- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Sony BRAVIA 2 II (S25M2) Review
BRAVIA 2 II / S25M2
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Panel type: LCD IPS Refresh rate: 60Hz Brand: SONY Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
The Sony BRAVIA 2 II is the Japanese manufacturer's budget model, which first debuted in 2025 but only reached Europe a year later. So we decided to check whether, despite the passage of time, it still has anything interesting to offer and whether, in 2026, such an entry-level Sony model still makes sense.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Our verdict
5.8
Overall rating
The Sony Bravia 2 II is a TV that’s best suited to simple, everyday use. And we suspect many people will pick it mainly for Google TV. The system gives access to a huge number of apps and streaming services, and you also get Chromecast, AirPlay and convenient voice search. The TV itself may not run as fast as pricier Sony models, but in terms of functionality there’s little to complain about. Importantly, for regular viewing the picture quality is quite decent. The Bravia 2 II handles SDR material especially well — ordinary broadcast TV, YouTube and a lot of older films and series. The out-of-the-box Cinema mode is sensibly tuned, colours look natural and, without much fiddling with the settings, you can just start watching. And that’s where the Bravia 2 II shows its strengths — as a simple smart TV for daily use, rather than a set that aims to dazzle with panel performance.
However, you have to remember that the “Bravia” badge on the case doesn’t automatically mean great picture quality. The Bravia 2 II uses an IPS panel with very low contrast, and that’s its biggest problem. In daylight it’s not so noticeable, but turn the lights off in the evening and black starts to look more like dark grey. Of course, in return you get good viewing angles, so if the TV sits in a large living room and several people watch from different spots, IPS has an advantage. But that comes at the cost of weak blacks. This TV isn’t designed for HDR impact or for more demanding gamers either. Around 300 nits of brightness and a narrow colour gamut mean HDR content doesn’t show much more than SDR. A 60 Hz panel and the lack of broader gaming features also make it clear that gaming isn’t a priority for this model.
And that wouldn’t be a major issue, because we expected that from an entry-level Sony. The biggest problem for the Bravia 2 II, though, is the price. For similar money you can easily find competitor TVs, especially Korean and Chinese brands, that already offer a lot more, ranging from 120 Hz panels to Mini-LED backlights with local dimming. So the Bravia 2 II isn’t a bad TV in itself. It’s simply too expensive for what it offers. If its price were noticeably lower, it would make much more sense as a basic TV for everyday viewing.
Advantages
Very good viewing angles (IPS panel)
Google TV with a huge selection of apps
Chromecast and AirPlay
Low input lag
Very good USB file player
Supports audio formats: Dolby (Atmos, TrueHD, Digital), DTS (X, HD)
Two remotes included
Disadvantages
Too expensive for what it offers!
Very poor black levels and low contrast (IPS panel)
Low brightness of around 320 nits
No support for dynamic HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10+)
Panel limited to 60 Hz
Very limited gaming capabilities
Movies and series in UHD quality5.2
Classic TV, YouTube5.2
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)5.5
Gaming on console6.2
TV as a computer monitor6.0
Watching in bright light4.8
Utility functions6.6
Apps9.6
Sound quality6.1
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SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Competing TVs in this price range
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Fixed
Flat design: No
Accessories: Two remote controls, Stand
BRAVIA 2 II looks very classic and you can tell straight away it’s one of Sony’s more affordable models. From the front it actually looks quite tidy. The three bezels are relatively slim, the bottom one a little thicker, but the build quality doesn’t give much cause for complaint. Nothing protrudes, the parts are well aligned and the whole thing feels solid. It’s only when you look at the TV from the side or the back that its budget nature becomes more apparent. The design is quite simple, and the plastic section that houses the electronics clearly protrudes from the chassis, so the BRAVIA 2 II isn’t one of the slimmest sets. It’s not a model that will wow you with design or look great mounted flush on the wall. On the other hand, there’s not much to grumble about — it’s simple, neat and, for a TV in this class, perfectly decent.
