LG QNED87T6B vs Sony X75WL

LG QNED87T6B delivers truly decent visual experiences when it comes to HDR. During our tests on test patterns, the television achieved brightness close to 500 nits, which is a satisfactory result and allows for good visibility of details in high dynamic scenes. Support for basic HDR formats, such as HDR10 and HLG, ensures appropriate image quality. Unfortunately, the television does not support more advanced standards, such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, which are particularly important at this screen brightness. The lack of support for dynamic metadata means that in certain scenes, the television may struggle to fully reproduce details, especially in very bright areas – precisely when dynamic metadata could significantly improve image quality. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the excellent coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching as high as 96.4%. This ensures that the colours displayed by the QNED87T6B model are more vibrant and natural, enhancing the quality of 4K content with a wide colour palette.

The luminosity chart for the X75WL Sony television showed a maximum value of 350 nits, which is unfortunately not an impressive result. The television does not surprise with its brightness, and all the HDR scenes we tested lacked depth and the appropriate light effect that should accompany HDR content. Additionally, the poor coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut makes it difficult for the television to reproduce rich colours, which significantly affects the overall viewing experience of HDR content. The lack of adequate brightness and weak colour coverage mean that HDR effects are very limited in this model.

The colour reproduction in the LG QNED, even in Filmmaker Mode, which is the best factory setting, is not without flaws. The main issue is the white balance – we noticed that the level of blue on the graph tends to decrease. This results in a shift towards yellow tones, making the image appear warmer than it should. This deviation affects the naturalness of colour reproduction, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. The Color Checker test confirmed that some colours are distorted and deviate from reality. Such distortion can make cinematic scenes seem less realistic, and details are represented in incorrect colours, which negatively impacts the overall picture quality.

In terms of contrast, the analysis of the gamma graph revealed significant drops, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker parts of the image brighter in certain scenes, which reduces their depth and dynamism. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural drop was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in less accuracy in reproducing dark scenes, which in turn affects the overall picture quality. The television may not convey the full depth of black, causing more demanding scenes to lose realism and detail. As a result, viewers may notice that details in the darker areas of the image become less distinct.

Colour reproduction tests for the model Sony X75WL are carried out in movie mode, which offers the best image settings, but it also has its flaws. The biggest problem with the X75WL Sony is the white balance – for both HD and 4K HDR content – which is characterised by a dominance of blue. As a result, the entire image feels too cold. The colour checker confirms these errors, showing that the colours lean towards cooler tones. In terms of brightness characteristics, the contrast gamma is at a fairly decent level, however, the same cannot be said for the EOTF curve. There are significant issues with maintaining appropriate brightness – the image is either overly bright or too dim, which impacts the visual perception of content.

After calibration, the colours in SDR content look very good. The improved white balance translates to natural and harmonious shades in various scenes. Thanks to the precise adjustment of the gamma, details in shadows and bright areas of the image are accurately reproduced. The television performs excellently in everyday use, offering vivid, well-balanced images and solid colour quality in HD quality. The greatest beneficiary here is also the contrast. The gamma chart has been freed from very large errors, so here the television has gained a second face.

As for the white balance in 4K HDR, it has also been significantly improved. However, certain errors still appear at the end of the chart. This could be due to the overly aggressive operation of the television's local dimming, which affects the accurate reproduction of colour in certain scenes. It is difficult to speak here of an improvement in brightness represented by the EOTF curve. Due to its construction limitations, the television has certain disadvantages and we are not able to overcome them. The Color Checker test confirms the issue with colour saturation – despite the television offering a wide colour palette, it is not able to fully convey what the director intended.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality after calibration is significantly better than before. Improvements in white balance and gamma adjustment make images more vivid, and colours closer to reality.

X75WL Sony is one of those cases where image calibration may not be highly spectacular, but it offers a very good improvement in the perception of colours. The white balance, for both HD and 4K materials, has been significantly improved – there is no longer a strong dominance of cooler shades. The gamma curve also appears more stable, which translates into better image quality. However, the biggest issue remains the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness in 4K materials. Due to the technological limitations of the television (IPS panel and lack of local dimming technology), it is hard to speak of a significant improvement, as we cannot extract more from this model. Despite these limitations, the tonal quality of the image has been significantly enhanced.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the gradation looks really good. A feature called "Smooth Gradation" effectively smooths out the most problematic areas of the image without negatively affecting the film grain. For the best effect, it’s worth setting it to a low level. This solution significantly improves the quality of the displayed content and makes watching lower resolution materials more enjoyable and smoother.

In terms of digital processing, the image is displayed without cropping, known as overscanning. Although slight fringing of the branches against the model’s background can be noticed, the overall presentation is very good. Users should be satisfied with the image quality when watching low-quality materials, such as standard television. The television handles this task exceptionally well, providing a satisfying visual experience even with lower quality content.

In the case of low-quality tonal transitions, the television Sony X75WL performs poorly. The lack of any feature to improve tonal transitions results in noticeable imperfections in colour gradation. However, one can credit the quite good digital processing – the image is displayed without overscan, and overall it looks relatively good thanks to the added slight sharpness, which some users may appreciate.

The television provides decent smoothness when watching films, thanks to the "Tru Motion" feature that allows for adjustment of the motion smoothing level on a scale from 0 to 10. De-Judder adjusts motion smoothness, while De-Blur regulates motion sharpness. The user has the option to choose between a traditional, cinematic effect with slight judder (lower settings) and a smoother, theatrical image. Although the latter slightly deviates from the cinematic standard, it may be appealing to many viewers.

As for gamers and sports fans, the LG QNED87 television with a 120Hz panel will certainly not disappoint them. And with the use of an IPS panel, the response time is generally better than that of VA panels available at a similar price. This guarantees smoother gameplay and dynamic experiences when watching sports events.

The X75WL Sony television is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, making it more suitable for watching films than for dynamic gaming. This model features a motion smoothing function called Motionflow, which allows the user to adjust the picture on a 10-point scale. Smoothness is responsible for adding intermediate frames, thereby increasing the fluidity of motion, while the image becomes more theatrical, minimising the cutting effect. Clarity reduces motion blur, which is particularly useful in fast scenes such as sports or dynamic actions in films. With this feature, users can adjust the fluidity and sharpness of motion to their own preferences.

LG QNED offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-performance television. The television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing for connection to the latest consoles, such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and taking full advantage of features including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). With the Game Bar feature, gamers can quickly and easily manage all their game settings without having to navigate through complicated menus. It is possible to adjust parameters such as VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and monitor frame rates. The television also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which is particularly important for owners of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise the television's refresh rate with the graphics card. The 120Hz panel ensures incredible motion smoothness and image clarity. Combined with the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, available at 60Hz and 120Hz, gamers can enjoy an even clearer and smoother picture. LG QNED87 is a television that will meet the expectations of even the most demanding gamers, offering modern technologies and features that significantly enhance comfort and satisfaction in gaming.

X75WL is not the best television for gamers. It only has the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature and a basic Game Bar, which are not enough to satisfy more demanding users. In this price range, one could expect support for features like VRR or 120 Hz refresh rates - although in FULLHD, which are already standard - unfortunately, they are lacking here. This is a major downside for Sony, as the competition offers much more for gamers in a similar budget.