If you prioritize overall picture quality, especially in dark rooms, and accurate color representation, the Sony A90K is a strong choice as it excels in contrast and black uniformity, benefiting greatly from its OLED technology. However, it isn't as bright, which may be a concern in well-lit rooms. For budget-conscious customers looking for a larger screen and good performance in bright rooms, the Samsung Q80C with its superior SDR brightness could be attractive. Its LCD screen provides good overall picture quality but may fall short in contrast and viewing angles compared to the Sony. For gaming, both are capable, but if you also plan to use the TV for watching sports, Sony offers an excellent experience while Samsung's performance is fair. If you are considering using external speakers or a soundbar, note that the Sony A90K provides a stand that can accommodate a soundbar, enhancing the audio setup. 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 Q80C (LCD)
Good for bright room
Advantages of the Sony A90K (OLED)
Very good for dark room
Excellent for movies & TV
Excellent for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Very good for use as monitor
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Very good viewing angle
Very good reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
5.55/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
7.8/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
LED FALD
PANEL TYPE
WOLED
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
WBE
The Sony A90K (OLED) has very good picture quality, while the Samsung Q80C (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.1/10
9.1/10
5.55/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
4.4/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
10.0/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A90K (OLED) is excellent for movies & TV, while the Samsung Q80C (LCD) is only fair.
Sports
6.8/10
9.1/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A90K (OLED) is excellent for sports, while the Samsung Q80C (LCD) is only fair.
Gaming
8.1/10
8.8/10
7.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
60.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
8.1/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.2/10
The Sony A90K (OLED) and Samsung Q80C (LCD) are both very good for gaming, though the Sony A90K (OLED) is somewhat better.
Cartoons & Animation
7.2/10
8.4/10
7.3/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
8.3/10
7.8/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
6.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.7/10
7.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.6/10
The Sony A90K (OLED) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung Q80C (LCD) is good.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.2/10
8.7/10
8.5/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
7.0/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Sony A90K (OLED) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung Q80C (LCD) is good.
Cost
$998
$1,398
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Samsung Q80C (LCD) has a price of $998 and the Sony A90K (OLED) costs $1,398.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung Q80C (LCD) to be good for bright room, while the Sony A90K (OLED) is only fair.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Samsung Q80C (LCD) and the Sony A90K (OLED) compare to other TVs
Spec Comparison
Samsung Q80C (LCD)
Sony A90K (OLED)
GENERAL
Price
Price
$998
$1,398
Brand
Brand
Samsung
Sony
Release Date
Release Date
May 1, 2023
June 2, 2022
Full name
Full name
QN55Q80C
48A90K
Screen Size
Screen Size
55"
48"
Screen Resolution
Screen Resolution
4K
4K
Screen Type
Screen Type
LCD
OLED
Screen Sub-type
Screen Sub-type
LED FALD IPS
WOLED WBE
Smart TV
Smart TV
Yes
Yes
TV FEATURES
Operating System
Operating System
Tizen
Android TV
Sound Quality Score
Sound Quality Score
7.3/10
7/10
NextGen Ready
NextGen Ready
No
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
Voice Commands
None
DISPLAY QUALITY SCORES
Picture Quality Score
Picture Quality Score
7/10
8.6/10
Bright Room Score
Bright Room Score
7.3/10
6.8/10
Gaming Score
Gaming Score
8.2/10
8.8/10
Movies & TV Score
Movies & TV Score
6.2/10
9.1/10
Sports Score
Sports Score
6.9/10
9.2/10
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
News, Talk, & Other TV Score
7.3/10
8.8/10
Cartoons & Animation Score
Cartoons & Animation Score
7.2/10
8.4/10
Use as Monitor Score
Use as Monitor Score
7.8/10
8.5/10
PHYSICAL
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
Dimensions w/o Stand (H x W x D)
27.8" x 48.3" x 1.8"
24.6" x 42.1" x 2.4"
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
Dimensions with Stand (H x W)
30.2" x 48.3"
24.9" x 42.1"
Weight without Stand
Weight without Stand
Unknown
29.6 lbs
VESA Mount
VESA Mount
200 x 200
300 x 300
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
5.6/10
10/10
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
5.7/10
10/10
Gaming Local Dimming
Gaming Local Dimming
6/100
10/100
Game HDR Brightness Score
Game HDR Brightness Score
8.1/10
6.3/10
SDR Brightness Score
SDR Brightness Score
8.5/10
6.4/10
HDR Brightness Score
HDR Brightness Score
7.3/10
6.2/10
Gray Uniformity
Gray Uniformity
7/10
9.7/10
Black Uniformity
Black Uniformity
4.5/10
10/10
Viewing Angle
Viewing Angle
7.7/10
8.8/10
Reflections Score
Reflections Score
6/10
9/10
Upscaling
Upscaling
7/10
10/10
Motion Processing
Motion Processing
8/10
10/10
Color Gamut Score
Color Gamut Score
7.3/10
8.3/10
Color Volume Score
Color Volume Score
7.9/10
8/10
Response Time Score
Response Time Score
7.8/10
9.4/10
Input Lag Score
Input Lag Score
10/10
7/10
Colors Out of the Box Score
Colors Out of the Box Score
6.5/10
7.7/10
Quality Control
Quality Control
8/10
10/10
Chroma Subsampling Score
Chroma Subsampling Score
8/10
8/10
SOUND
Speaker Setup
Speaker Setup
2.2
2.1
Speaker Power
Speaker Power
40 W
25 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 Q80C (LCD) or the Sony A90K (OLED)
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
122,430
Recommendations made
18,365
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.