Hey everyone! Thanks for watching! As you may notice, I misspeak and cal THIS Tv the X90K instead of X90L a few times. I guess that comes from talking about the X90K and U8K so much on the X90L video. Whooops! Too many ‘K’s! I apologize for the goofs. Outside of that, what do you think of this TV? The Sony Tax in this case isn’t so big.
I just got this for a sim racing rig because of this video and a few others. Came back to watch it again as I get ready to mount this puppy on my alum sim rig. 55" @ $899 dollars.... win win with a PS5 Pro
@@BB-xn1rwthe u8n has better picture in most cases, it competes directly with the Bravia 7/9. The x90l has better processing and up scaling, which at 75 is starting to become important depending how far you sit.
Thanks the review and info. I had the funds set aside to purchase a 65" OLED but after spending some time at our local Sony dealer we went with the X90L. After living with it for a couple months I'm thrilled with the purchase. Simply put it just has a really nice picture that's enjoyable to watch. It pairs nicely with the latest Apple TV and when I screen mirror from the latest Macbook Pro the image is very close the the native display. A lot of other TVs I've been around don't handle the solid colors from a mirrored computer screen and show tints with uneven lighting/color. While this isn't being used as a monitor it's great to be able to cast a recently edited 4K60 video and have it look true to life. I won't buy another Vizio or TCL after a couple bad experiences. Both Sony TVs we've owned have been excellent.
I'm really shocked at how well the X90L performs, I really didn't expect this. I was going to look at Hisense again to replace my dated A6. But now I'm going to check out the Sony, thanks!
Idk why, but I don’t served me really well for the past 5-6 yrs and the TV is still great this day of my time. BTW, how does your new TV performs in comparison with your old Hisense?
Well THIS Review did it for me I got my X90L yesterday I was considering Hisense U8K (TCL doesn't make a 55 inch in the QM8) But it was the Features & Picture Quality described in your review (Plus Black Friday Deals) that made me happily pay the "Sony Tax" I am Extremely pleased with this TV Thank You
i always prefer sony products. even have a sony smartphone that i think are the best smartphones there are, it's crazy to me that i've never met another person with a sony phone when they are so good.
Bought this tv 2 weeks ago, & i can tell you that this review is accurate; yes off angle is not great and has minimal blooming but what hit me most was the brightnesses and clarity. Got a good deal here in Australia & im loving the beautiful 75" display, absolutely no regrets
I just got mine today and I want to know where this TV has been all my life. It just destroys my 2016 Samsung. I didn’t know watching TV could be so enjoyable and one of the underrated additions is the digital TV tuner. It works great and I can get all of my local channels crystal clear. I watched “The Polar Express” and “White Christmas” back to back and they’ve never looked so good. And that’s just streaming. I have lots to learn about the TV, but I can’t wait to see some 4k Blu-rays and sports on it. I’m sure there must be better TVs, but it’s probably just a matter of degrees and not magnitudes. By the way, this TV is more than bright enough. I don’t know what nit numbers mean in real world viewing, but the vivid mode, for instance, is super bright. How bright some manufacturers TVs get just seems like marketing after getting this TV. This thing isn’t dim in any way and why you would need or want something that would practically melt your eyeballs is beyond me. For my money Sony is still the king of televisions. 👍
I've been waiting on this review comparing the X90L to the Hisense and TCL models. The X90L looks terrific and is definitely on my short list when Black Friday deals roll around. My questions are around how the X90L stacks up to the X93L? Does the XR Clear Image processing on the X90L give it an noticeable advantage on the X93L in noise reduction and motion? Does the X93L provide enough added capability to justify it over the X90L? Thanks as always!
It’s best for you to get it now or after the Super Bowl. They make different TV’s just for Black Friday. So the deal you see now is the same deal you will see on Black Friday.
It's that time of the year again for TV reviews! Have watched your X900H, X90J, X90K over the years and now X90L finally getting some praise from you guys after their previous lackluster iterations (which I agree as I've seen the others in person). Thanks for the honest review again! RTINGs has also published their X90L review and the local dimming functions the same with and without Game Mode at 4K 120hz. Assuming you guys have tested the local dimming with VRR enabled, this TV would've been even better if they had solved the issue.
I think the combination of picture quality and expected better reliability and long term durability, this is worth the slight premium over the budget Chinese brands.
Man, I wish this was out a year or two ago when I replaced my office TV... I really wanted to get a Sony, but the price to performance compared to Hisense just was not there. This TV sounds fantastic though. Even if it's regular LED and not as bright, I'd probably get this over the equivalent Hisense or TCL since Sony has better upscaling and motion, two categories that Hisense and TCL struggle with but are pretty important to me.
Funny, two years ago I got a Hisense for my office after buying a Sony for my theater. And just now bought a TCL for the living room. I think I like all 3 for different things.
New subscriber here and I'm enjoying many of your reviews! I bought this TV this week and I can't wait to fire it up. It's my first smart tv, a replacement for a 15 year old (yep!) Toshiba. Thanks again for all the details.
I bought this Sony 65” X90L on sale for $899. At that price it easily competes with the Hisense and TCL. Picture is amazing especially when compared to my (6) year old 55” Samsung (not a fair fight). Thank you for the great review…
Great review Caleb! I was originally going to go with a QM8 but then after seeing reviews of the X90L and it only being $100 more, I decided to go with it instead. I went to Best Buy to take a look and actually ended up finding an open box X95K for the price of a QM8! I'm super happy with it but I think I would have been just as happy with the X90L. Crazy to think that Sony is selling arguably the best value TV in 2023.
Sony as a best value tv? That has to be a first or very near to it. I have been a big fan of Sony tv's for quite awhile but mainly because I usually feel like I know what I am getting with a Sony and am rarely disappointed. I have accepted that I was going to pay more for a Sony so it is great to see that Sony have now decided that they are ready to take on the Hisense and TCL's in the world of value or "bang for your buck ". Sony has long been known for their processors and that might very well be why they are now at least on par when it comes to value. I am watching an older top of line XBR that is still going strong albeit with only 1080p capability and when it finally gives up this Sony X90L will be a tv that I will be giving serious consideration to.
@@ChrisDavis333- Excellent point but I’ve had a Sony conk out on me before it’s time. I have a TCL Series 8 that’s running like a champ still purchased at about the same time as the Sony. That was 2019.
I’m the Sony advisor at my local BestBuy so yes I have some bias. But the actual Samsung rep that comes into our store we were discussing the lineup of both brands. He even said in his mind the X90L probably one of our best tvs and better then the Q80. Said the X93 for being the Mini LED which is supposed to be better then the 90 seems like it underperforms. Where he said with the X90L you feel it punches above especially for the price.
@@AndrewB23when it comes to which flagship TOP TIER tv to buy Sony is hardly in the conversation. The difference in price doesn't justify the quality and performance. When the differences are very minimal.
I went to Costco and stared at the Hisense, LG, and this Sony for a good 45 minutes. To my eyes I just kept coming back to the Sony. The picture was just smoother and truer to real life. I don't game, so that wasn't a factor for me. Returning a 75" TV is a real pain, so to me the build quality over the Hisense and TCL helps make the cost difference justifiable, especially with an additional 2 yrs of warranty over the others. The 75" version will be in my living room next weekend.
Originally I bought Hisense U7N and it looked good for me. At some point, Hisense started to lose wifi connection(I have optic 1T internet) when my other Samsung tv was well connected. I did some research and it appeared common issue for Hisense so I decided to buy a Sony X90L. having the opportunity to put them together on the same 4K streaming and compare I was blown away by Sony's picture quality. Sony is Sony and Hisense still has homework to do.
After watching and reading too many TV reviews, I decided to go have a look in person at this TV in a showroom and it was absolutely stunning for the price point. The image definition was super crisp and the colors are very vivid and saturated. Regarding the blooming, the blacks are deep (not grey or blue-ish) and the haloing is barely noticeable, you have to actively look for it IMHO. I'm absolutely satisfied the performance of my X90L thus far!
I have nothing against LG or Samsung or even the other less expensive brands but when I’m in the market for a television the first and only place I look is Sony. I’ve been a Sony fan for decades and that includes audio equipment or speakers. Just an opinion of mine.
Bought Sony X80H 65 inch 3 yrs ago and 3 days ago screen went black but with sound...did hard reset but 0 result, will have to change the backlight and led 😢
Thank you for this great review it helped me pick my new Sony TV. I own a Sony A90J 55” (in my master bedroom) and wanted a Sony LED for my living room to match my PS5. I was between this or the X93L. I got this TV for 998 for the 65” and am pleased with the picture and everything else. Thanks again!
This review is a year old but I bought this TV on black Friday. It's amazing. Replacing a TCL that had uneven image quality and degraded colors on certain parts of the screen. Sony TVs last forever. I have another Sony TV that I bought back in 2003 and it is still going strong.