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SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Contrast and black detail
2.7/10
Local dimming function: No
Result
1,150:1
Result
1,200:1
Result
1,450:1
Result
1,400:1
Result
1,100:1
When it comes to black levels, the Bravia 2 II unfortunately doesn't have much going for it. Sony has used an IPS panel here, which offers one of the lowest native contrasts among LCD panels. In our measurements we saw figures around 1,100:1 to 1,450:1, and unfortunately that's very noticeable when watching. Additionally, the TV lacks any local dimming, so it can't darken only the parts of the screen that should remain dark. In practice, this means that once the lights go out, blacks very quickly shift toward grey and navy. In scenes such as Oblivion or Sicario 2, instead of a deep background we get a noticeably brightened image, which takes away a lot of the atmosphere from evening viewing. Of course an IPS panel also has the advantage of better viewing angles, but in this respect it's hard to call that sufficient compensation. If you're looking for a TV primarily for watching films at night, the Bravia 2 II simply isn't a model we could recommend.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - HDR effect quality
4/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
294 nit
Result
307 nit
Result
329 nit
Result
330 nit
Result
325 nit
Sony Bravia 2 II isn't a particularly bright TV and unfortunately that's immediately obvious in HDR. In our measurements brightness stayed around 300 to 330 nits, which is far too low for the brightest parts of the image to look truly impactful. In practice HDR here doesn't differ that much from regular SDR. Bright highlights, the sun or lamps are of course visible, but they lack the intensity you'd expect from HDR content. The Bravia 2 II is therefore much better suited to standard SDR material, where its limited brightness will be least noticeable.
Colour gamut coverage
The Sony Bravia 2 II also doesn't impress when it comes to colour. The TV doesn't use any extra gamut-expanding filter, such as the quantum dots found in QLED sets or a PFS phosphor layer. In our measurements it covered about 78% of the DCI-P3 gamut and roughly 57% of the very wide BT.2020. That's definitely too little to deliver truly saturated colours in HDR material. More intense reds, greens or turquoises will simply be less striking than on TVs with an expanded colour gamut. The Bravia 2 II is much better matched to the standard Rec.709 gamut used for films, series and SDR broadcast.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 57.4% | 78.7% | 49% | 53% | 61% |
| Film measurements | 57.4% | 78.7% | 49% | 51% | 61% |
BT.2020
BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Detail reproduction in HDR is also not one of the Bravia 2 II's strengths. The TV struggles to show the brightest parts of the image, and this isn't limited to very demanding content. Even with material graded to around 1000 nits, such as Billy Lynn, some detail in the highlights can be lost. With even brighter material, reaching 3000 to 4000 nits, the problem becomes even more noticeable. Fireworks, explosions, the sun and other strong light sources often merge into a uniform bright blotch, and the TV can't show the details within them. That's simply another consequence of the Bravia 2 II's limited brightness.
HDR luminance chart:
Given the weak tone mapping, you'd expect the Bravia 2 II to gain a lot from dynamic metadata like Dolby Vision or HDR10+. The problem is the TV doesn't support either format. With tougher HDR material there's therefore no extra information to help better match the brightest parts of the picture to the panel's capabilities. In practice the most demanding scenes can look noticeably blown out. Of course not every film will look as bad as the scene with horses in a very bright meadow, but intense effects often lose some detail. This is exactly where support for dynamic metadata on the Bravia 2 II would be most missed.
Static HDR10
Factory color reproduction
5.3/10
The out-of-the-box colour reproduction in Kino mode was really quite good, at least for ordinary SDR material. The Bravia 2 II had a slight tendency to boost reds, which made some colours lean a bit warmer, at times with a faint pinkish tint. That wasn't a major fault and during normal viewing the picture still looked fairly natural. There was a bit more going on with image brightness. Looking at the gamma curve, Sony doesn't stick perfectly to the reference value. The darkest areas are slightly lifted, while as brightness increases the gamma gradually rises and a large part of the image becomes darker than it should. However, the difference isn't big enough to seriously bother during everyday watching. Overall, SDR straight out of the box performs quite decently.
