Available screen sizes:
Complete the survey to find out the result
Panel type: LCD IPS Refresh rate: 60Hz Brand: BLAUPUNKT Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2025
What comes to mind when you hear the brand Blaupunkt? For us, and probably most of you, the image of a former German audio giant comes to mind. Those were the days when a radio with a "blue dot" was synonymous with luxury and reliability in a car. Unfortunately, history can be brutal. The company whose legend we knew officially ceased operations in 2011 after filing for bankruptcy, which was ultimately completed in 2016. Today's Blaupunkt is a completely different story. The name and logo have been split among many different entities under a licensing agreement. As a result, under this banner, we mainly encounter budget products today: from cheap accessories to car radios, and even televisions, which share little more than the logo with the former German engineering.
However, we don't want to give a lecture on economic history today. This is the first review of a television from this brand on our portal, and we've decided to check what really lies beneath this nostalgic exterior. Before us is the Blaupunkt UGC5500S – an extremely low-budget television. The manufacturer isn't trying to dazzle us with cosmic technologies; here the bargaining chip is simple: it needs to be cheap and modern thanks to the Google TV system. We've checked whether the low price brings any joy in usage, or if it's just another "television to forget" with a famous brand's logo stuck on it. We sat down, tested it, and have gathered some concrete conclusions for you.
5.0
Overall rating
Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a textbook example of a very cheap television that has primarily two major advantages: the Google TV system and an extremely low price. It is these two elements that make it an attractive option for many people. During testing, we also found it has another great use, which is working with a computer. Thanks to exemplary font readability and good viewing angles of the IPS panel, Blaupunkt surprisingly performs well as a budget monitor. However, one must be aware that this device is typically budget-oriented, and that savings are reflected in the image quality. The panel is simply dark, making it difficult to perform well in tougher lighting conditions, not to mention creating any real HDR effect. Additionally, despite the good viewing angles, the black levels on this model leave much to be desired – in the evenings, it will tend to appear dark grey, which is a typical characteristic of the IPS technology used here. From a price perspective, this is a device that aims to compete in the market not on image quality, but rather on the amount on the receipt. Blaupunkt UGC5500S is perfectly suited as a secondary television in the home, equipment for the holiday house, or for a less important room, where the image just needs to be there, and we want to enjoy all the benefits and applications that Google TV offers.
Google TV system: massive app library
Relatively low input lag
Good viewing angles: thanks to an IPS panel
PC compatibility: excellent font readability (Chroma 4:4:4)
Refresh rate: 120 Hz at Full HD resolution
Presence of a classic mini-jack output
Quite pleasant sound: clear and loud beyond "budget" standard
Very weak blacks and contrast
HDR: low brightness (250 nits) and lack of real effect
System fluidity: sluggish performance and "dull" remote
Motion: total lack of digital smoothers in the menu
Image processing: noticeable overscan and motion artifacts
Movies and series in UHD quality
4.2
Classic TV, YouTube
4.1
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)
4.1
Gaming on console
5.4
TV as a computer monitor
6.0
Watching in bright light
4.0
Utility functions
5.1
Apps
9.6
Sound quality
6.0
Complete the survey to find out what fits your preferences
HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Other inputs: RCA (Chinch) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Average
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Fixed
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
Let’s move on to how this equipment actually looks in the living room. It must be said that from the front, Blaupunkt really hides its “cheapness” quite well. Like most budget TVs these days, it opts for "modern minimalism." The narrow bezels do the trick and make it hard to guess at first glance that we paid so little for it. However, the charm fades a bit lower down. The only element that reveals we are dealing with a low-end device from the front is the two plastic feet included in the set. For some reason, their colour differs from the bottom trim of the casing – they are finished in high gloss, which in our opinion looks a bit tacky and may not appeal to everyone. Of course, this problem disappears if you plan to mount the TV on the wall. Thanks to the presence of the VESA standard, there is no problem at all. However, it is precisely when attempting wall mounting or looking at the TV from the side that we discover its true budget appearance. Blaupunkt is simply thick. The entire back casing is quite a solid, plastic-metal “rear end,” in which all the electronics have been crammed. This causes the TV to stick out quite a bit from the wall.
