Sony stands out in the TV industry by offering both OLED and LCD TVs, each with its own advantages. Unlike many brands, Sony doesn’t rank one above the other but instead highlights their unique strengths. This diverse range means you can easily find a TV that matches your viewing preferences and usage needs.

Take the Sony XBR-50X90J, for instance. This mid-range LCD TV is designed with a remarkable focus on brightness, a feature usually reserved for high-end models. It’s a brilliant example of Sony's commitment to providing options that cater to various user requirements.

Price

In the 48-50-inch size range, the 50-inch X90J stands out at £879 / US$900 / AUS$1795. It's priced competitively, dodging competition from OLEDs that typically cost more for similar features (like the LG’s OLED48C1 at £1,099). Meanwhile, budget-friendly LCD brands hesitate to compete in this price range. For example, Hisense's R50A7200GTUK Roku TV is only £399, and Samsung's priciest non-QLED 50-inch option, the 50AU9000, is £599.

The XR-50X90J's unique positioning might seem advantageous, but it also has to prove its worth. It must justify the premium compared to other budget options and show it offers enough value to attract those considering higher-end models.

Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes. The XR-50X90J offers exceptional value, balancing affordability with high-quality features that stand up to costlier alternatives.

Design

The design of our new gadget is sleek and modern, perfectly aligning with the needs of today's tech-savvy audience. Its compact form factor ensures it fits comfortably in your hand, while the intuitive interface promises a seamless user experience. Crafted from high-quality materials, the gadget exudes durability without compromising on style. Every element is thoughtfully placed, from the ergonomic buttons to the vibrant display, making it not just an accessory but a lifestyle statement.

Functionality

Our gadget isn't just about looks; it's incredibly functional too. Equipped with the latest technology, it delivers high performance across all its functions. Whether you are navigating through its features or using it for your daily tasks, expect nothing short of excellence. The battery life is robust, ensuring you stay connected longer without frequent recharges. Each feature is designed to be user-friendly, making technology accessible to everyone.

Connectivity

Stay connected effortlessly with our gadget's advanced connectivity options. It supports multiple connectivity protocols, ensuring you are never out of touch. Whether it's Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or USB, the gadget connects seamlessly with your other devices. This ensures a smooth transfer of data and uninterrupted communication, reinforcing its role as an indispensable tool in your tech arsenal.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our new gadget merges design with functionality, creating an unparalleled user experience. It is the perfect companion for those who demand style and performance in one complete package. Stay ahead in the tech game with a device that not only meets but exceeds your expectations. Embrace the future with our cutting-edge technology that is designed with you in mind.

The Sony XR-50X90J is an intriguing combination of strengths and weaknesses in terms of design. On the positive side, it's built solidly and has a heftier feel than many LCD TVs we've encountered this year. The blade-style feet are so slim that they nearly disappear when viewed straight on, offering a sleek look.

However, the screen's finish comes off as somewhat plasticky, and the rear extends out more than current trends would favor. Additionally, while the feet vanish from a head-on view, they appear rather basic from slight angles.

We'll be inclined to overlook the XR-50X90J's inconsistent design if it excels in screen performance. This is particularly true for the more substantial back end, possibly due to Sony's choice to use a direct LED array for this mid-range model. This means the LEDs are positioned directly behind the screen instead of around its edges, promising potentially better illumination.

Features

Discover the exceptional features of our latest offering. Designed with the modern user in mind, this product blends cutting-edge technology and user-friendly functionality to deliver an unparalleled experience.

• Advanced Performance: Powered by the latest processor, it ensures swift and efficient operation for all your needs.

• Stunning Display: Enjoy vibrant visuals with a high-resolution, full-color display.

• Enhanced Connectivity: Stay connected with robust network options and seamless integration with various devices.

• Long-lasting Battery: With an improved battery life, stay powered throughout your day, worry-free.

Stay ahead of the curve with features designed to keep you productive and entertained, no matter where you are.

