Compare Samsung OLED S90D / S94D (WRGB OLED) vs Sony X85L

The Samsung S90D (or S94D) TV is a model that surprises in many ways, offering exceptional performance across various aspects. One key feature to note is that depending on the size of the television, it may differ in the OLED panel variants used. Regardless of the specific panel technology, the S90D guarantees perfect blacks, and its HDR light effects, aided by high brightness, truly impress, creating a cinematic experience in the comfort of your home. OLED technology provides deep blacks and vibrant colours, making every movie and series look stunning, with clear details even in dark scenes.

Although the factory colour settings might not be ideal, the television truly shines after calibration, becoming unbeatable in its price range for colour accuracy. This makes the S90D a fantastic option for film enthusiasts who appreciate high-quality picture performance. The TV is also an excellent choice for regular TV watching, offering wide viewing angles and an intuitive, feature-rich Tizen operating system, which makes navigating apps and accessing content effortless. With support for popular streaming services and AirPlay, users can enjoy multimedia of the highest quality.

Regarding image smoothness, the S90D excels with its 120Hz panel, effectively eliminating motion blur and ensuring smooth rendering of fast-paced scenes. Watching sports on this television is a joy, with dynamic actions displayed clearly without interruptions. Additionally, the S90D is a great option for gamers, thanks to full support for HDMI 2.1 and low input lag, providing a responsive and fluid gaming experience.

Overall, the Samsung S90D combines excellent image quality, smooth performance, and a wealth of features, making it one of the best choices in the premium TV category.

Sony X85L is a model from 2023 that will continue to be offered in 2024 by the Japanese manufacturer. Its biggest advantage is the Google TV system. It currently provides the greatest access to applications, so we don't have to fear that any of our favorite apps will be missing. The intuitive interface and voice control feature via Google Assistant make daily use of the television convenient and modern. In terms of picture quality, Sony X85L performs well. Thanks to local dimming (albeit with a very average number of zones), black looks really decent. Additionally, its quite high brightness allows for comfortable TV viewing during the day, even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the television offers the ability to record programs from built-in tuners, which is a great convenience for those wanting to control what and when they watch. In terms of motion fluidity, the X85L also does not disappoint. The 120 Hz panel and Motionflow system provide smooth display of dynamic scenes, pleasing both movie buffs and sports fans. The TV is also equipped with a range of features for gamers, including VRR, Game Bar, and G-Sync support, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. Of course, the television is not without its drawbacks. The lack of HGiG support and high input lag in Dolby Vision mode can be disappointing for more demanding gamers. Additionally, the compromise between font readability and image fluidity when connected to a PC may not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, Sony X85L is decent equipment, particularly worth noting if it can be purchased on promotion.

The Samsung S90D, equipped with an OLED matrix, stands out for its infinite contrast, which is one of its most notable advantages. OLED technology allows each pixel to emit its own light, which results in deep blacks and remarkable detail reproduction, particularly in dark scenes. Unlike traditional LCD panels with backlighting, where black areas can often appear gray due to uneven lighting, OLED guarantees that turned-off pixels remain completely black. This capability ensures an exceptionally high contrast ratio, making images more dynamic and lifelike.

In tests, the S90D excels in showcasing high-contrast scenes. For example, in a scene from Oblivion, the TV highlights the intensity of a lantern's light, enhancing the details in the bright parts of the image.

Interestingly, despite past disputes, Samsung has used OLED matrices produced by LG in the S90D models, particularly those with the "DAE" suffix. This might raise questions, but, it doesn't diminish the TV’s performance. WOLED and QD-OLED technologies offer the same excellent contrast, with perfect blacks being a common strength. This allows even the most subtle details in shadowed areas to be visible, which is crucial for enjoying films with dark scenes.

Compared to LCD TVs, the Samsung S90D performs exceptionally well, especially in dynamic night shots, offering a much more immersive viewing experience for games and HDR movies. The results of the S90D tests confirm that this model is among the top choices for high-quality contrast and black reproduction.

The Sony X85L TV is equipped with a VA panel, which in itself offers quite good contrast. Additionally, this model features local dimming technology – in the 55-inch version, it includes 24 zones. Although this number is not impressive, it naturally increases with the size of the TV. The contrast in the X85L is good, though not the best, especially in comparison to other TVs also equipped with advanced local dimming technology. Results at the level of 8000:1 are satisfactory, but they appear average against the competition. In some cases, such as the third scene from the movie Arrival, the contrast is promising and performs quite well. This is thanks to the very good dimming algorithm that Sony has been using in its TVs for years. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of local dimming zones, the TV suffers from noticeable blooming, which can be seen, for example, in scenes with the helicopter from the movie Sicario 2.

