Compare SONY BRAVIA 3 vs Blaupunkt UGC5500S

Sony Bravia 3 is a television that brings several important improvements over its predecessor, while still staying true to its core. The biggest change is the design – slim bezels and solid metal legs make it look modern and fit much better in a living room than the X75WL. Improved colors thanks to the PFS filter and really good upscaling are also a plus. It is in lower-quality content, especially in classic SDR, that the Bravia 3 can show its best side – colors look pleasant, the image is clean, and thanks to the IPS panel, the viewing angles are at a very good level. For a role as a "classic" television receiver, where viewing comfort from different places in the room and decent quality of everyday content matters, it is virtually perfect. A huge advantage is also the Google TV system. During our tests, there were instances where the interface did not always work as smoothly as we would have liked, and some functions could freeze. However, despite these imperfections, the presence of Google TV is a huge plus – access to thousands of applications and a full streaming library compensates for the minor shortcomings. Unfortunately, what was weak in the X75WL remains weak here too. The IPS panel has very low contrast and does not offer local dimming, making watching movies in a dark room quickly lose its appeal – the black resembles gray and effectively detracts from the enjoyment of viewing. Additionally, the option to record content to USB, which was available in the predecessor, has been removed. It’s hard not to notice this and not add it to the list of cons.

So who is the Bravia 3 for? Primarily for those who want to enter the world of Sony televisions in the most affordable variant and at the same time value the Google TV system. However, it is not the most attractive option in its class – the competition in this budget can offer models with Mini-LED backlighting, whose image performs significantly better in terms of contrast and HDR. Therefore, the Bravia 3 is worth keeping in mind, but mainly when there is a solid discount. At its regular price, it will be very difficult to stand out against its more competitive rivals.

Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a textbook example of a very inexpensive television that primarily has two huge advantages: the Google TV system and an extremely low price. It is these two elements that make it an enticing option for many people. During testing, we also found other fantastic uses for it, such as working with a computer. Thanks to the exemplary readability of fonts and good viewing angles of the IPS panel, Blaupunkt surprisingly performs well as a budget monitor. However, one must be aware that this is a typical budget device, and this cost-saving is evident in the image quality. The panel is simply dark, making it difficult to perform in challenging lighting conditions, not to mention creating any real HDR effect. Additionally, despite good viewing angles, the blacks on this model leave much to be desired – in the evening, they will be more dark gray, which is a typical characteristic of the IPS technology used here. Looking through the lens of price, this is a device intended to compete in the market not on image quality but rather on the amount on the receipt. Blaupunkt UGC5500S will find its place perfectly as an additional television in the home, equipment for the cottage, or in a less important room where the image is simply needed, and we want to enjoy all the benefits and applications that Google TV offers.

Bravia 3 in most variants, including the 65-inch model we tested, uses an IPS panel and unfortunately, this is not the best news for those who value depth of image and truly velvety blacks. This technology has its advantages, as it offers decent viewing angles, but this comes at the cost of very low contrast, which is especially noticeable during evening screenings when we expect the screen to go dark where it should. However, this is not the end of the list of problems. Our unit also showed noticeable inconsistencies in black levels, which exacerbate the effect of its shallowness. For example, in the scene with the helicopter, the light bleed in the corners of the screen and noticeable vignetting are clearly visible.

It’s hard not to think that even a simple local dimming system could save the situation and add a bit of drama to the picture, which is lacking here. Unfortunately, Sony did not opt for such a solution and as a result, we have a repeat of last year's performance. Bravia 3 is therefore not a television that will enchant with cinematic depth of black. At night, instead of intense black, we will rather see gray pretending to be darkness, which may disappoint more demanding viewers.

To put it bluntly: the black levels are simply very poor. Our measurements on test screens only confirmed what we could see with the naked eye – a result around 1000:1 is, in today's standards, even in this price range, a disappointing result. In cinematic conditions, this "black" simply does not exist. To back up our claims, we fired up one of our favorite test scenes – the helicopter flyover in "Sicario 2" (you can actually see it in the video we posted below). Instead of a pitch-black, deep night, we got an image that is... navy blue. Everything that should be dark and mysterious on screen, in reality, shines 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 image doesn't lose much saturation. On the other hand, if you plan to have evening screenings with the lights off, this lack of contrast will hit you in the eyes from the very first minute.

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 balancing on the borderline where one can still speak of any HDR effect. For some, this is an acceptable level; for others, it is rather typical for SDR materials, 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 film content. However, this does not mean that we won't find any advantages here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, functioning similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 color gamut has been significantly expanded and reaches over 91 percent, which in practice provides more saturated colors and a more pleasant image texture. As a result, even everyday content looks a bit livelier, and movies and series can surprise with their colorful presentations, despite the limitations in brightness itself.

