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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Samsung QN90C is a premium priced TV that offers superior picture quality and a better gaming experience. It's especially good for bright rooms. On the other hand, the Sony X85K has a midrange price with decent quality but may not perform as well in sunny environments. If you're looking for high-end picture quality and play a lot of video games or watch TV in a bright room, the Samsung QN90C could be the better choice. However, if you're budget-conscious and want a good quality TV for general viewing, the Sony X85K may suit your needs. 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 QN90C (LCD)
- Best in class for bright room
- Good for dark room
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for movies & TV
- Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
- Very good for use as monitor
- Good viewing angle
- Excellent reflections
Advantages of the Sony X85K (LCD)
- Best in class for upscaling
- Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.2
7.2
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) has very good picture quality, while the Sony X85K (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.1
6.4
7.00/10
CONTRAST
7.50/10
7.0/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good for movies & TV, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN90C offers better movie and cinematic TV viewing due to its superior contrast, effective local dimming, and better black uniformity, enhancing dark scene display, which is crucial for movies. In contrast, the Sony X85K falls short in these areas, particularly lacking a local dimming feature which is vital for improving contrast and black depth in cinematic content.
Gaming
8.8
7.5
8.3/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
7.6/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.3/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
9.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.3/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90C is considered very good for gaming partly because it has the lowest input lag, which is crucial for a responsive gaming experience. The Sony X85K is rated as good for gaming, but its input lag is not as low as the QN90C's, making it slightly less ideal for the most competitive or reaction-time sensitive games.
News, Talk, & Other TV
9.0
8.2
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90C excels in upscaling and SDR brightness, making it particularly suitable for news, talk shows, and general TV programs in bright conditions. However, where the Sony X85K shines is in upscaling and color accuracy right out of the box, which enhances the viewing experience of such content, specifically where color representation is key, even if its SDR brightness is somewhat lower than the Samsung.
Bright Room
9.7
7.4
7.4/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
9.3/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.3/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Sony X85K (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN90C is superior for bright room viewing due to its high SDR and HDR brightness, combined with excellent reflection handling, making it the best choice for such environments. The Sony X85K also performs well with good SDR and HDR brightness and reflection handling, but isn't as bright as the Samsung and thus isn't as effective in very bright rooms.
Cost
$1,298
$848
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) has a price of $1,298 and the Sony X85K (LCD) costs $848.
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Key similarities
Sports
7.1
7.4
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.3/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X85K (LCD) and Samsung QN90C (LCD) are both good for sports.
The Samsung QN90C excels in response time and handling reflections, which benefits fast-paced sports by reducing blur and ensuring clear images even in bright rooms. On the other hand, the Sony X85K has superior motion processing, providing smoother action during sports but falls short in viewing angles, which might reduce the picture quality for those sitting off to the side.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8
8.5
7.8/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
9.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.1/10
6.6/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.5/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) and Sony X85K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung QN90C delivers vibrant and accurate colors straight out of the box and boasts a wider color gamut, ensuring that cartoons & animation look vivid and detailed. The Sony X85K, while also providing excellent color accuracy straight out of the box, doesn't have as extensive a color volume, which means it may not represent the brightest and darkest colors as well as the Samsung in animated content.
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How the Samsung QN90C (LCD) and the Sony X85K (LCD) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Samsung QN90C (LCD) | Sony X85K (LCD) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,298 | $848 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Samsung | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 2, 2023 | May 2, 2022 | |
Full name | |||
Full name | QN50QN90C | KD-50X85K | |
Screen Size | |||
Screen Size | 50" | 50" | |
Screen Resolution | |||
Screen Resolution | 4K | 4K | |
TV FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Operating System | |||
Operating System | Tizen | Android TV | |
Sound Quality Score | |||
Sound Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
NextGen Ready | |||
NextGen Ready | Yes | Yes | |
HDMI Ports | |||
HDMI Ports | 4 | 4 | |
Coax Ports | |||
Coax Ports | 1 | 1 | |
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Picture Quality Score | |||
Picture Quality Score | 8.2/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Bright Room Score | |||
Bright Room Score | 9.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Movies & TV Score | |||
Movies & TV Score | 8.1/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Sports Score | |||
Sports Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
PHYSICAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | |||
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D) | 25.4" x 43.8" x 1.1" | 25.5" x 44.1" x 2.8" | |
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | |||
Dimensions with Stand (H x W) | 27.8" x 43.8" | 28.1" x 44.1" | |
Weight without Stand | |||
Weight without Stand | 29.8 lbs | 28.0 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 | 7.5/10 | |
Local Dimming | |||
Local Dimming | 8/10 | 2.5/10 | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Speaker Setup | |||
Speaker Setup | 2.2 | 2.0 | |
Speaker Power | |||
Speaker Power | 40 W | 20 W | |
Dolby Atmos | |||
Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes | |
DTS:X | |||
DTS:X | No | Up to DTS Digital Surround, Bypass only | |
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90C (LCD) or the Sony X85K (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.
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