The Samsung S90D demonstrates impressive brightness performance in the tested film scenes, surpassing the 1000 nits mark in the first four shots—an outstanding result for an OLED display. In the final shot, which features a fullscreen flash of sunlight, the brightness dips to around 500 nits. While this is a decrease, it remains within a very good range, ensuring visibility and detail retention even in bright scenes.

Another key highlight of the Samsung S90D is its remarkable colour coverage, achieving 98% of the DCI-P3 colour space. This means the TV can reproduce an exceptionally wide range of colours, contributing to vivid and lifelike images that are particularly beneficial for films, high-quality video, and HDR content. The high colour accuracy and impressive brightness capabilities, makes the S90D an ideal choice for users seeking premium image quality across various lighting environments, whether in darker rooms or bright, sunlit spaces.

The Sony X85L TV offers solid HDR performance with a brightness level of 750 nits, which is sufficient to enjoy vivid effects. In scenes of moderate difficulty, such as the first, third, or fifth test scenes, a brightness of around 600 nits allows one to fully experience the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in more demanding segments, such as the scene from the movie Sicario 2, the TV shows its limitations. Drops in brightness to 250 nits make the HDR effect lose its impressive quality and resemble regular SDR instead. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the very good coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 95%, which definitely deserves praise and positively affects the overall image quality.

The S90D was tested in Filmmaker mode, which provides good colour reproduction, albeit with some imperfections that may be noticeable to more discerning users. This mode might appear overly warm, and those switching from Standard mode could find the change somewhat jarring. It is important to note that this issue stems from suboptimal settings, such as the white balance, rather than the Filmmaker mode.

In both SDR and HDR content, the device shows a drop in blue tones, resulting in colours appearing warmer than intended. In practice, this means that certain shades, such as sky blue or skin tones, may seem less natural, with a slight pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these deviations, indicating a shift towards warmer hues. In SDR content, the gamma chart reveals slight inconsistencies that make the image appear marginally darker, particularly in shadowed areas, which may obscure finer details in darker scenes.

In 4K HDR content, the EOTF curve exceeds the recommended level, leading to an overly bright display in some parts of the image, which can cause highlights to appear blown out. Overall, the Samsung S90D delivers a solid image straight out of the box, but for the best performance, further calibration is advised, especially with more demanding content.

The Sony X85L television was tested in IMAX Enhanced mode, which, although associated with world-class cinema, does not guarantee an image that aligns with the director's vision. The main issue is the white balance – there is a noticeable strong dominance of blue color and significant lack of red. As a result, the image becomes unnaturally cool and appears artificial. The color reproduction errors were confirmed by the Colour Checker test, which showed significant discrepancies – colors were "scattered" like shots from a rifle, and only a few samples hit the target values. This clearly shows that the precision of color reproduction leaves much to be desired.

The brightness of the image is one of the positive features of the TV. The gamma for HD content is at an acceptable level, although there are minor errors, but generally, it is quite good. However, the brightness characteristics for 4K materials remain an issue, controlled by the EOTF curve. It is evident that very small, bright elements of the image are too dim, which is a result of the limited number of dimming zones due to the design of the television.

After calibration, the Samsung S90D in movie mode exceeds expectations. The white balance for HD and 4K HDR content has been refined to near perfection. While minor imperfections remain, they are so subtle that they don’t significantly impact the overall image quality. The colours are now more balanced, resulting in a natural reproduction of details, particularly in scenes requiring an accurate colour palette. It’s important to note that this model, in this size, uses a WOLED panel, which has a smaller wide colour gamut coverage and doesn't deliver the same vibrant colours as the 65-inch version with its QD-OLED panel.

The contrast has also seen notable improvements. Following calibration, the gamma curve now closely aligns with the expected line, achieving a better balance between the bright and dark areas of the image. The EOTF curve, which previously exhibited issues with overexposed scenes, now produces more accurate results, allowing for improved detail retention in the brighter parts of the image, especially in HDR content.

