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Samsung vs Sony

11K views 92 replies 26 participants last post by  rick1969 
#1 ·
After hours of researching, getting lost in technical jargon that frankly I don’t fully understand, and various online opinions that may just be generated by sales people making a commission, I’ve narrowed my TV buying options down but would love some help here to push me across the line. What I’m finding interesting is the difference between what Rtings.com suggests is better and what local sales reps are pushing. Rtings.com show Samsung as better panels, local sales reps are pushing the Sony.

I’m buying two TVs and the scenarios are outlined below:

Main viewing TV: Family room with lots of light. Only light control is because the sun goes down. Streaming all content (TV, sports, movies). Would love for it to sit on our entertainment center stand, but I’ll use a Sonos PlayBar in front of it so the stand height makes that a tricky situation. If I have to, I can mount it on the wall. I’ve narrowed it down to the 75” version of the Samsung Q90R or Sony 950G.

Movie Room: Smaller room with more controlled lighting. Not darkness during the day, but close. Streaming all content (Sports and movies) as well as playing Blu-ray Discs. This will be a wall mounted TV. I’ve narrowed this one down to the 82” Samsung Q80R or the 85” Sony 900F or 950G.

I’m avoiding OLED because of price and fear of burn in.

Thanks in advance for you help!
 
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#2 ·
Main viewing TV: Family room with lots of light. Only light control is because the sun goes down. Streaming all content (TV, sports, movies). Would love for it to sit on our entertainment center stand, but I’ll use a Sonos PlayBar in front of it so the stand height makes that a tricky situation. If I have to, I can mount it on the wall. I’ve narrowed it down to the 75” version of the Samsung Q90R or Sony 950G.

Movie Room: Smaller room with more controlled lighting. Not darkness during the day, but close. Streaming all content (Sports and movies) as well as playing Blu-ray Discs. This will be a wall mounted TV. I’ve narrowed this one down to the 82” Samsung Q80R or the 85” Sony 900F or 950G.
Family room: The 75" Samsung Q90R is $700 more than the 75" Sony 950G, so while a better performer overall mostly due to having more FALD zones, it is more expensive. Both are very bright and have wide viewing angles but the Samsung has the best anti reflective coating. The Samsung's center stand will fit on any entertainment stand while the Sony needs a larger one.

Movie Room: The smaller 82" Samsung Q80R is the same price as the larger 85” 2018 Sony 900F but $700 cheaper than the larger 85" 2019 Sony 950G. The 900F does not have extended viewing angles if you need that. But due to that, it has deeper blacks than either of the other choices which is important in a dark theater room.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the response. On thing the sales rep I’ve talked to focuses on is how the Sony manages sports viewing better than Samsung. Not really sure if there is any merit to that. Something about a better processor. Any validity to that once you are at this level of TV?


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#7 ·
Sony had an edge in motion control for years, but both Samsung and LG have improved in the past few model years. I watch lots of sports with no problem on my two Samsung TVs, one a 120 Hz 55" "QLED" and the other a bargain 60 Hz 65" model. I leave all of Samsung's motion controls off because I despise the Soap Opera Effect that Samsung's designers seem to love. I ended up with the Samsungs because at the time I was buying, they were significantly cheaper than competing Sony models.
 
#4 ·
I am in no means an expert and just had some people help me choose my own set here but from my experience with just choosing a set here's what I would say.

The Samsung sounds like it would be a better choice for your family room if price is no issue. That seems like a pretty bright room and the anti-reflective coating on the Samsungs are superior.


The 900F might be the better choice for the smaller room as long as the seating is pretty much centered in front the TV, otherwise I go for the Q80 if its the same price. The 950G seems like a great TV but why spend the extra 700 for 3 extra inches of screen.
 
#5 ·
If you watch a lot of sports and motion bothers you at all i would go with the sony!

For some reason the way Samsung handles motion really bothers me. I returned one because of it. I have a Sony 900E now and really love this TV, i'm sure the 900F is even better!
 
#6 ·
Throwing this out there. Buy an x940e on Amazon instead, its half the price of the x950G and its the best LCD Sony has ever made other than the unavailable z9D. Save some cash and get a TV that will only be beat by the Q90R in certain circumstances, you could buy two for the price of the q90r and still have money left over.
 
