If you plan to use on-board apps only, just hit the Netflix hotkey on the remote and turn on the Netflix Calibrated mode under Picture settings and you’ll be watching Lupin in its best possible rendition within a few seconds. No need to dig into the exhaustive picture control settings. This may be the best such implementation of a preset that I’ve come across, with superbly judged motion processing, contrast and dynamic tone mapping for HDR.
It’s full-array LED panel helps the cause immensely of making any kind of content, be it HD or 4K to simply pop with deep blacks and measured highlights without causing blooming or burnouts. Only on a pitch black screen with thin, white text will you notice the subtlest hint of blooming but the multiple zones of local dimming and Sony’s tight processing really save the day.
With the plethora of picture settings, it’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth of different parameters and the one who spends time in tweaking them, will be rewarded with the best picture you can get for the money. Dolby Vision Bright and Dark are good starting points for HDR content but even on non-HDR or non-4K content, just a pinch of “smoothness”, reducing “clearness” all the way to the minimum can yield fantastic results.
Shows like Ted Lasso on Apple TV+, which is high in dynamic contrast and a rich colour palette with blues and reds of the football team’s jerseys and locker room looks almost like an OLED picture. Hyper realistic skin tones are so natural that it almost makes it look like a 3D image and you’ll find yourself watching shows you hate just because of how good they “look”!
Although Sony won’t say officially, I suspect this is a VA-type LCD panel but the off-axis viewing takes away very little in the way of contrast and colour depth. Of course, sitting right in front of the X90J reveals a picture that is thoroughly immersive with details that are unearthed in close-up shots without artificially sharpening the edges.
The XR processor flexes its muscles on scenes that have a distinct foreground subject, enhancing its depth perception and clarity even further without ever making it all look over-processed or artificial. And that’s where Sony really rises above the competition, in its complete understanding of the highly technical film-making chain of processes. They know just how much AI to use, when to use it and if to use it at all. There’s no A/B comparison mode which allows you to see the picture without the aid of all the XR processor elves, but once you see it, you wouldn’t want a TV without it.
Of the four HDMI inputs, two are HDMI 2.1 compatible, but only one is eARC enabled. Its gaming credentials are up there with the best too and PS5 games look expectedly epic (and smooth), especially now that Sony has updated the X90J with out-of-the-box VRR and ALLM. You’re only limited by the console of choice, XBOX or PS5. You will have to use the HDMI4 input and switch on Enhanced format from the menu though.
Elsewhere, the magic of Google TV can be experienced with handsfree search, just by talking to the TV. Again, ensure the physical mic-button is switched on for it to work. You could also just speak into the remote if that’s your thing.
While on the remote, it’s a straightforward affair but the one thing that triggers my OCD is the choice of adding a YouTube Music hotkey over Disney+ Hotstar. The other three hot keys include YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video, all of which I agree with. Voice assistant works just as well as it does on your phone and overall it’s smoother and faster than Android TV too. The only real weakness with the X90J is the sound quality, which simply begs for a better soundbar or even a full blown Atmos speaker system to enhance your experience.
The Link LonkJune 28, 2021 at 08:00PM
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Sony X90J Cognitive Intelligence TV review - Stuff
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