’ve detailed in a number of other posts. If not for that personal issue, the C9 is possibly the most versatile TV you can get at the moment. It’s just that OLED motion bothers me to some degree with lower framerates.

 

[Amaranty]

Motion mainly, as I’ve detailed in a number of other posts. If not for that personal issue, the C9 is possibly the most versatile TV you can get at the moment. It’s just that OLED motion bothers me to some degree with lower framerates.

Does it bother you mostly in movies or in games that run at 30 fps?

I have an X900F and even on this TV low framerate content is sometimes bothersome. I put motion smoothing to 1 for movies and TV shows, which helps a bit without introducing soap opera effect.

 

[funcojoe]

I just grabbed the 65inch cx this week, got everything hooked up last night. It's my first oled and just watching the test videos on YouTube was eye opening.

Still messing with the sdr calibration but honestly not even going to use this for anything either then 4k hdr dolby vision content.


Standout games looks wise so far from what I've tried are.
Ori
Doom Eternal
Going to try more today.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Bo_Hazem How you feeling about that XH90 review? Will you still recommend it over XF/G90+ XG95 due to HDMI 2.1?

If it was just one or two of the downgrades I'd say it less of a big deal, but its seemingly everything thats removed and the smooth gradation isn't even as good as X1 chip TV's like the XE/XF/XG80, which makes me think the X1 in the XH80 and below will be the same one. This move to a single mediatek chip for everything instead of a separate FPGA for image processing is a bad one imo, only upside is UI better faster/better, which I do like.

Not sure about you guys, but those reviews seemed a lot positive for me, both are recommending it and Vincent even made it his "best value" winner. Maybe some were thinking it's a top end TV at $999?

Input lags seemed to vary due to the source, and 4K@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 1080p@120Hz should give much better input lag which is already great at preserving the image quality while in gaming.

Plus it's stutter being 7/10 compared to C9 5/10 and CX 4.8/10 on rtings makes it even better for 30fps gaming and movies.

There is no complete TV out there, anyone dreaming of one isn't following the tv market closely. When we get microLED (Crystal LED from Sony) that's when we can talk about near perfect tv's. I would get another tv if PS5 Pro hits the market, next one must be 8K though.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I just grabbed the 65inch cx this week, got everything hooked up last night. It's my first oled and just watching the test videos on YouTube was eye opening.

Still messing with the sdr calibration but honestly not even going to use this for anything either then 4k hdr dolby vision content.


Standout games looks wise so far from what I've tried are.
Ori
Doom Eternal
Going to try more today.

Congrats on your TV! Hope you like it and enjoy it!

 

[funcojoe]

Thank you, so far so good. Im gonna try some movies today to see if I notice the stutter.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I would buy the XH90 still, because 4K 120 is more important to me (have XF90 now), and also - the XF90 bootloops if you do 120hz + HDR so that would be very good to have as well. But I'm also on PC and have greater control over settings & preferences. For consoles I don't think it's as important and would probably lean more towards an XH95.

Though tbh only once they see major price reductions. If I had no TV and I'd buy today I'd still buy an XF90 probably, because the price & quality is insane and these new models are badly priced (until BF).

For guys complaining about the blooming, put in mind that he did a disclaimer on all of these tests that the camera is set on a high exposure. See here for example, this guy had X900G and X900F before it, and most of the blooming you saw in Vincent video is due to camera exposure and for testing, this review might help some to understand it better:

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Does it bother you mostly in movies or in games that run at 30 fps?

I have an X900H and even on this TV low framerate content is sometimes bothersome. I put motion smoothing to 1 for movies and TV shows, which helps a bit without introducing soap opera effect.

Sweet! What size do you have? It's funny that the faster the response time the worse stutter you get! X900H is at 4ms, LG C9 + CX are at 1ms which is ridiculously fast. Same perks can have side effects, I guess.

Still, my personal recommendations are the same: X900H + C9 + CX. It's not a matter of budget to me, as I could buy the 3 of them, but I don't give my tv enough breaks that's why I'm sticking with LCD for more years until we see this new QNED/dual-layer LCD/microLED (CLED= Crystal LED) hit the market at reachable prices.

 

[Amaranty]

Sweet! What size do you have? It's funny that the faster the response time the worse stutter you get! X900H is at 4ms, LG C9 + CX are at 1ms which is ridiculously fast. Same perks can have side effects, I guess.

Still, my personal recommendations are the same: X900H + C9 + CX. It's not a matter of budget to me, as I could buy the 3 of them, but I don't give my tv enough breaks that's why I'm sticking with LCD for more years until we see this new QNED/dual-layer LCD/microLED hit the market.

