Samsung S90F OLED vs. Sony BRAVIA 7: Which Premium TV Deserves Your Living Room in 2025?

In the ever-evolving world of premium televisions, two standout contenders have captured the attention of home theater enthusiasts and casual viewers alike: the Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV and the Sony BRAVIA 7 65" 4K UHD Smart Google TV. If you're looking to upgrade your viewing experience in 2025, these two models represent some of the finest options available—but they approach visual excellence through decidedly different technologies and philosophies.

I've spent considerable time analyzing both of these displays, and while they share the same goal—delivering stunning picture quality—the path each takes offers distinct advantages depending on your viewing habits, room environment, and personal preferences. Let's dive into what makes each of these TVs special, and more importantly, which one might be the right choice for your living room or home theater.

The Technology Landscape: OLED vs. Mini-LED

The fundamental difference between the Samsung S90F OLED and the Sony BRAVIA 7 lies in their core display technologies, which ultimately shapes every aspect of their performance.

OLED: The Self-Emissive Marvel

The Samsung S90F, released in early 2025, uses QD-OLED (Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology. Unlike traditional displays, OLED panels don't require a backlight because each pixel produces its own light. When a pixel needs to display black, it simply turns off completely, resulting in perfect, true blacks that no backlit technology can match.

Samsung's implementation takes standard OLED technology a step further by incorporating quantum dots—microscopic particles that emit highly pure, precise colors when light passes through them. This combination delivers extraordinary contrast ratios with vibrant colors that pop off the screen, especially in HDR content.

Since its release, the S90F has proven to be Samsung's most refined OLED offering yet, boasting significant improvements in brightness (historically an OLED weakness) while maintaining the perfect blacks that make the technology so coveted among videophiles. At $2,499.99, it represents Samsung's premium OLED offering below their flagship models.

Mini-LED: Precision-Controlled Backlighting

The Sony BRAVIA 7, launched in late 2024, takes a different approach with its Mini-LED QLED technology. Despite the similar-sounding name to OLED, QLED is fundamentally a different technology. It uses a traditional LCD panel but illuminates it with thousands of tiny LED lights arranged in precisely controlled zones—significantly smaller than previous LED backlighting systems.

Sony's implementation, which they call "XR Backlight Master Drive," allows for impressive control over which areas of the screen are lit, significantly reducing the blooming effect (where light spills from bright objects into surrounding dark areas) that has traditionally plagued LED TVs. This technology enables the BRAVIA 7 to achieve deeper blacks than conventional LED TVs while maintaining higher brightness levels than OLED displays.

Priced between $1,261.70 and $1,399.99, the BRAVIA 7 represents outstanding value in the premium TV space, especially considering Sony's renowned image processing capabilities.

Picture Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Contrast and Black Levels

When it comes to contrast—the difference between the brightest whites and darkest blacks—these TVs tell different stories.

The Samsung S90F delivers what can only be described as perfect blacks. Since each pixel can be completely turned off, there's a true absence of light in dark scenes. This creates an infinite contrast ratio that makes images appear more three-dimensional and realistic, especially when watching movies in a dark room.

During a late-night viewing of "Dune: Part Two," I was struck by how the S90F rendered the night scenes on Arrakis—the darkness felt limitless, with stars and distant lights appearing to float in genuine blackness rather than a dark gray approximation. This perfect contrast makes the S90F particularly well-suited for dedicated home theater environments where light control is possible.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 can't match OLED's perfect blacks, but it comes impressively close for an LED-based display. Sony's advanced local dimming algorithm intelligently controls each zone of the Mini-LED backlight, producing deep, rich blacks that would have been unimaginable on LED TVs just a few years ago. Some minimal blooming is visible in extreme contrast scenarios—like white credits on a black background—but in regular content, most viewers would be hard-pressed to notice.

Where the BRAVIA 7 excels is in mixed content with both bright and dark elements, where its higher brightness capabilities can make HDR content truly pop without sacrificing too much in black level performance.

Brightness and HDR Performance

The brightness contest has traditionally favored LED-based displays, but the gap is narrowing with each generation of OLED technology.

The Samsung S90F achieves peak brightness levels of around 1,300 nits in small highlights, a significant improvement over previous OLED models. This allows HDR content to display with impressive dynamic range, with specular highlights (like sunlight reflecting off water or metal) appearing brilliant and realistic. The TV supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG formats, though notably lacks Dolby Vision support—a continuing peculiarity of Samsung's lineup.

The S90F's brightness is more than adequate for most viewing environments, but it still can't maintain high brightness levels across large portions of the screen due to the inherent power limitations of OLED technology. This means that full-screen bright scenes (like snow landscapes or sunny beaches) won't appear quite as brilliant as on the best LED displays.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 counters with sustained brightness between 1,000-1,200 nits, but can maintain this brightness across larger portions of the screen. This gives it an advantage in very bright rooms where ambient light might wash out some of the OLED's contrast advantage. The BRAVIA 7 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG, giving it a slight edge in format compatibility.

