Sony X90L vs Blaupunkt UGC5500S

HDR on the Sony X90L TV looks promising. The luminance chart showed that the television has a solid power reserve, reaching a maximum of 1000 nits in synthetic tests. However, how does this perform in real-world scenarios? In scenes such as the opening of Life of Pi or the final sequence from The Meg, the TV is able to deliver this power on HDR content, reaching about 800 nits. Unfortunately, displaying small light elements on a black background, as seen in the scene from Sicario 2, poses greater challenges for the X90L – here the results drop to around 600 nits. Despite this, when compared to competing models with mini-LED technology, the effect looks very good and can shine just enough to impress us. Notably, the colour gamut coverage is commendable, with a score of 96% for DCI-P3 and 76% for BT.2020, indicating good colour reproduction in HDR content.

Here, too, we will not mince words – if you are looking for a television strictly for cinematic experiences in HDR, you have come to the wrong place. The Blaupunkt UGC5500S is unfortunately not a machine designed 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 film scenes speaks for itself. It is simply too little to even talk about any real HDR effect. Quite frankly, everything displayed here in this format can be confidently regarded as a somewhat “enhanced” SDR mode. We expected this, as virtually every device in this price range falters in this area, but we feel obliged to warn you about it. Manufacturers love to boast about HDR compatibility with stickers on their boxes, but in reality, this format simply does not exist here – it lacks the “fuel” of brightness.

The situation is particularly difficult for Blaupunkt, as we are dealing with a panel that has a very basic coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, reaching only about 80%. You will not find any advanced coatings to extend these capabilities (such as quantum dots), which means that scenes that should ideally burst with richly saturated colours appear simply under-saturated on this screen. Therefore, we have a specific piece of advice for you: do not force the HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – simply turn it off. By sticking to the classic SDR mode, you can be sure that the television will not attempt to “enhance” something that it cannot handle hardware-wise.

The best mode in Sony televisions is the IMAX Enhanced mode. Although IMAX is mainly associated with the cinematic experience, here the colour reproduction out of the box is average. In the case of lower quality content, such as HD – regular television or YouTube – it is worth paying attention to the white balance. It is characterised by a deficiency in red and an excessive dominance of blue, which gives the image a pinkish hue. The brightness characteristic, or gamma, for HD content is quite decent, but a slight boost could make the image appear washed out and look as if it is behind a light fog.

In 4K HDR content, the situation looks somewhat different. The white balance shows a significant boost in blue, which causes the image to become unnaturally sharp and seem artificial. Such an exaggeration in colour reproduction may not appeal to everyone, especially if one prefers more realistic shades. Additionally, the EOTF curve in Sony X90L appears quite correct at first glance. However, at the end of the graph, some fluctuations can be seen, suggesting that the television is trying to maintain appropriate brightness to avoid overexposing larger elements.

We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colours in movie mode, and here the matter is, in short, twofold. Once again, we need to clearly separate what we see in standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is turned on, as these are two entirely different worlds. Let’s start with the better side of the coin. If you plan to watch classic television, YouTube, or older films on this television, you can count on really reasonably well-tuned colours. In our test unit, the white balance in movie mode performed exceptionally well, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to avoid being overly optimistic, we did notice some shortcomings. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with appropriately dimming the image in its brightest areas. Additionally, there is quite a strong, at times excessively aggressive red saturation, which resulted in visible errors in reproducing certain shades. Nevertheless, in general terms, the image in SDR is simply solid and can be watched without a grimace on one’s face. Unfortunately, the charm disappears the moment we again enter the HDR world. Here, Blaupunkt behaves as if we suddenly switched it to shop mode, and in its worst version. The excess blue in the white balance is so significant that it is almost blinding, ruining any realism of the scene. Moreover, the television interprets brightness very loosely, which, when analysing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time, the colours appear simply washed out and lacking in depth. This is, by the way, perfectly visible through the colour errors that become evident 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 feels forced and lacking appropriate refinement.

Sony offers a range of tools for improving image quality, including two additional picture modes that we decided to utilise during testing and to apply calibration to. This solution significantly facilitates the calibration process and is very effective, provided the appropriate tools are available. In the case of HD content, the white balance was almost perfectly aligned – only one shade of grey exceeds the error value of "1", which is an excellent result. The same can be said for the brightness characteristic (gamma), which presents itself nearly perfectly, with microscopic deviations on the order of 0.01.