The situation is much worse in HDR. We've already mentioned the limited colour gamut, but on top of that the Bravia 2 II quite aggressively manipulates image brightness. The EOTF curve sits below the reference for much of the range, which means the TV renders most mid and brighter parts of the scene darker than the source material intends. Only towards the very end of the range does the curve flatten out, as the panel reaches the limits of its capabilities. Combined with a peak brightness of around 300 nits, this gives HDR that not only lacks much punch but can simply look too dark.
Color reproduction after calibration
7/10
Calibration did a lot for the Bravia 2 II, especially with SDR content. Above all, we managed to even out the white balance and tidy up the gamma, which now stays much closer to the reference value. As a result, the image no longer has the earlier pink cast, and the brightness across different areas is much better organised. You can also see it in the colour errors, which after calibration dropped to a very low level (with only minor issues in the most saturated reds).
We also partly managed to rein in the Bravia 2 II in HDR, especially in the way the TV handles image brightness. However, there is one thing no calibration can fix: the panel's capabilities. A narrow colour gamut means the TV physically can't reproduce the most saturated colours recorded in HDR content. On top of that, the low contrast of the IPS panel causes darker scenes to be covered in a grey haze, which robs colours of some of their depth. So we can improve how the Bravia 2 II uses its capabilities, but we can't overcome the panel's inherent limitations.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8/10
The smoothness of tonal transitions on the Bravia 2 II is pretty good, though it depends a lot on the scene. In brighter parts of the picture the gradation is smooth and it's hard to spot any major issues. It gets worse in very dark shots. In scenes with many dark tones you can already see distinct banding between successive shades. So it's not perfect, but with most everyday content the issue shouldn't be particularly noticeable.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
6/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Upscaling on the Bravia 2 II performs quite well and the TV maintains the standard we've come to expect from Sony. Lower-resolution material is sensibly upscaled to 4K, and the image is slightly smoothed without excessive edge sharpening. It's less successful at dealing with content that shows visible compression artefacts. That's down to the "Digital Noise Reduction" function, which on the "High" setting can smooth some ugly banding. The problem is it does so quite aggressively and, along with the imperfections, removes a lot of fine detail, including natural film grain. What's more, when there's more motion on screen its effectiveness drops considerably and the improvement is minimal. For that reason we generally didn't use this feature for everyday viewing.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Blur and motion smoothness
5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: No
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 25%
Bravia 2 II uses a 60 Hz panel and, for what it is, handles motion quite well. However, bear in mind it’s an entry-level panel and its limitations are especially noticeable with sports. The TV can’t interpolate 50/60 fps material to a higher refresh rate, so it can’t further improve the sharpness of fast-moving objects. For films and series there’s a conventional motion-smoothing feature that can reduce the judder typical of 24 fps material.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Sony also offers a BFI function hidden under the "Purity" setting. In theory it should improve motion clarity by inserting black frames, but combined with a 60 Hz panel the effect isn't very good. The edges of moving objects noticeably double, and any gain in sharpness is small. For us, it's not a feature worth putting up with the side effects.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Console compatibility and gaming features
3.3/10
- ALLM:
Yes
VRR:
No - VRR range:
No
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
No
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
No
- 1080p@120Hz:
No
- 1440p@120Hz:
No
- 4K@120Hz:
No
- Game bar:
Yes
The Bravia 2 II isn’t a TV that’s particularly suited to gaming, and the feature list makes that clear pretty quickly. You basically only get automatic low-latency ALLM and a simple Game Bar where you can view basic signal info and change a few settings. That’s where the positives end. The TV doesn’t support VRR or 120 Hz (not even at lower resolutions) and on top of that it has problems correctly implementing HDR HGIG. It’s fine for occasional console play and, thanks to low input lag, the controls remain responsive, but if you’re after a TV primarily for gaming the Bravia 2 II is a significantly limited choice.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Input lag
10/10
Here the Bravia 2 II performs considerably better. The input lag is only about 11 ms, low enough that you’ll hardly notice any delay while gaming. So even with a modest set of gaming features, the TV will handle regular console gaming without any major issues.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 12 ms | 2160p60: 11 ms | |
| 2160p60: 12 ms |
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Compatibility with PC
