{"id":162591,"date":"2023-06-05T22:29:46","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T21:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techweekmag.com\/?p=162591"},"modified":"2024-06-04T17:16:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T17:16:12","slug":"sony-x90l-review-a-must-buy-tv-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/tv\/sony-x90l-review-a-must-buy-tv-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony X90L: A must buy TV"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2023 Sony Bravia X90L 4K Google TV is a good affordable option for those looking for a TV with superior Sony video processing, as well as smart streaming and recommendations from Google TV. Unlike some of the advanced series of Mini LED LCD TVs , the Bravia X90L series features full-array local dimming backlighting.<\/p>\n<p>However, Sony&#8217;s Cognitive Processor XR and\u00a0Triluminos\u00a0Pro color system are very good.\u00a0If the X90L TV series isn&#8217;t the best in Sony&#8217;s 2023\u00a0lineup\u00a0, is the 65X90L worth buying?\u00a0Does the price match the quality?\u00a0In the Sony Bravia XR-65X90L 4K HDR review, we will try to answer these and other questions.<\/p>\n<h2>Sony X90L Preview<\/h2>\n<h3>Design<\/h3>\n<p>The Sony Bravia XR65X90L screen is framed around the entire perimeter with a black narrow frame.\u00a0The included stand consists of a pair of metal legs that can be attached to two different sides of the bottom of the screen.\u00a0The legs can be adjusted to fit countertops or cabinets of various widths.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-162604\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-40.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-40.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-40-770x621.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The legs are almost snug against the screen, but this distance can be increased so that the soundbar does not block any part of the screen.\u00a0The legs are very easy to attach to the screen and provide a stable footing without much screen wobble.\u00a0With the stand at its lowest position, the gap between the mounting surface and the bottom of the screen is less than 4 cm.<\/p>\n<p>The maximum raised position provides an 8.5 cm gap, which allows you to easily place many soundbar models under the screen.\u00a0The back side of the panel is made of black textured plastic with a rounded slope upwards.\u00a0The case design provides a flat surface for wall mounting with little clearance.<\/p>\n<p>The rear panel has standard holes for a 300 x 300 mm VESA bracket (for 65 inches).\u00a0The TV is equipped with a compact remote that fits comfortably in your hand and offers a minimal button layout for controlling the Google TV operating system.<\/p>\n<p>YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video have shortcut buttons.\u00a0The buttons are not backlit, but most of the corresponding controls are easy to find by touch in the dark.\u00a0The microphone input for the Google Assistant voice control is located on the top of the remote.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The centrally located microphone button is clearly labeled and easily accessible.\u00a0Unfortunately, the remote does not have the ability to recharge the internal battery, which is now available in some competitor remotes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/64_techweek.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-12037\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/60_techweek.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/60_techweek.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/62_techweek.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/63_techweek.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/64_techweek.jpg 1306w\" alt=\"Sony Bravia XR-65X90L design\" width=\"700\" height=\"482\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Google TV<\/h3>\n<p>Sony TVs are equipped with the Google TV user interface.\u00a0The latest version brings a wide range of popular apps and related programs to the thumbnail selection ribbons on the home screen to quickly jump to the corresponding movie or TV show.<\/p>\n<p>The built-in Google Assistant voice control feature is responsive and efficient when searching for content.\u00a0AI voice control can be activated using the microphone button switch on the remote control or, depending on the user&#8217;s preference, via hands-free voice commands.<\/p>\n<p>Program selection is relatively fast.\u00a0In general, the Google TV interface can be considered very useful, intuitive and satisfactory, both when manually searching using the remote control, and when giving voice commands.<\/p>\n<h3>Sound quality<\/h3>\n<p>As with any modern television, to get the most immersive movie sound possible, it is recommended that you purchase a soundbar or home theater surround sound system.\u00a0The rest may well be satisfied with the TV sound system, whose built-in speakers are also quite good.<\/p>\n<p>The internal speaker system delivers very clear dialogue, but movie sound effects and music volume peaks are sometimes cut off.\u00a0These limitations are due to the use of tiny speakers inside the TV&#8217;s thin-panel plastic housing.<\/p>\n<p>Sony calls its sound system Acoustic Multi-Audio with an XR Sound option to convert stereo signals into virtual surround sound that doesn&#8217;t have the great depth or bass punch of an external subwoofer.\u00a0However, the system copes well with the expansion of the sound stage.<\/p>\n<p>An S-Center Speaker connection is also provided to use the TV speakers as the center channel in an external surround sound system.\u00a0The sound settings on the Sony XR-65X90L TV offer six presets: Standard, Dialogue, Cinema, Music, Sports and Dolby Audio.<\/p>\n<p>The mode names accurately describe the effects delivered, while Dolby Audio provides a wider virtual surround sound experience.