Finally! This feels like the set we've been waiting on Sony to produce since Hisense and TCL really stepped up their game. And, shockingly, Sony hasn't overly applied the infamous "Sony Tax" (TM) to this model. I was afraid that Sony was completely exiting anything other than the high end Master Series/premium panels...and they may yet, based on how thin the margins are on TVs. I will definitely keep this on my short list this Black Friday, which will be when we finally upgrade our aging 55" LG SM8600.
@@TheKwod Yeah, I often forget to acknowledge that us good ole US of A folks are often the recipients of better or more fair prices. But we make up for it by totally missing out on Panasonic, LOL. 🤣😱💀👀
@@TheKwod Well that’s a double bag of suck (TM)! Panasonic makes some fabulous sets from what I see on Vincent Teoh’s HDTVTest channel. I’m 46, so I can recall what it’s like to have at most 480ish interlaced lines lol. I’m curious if younger people today realize what a golden age they are in for display quality! 🧐
Brought back my hisense u8k after i couldnt handle the HORRIBLE smearing and got this instead. This tv smokes it out of the water. People need to realize brightness does NOT make a tv better. Processing is SO important.
Had a price range I was looking at (which I wish I didn’t) went in with my mind set on the Samsung QN85 NANO QLED. Seeing both the X90L, for me blew the Samsung out of the water… so far I love the Sony… maybe I’m bias, have a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which I still love the picture… thought I upgraded it with a Samsung LM76 but still thought my NX720 had a better picture… fast forwarding I upgraded with a Samsung 65” MU8000 2018 and now the X90L and couldn’t be happier! You’re review definitely made put my mind at ease with my choice!
Caleb, what soundbar would you pair with the X90l? Just bought the 85" model from Costco for $2000. Came with a 5 year warranty and backlit remote. You and Vincent helped me decide on the X90l.
@Chuck-- adding to my earlier comment, my Sony A80J does noticeably better taking crap inputs and making them look better but when I play high quality content through both they look similar in quality with the OLED A80J of course having better black levels but not by much. The contrast appears similar because the Hisense gets so much brighter.
The U8K performs betrer with blacks, and better blooming control thanks to it's hardware/Mini-Led however the X90L performs better with motion, PQ EOTF tracking, and upscaling which makes the U8K look hazy in comparison thanks to it's new 2023 AI. called "XR Clear Image". Which you can see it perform @ the dog scene in Brian's Tech Therapy's old comparison video where he first compared the U8K, and the X90L. However he did not juice up the X90L settings at first which is why they looked similair for more than half way through the video. Thus I wouldn't consider the performance close whether that be the U8K with the better hardware or the X90L with the better software.
I just purchased the sony x90l. 65 inch got it yesterday. My 1st sony. I must say the clarity.the picture.the colors pop.i know it's sony's midrange.i am very pleased over all.strongly suggest for anyone looking for a midrange $1.000 t.v. the a95l is the Ferrari for those who have the extra cabbage.
Caleb. Your review of the x90L is impressive. Thank you for time and effort in this review--much appreciated! I bought last years x90k from Costco with a backlit remote. I do notice blooming from time to time and in certain scenes but overall really like the TV. I have hearing issues do do use captions all the time--I just change it to the yellow color font and all is good. Even with white lettered captions it is not so bad or as dramatic as some would like to believe. I bought it with tax and all for $2160 for the 85 inch model. I was wondering if I made a mistake but really cannot afford the $2800 price tag for the x90L 85 inch and did not want to wait a year plus for the price to go down to about 2000. My budget was 2000 so I stretched myself a bit as I also bought a VIZIO M-Series M512A-H6 sound bar system--your review on this sound bar helped me a lot! Thanks and I hope that you are enjoying your new digs!
TCL and Hisense get praised a lot, but is there any consideration of overall quality? What about over time? Maybe they look good for the price for the first year, but do they fail or lose quality more frequently?
I was able to get my hand on the 75' for around 1700 $CAD at Costco Canada (1250$ USD) during Black Friday. We come from a 65' LG who is arround 10 years old (we still running as 2nd TV in our training room). So far no regrets, I chose that over QM8 & U8K mostly because I wanted something I was sure would last couples of years without software issue.
Perhaps I should just get the X90L instead of the Bravia 9 for a significant saving. I wonder if it has the Center speaker on screen like the Bravia series
That’s exactly what I’m going to do this Black Friday! I’ve been saving towards the 85” Bravia 9, but I just don’t think it’s worth more than double the price for my use. It does have the center speaker option when used with Sony receivers. In case your are in the US I’m planning to buy my 85” A80L from Costco once it gets to its lowest price next month for Black Friday because it comes with the premium backlight remote and 5 years warranty at no additional cost!!!
You had me sold on the TCL QM8 until this review. I’ve always like Sony but they have been way too expensive…until now! I’m going to Best Buy this weekend to check out the Sony before I make my purchase.
Would love to see a X90L vs the X93L review. Is the X93L worth the extra $500ish bucks over the X90L? Especially for bright room situations, I'm between the two right now.
In my opinion, if it's a really bright room and you watch movies during the day then go for the X93L or if it's available go for the X95k (I own an X95k) it's basically the same, the only difference being a slight upgrade the processor and sony remote. I used to work for best buy as a certified sony expert and the only tv I saw being a huge improvement for 2023 was the X90L over the X90k.
$500 is way too much difference to jump into the 93L. Too many other compromises. Sure, you get the mini-LED, but you get lesser processing. No XR Clear Image on the 93L. I wish the 90L had the X-Anti Reflection that the 93L has, though.
@@coscokro but IS clear Image so much Difference? I have the x90l x95k and the a80j and cant See a Difference at streaming or gaming. They all Look amazing
@@Uncle_Titus if YOU can't see the difference, then it doesn't matter to YOU. If you're looking for a TV to watch sports on, it probably matters quite a bit.
@CoreyKronengold I own an A80j 55" and a X95k 65". I prefer movies on my oled, but sports are more enjoyable on my X95k just cause of the brightness. Really any Sony tv has one of the best motion handling, especially with the XR processor. Hope that helps.
For the same price, 85” x90L or 75” Bravia 7? Leaning towards the 85” X90L as I love the one I have but need another tv now for family room as the current x90L is going to Game Room.
Still rocking my 75" X90J. I chose Sony mostly due to the color accuracy out of the box. Yes there is some blooming, but it doesn't impact my experience. I wouldn't choose it for gaming but this is my TV for watching movies and quality content.
I have the same X90J in a 65in & had to buy it even tho it wasent needed. Bought a X95J to replace a bad TV & fell in love with it so much it forced me to upgrade another TV in the house that wasent needed & couldnt quite afford another X95J so got the X90J 65in & it replaced a old 40in Samsung. That was a major impact full upgrade.
Looking for advice on the X90L. Does the difference in the number of zones between the 55 inch which I read has about 60 zones and 65 inch having 80 mean the 65 inch would have less blooming and a better picture quality or is it the 55 that would be better. Or are they the same. Thanks..
Caleb, I am deciding between the 98" Sony X90L vs 98" TCL QM8. I will only use it for 4k blu ray movies in a dark room. Which one would you recommend in this scenario?
In Canada, the 65" TCL QM8 is $1399 vs $1899 for the X90L (currently $100 off at $1799). With those prices in mind, it'd appear the TCL is still the value pick but if they were
I'm in Canada too. Right now the 65" TCL QM8 is $1499(Best Buy) and the 65" SONY X90L is also $1499 (Visions). Seems like depending on the week the value proposition is there for the Sony.
I just ordered the x90L for 1499 in Toronto. It’ll be delivered on Thursday and I can’t wait! Hopefully it won’t disappoint. Upgrading from x900h here. The folks at Best Buy also said that if the price drops further during Black Friday in any store across Canada, they’ll match the price and refund the balance.
@@chiragkamra7454 nice dude! I’m sure it won’t disappoint. I wanted to get one too but it looks like I’ll be moving soon so trying not to buy stuff until that’s all sorted out.
I went to bestbuy toronto today.65 inch X90l is priced at 1499, same as qm8. The only reason why I prefer qm8 over Sony is because of the centre stand! Thats so vital for me
Thanks for the great review.. which is better, color accuracy, or better local dimming that makes the picture more alive?? I am a bit confused whether to buy Hisense u8k or sony x90L.. and I will be mainly using it for gaming..
The previous K version from Costco which we purchased last year ended up getting the infamous fade to black screen. Dealing with Costco and Sony warranty has been perfect. Sony asked us to send some pictures of the issue to them and two days later we got an email saying that they are going to ship us this model. We were ready to try and move onto a different brand but I’m very impressed by Costco and Sony’s warranty department
I'm not surprised at all! Sony has shown year after year that their out of the box accuracy , build quality and video processing can't be beat. Honestly I think more people need to be willing to not max out their backlights just because they're watching HDR content. Which I know is a controversial thing to say. However when you have a non self emissive display the more you max out the backlight the more you're going to notice blooming, haloing, flashlighting and any other uniformity issues. Prior to HDR being a thing, standard guidance was to set your backlight to what was correct for your particular viewing environment. I maintain that advice is still generally correct whether you're watching SDR or HDR content.
