75” or greater - Sony Z9F or X9500G or what

[mjs]

Have had a Pana 65” VT30 for many years which has been great, but there’s an itch developing (which I am starting to scratch), for a 4K panel at 75” or greater. 

 

Few sales on atm, the Sony Z9F and X9500G models are about the same price, haven’t done too much more digging yet, but just wondering whether there is any major difference between these panels?

 

What other 75” panels would be recommended, don’t think I can spring for an OLED just yet. Also vaguely considering 85”. The X8500G is a little more then the 75” panels above, again, any thoughts or experience with this panel?

 

Just have an interest in the emerging number of 4K programs, sport in particular, would clearly go IQ4 and AppleTV4K as well.

 

TIA

[Tweaky]

I'd check out YouTube reviewer HDTVTest channel for a totally unbiased and very thorougher review [he is a pro TV/PJ calibrator by trade]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCYOO2uYPnG-21WDOWdwew

 

Z9F review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlTElC2z2A

 

XG950 review [model numbers vary form country to country for the same TV]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUEleyyLow4

 

I'd opt for the FALD array one.

[mjs]

Pulled the trigger on a Sony 85” X9500G, if I’m gonna’ go bigger, might as well do it properly [emoji1787][emoji1787]

[chris2003]

Let us know what you think.

[mjs]

Will do, although I suspect I won't have it set up till Tuesday

[pc10]

Good call.  FALD with a VA panel and I believe the the larger screen sizes of the X9500G come with the wide viewing angle technology.

 

Some reviews have identified a blooming issue but interested in your impressions.

[mjs]

Yes, aware of that, Vincent Teoh on HDTVTest for example. Sony doesn’t split the panel into as many dimming sections as say Samsung, so I would describe the dimming as a bit coarse by comparison. Will be interesting to see if it is noticeable, eg if there is a bright light in a dark section of picture, or near the edges for any effect on letterbox bars. Of course, there’s a hell of a lot to like about this panel. Interesting comparing with the Q80 and Q900 Samsungs, the latter being quite a bit more $$ for non-available content. They are all great panels, but colours on the Samsungs are just a bit too saturated for me. Gonna be a big week [emoji1787][emoji1787]

[Snoopy8]

2 hours ago, pc9 said:

Good call.  FALD with a VA panel and I believe the the larger screen sizes of the X9500G come with the wide viewing angle technology.

So called "wide viewing" is more marketing than anything else... 

[SLE355]

10 hours ago, Snoopy8 said:

So called "wide viewing" is more marketing than anything else... 

Apparently hurts the black levels, bringing it between a VA and IPS panel. I was keen on one till i read that and I've never been an LCD fan.

[mjs]

It seems that there is no perfect panel, I’m not sure that viewing angle enhancement is a kill factor

[Tweaky]

Just get a set of those Medialight bias lighting kits reviewed at the forum [around $150 for a 85" I think], they are calibrated to D65

Stick them to the rear of your TV, that should give your Blacks more perceived oompf.

 

I bought a 5M LED strip with remote off Ebay to do the same thing 18 months ago, but even having my own calibration gear to measure the LED's , I couldn't get the correct colour of White, so I never installed them.

 

As for the viewing angle, well most people I know sit it front of their TV's so it's rarely a problem, but I suppose with a 85" display if somebody was sitting at the far edge of a sofa [depends how close the sofa is to screen] then they might perceive that one side of the screen is slightly brighter than the other.

 

Next investment should be a Xrite i1Display pro colour meter so you can calibrate your TV yourself, it's easy enough if you follow instructions, you can use the Freeware HCFR.

It's not worth doing until you have at least a few hundred hours use on the screen, as the electronics need to bed in.

The colour is usually pretty good on most modern TV's, especially when you hit the higher end models, but virtually all TV's will have their Grey Scale tracking way out, and it's the Grey Scale that gives you detail and a realistic picture, you really notice the difference once corrected.

[mjs]

Thanks @Tweaky all good comments

 

I’ve had an Xrite colorimeter and software for some years when I have calibrated previous panels, made a good difference on my Pana VT30. Yes, grayscale is important

[drteflon]

I was in the same predicament last weekend but pulled the trigger on the cheaper 8500g in 85 inches. Will report back how it compares to the 65 inch Panasonic OLED which is moving to the lounge room for general viewing duties.

[mjs]

Now have the Sony 85X9500G tv up and running. The hardest thing was shifting the old Pana 65VT30 out of the way, much heavier than the Sony. Limited viewing so far, but I’m very impressed. Needs a proper calibration once it’s run in, but picture is pretty impressive right now. Can’t say I’ve noticed any blooming just yet. Yes, the screen is reasonably reflective, but I don’t seem to notice it so far. More soon.

[illusion]

On 19/07/2019 at 4:43 PM, Tweaky said:

I'd check out YouTube reviewer HDTVTest channel for a totally unbiased and very thorougher review [he is a pro TV/PJ calibrator by trade]

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCYOO2uYPnG-21WDOWdwew

 

Z9F review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlTElC2z2A

 

XG950 review [model numbers vary form country to country for the same TV]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUEleyyLow4

 

I'd opt for the FALD array one.

I do like watching Vincent's HDTVTest uploads, but I'm not so sure he is completely unbiased. His uploads are sponsored by  couple big retailers in the UK.