Thanks to the use of calibration tools offered by Sony X85L, the image quality has been significantly improved. After calibration, the white balance for HD content is much more stable, making colors look more natural and the image gains authenticity. Although it is not perfect, these changes allow viewers to enjoy a more realistic representation of colors, eliminating the earlier cool tone. The gamma, which already performed decently, has been adjusted to an even better version. As a result, tonal transitions and brightness are more consistent, positively affecting the depth and detail of the image.

As for 4K content, despite efforts, the white balance still struggles with a deficiency of red, which can result in overly warm colors in some scenes. Synthetic tests showed that the EOTF curve in HDR is quite stable, with a slight boost in mid-bright scenes. However, in real film materials, the TV can still be too bright with fine, light details, which is a result of the limitations of large local dimming technology.

Nonetheless, calibration has brought significant benefits, particularly in color accuracy, improving overall image quality and providing a more natural and cohesive directorial vision.

The fluidity of tonal transitions on the Samsung S90D is generally impressive, though subtle imperfections can be observed in certain areas. In most scenes, tonal transitions are smooth and well-rendered, ensuring a natural viewing experience. Minor issues may become apparent in more challenging scenes, such as those featuring a dark sky, however, these do not disrupt the overall visual experience. In a test scene with dominant red hues, slight cut-offs in brighter areas are noticeable but subtle enough not to interfere with the viewing experience. Overall, the tonal transition fluidity on the Samsung S90D is solid, offering a strong performance across content.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the Sony X85L is at a good level – the color gradation is smooth, even in more demanding areas, which makes the perception of scenes positive and natural. The biggest problems occur in the shadow areas, where subtle color blends may be visible. Nevertheless, the television performs well enough that most viewers should not notice these minor imperfections.

The S90D TV handles tonal transitions exceptionally well. Thanks to advanced technology, the transitions between colours are smooth and natural. The noise reduction function can further enhance the smoothness of tonal shifts, which is particularly useful in certain situations. However, it's important to note that enabling noise reduction can also blur the natural film grain, diminishing the cinematic quality of the image. For this reason, it’s advisable to use this function with caution, as preserving the natural grain can enhance the character and authenticity of the content being watched.

As always, Samsung excels in image scaling from lower resolutions. The S90D effectively processes lower-resolution content, delivering a clear and accurate picture. The model’s outline is crisp, ensuring the image looks natural and detailed. Even the finer details, such as tree branches, are well-rendered without visible jagged edges that could degrade image quality. Thanks to its effective scaling, the S90D ensures that even lower-resolution content looks appealing, satisfying users who enjoy a wide range of content sources, such as regular broadcast or cable TV.

In terms of smoothing tonal transitions, the Sony X85L television does not offer any dedicated enhancement options, which is a downside. On the other hand, image scaling performs quite well – the television adds a bit of artificial sharpness, which can make details such as tree branches more pronounced, although sometimes with noticeable jaggedness. This type of effect may appeal to some viewers who prefer a more detailed image.

The Samsung S90D television features a 120 Hz panel, with the option to "overclock" to 144 Hz when connected to a compatible PC, offering exceptional motion smoothness. Samsung has long provided a range of image sharpness settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to tailor the display to their preferences. In the UFO test, the OLED panel shows no signs of blurring, with pixel response instantaneous and effectively capturing dynamic movements. OLED technology is renowned for its performance in this regard, making it one of the best options on the market. The image remains incredibly sharp and detailed, even during fast-paced action, making the S90D an excellent choice for gamers and sports enthusiasts alike.

The Sony X85L, equipped with a 120 Hz panel, will meet the expectations of a wide range of users – from sports and gaming fans to movie buffs. Movie enthusiasts will surely appreciate the presence of one of the best motion smoothing systems, Motionflow. This system offers adjustment via smoothness and clarity sliders – smoothness is responsible for motion fluidity, eliminating stutter, while clarity enhances the sharpness of fast scenes, reducing blur.

The Samsung S90D is an ideal choice for gamers, featuring four HDMI 2.1 ports that support key gaming technologies such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG). These features ensure smoother and more responsive gameplay, greatly enhancing performance during intense gaming sessions. The TV also includes a dedicated Game Bar, which makes managing game settings easy. This functionality allows users to quickly adjust parameters like the aspect ratio offering flexibility for different games and gameplay styles. Customising preferences is straightforward, further enhancing the convenience and enjoyment of gaming.