I sell all major brands, samsung Sony an LG, we sell Sony oleds more than any other tv. Sony is 95% calibrated out of the box and there Google software is in my opinion superior. Sony does always have a higher price tag but it's worth the extra money. Great review. This x90 line has always been a good go to led TV. Unless people really like the brightness of samsung.
Recently bought the Hisense 75u8k. Not really happy with it. Tv colors are hard to get right but on cable. And there is some blurry ness and grainy ness if that's a word when watching sports ect. I'm thinking about trading it for the Sony 90L in this review. Any thoughts ? Should I try the setting first in the Hisense.
@@brianmcalinden8671 I do wonder if a Sony made after 2020 will last like the older models. I am quite leery of most things made post Covid. Quality has seemed to take a hit with so many products and services.
If you were to choose between the X93L and the X90L, which would you choose based on picture quality? When I saw them side by side the X93 had deeper blacks and better contrast but the X90L seened cleaner amd more detailed. I am not sure that the X93L is worth paying $1000 more for better contrast and blacks but with less clarity amd detail. Might be better to have the better detail and just tone down the brightness?
Great video, but did I miss any mention about reflections and whether the TV would still be a good choice in a room with a lot of ambient light? Anyway, I was freaked out by Rtings viewing angle rating, but I'm still considering this in the 98" size versus the 85" of the x95k or the x95l....and maybe once I see reviews... the Hisense 85" UX.
You didn’t miss it. I’ve just grown tired of saying the same thing about reflection handling. Most LED/LCD TVs have the same level of anti-glare coating. There are a few exceptions, like certain Samsung TVs, which have exceptional glare abatement, but cause a rainbow effect in exchange. OLED TVs are often quite glossy, so those are the outliers. Bottom line, reflections will happen, and brighter TVs can muscle it out a bit, but I feel like I only want to mention anti-glare if it is exceptionally good, or exceptionally bad. If I do that, though, I owe it to everyone to make that clear so everyone knows that’s the default. What do you all think about this? Should I mention the anti-glare capabilities in every single review, even though it is almost always going to be the same commentary? Or try to get a message out that antiglare is very similar across a huge range of models, and I only mention it when it is exceptionally good or bad?
@@Caleb_Denison there is pretty much going to be some glare no matter the model or type of TV. The glare on my A95K is actually a little better than my old Samsung (non-OLED with a blob down the middle). (My room has only one small window behind the TV which causes a tiny bit of glare in one corner.) Maybe the latter idea of getting the word out that you will only comment on it if it’s exceptionally good or bad? Might I suggest the same kind of proviso for TV sound?
@@Caleb_DenisonI would propose a simple, one sentence statement to mention that it has industry standard anti-glare. Some viewers might not regularly watch TV reviews and might not have the context to know. I would guess that most people only research TVs right before a purchase every few years.
@@Caleb_Denison Thanks for responding. It really depends on the focus of this channel. If you are more catering to the enthusiasts only, then a one sentence like NotApplicable suggested is probably fine. However, as he alluded to, there are people who are just looking for a review of a TV and your videos tend to come up when someone does a search. They might just want to know if the TV is bright enough to fight glare in their very bright room, or is there a better option. The answer may be it has a standard reflection for the TV type and it gets more than bright enough, but you will see reflections......but they wouldn't know that because they aren't enthusiasts, just regular people trying to do their due diligence, so I would recommend keeping it short, but something should be said. For the enthusiasts, they already know to go to Rtings for numerical ratings. Anyway, I personally love your videos and I'm sort of in the middle between an enthusiasts and someone who tends to follow more when I'm looking to buy. Your videos give a very good overview, so keep up the good work.
@@Caleb_Denison In the case of the Sonys, its worth mentioning since the 93L comes with X-Anti Reflection & X-Wide angle, and the 90L does not. A lot of people trying to decide between the 90L vs the 93L. The 93L has the anti-reflection, but the 90L has the Clear Image motion handling.
I would love to see a software comparison between tvs. Im going with a sony because of the android based UI. It works with my phone and is easy to navigate. I tried some Samsung models and it was frustratingly slow and locked up with proprietary restrictions to simple usability.
I wish there were comparisons between X85L and X90L. The major difference is the processor (X1 vs XR) and I'd love to see how much improvement the processor can bring.
@@joystic08 Yep. Looked at the X90L today and the XR processor is nothing short of terrific. The X90L also was pretty impressive for the money. I just don't think you can beat SONY picture processing.
The only thing that has me really worried is the off centre viewing angle concerns. We have a couch on each side of tv area. The angle we view at is about 30 degrees, and while is seem it starts to already degrease there it is only slight at that angle really need to go and see one in store. The 75 once is AUD 2775 now in Oz, so USD ~2k
Despite the price gap it would be interesting to see how your X90L performs compared to the X95L, just to see how much those extra dimming zones really help.
@@Chuck-- It is not mistake. Watch X95L review. There's comparison with X90L. Night and day difference in black level when watching in dark room. X90L just can't control backlight in HDR mode
I bought this Sony X90L, from Costco for the $2,300, I could waited for Black Friday get it for two grand, The best part of it like always TVs from Costco comes with the 5-year extended warranty free, you can f*n beat that 👍🤙👌
Great review! Watched it on one of my two X90K’s tho lol. Glad to have a video that explains so well what I like about Sony’s style of TV picture. Thanks Caleb 👍🏽
I'm getting the X90K Thursday it's going to be my first 4k experience I seen a little bit of review on it sounds like might be good hopefully the right decision you seem to have like it also on earlier video I'm really excited for my first 4k experience!
Just curious, do you know what the dimming zone count is on the XR 98x90L? Great review by the way . I ordered mine in April and less than 48 hours away from delivery. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from you, Brian and Vincent. If I had a dollar for every comment I read about blooming on the L 90 series ….well this Texas giant would be paid for.😂
Thanks for this video. I'm actually returning a 75" TCL QM8 for the 75" Sony X90L. The TCL judders way too much with fast motion content so I'm going with Sony's better processing.
Caleb: 8:42 "I am more easily bothered by backlight stuff than most people." Also Caleb: Doesn't see the violet light that's been shining on the side of his face for the last few videos 😂
I always wondered how these TVs, the TCL, the Hisense, the Sony X90L, and similar tier Samsung, manage bluetooth devices. I am asking this because I use my Samsung M5 smart monitor with Bose Q45 headphones and it does a great job. It would be helpful to test this in a future video. I want to buy a smart TV but I am concerned that will not deliver a smooth experience especially when switching bluetooth connections (from TV to smartphone and back).
Looks like a solid choice. I just wish more people specifically reviewed the Hisense U8K 75" panel w/ the APS Pro screen. That solves the off angle viewing issue with the smaller TV's in that lineup and would likely put it closer to the X90L for a few hundred less.
Being that Sony is carrying this model over to their 2024 lineup, it's still relevant for comparing similarly priced Hisense and TCL models, especially the Hisense U8N and 2024 makeover of the TCL QM8. While the U8N and QM8 will get brighter, the question is how close their color accuracy, PQ EOTF tracking, motion performance, and upscaling can get to the Sony X90L.
Great review. I still would be sold on the QM8 here. Yeah yeah I know TCL’s rep isn’t what Sonys is but the better blacks and less bloom are things I care about more.
Not gonna lie, when Sony said they were bumpong up the zones and brightness i didn't think it'd make mich of a difference. But this seems like a good option
Was a little nervous about the backlight system, but then that totally blew it for me when it was reported that processing and backlighting takes a hit for gaming. I also don’t know what the HDMI situation is, but if EARC is on one of the 2.1 ports that’s also a big no for me.
I am going to go check on this right now because it's major for me as well... I'm back. Bad news, eARC is is on HDMI 3 which is one of the only two 2.1 ports! Another swing and a miss just like the Hisense U8K. So frustrating.
@@CarsandCats appreciate you checking on that! If they’re not going to do all four as 2.1, I don’t understand why they do this. I am with you, the Hisense was closer this year, but still a miss.
I am pretty sure Sony is one of the few players that make their own chips so does this mean they downgraded to MediaTek for these then? Huh, interesting.
@@ChesterMan-qd3xj Agreed that is a disappointment. I wonder way some TV manufacturers do not put all ports on 2.1. How much more could it cost? I think that Samsung does and their TVs are comparable in price?
You’re my hero! You restored my faith in Sony , you saved me a trip to the store, I was in a brink of return my X90L , particularly when I noticed the awful “soap opera effect” nothing to do with my 10 years old Samsung which I replaced only because the lack of DOLBY VISION/ATMOS .
@@runjdm_ I'd also really love to see the x93l reviewed and compared to some similar options, but my instinct says it needs to come down a bit in price to actually be competitive. I have no doubt it's an amazing TV, but there's a LOT of competition.
