You Asked: Budget Sony OLED? Does TV Tech Surpass Human Perception?

Digital Trends

9 hours ago

On today's episode of You Asked: Panasonic Mini LED or LG QNED? What's the best Sony OLED to get that won't cost you as much as the A95L? And with such good sound and picture quality from the latest TVs and speakers, how much more can they even improve?
Panasonic W95A vs. LG QNED80T
Steve Beaty asks: I've been trying to decide between the 85-inch Panasonic W95A and 86-inch LG QNED80T. I found them both for the same price. Which would be the best for my money? Or do you know of something better in the same size and price?
Thanks for sending in the question, Steve. We've also noticed that the Panasonic W95A has been seriously discounted lately. It's easily one of the best deals available right now, especially considering it was one of the best Mini LED TVs of 2024.
And that is where my answer begins. The W95A has Mini LED backlighting, which is a notable upgrade over the QNED80T's edge-lit capabilities. With the Panasonic, you'll see much better contrast and local dimming. This is particularly true when viewing HDR content, where your highlights will really pop and stand out.
In terms of viewing popular shows and movies, the QNED80T is also lacking HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. So you won't be getting the best out of many of the shows and movies available to stream.
And overall, it's not nearly as bright as the W95A. And again, not that brightness is the end-all be-all, but for viewing in daylight or brighter rooms—and for some of the reasons I just mentioned—you're going to want that extra juice sometimes.
As far as any other options, for that price and size, the W95A is going to be hard to beat. In our review last year, we tested it alongside the Sony Bravia 7. So check that video out if you want further details.
But that Bravia 7 does cost a good bit more than the Panasonic right now. Even comparable options from Hisense and TCL are currently priced higher than the W95A. So I'd go for the Panasonic and don't look back.
What's the best Sony OLED that isn't the A95L?
@rikram33 asks: Is there a Sony OLED recommendation? Preferably 65 inches? I'd love the A95L, but need something less than that price-wise.
Appreciate the question. And in this case, Sony's TV lineup actually makes the answer a little easier if you're set on that brand. The Bravia 8 (2024 model) is probably going to be your best bet.
Unlike brands that offer three or four different levels of OLED TVs, Sony keeps their offerings pretty simple. Currently, you have the Bravia 8 Mark 2 (their latest and greatest QD-OLED), the A95L (their QD-OLED from 2023, which is still highly competitive with 2025 offerings), and the Bravia 8 Mark 1, a W-RGB OLED.
Right now, that Bravia 8 Mark 1 is going for about $1,200 less than the A95L at the 65-inch size—and that's a pretty solid deal.
While you do miss out on the color and brightness advantages of QD-OLED, it's still OLED. And with Sony's picture processing, it still looks gorgeous. Plus, the discounted price makes it easier to stomach those differences.
Compared to the A95L, you're getting the same inputs (two HDMI 2.1 and two HDMI 2.0), the same game mode features and refresh rates, the same supported HDR formats like HDR10 and Dolby Vision—and overall, when you're watching the Bravia 8, I don't think you're going to be disappointed at all.
Keep in mind, reviewers bring up performance differences between TVs because it's their job. But as a viewer, these differences aren't nearly as magnified—especially if you're not watching the TVs side by side.
All that said, here are a few more options outside the Sony family that sit just below and just above the Bravia 8 price-wise:
LG C4 (2024): A bit less expensive than the Bravia 8 (around $400 less), with more brightness and four HDMI 2.1 ports.
LG G4: A few hundred dollars more than the Bravia 8, but still less than the A95L. Objectively, it's a better TV in terms of brightness and color with its MLA panel.
Both LG models support faster refresh rates in game mode and Dolby Vision. There are also Samsung OLED options, though that's a bit of a rabbit hole. We did a buying guide on that recently if you're interested. But since you asked about Sony, I assume you have your reasons.
So do with that what you will. If you're set on Sony, I love the Bravia 8 for you.
Can you even hear or see the difference anymore?
@lilyharyett353 asks: Have we gotten to a point where picture and sound quality surpass the ability of the human eyes and ears to take in? And if so, why try to improve anymore?
What's funny is, I often think about this myself. Don't get me wrong—I love seeing new TVs and tech in general—but when you see as many good ones as we do, you start to realize, 'Yeah, this one looks great. So does this one. Wow, I love how this one looks too.'
So you do have to ask: what is there left to achieve?
In my opinion, the answer is twofold. One side is technological. The other is about convenience.
From a tech perspective, I'd say OLED still sets the bar for best-looking mainstream TVs. So now we're seeing a race between QD-OLED panels (from Sony and Samsung), MLA panels (from LG), and the new four-stack OLED panels from LG and Panasonic. Each year brings slightly brighter colors and better HDR performance.
Will you notice the difference year over year? Sometimes—like with the LG G4 versus G5. But most of the time, it takes a bigger leap to see improvements that are worth spending money to upgrade for.
Then you've got Mini LED tech trying to catch up to OLED. Picture quality is getting better every year—deeper blacks, richer colors. RGB Mini LED backlight tech from Sony and Hisense is a good example of that.
And because not everyone can afford OLED, there's real value in Mini LED competition.
Then there's the convenience side. Think Samsung's One Connect Box, The Frame Pro, LG's OLED M Series with Zero Connect. These don't boost picture or sound quality directly, but they make the whole setup experience easier and cleaner.
Same goes for audio. Not everyone has space for a soundbar or full speaker setup. But now we have things like Sony's Bravia Theater Quad, which simplifies surround sound without much space or hassle.
The bottom line? Yes, we're spoiled with incredible home theater quality—but there's still room to innovate. Not just in making things look or sound better, but in how we experience it all.