[Tweaky]

The retailers supply Vincent with the TV's, that if left to the manufacturers / distributors, he otherwise wouldn't get his hands on, at least certainly not as quickly as he does.

I trust his reviews more than those from certain AV Magazines that rely on advertising $$ from the TV manufacturers.

 

I like his reviews, and I find him unbiased as to brand or technology used, as he always seems to base his reviews on what you are getting at a specific price range.

He is, at his own admittance, a fanboy of high light output screens, which not everybody is [I prefer my TV calibrated to a lower light output and have a light controlled room], and he does at times seem to forget to mention what a particular screen performs / looks like, before he calibrates them.

 

One major thing I wish he would do, is to re-review a TV after say 1000/1500 hours use, especially to see how far the TV has drifted out, and if any banding or screen burn-in has started to make an appearance.

This info is particularly relevant to top of the range OLED TV's

 

I posted my pre calibration measurement results, then posted the after [with calibration settings] for my Panasonic EX780a back around Dec 2017 when I got it, I then posted how the TV measured 12 months later and how much it had drifted out, it was quite a bit, but that could have been me being too impatient with the initial calibration before the electronics had bedded in.

One thing is for certain, calibrating your TV is well worth it, you can make your TV look like a much much more expensive one, all it takes is the time to do it.

Edited July 24, 2019 by Tweaky

[Gbickle]

On 22/07/2019 at 10:59 PM, drteflon said:

I was in the same predicament last weekend but pulled the trigger on the cheaper 8500g in 85 inches. Will report back how it compares to the 65 inch Panasonic OLED which is moving to the lounge room for general viewing duties.

Ill be interested in your General impressions for watching SDR and HDR. Im thinking of a similar move but not sure what it would be like going to 5000:1 Contrast and 5-10% less P3 Colour volume than the Panny Oled.

[drteflon]

Ill be interested in your General impressions for watching SDR and HDR. Im thinking of a similar move but not sure what it would be like going to 5000:1 Contrast and 5-10% less P3 Colour volume than the Panny Oled.

Well the OLED picture is definitely better overall in my opinion. However for general size impact in my room and for HDR 4K content I am happy. I wanted to replace the projector and it does a better job than the projector in the room environment I have. There is light bleeding in some areas but only really noticeable when the screen is black. SDR better on the OLED.

[Guest Kensai45]

I was in JB Hi-Fi the other day with my friend who was dealing with this exact problem. Sales person (verry strangely enough) Thought that the FALD density over the X950G wasn't worth the price increase. I.E, it was more a-kin to a 1-2% increase in fidelity as opposed the X950G, and the big differences between the two TVs were apparently only noticeable in synthetic test.

Then again, RTNGS has a very differant view, that being said. the X950G is sony's current LED FALD flagship for what it's worth, and it supports Dolby Vision. 

[pc10]

Almost every review that I have read about the X950G has been critical of blooming and light bleed into the black bars during widescreen movies.  If you are looking at a full array LED/LCD, the Samsung Q70R is a much safer (and cheaper) option than the X950G.   It may not have the same HDR impact but you will get impressive contrast and decent screen uniformity at 75". 

 

I own last years Q8FN at 65" which is an outstanding TV.   The Q70R has a similar number of local dimming zones but not as wide a colour gamut and slightly lower peak brightness which means that HDR is not as immersive, but in every other respect it is similar to the Q8FN.  

[mjs]

I have had my 85X9500G for about a month now. Still a work in progress but in practical terms and viewing, I have not noticed any blooming into letterbox bars or other artifacts.

[pc10]

Purchasing an LCD/LED always involves a "panel lottery"  in terms of quality control so its great that you have obtained a good panel.

 

To be fair, most of the well known reviewers are paid up members of the "OLED fan boy club" so whenever a high end LCD comes along that makes an impact, they move very quickly to find fault with it.  My Q8FN is not without some issues (minor DSE, screen uniformity etc) but I wouldn't be without it.  Bloody brilliant colour, brightness, contrast, black levels and excellent local dimming system.   

 

 

[Tweaky]

On 07/08/2019 at 10:00 AM, mjs said:

I have had my 85X9500G for about a month now. Still a work in progress but in practical terms and viewing, I have not noticed any blooming into letterbox bars or other artifacts.

With a 85" screen it might even be worth making your own very simple variable masking system.

All it would take would be some lengths of stiff cardboard, with the width to MAX of your most tightly letterbox aspect ratio, with some Black Velveteen glued/stapled/taped to the cardboard.

Then just use some Blutak to hold the mask across the Black Bars on the TV, then you are sure they are going to be Black.......the Velveteen wrap cardboard should have a small enough weight to it so Blutack shouldn't have a problem holding it to the TV's edges.

 

I suppose y could always make the masking strips longer, and attach Velcros to the ends, wrap the ends around the side of the TV, then glue some opposing Velcros to the rear of the TV, then it's a matter of just placing on or off.

[mjs]

Now, why would I wan5 to do that? I don’t akways watch letterbox content. Besides, I don’t have a problem with the letterbox bars

[mjs]

This should probably go in the Picture Calibration Discussion sub-forum, but I finally got Calman Home for Sony calibration software up and running yesterday, panel probably still a bit new to fuss about calibration just yet, but I'll have a play over the next few days. Workflow is relatively automated, the panel has a Calman app which talks to the calibration software and controls changes to levels on the panel in either of two Custom Pro settings for each input.