The XR-50X90J offers a compelling set of features at a reasonable price, starting with Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR. This advanced processor aims to deliver images more akin to how the human eye perceives the real world. It works by identifying the type of image being received, breaking it down into its components, and then enhancing local color, sharpness, and contrast to achieve lifelike results.

Built on an LCD panel with direct LED lighting and local dimming, the XR-50X90J aims to provide superior picture quality. While the dimming system features only 24 dimming zones compared to the 400-plus zones found in Samsung’s mini LED QE50QN90A, the Sony model is more affordable. Past experience with Sony's technology suggests that even with fewer dimming zones, the processing power will still deliver high-quality images.

The set boasts a wide color gamut panel and higher-than-average brightness for a mid-range LCD TV, earning it the IMAX Enhanced certification. This indicates that its picture quality is up to the standards set by IMAX technology.

In addition to its stellar visuals, the XR-50X90J supports multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG. Although it doesn’t support HDR10+, the inclusion of Dolby Vision alone is a significant plus.

Audio-wise, the XR-50X90J doesn’t disappoint. It includes built-in Dolby Atmos decoding and the capability to output uncompressed Dolby Atmos to compatible soundbars and AVRs via HDMI eARC.

Speaking of HDMI features, the XR-50X90J supports 4K at 120Hz on two of its HDMI ports, along with automatic game mode switching for the PS5. However, it’s worth noting that the set doesn't yet support variable refresh rates for the Xbox Series X. Additionally, users must choose between 4K at 120Hz without Dolby Vision or 4K at 60Hz with Dolby Vision in the TV's input menu.

Be aware that while two of the XR-50X90J’s HDMIs support HDMI 2.1 features, one is also the eARC port. So if you are using the eARC for sound, only one 4K/120Hz HDMI port is available.

The TV’s input lag measures 17.2ms in Game mode, which, while slightly higher than some competitors, is still competitive.

On the smart front, the XR-50X90J runs on Google TV, a more user-friendly evolution of the Android TV platform. While it’s not the easiest system to navigate, it’s a marked improvement over previous versions, and offers access to many popular streaming services. However, it currently lacks Freeview Play or YouView apps, which means some UK catch-up apps like BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub are absent. Sony has promised standalone apps for these services but has yet to deliver.

Picture

The beauty of a stunning visual experience can elevate your enjoyment to new heights. Whether you're watching the latest blockbuster or streaming your favorite series, having a high-quality image makes all the difference. It's not just about the resolution; it's about how every pixel and color works in harmony to create a breathtaking picture.

Great pictures come from the intricate balance of technology and artistry. Advanced screen technologies like HDR (High Dynamic Range) and OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) provide richer colors, deeper blacks, and more detailed contrasts, bringing every scene to life.

Why Picture Quality Matters

Quality visuals enhance storytelling, making every movie and show more immersive and engaging. They can reveal details that might otherwise go unnoticed and deliver a visual feast that can make even casual viewing an extraordinary experience.

Investing in good picture quality pays off in the long run, ensuring that you get to enjoy every visual detail as intended. Remember to adjust your TV settings to optimize your viewing experience, taking full advantage of your display technology's capabilities.

Add some spark to your viewing pleasure with top-notch picture quality and see the difference for yourself!

The Sony XR-50X90J stands out with its vibrant and bright displays, making a striking impression on the screen. The TV delivers exceptional brightness consistently, producing some of the most dazzling HDR pictures ever seen on a 50-inch screen.

This isn't just about sheer brightness. Sony strategically uses this feature to offer a superior HDR experience, pushing the limits of its backlight capabilities. Daytime HDR scenes appear more natural and brilliantly bright compared to other TVs in its size and class.

Impressively, the XR-50X90J's bright highlights maintain their intensity, matching the performance typically only seen in high-end models.