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#27 · (Edited)
The 940E or the Australian 9400E is the best ever tv when it comes to watching a LCD in a DARK room. Look at RTINGS.com and compare all LCD's in MIXES USAGE, not even a the Great Z9D can cut it against the 940E or the 9400E (Same tv but in a Different Country) , have a look and the the same time compare ALL LCD's to the 940E and you will see for Movie Usage 'eg" MOVIE and HDR Movies its the best. For me I dont pay games and I wont buy another Telle for our main TV room until some manufactures makes a 75 or 85 inch TV than can better the 940E or the 9400EMOVIES and HDR MOVIES on RTINGS.com. Also whilst there at RTINGS.com look at further down the comparison between the Z9D and the 940E for Native Contrast and Contrast using Local Dimming. The 940E is miles ahead of the Z9D (Z9D is Brighter and has more Zones compare to the 940E) and other other TV's even the best that 2019 can offer.
Have a look at the Comparison between the Z9D and the 940E. Only a DARK not so bright OLED can beat them in a dark room for MOVIES and HDR MOVIES. Compare this to the latest and the greatest Samsung and the Sony. Forget LG.
By the way. The 940E has no or very little BLOOMING that effect all 2019 TV's

Again I dont play games and I dont use the 9400E as a Monitor.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/tools/compare/sony-x940e-vs-sony-z9d/433/425
 
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#14 ·
After hours of researching, getting lost in technical jargon that frankly I don’t fully understand, and various online opinions that may just be generated by sales people making a commission, I’ve narrowed my TV buying options down but would love some help here to push me across the line. What I’m finding interesting is the difference between what Rtings.com suggests is better and what local sales reps are pushing. Rtings.com show Samsung as better panels, local sales reps are pushing the Sony.



I’m buying two TVs and the scenarios are outlined below:



Main viewing TV: Family room with lots of light. Only light control is because the sun goes down. Streaming all content (TV, sports, movies). Would love for it to sit on our entertainment center stand, but I’ll use a Sonos PlayBar in front of it so the stand height makes that a tricky situation. If I have to, I can mount it on the wall. I’ve narrowed it down to the 75” version of the Samsung Q90R or Sony 950G.



Movie Room: Smaller room with more controlled lighting. Not darkness during the day, but close. Streaming all content (Sports and movies) as well as playing Blu-ray Discs. This will be a wall mounted TV. I’ve narrowed this one down to the 82” Samsung Q80R or the 85” Sony 900F or 950G.



I’m avoiding OLED because of price and fear of burn in.



Thanks in advance for you help!


I have a 65” Q70 in Family Room, got the curved because I needed to fit in a cabinet and 65” Sony was a few mm too big. Also have the 75” Sony 900E in media room in the basement.

I hands down prefer the Sony because of the motion is so much better. My Samsung motion is not good with sports (especially F1 racing, a Netflix doc was barely watchable) and also reality TV stutter issues. I notice motion problems for maybe 5-10% of content, never have any of these issues with my Sony, but I think Sony are known for great motion.

My units are older than the ones you are looking for, but food for thought.

This is as my first Samsung as I have only bought Sony in the past mainly because they were supposed to be one of the best for picture processing and motion.


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#15 ·
Ok...so Sony seems to be getting the nod, especially in the movie room (900F). My main concern for the family room is glare from the side and the need for wider viewing angles. Does going up in the series in the Sony line help with either or both of those issues?


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#17 ·
Honestly, I’d go Samsung and Samsung.

Having owned and returned the 85” 900F, that set had way too much blooming for me. Once you go wide viewing angle you won’t go back. The 85” 900F would wash out at the edges of the screen from ~9ft back, just terrible viewing angles.

I personally don’t see motion as being a huge disadvantage for Samsung on 2019 sets, though I’d still give Sony a very slight edge.
 
#18 ·
Main viewing TV: Family room with lots of light. Only light control is because the sun goes down. Streaming all content (TV, sports, movies). Would love for it to sit on our entertainment center stand, but I’ll use a Sonos PlayBar in front of it so the stand height makes that a tricky situation. If I have to, I can mount it on the wall. I’ve narrowed it down to the 75” version of the Samsung Q90R or Sony 950G.

