The Samsung Q80B offers superior gaming performance with a faster response time and lower input lag, making it an excellent choice if you're a gamer. However, in bright rooms, it might not perform as impressively. The Sony X85J, while slightly better for watching news and animation, has exceptional sound quality but may not be the best choice for watching in dark environments due to its lower dark room performance. If you prioritize audio and spend more time watching various TV content in well-lit spaces, the X85J could serve you well. Conversely, if gaming is your main interest or you spend a lot of time in darker rooms, you might prefer the Samsung Q80B despite its minor shortcomings in bright conditions. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Q80B (LCD)
Very good for gaming
Good for use as monitor
Good viewing angle
Advantages of the Sony X85J (LCD)
Good for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Gaming
8.2/10
7.6/10
8.1/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.8/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
60.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
8.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
The Samsung Q80B (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Sony X85J (LCD) is good.
The Samsung Q80B excels in gaming because it has the highest class response time and superb input lag, making it responsive and crisp during fast-paced gameplay. On the other hand, the Sony X85J offers good performance in both aspects, which still provides a smooth gaming experience but may not feel as instantaneous or fluid as the Samsung Q80B for very demanding gaming scenarios.
Cartoons & Animation
7.6/10
8.6/10
7.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.3/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.3/10
8.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.8/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.1/10
6.4/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.2/10
The Sony X85J (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung Q80B (LCD) is good.
The Samsung Q80B is noted for having good colors out of the box, which makes it a suitable choice for cartoons and animation where vibrant and accurate colors are important. In comparison, the Sony X85J excels with excellent out-of-the-box color accuracy, ensuring minimal adjustment for a vivid and enjoyable animation viewing experience.
Cost
$798
$850
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung Q80B (LCD) has a price of $798 and the Sony X85J (LCD) costs $850.
The Sony X85J (LCD) and Samsung Q80B (LCD) both have good picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.4/10
6.5/10
5.33/10
CONTRAST
7.88/10
5.2/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.9/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X85J (LCD) and Samsung Q80B (LCD) are both only fair for movies & TV.
The Samsung Q80B has good contrast and black uniformity which enhances dark scene depiction in movies but has limited viewing angles that might affect group watching. The Sony X85J, while it also has satisfactory contrast, falls short in black uniformity, impacting the depth of blacks in dark scenes; its wider viewing angles, however, are better suited for viewers sitting off to the side.
Sports
6.8/10
7.2/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.6/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
8.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X85J (LCD) to be good for sports, while the Samsung Q80B (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X85J provides a better experience for watching sports mainly due to its excellent motion processing that handles fast movements smoothly, which is crucial during dynamic sports games. On the other hand, the Samsung Q80B, while still good, may not deliver as smooth motion due to its lower performance in motion processing and consequently less effective handling of fast-moving content, which can be a drawback for sports viewers.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.8/10
8.2/10
8.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X85J (LCD) to be very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung Q80B (LCD) is good.
The Samsung Q80B is good for watching news and TV programs as it has very good SDR brightness and upscaling, which enhances detail clarity in lower resolution content; however, its out-of-the-box colors are only good, which can affect the initial color accuracy. The Sony X85J is very good for the same content due to excellent upscaling and colors out-of-the-box, ensuring a crisp and vibrant viewing experience right away, even though it does not feature local dimming to improve contrast in various scenes.
Bright Room
7.4/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.3/10
8.8/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.5/10
7.7/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.1/10
6.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Samsung Q80B (LCD) and Sony X85J (LCD) are both good for bright room.
The Samsung Q80B excels in a bright room due to its very good SDR and good HDR brightness, paired with fair handling of reflections, making it adept for well-lit environments. Contrastingly, the Sony X85J, while still providing very good SDR and good HDR brightness, struggles more with reflections, handling them poorly and could be less suitable for spaces with intense direct light.
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How the Samsung Q80B (LCD) and the Sony X85J (LCD) compare to other TVs
"For most people its picture, sound, and price make it a midrange TV worth considering. HDR brightness was generally exceptional. Its viewing angles are shockingly good, among the very best we’ve seen recently from any non-OLED TV. For gamers input lag isn’t too shabby."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Q80B (LCD) or the Sony X85J (LCD)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
385
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21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
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Recommendations made
14,855
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About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.