I have had my 65" X90L for about 6 weeks now which replaced my old 55" X900F. Other than a couple of issues related to Dolby Vision 4K UHD movies via my Panansonic UB820, the TV has been wonderful. It's an excellent model for the price which I can definitely recommend to anyone else looking at buying one.
X900F 65" owner here. How much of an improvement would you say has been made to the local dimming on the X90L? Blooming control has always been my biggest issue on an otherwise phenomenal TV that holds up so well. Curious to hear your thoughts, thanks 🙂
That's awesome, I'm looking to replace my x900F which I love but I want a bigger set. How's the picture compare to the x900f? I've returned a Samsung and Sony mini LED so far because I didn't like the picture as much as my x900f.
I loved my x900f but I would say that the X90L is certainly an improvement. While not a massive difference, I noticed the higher brightness and vibrancy of the colours as soon as I turned it on for the first time. The contrast and black levels, colour accuracy and brightness are all at least as good or better. I noticed blooming more often on the x900f than I do with the X90L, even when not watching from directly in front of the screen.
Hey Caleb, Hisense just dropped their 100” U8K at an amazing price like TCL. Can you get a review on that and compare it with this Sony X90L and TCL 98? Because there’s still big margin in price with Sony vs Hisense/TCL
I dont trust his Reveiws with Hisense/tcl with Sony x90L. Side by side for 55” 65” 75” X90L is significantly worse tv than U7K. But HE will make SURE that SONY in his videos look better by TURN Hisense on a “film maker mode” that is mater key to SHUT off 100% upscaling. , he will TURN Hisense “sharpness “ from Out of box at 50% down to “0%” . He had been doing that for lke4 yrs. N he will change color form out of box natural bright on HIsense “standard” or “Warm 2” to “agreesive WARM 1 dense yellow sunset tune” then --start doing the “ TEST”:” OMG the color is WAY OFF. I don’t understand why? I thought they were so good. “ or “ beside TCL side by side:” its so yellow , d U8K so yellow, i dont know why.” U see what i am saying…… I was looking for thoes TVs ….n I literally didn’t understand i Kpet buying their TVS, n at home the TVs look opposit of what they look like on HIS “reviews.” I’d watch Quatum TV reviews for Hisense n TCL n Samsung. He’s more accurate n hornet. This guy 4 yr in a row, he make sure Hisense n TCL look bad.
I did a deep dive into tv's and here's how I arrived at buying the X90L: I have a well lit room, so I eliminated the OLED (yes, I know that they have improved) plus I was concerned about burn-in with the OLED. That left the QLED anfd the minis. I did not want Hesense or TCL bucause of durability issues and I'd prefer not to buy a Chinese product. That left the Big 3. They were pretty much all even, but I picked the X90L because it sounds as if it has the best ability to upscale. I don't game or watch too much streaming, but I do watch a lot of shows and movies on Dish and it sounds like the X90L will do the best job of upscaling those older shows.
I bought the hisense u8k 2 days ago and I'm returning it for this sony. The hisense is trash straight up awful!! Maybe I got a bad tv but the picture didn't look real at all sure the black levels were fantastic but that's it and omg the motion was dreadful and up streaming cable tv was non existent. I bought this for cable and streaming and most importantly sports and let me tell you when it comes to football this tv is unwatchable. The jittering was so bad the football in the air looked like there was 3 of them and the players running around was horribly lagging. I couldn't watch this tv I put it back in the box and set up my old Samsung 6 series 55" from years ago and that tv was better not as clear but at least you could see wtf was going on. I should've known better than to bargain shop. I really hope this helps people and they listen to a novice viewer instead of the experts on TH-cam. Thank you for recommending the sony hopefully I'm happy with this purchase. Oh and before anyone asked yes I played with every setting I could to help the motion but just couldn't get anything to work. God bless and best wishes to everyone
I had a similar experience. I went with the Q7 75 inch and had to return it immediately. The upscaling and motion on cable football was awful. Had to go to the X93L 65inch. Wish I would have given this a shot at 75inch as the 65 inch is just a tad too small. Curious to see what this tv upgrades to for 2024 model
If it’s the same problem I had on my 65” LG Nano Cell, idk if you tried, but I turned TruMotion off, seems like the same problem I was having with a football being thrown and watching hockey with the hockey pucks
@@Propynyl I didn't try that but will if I get a replacement tv for the living room. I expect better upscaling features in the future. Itd be great also if broadcasters spent just a little on 4k broadcasts so I wouldn't have to worry about it.
Hey everyone! Thanks for watching! As you may notice, I misspeak and cal THIS Tv the X90K instead of X90L a few times. I guess that comes from talking about the X90K and U8K so much on the X90L video. Whooops! Too many ‘K’s! I apologize for the goofs. Outside of that, what do you think of this TV? The Sony Tax in this case isn’t so big.
I only noticed it a couple of times but I have a particular new goal of not correcting anymore.🥳 Plus it really is totally understandable.
I just wish it were a little better for gaming. It would be a for sure sell for me then. Now I'm not so sure....
Will this TV be referenced in the upcoming U8K vs QM8 comparison video?
@@YaBoiOtanamaton probably mentioned, but I’m not planning a three-way comparison
What about Reflection Handling on the X90L ?? Please do address that issue as well for people watching in bright, well-lit rooms. Thanks Caleb.
I know this video is older but I bought my Sony xr90l 2 weeks after this video 1st came out. About one yr later I still love this tv.. thank you
How are the black letter box bars? At night… I debating between this and the 75” u8n… they are almost the same price
I just got this for a sim racing rig because of this video and a few others. Came back to watch it again as I get ready to mount this puppy on my alum sim rig. 55" @ $899 dollars.... win win with a PS5 Pro
Good for ps5 ?
@@BB-xn1rwthe u8n has better picture in most cases, it competes directly with the Bravia 7/9. The x90l has better processing and up scaling, which at 75 is starting to become important depending how far you sit.
Just bought one!
Thanks the review and info. I had the funds set aside to purchase a 65" OLED but after spending some time at our local Sony dealer we went with the X90L. After living with it for a couple months I'm thrilled with the purchase. Simply put it just has a really nice picture that's enjoyable to watch. It pairs nicely with the latest Apple TV and when I screen mirror from the latest Macbook Pro the image is very close the the native display. A lot of other TVs I've been around don't handle the solid colors from a mirrored computer screen and show tints with uneven lighting/color. While this isn't being used as a monitor it's great to be able to cast a recently edited 4K60 video and have it look true to life. I won't buy another Vizio or TCL after a couple bad experiences. Both Sony TVs we've owned have been excellent.
I'm really shocked at how well the X90L performs, I really didn't expect this. I was going to look at Hisense again to replace my dated A6. But now I'm going to check out the Sony, thanks!
Idk why, but I don’t served me really well for the past 5-6 yrs and the TV is still great this day of my time. BTW, how does your new TV performs in comparison with your old Hisense?
Well THIS Review did it for me I got my X90L yesterday
I was considering Hisense U8K (TCL doesn't make a 55 inch in the QM8)
But it was the Features & Picture Quality described in your review (Plus Black Friday Deals)
that made me happily pay the "Sony Tax" I am Extremely pleased with this TV Thank You
Its been 10 months of X90L ownership
and i'm Still Very Pleased with its performance
This Review is what was the deciding factor
Thanks Caleb
i always prefer sony products. even have a sony smartphone that i think are the best smartphones there are, it's crazy to me that i've never met another person with a sony phone when they are so good.
Bought this tv 2 weeks ago, & i can tell you that this review is accurate; yes off angle is not great and has minimal blooming but what hit me most was the brightnesses and clarity. Got a good deal here in Australia & im loving the beautiful 75" display, absolutely no regrets
What angle would you say it starts to go bad?? Thinking of getting one but I have a couch on the side of the room when looking at the TV.
@@johntv4319 I would recommend less than 45degrees, definitely at it's best looking straight on
@@johntv4319 RTINGS has tested the Sony X90L and you can find their exact off-angle viewing measurements of this TV in their review.
@@johntv4319it gets bad really quick. I think 35-45 degrees and the colors just doesnt make since anymore.
@@johntv4319Get TCL C745 in stead. You can thank me later. 👍
I just got mine today and I want to know where this TV has been all my life. It just destroys my 2016 Samsung. I didn’t know watching TV could be so enjoyable and one of the underrated additions is the digital TV tuner. It works great and I can get all of my local channels crystal clear.
I watched “The Polar Express” and “White Christmas” back to back and they’ve never looked so good. And that’s just streaming. I have lots to learn about the TV, but I can’t wait to see some 4k Blu-rays and sports on it. I’m sure there must be better TVs, but it’s probably just a matter of degrees and not magnitudes.
By the way, this TV is more than bright enough. I don’t know what nit numbers mean in real world viewing, but the vivid mode, for instance, is super bright. How bright some manufacturers TVs get just seems like marketing after getting this TV. This thing isn’t dim in any way and why you would need or want something that would practically melt your eyeballs is beyond me.
