SONY BRAVIA 3 vs Samsung Q6F (IPS)

Bravia 3 does not hide the fact that it belongs to the group of televisions that are rather modest in terms of brightness. Our measurements showed around 370 nits, which is a value teetering on the edge of where one can still speak of any HDR effect. For some, this is an acceptable level, while for others it is rather typical for SDR content, where spectacular highlights or vivid contrasts are not expected. The impression is that this is not a television for those focused on the highest image quality in demanding cinematic content. However, this does not mean that we cannot find any advantages here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 colour palette has been significantly widened and reaches over 91 percent, which in practice results in more saturated colours and a more pleasing image texture. As a result, even everyday content looks somewhat livelier, and films and series can surprise with vibrant visuals, despite limitations in brightness itself.

The Samsung Q6F is, unfortunately, a very dark model. Its peak brightness in HDR does not exceed 250 nits, which is a value that is decidedly too low to even talk about any effect of “high dynamic range,” or HDR. In practice, it’s better to stick to content in SDR format, which simply looks more predictable on this television. Another problem is the global dimming technique – in scenes with a lot of black, the television drastically dims the entire panel to artificially improve the black levels. This causes the image to become even darker, and the brightness can drop below 100 nits. The only consolation is supposed to be the QLED technology, but even here it is average. The layer of quantum dots used is not of the highest quality, as the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette does not exceed 90%. As a result, the colours in HDR content may simply appear under-saturated.

Sony Bravia 3 was primarily tested in film mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. It is not a perfect picture, but compared to the eco mode that the television offers right out of the box, the difference is clear and positive. In film mode, one can notice a certain problem: the image appears too warm, which results from a lack of blue colour in the white balance. Despite this, in SDR content, the final effect can still be considered quite decent and satisfactory for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors occur in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed considerable deviations, and poor brightness management, combined with limited colour gamut coverage, further exposes the shortcomings of the image in this mode. All of this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 appear unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by the quite decent SDR content setting. Fortunately, this is not an insurmountable situation. Various errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be fully corrected through professional calibration. Therefore, we decided to check how the television would perform after such adjustments.

We tested the television in Filmmaker mode, which showed us two completely different facets of this model. Looking at SDR content, we were genuinely shocked at how good this television looks straight out of the box. It was really difficult to find fault with anything here. Despite a slight 'muddiness' in the white balance or somewhat brightened details in the blacks (which directly stem from the design of the IPS panel), the colour errors hovered around a level of '2'. This result is not only surprisingly good but downright amazing, considering the price of this device.

On the other hand, what the Q6F displayed in terms of colours after switching to HDR mode was a very unpleasant surprise. The errors in colour reproduction and palette were so enormous that our charts literally ran out of scale. Of course, since Samsung even in such an affordable model offers very extensive calibration options, we decided to approach the issue professionally and see what could be done during calibration.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the Bravia 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. Firstly, it managed to compensate for the deficiency of blue, which had previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment to the white balance, most of the errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content virtually disappeared. The white tones became more natural, and the brightness management in gamma stabilised to an almost ideal level, not exceeding the threshold of human perception. Thus, it can be confidently stated that in SDR content, after a few adjustments to the settings, the Bravia 3 performs remarkably well. Significantly worse, although still definitely better than before calibration, are HDR contents. The white balance was brought into order, however, the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which immediately stands out. Colour-wise, the effect is also improved, though far from perfect – many errors still exceed the threshold of four or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear earlier that the Bravia 3 is not a television designed to impress with HDR quality. Nevertheless, it is gratifying that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look truly excellent, and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

After our calibration, the colours in SDR mode looked even better – the result is truly surprising, as colour errors at the '1' level are something generally seen in devices costing several thousand pounds. In this regard, the Q6F is really an excellent screen for everyday television, less demanding series or films. Unfortunately, our intervention in the HDR mode did not bring a noticeable improvement. The television, due to its poor blacks and low coverage of a wide colour gamut, still has significant issues with proper colour saturation, especially reds. This is an example of a device where HDR exists mainly as a label on the box – for everyday use, we definitely recommend watching content in SDR format.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony TV family than just a shared name. It stands out primarily for its ability to enhance the quality of weaker materials thanks to the processor used. Of course, we won’t find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but even so, it must be admitted that the image in lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The scaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge tearing found in budget constructions.

Attention should also be paid to the function that improves the smoothness of tonal transitions. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant detail loss. It does happen, however, that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – but overall, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to those watching lower quality content.

Q6F performs very well in upscaling lower-resolution content to native 4K. The scaling here is surprisingly good, even for such an inexpensive television from the QLED series. The only downside is the situation where we are watching very low-resolution materials, such as 576p (typical for old DVD players) – in which case the image may be slightly cropped. This is due to the fact that the television does not allow the Overscan function to be turned off, which is a typical issue with Samsung devices.

The situation is completely different when it comes to digital processing, specifically the attempt to smooth the image of unwanted artifacts. Here the television completely fails. Although there is a function in the menu called "Noise Reduction," it yields no visible results regardless of the slider setting. The only thing it manages to do is introduce undesired errors in the image. Despite its presence in the system, we definitely do not recommend using it.

The fluidity of motion has never been a strong point of televisions equipped with 60 Hz panels, and the Bravia 3 is no exception. Nevertheless, Sony has added something that may appeal to those more sensitive to the way images are displayed. We are talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which offers users a considerable range of adjustment options. Thanks to it, one can make the image smoother, even theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with the characteristic judder that many simply associate with the filmic atmosphere. These functions work with content at lower frame rates, such as films and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter on a daily basis. It is here that the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and this is where the Bravia 3 performs quite well.

The 60 Hz panel in the Samsung Q6F is standard for this price range, making it rather average for dynamic sports or gaming. However, when it comes to films, the television performs quite well thanks to the motion smoothing feature. The "Motion Reduction" option allows you to adjust the smoothness of movement to your own preferences – from maintaining a cinematic character to complete fluidity.

Bravia 3 is not equipment for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports closes the topic before it even has a chance to develop. This is a television for casual gamers who will play FIFA or racing games after work, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has added a few nice extras to ensure it’s not too sparse. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There’s even a simple Game Bar, which is clear. However, the biggest novelty here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch PS5 games wirelessly and view them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but just a few minutes is enough to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it’s more of a showcase of capabilities than something that can be used every day. If someone really wants to play, it’s better to connect the console via HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.

We're not going to beat around the bush – the Q6F is not a television designed for gamers. Although it features additions like ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR frame synchronisation for consoles, the list of advantages basically ends there. Aside from these basics, the television offers nothing more that would satisfy those who spend a lot of time in front of a console. It’s a great shame that such a useful tool as Game Bar, which allows for quick control of game parameters in Samsung's higher models, is missing here. In terms of gaming, this model is absolutely basic and is only suitable for "casual" gamers.