Sony BRAVIA 9 K85XR90 85"

This is the brightest, most refined LCD TV money can buy—just don't expect built-in audio that matches the picture, and cross your fingers on reliability.

We expected the brightness to be wild, and it is. What surprised us is how clean the upscaling is. The XR Processor takes grainy old cable feeds and makes them look almost native 4K. Gaming at 120Hz with VRR feels responsive, though not class-leading. The biggest shock? The built-in audio. Sony touts a 2.2.2-channel 70W system, but it sounds congested and thin compared to even a modest soundbar. You'll want to budget for external audio immediately.

The obvious rivals are the Samsung S95F QD-OLED and LG G5 OLED. Both those OLEDs deliver deeper blacks and better off-angle viewing, but they can't touch the BRAVIA 9's full-screen brightness in a sunny room. The Hisense U8 is the value pick—it gets nearly as bright for a fraction of the price, but its processing and upscaling aren't in the same league. If you can control ambient light, an OLED is still more cinematic. If you're battling windows and want the best LCD picture ever, the Sony wins.

This 85-inch monster ranges from $3,000 for a refurb to an insane $59,999 at some sellers. Obviously, the refurb route from a trusted store like Newegg is the only sane option if you want one. At the low end, it's competitive with flagship OLEDs, but at full retail, you're paying a massive Sony tax. For the money, you'd expect a flawless TV—and the speaker quality and occasional reliability reports are hard to swallow at this price.

Sony's BRAVIA 9 is an absolute light cannon. If you've got a bright living room and you want a TV that laughs in the face of sunlight, this is it. The mini-LED backlight with XR Backlight Master Drive pumps out the kind of brightness that makes OLEDs look dim in comparison, while Sony's processing keeps colors looking natural and motion buttery smooth. It's the best LCD TV we've seen for picture quality, hands down. But don't let the premium badge fool you—there are a couple of gotchas that might make you think twice before dropping this much cash.

If you want a plug-and-play home theater with great built-in sound, or if reliability worries you, skip this. Grab an LG G5 OLED with a clean panel lottery record and better audio, or save a fortune with a Hisense U8 that gets you 90% of the brightness.

The BRAVIA 9 is a masterpiece of mini-LED engineering that proves LCD isn't dead. It's tailor-made for bright rooms and cinephiles who hate the idea of burn-in. Just know that the experience is incomplete without a soundbar, and you're rolling the dice on long-term reliability. If you find a refurb deal under $3,500, it's a hell of a TV. Otherwise, weigh your tolerance for a few compromises.