6/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 11ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB
Max refresh rate: 60Hz
G-Sync: No
Bravia 2 II handles a computer very well, at least if you think of it as a screen for work. Thanks to its IPS panel and accurate 4:4:4 chroma reproduction, fonts are sharp and readable regardless of their size, shape or colour. That’s particularly good news for people considering the smaller variant and placing it on a desk instead of a classic monitor. It looks much worse, however, from a gaming perspective. The TV doesn’t offer 120 Hz, VRR or other features that would interest more demanding PC gamers. So it’s very good for office work or watching content from a computer, but as a gaming screen it has quite a few limitations.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Viewing angles
6.5/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 62%
Viewing angles are one of the Bravia 2 II's stronger points. Thanks to the IPS panel, colours and brightness remain accurate for quite a while even when we’re not sitting directly in front of the TV. In this area Sony regains some of the points it lost earlier on black levels and contrast. As a result, the Bravia 2 II may be better suited to a larger living room or a room where some people watch the TV from the side, especially if it will mainly be used for everyday TV.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Daytime performance
4.8/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
In daylight the Bravia 2 II performs rather average. Brightness of around 320 nits doesn’t leave much headroom, but in a typical, moderately bright living room it’s still enough to keep the picture readable. The screen’s matte coating does a decent job of reducing reflections, though it can’t eliminate them entirely. With strong light falling directly on the screen, there’s simply not enough brightness to effectively cut through the glare. So it will be fine for ordinary daytime viewing, but in a very bright room with lots of windows you may start to notice the limitations of this model.
Panel brightness
Sony BRAVIA 2 II (S25M2): 319 cd/m2
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - TV features
6.6/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Decent
- HDMI inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
- Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: No
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): No
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Google TV
Bravia 2 II runs Google TV, which is definitely one of this model's stronger points. First and foremost, you get a huge range of apps, so accessing popular streaming services is no problem. It also has Chromecast and AirPlay, making it easy to cast content from your phone or other devices. Voice search with Google Assistant/Gemini works very well, including in Polish. The system itself isn't the fastest version of Google TV we've used, and you sometimes have to wait a moment for a response, but overall it performs decently. In terms of features it's hard to complain — especially for one of Sony's more affordable TVs.
Funkcje telewizyjne
When it comes to traditional TV features, the Bravia 2 II is rather modest. For example, there's no recording to USB or other more advanced extras, so in that respect it's fairly basic. A plus is the inclusion of two remotes. One is modern and simpler, mainly for using the Smart TV, while the other is a classic remote with more buttons, which may be more convenient for people who often watch regular TV. The smaller one works via radio, so you don't have to point it directly at the screen, which is simply more convenient in everyday use.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: No
- Audio description: Yes
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Apps
9.6/10
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Playing files from USB
9.4/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in file player performs very well. The Bravia 2 II opens almost everything you throw at it, from common video files and subtitles to photos and music. Importantly, it also handles more demanding 4K material encoded in HEVC or AV1. Of course, there are a few isolated formats the TV doesn’t support, such as VVC or some less common audio and image files. These are things few people will try to play directly on the TV.
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Sound
6.1/10
92dB
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
Sound in the Bravia 2 II is simply adequate for an entry-level TV. It’s more than enough for watching regular TV, like the news, but as with this type of design it mainly lacks bass. You notice it quite quickly with music and even more in action films, where explosions and other heavy effects lack real weight. Sony does deserve praise for its audio format support. When you connect a soundbar or a home theatre system, the TV will pass the key formats over eARC with no trouble, including Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS:X. It’s especially welcome to see DTS included, which can’t always be taken for granted on rival TVs, even the pricier models.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
92dBC (Max)
75dBC
SONY BRAVIA 2 II - Panel details
Software version during testing: 6120800301
Image processor: mt5896 2,5gb RAM
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: White LED
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