Sony’s 65-Inch X900H Series HDTV: Can It Take on OLED or QLED?
Ethen Kim Lieser
Technology,
The new series looks good and comes at a good value.
If you’re in the market for an HDTV option that is more off the beaten path—namely not Korean giants Samsung or LG—make sure to do your research on Sony’s 65-Inch X900H Series.
This HDTV beauty isn’t one of those much-praised OLED or QLED panels, but you’re still going to be on the receiving end of amazing picture quality, all the while staying under $1,400. For a value-oriented consumer, that is a great trade-off.
Boasting true 4K Ultra HD resolution, the X900H Series utilizes a backlighting that taps into next-generation full-array local dimming, which does a wonderful job in boosting black levels and contrast to create a fantastic overall picture.
It seems as though other reviewers had a similar take. For example, Digital Trends, which gave the X900H Series four stars out of five, said: “The Sony X900H has one of the best picture quality to price ratios you’ll find this year. Its screen is a little reflective, and off-angle viewing on this type of LED/LCD TV is never great, but those two blemishes can be overlooked thanks to rich, colorful, and cinematic picture quality.”
Having lackluster wide-viewing angles indeed has been the concern of many, so if you do have side or wraparound seating arrangements, make sure to take note of that.
Know that the X900H is quite pleasing to look at as well, with its modern and minimalist design that’s definitely a tier above budget models. And know that you won’t have to spend hours tinkering with the TV’s settings, as Sony’s picture presets are usually among the best out there.
Other awesome perks include a native 120Hz refresh rate, 4K HDR Processor X1, and the 4K X-Reality PRO, which does a valiant job in upscaling any full-HD content to 4K resolution.
What this means is that you’re set to go if you have been waiting patiently for the all-important PlayStation 5 release date in mid-November. Just switch over to the dedicated Game Mode and that will help eliminate any screen tearing and stuttering. The end result is noticeably smoother gameplay—no matter how graphics-intensive the games are.
The X900H makes use of Android TV, a robust platform in terms of apps and content for sure, but does lack the aesthetics and user-friendliness of Roku TV. The TV’s dedicated processor does take care of all potential hiccups and it also comes with Google Assistant and Chromecast capability.
Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.
Image: Sony.