Movie Room: Smaller room with more controlled lighting. Not darkness during the day, but close. Streaming all content (Sports and movies) as well as playing Blu-ray Discs. This will be a wall mounted TV. I’ve narrowed this one down to the 82” Samsung Q80R or the 85” Sony 900F or 950G.
Do your family a favor and reduce the amount of TVs you have to just 1. I'm sure everybody in your family has iPads and laptops already. Tell your wife to make your family room however she wants it as long as its classy and comfortable. You don't need anything in your family room except a nice decor. It's not really becoming of a family home to have a huge TV in the living room. If you have a movie room, you should make it the only place to watch movies. It brings the family together more.

Get the best Sony set you can afford for the movie room. Spend the money you saved from not buying 2 TVs and make sure the seating is as cinematic as possible or invest it into the sound, soundproofing, whatever.

The next house I get will have a movie room and I will just do what I advised you to do. I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but I think everybody should do this when they can actually afford to have a movie room.

If you just HAVE to put a TV in the family room, just buy 2 Sony sets. I got my Samsung as a casual set for my guest room.
 
#26 ·
Cant tell you what to choose but i can tell you what they are good at to help you choose. Color accuracy, motion and upcaling of non 4k content goes to Sony. Better anti reflective tech goes to Samsung, in the dark room sony focuses on shadow detail in dark scenes but you can see a bit of blooming in some scenes, samsung focuses on gettting rid of blooming but the price you pay is blackcrush meaning you will lose some shadow detail in dark scenes.
 
#32 ·
Sony hands down, Motion issues still plague all Samsungs.
 
#33 ·

Sony still has its fair share of motion issues as well. I would maybe give my former Z9F a very slight nod over my Q90R.

Samsung and LG have closed the gap to almost level with 2019 sets.
 
#34 ·
A twist in the action

Well, here is a little twist. I was looking at the Crutchfield site...if you use the Sony Finance Card and buy a Samsung on a 6 month 0% plan, they will credit the card 15% of the price. Thinking movie room, that puts the Sony 85" 900F at $3,798 and the Samsung 82" Q80R (lowered from the Q90R) at $3,228.

Hmmmm.....
 
#37 ·
I'm still partial to Sony since the Trinitron days. I have two UHD Sony sets and a smaller Samsung 40" that I got because it was cheap and had a 200x200 VESA mounting pattern, which was not common. It doesn't look good on the outside but the picture is surprisingly good, especially the contrast/black levels. I like the Sonys more though.
 
#48 ·
If you have a very bright room with no light control (blinds, curtains) and there will be reflections where the TV sits, I recommend Samsung right now because their anti-reflective layer is the best currently. I know the Q90 has it, the Q80 might. I'd go with one of those for the "family room."

For the dedicated theater room, does everyone sit near the middle of the TV or will there be seating that is far off-axis? If it is the latter, I suggest the X950G.

As good as the X940E is, I don't think it fits the bill in either of these cases. It might be great for the "family room," however I believe the new Samsung's will handle the reflections better.

All that said, I'm used to my Plasma screen with glass, so reflections don't bother me as much they seem to with others here.

My recommendations are based upon giving you suggestions that conform to your size desires. If you change your mind w.r.t. size, perhaps I'd suggest different models.

Cheers and GL!
 
#52 ·
I would probably agree with that order. The only part of the order that gives me pause is the 940e > Q80r, because of the narrow viewing angles on the 940e.
 
#55 ·
Z9D is a great set, but I would have to disagree. Viewing angles alone put the Z9D at too much of a deficit to overcome.

Q90 > Z9D > 940e
 
#60 · (Edited)
Focusing in my decision

As mentioned by everyone here, there are pros and cons to all the TVs. I'm fine-tuning the decision with what I now have realized are non-negotiables (living in the house for a few weeks had made me see a few things).

Family room: We have a west-facing wall with a huge picture window/sliding door and will not be putting any window treatments on it. It requires the superior anti-reflective coating of the Samsung. Sticking with the 75" size so it's really just coming down to whether or not the Q90R is $1200 better than the Q80R ($3,999 Q90R, $2,799 Q80R). BTW, Crutchfield is currently running a promotion on the Samsungs. If you use their card, 15% comes back on the card as a credit so essentially the Q90R is $3,398 and the Q80R is $2,378 if bought from them.

Movie Room: The way it's setting up, there is really just a sofa where the viewing will occur so wide viewing angles are NOT a decision point for me in there. I'm going with an 80"+ TV in there so the x940e isn't an option either. Since wide-angle viewing isn't required and, from what I've read, wide viewing angle technology comes at the detriment of contrast, should the 900f rank higher in the darker, light-controlled room? Or are all those details so far into the weeds that I'll never see the difference?

