If you watch a lot of movies or sports in darker rooms, the Sony X90K provides better performance, particularly with its higher dark room score, thanks to better local dimming and higher contrast. It's also slightly better for playing games.
However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Samsung Q70A is somewhat less expensive and still offers good gaming performance and brightness in well-lit rooms, although it falls short in dark room viewing quality.
Both TVs support similar HDR formats, but if you require Dolby Vision for watching movies, the Sony X90K supports it unlike the Samsung Q70A. On the other hand, the Samsung Q70A supports HDR10+ which the Sony X90K does not.
Sound quality is also better in the Sony X90K, but neither TV has particularly great speakers, so you may want to consider a soundbar regardless of your choice.
In summary, the Sony X90K is generally better in terms of overall picture quality, and especially for darker rooms, but it comes at a higher price compared to the Samsung Q70A. 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 Q70A (LCD)
The Samsung Q70A (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Sony X90K (LCD).
Advantages of the Sony X90K (LCD)
Very good for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Good for movies & TV
Good for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.2/10
7.7/10
8.21/10
CONTRAST
7.38/10
7.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED FALD
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
TBD
The Sony X90K (LCD) and Samsung Q70A (LCD) both have good picture quality, though the Sony X90K (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
Movies & TV
6.4/10
7.5/10
8.21/10
CONTRAST
7.38/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X90K (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Samsung Q70A (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X90K is considered better for movies & cinematic TV mainly because of its superior local dimming feature which enhances contrast and black uniformity, providing a better movie-watching experience with deeper blacks and more defined shadows. Meanwhile, the Samsung Q70A has a higher contrast ratio but lacks local dimming, which can lead to less impressive black levels and a less captivating experience in dark scenes; its viewing angles and reflection handling are also rated lower, impacting its performance in rooms with ambient light.
News, Talk, & Other TV
7.6/10
8.7/10
8.6/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Sony X90K (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung Q70A (LCD) is good.
The Samsung Q70A is good for watching news and TV programs with its very good SDR brightness and good upscaling, which makes lower resolution content look better. In comparison, the Sony X90K is considered very good for such content due to its superior upscaling and similarly very good SDR brightness, alongside a slight edge in colors right out of the box, providing a better overall viewing experience straight away.
Bright Room
7.4/10
8.0/10
5.3/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.4/10
8.6/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
7.2/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.3/10
5.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The Sony X90K (LCD) is very good for bright room, while the Samsung Q70A (LCD) is good.
The Sony X90K offers better reflection handling than the Samsung Q70A, making it more suitable for viewing in a bright room. While both TVs have very good SDR and HDR brightness, the superior reflection handling of the Sony provides a clearer picture in well-lit settings.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X90K (LCD) to be good for sports, while the Samsung Q70A (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X90K is better than the Samsung Q70A for sports because the Sony has superior motion processing which is crucial for fast-action scenes, and it handles reflections better which is important in bright rooms. While both have similar viewing angles, essential for a group watching, the Samsung falls short in the aforementioned areas, affecting its overall sports viewing quality.
Gaming
7.7/10
8.1/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
76.0/100
7.3/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X90K (LCD) to be very good for gaming, while the Samsung Q70A (LCD) is good.
The Samsung Q70A has the edge in input lag, making it well-suited for gaming, where fast reaction times are crucial. However, the Sony X90K has better motion handling due to its response time, which is important for providing a smoother gaming experience in fast-paced games.
Cartoons & Animation
8.2/10
8.0/10
7.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.7/10
7.0/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.8/10
8.6/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.7/10
8.5/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.0/10
6.0/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.6/10
The Samsung Q70A (LCD) and Sony X90K (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung Q70A stands out for its excellent colors right out of the box, requiring minimal adjustments for vibrant and accurate cartoon and animation viewing, whereas the Sony X90K, while also good with colors out of the box, is slightly less impressive in this regard. Both TVs offer a good color gamut and color volume, which are crucial for rich and varied shades, but the Samsung Q70A shines slightly brighter in offering color fidelity without much tinkering.
Cost
$1,148
$1,178
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Samsung Q70A (LCD) has a price of $1,148 and the Sony X90K (LCD) costs $1,178.
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How the Samsung Q70A (LCD) and the Sony X90K (LCD) compare to other TVs
"As Sony’s next-to-flagship LCD TV, the X90K series delivers impressive performance for the price. The XR90K had fairly accurate out-of-box color. The TV’s multi-position stand lets you either set the screen flush with any stand its mounted on or elevate it to clear space for a soundbar. With the latter option, you get around 3 inches of clearance enough to accommodate most soundbars. The X90K’s excellent suite of gaming features ranks it up there with the best 120 Hz 4K TVs."
Get a great deal on the Samsung Q70A (LCD) or the Sony X90K (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
99,030
Recommendations made
14,855
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.