Sony Bravia 9 (XR90)

BRAVIA 9 / XR90

Available screen sizes: 75”85”

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Panel technology: LCD VA (wide viewing angle) | Brand: SONY | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Operating system: Google TV | Model year: 2024

Our verdict

8.9

Overall rating

Sony BRAVIA 9 is undoubtedly a top-tier product, and there’s no "but" about it, as this is a fact, not a thesis. It’s evident everywhere you look how much effort the manufacturer has put into perfecting the dimming algorithms, which undoubtedly perform their role to every possible degree. Thanks to this, we can enjoy an incredibly deep black and an amazingly vivid image. And since we’re talking about the picture and backlighting, one cannot help but mention the quality of HDR effects, which will brighten the room, enveloping us in over 2000 nits of peak brightness. Such a result certainly looks impressive on paper, but you have to trust us that it’s even better in person. The manufacturer, known for its meticulous approach to image quality, has once again endeavoured to ensure that its television faithfully reproduces what the film director intended to convey, and it has succeeded brilliantly. The Sony Bravia 9 also offers an excellent user experience thanks to the Google TV system. The interface is intuitive, and with a rich library of apps, we have access to countless contents that we can tailor to our own preferences. The integration with Google Assistant allows for quick and convenient searching of favourite movies, shows, or music, as well as controlling other smart devices in the home. It’s these kinds of solutions that make using the television not just a pleasure but also simplifies daily life. Unfortunately, not everything is perfect. The Sony Bravia 9 still has room for improvement, particularly regarding the HDMI port configuration. Sony BRAVIA 9 has only two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is eARC, that is a port for a soundbar or home theatre system. For such an expensive piece of equipment, one might expect four full HDMI 2.1 ports, and the lack of Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality is also a drawback that can be annoying. Despite these shortcomings, it’s hard not to notice just how exceptional this equipment is. It’s the first LCD television that can truly compete with OLEDs. Infinite contrast, fantastic picture quality, zero compromises — Sony BRAVIA 9 is nearly perfect. Excellent picture, modern technologies, attention to detail make every viewing experience one you won’t forget.

Advantages

Amazing HDR material brightness results
Very good colour reproduction after calibration
Advanced motion smoothing system
Noticeable positive impact of the image processor
Faithfulness to the source material
Versatile GoogleTV operating system
Good (for a VA panel) viewing angles

Disadvantages

Only 2 HDMI 2.1 ports - including one ARC
No picture-in-picture (PiP) feature

Movies and series in UHD quality

8.4
Classic TV, YouTube

8.4
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

8.5
Gaming on console

9.2
TV as a computer monitor

7.6
Watching in bright light

9.5
Utility functions

9.5
Apps

10.0
Sound quality

9.4

Competing TVs in this price range

8.6

LG OLED G4 77”

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8.4

Samsung OLED S95D 77”

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8.3

Sony A95L 77”

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8.3

LG OLED C4 77”

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8.1

LG 55 B4 77”

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8.1

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Samsung OLED S90D / S94D (WRGB OLED) 77”

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8.1

Sony Bravia 7 (XR70) 75”

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8.1

Philips OLED909 77”

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7.9

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Samsung Neo QLED QN95D 75”

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TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Review Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) Appearance of the TV

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Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

8.6/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 1920 (60 x 32)

Review Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) Contrast and black detail

Contrast between the black background and the bright spotlight illuminating Jack. Scene from the movie Oblivion (Universal Pictures).

Result

184,000:1

Contrast between the glare on the chameleon's skin and the black near the edge of the screen below. Scene from the Spears&Munsil test disc.

Result

98,500:1

Contrast between the reflection on the helmet and the black on the black film strip. Scene from the movie Arrival (Paramount Pictures).

Result

120,000:1

Contrast between the actress's face and the black film strip at the top edge of the TV. Scene from the movie Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

9,050:1

Contrast between the colorful balloon and the black slice between the falling objects. Scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc (2008).