Sorry! I mistyped! I actually have X900F, which is 2 years older and the size is 55 inches.

 

[Kuranghi]

Sorry! I mistyped! I actually have X900F, which is 2 years older and the size is 55 inches.

What do you have clearness set to? If you set it to 1 then that will reduce blur from low framerate content, it should dim the image for 0.5 second then brighten back up, if you go above 2 then it will dim a lot, but you only need it on 1 to engage X-Motion Clarity. That + 1 smoothness should look really good for <30hz content.

 

[Amaranty]

What do you have clearness set to? If you set it to 1 then that will reduce blur from low framerate content, it should dim the image for 0.5 second then brighten back up, if you go above 2 then it will dim a lot, but you only need it on 1 to engage X-Motion Clarity. That + 1 smoothness should look really good for <30hz content.

I have clearness setting disabled (minimum setting). I tried it on and off and at different settings. I don't have a problem with motion blur really, just the stuttering. Having clearness setting enabled seems to make stuttering more pronounced, since it aims to remove motion blur even further.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Sorry! I mistyped! I actually have X900F, which is 2 years older and the size is 55 inches.

Overall, a good 4K HDR HDMI 2.0 will make you 90% satisfied with next gen gaming, at least. It's not a necessity if you got that kind of tv, that should be clear

If you want that extra input lag improvement and 4K@120Hz then you may consider it.

And don't use motion clarity for gaming, turn it off or you'll be around 80ms input lag!

 

[Kuranghi]

Overall, a good 4K HDR HDMI 2.0 will make you 90% satisfied with next gen gaming, at least. It's not a necessity if you got that kind of tv, that should be clear

If you want that extra input lag improvement and 4K@120Hz then you may consider it.

And don't use motion clarity for gaming, turn it off or you'll be around 80ms input lag!

I had no idea it adds any input lag, as its available in game mode, unlike smoothness settings, where did you read this?

I have clearness setting disabled (minimum setting). I tried it on and off and at different settings. I don't have a problem with motion blur really, just the stuttering. Having clearness setting enabled seems to make stuttering more pronounced, since it aims to remove motion blur even further.

Ah okay, yes I think you'd still need the smoothness on along with the clearness at 1 to get a "smoother" result.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I had no idea it adds any input lag, as its available in game mode, unlike smoothness settings, where did you read this?

Here:

Excellent low input lag. It's low as long as you're in 'Game' mode. PC users can be in either 'Game' or 'Graphics' mode to get the lowest latency. Input lag remains low even when playing at 4k @ 60Hz + 10-bit HDR, but it increases significantly if motion interpolation is enabled, so it isn't recommended. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until Sony releases the firmware update that enables VRR to test the input lag with VRR enabled, and the 'Auto Low Latency Mode' should also be enabled in the same update.

Sony X900H Review (XBR55X900H, XBR65X900H, XBR75X900H, XBR85X900H)

The Sony X900H, also sold as the X90CH at Costco, is a great 4k TV for nearly any type of content. It has a VA panel with an excellent contrast ratio and a full-...

www.rtings.com

Check the post before:

TV's Vs Monitors, and Why TV's Make Much More Sense for Next Gen Consoles

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900h

www.neogaf.com

 

[Rikkori]

For guys complaining about the blooming, put in mind that he did a disclaimer on all of these tests that the camera is set on a high exposure. See here for example, this guy had X900G and X900F before it, and most of the blooming you saw in Vincent video is due to camera exposure and for testing, this review might help some to understand it better:

I didn't mention blooming and it's not a problem for me either way, I accept that compromise as part of LCD's flaws and in return I don't have to worry about a lot of other things. My issue with the XH90 is that it's worse than 2017's XE90 even. What you get in return for worse PQ is HDMI 2.1 + faster OS chip and some input lag reduction. 3 years later - that's not a great TV. It's just a lesser evil because other options are even worse.

Sony X900E vs Sony X900H Side-by-Side TV Comparison

Compare the Sony X900E and Sony X900H TVs

www.rtings.com

 

[Kuranghi]

Here:

Excellent low input lag. It's low as long as you're in 'Game' mode. PC users can be in either 'Game' or 'Graphics' mode to get the lowest latency. Input lag remains low even when playing at 4k @ 60Hz + 10-bit HDR, but it increases significantly if motion interpolation is enabled, so it isn't recommended. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until Sony releases the firmware update that enables VRR to test the input lag with VRR enabled, and the 'Auto Low Latency Mode' should also be enabled in the same update.