And on a side note, has anyone in the thread done that Samsung Upgrade program for TVs? Seems like an interesting option for those wanting the latest gear every 2-3 years.
 
#62 ·
As mentioned by everyone here, there are pros and cons to all the TVs. I'm fine-tuning the decision with what I now have realized are non-negotiables (living in the house for a few weeks had made me see a few things).

Family room: We have a west-facing wall with a huge picture window/sliding door and will not be putting any window treatments on it. It requires the superior anti-reflective coating of the Samsung. Sticking with the 75" size so it's really just coming down to whether or not the Q90R is $1200 better than the Q80R ($3,999 Q90R, $2,799 Q80R). BTW, Crutchfield is currently running a promotion on the Samsungs. If you use their card, 15% comes back on the card as a credit so essentially the Q90R is $3,398 and the Q80R is $2,378 if bought from them.

Movie Room: The way it's setting up, there is really just a sofa where the viewing will occur so wide viewing angles are NOT a decision point for me in there. I'm going with an 80"+ TV in there so the x940e isn't an option either. Since wide-angle viewing isn't required and, from what I've read, wide viewing angle technology comes at the detriment of contrast, should the 900f rank higher in the darker, light-controlled room? Or are all those details so far into the weeds that I'll never see the difference?

And on a side note, has anyone in the thread done that Samsung Upgrade program for TVs? Seems like an interesting option for those wanting the latest gear every 2-3 years.
Excellent choices. For $3300 I would get the 90R thats a killer price. 900F over a 950G, the contrast is vetter due to no wide angle film and the rest of the specs are the same for less price.
 
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#73 ·
I know this is probably the minority opinion but the OCB was really a negative for me in choosing between Samsung TVs. It isn't in wall rated so it pretty much guaranteed I would always have a visible wire on my wall (granted a small and fairly unnoticeable one) that plus the fact that the cable is a bit more fragile than other AV cables pushed me in the direction of the Q80R.


That being said if the conduit that runs through your wall can provide some fire protection that may negate that point.
 
#75 ·
Since you are a Q80R owner, are you using the stand? If so, what size TV do you have and do you mind measuring the distance between the table you have it sitting on and the bottom of the screen? Not the bezel, the actual screen. I'm trying to see if the Sonos Playbar will sit below it without interfering with the bottom of the screen.

Thanks!
 
#77 ·
@rick1969

Family Room - Samsung, better anti reflection coating that you will need with lots of natural sun light.

Movie Room - This is hard, but I would go Sony here, and I would go X950G @ 75" The 85" just don't have enough zones for HDR content, and you will get blooming in the letter box bars. With SDR movies the blooming is much less, and with some bias lighting it pretty much removes the bloom, and really helps reducing the bloom effect in HDR content. For everything else the 85" is a awesome TV.

As for those who praise the Sony X940e, yes it has excellent black levels and a gorgous picture, "BUT" it has one of the slowest pixel response panels Sony ever used, and if your sensitive to motion blur, this tv has a ton of it. I bought it when it came out and returned it after 2 weekends of sports....
 
#88 ·
Thanks for all the conversations and advice. Here is my family room decision (75” Q90R). I’m still stunned by the picture. I’ll upload a pic of my 82” Q80R in my man cave once I get everything set up.
Sorry to rehash an old thread but you would be the perfect one to ask; does the 82" Sammy have a lot more motion blur than the 75" does in sports, movies, and games? Read a few people complaining about this with other 82" samsungs (pretty sure they all use the same panel). Pretty much at the same crossroads you were at last year, but what's out there is pretty much the same from what I can tell.
 
#85 ·
Maybe just a bad photo but it looks noticeably darker at the left and right edges, and even darker in the corners. I don't understand why this "vignetting" is still an issue especially with high-end FALD LCDs where you can adjust the location of the backlit LEDs.
 
#86 ·
Hadn’t noticed it. It was a pic taken with my phone in a dimly lit room. Wasn’t meant to demonstrate the video capabilities of the set, just letting people know where I landed given the energy spent on this thread helping me out. If there is a setting I should try to make sure I’m getting the best possible pic, let me know, but it looks pretty amazing in person.


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