Sony Bravia 8 (XR80) vs Samsung Q60D / Q67D / Q68D

The Sony Bravia 8 performs commendably in terms of HDR brightness, reaching a peak of 880 nits. This level is sufficient to render lighting effects effectively in most scenes. In tested clips from Life of Pi and Sicario 2, the television demonstrated vibrant, detailed imagery that captured the atmosphere of these films beautifully.

However, challenges arise in scenes with consistently high brightness, such as in The Meg, where the display's limitations become apparent. In these situations, OLED technology can struggle, with brightness levels dropping to around 450 nits, which can be less satisfying when intense illumination is needed throughout a scene. Despite this, the Sony Bravia 8 remains a strong contender, offering excellent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage and 74% BT.2020 coverage. These attributes result in rich, accurate colours and fine details, enhancing HDR content and providing an enjoyable viewing experience.

The Samsung Q60D consistently achieves brightness levels above 500 nits, which is above average for its class of devices. This level of brightness enhances the viewing experience, providing a more immersive home cinema feel, with clearly visible details in bright areas of the image and well-rendered contrast dynamics, especially when watching content from streaming platforms or Blu-ray discs. As a result, movie screenings gain added depth and realism, particularly in well-lit scenes.

However, despite incorporating quantum dot technology (QLED), the TV does not excel in colour reproduction. The DCI-P3 colour space coverage is limited to 90%, which may become apparent in more demanding scenes where the richness and saturation of colours are crucial for image quality. While the Q60D offers solid performance, those seeking more vibrant and accurate colour reproduction may notice some limitations.

The best factory mode on the Sony Bravia 8 television is IMAX Enhanced, offering the most cinematic experience, though it isn't perfectly calibrated. The TV attempts to replicate cinematic settings as accurately as possible, but some issues are evident. Starting with white balance, both for SDR and 4K content, there is a noticeable blue dominance, making the image appear too cold and lacking in natural warmth. Colour Checker tests reveal a shift towards cooler tones, affecting colour accuracy and making the image feel less lifelike.

Regarding brightness and contrast, the gamma shows a significant drop towards the end of the spectrum, meaning dark details may become too shadowed, and bright areas too intense, causing a loss of subtlety and detail. This is particularly noticeable in the sky, as seen in the comparison image. Additionally, the EOTF curve is considerably above the reference value, making bright elements overly intense. As a result, users may experience an unnatural image, with bright parts losing detail and negatively impacting the overall viewing quality.

For several years, Samsung has included a "Filmmaker" mode in its televisions, designed to deliver picture settings that remain true to the original vision of filmmakers straight out of the box. This is undoubtedly a significant move towards achieving cinematic quality at home, but it's important to note that this mode is not without its drawbacks.

For instance, the white balance in both SDR and HDR modes tends to show an excessive amount of red, resulting in an overly warm image. This can cause actors' skin tones and brighter scenes to appear unnaturally pink. The Colour Checker test confirms this issue, as colour samples often shift towards red hues, deviating from the neutral colour representation that would be preferred in a professional context.

In terms of contrast, there is a noticeable dip at the start of the gamma curve, where values below 2.4 fall to around 2.1. This can make darker scenes look less detailed, diminishing their depth. When displaying HDR content, the EOTF curve (which handles brightness representation) shows a significant peak at the beginning of the graph, potentially leading to excessive brightness in lighter areas of the image and disrupting the natural tonal balance.

The calibration process of the Sony Bravia 8 television resulted in significant improvements in image quality. The white balance was notably enhanced for both SDR and 4K HDR content, with minimal errors in the middle section of the graph. Gamma calibration was one of the biggest improvements, eliminating previous dips that had impacted brightness stability and the reproduction of detail in dark areas. The EOTF curve was also corrected, making bright elements appear more natural and improving the overall tonal balance.

However, the most attention should be given to colour reproduction, where some issues persist despite calibration. Sony has omitted the CMS system in this model, which would allow for more precise colour control. As a result, the Colour Checker test for 4K content still reveals significant colour inaccuracies. Despite these limitations, calibration is still recommended, as the improvements in brightness and contrast are noticeable and greatly enhance the overall image quality.