\u00a0As mentioned, in all modes, the built-in bass tones are a little weak, and the overall sound of the system isn&#8217;t exactly perfect.\u00a0The built-in system provides an acceptable sound level for most viewers.<\/p>\n<h3>Image quality<\/h3>\n<p>The Sony 65X90L TV is equipped with a VA\u00a0panel\u00a0with\u00a0direct backlighting\u00a0and full matrix dimming (\u00a0FALD\u00a0).\u00a0Like most LCD TVs with this backlight, the XR65X90L Google TV suffers somewhat when viewed at an angle, both vertically and horizontally.\u00a0Although horizontal viewing angles retain contrast and color detail better than most TVs in this price segment.<\/p>\n<p>Reflections on the screen are visible and can sometimes be distracting when viewing dark scenes when lights are on in the viewing room.\u00a0In Vivid picture mode, with advanced contrast enhancement and auto local dimming, HDR peak brightness slightly exceeds 1000 nits, which is a very good result.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In HDR10 mode, after calibration, using a 10% white window, the maximum brightness level is 915 nits.\u00a0In the 100 percent window, this drops to 620 nits.\u00a0The large size of the TV&#8217;s local dimming zones reduces its ability to control pure black reproduction in some dark scenes.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the TV&#8217;s LED dimming feature allows you to measure &#8220;zero nits&#8221; in black test patterns when viewed in a dark room.\u00a0This is assuming that the Ultra HD Alliance&#8217;s Premium 4K LED LCD black threshold standards are considered excellent at 0.05 nits or lower.<\/p>\n<p>The Sony X90L TV does much better picture processing than you would expect from a mid-range TV.\u00a0Motion smoothing and judder can be reduced using the Motionflow and CineMotion processing functions, respectively.\u00a0Scaling content from DVD format works pretty well.<\/p>\n<h3>Game Mode<\/h3>\n<p>In game mode when using game consoles, the performance of the 2023 XR-65X90L Google TV is not the best.\u00a0However, they are better than most mid-range 4K LED TVs.\u00a0In Game picture mode, input lag via HDMI 2.1 (port 3) is 22.6ms when a 1080\/60p signal is input.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-162602\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1562\" height=\"1101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-39.jpg 1562w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-39-1200x846.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-39-770x543.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Pasted-39-1536x1083.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1562px) 100vw, 1562px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This is slower than some of the more expensive models.\u00a0When connected to a new generation game console or PC graphics card, the TV will automatically enter the game mode with low latency.\u00a0In addition, the 65X90L TV also supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/67_techweek.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-12039\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/61_techweek.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/61_techweek.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/65_techweek.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/66_techweek.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/67_techweek.jpg 1406w\" alt=\"Sony Bravia XR-65X90L interfaces\" width=\"700\" height=\"398\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Connections<\/h3>\n<p>The patch panel of the X90L TV is located on the rear panel in a cut-out niche.\u00a0This design provides a small clearance for wall mounting.\u00a0The set offers two HDMI 2.0 ports and two 4K HDMI 2.1 ports, which are numbered 3 and 4. HDMI 3 input adds eARC\u00a0audio pass-through support\u00a0.<\/p>\n<p>Ports 3 and 4 support frame rates up to 4K\/120fps, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).\u00a0All four inputs are HDCP 2.3 compliant to play the latest copy-protected 4K video content.<\/p>\n<p>Also on board are two USB 2.0 ports, a set of composite video inputs (via a 3.5 mm mini-jack cable), RF inputs for connecting antennas, an optical digital audio output, an Ethernet port, and a CI + slot for pay TV channels.\u00a0Wireless connections include dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.2, and Apple\u00a0AirPlay 2\u00a0for wireless streaming from Apple devices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>X90L price\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\nX90L sales start date in Europe is scheduled for the end of the second quarter of 2023.\u00a0The series consists of five models with diagonals from 55 to 98 inches.\u00a0At the time point: the beginning of June 2023, the prices on foreign official websites are as follows.\u00a0The Sony XR-55X90L TV is priced at $1,200.<\/p>\n<p>The Sony XR-65X90L TV can be bought for $1,500.\u00a0The Sony XR-75X90L model sells for $2,000.\u00a0The Sony XR-85X90L TV costs $3,000.\u00a0The Sony XR-98X90L TV starts at $10,000.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>It remains to add that the Sony X90L offers very good picture quality in both HDR and SDR modes for mid-range 4K QLED TVs. Picture brightness isn&#8217;t as bright as mini LED LCD TVs, which usually offer a lot more for LED backlighting and zones.<\/p>\n<p>However, brightness and contrast are very good for a TV at this price point.\u00a0The colors also provide P3 color gamut coverage equivalent to or better than a good quantum dot TV.\u00a0Overall, the Sony XR-65X90L TV delivers premium performance and a very good value for money.