In practical terms, both TVs deliver exceptional HDR experiences, but they excel in different content. The S90F makes the most of high-contrast HDR scenes with precise highlights, while the BRAVIA 7 handles bright, colorful HDR content with slightly more impact.

Color Reproduction

Color performance is stellar on both displays, though they approach it differently.

The Samsung S90F benefits from Quantum Dot technology, which enables a wider color gamut—essentially the range of colors the TV can display. This translates to incredibly vibrant, saturated colors that cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color space (the standard used for digital cinema). Reds appear particularly rich and deep, while greens have an almost luminous quality to them.

This vibrancy comes with a caveat: out of the box, the S90F can sometimes appear oversaturated, particularly in its more dynamic picture modes. In my experience, switching to "Filmmaker Mode" or performing a basic calibration results in a more balanced, accurate image that still benefits from the OLED's color volume capabilities.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 approaches color with Sony's characteristic restraint and accuracy. Its XR Triluminos Pro technology delivers colors that are more naturally balanced from the moment you turn it on. Sony has long been respected for its color science, and the BRAVIA 7 continues this tradition with flesh tones that look realistic rather than exaggerated.

For movies and content where director intent is paramount, the Sony often provides a more faithful reproduction out of the box. When watching "The Batman," I noticed how the Sony rendered the film's desaturated color palette exactly as intended, while the Samsung initially made the muted tones appear slightly more vibrant than they should have.

Motion Handling

Motion clarity—how well a TV displays moving objects without blur—reveals another technological divide between these displays.

The Samsung S90F benefits from OLED's near-instantaneous pixel response time. When a pixel needs to change color, it does so almost immediately, resulting in exceptionally clear motion with minimal blur. Combined with the S90F's Motion Xcelerator 144Hz technology, this makes fast-moving content like sports and action films appear remarkably smooth and distinct.

For gamers, this 144Hz refresh rate (up from the standard 120Hz found in most premium TVs) means that compatible PC games can display up to 144 frames per second, providing an additional edge in competitive gaming scenarios where reaction time is crucial.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 handles motion very well for an LED-based display, but physics works against it slightly. LCD pixels simply can't change states as quickly as OLED, resulting in a small amount of motion blur during rapid movement. Sony compensates with their excellent XR Motion Clarity technology, which inserts black frames between content frames to reduce blur perception without causing the "soap opera effect" that many viewers find distracting.

For most casual viewing, the difference in motion handling is subtle, but for fast-paced sports or gaming, the Samsung holds a noticeable advantage.

Beyond the Picture: Processing, Smart Features, and Gaming

AI Processing and Upscaling

Both TVs employ sophisticated AI-driven processors to enhance what you're watching, but they approach image processing differently.

The Samsung S90F uses Samsung's latest NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, which powers its 4K AI Upscaling Pro technology. This system analyzes lower-resolution content (like 1080p Blu-rays or standard HD broadcasts) and intelligently enhances it to near-4K quality. The processor has been trained on thousands of images to recognize patterns and add appropriate detail without creating artificial-looking artifacts.

Samsung's Vision AI scene optimization is particularly impressive, analyzing what's on screen in real time and adjusting various picture parameters to enhance the viewing experience. When watching nature documentaries, I noticed how the system subtly enhanced foliage detail and sky colors without making the adjustments feel heavy-handed.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 counters with Sony's Cognitive Processor XR, which attempts to process images the way the human brain does. Rather than enhancing the entire image uniformly, it identifies the focal point of each scene and emphasizes that area, mimicking how our attention naturally works.

Sony's approach to processing tends to be more cinema-oriented, with film mode detection that preserves the original look and feel of movies. Their upscaling is particularly impressive with lower-quality sources, where the XR processor cleans up noise while adding detail that looks natural rather than artificially enhanced.

Smart Platforms: Tizen vs. Google TV

Your day-to-day interaction with your TV largely happens through its smart platform, and here the differences are significant.

The Samsung S90F runs on Samsung's Tizen OS, which has evolved into a comprehensive and feature-rich platform. The latest version offers a full-screen home page with content recommendations across your subscribed streaming services. Samsung's app selection is robust, covering all major streaming platforms. The integration of Samsung's SmartThings ecosystem is a bonus for those invested in Samsung's smart home products, allowing the TV to act as a control hub for compatible devices.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 uses Google TV, which many users find more intuitive and personalized. Google's content recommendations are powered by the same AI that drives YouTube's suggestions, and it learns your preferences over time. The platform integrates seamlessly with other Google services like Photos and Assistant, and features like Chromecast built-in make it simple to share content from your phone or tablet to the big screen.

In my experience, Google TV offers a slightly more user-friendly experience, particularly for those already in the Google ecosystem, while Tizen provides deeper customization options for power users.

Gaming Capabilities

For gamers, both TVs offer impressive features, though the Samsung edges ahead in pure specifications.

The Samsung S90F supports 4K gaming at up to 144Hz refresh rate across all four of its HDMI 2.1 ports—a genuine advantage for PC gamers with high-end graphics cards. It also includes Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support, which synchronizes the TV's refresh rate with your game console or PC's frame rate output to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering. Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) automatically switches to Game Mode when a console is detected, reducing input lag to under 6ms—fast enough for even competitive gamers.