For PC users, the TV impresses by supporting a refresh rate of 144Hz when connected to a computer. Users with Nvidia or AMD graphics cards can also use G-Sync and FreeSync for a smoother gaming experience. However, it’s important to note that the TV does not support Dolby Vision, which may be a drawback for some. That said, Dolby Vision is not as widely adopted in gaming as in film, so this may not be a significant concern for most gamers. Overall, the S90D offers exceptional features for gamers, making it an excellent choice for those seeking outstanding image quality and modern technological solutions.

Sony X85L offers quite a solid set of features for gamers, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. First and foremost, the TV has a 120 Hz panel, translating to smooth and dynamic image display, ideal for both fast-paced action games and more demanding sports titles. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, allowing for the full utilization of next-gen console capabilities. Additionally, the Sony X85L supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, which helps reduce stuttering and artifacts during gameplay, providing a fluid experience. The TV also supports G-Sync, which is particularly beneficial for gamers using NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for screen refresh rate synchronization with GPU performance, eliminating the tearing effect. It is worth mentioning the Game Bar feature, which facilitates quick access to essential gaming-related settings such as VRR, brightness levels, and display modes, making it convenient and useful during gameplay.

However, there are certain limitations. The TV does not support HGiG, which may be a downside for some gamers, as HGiG optimizes HDR effect rendering in games, providing a more authentic visual experience. Additionally, while Dolby Vision mode is available, it is not practical for gaming due to very high input lag.

The OLED Samsung S90D is distinguished by its reference-level low input lag, delivering exceptional performance across all resolutions and refresh rates, whether in SDR or HDR mode. With scores around 10 ms, this is truly impressive and has a noticeable impact on the gaming experience. Such low input lag ensures an instant response to on-screen actions, vital in fast-paced games where every millisecond counts. This responsiveness provides users with smooth, precise gameplay, making the Samsung S90D an outstanding choice for those prioritising top-tier gaming performance.

In general, the input lag on the Sony X85L is very good, which is crucial for smooth gameplay and quick reactions in games. In standard modes, especially when using HDMI 2.1 and playing in 4K resolution at 120 Hz, the input lag is minimal.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode is an exception to this rule. In this case, the input lag reaches as much as 95 ms. Such a high level of latency makes the Dolby Vision mode practically unplayable, as reactions to commands are noticeably delayed.

The Samsung S90D works seamlessly with a PC, offering clear, legible fonts that make reading text and using applications much easier. It supports chroma 4:4:4 at 4K resolution with a 144 Hz refresh rate, ensuring full-colour reproduction and a sharp, vibrant image. The input lag of just 5 ms is particularly advantageous, especially for gamers and professionals working with graphics. This low latency makes using the TV as a monitor an enjoyable experience, offering comfort and responsiveness. The Samsung S90D is an excellent choice for users seeking both performance and quality for everyday computer use.

The cooperation of the Sony X85L television with a PC is a bit of a balance between image quality and user comfort. If we want to use the television for work, where clear text is important, we need to set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. In this mode, text looks good and does not strain the eyes, which is crucial if we plan to spend a long time in front of the screen.

On the other hand, if the television is to be used for gaming, where we can take full advantage of its capabilities at 120 Hz, we must take into account that the readability of fonts decreases significantly. The image becomes less sharp and the text harder to read, which can be frustrating. In short – the Sony X85L will work well for occasional connection to a computer, but if we need it daily for work and gaming, this compromise may not be to everyone's liking.

Thanks to OLED technology, the viewing angles on the Samsung S90D are exceptional. OLED ensures excellent colour and contrast reproduction, even at wide viewing angles, so the image remains sharp and vibrant from almost any perspective. This allows users to enjoy a consistent visual experience, regardless of their position relative to the screen. The only televisions that might offer slightly better performance in this regard are those equipped with MLA (Micro Lens Array) micro-lenses or QD-OLED technology. These advanced solutions further improve image quality from different angles, but under typical conditions, OLED remains the leader, delivering outstanding viewing experiences from every angle.

The viewing angles on the Sony X85L, as is typical with VA panels, are not the best. The image looks great when viewed straight on, but just shifting to the side reveals that colors lose their intensity and contrast noticeably weakens. This can be a problem if the TV is intended for watching with a larger group, where viewers are seated at different angles. For those who usually watch solo or from one central spot, this won't be a big downside, but when viewing from the side, the picture quality unfortunately decreases.