<\/p>\n<h3>Sony X90L specifications:<\/h3>\n<table width=\"551\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Brand<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Sony<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Series<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">X90L<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Line \/ variants<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">XR-55X90L, XR-65X90L, XR-75X90L, XR-85X90L\u2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><strong>Image<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Standard<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Ultra HD (UHD) \/ 4K<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Matrix type<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">VA*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Aspect Ratio<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">16:9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Permission<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">3840 x 2160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Matrix bit depth<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">10 bit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Backlight<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Direct LED (FALD)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Brightness<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">700 (over 1000 nits max)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Contrast<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">4000 : 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Update frequency<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">40 ..120 Hz<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Input lag<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">10ms (22ms input lag)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">HDR standards<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, IMAX Enhanced<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">3D \/ Up-Scaling<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">No Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><strong>Video<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Standard TV tuner (analog)<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">NTSC, PAL, SECAM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Standard TV tuner (digital)<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">DVB-T\/T2, C, S\/S2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Video codecs<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">AVI, DivX, H.263, H.264, H.265, MKV, QuickTime, M2TS, MP4, WebM, WMV, Xvid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Connections<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">HDMI<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">2 x HDMI 2.0 (ARC; CEC) + 2 x HDMI 2.1 (ALLM, VRR)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">USB<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">2 x USB 2.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Reception of TV signals<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">1 x RF (air\/satellite antenna)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">WiFi<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">802.11a\/b\/g\/n\/ac<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Audio output<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Optical (audio)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Internet<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Ethernet RJ-45 \/ LAN<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Additionally<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">WiFi Direct, Bluetooth 4.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><strong>Sound<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Power<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">2 x 10W + 2 x 5W<br \/>\n2 x 10W + 2 x 10W + 1 x 10W subwoofer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Support<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Acoustic Multi-Audio, Bass refex speaker, Clear Phase, X-Balanced speaker, DTS Digital Surround, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio, Room &amp; User Position Compensation, S-Force Front Surround, S-Master Digital Amplifer, Vertical Surround Engine, Voice Zoom 2, XR Sound Position<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><strong>Smart TV<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">OS<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Google TV<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">CPU<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Cognitive Processor XR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">SoC<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">NA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Voice assistant<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Google Assistant Alexa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Memory<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">4 \/ 32 GB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\">Remote controller<\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">Voice remote control<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><strong>Other<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">VESA 300 x 300 mm (65&#8243;)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"226\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"469\">*some parameters may require clarification<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2023 Sony Bravia X90L 4K Google TV is a good affordable option for those looking for a TV with superior Sony video processing, as well as smart streaming and recommendations from Google TV. Unlike some of the advanced series of Mini LED LCD TVs , the Bravia X90L series features full-array local dimming backlighting. [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/tv\/sony-x90l-review-a-must-buy-tv-in-2023\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10402,"featured_media":162601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[641],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-162591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}