Sony X900H Review (XBR55X900H, XBR65X900H, XBR75X900H, XBR85X900H)

The Sony X900H, also sold as the X90CH at Costco, is a great 4k TV for nearly any type of content. It has a VA panel with an excellent contrast ratio and a full-...

www.rtings.com

Check the post before:

TV's Vs Monitors, and Why TV's Make Much More Sense for Next Gen Consoles

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x900h

www.neogaf.com

Clearness/X-Motion Clarity isn't motion interpolation, its Black Frame Insertion. It doesn't duplicate frames or process the image in that way, it just adds a black frame every few frames (depending how high the clearness setting is set) so that your eyes are "rested", to try and emulate the fantastic motion of a projector, which has a noticeable flicker if you turn around in the cinema and look at the projector, thats how I've understood it anyway.

Some brands automatically have a bit of motion interpolation turn on when you activate the BFI/Clearness setting, regardless of if smoothing/motion interpolation is off, maybe thats what you are thinking of?

 

[Bo_Hazem]

I didn't mention blooming and it's not a problem for me either way, I accept that compromise as part of LCD's flaws and in return I don't have to worry about a lot of other things. My issue with the XH90 is that it's worse than 2017's XE90 even. What you get in return for worse PQ is HDMI 2.1 + faster OS chip and some input lag reduction. 3 years later - that's not a great TV. It's just a lesser evil because other options are even worse.

Sony X900E vs Sony X900H Side-by-Side TV Comparison

Compare the Sony X900E and Sony X900H TVs

www.rtings.com

I opened that and X900H won most of the comparisons, and by double the margin in input lag and should get wider gap with HDMI 2.1 support. Not sure if you made a mistake there. X900H was on the right column.

 

[Kuranghi]

I didn't mention blooming and it's not a problem for me either way, I accept that compromise as part of LCD's flaws and in return I don't have to worry about a lot of other things. My issue with the XH90 is that it's worse than 2017's XE90 even. What you get in return for worse PQ is HDMI 2.1 + faster OS chip and some input lag reduction. 3 years later - that's not a great TV. It's just a lesser evil because other options are even worse.

Sony X900E vs Sony X900H Side-by-Side TV Comparison

Compare the Sony X900E and Sony X900H TVs

www.rtings.com

Yeah, I feel the same way about ZD9, XE90, XE93 & XE94 XF90 and XG95 mate, but you've gotta realise that people don't want to buy older models, I just accepted it and just judge it on whats the current best. If someone says they want to the best, regardless of age of model then I start talking to them about the older stuff.

People want to keep their TVs for 5+ years so they don't want to miss out on HDMI 2.1 even if its not really relevant right now.

edit - dont mean this to come off as attacking you, just saying what I had to accept to give people advice on current stuff.

 

[KellyNole]

I opened that and X900H won most of the comparisons, and by double the margin in input lag and should get wider gap with HDMI 2.1 support. Not sure if you made a mistake there. X900H was on the right column.

This. Also it is using the older test version 1.2 which is not as stringent as 1.5.

 

[Kuranghi]

I opened that and X900H won most of the comparisons, and by double the margin in input lag and should get wider gap with HDMI 2.1 support. Not sure if you made a mistake there. X900H was on the right column.

I believe Rikkori is mostly talking about the "subjective" stuff that rtings doesn't cover. Like what Vincent says in his review, eg: Worse motion (than X1E chipset models), worse upscaling, hardly any smooth gradation at all it seems (Which is worse than even original X1 chipset/85 series), and 50% less zones than XF/XG90.

As I said above I know people want a new model, and this is still the best value in 4K LCD 2020 imo, but its objectively worse in PQ than older Sony models that were similarly priced. It can support HDMI 2.1, has lower input lag and a snappier UI/better remote but if you don't about hold those three (3) things above the PQ then its a downgrade all round.

Its still a lovely TV and I would still recommend it over any other 4K LCD right now.

 

[Rikkori]

I opened that and X900H won most of the comparisons, and by double the margin in input lag and should get wider gap with HDMI 2.1 support. Not sure if you made a mistake there. X900H was on the right column.

Pay attention to the numbers not the scores. Look at contrast. Look at brightness. Look at colour volume, Look at PWM, etc. and that's before even going into all the removed features like smooth gradation et al. Yes, the input lag reduction is significant BUT for gamepad singeplayer games... can people even notice? I switch between movie & game mode now and that's a much higher lag penalty and it's still hard to tell without focusing on it. So long as it's around 30ms it feels fine for the most part, because remember the total input lag chain (including controller + game + TV + signal is much higher, so a 15ms reduction is massive when you look at it vs 30, but it's negligible in context, because the total input lag might be 200, so a 15ms difference won't make as much of a dent).

