Sony KD49XG9005

So what about hardware. Has the processing changed in any way? New chips etc? I was lucky enough to get mine for £830 so less than an xf so not disappointed but if I’d have spent the £1400 rrp I’d be gutted. A 55” would have taken up to much space so happy I went with the 49”. Am I right in saying the only real difference between the 8 and 9 series is the full led backlight? Or is there more to it?
The X1 4K HDR processor that is in the XG85/83 apparently still had the XE90/85 motion bug, discussed here , in the XF85 so might also still be present in the XG85/83. The XF90 received an upgrade to the X1 Extreme and didn't have this issue and same should apply to the XG90 which is also still on the X1 Extreme (perhaps if you open it up the type number on the actual chip might be different and indicate it is a newer chip but the impact would be minimal. Could then also inspect the board that handles the local dimming to see if it's a different type which might mean a change in zone layout or number but not very likely)
Peak brightness for HDR is also much higher on the 9 series.

But the XG90 seems to be for Europe only, chances of any significant modifications from the XF90 would seem very small (so indeed you might as well get the XF model whilst you can). Should be lucky it's still a 100(120)Hz panel as Samsung doesn't have any 49" models with a 100Hz panel of their own (yet the Sony's use a Samsung panel).
Still they could at least have given it the new remote, though some users in Germany have ordered it for their previous years models and seems it's not 100% compatible. Maybe 99% but a few functions don't seem to work so I guess that would probably be the underlying reason for not giving every 2019 model the new remote.

There is an XG85 review by the usually in depth HDTV Polska but seems this time they did a review on location so it's very basic and not even testing the impact of Dolby Vision on a set like this.
 
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So just did some measurements and seems the stand won’t fit on my AV stand. ☹️ Will have to have a rethink then.
 
So just did some measurements and seems the stand won’t fit on my AV stand. ☹️ Will have to have a rethink then.
With the XF90 you can turn them inwards, with the XG models you can't.
As demonstrated here with the ZF9 (just swap the legs over):

z9f-design-medium.jpg


And seems the 49XG90 is/ will be available in Asia. I checked the Japanese, Chinese and Singaporean Sony websites and didn't see it earlier today but here it is on the Hong Kong site Sony X90G | LED | 4K Ultra HD | High Dynamic Range (HDR) | Smart TV (Android TV)
Doesn't change the fact that I haven't heard of any upgrades to the X1 Extreme on this or the AG8
 
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With the XF90 you can turn them inwards, with the XG models you can't.
And seems the 49XG90 is/ will be available in Asia. I checked the Japanese, Chinese and Singaporean Sony websites and didn't see it earlier today but here it is on the Hong Kong site Sony X90G | LED | 4K Ultra HD | High Dynamic Range (HDR) | Smart TV (Android TV)
Doesn't change the fact that I haven't heard of any upgrades to the X1 Extreme on this or the AG8

Was thinking of maybe wall mounting but actually maybe turning the stand inward may be an option. Will have to look into that.
 
One of the problems with XF90 was the input lag in 1080p. (~41ms)
Is it better with XG90?
 
Sound is average. I have always used a sound bar and sub so cannot comment on quality of sound from the tv. To much treble and quite tinny. Input lag hasn’t been a problem for me. Running a PS4 pro and Apple TV with hdmi 2.0 cables. I havnt got testing equipment to check it but I am more than happy with the lag.
 
You can always buy a standard stand from Amazon for £25, looks so much better than the crap Sony legs.


Also, I run my XE9005 with a sub plugged into it, sounds great, shocks a few people as the sub is hidden.
 
You can always buy a standard stand from Amazon for £25, looks so much better than the crap Sony legs.


Also, I run my XE9005 with a sub plugged into it, sounds great, shocks a few people as the sub is hidden.
Do you know how wide the legs would be apart if you did this as I gather this Amazon stands use the wall mounting bracket points?
 
Henry.... can you confirm its still a VA panel ? Last year was true 10bit. Im worried sony has planted an 8bit IPS with FRC this year. Was going to buy one yesterday but the sony rep. was reluctant to confirm.
 
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If I’m honest I don’t know how to check that. Happy to help if you tell me how
 
Apart from looking at the pixels like Sherlock Holmes with his magnifying glass.... Do the blacks look washed out when viewing in a dark room ?
 
No the blacks look far darker than my previous Panasonic Led. Not washed out at all
 
thank you for your time and patience....I really dislike IPS . Just trying to get a verification before pulling the trigger. 49 inch panels with high spec are as rare as hens teeth.
 
Ok so I e used my eyeglass (I’m a watchmaker) and magnified 12x don’t know if these images help in any way?
 

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I’m incredibly happy with the tv. 4K is fantastic and motion just great if that helps
 
Henry.... can you confirm its still a VA panel ? Last year was true 10bit. Im worried sony has planted an 8bit IPS with FRC this year. Was going to buy one yesterday but the sony rep. was reluctant to confirm.

I have just discovered the same thing, I've got hold of an XG90 this week and at the moment currently have an XE90. The XE90 is a 10bit panel but according to online information the XG90 is not, its 8-bit + FRC. I will set the XG up in the next week and see how it compares, XE90 with 10-Bit but no X1 Extreme Processor and XG90 with 8-Bit and X1 Extreme Processor.

I wonder if it means motion will be better on the XG90 but colours will be worse. Not actually seen any professional reviews of the XG90, most obviously look at the XG95.

I can only assume its to keep costs down as the XG is cheaper than the XE was at launch.
 
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Looks like a VA panel.. thanks for the photos. Anyone else care to comment on them ?. Despite that sony reps insisting its the same panel as 2018, clearly it is not.
 
Looks like a VA panel.. thanks for the photos. Anyone else care to comment on them ?. Despite that sony reps insisting its the same panel as 2018, clearly it is not.
Do you really think last year's "info" is official? Probably looked it up at displayspeculation? They make up this stuff as it comes along ... (and also don't use Rtings' classifications as official spec, it's based on performance not specs: 'Note: we consider 8-bit with dithering to be equivalent to 10-bit, as long as the 10-bit gradient looks smooth.')

Can it actually do 100/120 hz? On the Sony website it's only listed for 1080p@60z max: Sony XG90 | Full Array LED | 4K Ultra HD | High Dynamic Range (HDR) | Smart TV (Android TV)
Over 60hz is not officially supported on tv's. Never has been on Sony models, doesn't mean it can't do it ...
 
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Initial testing to me suggests the XG90 is a downgrade on the panel in my XE90. The colours don't look as good and blacks look grey on the XG90 compared to that of the XE90. Doing side by side comparison with a few things. Tried Netflix in Dolby Vision on the XG and again blacks looks grey compared to the HDR10 picture of the XE90.

I don't really have a way to calibrate the screen though, I used the avforum settings for the XE90 but don't really have any settings to try on the XG90 so just been messing to try and get it looking anywhere near as nice as the XE90 with little success. Should I try recommended settings for the XF90 or something else?
 
Why have sony called it an "XG9005" instead of "XG9505" ?. Maybe some features removed !
 

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