04 Jul
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Sony X900H 4K HDR TV review | Stunning Value

"Image quality that far exceeds your expectations"

  • Great black levels

  • Impressive HDR highlights

  • Extremely accurate color

  • Clean picture

  • Snappy Android TV response

  • Reflective screen

  • VRR not yet available for games

How can a 65-inch TV worth $ 1,300 add value? By providing an image quality that is well above the price. This is exactly what the Sony X900H does and therefore causes a lot of excitement in TV enthusiasts.

For several years now, film fans, home theater owners and almost everyone who wants to get the best TV picture quality for their money have been looking at the models of the X900 series from Sony. Yes, in the middle price segment, but not in the middle price segment due to the consistently excellent image quality from Sony.

This year the X900H offers a bonus. The set offers (or will soon be) features that none of its other televisions will offer this year – Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), especially for gamers. If you want a Sony and the best gaming experience, especially with next generation consoles like Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X, you should buy this TV. You get the following:

Out of the box

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The X900H is by far the easiest TV I've set up this year. The TV's packaging contains the unnecessarily long Sony remote, batteries for the remote, some product literature, and two legs – or feet if you prefer.

You will find that I have said nothing about screws, and that is because you do not need them. The legs snap directly into the slots under the TV cabinet without the need for screws. I was happy with how stable the stand was, but I'm not sure how to find the look of ultra-slim blade feet, and I wasn't impressed with the cable management solution, which is basically just a clip on the back of the feet.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Also not included is a breakout cable for older component or composite video cables. I'm not sure how many more people rock a classic console or VCR that may need to use one of these connections, but I know that in this case you will need your own breakout cable to make the connection.

Properties and design

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The X900H looks slim and reserved. It has thin bezels, not a ton of trim and is more plastic than metal. The overall depth of the X900H is 2 7/8 inches. Depending on what type of wall bracket is used, the TV should look inconspicuous on a wall.

An important note on the screen of the X900H. It's pretty reflective. This is usually not a problem if you are viewing bright content, but I would not plan to see Game of Thrones or Ozark with the windows open on a bright day without seeing room reflections.

Under the hood, the X900H is equipped with the X1 4K HDR processor from Sony. It's not the Hot Rod X1 Ultimate processor found in more expensive models like the recently reviewed Sony A8H OLED, but in my experience, it still delivers the nifty, clean look that distinguishes Sony TVs from others.

The X900H gives you four HDMI 2.0 inputs, one of which supports ARC. I mentioned earlier that the X900H will support VRR for gaming, but the update that enables it has not yet been released as of the release date of this review, and Sony has no estimated schedule for this feature coming on this TV.

A quick note on the above. I asked Sony why this TV has not yet been updated to support VRR or why it is not supported immediately. Sony's response is to standards. As a partner of CTA, NAB and various other standards organizations, Sony prefers to complete all standard tests before deploying new technology such as HDMI 2.1 or any of the features it comes with. Sony mentions a consistent, stable experience as very important to its customers.

I can respect Sony's stance, but while competitors offer features that their TVs don't have, I think Sony looks like it is lagging behind at the moment. Regardless, there is no reason not to have VRR at the start of not buying this TV. The image quality is too good for the price.

picture quality

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The contrast, which is the most striking element of image quality, is based on black levels. The darker a television can get, the higher the contrast and the less brightness is required to achieve a high contrast. One of the reasons why the X900H excels is its very good black level. This is thanks to Sony's backlight system.

An LCD screen is illuminated from behind by a series of LED backlights. The backlight system must be carefully controlled so that the black level does not turn gray. This control, which includes different zones – or groups – of lights is called local dimming, and this local dimming is driven by an algorithm. I've said it before, but it needs to be repeated: Sony has the best local dimming algorithm in the industry.

With a solid black base, the X900H doesn't need to be extremely bright to look vibrant. With the Calman software from Portrait Display and a SpectraCal C6 colorimeter, I measured the peak brightness of the X900H over a longer period in a 10% window at 750 nits. With competing TVs with 1,500, 2,000, and even 3,000 nits of peak brightness (see Vizio PQX), the X900Hs seem to be a bit low, but I assure you that 750 nits will offer you a very pleasant HDR experience even when the lights are on. and especially with the lights off.

Sony has the best local dimming algorithm in the industry.

To put things in the right light, the Samsung Q90T in HDR film mode (same 10% window test) offers about 1,400 nits of peak brightness, which is almost double the X900H. However, the 65-inch Q90T also costs $ 2,500. That's $ 1,200 more than the Sony X900H we tested here. I can tell you from experience that despite other valuable features, the experience of having double brightness alone in reserve is not worth more than $ 1,000.

When I turned to color, I was impressed with the ready-to-use color accuracy of the X900H in the Cinema and Custom image presets, both in SDR and HDR modes. The television had to be adjusted very little to bring the color accuracy below the visible threshold. This means that most users never have to touch anything to get an outstanding color experience with this TV.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Aside from these core picture elements, Sony's X1 processor delivered a very clean picture even when low bit rate content was streamed from websites like Netflix and Hulu. I observed minimized contours and streaks of color when I looked at them. The performance of the upscaling and other processing elements outperformed the Hisense H8G Quantum that I am currently evaluating and in some cases was just as good and even better than the Samsung Q90T.

This was not a surprise as Sony's workmanship has always been the best in the business. Also not surprising was the cleanliness of the VA panel, which had no dirty screen effect (DSE) or stains.

All of these individual elements have been brought together to create a rich, brilliant, vivid and clean picture. On more than a few occasions, I didn't take notes and just admired the TV. It's not as stunning as Sony's A8H OLED, but it offers a similarly satisfying cinema experience at a fraction of the price, and that's the value in my book.

Our opinion

The Sony X900H offers one of the best picture quality to price ratios you'll find this year. The screen is a bit reflective, and viewing this type of LED / LCD TV off-angle is never great, but these two mistakes can be overlooked thanks to the rich, colorful, and cinematic picture quality.

Is there a better alternative?

Not yet and not in this price range, although I have some upcoming Vizio models in mind. For gamers who want instant gratification, I would recommend taking a look at the Samsung Q70T, which costs the same for a 65-inch model, supports VRR and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and should also have convincing image quality.

How long it will take?

The television itself should last for many years, and new features to support next-generation game consoles are promised in the near future.

warranty

Sony grants a one year warranty on its X900H series TVs if you buy the TV from an authorized dealer. The guarantee relates specifically to the storage of the product packaging. So look at the fine print.

You should buy it

Yes. If you crave Sony image quality but want to minimize the dent in your wallet after purchase, the X900H is an excellent choice.

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