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In the rapidly evolving world of premium televisions, two standout models have captured the attention of home theater enthusiasts and everyday viewers alike: the Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 ($2,499.99) and the Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV ($2,563.10). If you're in the market for a top-tier television experience, these two contenders represent the pinnacle of their respective display technologies – but which one is right for your living room or home theater?
The television landscape has transformed dramatically over the past few years. Gone are the days when a simple "LED TV" label was enough to guide your purchase. Today's premium TVs represent fundamentally different approaches to creating an exceptional picture.
The Samsung S90F OLED and Sony BRAVIA 9 embody the two dominant premium display technologies of our time: OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and Mini LED QLED (Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode with Mini LED backlighting). Understanding the core differences between these technologies provides the foundation for making an informed decision.
Samsung released the S90F OLED in early 2025, making it one of the newest OLED models on the market. It uses Samsung's latest QD-OLED panel technology, which combines the perfect black levels of OLED with the enhanced color capabilities of quantum dots. Sony's BRAVIA 9, released in 2024, represents Sony's flagship Mini LED television, featuring thousands of tiny LED backlights arranged in precise zones behind a QLED panel.
These different approaches to premium picture quality come with distinct advantages that can significantly impact your viewing experience, especially when you're investing over $2,500 in a television that will likely be the centerpiece of your entertainment setup for years to come.
The Samsung S90F utilizes QD-OLED technology, which represents the next evolution of OLED displays. Traditional OLED televisions use organic compounds that emit their own light when electricity passes through them. This means each individual pixel can turn completely on or off independently.
What makes QD-OLED special is the addition of quantum dots – microscopic semiconductor particles that enhance color performance. When blue OLED light passes through these quantum dots, they convert it to pure red and green light, resulting in more vibrant and accurate colors than conventional OLED can achieve.
The most significant advantage of this self-emissive design is perfect black levels. When a pixel needs to display black, it simply turns off completely, emitting zero light. This creates what's called "infinite contrast" – the maximum possible difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. This ability to achieve true black is why OLED technology has become the gold standard for home theater enthusiasts who often watch content in darkened rooms.
Since its 2025 release, the S90F has incorporated improvements in brightness over previous OLED generations. While earlier OLED TVs struggled to compete with LED models in bright environments, the S90F pushes considerably higher peak brightness levels, especially in specular highlights (small, intense bright spots like reflections or light sources within a scene).
The Sony BRAVIA 9 takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of self-emissive pixels, it uses a backlight consisting of thousands of tiny LEDs (Mini LEDs) arranged in precisely controlled zones behind a QLED panel. QLED technology uses quantum dots in a different way than QD-OLED – here, they're used to enhance the color performance of an LCD panel.
When Sony released the BRAVIA 9 in 2024, it represented a significant advancement in Mini LED technology. The "Mini" in Mini LED refers to the dramatically reduced size of each backlight element – often just 1/40th the size of traditional LED backlights. This miniaturization allows for more precise control of local dimming zones – areas of the backlight that can be brightened or dimmed independently.
Sony's XR Backlight Master Drive technology in the BRAVIA 9 controls these thousands of Mini LEDs with remarkable precision, resulting in what Sony claims is their brightest 4K TV ever. This approach yields exceptional brightness capabilities that significantly outperform even the latest OLED models, particularly in overall screen brightness for HDR content or viewing in well-lit rooms.
The tradeoff comes in black level performance. While Mini LED technology with advanced local dimming can produce very deep blacks, it cannot match the pixel-level precision of OLED. Even with thousands of dimming zones, some light can "bloom" around bright objects on dark backgrounds – though this effect has been minimized in the BRAVIA 9 compared to earlier LED technologies.
One of the most practical considerations when choosing between these technologies is where and when you typically watch TV.
The Samsung S90F OLED excels in controlled lighting environments. In a dimmed living room or dedicated home theater space, the S90F's perfect blacks and infinite contrast create a truly cinematic experience that's hard to match. Samsung has made significant strides in brightness with the S90F compared to earlier OLED models, achieving peak brightness levels of around 800-1000 nits in highlights.
This increased brightness helps the S90F perform better in moderately lit rooms than OLEDs of just a few years ago. However, in very bright rooms with lots of windows and sunlight, the display may still appear somewhat washed out compared to the BRAVIA 9. The screen also uses an anti-reflective coating to minimize glare, but reflection handling remains a consideration in bright environments.