Samsung's Gaming Hub also provides cloud gaming access, allowing you to play high-end games without a console or PC.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 offers gaming features that are more specifically tuned for PlayStation 5 owners. While it supports 4K gaming at 120Hz (but not 144Hz) and includes VRR and ALLM on two of its HDMI 2.1 ports, its input lag is slightly higher at around 8.5ms. However, it includes PS5-specific features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping, which automatically calibrates HDR settings when a PS5 is connected.

For most console gamers, both TVs will provide an excellent experience, but PC gamers pushing beyond 120fps will appreciate the Samsung's higher refresh rate capability.

Design and Audio Performance

Physical Design

The physical design of your TV impacts both aesthetics and practicality.

The Samsung S90F features the ultra-thin profile characteristic of OLED displays, particularly at the top portion (the bottom section houses electronics and speakers, so it's slightly thicker). The nearly bezel-less design gives it a floating screen appearance that looks particularly striking when wall-mounted. The center-mounted stand is sturdy but requires a wider furniture surface compared to feet at either end.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 has a slightly thicker profile due to its Mini-LED backlight system, but Sony has managed to keep it impressively slim considering the technology inside. Its premium aluminum frame gives it a professional, understated appearance, and the multi-position stand offers flexibility for different furniture situations. You can place the feet near the edges for stability on wider surfaces or position them more centrally for narrower furniture.

Audio Quality

While most serious home theater enthusiasts will pair their premium TV with a dedicated sound system or soundbar, built-in audio quality remains important for everyday viewing.

The Samsung S90F features a 40W 2.2.2 channel system with Object Tracking Sound technology, which attempts to match audio placement with on-screen action. The system produces clear dialogue and reasonable bass for a flat-panel TV, though it can't match the immersion of a dedicated audio setup. Samsung's Q-Symphony feature allows the TV speakers to work in conjunction with compatible Samsung soundbars rather than being disabled when an external audio system is connected.

The Sony BRAVIA 7 includes a 40W two-way, two-channel speaker system with Acoustic Auto Calibration, which adjusts sound settings based on room acoustics. Sony's audio heritage shows in the BRAVIA 7's speaker implementation, with better bass response and more precise sound imaging than most built-in TV audio systems. The TV supports Dolby Atmos passthrough to compatible audio equipment for true immersive audio.

For casual viewing, both TVs provide satisfactory audio, but the Sony edges slightly ahead in overall sound quality and balance.

Value Proposition and How to Decide

The decision between the Samsung S90F OLED at $2,499.99 and the Sony BRAVIA 7 at $1,261.70-$1,399.99 ultimately comes down to your specific needs, viewing environment, and budget.

Choose the Samsung S90F OLED if:

• You watch primarily in a dark or controlled lighting environment where OLED's perfect blacks and infinite contrast can truly shine
• You're a serious gamer who values the highest possible refresh rates and lowest input lag
• You watch a lot of HDR content and want the most impactful contrast between dark and light elements
• You appreciate the vivid, saturated colors that Quantum Dot technology provides
• You're willing to pay a premium (approximately $1,000 more) for the best possible picture quality

The Samsung S90F represents the pinnacle of picture quality for most content, especially movies and games viewed in appropriate lighting conditions. Its perfect blacks create a sense of depth and realism that LED-based displays simply cannot match, while its gaming features position it as one of the most capable gaming displays on the market.

Choose the Sony BRAVIA 7 if:

• You watch TV in a bright room where ambient light might negate some of OLED's contrast advantages
• You want excellent picture quality with significant cost savings
• You watch varied content including sports, news, and streaming shows
• You prefer more accurate, natural colors out of the box
• You're concerned about potential burn-in with OLED displays (though this has become less common with modern OLEDs)
• You prefer Google TV's interface and ecosystem integration

The Sony BRAVIA 7 offers remarkable value, delivering nearly flagship-level performance at a much more accessible price point. Its higher brightness makes it more versatile across different lighting conditions, and Sony's renowned image processing ensures excellent picture quality regardless of content source.

Final Thoughts

Both the Samsung S90F OLED and the Sony BRAVIA 7 represent the cutting edge of their respective display technologies. The Samsung showcases how far OLED has come, with improved brightness addressing one of the technology's few weaknesses, while the Sony demonstrates that properly implemented Mini-LED can deliver an experience that rivals OLED in many aspects at a more affordable price point.

For my home theater setup with controlled lighting, I would personally lean toward the Samsung S90F for its unmatched contrast and perfect blacks, which create a more immersive cinematic experience. However, for a living room with large windows or for viewers watching a mix of content throughout the day, the Sony BRAVIA 7 offers better value and more consistent performance across varied lighting conditions.

Whichever you choose, both the Samsung S90F OLED and Sony BRAVIA 7 represent excellent investments in your home entertainment experience, delivering picture quality that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. The right choice depends not on which is "better" in absolute terms, but which better suits your specific viewing environment, content preferences, and budget constraints.

Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 Deals and Prices

Sony BRAVIA 7 65" 4K UHD Smart Google TV Deals and Prices