Select size:
2.2/10
Local dimming function: No
Result
1,000:1
Result
1,100:1
Result
1,150:1
Result
1,100:1
Result
1,050:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
To put it bluntly: when it comes to black levels, it's just very poor. Our measurements on test patterns only confirmed what we could see with the naked eye – a result around 1000:1 is, these days, even in this price range, a disappointing outcome. In movie conditions, that "black" simply doesn't exist. To avoid being all talk, we fired up one of our favourite test scenes – the helicopter flight in "Sicario 2" (you can actually see it in the video we've linked below). Instead of inky, deep night, we got an image that is... navy blue. Everything on the screen that should be dark and mysterious actually glows a dark blue. This is the price we pay for using an IPS panel. On one hand, we get quite decent viewing angles, so if you're watching TV with the whole family from different angles, the picture doesn't lose much in saturation. On the other hand, if you're planning evening screenings with the lights off, this lack of contrast is going to sting your eyes from the very first minute.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
3.8/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 81.8%, Bt.2020: 60.3%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
232 nit
Result
245 nit
Result
255 nit
Result
238 nit
Result
252 nit
We won’t beat around the bush here – if you’re looking for a TV strictly for cinematic HDR experiences, then you’ve come to the wrong place. Unfortunately, the Blaupunkt UGC5500S is not a machine built for such challenges. This is primarily due to its very low brightness, which we measured during our tests. A result of around 250 nits on movie screens speaks for itself. It’s simply too little to even consider any real HDR effect. To be honest, everything displayed in this format can confidently be seen as a somewhat “enhanced” SDR mode. We expected this, as practically every device in this price range falls short in this area, but we feel it’s our duty to warn you. Manufacturers love to brag about HDR compatibility on the boxes, but in reality, this format simply doesn’t exist here – it lacks the “fuel” in the form of brightness.
The situation is further complicated for Blaupunkt, as we’re dealing with a panel that has very basic coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching only about 80%. You won’t find any advanced coatings to expand these capabilities (like quantum dots), which means scenes that are supposed to burst with richly saturated colours appear simply underwhelming on this screen. Therefore, we have a particular piece of advice for you: don’t force HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – just turn it off. By sticking to the classic SDR mode, you’ll be sure that the TV won’t try to “enhance” something that it can’t handle hardware-wise.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Despite knowing what we were dealing with, we typically checked how the UGC5500S performed in reproducing details in very bright areas of the image. We fired up our standard test positions – the films "Pan" and "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk".
What were our impressions, you ask? Visually, it was, to put it mildly, mediocre. As you can see in the attached frames, the colours were simply washed out, unsaturated, and to put it bluntly – ugly. The image lacked life and that "bite" we expect from modern productions. However, here comes the mentioned surprise – Blaupunkt had no problem accurately showing details in the brightest spots.
In many cheap televisions, when the processor receives an HDR signal that the panel can't handle, white clouds or the sun merge into one big, white blotch. Nothing like that happened here. The electronics did not attempt to "overthink" and reliably displayed what it could, without losing detail in the highlights. That's a big plus because it means that the screen itself does not ruin anything and does not mask details with inept processing. However, we still maintain our opinion: the fact that the television "does not ruin" the image in HDR does not change the fact that it is simply too dark for that format. The SDR mode remains the only reasonable choice if you want the picture to be coherent and simply more pleasant to the eye.