Result

5,800:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Similarly, the Sony Bravia 9 utilises a high-contrast VA panel, supported by a backlight made up of Mini LED diodes. The total number of zones for the 75" size we tested was 1920. Combining such a number with advanced, and one might boldly say — the best zone dimming algorithms delivers excellent results in contrast and black levels. Practically every scene can display an incredibly deep and immersive image. Of course, the last two won't give us blacks akin to OLED televisions, however, it's fair to say that the results are not weak, as a significant portion of competing TVs will not provide such a faithful representation of the director's vision. Looking below at two test scenes from the Sony Bravia 9 from the film Oblivion and Sicario 2, we can observe very mature behaviour of the backlight algorithms, which ensure that blacks are maintained without sacrificing the original image. Of course, the blooming effect still occurs here due to the operation of the TV's zones (it can be observed on the small lights on the helicopter), but it is definitely one of the best LCD TVs we have had the opportunity to test in terms of black levels and contrast.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

8.5/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 96.0%, Bt.2020: 77.0%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) Brightness measurement

The measured point is the setting sun against a bright sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

2199 nit

The measured point is the moon against a dark, starry sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

1700 nit

The measured point is the flashlight on the rifle, which shines directly at the camera. Scene from the movie Gemini Man (Paramount Pictures).

Result

1717 nit

The measured point is the tail light of a helicopter flying at night. This is a very small light point, the essence of the HDR effect. Scene from the movie Sicario 2: Soldado (Lionsgate).

Result

1751 nit

The measured point is the sun visible directly between the clouds. The scene is very bright and should blind the viewer as in nature. Scene from the movie The Meg (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

1741 nit

The brightness measurement results on the Sony Bravia 9 are phenomenal. Each scene achieves well over 1500 nits, and while watching movies, the TV can sometimes shine even brighter. It goes without saying that such brightness allows for unprecedented experiences and engagement with video material at the highest possible quality. With a high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, the image is full of colours and, combined with such high luminance, it practically breathes. Thanks to the high peak brightness, viewers can enjoy the full spectrum of colours even in the most difficult scenes, such as those based on dynamic lighting changes. The Bravia 9 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats, which further enhances the viewing experience.

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

Considering the fantastic conditions in HDR materials Bravii 9, let's look at how the TV performed with two challenging scenes mastered to high brightness. The first of these, the film "Pan", was absolutely stunning; one could almost feel the sun pouring out of the screen. It's also worth noting that all the details are brilliantly reproduced and one could confidently say it's an exemplary representation of the scene. We have virtually nothing to fault with the film "Billy Lynn" either. The subtle interplay of shadows and the bright light resulting from the explosions is truly impressive. However, we must note a small downside here. Specifically, the skin tone saturation of the main character in the scene is lower than the reference. We don’t believe this to be a major issue, and mentioning it should be seen as a journalist's obligation.

HDR luminance chart:

No surprise, the static HDR for Sony Bravia 9 is not an issue, and thanks to the high brightness as well as the efficiently working dynamic tone mapping feature, the details in the foreground and background are perfectly visible. When fed a signal with dynamic metadata, the television can even display the tiniest and subtlest details in the background. Thus, it is not true that televisions achieving high brightness do not need formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: Dolby Vision

Smoothness of tonal transitions

7.1/10

The default quality of gentle gradation, i.e. without the enhancement feature activated, is fairly average, considering the price range and class of the device. The issue isn't noticeable with very bright backgrounds, but it's quite prominent on dark ones. This is perfectly illustrated by the last two test scenes, where tonal transitions are apparent and may cause discomfort to image purists.

Review Sony Bravia 9 (XR90) Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

8.5/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

Let's take another look at the quality of tonal transitions, but this time we will analyse the quality of image scaling, which will be crucial when watching lower quality materials. We'll start with the function responsible for the quality of tonal transitions. While they are quite average by default, after activating the option, even at the smallest degree, we can confidently say that these are some of the better ones we've seen. You can confidently enable this function, as it does not cause any negative phenomena, such as grain blur.