For my money Sony is still the king of televisions. 👍
I've been waiting on this review comparing the X90L to the Hisense and TCL models. The X90L looks terrific and is definitely on my short list when Black Friday deals roll around. My questions are around how the X90L stacks up to the X93L? Does the XR Clear Image processing on the X90L give it an noticeable advantage on the X93L in noise reduction and motion? Does the X93L provide enough added capability to justify it over the X90L? Thanks as always!
It’s best for you to get it now or after the Super Bowl. They make different TV’s just for Black Friday. So the deal you see now is the same deal you will see on Black Friday.
Sony is definitely going back in the right direction and get to the position they were in with the x90e and z9d
It's that time of the year again for TV reviews! Have watched your X900H, X90J, X90K over the years and now X90L finally getting some praise from you guys after their previous lackluster iterations (which I agree as I've seen the others in person). Thanks for the honest review again!
RTINGs has also published their X90L review and the local dimming functions the same with and without Game Mode at 4K 120hz. Assuming you guys have tested the local dimming with VRR enabled, this TV would've been even better if they had solved the issue.
Perhaps I missed a setting. Seems the contrast drops off a bit in game mode, and then it’s more obvious with VRR.
I think the combination of picture quality and expected better reliability and long term durability, this is worth the slight premium over the budget Chinese brands.
Man, I wish this was out a year or two ago when I replaced my office TV... I really wanted to get a Sony, but the price to performance compared to Hisense just was not there.
This TV sounds fantastic though. Even if it's regular LED and not as bright, I'd probably get this over the equivalent Hisense or TCL since Sony has better upscaling and motion, two categories that Hisense and TCL struggle with but are pretty important to me.
Funny, two years ago I got a Hisense for my office after buying a Sony for my theater. And just now bought a TCL for the living room. I think I like all 3 for different things.
New subscriber here and I'm enjoying many of your reviews! I bought this TV this week and I can't wait to fire it up. It's my first smart tv, a replacement for a 15 year old (yep!) Toshiba. Thanks again for all the details.
I bought this Sony 65” X90L on sale for $899. At that price it easily competes with the Hisense and TCL. Picture is amazing especially when compared to my (6) year old 55” Samsung (not a fair fight). Thank you for the great review…
Great review Caleb! I was originally going to go with a QM8 but then after seeing reviews of the X90L and it only being $100 more, I decided to go with it instead. I went to Best Buy to take a look and actually ended up finding an open box X95K for the price of a QM8! I'm super happy with it but I think I would have been just as happy with the X90L. Crazy to think that Sony is selling arguably the best value TV in 2023.
Smart move, the Sony will last a decade, the TCL could last 10 months or 2-3 years or anything in between.
Sony as a best value tv? That has to be a first or very near to it. I have been a big fan of Sony tv's for quite awhile but mainly because I usually feel like I know what I am getting with a Sony and am rarely disappointed. I have accepted that I was going to pay more for a Sony so it is great to see that Sony have now decided that they are ready to take on the Hisense and TCL's in the world of value or "bang for your buck ". Sony has long been known for their processors and that might very well be why they are now at least on par when it comes to value. I am watching an older top of line XBR that is still going strong albeit with only 1080p capability and when it finally gives up this Sony X90L will be a tv that I will be giving serious consideration to.
Pick the X90L on sale and that amounts to stealing
@@ChrisDavis333- Excellent point but I’ve had a Sony conk out on me before it’s time. I have a TCL Series 8 that’s running like a champ still purchased at about the same time as the Sony. That was 2019.
I’m the Sony advisor at my local BestBuy so yes I have some bias. But the actual Samsung rep that comes into our store we were discussing the lineup of both brands. He even said in his mind the X90L probably one of our best tvs and better then the Q80. Said the X93 for being the Mini LED which is supposed to be better then the 90 seems like it underperforms. Where he said with the X90L you feel it punches above especially for the price.
That's not saying much Samsung TVs are rarely in the conversation when it comes to what TV to buy
Source: Trust me bro
@@AndrewB23when it comes to which flagship TOP TIER tv to buy Sony is hardly in the conversation. The difference in price doesn't justify the quality and performance. When the differences are very minimal.
I went to Costco and stared at the Hisense, LG, and this Sony for a good 45 minutes. To my eyes I just kept coming back to the Sony. The picture was just smoother and truer to real life. I don't game, so that wasn't a factor for me. Returning a 75" TV is a real pain, so to me the build quality over the Hisense and TCL helps make the cost difference justifiable, especially with an additional 2 yrs of warranty over the others. The 75" version will be in my living room next weekend.
Originally I bought Hisense U7N and it looked good for me. At some point, Hisense started to lose wifi connection(I have optic 1T internet) when my other Samsung tv was well connected. I did some research and it appeared common issue for Hisense so I decided to buy a Sony X90L. having the opportunity to put them together on the same 4K streaming and compare I was blown away by Sony's picture quality. Sony is Sony and Hisense still has homework to do.
After watching and reading too many TV reviews, I decided to go have a look in person at this TV in a showroom and it was absolutely stunning for the price point. The image definition was super crisp and the colors are very vivid and saturated. Regarding the blooming, the blacks are deep (not grey or blue-ish) and the haloing is barely noticeable, you have to actively look for it IMHO. I'm absolutely satisfied the performance of my X90L thus far!
I have nothing against LG or Samsung or even the other less expensive brands but when I’m in the market for a television the first and only place I look is Sony. I’ve been a Sony fan for decades and that includes audio equipment or speakers. Just an opinion of mine.
Same here XD
I just my choice i feel is always deliverys what i want 👌😎
That sucks because only their flagship TV and audio equipment have been good for awhile now anything less isn't worth the money
Ehh to each their own I personally love the lg c series I have the c1 and I think it’s fantastic the neo qled 85 is pretty great too
Everyone has their personal preference of what they like. You are a Sony man.😊
Bought Sony X80H 65 inch 3 yrs ago and 3 days ago screen went black but with sound...did hard reset but 0 result, will have to change the backlight and led 😢
Thank you for this great review it helped me pick my new Sony TV. I own a Sony A90J 55” (in my master bedroom) and wanted a Sony LED for my living room to match my PS5. I was between this or the X93L. I got this TV for 998 for the 65” and am pleased with the picture and everything else. Thanks again!
This review is a year old but I bought this TV on black Friday. It's amazing. Replacing a TCL that had uneven image quality and degraded colors on certain parts of the screen. Sony TVs last forever. I have another Sony TV that I bought back in 2003 and it is still going strong.
Finally! This feels like the set we've been waiting on Sony to produce since Hisense and TCL really stepped up their game. And, shockingly, Sony hasn't overly applied the infamous "Sony Tax" (TM) to this model. I was afraid that Sony was completely exiting anything other than the high end Master Series/premium panels...and they may yet, based on how thin the margins are on TVs. I will definitely keep this on my short list this Black Friday, which will be when we finally upgrade our aging 55" LG SM8600.
In Australia, the Sony 55X90L costs more than the Hisense 65U8K, plus, Sony is incredibly resistant to price reductions.
@@TheKwod Yeah, I often forget to acknowledge that us good ole US of A folks are often the recipients of better or more fair prices. But we make up for it by totally missing out on Panasonic, LOL. 🤣😱💀👀
@ryanbaker7404 oh, panasonic left the Australian market as well😪😪
@@TheKwod Well that’s a double bag of suck (TM)! Panasonic makes some fabulous sets from what I see on Vincent Teoh’s HDTVTest channel. I’m 46, so I can recall what it’s like to have at most 480ish interlaced lines lol. I’m curious if younger people today realize what a golden age they are in for display quality! 🧐
@@TheKwodhisense motion processing is abysmal
Thanks for the fantastic review Jason Baitman 😉
Brought back my hisense u8k after i couldnt handle the HORRIBLE smearing and got this instead. This tv smokes it out of the water. People need to realize brightness does NOT make a tv better. Processing is SO important.
LOTS of complaints on Best Buy AND Amazon about both TCL and Hisense because of bad picture quality and TV's becoming bricks in less than 3 3 years.
Had a price range I was looking at (which I wish I didn’t) went in with my mind set on the Samsung QN85 NANO QLED. Seeing both the X90L, for me blew the Samsung out of the water… so far I love the Sony… maybe I’m bias, have a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which I still love the picture… thought I upgraded it with a Samsung LM76 but still thought my NX720 had a better picture… fast forwarding I upgraded with a Samsung 65” MU8000 2018 and now the X90L and couldn’t be happier! You’re review definitely made put my mind at ease with my choice!
Was absolutely shocked. Went to buy a QM8 and walked out with this. It was on sale as well, so essentially the same price for 85”
Caleb, what soundbar would you pair with the X90l? Just bought the 85" model from Costco for $2000. Came with a 5 year warranty and backlit remote. You and Vincent helped me decide on the X90l.