HDR luminance chart:
HDR luminance
When talking about HDR in the UGC5500S model, we must mention one more, quite important issue – support for formats. Unfortunately, Blaupunkt limits itself here to the absolute basics. You won’t find any dynamic formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+ here. Why is this so important, especially in such a cheap television? It’s simple: dynamic metadata could be a kind of “lifesaver” for this panel. They allow for brightness and contrast adjustments frame by frame, which in the case of a screen with such low native brightness (remember – 250 nits) could work wonders in pulling out details. While we can fully understand the lack of Dolby Vision – as it’s a paid license that would raise the price of an already budget-friendly device – the absence of HDR10+ is a bit disappointing. This standard is free for manufacturers, and its presence could genuinely help Blaupunkt recover more detail in challenging scenes. However, to give the manufacturer credit: despite the lack of these “helpers,” Blaupunkt manages tone mapping surprisingly well. This is clearly visible in the attached screenshot – the scene with horses on a white, snowy clearing looks quite decent. This just confirms what we mentioned earlier: the electronics are doing their best and not messing things up unnecessarily, but it’s a shame they didn’t get dynamic metadata to help squeeze even more from this panel.
Static HDR10
4.8/10
We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colours in movie mode, and here the matter is, to put it simply, twofold. We must once again clearly separate what we see in the standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is switched on, as they are two completely different worlds. Let's start with the better side of the coin. If you're planning to watch traditional TV, YouTube, or older films on this television, you can count on really well-tuned colours. In our test sample, the white balance in movie mode performed exceptionally well, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to avoid being too rosy, we noticed some drawbacks. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with properly dimming the image in its brightest areas. Additionally, there is quite a strong, at times overly aggressive, red saturation, which resulted in visible errors in reproducing certain shades. Despite this, overall, the image in SDR is simply solid and watchable without a grimace on your face. Unfortunately, the magic fades when we re-enter the world of HDR. Here, Blaupunkt behaves as if we suddenly switched it to store mode, and in its worst rendition. The excess blue in the white balance is so significant that it’s glaring, ruining any realism in the scene. Furthermore, the television interprets brightness very loosely, which, upon analysing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time, colours simply appear washed out and lacking depth. This is also perfectly evident in the colour errors that become apparent in this mode. Once again, we are left with the same conclusion: Blaupunkt in SDR mode looks significantly better and more natural than in HDR, which seems to be forcefully added without proper refinement.
6.4/10
It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measuring equipment for a TV that costs around a thousand złoty / 250 dollars, but we wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t check it. The question is: does such cheap gear give us any leeway in terms of calibration? To your surprise, the answer is: yes, absolutely. In the Blaupunkt UGC5500S menu, we found surprisingly many options that allowed us to effectively work on the picture. These aren't just empty sliders; these are concrete tools that enabled us to make use of our measurement sensors and software. In SDR mode, the effects were visible to the naked eye. We successfully eliminated the problem we mentioned earlier – that excessive, almost artificial saturation of reds. We also fixed the issue with the incorrect dimming of the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the picture in standard format became significantly more balanced and simply correct. When it comes to HDR, the situation was more complicated again. While we managed to “tame” that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was clear that we were fighting a bit of a losing battle. Even after changing the settings, the TV still tried to interfere with the picture in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than we did how the scene should look. To top it off, there's the hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colours in HDR still remain undersaturated. This simply results from the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vivid colours. To summarise this point: if any of you ask whether it’s possible to calibrate a TV for “a grand”, we respond with complete conviction: it is possible.
6.4/10
Looking at our test photographs, it’s really hard to pick at anything. Most of the colours in the attached images blend together almost perfectly, creating smooth gradients without noticeable "jaggies". And indeed, in most scenes where we took these shots, it looked surprisingly good. However, the problem arises when we stop analysing still frames and start simply watching the films. In motion, the situation changes dramatically. During dynamic scenes on screen, artefacts begin to pop up, which are a direct result of simply having a poor image processor here. Unfortunately, a static photo can't capture that "tearing" of colours, but you have to take our word for it: what looks clean and smooth in the photo can really stand out and simply irritate during viewing. This is where our rather low rating in this category comes from.