In the case of 4K HDR content, the situation is not quite so ideal. Although the white balance has been greatly improved, it has not been possible to completely eliminate the dominance of blue colour. Nevertheless, the errors on the Colour Checker test only occasionally exceed the value of "2", which means that image distortions are practically imperceptible. As for the EOTF curve, it is worth activating the filter in the top right corner "EOTF in Films" – the graph looks correct, but the television encounters difficulties when illuminating very small elements, which is due to the limited number of dimming zones. Despite these minor errors, it is thanks to the calibration that the IMAX Enhanced mode on the Sony X90L makes watching films feel like a true cinema experience.

It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measuring equipment for a television costing around a thousand złotys / 250 dollars, but we wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t check it out. The question is: does such cheap equipment give us any room for manoeuvre when it comes to calibration? To your surprise, the answer is: yes, and very much so. In the Blaupunkt UGC5500S menu, we found surprisingly many options that allowed us to really work on the picture. These are not just empty sliders; they are specific tools that we could utilise using our measuring 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 red saturation. We also fixed the issue of improper dimming in the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the standard format image became significantly more balanced and simply correct. When it came to HDR, the situation was again more complicated. While we managed to 'tame' that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was clear that we were fighting somewhat in vain. Even after adjusting the settings, the television still tried to interfere with the image in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than us how the scene should look. Additionally, there is a hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colours in HDR still remain under-saturated. This is simply due to the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vibrant colours. To sum up this topic: if any of you ask whether it is possible to calibrate a television for a 'thousand', we answer with full conviction: it is possible.

The Sony X90L television features a tone transition smoothing function known as Soft Gradation, which is extremely effective. Even at the "low" option, the effects are satisfactory, but at the "medium" setting, it works like a dream – we recommend using this option for the best results. The image scaling on the Sony X90L is simply excellent. The image is not overly sharpened, which provides a natural effect and ensures that everything looks cohesive. It's clear that the engineers really focused on this aspect, creating a solution that is impressive and performs well in daily use. Because of this, even when watching content such as regular television or YouTube, where the image is not inherently stunning, one can enjoy a smooth, cohesive, and visually pleasing experience.

If you expect the processor in this model to magically "fix" the poor-quality signal from cable TV or old films 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 adequately in that the image is not blurry, but there's no mention of any intelligent sharpening or adding details here. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any features for reducing unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being watched has what is known as banding (that is, ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colours, e.g., in the sky), this television will display it in all its 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 enlarges the frame, causing us to lose details at the very edges of the screen. In summary: in the category of digital "enhancing" of images, Blaupunkt simply performs poorly. We receive a raw, unprocessed signal, with all its flaws.

Sony X90L with a 120 Hz panel is an excellent choice for both gamers and cinema enthusiasts. The television is equipped with the Motion Flow smoothing feature, which allows for adjusting motion fluidity using two sliders: "smoothness" and "clarity." The "smoothness" slider controls the level of fluidity in motion, which helps reduce image stuttering, while "clarity" is used to minimize blur and enhance motion sharpness, which is particularly useful in dynamic scenes.

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 were expecting an impeccably 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 has not given us any room for manoeuvre – nothing can be smoothed out or adjusted to our personal preferences. The image is always "raw," and we receive it exactly as the source transmits it. For fans of cinematic "jumping" of the image, this might be good, but the rest of us simply have to get used to the lack of any motion enhancement.

Sony X90L is a television that performs well in terms of compatibility with consoles and features for gamers. Its 120 Hz panel and two HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 48 Gb/s allow for smooth playback of high-resolution games at a high frame rate. Gamers can also take advantage of the ALLM feature, which automatically switches the television to low latency mode, and VRR, which ensures smooth gameplay without image stuttering. The Game Bar is an additional advantage – an intuitive tool that provides quick access to the most important gaming settings and features, facilitating control over gameplay.

Unfortunately, when it comes to HDR in games, the Sony X90L has its limitations. There is a lack of support for HGiG, a standard that many gamers consider crucial for precise HDR reproduction in games. While the television supports Dolby Vision, which could theoretically improve image quality in games, the practical application of this feature is problematic. Dolby Vision in game mode is associated with very high input lag, making gameplay less comfortable and precise movements more difficult. Additionally, it is not possible to enable Dolby Vision alongside VRR. This means that despite its numerous advantages, gamers seeking the ideal HDR in games may feel a sense of disappointment.

When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we weren't expecting miracles, and indeed – the list of features is not very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they might be significant for some of you at this price. The first plus is that the TV quickly 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 each time to prevent input lag from ruining the fun. The second point is a genuine surprise that caught us off guard. Although it has a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display images at 120 Hz at Full HD resolution. Sure, you lose the details of 4K, 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 inexpensive device. Besides these two points, you won't find anything more here. There are no advanced smoothness enhancement systems for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. This is a simple screen for occasional gaming.