I have a 65 inch Hisense U8 coming today. When their performance is this close I'm going for the best value.
Have you personally seen the 2 TVs side by side?
@Chuck-- Not in person. I have a SONY A80J OLED and the Hisense performs very strong beside that.
@Chuck-- adding to my earlier comment, my Sony A80J does noticeably better taking crap inputs and making them look better but when I play high quality content through both they look similar in quality with the OLED A80J of course having better black levels but not by much. The contrast appears similar because the Hisense gets so much brighter.
The U8K performs betrer with blacks, and better blooming control thanks to it's hardware/Mini-Led however the X90L performs better with motion, PQ EOTF tracking, and upscaling which makes the U8K look hazy in comparison thanks to it's new 2023 AI. called "XR Clear Image". Which you can see it perform @ the dog scene in Brian's Tech Therapy's old comparison video where he first compared the U8K, and the X90L. However he did not juice up the X90L settings at first which is why they looked similair for more than half way through the video. Thus I wouldn't consider the performance close whether that be the U8K with the better hardware or the X90L with the better software.
I just purchased the sony x90l. 65 inch got it yesterday. My 1st sony. I must say the clarity.the picture.the colors pop.i know it's sony's midrange.i am very pleased over all.strongly suggest for anyone looking for a midrange $1.000 t.v. the a95l is the Ferrari for those who have the extra cabbage.
Are the „black bars“ while watching movies black? Like nearly on oled level?
Just ordered a 65” X90L cant wait for it to arrive got a black friday deal ! 👍🏽👍🏽
how you liking it so far? I was going to spend a bit more on an lg oled c3 but im considering this.
@@Pete_123wow am in the same shoe as you now
Caleb. Your review of the x90L is impressive. Thank you for time and effort in this review--much appreciated! I bought last years x90k from Costco with a backlit remote. I do notice blooming from time to time and in certain scenes but overall really like the TV. I have hearing issues do do use captions all the time--I just change it to the yellow color font and all is good. Even with white lettered captions it is not so bad or as dramatic as some would like to believe. I bought it with tax and all for $2160 for the 85 inch model. I was wondering if I made a mistake but really cannot afford the $2800 price tag for the x90L 85 inch and did not want to wait a year plus for the price to go down to about 2000. My budget was 2000 so I stretched myself a bit as I also bought a VIZIO M-Series M512A-H6 sound bar system--your review on this sound bar helped me a lot! Thanks and I hope that you are enjoying your new digs!
I received mine on Monday.. it love this tv for the price. Thank yiu for your reviews, it really helped to make my decision
TCL and Hisense get praised a lot, but is there any consideration of overall quality? What about over time? Maybe they look good for the price for the first year, but do they fail or lose quality more frequently?
Yup, honestly I trust Sony products to last longer. Every brand has a lemon, but I think its less likely with a Sony.
Caleb is it worth spending on calibration vs Custom + some tweaks? if not, could you share some settings to adjust? thanks for the review.
I was able to get my hand on the 75' for around 1700 $CAD at Costco Canada (1250$ USD) during Black Friday. We come from a 65' LG who is arround 10 years old (we still running as 2nd TV in our training room). So far no regrets, I chose that over QM8 & U8K mostly because I wanted something I was sure would last couples of years without software issue.
How did you get it that cheap? I’ve never seen the 75 below $2000
Perhaps I should just get the X90L instead of the Bravia 9 for a significant saving. I wonder if it has the Center speaker on screen like the Bravia series
That’s exactly what I’m going to do this Black Friday! I’ve been saving towards the 85” Bravia 9, but I just don’t think it’s worth more than double the price for my use. It does have the center speaker option when used with Sony receivers. In case your are in the US I’m planning to buy my 85” A80L from Costco once it gets to its lowest price next month for Black Friday because it comes with the premium backlight remote and 5 years warranty at no additional cost!!!
@@lpromer4796 how do you know that the a90l will be available at Costco next month?
I have a Sony 75" X90H and I LOVE that TV so I always look forward to the X90 series and your reviews!
Just got this in a 75” version, setting it up tomorrow and I can’t wait. Got it at Best Buy on sale $1500, down from $2k.
You had me sold on the TCL QM8 until this review. I’ve always like Sony but they have been way too expensive…until now! I’m going to Best Buy this weekend to check out the Sony before I make my purchase.
What did you end up buying?
@@asole100 The Sony X90L & I’m loving it!
I would like to see a review of the HISENSE U6K, is this model the best entry level TV on the market featuring MINI LED???
Would love to see a X90L vs the X93L review. Is the X93L worth the extra $500ish bucks over the X90L? Especially for bright room situations, I'm between the two right now.
In my opinion, if it's a really bright room and you watch movies during the day then go for the X93L or if it's available go for the X95k (I own an X95k) it's basically the same, the only difference being a slight upgrade the processor and sony remote. I used to work for best buy as a certified sony expert and the only tv I saw being a huge improvement for 2023 was the X90L over the X90k.
$500 is way too much difference to jump into the 93L. Too many other compromises. Sure, you get the mini-LED, but you get lesser processing. No XR Clear Image on the 93L. I wish the 90L had the X-Anti Reflection that the 93L has, though.
@@coscokro but IS clear Image so much Difference? I have the x90l x95k and the a80j and cant See a Difference at streaming or gaming. They all Look amazing
@@Uncle_Titus if YOU can't see the difference, then it doesn't matter to YOU. If you're looking for a TV to watch sports on, it probably matters quite a bit.
@CoreyKronengold I own an A80j 55" and a X95k 65". I prefer movies on my oled, but sports are more enjoyable on my X95k just cause of the brightness. Really any Sony tv has one of the best motion handling, especially with the XR processor. Hope that helps.
For the same price, 85” x90L or 75” Bravia 7? Leaning towards the 85” X90L as I love the one I have but need another tv now for family room as the current x90L is going to Game Room.
Still rocking my 75" X90J. I chose Sony mostly due to the color accuracy out of the box. Yes there is some blooming, but it doesn't impact my experience. I wouldn't choose it for gaming but this is my TV for watching movies and quality content.
I have the same X90J in a 65in & had to buy it even tho it wasent needed. Bought a X95J to replace a bad TV & fell in love with it so much it forced me to upgrade another TV in the house that wasent needed & couldnt quite afford another X95J so got the X90J 65in & it replaced a old 40in Samsung. That was a major impact full upgrade.
Looking for advice on the X90L. Does the difference in the number of zones between the 55 inch which I read has about 60 zones and 65 inch having 80 mean the 65 inch would have less blooming and a better picture quality or is it the 55 that would be better. Or are they the same. Thanks..
Caleb, I am deciding between the 98" Sony X90L vs 98" TCL QM8. I will only use it for 4k blu ray movies in a dark room. Which one would you recommend in this scenario?
I'm more of a gamer so I would go TCL QM8. If you're not worried about gaming, go for the Sony.
After your review,, I also bought in Australia, x90l, excellent pictures, colour, and deep contrast, and this is coming from a mini led which I had :
In Canada, the 65" TCL QM8 is $1399 vs $1899 for the X90L (currently $100 off at $1799). With those prices in mind, it'd appear the TCL is still the value pick but if they were
I'm in Canada too. Right now the 65" TCL QM8 is $1499(Best Buy) and the 65" SONY X90L is also $1499 (Visions). Seems like depending on the week the value proposition is there for the Sony.
I just ordered the x90L for 1499 in Toronto. It’ll be delivered on Thursday and I can’t wait! Hopefully it won’t disappoint. Upgrading from x900h here. The folks at Best Buy also said that if the price drops further during Black Friday in any store across Canada, they’ll match the price and refund the balance.
@@chiragkamra7454congrats hope you like it. A new tv is not in the cards for me yet
@@chiragkamra7454 nice dude! I’m sure it won’t disappoint. I wanted to get one too but it looks like I’ll be moving soon so trying not to buy stuff until that’s all sorted out.
I went to bestbuy toronto today.65 inch X90l is priced at 1499, same as qm8. The only reason why I prefer qm8 over Sony is because of the centre stand! Thats so vital for me
I just bought it. Where can I find what are the best settings or how to tune it? Thanks for the review
I just bought this TV in the 85in and it's awesome! I was a big Samsung fan till this Sony arrived.
Thanks for the great review.. which is better, color accuracy, or better local dimming that makes the picture more alive?? I am a bit confused whether to buy Hisense u8k or sony x90L.. and I will be mainly using it for gaming..
The previous K version from Costco which we purchased last year ended up getting the infamous fade to black screen. Dealing with Costco and Sony warranty has been perfect. Sony asked us to send some pictures of the issue to them and two days later we got an email saying that they are going to ship us this model. We were ready to try and move onto a different brand but I’m very impressed by Costco and Sony’s warranty department
Hi Caleb, i really like your reviews. I have a question, which TV is better, Sony X90L or Hisense U7H?