2.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
If you're hoping that the processor in this model will magically "fix" the poor quality signal from your cable TV or old movies from YouTube, we must disappoint you. The capabilities of this television end at absolutely basic upscaling, which is simply stretching the image to a higher resolution. It does this correctly in that the image is not blurry, but there is no mention of any intelligent sharpening or adding details. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any functions to reduce unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being viewed shows what is known as banding (ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colours, e.g., in the sky), this television will display them in all their glory. Additionally, the television has a tendency to slightly crop the edges of the image. Instead of displaying 100% of what the source sends, Blaupunkt slightly zooms in on the frame, causing us to lose details that are at the very edges of the screen. In summary: in the category of digital "enhancement" of the image, Blaupunkt simply performs poorly. We receive a raw, unprocessed signal, with all its flaws.
3.7/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz
Film motion smoothing option: No
Blur reduction option: No
When it comes to motion fluidity, Blaupunkt has nothing to defend itself with. A 60 Hz panel at this price is standard, so none of us expected a perfectly sharp image in fast action scenes or during a match. However, the biggest drawback of this model is that you won’t find any digital motion smoothers in the menu. The manufacturer hasn’t given us any room for manoeuvre – nothing can be smoothed out or the image adjusted to our personal preferences. The picture is always "raw" and we receive it exactly as it is transmitted by the source. For fans of cinematic "jumping" images, this might be good, but the rest simply has to get used to the lack of any motion enhancement.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Thanks to the use of an IPS panel, the effect of "trailing" images behind moving objects is relatively low, so we don’t have to worry about annoying ghosting. Unfortunately, the clarity in motion is mediocre. Despite the minimal blurring, the image remains a bit soft during fast scenes. It’s simply a limitation stemming from the 60 Hz panel and the lack of motion smoothing – no matter how efficiently the pixels operate, with such a refresh rate, dynamic shots will always seem somewhat blurred.
3.5/10
When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we weren’t expecting miracles and indeed – the list of features isn’t very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they might be significant for some of you at this price. The first advantage is that the TV quite smoothly detects the connected console. Thanks to the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, the device knows when you start gaming and automatically switches to low latency mode. This is convenient because you don’t have to fiddle with settings every time to ensure input lag doesn’t spoil the fun. The second point is a real curiosity that surprised us. Despite it being a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display a 120 Hz image at Full HD resolution. Sure, we lose 4K details, but for those playing more dynamic, online shooters where smoothness is more important than resolution, this is a really nice and unexpected addition in such an affordable device. Other than these two points, you won’t find anything more here. There are no advanced smoothness enhancement systems for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. It’s a simple screen for occasional gaming.
8.6/10
An important point for every gamer is, of course, input lag, which is how quickly the television responds to our movements on the controller. Here, Blaupunkt has something to boast about, although the results are quite specific. At 4K resolution, the lag is only 12 ms. That's an excellent result. With such a lag, gaming is simply phenomenal, and the response is almost instantaneous. However, it's a bit disappointing that the situation changes when switching to 1080p. Here, the input lag increases to around 30 ms. Just to be clear: that's still not a terrible result. For most people, it will be "more than acceptable," and during casual gaming, you probably won't even notice it. Nevertheless, it's a pity that such good parameters couldn't be maintained as we saw with full 4K. Nonetheless, in the overall assessment, as a budget screen for console gaming, Blaupunkt really performs admirably in this regard.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 36 ms | 2160p60: 12 ms | |
| 1080p120: 25 ms | ||
| 2160p60: 13 ms |
6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 13ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 60Hz
G-Sync: No
If you're planning to connect a computer to this television, it's absolutely crucial to find and enable the PC compatibility option in the menu. Once you do this, magic happens – the implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 and font readability jump to an exemplary level. The readability of text is simply excellent here. Of course, our editorial diligence wouldn't let us pass this equipment without taking a look "under the hood." In very specific tests with thin, dark text, we noticed that the horizontal and vertical matrix masks differ slightly in brightness levels. However, we want to reassure you: this phenomenon is so subtle that, during normal use, writing emails or browsing the web, you won't be able to notice it with the naked eye. We maintain our opinion that as a monitor strictly for dynamic gaming on PC, it isn't the ideal choice (as we mentioned in the context of the 60 Hz refresh rate), but if any of you are wondering whether you can comfortably work on such a Blaupunkt – we say: yes, it absolutely can be done.
