If you're focused on watching sports, the Sony X80K has a better performance in that area, but it won't be as good for viewing in dark rooms. The Samsung AU8000 offers a similar price, better picture quality overall, and performs better in dark rooms, but it's not as strong as the Sony for viewing sports. Both TVs have similar bright room performance, so they're about equal if you plan to watch in a well-lit environment. The Sony X80K, however, has a slight edge in gaming performance. If sound quality is a concern, neither of these TVs has particularly great speakers, so you may want to consider an external sound system with either choice. The Samsung AU8000 has a better contrast which is important for movie watching, but if you care about the latest features, the Sony X80K supports more formats like Dolby Vision and HGiG. 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 AU8000 (LCD)
Good reflections
Advantages of the Sony X80K (LCD)
Good for sports
Good for news, talk, & other TV
Good for cartoons & animation
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Good viewing angle
Key differences
Picture Quality
6.6/10
6.0/10
6.71/10
CONTRAST
5.06/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
LED
PANEL TYPE
LED
VA
PANEL SUB-TYPE
IPS
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) and Sony X80K (LCD) both have only fair picture quality, though the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has somewhat better picture quality.
Sports
6.5/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony X80K (LCD) is good for sports, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung AU8000 has a poorer response time and lower motion processing capability than the Sony X80K, making it less suitable for action-packed sports content where these factors are critical. Additionally, the Sony X80K handles reflections better and has a wider viewing angle, which is beneficial for sports viewing in rooms with multiple viewers or varying seating positions.
Cost
$1,648
$2,198
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has a price of $1,648 and the Sony X80K (LCD) costs $2,198.
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) and Sony X80K (LCD) are both poor for movies & TV.
Both the Samsung AU8000 and Sony X80K have poor performance when watching movies and cinematic TV primarily due to their lack of local dimming, which impacts contrast and black uniformity—key elements for rich and immersive viewing in dark scenes. Additionally, although the Sony X80K has better colors out of the box and viewing angles, these attributes cannot compensate for its weaker contrast and black uniformity compared to the Samsung AU8000.
Gaming
5.8/10
5.8/10
5.9/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
6.2/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
8.7/10
6.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
0.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
5.8/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.3/10
The Sony X80K (LCD) and Samsung AU8000 (LCD) are both poor for gaming.
The Samsung AU8000 has poor response time and the Sony X80K also has poor response time, which is very important for gaming as it affects how quickly the display can render the image, causing blurring with fast-moving objects. While both TVs have low input lag, which can be good for gaming, their fixed 60Hz refresh rate is not ideal for more demanding gaming situations that benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother motion.
Cartoons & Animation
6.9/10
7.2/10
6.1/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.1/10
6.3/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.6/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
7.2/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.5/10
6.8/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X80K (LCD) to be good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X80K provides richer and more accurate colors out of the box and boasts a better color gamut, which translates to more vibrant and diverse colors when watching cartoons and animation. In contrast, the Samsung AU8000 shows fair performance in these areas, resulting in less vivid colors which can affect the overall viewing experience of animated content.
News, Talk, & Other TV
6.7/10
7.2/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony X80K (LCD) to be good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Sony X80K delivers better upscaling of non-4K content and a wider range of accurate colors straight out of the box compared to the Samsung AU8000, making it more suited for watching news and TV programs where detail and color accuracy are noticeable. Both TVs offer good SDR brightness, ensuring clear visibility in bright rooms, but the Sony's advantages in upscaling and color reproduction provide a visually superior experience for common television content.
Bright Room
6.3/10
6.4/10
5.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
7.5/10
7.1/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.5/10
5.7/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.1/10
7.8/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
6.0/10
The Sony X80K (LCD) and Samsung AU8000 (LCD) are both only fair for bright room.
The Samsung AU8000 and Sony X80K both offer fair performance in bright rooms partly because they have good SDR brightness and handle reflections decently. However, both TVs have limited HDR brightness and color capabilities, which might affect the picture quality when watching HDR content, especially in well-lit environments.
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How the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) and the Sony X80K (LCD) compare to other TVs
"To put it directly: you’d never see a mid-range 4K TV hitting this black levels half a decade ago. AU8000 plays the part of a higher-end TV thanks to its sleek design. If you’re upgrading to a smart TV for the first time, the software is a great way to dip your toes in the streaming water."
"The Sony Bravia X80K is an inexpensive LCD TV that turns out pleasing visuals and is armed with a number of other desirable features. Sony’s robust internal processing, results in generally better picture quality than you’ll usually get for this price. In practice, the X80K is satisfying to watch. You’re not going to get as sumptuous a picture as you may with other TVs from Sony or other companies, but we didn’t encounter anything that looked bad on it."
Get a great deal on the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) or the Sony X80K (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
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21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
99,030
Recommendations made
14,855
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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.