The Sony Bravia X90J claims to be smarter than any other 4K LED TV on the market, but this does not refer to Sony’s smart TV platform. Its new Cognitive Processor XR appears to use new artificial intelligence techniques to replicate way we all see and hear. This is also one of the TVs that Sony calls “perfect for PlayStation.” The X90J convinced us. It is one of the most impressive new Sony LED TVs we have seen in some time. It offers impressive 4K picture quality, good audio, and welcome support for next-generation game consoles.
Overall, we think it’s a good buy, because there’s not much it can’t do well – movies, games, and sports. And it’s not exactly cheap, either. It comes with Google TV as its smart interface, for which you can download a variety of apps through the Google Play Store, and has a user-friendly interface. This TV has a VA panel that helps it work well in dark rooms, and it’s even bright enough to fight glare in well-lit rooms, but it has narrow viewing angles and doesn’t have Sony’s “X-Wide Angle” technology.
Design
You’d expect a Sony Bravia flat-panel display to look good at dinner, and the X90J doesn’t disappoint. Since it’s equipped with a full-array backlight, it’s a bit chunkier at 70 mm than the edge-lit models from the competition, but given the picture benefits that FALD backlighting brings, we’re happy to put up with the extra inches.
In addition, the unit has adjustable feet that can be placed either on the edge of the unit or in the center (without the need for complicated screws). Sony calls it a thin-bladed two-way stand, which is a real help in choosing AV furniture, and it also has room for a soundbar (matched by Sony) if you want to add one. The 50-inch model, however, does not have adjustable feet.
Display
Although it lacks the fancy gaming extras like special modes and status indicators found on the models from LG Smart TV and Samsung Smart TV, the X90J is still a very good gaming TV. Playing Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla on the Xbox One X, the standard 4K HDR image was excellent, with better shadow detail than the Hisense and about as good as the TCL – crucial for spotting hidden enemies. Highlights and overall brightness were weaker than the other two, but the Sony still had plenty of HDR performance.
Features
For its price, the XR-50X90J model offers numerous features. Starting with Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR, which focuses on rendering images the way the eye perceives the real world. To this end, it identifies (in the simplest way possible!) the nature of the received image before breaking it down into its various components and then subtly manipulating local color, sharpness and contrast to achieve more realistic results.
The XR-50X90J is built on an LCD panel with direct LED illumination and local dimming. While this combination typically delivers superior image quality, the dimming system appears to include only 24 separately controlled dimming zones. That’s slightly less than the 400+ dimming zones of Samsung’s QE50QN90A mini LED TV (we’ll have a full review in the next few days). But the Sony device is significantly cheaper, and we have seen in previous Sony generations how much quality Sony processing can get out of even such a limited number of dimming zones.
Ports
As for the connectivity of this TV, it has 4 HDMI ports whose HDCP version is 2.3. HDMI 3 and 4 are compliant with HDMI 2.1 standard and support Auto Low Latency mode, eARC and variable refresh rate 4K@ 120 Hz. HDMI CEC is present on this TV, and you can control many compatible devices with a single remote. In addition to 2 USB ports, there is an Ethernet port, 1 SPDIF port, and a headphone jack. This TV has dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth v4.2.
Connectivity
Connectivity includes four HDMI inputs, and while only two HDMIs support 4K 120fps, this is still enough for those with a dual-console setup, and certainly enough to be a solid contender to shoot our best 120Hz 4K TV guide. At the time of writing, variable refresh rate support was still awaiting a firmware update to enable it.
Other connections include an optical digital out, two USB ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and Ethernet if you prefer a wired network. Cleverly, the X90J automatically optimizes the picture parameters for PlayStation 5 HDR games and automatically detects whether the console is playing video content or a game and changes the presets accordingly.
Sound Quality
For a mid-range TV without an attached soundbar, the Sony X90J is surprisingly powerful in the sound category. With just two 10-watt full-range drivers and two side-mounted tweeters, the X90J delivers a compelling and clear sound that sounds very good overall. Series, movies, and games we played on the TV all sounded crisp and clear with easily understandable dialogue and solid simulated 3D sound.
While simulated 3D sound is never quite as good as a full Dolby Atoms setup – it’s not even close – it’s a nice feature to have while you wait to install a better-equipped AV solution. The good news is that the TV offers Dolby Atoms passthrough via its HDMI 3 eARC port, which means connecting a sound bar and controlling both with the TV’s remote is a breeze. Any Dolby Atoms sound bar will do the trick. Take a look at our recommendations for the best sound bars.
Video Quality
Like the XH90/X900H, Sony’s X90J features a VA-type LCD panel with full-array direct backlighting, which offers brilliant colors and exceptional brightness at a slightly lower price point than the viewing angles. It still looks good even from the side, but to get the best viewing experience, it is advisable to sit directly in front of the X90J.
Sony TVs are known for their vibrant colors, and the X90J is no exception. This is largely thanks to the XR cognitive processor and the XR Triluminos Pro engine, which enhance the TV’s saturation and hue in a way that is especially pleasing to the human eye. XR Triluminos Pro works in conjunction with several other XR-specific functions.
XR Contrast Booster 5 is used to dynamically balance light and shadow, paying particular attention to displaying fine detail in both light and dark areas, while 4K XR Smoothing reduces banding and provides a seamless transition between color gradations. In practice, we found that the X90J handled all of these things deftly and without a single hiccup or hint of image processing problems. 4K images remained sharp and consistent, with no discernible aliasing.
Performance
The X90J leaves nothing to be desired in terms of image sharpness, and its images have depth and drama. The magic ingredient is undoubtedly Sony’s innovative new Cognitive XR processor. The Japanese company is taking a very different approach to AI image processing than its competitors, letting its silicon focus on the areas that naturally dominate the eye.
The technology aims to replicate the way we see objects in real life by focusing on natural focal points. It does this by dividing the screen into zones to determine where the “focal point” is. It then focuses on these parts of the image, while competing artificial intelligence techniques primarily try to detect specific elements of the image as a whole.
Configuration Option
At the £879/$900/AUD$1795 price of the 50-inch X90J, there is not much else in the 48-50 inch range. It is too cheap to be challenged by OLEDs, or at least by OLEDs with the kind of extended features that LCDs at that price point have (LG’s OLED48C1 costs £1,099, for example), but it is also too expensive for most of the myriad LCD brands interested in competing with it. Hisense’s striking Roku R50A7200GTUK TV, for example, costs only 399 euros.
And even Samsung’s highest-end 50-inch TV without Q-LED, the 50AU9000, costs only €599. Even though it’s good for the XR-50X90J not to have direct competition, it’s under pressure to justify its existence. Does it have enough going for it to explain why it costs more than so many competitors, and does it come close enough to premium models to convince many relatively well-heeled buyers that £879 / US$900 / AUS$1795 is all they really need to spend?
Final Words
We hope you like this blog on Sony X90J Review. The Sony X90J is a fantastic TV. We would especially recommend it if you’ve been disappointed by poor upscaling or contrast in the past. The two things Sony TVs do better than almost anyone else are upscaling HD sources and making full-array TVs with local dimming and great black levels.
Although the X90J will never surpass an OLED TV in this respect, it is still far ahead of other LED LCD TVs. However, there are some aspects to consider, such as where you place the TV. If your living room is furnished in such a way that you have to sit at an angle to watch TV, the Sony X90J may not be the best choice for you because of its limited off-center viewing angle.