I'm not surprised at all! Sony has shown year after year that their out of the box accuracy , build quality and video processing can't be beat. Honestly I think more people need to be willing to not max out their backlights just because they're watching HDR content. Which I know is a controversial thing to say. However when you have a non self emissive display the more you max out the backlight the more you're going to notice blooming, haloing, flashlighting and any other uniformity issues. Prior to HDR being a thing, standard guidance was to set your backlight to what was correct for your particular viewing environment. I maintain that advice is still generally correct whether you're watching SDR or HDR content.
Hey great review. What do you think of tcl c745vs hisense u72k ore the lg 816re i realy need some advice 😅
I sell all major brands, samsung Sony an LG, we sell Sony oleds more than any other tv. Sony is 95% calibrated out of the box and there Google software is in my opinion superior. Sony does always have a higher price tag but it's worth the extra money. Great review. This x90 line has always been a good go to led TV. Unless people really like the brightness of samsung.
I'm curious... how big is the upgrade from this tv to the X93L. This review was very glowing
You never miss!!! Greetings from Kenya! 🥃🥃
Jambo Ndugu yangu!
Best channel about tvs🫶 greetings from Scotland guys✌️🏴
@@midnight_yota Fiti sana Kaka! 🍻🍻
@@Adrianek81 🥃🥃
Am from Kenya too
Recently bought the Hisense 75u8k. Not really happy with it. Tv colors are hard to get right but on cable. And there is some blurry ness and grainy ness if that's a word when watching sports ect. I'm thinking about trading it for the Sony 90L in this review. Any thoughts ? Should I try the setting first in the Hisense.
Been a Sony fan but always having a hard time justifying the price, this is a very nice suprise. Great review! Thank you
Sony's last. Mine is 6 years old coming and I think next year, I will upgrade the living room and move the Sony to a bedroom TV or garage.
My bedroom, Sony 55 inch 3D is now 13 years old and still performs like it's brand new. Love Sony's longevity!
@@brianmcalinden8671 I do wonder if a Sony made after 2020 will last like the older models. I am quite leery of most things made post Covid. Quality has seemed to take a hit with so many products and services.
If you were to choose between the X93L and the X90L, which would you choose based on picture quality? When I saw them side by side the X93 had deeper blacks and better contrast but the X90L seened cleaner amd more detailed. I am not sure that the X93L is worth paying $1000 more for better contrast and blacks but with less clarity amd detail. Might be better to have the better detail and just tone down the brightness?
Great video, but did I miss any mention about reflections and whether the TV would still be a good choice in a room with a lot of ambient light? Anyway, I was freaked out by Rtings viewing angle rating, but I'm still considering this in the 98" size versus the 85" of the x95k or the x95l....and maybe once I see reviews... the Hisense 85" UX.
You didn’t miss it. I’ve just grown tired of saying the same thing about reflection handling. Most LED/LCD TVs have the same level of anti-glare coating. There are a few exceptions, like certain Samsung TVs, which have exceptional glare abatement, but cause a rainbow effect in exchange. OLED TVs are often quite glossy, so those are the outliers. Bottom line, reflections will happen, and brighter TVs can muscle it out a bit, but I feel like I only want to mention anti-glare if it is exceptionally good, or exceptionally bad. If I do that, though, I owe it to everyone to make that clear so everyone knows that’s the default. What do you all think about this? Should I mention the anti-glare capabilities in every single review, even though it is almost always going to be the same commentary? Or try to get a message out that antiglare is very similar across a huge range of models, and I only mention it when it is exceptionally good or bad?
@@Caleb_Denison there is pretty much going to be some glare no matter the model or type of TV. The glare on my A95K is actually a little better than my old Samsung (non-OLED with a blob down the middle). (My room has only one small window behind the TV which causes a tiny bit of glare in one corner.) Maybe the latter idea of getting the word out that you will only comment on it if it’s exceptionally good or bad? Might I suggest the same kind of proviso for TV sound?
@@Caleb_DenisonI would propose a simple, one sentence statement to mention that it has industry standard anti-glare. Some viewers might not regularly watch TV reviews and might not have the context to know. I would guess that most people only research TVs right before a purchase every few years.
@@Caleb_Denison Thanks for responding. It really depends on the focus of this channel. If you are more catering to the enthusiasts only, then a one sentence like NotApplicable suggested is probably fine. However, as he alluded to, there are people who are just looking for a review of a TV and your videos tend to come up when someone does a search. They might just want to know if the TV is bright enough to fight glare in their very bright room, or is there a better option. The answer may be it has a standard reflection for the TV type and it gets more than bright enough, but you will see reflections......but they wouldn't know that because they aren't enthusiasts, just regular people trying to do their due diligence, so I would recommend keeping it short, but something should be said. For the enthusiasts, they already know to go to Rtings for numerical ratings.
Anyway, I personally love your videos and I'm sort of in the middle between an enthusiasts and someone who tends to follow more when I'm looking to buy. Your videos give a very good overview, so keep up the good work.
@@Caleb_Denison In the case of the Sonys, its worth mentioning since the 93L comes with X-Anti Reflection & X-Wide angle, and the 90L does not. A lot of people trying to decide between the 90L vs the 93L. The 93L has the anti-reflection, but the 90L has the Clear Image motion handling.
I would love to see a software comparison between tvs. Im going with a sony because of the android based UI. It works with my phone and is easy to navigate. I tried some Samsung models and it was frustratingly slow and locked up with proprietary restrictions to simple usability.
Bought the X90L in early July. It’s an amazing TV, worth every penny!
How are the side viewing angles … is it as bad as people say ?
I just got this tv. setting it yup tomorrow. can’t wait to see how it is with ps5. I need to get 2.1 hdmi cables.
The only TV reviewer I fully trust, amazing review as always!
I cant imagine believing Sony when they said they never sent a color corrected sample when they KNEW is was going to a youtube reviewer.
@@julesvern-u4e, he said they tested it before sending.
Its nice you go over gaming, but I would like more info on how it does with sports - football and hockey with motion.
Football is great on this TV!!!
I wish there were comparisons between X85L and X90L. The major difference is the processor (X1 vs XR) and I'd love to see how much improvement the processor can bring.
I saw them side by side and you can tell the difference right away.
@@joystic08 Yep. Looked at the X90L today and the XR processor is nothing short of terrific. The X90L also was pretty impressive for the money. I just don't think you can beat SONY picture processing.
The only thing that has me really worried is the off centre viewing angle concerns. We have a couch on each side of tv area. The angle we view at is about 30 degrees, and while is seem it starts to already degrease there it is only slight at that angle really need to go and see one in store. The 75 once is AUD 2775 now in Oz, so USD ~2k
Despite the price gap it would be interesting to see how your X90L performs compared to the X95L, just to see how much those extra dimming zones really help.
You can see it in Vincent's review. X90L sucks
@@ДмитрийКузнецов-п8ч which one?
@user-oq4rm5ci9p do you have a link?!
@@ДмитрийКузнецов-п8ч - Why did the X90L receive the "HDTV test Recommended" by Vincent? Seems like your comment is in error, to be nice about it.
@@Chuck-- It is not mistake. Watch X95L review. There's comparison with X90L. Night and day difference in black level when watching in dark room. X90L just can't control backlight in HDR mode
Caleb… for a brighter living room that will also be the main tv at night for movies, X90l or X93l?
Is the X93 worth the extra $$?
I have to admit that the X90L does look pretty good for a mid range tv..😊
@@BrianDPrice_1you aren’t considering the cost of calibrating chinese crap. their out of box numbers are garbage
I bought this Sony X90L, from Costco for the $2,300, I could waited for Black Friday get it for two grand, The best part of it like always TVs from Costco comes with the 5-year extended warranty free, you can f*n beat that 👍🤙👌
@@BrianDPrice_1
I forgot to put the size down, bought the 85 in, I choose it between TCL QM8 & hinese U8K, I went with this SONY
I have A95K. I want to get another tv for the kids, they watch movies a lot so would this budget friendly tv be a good choice?
The price on this TV is excellent, $1800 for a 75"??!! I'm sure it would be perfect for the majority of TV viewers out there.
Great review! Watched it on one of my two X90K’s tho lol. Glad to have a video that explains so well what I like about Sony’s style of TV picture. Thanks Caleb 👍🏽
I'm getting the X90K Thursday it's going to be my first 4k experience I seen a little bit of review on it sounds like might be good hopefully the right decision you seem to have like it also on earlier video I'm really excited for my first 4k experience!
I have the x90k & no complaints here..enjoy!
Excellent review. Thanks. A question: Have you tested with darker content like the Game of Thrones?
Just curious, do you know what the dimming zone count is on the XR 98x90L?
Great review by the way . I ordered mine in April and less than 48 hours away from delivery. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from you, Brian and Vincent. If I had a dollar for every comment I read about blooming on the L 90 series ….well this Texas giant would be paid for.😂
Thanks for this video. I'm actually returning a 75" TCL QM8 for the 75" Sony X90L. The TCL judders way too much with fast motion content so I'm going with Sony's better processing.
Yup,,,TCL is no bueno!
Caleb: 8:42 "I am more easily bothered by backlight stuff than most people."
Also Caleb: Doesn't see the violet light that's been shining on the side of his face for the last few videos 😂
I always wondered how these TVs, the TCL, the Hisense, the Sony X90L, and similar tier Samsung, manage bluetooth devices. I am asking this because I use my Samsung M5 smart monitor with Bose Q45 headphones and it does a great job. It would be helpful to test this in a future video. I want to buy a smart TV but I am concerned that will not deliver a smooth experience especially when switching bluetooth connections (from TV to smartphone and back).
Looks like a solid choice. I just wish more people specifically reviewed the Hisense U8K 75" panel w/ the APS Pro screen. That solves the off angle viewing issue with the smaller TV's in that lineup and would likely put it closer to the X90L for a few hundred less.
I think TCL QM8 is better choice, it's cheaper ,brighter and better in blacks
@@SFBenjaminK I think it’s a tie. They both look great, it just depends what features you’re after.
Being that Sony is carrying this model over to their 2024 lineup, it's still relevant for comparing similarly priced Hisense and TCL models, especially the Hisense U8N and 2024 makeover of the TCL QM8. While the U8N and QM8 will get brighter, the question is how close their color accuracy, PQ EOTF tracking, motion performance, and upscaling can get to the Sony X90L.
Great review. I still would be sold on the QM8 here. Yeah yeah I know TCL’s rep isn’t what Sonys is but the better blacks and less bloom are things I care about more.
Psst check out TCL C745 specs. You gonna love it. Better choice that this...👍 You can thank me later. 😎👍
Great review. Any chance of doing a x90l vs QM8 video? Id be interested in your opinion. Thanks.
Not gonna lie, when Sony said they were bumpong up the zones and brightness i didn't think it'd make mich of a difference. But this seems like a good option
I mean, considering how bad last year's model was, I was sure it would make a difference lol
@@TomiplyWas the Sony X90J from 2021 a decent TV? I read that somehow the X90J was better than the X90K.
Price needs to come down for it to be a true value proposition considering you can snag an QN90B for about the same price on sale.
Great review, please do a comparo between Sony X90L and Hisense U8K. I feel in the sound department Hisense TVs shine with their in-built sub-woofer.
This video did just that lol
You keep saying x90k when you're clearly referring to x90l
Hey hiee.. which is the best preset to watch SPORTS??..
I find it very blooming in vivid and standard mode.
Thank you
Was a little nervous about the backlight system, but then that totally blew it for me when it was reported that processing and backlighting takes a hit for gaming. I also don’t know what the HDMI situation is, but if EARC is on one of the 2.1 ports that’s also a big no for me.
I am going to go check on this right now because it's major for me as well... I'm back. Bad news, eARC is is on HDMI 3 which is one of the only two 2.1 ports! Another swing and a miss just like the Hisense U8K. So frustrating.
@@CarsandCats appreciate you checking on that! If they’re not going to do all four as 2.1, I don’t understand why they do this. I am with you, the Hisense was closer this year, but still a miss.
@ChesterMan-qd3xj probably because of their media chip.
I am pretty sure Sony is one of the few players that make their own chips so does this mean they downgraded to MediaTek for these then? Huh, interesting.
@@ChesterMan-qd3xj Agreed that is a disappointment. I wonder way some TV manufacturers do not put all ports on 2.1. How much more could it cost? I think that Samsung does and their TVs are comparable in price?
You’re my hero! You restored my faith in Sony , you saved me a trip to the store, I was in a brink of return my X90L , particularly when I noticed the awful “soap opera effect” nothing to do with my 10 years old Samsung which I replaced only because the lack of DOLBY VISION/ATMOS .
Will you be doing a X90L vs the X93L? Would love to see this TV vs the mini led.
Thanks for flagging this. This is the review I'd love to see, since I'm between both options right now!
@@runjdm_ I'd also really love to see the x93l reviewed and compared to some similar options, but my instinct says it needs to come down a bit in price to actually be competitive. I have no doubt it's an amazing TV, but there's a LOT of competition.
What about reflections? Is it good for bright room?
I have had my 65" X90L for about 6 weeks now which replaced my old 55" X900F. Other than a couple of issues related to Dolby Vision 4K UHD movies via my Panansonic UB820, the TV has been wonderful. It's an excellent model for the price which I can definitely recommend to anyone else looking at buying one.
X900F 65" owner here. How much of an improvement would you say has been made to the local dimming on the X90L? Blooming control has always been my biggest issue on an otherwise phenomenal TV that holds up so well. Curious to hear your thoughts, thanks 🙂
That's awesome, I'm looking to replace my x900F which I love but I want a bigger set. How's the picture compare to the x900f? I've returned a Samsung and Sony mini LED so far because I didn't like the picture as much as my x900f.
I loved my x900f but I would say that the X90L is certainly an improvement. While not a massive difference, I noticed the higher brightness and vibrancy of the colours as soon as I turned it on for the first time. The contrast and black levels, colour accuracy and brightness are all at least as good or better. I noticed blooming more often on the x900f than I do with the X90L, even when not watching from directly in front of the screen.
@@burninator1983 Appreciate it, thanks for letting me know!
@@burninator1983How does your Sony X90L handle motion blur during fast scenes when the camera pans over? Does it seem smooth or kinda stuttery?
Hey Caleb, Hisense just dropped their 100” U8K at an amazing price like TCL. Can you get a review on that and compare it with this Sony X90L and TCL 98? Because there’s still big margin in price with Sony vs Hisense/TCL
I dont trust his Reveiws with Hisense/tcl with Sony x90L. Side by side for 55” 65” 75” X90L is significantly worse tv than U7K. But HE will make SURE that SONY in his videos look better by TURN Hisense on a “film maker mode” that is mater key to SHUT off 100% upscaling. , he will TURN Hisense “sharpness “ from Out of box at 50% down to “0%” . He had been doing that for lke4 yrs. N he will change color form out of box natural bright on HIsense “standard” or “Warm 2” to “agreesive WARM 1 dense yellow sunset tune” then --start doing the “ TEST”:” OMG the color is WAY OFF. I don’t understand why? I thought they were so good. “ or “ beside TCL side by side:” its so yellow , d U8K so yellow, i dont know why.” U see what i am saying……
I was looking for thoes TVs ….n I literally didn’t understand i Kpet buying their TVS, n at home the TVs look opposit of what they look like on HIS “reviews.”
I’d watch Quatum TV reviews for Hisense n TCL n Samsung. He’s more accurate n hornet. This guy 4 yr in a row, he make sure Hisense n TCL look bad.
I did a deep dive into tv's and here's how I arrived at buying the X90L: I have a well lit room, so I eliminated the OLED (yes, I know that they have improved) plus I was concerned about burn-in with the OLED. That left the QLED anfd the minis. I did not want Hesense or TCL bucause of durability issues and I'd prefer not to buy a Chinese product. That left the Big 3. They were pretty much all even, but I picked the X90L because it sounds as if it has the best ability to upscale. I don't game or watch too much streaming, but I do watch a lot of shows and movies on Dish and it sounds like the X90L will do the best job of upscaling those older shows.
How does this 1 Compare to the Hisense U8N? Which 1 would you recommend?
I bought the hisense u8k 2 days ago and I'm returning it for this sony. The hisense is trash straight up awful!! Maybe I got a bad tv but the picture didn't look real at all sure the black levels were fantastic but that's it and omg the motion was dreadful and up streaming cable tv was non existent. I bought this for cable and streaming and most importantly sports and let me tell you when it comes to football this tv is unwatchable. The jittering was so bad the football in the air looked like there was 3 of them and the players running around was horribly lagging. I couldn't watch this tv I put it back in the box and set up my old Samsung 6 series 55" from years ago and that tv was better not as clear but at least you could see wtf was going on. I should've known better than to bargain shop. I really hope this helps people and they listen to a novice viewer instead of the experts on TH-cam. Thank you for recommending the sony hopefully I'm happy with this purchase. Oh and before anyone asked yes I played with every setting I could to help the motion but just couldn't get anything to work. God bless and best wishes to everyone
I had a similar experience. I went with the Q7 75 inch and had to return it immediately. The upscaling and motion on cable football was awful. Had to go to the X93L 65inch. Wish I would have given this a shot at 75inch as the 65 inch is just a tad too small. Curious to see what this tv upgrades to for 2024 model
If it’s the same problem I had on my 65” LG Nano Cell, idk if you tried, but I turned TruMotion off, seems like the same problem I was having with a football being thrown and watching hockey with the hockey pucks
@@Propynyl I didn't try that but will if I get a replacement tv for the living room. I expect better upscaling features in the future. Itd be great also if broadcasters spent just a little on 4k broadcasts so I wouldn't have to worry about it.