And again, it's 3+ years later. Why do we even have to debate if it's a worse TV or not? It should automatically be better, in a world where progress existed. And we can't even add that it's cheaper because it's not, I'm looking at it in my country and I could get an XE90 for less than I can an HX90 now.

It's a joke.

This. Also it is using the older test version 1.2 which is not as stringent as 1.5.

That makes no difference, I ignore the scores as they're retarded (and for that same target audience). I'm talking purely based on measurements, which are objective.

I believe Rikkori is mostly talking about the "subjective" stuff that rtings doesn't cover. Like what Vincent says in his review, eg: Worse motion (than X1E chipset models), worse upscaling, hardly any smooth gradation at all it seems (Which is worse than even original X1 chipset/85 series), and 50% less zones than XF/XG90.

That too.

 

[Kuranghi]

Also about rtings, I find the site is good for checking estimated input lag, RS brightness, response time and some other stuff, but its completely useless for IQ comparison, they don't care about "subjective" stuff like that. Their gradation test doesn't use real content, just a colour bar so sometimes they say the gradation is good, but then Vincent shows its not very good in real content.

They also remove older models from the list over time, so "Q90R is the best 4K LCD we ever tested", but I've seen them do a live test which included Q9FN and ZD9 and ZD9 beats the Q9FN in almost all cases for HDR brightness. The Q90R has a better "Real Scene" brightness than the Q9FN, but its peak brightness is quite a bit lower, 1400 nits, vs 1750 nits. ZD9 is 1800 nits on a 10% window.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

This. Also it is using the older test version 1.2 which is not as stringent as 1.5.

Yup, noticed that little disclaimer star. New standards compared to previous years.

I believe Rikkori is mostly talking about the "subjective" stuff that rtings doesn't cover. Like what Vincent says in his review, eg: Worse motion (than X1E chipset models), worse upscaling, hardly any smooth gradation at all it seems (Which is worse than even original X1 chipset/85 series), and 50% less zones than XF/XG90.

As I said above I know people want a new model, and this is still the best value in 4K LCD 2020 imo, but its objectively worse in PQ than older Sony models that were similarly priced. It can support HDMI 2.1, has lower input lag and a snappier UI/better remote but if you don't about hold those three (3) things above the PQ then its a downgrade all round.

Its still a lovely TV and I would still recommend it over any other 4K LCD right now.

I'm not sure where you got all those details, because I've watch the same video and he literally have it the best value tv in the end! It has flaws which is nature in any tv, not to mention a mid-range tv, but it's punching above its weight compared to any at its price range.

Overall, it's better to listen to as much reviews out there as possible, and most of them to be honest are recommending this tv, even casual reviewers who had previous Sony tv's. The input lag and HDMI 2.1 are the main keys here, while preserving a very good picture quality at game mode compared to other LCD's out there.

 

[Kuranghi]

Pay attention to the numbers not the scores. Look at contrast. Look at brightness. Look at colour volume, Look at PWM, etc. and that's before even going into all the removed features like smooth gradation et al. Yes, the input lag reduction is significant BUT for gamepad singeplayer games... can people even notice? I switch between movie & game mode now and that's a much higher lag penalty and it's still hard to tell without focusing on it. So long as it's around 30ms it feels fine for the most part, because remember the total input lag chain (including controller + game + TV + signal is much higher, so a 15ms reduction is massive when you look at it vs 30, but it's negligible in context, because the total input lag might be 200, so a 15ms difference won't make as much of a dent).

And again, it's 3+ years later. Why do we even have to debate if it's a worse TV or not? It should automatically be better, in a world where progress existed. And we can't even add that it's cheaper because it's not, I'm looking at it in my country and I could get an XE90 for less than I can an HX90 now.

It's a joke.


That makes no difference, I ignore the scores as they're retarded (and for that same target audience). I'm talking purely based on measurements, which are objective.


That too.

Can you still buy an XE93 new in your country? I say that because its also a 2017 model. I'd recommend that model over both XH90 and XH95, its probably beat by XG95 but only just in terms of zone control/brightness for HDR. SDR will be duller on XG95 vs XE93, but image processing will be better on XG95.