5/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 71%
Here it's really very good. Whether we were sitting straight on or on the edge of the couch, the colours didn't lose their saturation. This is a big plus if you're planning to watch matches or movies with a larger group – no one will complain that the picture looks worse for them. Although IPS panels are known for their good viewing angles, in this particular model, when viewed from a sharp angle, the picture noticeably loses brightness. Interestingly, the colour saturation still remains in place, but the screen simply becomes darker. It's not something that disqualifies this television, but it's worth knowing.
4/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
In terms of daytime performance, Blaupunkt is simply average. It all comes down to the low brightness of the panel, which – as we mentioned, hovers around 250 nits. That’s definitely too low for the screen to comfortably "cut through" the strong light coming into the living room. As a result, in bright sunlight, the image loses its clarity and appears somewhat washed out. However, there is one bright spot in this category: the satin coating of the panel. Thanks to this, we don't have to deal with the mirror effect, which often means instead of watching a movie, we're seeing our own couch reflected. The satin nicely diffuses reflections, which somewhat saves the situation. Nevertheless, we can’t cheat physics: while the coating bravely fights against reflections, the low brightness ultimately capitulates in the face of the sun's rays. If you plan to watch something in the middle of the day in a very bright room, prepare yourself for the necessity of drawing the curtains.
Panel brightness
Average luminance SDR
Blaupunkt UGC5500S: 245 cd/m2
5.1/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Average
In terms of Smart TV functionality, the Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a classic example of a device where the system is both its biggest asset and its greatest flaw. On one hand, we have full Google TV, which is a huge plus at this price point. We gain access to a massive library of apps and basically all the functionality we know from brands using this software. Nothing has been cut out forcefully, which is really refreshing in such an inexpensive TV. Unfortunately, it must be honestly admitted that in the case of Blaupunkt, this system operates quite clumsily. This is a typical issue with low-budget TVs running Google TV – the processor barely keeps up with the software. Navigating through the menu isn’t as smooth as we would like, and the remote can react with noticeable delays, giving the impression of being "dull." Of course, once you launch a specific app and start a movie, everything works steadily, but just browsing through the interface requires a bit of patience.
When it comes to classic TV features, Blaupunkt offers nothing extraordinary. It’s a simple device for basic tasks. The remote is a plus, featuring a traditional numeric keypad, which is just convenient for hopping through cable channels. We also have Bluetooth, so you can easily connect wireless headphones or a speaker. The TV also has a physical mini-jack headphone output. At a time when manufacturers are mass-eliminating this connection, the presence of a "jack" is a nod to those with older audio equipment or simply those who prefer classic wired headphones. It’s a small thing, but it’s appreciated.
9.6/10
9.3/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
In terms of playing files from USB, Blaupunkt performs quite solidly. We tested several of the most popular formats and basically everything that matters worked without any fuss on the factory player. So you're not forced to immediately download additional software right after pulling the TV out of the box, because the equipment is simply self-sufficient ‘out of the box’. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the charms of Google TV, we still recommend installing some external software, like VLC or Kodi. The factory player is adequate, but it's in those external applications where you'll find the most configuration options, better subtitle support, or just a more convenient interface. Since the system gives you that freedom, it's worth taking advantage of it to get as much as you can out of your multimedia.
6/10
85dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs
(TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
In terms of audio, Blaupunkt performs really well, especially considering it's a typical budget television. You can see, or rather hear, that the brand hasn't forgotten its roots and for such an inexpensive build, the sound is actually superb. Of course, there's a noticeable lack of bass, but overall it's loud, and surprisingly clear. What matters most to us – even at higher volumes, the sound isn't heavily distorted, which is rare and a pleasant surprise at this price point.
Sound Quality Test:
85dBC (Max)
75dBC
Software version during testing: RTM9.241015.007
Image processor: m7332 2GB RAM
Subpixel Structure:
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: White LED
Founder and originator of the "ChooseTV" portal
Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal