Sony X720E 49" (KD49X720E) vs Samsung NU8500 65" (UN65NU8500)

The Sony X720E makes an excellent computer monitor because it can smoothly display sharp and crisp images since the TV has full 4:4:4 color support, short input lag, and well-handled motion blur.

The full 4:4:4 color support allows the X720E to process non-compressed, computer-generated video inputs. Therefore, the TV can display sharp and crisp images, without any detail loss. This is especially noticeable while working with text and other vector graphics.

Additionally, the TV’s input lag of 19.7 ms ensures that it takes less than 20 ms for a TV to display an image change after you press a button. Such delay is almost unnoticeable to a human's eye.

The combination of handled motion blur and low input lag makes this 4K60 TV a great companion to the latest generation consoles, like the Xbox One X, PS4 Pro, and Wii U. Additionally, the TV’s full HDR support allows you to fully experience HDR-enhanced games such as World of Tanks, FIFA 18, etc.

The 43-inch model of Sony X720E does not take up too much space on a work desk as the TV comes with a compact, 9.4-inch by 21.9-inch stand.

Unlike the majority of OLED panels, this LED TV does not suffer from image retention problems. You can leave the TV on for long periods without having to worry about pixel damage.

The reasonably small panel size of 43-inch means you can still be comfortable looking at the screen up close. Therefore, you can conveniently use this TV as a computer monitor and sit as close as 2.2 feet away from it.

The main interface of the smart OS does not feature advertisements or sponsored content.

Regarding connectivity, this TV is has everything you'd currently want. It has three HDCP 2.2 compliant HDMI 2.0 ports, digital and analog audio output ports, and an Ethernet port. Additionally, as the TV has a composite input interface, you can enjoy playing your retro consoles, such as Nintendo or Sega without having to go through the hassle of signal conversion. HDMI, USB, and analog coaxial ports are situated on the side of the TV so you won’t have any problem accessing them even if it’s mounted on a wall.

This TV does a fantastic job when it comes to upscaling low-resolution content. In a nutshell, it can upscale 480p, 720p, and 1080p content to 4K resolution while preserving details and sharp edges. Great for those with a collection of old DVDs or Blu-ray disks.

The IPS panel of the Sony X720E gives you an extra bit of flexibility when it comes to finding a good viewing spot as its maximum viewing angle is 41 degrees; a double of what the competitors with VA panels can offer.

The combination of reasonably high peak brightness and semi-gloss screen finish allows this TV to deal with reflections and glare efficiently. Its 340 nits of brightness are more than what its direct competitors, including The VIZIO M-series and Samsung MU6300 offer. Furthermore, as the X720E diffuses up to 97.6% of ambient light, it does not suffer from reflections.

The Sony X720E has all the bits and pieces needed to deliver the excellent experience of watching sports and other fast-paced content. The TV has good control over its motion blur, excellent color uniformity, and wide viewing angle.

The X720E needs only 7.5 ms for its pixels to change their color; as a result, fast-moving objects don’t leave long trails on the screen, meaning that the motion blur effect is almost negligible.

Good color uniformity is another parameter that really makes a difference when watching sports. It allows the TV to display beautiful and uniform sports fields and pitches, without any unwanted artifacts. The maximum color deviation of this TV is below 2.5%, which means that the TV can sustain stable and uniform colors throughout its screen. The X720E has the best color uniformity in its range.

The Samsung NU8500 offers decent picture quality in both HDR and SDR modes. The TV performs on par with the best mid-range options available on the market. The NU8500 can reproduce crisp and colorful bright scenes as well as some inky blacks.

Colors pop and look realistic thanks to the TV's high peak brightness, wide color gamut, and decent color accuracy. In the standard mode, the TV's peak brightness reaches 560 nits which makes the colors look live and vivid. Only a couple of TVs present in this price range can achieve such high peak brightness. The colors are accurate. You'll not be able to spot color inaccuracies as the TV's average color inaccuracy dE measures at just 2.5 - which is too small to be seen by a human eye. It's also worth noting that the NU8500 is capable of reproducing the entire standard color gamut.

The Samsung NU8500 does a reasonably good job when it comes to dark scenes thanks to its high native contrast ratio and good black uniformity. The TV's native contrast ratio measures ar 4478:1, which is a good result for a mid-range TV. That allows the NU8500 to display scenes that have both bright highlights and inky shadows that don't look washed-out thanks to the TV's black uniformity of 1.2% .

This TV makes it feel like the panel is actually surrounding you because of its curvature, which makes you experience the content more immersively. Additionally, the TV's curvature improves the overall uniformity of the corners of the NU8500.