After professional calibration of the Samsung Q60D in film mode, users can experience a notable enhancement in image quality. Samsung TVs have long featured both 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments, and an advanced Colour Management System (CMS), enabling precise tuning of colour and hue. Following calibration, the white balance for both SDR and HDR content is free from significant peaks and red tone shifts, resulting in a more natural image. Although a few larger errors may still be evident in HDR mode, the overall improvement in colour accuracy is impressive.

In terms of contrast, despite the inherent limitations of the TV’s technology, there has been a marked improvement. Calibration enhances the visibility of details in darker scenes and accentuates the differences between lighter and darker elements, making the image appear more dynamic. This leads to a more satisfying viewing experience, with improved depth and realism in the displayed content.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in lower-quality materials on the Bravia 8 is lacking. Unfortunately, the gentle gradation function, which was available in previous models, is missing, which is a significant drawback. The digital noise reduction feature can improve tonal transitions, but it often removes fine details, such as clouds in scenes from The Martian, which may not be to everyone's taste. On the other hand, the digital processing in the Sony XR80 is quite effective. In test scenes, it performed well without noticeable flaws, and the branches in the background remained smooth without jagged edges. This indicates that the Bravia 8 is capable of handling complex low-resolution image details with relative ease.

However, when it comes to processing and scaling lower-quality content, the TV performs quite well. The image is displayed without overscan, ensuring the full use of the available screen space. Additionally, the edges of models or tree branches are not overly jagged, resulting in satisfactory content quality. While noise reduction could be more effective, the overall processing of lower-quality materials is positive and meets expectations.

The Sony Bravia 8 offers a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, ensuring smooth viewing of dynamic content such as sports and games, with sharp and fluid motion. For more demanding users, the Sony XR80 features an advanced motion smoothing system, divided into three settings: Smoothness (Film), Smoothness (Camera), and Clarity. The first two settings adjust the level of blur and smoothness, while the Clarity setting will be discussed in more detail below. Each of these parameters can be customised to suit individual preferences, allowing users to fine-tune the settings for the optimal viewing experience.

The Samsung Q60D is equipped with a 60 Hz panel and includes a feature known as "Motion Reduction," designed to minimise motion blur and improve the overall fluidity of the image. This addition is particularly beneficial for users who enjoy watching films and series, providing a smoother visual experience even during dynamic action scenes where detail is essential. However, while "Motion Reduction" enhances the viewing experience for cinematic content, it is important to note that this panel may not be the optimal choice for gaming due to a noticeable motion blur effect, which can become apparent during fast-paced gameplay.

The Sony Bravia 8 has greatly improved its compatibility with consoles compared to earlier models. It supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing and can sync with graphics cards for smooth visuals. The Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) reduces input lag, a crucial feature for fast-paced games. Additionally, Dolby Vision with low latency enhances HDR effects, offering stunning visuals during gameplay.

The Sony XR80 also includes a Game Bar, which provides quick access to settings and monitoring tools during gaming. A notable feature is the option to enable a virtual crosshair on the screen, giving players a potential advantage in shooter games.

However, there are some drawbacks. The TV lacks support for 1440p@120Hz resolution, which would benefit users with less powerful graphics cards. Furthermore, the Sony XR80 has only two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is typically used for connecting an audio system via eARC, limiting the number of available ports for next-gen consoles.

The Samsung Q60D has gaming features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), and Game Bar, which contribute positively to gaming experiences by optimising response times and enhancing HDR visuals. However, the absence of HDMI 2.1 support limits the TV's potential, preventing the use of VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) which could further boost smoothness and image consistency. For casual gamers the Q60D should suffice, delivering satisfactory performance during typical gameplay. On the other hand, for more discerning gamers, models with a higher refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 support are recommended. Such upgrades enable full functionality and better compatibility with the latest games, ensuring smoother motion and superior image quality – essential for an immersive and top-tier gaming experience.