SmartTV QN80F: Tizen
When it comes to smart features, the QN80F has nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary – Tizen is one of the richest operating systems in terms of functionality. We have voice search, AirPlay support, Miracast and all the major streaming platforms at our fingertips. But Samsung's real advantage reveals itself in the smart home – SmartThings. Not only can you sync light bulbs and vacuum robots, but you can also integrate devices from other manufacturers, thanks to support for the Matter standard. And suddenly it turns out that the QN80F can serve as a home command centre. There is just one "but" – Tizen is a closed system, so we might not find a few lesser-known apps. However, in practice, it still has everything that 99% of users need.
Classic TV features:
When it comes to classic features, it’s just as good – well, almost. The QN80F supports Picture-in-Picture, a rare but still useful PiP feature. We'll easily find EPG, the good old teletext (yes, it works!) and the ability to connect external devices via Bluetooth – whether it's headphones or a soundbar. Unfortunately, it lacks the option to record to USB from the built-in tuners. This is a small annoyance, especially since competitors in a similar price range are increasingly offering this feature. It may not be a must-have function, but since everything else works so well, it’s a shame it's missing that finishing touch.
Smart TV Features
The biggest advantage of the Bravia 3 in everyday use is the presence of the Google TV system. Thanks to this, we have access to one of the largest libraries of apps and streaming services, so no matter if someone mainly uses Netflix, Disney+ or smaller platforms, everything is at their fingertips. The Google voice assistant also worked very well, able to respond to our commands quite "smartly". The Google TV system should, in theory, operate very smoothly, as Sony has been implementing it better than many cheaper competitors for years. Unfortunately, in the case of the Bravia 3, it isn't as nice as we would have hoped. During testing, we noticed some slight stutters in the interface, and some features, such as screen mirroring, simply refused to cooperate. One could get the impression that the processor in this model sometimes struggles to manage the demanding system, and not everything works as smoothly as we would expect.
Classic Features
Sony, even in its cheapest series, manages to remind us of its experience with various users. The set comes with two remotes. The first is modern and minimalist, with a small number of buttons, which works great when using apps and Google TV features. The second is a classic remote with a richer set of buttons and a numeric keypad, which will be appreciated especially by older individuals used to traditional solutions. This is a nice nod towards different user groups, and it must be said that Sony has solved it very practically. It’s a shame, however, that compared to the X75WL model, the ability to record content from TV tuners to USB memory has disappeared. The manufacturer has completely abandoned this feature, so if someone was attached to it, they unfortunately won't find it in the Bravia 3.