The S90F's HDR (High Dynamic Range) performance is particularly impressive because of how the contrast between perfect blacks and bright highlights creates a sense of depth and realism. When watching movies with dark scenes interspersed with bright elements – think of a starfield or a flashlight beam in a dark cave – the S90F creates a dramatic visual impact that's ideal for movie night.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 is an entirely different animal when it comes to brightness. With peak brightness levels exceeding 1500 nits and exceptional full-screen brightness, this TV is designed to perform beautifully even in the most challenging lighting environments. If your living room has large windows that flood the space with daylight, the BRAVIA 9 will maintain vibrant, punchy images where an OLED might struggle.
Sony has implemented both X-Anti Reflection and X-Wide Angle technologies in the BRAVIA 9, further enhancing its versatility. The anti-reflection coating significantly reduces glare, while the wide-angle technology helps maintain consistent picture quality even when viewed from the sides – addressing a traditional weakness of LCD-based displays.
The BRAVIA 9's XR Contrast Booster 30 technology maximizes the potential of its Mini LED array, delivering dazzling highlights while still achieving impressive black levels for an LED-based display. In HDR content, this translates to spectacular specular highlights that literally shine – think sunlight glinting off water or the gleam of metal surfaces.
While technical specifications give us a framework for understanding these displays, the actual viewing experience encompasses nuances that numbers alone can't capture.
The Samsung S90F's picture quality is defined by its contrast excellence. The ability to display pure black alongside bright highlights creates a natural sense of depth that makes images appear three-dimensional. This is particularly noticeable in cinematic content, where directors and cinematographers carefully compose shots with intentional shadow detail.
Color performance is another S90F strong suit. The QD-OLED technology delivers exceptional color volume – the ability to maintain color saturation even at high brightness levels. This means vibrant reds stay rich and saturated rather than washing out to pink, and deep blues maintain their intensity across all brightness levels.
Since its 2025 release, the S90F has incorporated Samsung's latest color management systems, though some users note that out-of-box settings can appear somewhat oversaturated. After proper calibration (or simply switching to "Movie" or "Filmmaker Mode"), the S90F delivers remarkably accurate colors that content creators would recognize as faithful to their intent.
The S90F also exhibits perfect uniformity, with no backlight bleed or dirty screen effect (uneven patches visible in panning shots across uniform colors like sky or sports fields). This clean, consistent image adds to the premium viewing experience, especially for perfectionists who might be distracted by such imperfections.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 builds on Sony's legendary reputation for image processing. The Cognitive XR Processor analyzes content the way humans do, focusing on focal points and enhancing them accordingly. This creates images with striking clarity and depth, despite the inherent limitations of backlit display technology.
Sony's color accuracy has long been a company hallmark, and the BRAVIA 9 continues this tradition. Right out of the box, without professional calibration, the BRAVIA 9's "Custom" mode delivers remarkably accurate colors that closely match creative intent. This is particularly valuable for viewers who want a reference-quality image without investing in professional calibration services.
The BRAVIA 9's contrast capabilities, while not technically infinite like OLED, are nonetheless exceptional for a backlit display. Sony's advanced algorithm precisely controls the Mini LED backlight to minimize blooming – that halo effect around bright objects on dark backgrounds. The result is impressive shadow detail in dark scenes while still maintaining deep black levels in most viewing conditions.
Where the BRAVIA 9 sometimes shows its LCD-based nature is in very specific challenging content – a bright white object on a pure black background (like end credits rolling on a black screen) might exhibit some slight blooming that wouldn't be present on the S90F OLED.
How a display handles motion is crucial for both sports fans and film buffs, and the approaches here differ significantly between our contenders.
The Samsung S90F OLED benefits from OLED's near-instantaneous pixel response time – typically around 0.1 milliseconds. This means that when a pixel needs to change color or brightness, it does so almost immediately, resulting in minimal motion blur during fast-paced scenes or sports.
The S90F incorporates Samsung's latest AI Motion Enhancer Pro, which uses deep learning algorithms to analyze content and apply appropriate motion enhancement without creating the dreaded "soap opera effect" that makes films look like video. For gamers and sports enthusiasts who prioritize motion clarity, the S90F offers exceptional performance with minimal artifacts.
Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen3 processor represents a significant advancement over previous generations, with improved 4K upscaling that makes lower-resolution content look remarkably close to native 4K. This is particularly important since much streaming content is still delivered at 1080p rather than true 4K.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 combines good panel response times (though not as fast as OLED) with Sony's industry-leading motion processing. XR Motion Clarity technology intelligently inserts black frames between content frames to reduce blur without significantly dimming the overall image – a technique that's particularly effective for sports viewing.
Where Sony has traditionally excelled is in film content handling, and the BRAVIA 9 continues this tradition. The TV intelligently identifies 24fps movie content and processes it to eliminate judder (that slight stuttering effect in panning shots) while preserving the cinematic quality. This makes the BRAVIA 9 particularly well-suited for movie lovers who are sensitive to motion issues.
The Cognitive XR Processor's upscaling capabilities are truly impressive, analyzing individual objects within scenes to apply appropriate enhancement. When watching older content or broadcast TV, this creates noticeably sharper, more natural images than standard upscaling algorithms.
Modern premium TVs have become serious gaming displays, and both of our contenders offer impressive gaming credentials.
The Samsung S90F is built with gaming in mind. It features extremely low input lag (under 10ms in game mode), which means there's minimal delay between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action on screen. The TV supports all the major HDMI 2.1 gaming features, including 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to eliminate screen tearing, and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) that automatically switches to game mode when a console is detected.
Samsung's Game Bar is a particularly useful feature – a pop-up overlay that shows critical information like frame rate and allows quick access to gaming-specific settings without having to navigate through complex menus. The S90F also supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync technologies, making it equally compatible with PC gaming setups regardless of your graphics card preference.
The S90F's perfect pixel response time virtually eliminates ghosting (the trail behind fast-moving objects), creating an ultra-clear image even in the fastest games. For competitive gamers, this responsiveness can provide a real advantage.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 offers excellent gaming performance with a particular emphasis on PlayStation 5 integration. It features two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K/120Hz gaming, VRR, and ALLM, though input lag is slightly higher than the S90F at around 12-15ms in game mode (still quite good by television standards).
Where the BRAVIA 9 really shines for gamers is in two areas. First, its exceptional brightness makes HDR games look spectacular, with highlights that literally pop off the screen. Second, its integration with PlayStation 5 includes exclusive features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping, which automatically optimizes HDR settings based on the specific game, and Auto Genre Mode, which switches between game mode for gameplay and cinema mode for in-game cutscenes.
One consideration for serious gamers is that the BRAVIA 9's input lag increases considerably outside of game mode – so if you prefer to use custom picture settings while gaming, you'll face a tradeoff between image quality and responsiveness that doesn't exist to the same degree on the S90F.
The smart platform is your daily interface with your TV, so its usability significantly impacts the ownership experience.
The Samsung S90F runs on Samsung's Tizen OS, which has evolved considerably since its introduction. The 2025 version features a streamlined interface with quick access to frequently used apps and content recommendations. The platform is snappy and responsive, with minimal lag when navigating menus or switching between apps.
Samsung's Vision AI technology represents one of the most significant advancements in the S90F. This system uses deep learning to recognize content on screen and optimize picture settings accordingly. It can distinguish between movies, sports, news, and animations, applying appropriate enhancements to each without requiring manual adjustments.
The S90F includes Samsung's Bixby voice assistant built-in, though it also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant if you prefer those ecosystems. Samsung's SmartThings integration allows the TV to serve as a hub for compatible smart home devices, controlling everything from lights to thermostats.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 runs on Google TV, which offers what many consider the most user-friendly smart TV experience currently available. The content-forward approach prioritizes recommendations based on your viewing habits across services, making it easier to discover new shows and movies without having to search through individual apps.
Google Assistant is built directly into the TV with hands-free operation, allowing you to control the TV and search for content using just your voice. The BRAVIA 9 also supports both Chromecast built-in for casting from Android devices and Apple AirPlay 2 for seamless streaming from Apple devices – covering all ecosystem bases.
Sony's implementation of Google TV includes some proprietary enhancements, like Bravia Core streaming service with high-bitrate movie streaming for select titles, offering near-disc quality for supported content. The interface is thoughtfully designed and easy to navigate, with quick access to settings that matter most.
While many serious home theater enthusiasts will pair these TVs with separate sound systems, built-in audio quality remains an important consideration – especially for secondary viewing locations or casual viewers.
The Samsung S90F features significantly improved audio compared to Samsung's earlier OLED models. The speaker system includes dedicated woofers for improved bass response and Samsung's Object Tracking Sound technology, which creates a more three-dimensional soundstage that matches on-screen action.
Adaptive Sound features analyze both content and room acoustics to optimize audio performance, enhancing dialogue clarity and balancing sound elements appropriately. The S90F supports Dolby Atmos content, creating a virtual surround effect from its built-in speakers, though the physical limitations of the thin design mean it can't match dedicated sound systems.
For home theater integration, the S90F supports eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel), allowing high-quality audio passthrough to compatible sound systems over a single HDMI cable, including uncompressed Dolby Atmos.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 sets a new standard for built-in television audio with its 70W 2.2.2 channel system. This includes dedicated subwoofers for meaningful bass response and upward-firing beam tweeters that create a taller, more spacious soundstage than conventional TV speakers can achieve.
One of the BRAVIA 9's most innovative audio features is its ability to function as the center channel in a compatible Sony sound system through the Acoustic Center Sync feature. This integration allows the TV speakers to handle dialogue while the external system manages the rest of the soundtrack, creating a cohesive, immersive experience.
Voice Zoom 3 technology enhances dialogue clarity without requiring overall volume increases – particularly useful for late-night viewing where you want to hear conversations clearly without disturbing others. Like the S90F, the BRAVIA 9 supports eARC for home theater integration.
After exploring all these aspects, how do you make the final decision between the Samsung S90F OLED ($2,499.99) and the Sony BRAVIA 9 Mini LED QLED ($2,563.10)? It ultimately comes down to your specific viewing environment, content preferences, and priorities.
Choose the Samsung S90F OLED if:
Choose the Sony BRAVIA 9 Mini LED QLED if:
For home theater enthusiasts setting up a dedicated viewing room with controlled lighting, the Samsung S90F OLED will likely provide the more cinematic experience thanks to its perfect blacks and infinite contrast. The improvements in OLED brightness have addressed many of the traditional weaknesses of the technology, making it a compelling choice for serious movie watchers.
For viewers with bright living rooms who watch a diverse mix of content throughout the day, the Sony BRAVIA 9 offers exceptional versatility with its class-leading brightness and superior built-in sound system. Its freedom from burn-in concerns also makes it more suitable for households where news channels or game interfaces might be displayed for extended periods.
Both televisions represent the pinnacle of their respective display technologies, and either would provide a premium viewing experience that will impress for years to come. Your specific viewing environment and habits should ultimately guide your decision more than the relatively small price difference between these flagship models.
| Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 | Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV |
|---|---|
| Price - Initial investment comparison | |
| $2,499.99 | $2,563.10 |
| Display Technology - Fundamentally different approaches to picture quality | |
| QD-OLED (self-emissive pixels with quantum dots for enhanced color) | Mini LED QLED (thousands of tiny backlight LEDs with quantum dot color enhancement) |
| Release Date - Indicates technology generation | |
| Early 2025 (newest generation OLED) | 2024 (current generation Mini LED flagship) |
| Black Level Performance - Critical for movie watching in dark rooms | |
| Perfect blacks with infinite contrast (each pixel turns completely off) | Very deep blacks with minimal blooming (but not absolute black like OLED) |
| Peak Brightness - Important for HDR impact and daytime viewing | |
| 800-1000 nits (excellent for OLED, good for dim to medium-lit rooms) | 1500+ nits (exceptional brightness, ideal for bright rooms with windows) |
| Viewing Angles - Matters for wide seating arrangements | |
| Excellent with consistent color and contrast at all angles | Very good with X-Wide Angle technology (but not quite OLED-level consistency) |
| Color Volume - Affects the vibrancy of HDR content | |
| Superior color volume with quantum dots enhancing OLED | Excellent color volume, slightly less saturated at peak brightness than QD-OLED |
| Motion Handling - Critical for sports and action movies | |
| Near-instantaneous (0.1ms) response time with minimal blur | Very good response time with industry-leading motion processing |
| Gaming Features - Important for console and PC gamers | |
| 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM, <10ms input lag, Game Bar UI | 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM on two HDMI ports, 12-15ms input lag, PS5 Auto HDR Tone Mapping |
| Risk Factors - Long-term ownership considerations | |
| Potential burn-in risk with static content (news tickers, game HUDs) | No burn-in risk, suitable for all content including static elements |
| Smart Platform - Your daily interface | |
| Tizen OS with Vision AI content optimization (works with multiple voice assistants) | Google TV with superior content recommendations (Google Assistant built-in) |
| Audio System - Affects need for immediate sound upgrades | |
| Improved over previous models but still limited by thin design | Superior 70W 2.2.2 channel system with center channel capability |
| Best Use Case - When to choose each model | |
| Movie enthusiasts with controlled lighting and serious gamers | Bright room viewers, mixed content watchers, and PlayStation 5 gamers |
The Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV is significantly better for bright rooms. With peak brightness exceeding 1500 nits and advanced anti-reflection technology, the BRAVIA 9 maintains vibrant images even in sunlit spaces. The Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 performs better in bright rooms than previous OLEDs but still can't match the BRAVIA 9's exceptional brightness for daytime viewing.
The price difference is minimal. The Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 costs $2,499.99, while the Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV costs $2,563.10. With only about $63 difference between these premium TVs, your decision should be based on features and performance rather than price.
The Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 delivers superior black levels with perfect, true blacks. Because each OLED pixel emits its own light and can turn completely off, the S90F achieves infinite contrast. While the Sony BRAVIA 9 produces impressive deep blacks for an LED-based TV thanks to its Mini LED technology, it can't match the absolute black levels of OLED technology.
Both TVs offer excellent gaming features, but the Samsung S90F OLED has slight advantages with lower input lag (under 10ms versus 12-15ms) and faster response time that eliminates motion blur. The Sony BRAVIA 9 counters with exceptional PlayStation 5 integration, including Auto HDR Tone Mapping and higher brightness for HDR games. Serious competitive gamers may prefer the Samsung, while casual PlayStation gamers might prefer the Sony.
Yes, the Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 still carries some risk of burn-in with static content like news tickers, channel logos, or game HUDs displayed for extended periods. While Samsung has implemented protective features to minimize this risk, it remains an inherent limitation of OLED technology. The Sony BRAVIA 9 uses Mini LED technology that is completely immune to burn-in, making it safer for varied content consumption.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV generally offers superior smart features with its Google TV platform, providing better content recommendations and cross-service search. The Samsung S90F OLED uses Tizen OS, which is fast and responsive but not as content-focused. Google TV on the BRAVIA 9 is typically more intuitive for most users, while Samsung's platform integrates better with other Samsung devices.
For dedicated home theater use, the Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 generally provides a more cinematic experience with its perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and excellent color reproduction in controlled lighting. The Sony BRAVIA 9 offers exceptional brightness for HDR highlights but can't match the OLED's contrast in a darkened room. Most film enthusiasts prefer OLED technology for dedicated home theaters where lighting is controlled.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV has significantly better built-in audio with its 70W 2.2.2 channel system and can even function as a center channel in compatible sound systems. Many users might be satisfied with its sound quality for casual viewing. The Samsung S90F OLED has improved audio over previous models but still benefits more from a soundbar upgrade due to its thinner design limiting speaker size.
The Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 offers superior viewing angles, maintaining consistent color and contrast even when viewed from extreme sides. While the Sony BRAVIA 9 has improved viewing angles with X-Wide Angle technology compared to traditional LED TVs, it still shows some color shifting and contrast reduction when viewed from the sides. For wide seating arrangements, the Samsung OLED has a clear advantage.
OLED technology in the Samsung S90F uses self-emissive pixels that create their own light and can turn off completely for perfect blacks. Mini LED QLED in the Sony BRAVIA 9 uses thousands of tiny LED backlights behind a quantum dot-enhanced LCD panel. OLED excels in contrast, viewing angles, and response time, while Mini LED QLED delivers superior brightness and has no burn-in risk. These fundamental differences create distinct viewing experiences.
The Sony BRAVIA 9 65" 4K UHD Mini LED QLED Smart Google TV likely has better longevity due to its LED-based technology that's immune to burn-in or image retention. The Samsung S90F OLED, while featuring protective measures, still uses organic compounds that can degrade unevenly with certain usage patterns. For households that watch varied content including news channels with static elements, the Sony BRAVIA 9 represents a safer long-term investment.
For sports viewing, both TVs excel but in different environments. The Sony BRAVIA 9 is superior for daytime sports watching due to its exceptional brightness and anti-reflection technology. The Samsung 65" S90F OLED 4K Vision AI Smart TV 2025 offers better motion clarity with its near-instantaneous response time and perfect uniformity for evening games. Consider when you typically watch sports—daytime viewers should lean toward Sony, while night-time viewers might prefer Samsung.
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