 

[Rikkori]

Can you still buy an XE93 new in your country? I say that because its also a 2017 model. I'd recommend that model over both XH90 and XH95, its probably beat by XG95 but only just in terms of zone control/brightness for HDR. SDR will be duller on XG95 vs XE93, but image processing will be better on XG95.

No, there was one left last year but then sold out. I'm not looking to upgrade yet tbh, my XF90 is doing well. Until miniLED or dual-cell properly takes off, or we get QDCC TVs, there's no real upgrade to be had, except maybe buying a 2nd TV (OLED) and only using it when it's best (dark games/movies etc). But I'd rather spend that money elsewhere for now.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

No, there was one left last year but then sold out. I'm not looking to upgrade yet tbh, my XF90 is doing well. Until miniLED or dual-cell properly takes off, or we get QDCC TVs, there's no real upgrade to be had, except maybe buying a 2nd TV (OLED) and only using it when it's best (dark games/movies etc). But I'd rather spend that money elsewhere for now.

Well, that's smart, upgrading to HDMI 2.1 can only mean 10% better to most people. I can happily continue with my 2016 4K HDR X700D as picture quality looks decent enough, even without local dimming and full array. Input lag is around 32ms with mine, and expecting a bigger PQ upgrade as well with much better input lag with X900H. In a few years, I'll get another 8K TV with PS5 Pro. I'm used to buy a new tv with every PS since PS3.

If you got a 1080p tv, then you MUST upgrade!

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Well, that's smart, upgrading to HDMI 2.1 can only mean 10% better to most people. I can happily continue with my 2016 4K HDR X700D as picture quality looks decent enough, even without local dimming and full array. Input lag is around 32ms with mine, and expecting a bigger PQ upgrade as well with much better input lag with X900H. In a few years, I'll get another 8K TV with PS5 Pro. I'm used to buy a new tv with every PS since PS3.

If you got a 1080p tv, then you MUST upgrade!

When I upgraded this old failing 4k vizio I had I wanted the best non OLED gaming TV I could find that would give me the most benefits from the XsX, PS5 and 3080Ti.

The 900H seems to be that TV.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

When I upgraded this old failing 4k vizio I had I wanted the best non OLED gaming TV I could find that would give me the most benefits from the XsX, PS5 and 3080Ti.

The 900H seems to be that TV.

Yup, and I would go OLED if my tv doesn't spend as much as 8-50 hours non-stop in a daily basis. It's good for busy people who don't have enough spare time and will never have an issue with burn-in by moderate usage.

I as well use it for my PC for photo/video editing, and I like the color accuracy of Sony. I would've had NeoGAF logo carved into my screen if I was using an OLED lately.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Does it bother you mostly in movies or in games that run at 30 fps?

I have an X900F and even on this TV low framerate content is sometimes bothersome. I put motion smoothing to 1 for movies and TV shows, which helps a bit without introducing soap opera effect.

Games is worse because any motion interpolation introduces artifacts and increases input lag. Gaming mode disabled any motion interpolation by default.
For some games (i.e., Final Fantasy 9) I don’t mind using Standard mode with some motion interpolation because input lag is negligible in such a game, and the reduction in stuttering outweighs any possible problem. But in other games the artifacts are too noticeable, and the stuttering in Gaming mode is very noticeable while moving the camera around.

With TV and movies I can always enable some interpolation without altering the image too much.

After getting used to it I’m appreciating the C9 a lot more than at the beginning, but what bothers me is that there isn’t a single setting that’s “good enough” for every type of content. Keep in mind that TV broadcasts in Europe are 50Hz, which by itself introduces even more problems with motion.

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Interesting 85" X900H review, but timestamped the part of color accuracy. Better watch the whole thing for such size and overall impressions, and there will be another follow up for calibration:

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

Motion mainly, as I’ve detailed in a number of other posts. If not for that personal issue, the C9 is possibly the most versatile TV you can get at the moment. It’s just that OLED motion bothers me to some degree with lower framerates.

LG's picture processing sux.
Try another brands OLED?

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[Bo_Hazem]

This is the best review out there, enjoyed every second of that! Wonderful breakdown, professional yet reflecting real world perception for casuals! The great thing is that he's also a photographer and a videographer, so he's not easily impressed by color accuracy. And that brightness thing he mentioned of it being pretty brighter than some number suggest, like many casuals as well said, and that the brightness doesn't crush details! That's insane and shows what Sony represents in terms of quality.

Asked him to make a gaming centric review later on, especially when HDMI 2.1 gets available. Here are other reviews if someone is interested in the X900H:











Here is another one comparing it to the cheaper Hisense H8G, not the H9G: