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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Brightness
- Black Level
- Color
- Processing
- Game Mode Responsiveness
- Motion Handling
- Reflections
- Panel
- Inputs
- Design
- Smart Features
- Sound Quality
- Comments
Sony X90L/X90CL vs TCL QM8/QM851G QLED
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Sony X90L/X90CL
TCL QM8/QM851G QLED
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Mar 26, 2025 03:59 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Apr 14, 2025 03:16 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate120Hz
TypeLED
Sub-TypeVA
Dolby VisionYes
Screen FinishGlossy
Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate144Hz
TypeLED
Sub-TypeVA
Dolby VisionYes
Screen FinishGlossy
Variants
- XR-55X90L (55")
- XR-65X90L (65")
- XR-75X90L (75")
- XR-85X90L (85")
- XR-98X90L (98")
- 65QM851G (65")
- 75QM851G (75")
- 85QM851G (85")
- 98QM851G (98")
Our Verdict
Sony X90L/X90CL
TCL QM8/QM851G QLED
The TCL QM8/QM851G QLED is better than the Sony X90L/X90CL. The TCL has better contrast, with better blooming performance and superior lighting zone transitions. It's also significantly brighter than the Sony in HDR, with a wider color gamut. The TCL is also a bit brighter in SDR but has far better reflection handling, making it the superior choice in bright rooms. The Sony does have better PQ EOTF Tracking and upscaling, but otherwise, it's outperformed in most ways by the TCL.
Check Price
55"
XR-55X90L
Searching
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65"
XR-65X90L
Searching
Finding store65"
65QM851G
Searching
Finding store75"
XR-75X90L
Searching
Finding store75"
75QM851G
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Finding store85"
XR-85X90L
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Finding store85"
85QM851G
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Finding store98"
XR-98X90L
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Finding store98"
98QM851G
Searching
Finding storeMain Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
7.6
8.2
HDR Brightness
7.5
9.4
Contrast
6.8
8.9
Black Uniformity
6.2
8.9
Full Comparison
Brightness
HDR Brightness
7.5
9.4
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
581 cd/m²
1,472 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
474 cd/m²
611 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
216 cd/m²
473 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,141 cd/m²
2,564 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,254 cd/m²
3,467 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
952 cd/m²
3,338 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
765 cd/m²
1,814 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
715 cd/m²
967 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,106 cd/m²
2,497 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,212 cd/m²
3,319 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
948 cd/m²
3,253 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
763 cd/m²
1,810 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
714 cd/m²
965 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.030
0.060
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
7.5
9.4
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
564 cd/m²
1,393 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
504 cd/m²
625 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
212 cd/m²
447 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,123 cd/m²
4,167 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,262 cd/m²
3,425 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
944 cd/m²
3,366 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
757 cd/m²
1,796 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
712 cd/m²
956 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,091 cd/m²
2,384 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,220 cd/m²
3,300 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
941 cd/m²
3,251 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
756 cd/m²
1,792 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
711 cd/m²
953 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.030
0.060
SDR Brightness
8.9
9.5
Real Scene Peak Brightness
775 cd/m²
1,108 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,129 cd/m²
4,043 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,261 cd/m²
3,355 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
905 cd/m²
3,291 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
728 cd/m²
1,767 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
720 cd/m²
940 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,111 cd/m²
2,320 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,219 cd/m²
3,238 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
901 cd/m²
3,171 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
726 cd/m²
1,761 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
718 cd/m²
938 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.032
0.060
Black Level
Contrast
6.8
8.9
Contrast Picture
Contrast
49,776 : 1
201,150 : 1
Native Contrast
4,163 : 1
6,515 : 1
Lighting Zone Precision
7.5
8.5
Lighting Zone Precision Picture
Lighting Zone Transitions
6.0
8.5
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object
Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Full-Array
Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
88
2,880
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode
7.0
9.0
Lighting Zone Precision Photo In Game Mode
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode
Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD
Black Uniformity
6.2
8.9
Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming
Std. Dev.
1.391%
0.154%
Native Black Uniformity Picture
Native Std. Dev.
