When choosing between the Samsung QN90A and the Sony X90J, consider the following:
If you prioritize picture quality in bright rooms and want better viewing angles, the Samsung QN90A is superior. Its performance in sunny rooms and overall brightness is better than the Sony X90J. However, it is generally slightly more expensive.
For gaming purposes, both TVs perform well, but the Samsung has a slight edge with quicker response times and lower input lag, which is beneficial for fast-paced games.
The Sony X90J, while it performs slightly less impressively in bright rooms, it still has good color accuracy and motion handling. If budget is a concern, it tends to be slightly less expensive than the Samsung.
Both TVs have similar audio capabilities, but only the Samsung comes with great built-in speakers.
Each of these TVs would provide a quality experience for watching movies, sports, or gaming, but your preference for bright room usage or budget considerations might sway your choice toward one over the other. 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 QN90A (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Very good for movies & TV
Very good for use as monitor
Excellent reflections
Advantages of the Sony X90J (LCD)
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Bright Room
9.7/10
7.6/10
6.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.2/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.9/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Sony X90J (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A is the better choice for bright rooms due to higher scores in SDR and HDR brightness, which implies it can maintain clearer visibility in well-lit environments; it also has a superior reflections handling capability, making it less susceptible to glare. On the other hand, the Sony X90J, while still providing good performance, has lower SDR and HDR brightness, meaning it won't be as bright, and a poorer reflection handling, which makes it more prone to glare in bright conditions.
Cost
$889
$800
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) has a price of $889 and the Sony X90J (LCD) costs $800.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90A (LCD) to have very good picture quality, while the Sony X90J (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.0/10
7.9/10
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.63/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.4/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN90A (LCD) to be very good for movies & TV, while the Sony X90J (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90A offers superior viewing for movies and cinematic TV with its high contrast and excellent local dimming capabilities which contribute to deep blacks and highlight details, essential for dark scene reproduction. The Sony X90J, while still good for movies, falls slightly short in black uniformity, reflecting its less effective handling of darker scenes compared to the Samsung model, though it does offer excellent colors out of the box.
Sports
7.0/10
7.1/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X90J (LCD) and Samsung QN90A (LCD) are both good for sports.
Gaming
8.3/10
8.2/10
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
80.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and Sony X90J (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Samsung QN90A excels in gaming performance due to its lower input lag and faster response time, providing a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. Conversely, the Sony X90J, while also offering good gaming capabilities with comparable refresh rates and support for 4k gaming at 120Hz, doesn't match the Samsung QN90A's quick performance indicators, which can be critical in fast-paced gaming.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
8.3/10
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.0/10
6.4/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and Sony X90J (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung QN90A boasts the best colors out of the box, which means vivid and accurate colors for animations without additional calibration, while its color gamut is rated as good, ensuring a wide range of colors that can be displayed. The Sony X90J also offers excellent colors out of the box, making it suitable for colorful content like cartoons and animations, and has a similar good rating for color gamut, making it competitive in displaying a wide color spectrum.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.9/10
8.9/10
9.4/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Samsung QN90A (LCD) and Sony X90J (LCD) are both very good for news, talk, & other TV.
The Samsung QN90A is praised for its excellent SDR brightness and effective upscaling which provide clear and well-defined images for watching news, talk shows, and other TV programs. Similarly, the Sony X90J offers very good SDR brightness and even better upscaling capabilities, ensuring that non-HD content is displayed crisply, contributing to a good viewing experience for standard TV programming. Both TVs have quality local dimming and color reproduction features, which while important for these viewing scenarios, are slightly less critical than their upscaling and brightness capabilities.
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How the Samsung QN90A (LCD) and the Sony X90J (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Samsung QN90A (LCD)
Sony X90J (LCD)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$889
$800
Brand
Brand
Samsung
Sony
Release Date
Release Date
February 2, 2021
April 1, 2021
Full name
Full name
QN50QN90A
XR-50X90J
Screen Size
Screen Size
50"
50"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
LCD
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
miniLED FALD VA
LED FALD VA
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Tizen
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
8.3/10
7.3/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
Yes
Yes
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
4
4
Coax Ports
Coax Ports
1
1
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120Hz
120Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDR Supported formats
HDR Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Accessibility
Accessibility
None
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
8.2/10
7.8/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
9.8/10
7.7/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
8.4/10
8.2/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
8.1/10
7.9/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
7/10
7.1/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
9/10
8.9/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
8.8/10
8.4/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
8.2/10
7/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
25.4" x 43.9" x 1.1"
25.5" x 44" x 2.7"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
27.9" x 43.9"
28.1" x 44"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
30.9 lbs
29.8 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
200 x 200
200 x 200
DISPLAY
Color Depth
Color Depth
10 bit
10 bit
Black Frame Insertion
Black Frame Insertion
Yes
Yes
Auto Low Latency Mode
Auto Low Latency Mode
Yes
Yes
Contrast
Contrast
7/10
7.6/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
8/10
8/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
7/100
8/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
9.3/10
8.3/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
9.4/10
8.6/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
9.3/10
7.9/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
6.4/10
6.8/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
7/10
6.4/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
6.5/10
5.3/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
9.1/10
5.9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
8/10
10/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
10/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
7.9/10
7/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
8.2/10
7.4/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
8.4/10
8.1/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
10/10
7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
9.5/10
9/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8/10
8.8/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
8/10
8/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.2
2.0
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
40 W
20 W
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos
Bypass only
Yes
DTS:X
DTS:X
No
Up to DTS Digital Surround, Bypass only
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90A (LCD) or the Sony X90J (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
TVs evaluated
33,110
TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
132,330
Recommendations made
19,850
Consumer hours saved
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.