The Samsung QN85B offers better performance in bright rooms and provides higher picture quality overall, which makes it a strong choice if you often watch TV in a well-lit environment or if you're looking for a more premium viewing experience, but this comes at a higher cost. It is also a superior option for gaming thanks to its higher refresh rate and lower input lag.
On the other hand, the Sony X77L is more affordable but doesn't perform as well in bright rooms or dark rooms and offers lower picture quality. It's still a decent choice for casual viewing, especially if you're on a tighter budget or don't need the extra gaming performance. 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 QN85B (LCD)
Excellent 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
Very good for cartoons & animation
Very good for use as monitor
Very good reflections
Advantages of the Sony X77L (LCD)
The Sony X77L (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Samsung QN85B (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.5/10
5.6/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
3.58/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
IPS
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has good picture quality, while the Sony X77L (LCD) has poor picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.3/10
5.2/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
3.58/10
5.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
5.8/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung QN85B delivers better contrast, effective local dimming, and good black uniformity which are crucial for a cinematic experience, while the Sony X77L, despite having very good colors out of the box, falls short in its poor contrast, weak local dimming, and comparable black uniformity, detracting from its performance in movies and cinematic TV.
Gaming
8.2/10
5.8/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
5.9/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
8.5/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
5.0/100
9.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.4/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung QN85B excels in gaming due to its very good response time and the best input lag performance, providing smooth and responsive gameplay. In contrast, the Sony X77L, with a poor response time, doesn't offer the same level of gaming performance and gamers may experience delays or "ghosting" while playing fast-paced games.
Cartoons & Animation
8.0/10
6.0/10
7.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
5.9/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.2/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.8/10
7.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.7/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B is rated higher for watching cartoons and animation compared to the Sony X77L due to its better performance in colors straight out of the box and a wider color gamut, which are very important for animated content that often features vibrant and varied colors. Additionally, the Samsung model has a higher color volume, which contributes to its ability to display a wider range of colors at different brightness levels, although this factor is somewhat less important than the initial color accuracy and gamut.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
6.0/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.2/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.0/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B is superior for news and TV programs due to excellent SDR brightness, which ensures a clear image in various lighting conditions, and good performance in upscaling, which enhances lower resolution content. The Sony X77L, while having very good colors out of the box, falls short with only good SDR brightness and fair upscaling, making it less ideal for mixed usage like watching news where such factors are significant.
Bright Room
9.2/10
6.0/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
7.7/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.2/10
8.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.2/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.3/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is excellent for bright room, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B offers an excellent SDR Brightness and a very good HDR Brightness, as well as very good handling of reflections, making it suitable for bright rooms. In contrast, the Sony X77L provides only fair performance in reflection handling and HDR Brightness, and just good SDR Brightness, which may not be as effective in well-lit conditions.
Cost
$1,199
$598
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has a price of $1,199 and the Sony X77L (LCD) costs $598.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN85B (LCD) to be good for sports, while the Sony X77L (LCD) is only fair.
In terms of sports viewing, the Samsung QN85B outperforms the Sony X77L because it has a better response time and motion processing, which results in less motion blur during fast-moving scenes. Additionally, it handles reflections more effectively, meaning the picture remains clear even in bright rooms, while the Sony has a fair reflection handling which might affect visibility in well-lit conditions.
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How the Samsung QN85B (LCD) and the Sony X77L (LCD) compare to other TVs
"Particularly key to this is the fact that black levels are unusually good, on a level we haven’t seen from any IPS TV before. Build quality is impressive too, with a gleaming silver metallic frame and stand, and enough heft to suggest plenty of quality innards. High dynamic range content jumps off the screen with enough luminosity and intensity to really sell what makes HDR special."
"For an entry-level model, Sony’s X77L is a decent 4K TV. It’s color reproduction, along with crisp and clean picture images revealed plenty of detail and clarity thanks in part to Sony’s excellent video processing."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN85B (LCD) or the Sony X77L (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
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.