0.946%
0.569%
Color
SDR Color Volume
7.7
7.7
DCI-P3 Gamut Rings
CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
89.46%
90.94%
BT.2020 Gamut Rings
CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
69.38%
67.01%
HDR Color Volume
8.3
9.0
P3 Color Volume ITP Picture
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
86.2%
85.2%
2020 Color Volume ITP Picture
10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
42.8%
54.8%
White Luminance
1,154 cd/m²
2,513 cd/m²
Red Luminance
272 cd/m²
585 cd/m²
Green Luminance
778 cd/m²
1,885 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
91 cd/m²
189 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
869 cd/m²
2,075 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
364 cd/m²
773 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
1,046 cd/m²
2,451 cd/m²
SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
8.5
7.5
Pre White Balance Picture
Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
3.14
3.36
Color dE 2000
1.52
2.07
Gamma
2.60
2.09
Color Temperature
6,506 K
6,127 K
Picture Mode
Custom
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Expert 1
Warm -5
Gamma Setting
0
2.2
SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.6
9.6
Post White Balance Picture
Post Gamma Curve Picture
Post Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
0.17
0.24
Color dE 2000
0.98
0.82
Gamma
2.20
2.20
Color Temperature
6,503 K
6,483 K
White Balance Calibration
10 point
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Yes
HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.3
5.7
HDR Pre White Balance Picture
HDR Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
3.91
41.45
Color dE ITP
4.3
49.6
Color Temperature
6,601 K
6,308 K
Picture Mode
Professional
Movie
HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.5
7.0
HDR Post White Balance Picture
HDR Post Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
3.03
19.70
Color dE ITP
4.00
8.60
Color Temperature
6,461 K
6,276 K
Processing
PQ EOTF Tracking
8.3
3.9
PQ EOTF Graph
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0043
0.0313
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0043
0.0314
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0043
0.0314
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
8.0
8.1
Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture
Smoothing
8.0
8.5
Detail Preservation
8.0
7.0
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
9.0
7.5
Sharpness Picture - 480p
HDR Native Gradient
8.0
7.8
HDR Gradient Picture
100% Black To 50% Gray
8.0
6.0
50% Gray To 100% White
8.0
6.0
100% Black To 50% Red
8.0
8.0
50% Red To 100% Red
10
10
100% Black To 50% Green
8.0
8.0
50% Green To 100% Green
6.0
8.0
100% Black To 50% Blue
10
8.0
50% Blue To 100% Blue
6.0
8.0
Game Mode Responsiveness
Input Lag
7.5
8.4
1080p @ 60Hz
18.0 ms
14.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
161.3 ms
125.0 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
9.4 ms
6.1 ms
1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
9.4 ms
8.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz
17.8 ms
14.1 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
17.8 ms
15.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
144.5 ms
124.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
137.2 ms
116.5 ms
4k @ 120Hz
9.5 ms
5.9 ms
4k @ Max Refresh Rate
9.5 ms
5.0 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
N/A
Supported Resolutions
9.1
9.7
Resolution
4k
4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
No
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
No
Yes
8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz
No
No
8k @ 60Hz
No
No
Variable Refresh Rate
7.5
8.8
Native Refresh Rate
120Hz
144Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
Yes
FreeSync
No
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
144 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
240 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming
Yes
Yes
CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
5.6
7.5
Pursuit Photo Max Refresh
CAD Heatmap Max Refresh
Transition At Max Refresh
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
323
173
Best 10% CAD
140
71
Worst 10% CAD
514
303
CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
5.6
6.9
Pursuit Photo 120Hz
CAD Heatmap 120Hz
Transition At 120Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
323
200
Best 10% CAD
140
69
Worst 10% CAD
514
482
CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
5.4
7.0
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
CAD Heatmap 60Hz
Transition 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
331
217
Best 10% CAD
145
71
Worst 10% CAD
580
372
PS5 Compatibility
PS5 Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Xbox Series X Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Motion Handling
Stutter
6.3
6.1
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
35.6 ms
36.2 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
10.6 ms
11.2 ms
24p Judder
10
10
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes
Yes
Response Time
7.9
8.1
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
Response Time Heatmap 60Hz
Transition At 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
First Response Time
6.1 ms
5.5 ms
Total Response Time
11.0 ms
10.6 ms
Worst 10% Response Time
23.5 ms
22.9 ms
Flicker
Backlight chart
Flicker-Free
No
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
720 Hz
30,000 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
BFI Picture
BFI Frequency Picture
Optional BFI
Yes
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
120 Hz
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
No
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode
120 Hz
60 Hz
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes
Yes
Reflections
Direct Reflections
5.4
6.3
Ring Light Picture
Direct Reflections Graph
Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
65.1%
46.5%
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Ambient Black Level Raise
9.0
9.1
Black Level Raise Picture
Bright Room Black Level Raise Graph
Black Luminance @ 0 lx
0.00 cd/m²
0.00 cd/m²
Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
0.39 cd/m²
0.38 cd/m²
Total Reflected Light
5.5
7.8
Bright Room Off Picture
Ring Picture Total Reflection
Total Reflected Light Intensity
31,489% ⋅ pixel
12,962% ⋅ pixel
Diffraction Artifacts
Yes
Yes
Ambient Color Saturation
7.9
8.4
Bright Room Color Volume Graph
Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
66.54%
71.72%
Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
66.91%
68.86%
High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
60.50%
59.50%
Panel
Viewing Angle
6.3
6.2
Viewing Angle Video
Chroma Graph
Color Washout
24°
23°
Hue Graph
Color Shift
70°
31°
Lightness Graph
Brightness Loss
33°
30°
Black Level Raise
14°
18°
Gamma Shift
14°
18°
Gray Uniformity
6.3
7.1
50% Uniformity Picture
50% Std. Dev.
2.991%
2.225%
50% DSE
0.196%
0.170%
5% Uniformity Picture
5% Std. Dev.
1.090%
0.670%
5% DSE
0.108%
0.093%
Panel Technology
Spectral Power Distribution
Pixels Picture
Type
LED
LED
Sub-Type
VA
VA
Subpixel Layout
BGR
BGR
Inputs
Input Specifications
Side Inputs Picture
Rear Inputs Picture
HDMI
4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)
4 (2x HDMI 2.0, 2x HDMI 2.1)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
48 Gbps
48 Gbps
ATSC Tuner
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
USB Ports
2
3
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Yes (1)
Audio Out 3.5mm
0
1
Wi-Fi
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)
Ethernet Speed
100 Mbps
100 Mbps
Composite In
1 (Adapter Required, Not Incl.)
1 (Adapter Required, Not Incl.)
Digital Optical Audio Out
1
1
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
Yes
Yes
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
Yes
Yes
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
Yes
Yes
HDR Format Support
HDR10
Yes
Yes
HDR10+
No
Yes
Dolby Vision
Yes
Yes
HLG
Yes
Yes
Design
Style
Design Picture
Curved
No
No
Stand
Stand Picture
Back
Back Picture
Wall Mount
VESA 300x300
VESA 400x400
Borders
Borders Picture
Borders
0.30" (0.8 cm)
0.31" (0.8 cm)
Thickness
Thickness Picture
Max Thickness
2.24" (5.7 cm)
2.28" (5.8 cm)
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
Build quality picture
Smart Features
Interface
Smart TV Picture
Smart OS
Google TV
Google TV
Version
10
12
Ad-Free
0.0
0.0
Ads Picture
Ads
Yes
Yes
Opt-out
No
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No
No
Remote
Remote Picture
Voice Control
Yes
Yes
TV Controls
Controls Picture
Mute Switch
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Misc
Power Consumption
69 W
66 W
Power Consumption (Max)
206 W
307 W
Firmware
PKG6.7240.0826NAA
V8-T653T02-LF1V085
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
7.1
7.0
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
95.14 Hz
75.51 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.66 dB
3.92 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.96 dB
3.60 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.81 dB
4.90 dB
Max
90.6 dB SPL
87.3 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.64 dB
4.74 dB
Digital Room Correction
Yes
Yes
Check Price
55"
XR-55X90L
Searching
Finding store55"
65"
XR-65X90L
Searching
Finding store65"
65QM851G
Searching
Finding store75"
XR-75X90L
Searching
Finding store75"
75QM851G
Searching
Finding store85"
XR-85X90L
Searching
Finding store85"
85QM851G
Searching
Finding store98"
XR-98X90L
Searching
Finding store98"
98QM851G
Searching
Finding store
Sony X90L/X90CL
TCL QM8/QM851G QLED
Comments
Sony X90L/X90CL vs TCL QM8/QM851G QLED: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.
Update: We’ve updated the article for clarity and verified that our picks represent the best choices available.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know
Hey there. I understand your concern!
In my experience, it depends!
But if you’re making the jump from an ordinary straight keyboard layout to a pretty standard split keyboard layout like with the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB or the Logitech ERGO K860, then you may be surprised that the learning curve isn’t quite as steep as you might have thought. Typically, after about a week, it’ll start to feel pretty natural, and you’ll likely be typing near the same speed as you’re used to and without making more typos than normal.
That said, if you’re looking at some more unusual split designs, such as with a keyboard like the MoErgo Glove80, then it can take a bit more time as there are other new factors to get used to, such as the curved key wells, the thumb clusters, and the columnar layout. But even when jumping to a very different board, most people find they will fully adapt within a few weeks or a month at most, even with some of the most radically different designs.
I hope that answers your question.
Update: We’ve updated the article for clarity and verified that our picks represent the best choices available.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know
Hey there. I understand your concern!
In my experience, it depends!
But if you’re making the jump from an ordinary straight keyboard layout to a pretty standard split keyboard layout like with the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB or the Logitech ERGO K860, then you may be surprised that the learning curve isn’t quite as steep as you might have thought. Typically, after about a week, it’ll start to feel pretty natural, and you’ll likely be typing near the same speed as you’re used to and without making more typos than normal.
That said, if you’re looking at some more unusual split designs, such as with a keyboard like the MoErgo Glove80, then it can take a bit more time as there are other new factors to get used to, such as the curved key wells, the thumb clusters, and the columnar layout. But even when jumping to a very different board, most people find they will fully adapt within a few weeks or a month at most, even with some of the most radically different designs.
I hope that answers your question.