Sony has been boasting for several years that its "XR" processor is unmatched when it comes to image scaling. And it's not hard for us to believe that, because the image is indeed incredibly sharp, yet very natural.

Blur and motion smoothness

8.5/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 120Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: Yes

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)

BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)

Brightness drop with BFI: 1%

The maximum refresh rate of the Sony Bravia 9 is 120 Hz. This is the essential minimum for watching primarily sports or content that has a lot of movement dynamics while maintaining a sharp and smooth image. For demanding users, the manufacturer has implemented a very advanced smoothing system, which is divided into three segments: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two correspond to: blur degree and smoothing degree, respectively. The third option will be described in more detail below. Additionally, we can adjust all settings to various levels, each of which will have an effect, ensuring that we can find our very own sweet spot. In the photo, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

An additional feature that maximises image fluidity is "Cleanness", which uses black frame insertion (BFI) between film frames, aiming to "reset" the retina and thus enhance image sharpness. We must admit that the manufacturer has put in a lot of effort with its implementation, as after turning it on and setting it to the first level, it significantly improves the sharpness of moving images while maintaining maximum brightness.

Console compatibility and gaming features

9.4/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: Yes
VRR range: 48 - 120Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode: Yes
Correct implementation of HGIG: Yes
1080p@120Hz: Yes
1440p@120Hz: No
4K@120Hz: Yes
Game bar: Yes

The Sony Bravia 9 television is equipped with four HDMI ports. However, somewhat incomprehensibly for this class of device, only two of them operate in the 2.1 standard. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be taken away that almost all features work excellently and do not cause any negative feelings upon being activated. Games operating in either HDR10 or Dolby Vision have a very short input lag, allowing for a very comfortable session with the title. A consolation remains in the good implementation of the HGIG mode, which after proper tuning does not deviate significantly from Dolby Vision.

A year ago, Sony added to its televisions what has been standard for some manufacturers for years. This is, of course, the GameBar, allowing for quick adjustment of settings without the need to exit the game. The implementation of this feature was successful and works very smoothly. We have been provided with conveniences such as: crosshair grid, black level correction, and the ability to reduce the screen to the proportions of gaming monitors.

Sony Bravia 9 will certainly find its group of fans, most likely among PlayStation enthusiasts. Here, we must admit that this will be the most sensible choice, as in practice both the console and the television have exactly the same capabilities. However, looking more broadly, aside from issues with Dolby Vision in games, one cannot deny that the Bravia 9 is a very good television in the context of gaming.

Input lag

9.7/10

Input lag for Bravia 9 is low in every scenario. Even the most dedicated gamers will certainly appreciate the very low input lag of 10 ms at demanding 4K 120 Hz with HDR settings.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 20 ms	2160p60: 19 ms	2160p60 DV: 20 ms
1080p120: 10 ms	2160p120: 10 ms	2160p120 DV: 10 ms
2160p60: 19 ms
2160p120: 10 ms

Compatibility with PC

7.6/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Very Good

Readability of dark text and shapes: Good

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 9ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 120Hz

G-Sync: Yes

Sony Bravia 9 coupled with a PC performs excellently, thanks to its very low latency of just 9 ms, providing immediate response between the mouse, eye, and screen. An extremely important aspect while working on the screen is the readability of text, which in the case of the tested television is very good. However, it is essential to remember to switch the television to "Game" mode, as this provides the best text readability, while in other scenarios, the font may become unreadable.

The subpixel arrangement is BGR, which does not negatively impact using the television as a monitor. However, since operating systems are not adjusted for such a subpixel format, this may result in slightly less sharp contours. This is practically negligible, and only a handful of people may notice it.

Viewing angles

7.4/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 54%

Thanks to the use of an angular coating, colour degradation and contrast loss at an angle are not as drastic as in the vast majority of VA matrix televisions. Only after a significant shift off-axis does greater image destabilisation become apparent; however, the overall experience can be rated very positively.