The Samsung S90D performs admirably during the day, achieving an average brightness of around 400 nits, which is excellent for OLED technology. Despite the glossy panel, reflection suppression is effective, making it comfortable to watch even in bright rooms. The only notable downside of OLED technology—rather than the TV itself—is the brightness levels when displaying a 100% white screen fill. In such scenarios, OLED panels may struggle to reach extremely high brightness. This can become apparent when watching bright scenes, such as winter sports like ski jumping, where the screen's peak brightness may not be as intense as desired.

The performance of the Sony X85L TV during the day is quite decent. Its satin screen coating handles light reflection moderately well, meaning that in bright rooms, there may be reflections, but they are not bothersome enough to significantly interfere. The brightness in SDR mode at 570 nits is sufficient for comfortable TV watching during the day, even with natural light coming through the windows. This ensures that colors remain vivid and the image is clearly visible, making the TV effective for everyday use.

The Samsung S90D offers a range of features that greatly enhance user comfort, making it an ideal choice for home entertainment. The Tizen system, on which this model runs, is a modern and sophisticated platform that delivers a smooth, intuitive user experience. Its user-friendly interface, navigating through apps and settings is quick and easy, even for those less familiar with technology. Tizen supports a wide array of applications, including popular streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. A notable addition for 2024 is the inclusion of voice search in Polish.

The eco-friendly solar remote is another highlight, being both environmentally conscious and practical for everyday use. It can control multiple devices connected to the TV, reducing the need for multiple remotes. Additionally, the TV supports AirPlay, making it easy to stream content from Apple devices like iPhones or iPads. The S90D also supports Bluetooth connections, allowing users to connect devices such as mice, keyboards, or headphones, enhancing versatility and personalisation of the viewing experience.

The only drawback worth mentioning is the lack of USB recording support. This may be a limitation for some users, particularly if they wish to archive their favourite shows or films. Despite this, the Samsung S90D offers advanced features and technologies, making it an excellent choice for anyone seeking high-quality entertainment at home.

The Sony X85L operates on the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage for many users. The television offers wide access to applications, and using streaming platforms is smooth and user-friendly. The interface is intuitive and easy to master, allowing for quick switching between apps and searching for favorite content. Google TV allows for personalization of the home screen, enabling each user to customize it according to their preferences. Google Assistant further enhances the experience by offering voice control and quick adjustments of settings or movie searches without the need for a remote.

In terms of user functionality, the Sony X85L offers many useful options. The television has the capability to record programs, which is a significant convenience for those who want to watch their favorite content at any time. AirPlay support allows for seamless streaming of content from Apple devices, which iPhone and iPad owners will appreciate. Additionally, thanks to built-in Bluetooth, various devices such as headphones or keyboards can be connected. However, one drawback is the lack of a PiP (picture-in-picture) function, which may disappoint users who prefer multitasking on the screen.

The design of the Sony X85L television, while it may not be the thinnest, is solid and elegant. The metal base with adjustable legs is one of its strong points, allowing for height and width adjustments of the television to fit different furniture and spaces. This practical solution enhances the interior and adds a modern character to it.

The Samsung S90D has a built-in player that supports the most popular video formats, allowing for convenient playback of movies from various sources. The player also offers customisation options for the font colour, enhancing comfort when watching content with subtitles. For photo formats, the television handles a wide range, though one of the few drawbacks is its inability to play the widely used PNG format. Despite this, the overall playback capabilities of the S90D are excellent, offering a seamless viewing experience across different media types.

Sony X85L has no problem playing most popular file formats from USB, which is a big plus for those who often reach for external content. However, it is worth mentioning a small downside – the built-in player does not allow changing the font color in subtitles, which can be bothersome for some. Fortunately, thanks to the advanced Google TV system, users have a wide range of options. It is easy to install alternative media players that offer more customization options.

The Samsung S90D features a 2.1 audio system with a total output of 40W, delivering clear and dynamic sound. The subwoofer at the bottom of the casing ensures deep, noticeable bass, while the mid and high frequencies remain well-balanced. While the television does not support DTS format, it offers other advanced sound technologies, including Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus. For those seeking a more immersive surround sound experience, however, connecting an external audio system would be recommended.

The sound on the Sony X85L is good – it is clear across the entire scale, allowing you to enjoy both dialogues and music. The bass, although light, is perceptible and adds some depth to the overall sound. However, it should be emphasized that this is a subjective assessment – some will be satisfied with such a sound profile, while others may need additional audio equipment to fully feel the stronger tones and more spacious sound.

Samsung OLED S90D / S94D (WRGB OLED) vs Sony X85L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

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