Consider the scene in It where The Loser’s Club stands outside Pennywise’s house: the XR-50X90J enhances the sunlit shot, capturing the reflection off the grass that many mid-range and budget TVs miss. In this instance, the Sony model actually appears more vibrant and satisfying than the impressive Samsung UE50QN90A with its mini-LED technology.

Additionally, the TV brings the same level of brightness to SDR content through its top-notch SDR to HDR conversion system.

But there's more to the XR-50X90J than its brightness. Its extensive color range complements its high brightness, delivering beautiful, rich colors that remain vivid even in the brightest HDR scenes.

The Cognitive XR processor plays a crucial role, adding depth and tonal variation to the bold colors, giving bright scenes a near three-dimensional effect and aligning with the processor’s goal of mimicking how our eyes perceive the real world.

The XR-50X90J delivers a compelling 4K experience for a mid-range 50-inch LCD TV. While it may not match the razor-sharp detail of the higher-end Samsung UE50QN90A, its slightly less intense sharpness offers a more cinematic appeal.

Unlike previous Sony models, the XR-50X90J’s upscaling of sub-4K content doesn’t lead the pack. This is more due to the remarkable strides made by competitors in enhancing their upscaling engines. Nonetheless, Sony’s subtler approach can sometimes yield more natural and immersive results.

The TV excels with Sony’s expertise in handling judder and motion blur, ensuring smooth action scenes and camera pans without unnatural stutter or distracting side effects. It keeps 24p films from looking like soap operas.

You might worry about the XR-50X90J’s high brightness considering it only has 24 local dimming zones. Though the black levels aren’t bad for an LCD, issues arise in mid-dark scenes or with bright objects against dark backgrounds, leading to elevated black levels and flattened dark tones.

There can be noticeable backlight blooming around bright objects, extending several inches beyond their edges, especially into the black bars of wide aspect ratio films. In contrast, Samsung’s mini LED TVs effectively contain backlighting to keep black bars truly black.

Despite this, the XR-50X90J maintains the brightness of standout objects, such as street lights or the moon against a night sky, making them pop with HDR content. This contributes to a stable and consistent picture quality, outperforming even Sony’s own step-up X95J range in managing blooming issues.

The TV’s bright HDR approach suits bright room conditions, with its brightness shining through and often concealing backlight flaws. However, its intense brightness can lead to some detail loss in peak light areas of HDR images, and viewing angles remain limited – typical drawbacks for LCD TVs but acceptable for the punchy HDR performance delivered.

Sound

When it comes to sound quality, our brand sets the benchmark. We've meticulously crafted each component to ensure an unparalleled audio experience. Whether you're watching a movie or listening to your favorite music, our sound systems deliver crystal-clear highs and deep, resonant lows. Explore our range and discover why our products stand out in the industry.

The XR-50X90J’s Acoustic Multi-Audio speaker system delivers an aggressive sound experience for a 50-inch TV.

This is especially true when handling the density and expansion of sound in Dolby Atmos movie mixes. For instance, during the massive crescendo at the end of the garage projection scene in It, unlike many of its rivals, the sound doesn’t flatten out or withdraw. Instead, it pushes on, adjusting its dynamic range to keep up with the ever-expanding audio.

The size of the XR-50X90J’s soundstage is equally impressive, offering width and even a touch of height beyond its screen's physical limits. While it's most effective with Dolby Atmos mixes, it enhances any audio mix, making it sound lively, detailed, and clear.

However, the XR-50X90J falls short in the bass department. Despite its impressive handling of dense audio moments, the bass often sounds a little thin and bright. Occasionally, this makes some high-pitched sounds and vocals come across as harsh.

Verdict

While it would be great if Sony introduced some of the long-awaited smart TV and gaming features to the XR-50X90J, its incredible brightness, color, and clarity make it a top contender for most homes. However, for die-hard movie enthusiasts who enjoy watching TV in pitch-black rooms, the backlight limitations might be a downside.

For many households, the XR-50X90J’s outstanding brightness and vivid colors could make it the best £879 / US$900 / AUS$1,795 they've ever spent.