TV efficiency during daytime

9.5/10

Matrix coating: Glare

Reflection suppression: Average

Black levels during daytime: Very Good

When watching during the day, we can count on an incredibly high brightness of 1600 nits, which allows for very comfortable viewing even when harsh angled light hits the TV. Even reflections that spill across the screen do not detract from the enjoyment of watching on a sunny day. For this reason, the Sony Bravia receives nearly the highest rating from us in this regard.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Sony Bravia 9 (XR90): 1609 cd/m2

Details about the matrix

Software version during testing: 112.624.140.1EUA

Image processor: mt5897 6gb ram

Subpixel Structure:

Panel uniformity:

Backlight Type: Mini-LED QLED

TV features

9.5/10

System operacyjny: Google TV
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): Yes
Recording programming: Yes
Picture in Picture (PiP): No
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
AirPlay: Yes
Voice search in native language: Yes
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV: Yes
Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker: Yes
Audio only mode: Yes
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: Yes
Teletext: Yes

Bravia 9 runs on the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage compared to TVs equipped with proprietary systems from manufacturers, where installing applications from a USB drive can be difficult, and often downright impossible. With Google TV, we have the ability to install virtually any application, both from the official store and directly from online repositories via an APK file.

This system also offers many conveniences in terms of control. We can connect a keyboard with a touchpad, which significantly makes entering queries much easier. Additionally, thanks to integration with Google, we can use voice control features via the remote, which works very well, although there are occasional minor issues with understanding functions and options. It's worth noting that Google TV receives regular updates that enhance functionality and introduce new options. We can also confirm that, according to reports from users of older models, the software has its off days and sometimes has a “bad day.”

In summary: Google TV is currently one of the most popular systems on the market. Thanks to its efficient CPU, it operates very smoothly, doesn’t freeze and has no issues with lagging for a significant portion of usage. It is definitely the best option for those who want to fully utilise the potential of their TV and value system openness.

Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

8.7/10

Video Photos Audio

Maximum photo resolution:	Supported photo formats:
4 Mpix	JPEG
6 Mpix	HEIC
8 Mpix	PNG
10 Mpix	GIF
12 Mpix	WebP
16 Mpix	TIFF
20 Mpix	BMP
24 Mpix	SVG
28 Mpix
32 Mpix

The built-in player in Sony Bravia 9 is quite good. While it’s not without its flaws, it must be said that it plays a significant portion of files without a hitch. However, among the missing features, the lack of support for subtitles in .sub, .txt formats or selectively working image formats can be bothersome, with only JPEG and HEIC available. This isn’t really a problem considering the ease of installing applications like VLC or KODI.

Apps

10/10

Sound

9.4/10

Subjective sound quality

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Dolby True HD 7.1

Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

DTS-HD Master Audio

We must admit that the sound coming from the Sony Bravia 9 left us quite astonished. Of course, we knew it was a top-of-the-line product, but we didn’t expect such sound quality. You can easily hear each instrument individually, and the bass adds the right depth to the whole experience. With a clear conscience, we can say that this is the best sounding television we have had the chance to test. Of course, we realise that people opting for such a television already have their own home theatre setup. And here there won't be any major obstacle, as the Bravia 9 supports DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

Marketing solutions from the manufacturer:

XR Backlight Master Drive: Advanced local dimming algorithm that precisely controls thousands of LEDs.
XR Triluminos Pro: Technology responsible for a wide colour palette, reproducing subtle differences in shades and saturation.
XR Clear Image: Function that minimises image noise through dynamic frame analysis.
Acoustic Multi-Audio+: Sound system where tweeters vibrate the television frame.
Google TV: Operating system offering an intuitive interface and a rich library of apps, enabling access to diverse content and integration with Google Assistant.
Support for IMAX® Enhanced, Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos® standards: Ensuring exceptional audiovisual experiences through compatibility with these technologies.
SONY PICTURES CORE: Entertainment app available on Sony BRAVIA TVs, PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, and Xperia smartphones. It allows users to rent, purchase, and stream movies and TV shows from a rich library of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sony Bravia 9 (XR90)

Our verdict

Advantages

Disadvantages

Competing TVs in this price range

TV appearance

Buy in the best price

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound