JUNE 2020 T3 35Mid-range marvels
SONY 55XH9005
While Samsung’s QE55Q70T shows how good edge-lit LED TVs
can get, some AV fans prefer direct LED lighting – where the LEDs sit
directly behind the screen – as this approach tends to improve
contrast and colour control.
Cue Sony’s 55XH9005. This combines direct lighting with a local
dimming system, where separate parts of the backlight can be
illuminated independently of each other – the first time such a
backlight system has appeared at such an affordable level of Sony’s
TV range. The direct backlighting also unlocks the brand’s X-Motion
Clarity feature, which manipulates brightness frame by frame and
even image element by image element to improve motion sharpness.
Smart features come courtesy of Android 9.0 (or Pie, if you prefer
a food name). There’s plenty of content on there – and it delivers
built-in Google Assistant voice control support, too.
£1,299, sony.co.uk
LG 55NANO 906
While LG’s OLED TVs are routinely hard to resist, its LCD TVs
have historically not fared as well. Their preference for IPS
technology over the rival VA approach has caused distracting
contrast and backlight problems that IPS’s advantage of wider
viewing angles hasn’t provided enough compensation for.
The 55NANO906, though, finally combines IPS’s viewing angle
advantage with a truly effective backlight system. By greatly
improving how power is distributed around the image, dark scenes
and areas now look much less grey and flat than they did on 2019’s
equivalent LG model. You can see far more details in dark areas, too.
Black colours can still get deeper on the best VA panels. For its
money, though, the 55NANO906 is a game-changer for LG, and a
brilliant option for anyone with a big household or awkwardly
shaped room where ‘head on’ viewing isn’t always an option.
£1,299, lg.com