Here, we won't beat around the bush either – if you're looking for a TV strictly for cinematic HDR experiences, you've come to the wrong address. The Blaupunkt UGC5500S unfortunately is 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 screens speaks for itself. It's simply too little to even talk about any real HDR effect. To be honest, everything displayed here in this format can best be considered a slightly "boosted" SDR mode. We expected this because practically every device in this price range fails in this regard, but we feel obligated to warn you. Manufacturers love to boast about HDR compatibility stickers on the boxes, but in reality, this format simply doesn't exist here – it lacks the "fuel" of brightness.

The situation is made all the more difficult for Blaupunkt because we have a panel with a very basic DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of just around 80%. You won't find any advanced coatings that enhance these capabilities (like quantum dots), making scenes that are supposed to burst with richly saturated colors appear simply desaturated on this screen. Therefore, we have a concrete piece of advice for you: do not push the HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – just turn it off. Sticking with the classic SDR mode will ensure that the TV won't try to "enhance" something that it can't handle hardware-wise.

We primarily tested the Sony Bravia 3 in movie mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. The picture is not perfect, but compared to the eco mode that the TV suggests right out of the box, the difference is significant and for the better. In movie mode, one can notice a certain problem—the image seems too warm, which results from a lack of blue in the white balance. Despite this, in SDR content, the final effect can still be considered quite decent and satisfying for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors occur in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed significant deviations, and poor brightness management combined with limited color gamut coverage further exposes the shortcomings of the image in this mode. All of this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 look unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by the quite decent SDR content settings. Fortunately, this is not a situation without a solution. Various errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. Therefore, we decided to check how the TV would perform after such adjustments.

We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colors in movie mode, and here the situation is, to put it briefly, twofold. We must clearly separate what we see in the standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is turned on, as these are two completely different worlds. Let’s start with the better side of the coin. If you plan to watch classic television, YouTube, or older movies on this TV, you can count on really well-tuned colors. In our test sample, the white balance in movie mode was exceptionally accurate, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to not make it too rosy, we noticed some flaws. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with properly dimming the image in its brightest parts. Additionally, there is quite strong, at times too aggressive, red saturation, which resulted in noticeable errors in reproducing certain shades. Nevertheless, in general terms, 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 form. The excess blue in the white balance is so overwhelming that it literally clashes with the eyes, ruining any realism of the scene. Furthermore, the TV interprets brightness very loosely, which, when analyzing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time the colors appear simply washed out and lacking depth. This is, by the way, perfectly visible in the color 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 not properly refined.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from ChooseTV 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. First and foremost, we managed to address the shortage of blue color, which previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment in white balance, most of the errors in Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The shades of white gained a natural quality, and brightness management in gamma stabilized to a level that is nearly perfect, not exceeding the threshold of human eye perception. Therefore, it can be confidently said that in SDR content, after a few tweaks in settings, ChooseTV 3 performs really excellently. HDR content, however, fares much worse, although it is still definitely better than before calibration. The white balance has been corrected, but 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. Color-wise, the effect has also improved, although it is far from ideal—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 before that ChooseTV 3 is not a television designed to amaze with HDR quality. Nonetheless, it is gratifying that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look really great, and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measurement equipment for a television costing around a thousand zlotys / 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 calibration? To your surprise, the answer is yes, and absolutely 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 concrete tools that enabled us to make use of our measurement sensors and software. In SDR mode, the effects were noticeable to the naked eye. We successfully eliminated the issue we mentioned earlier – that excessive, almost artificial saturation of reds. We also fixed the problem of incorrect dimming of the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the standard format picture became much more balanced and simply correct. As for HDR, the situation was again more complicated. Although we managed to "tame" that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was evident that we were fighting a bit in vain. Even after changing the settings, the television still tried to intervene in the image in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than we did how the scene should look. Additionally, there's a hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colors in HDR still remain unsaturated. This simply results from the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vibrant colors. To summarize this point: if any of you ask whether it’s possible to calibrate a television for "a thousand," we respond with full conviction: it is possible.

In terms of the fluidity of tonal transitions, Bravia 3 performs really well. In brighter scenes, we did not notice any significant errors – the screen handles color blending almost perfectly and does not create artificial contours that can spoil the viewing experience. Also, in darker segments, there are no major issues with color gradation, though another problem arises here. Strong brightening and uneven backlighting of the panel in dark scenes make it difficult to unequivocally evaluate the gradation itself, as the effect is spoiled by the unevenness of the image. However, when we focus solely on color blending, the result can be considered very good.

Looking at our test photographs, it's really hard to find fault with anything. Most of the colors in the attached images blend together almost perfectly, creating smooth gradients without distinct "steps." And indeed, in most of the scenes where we took these shots, it looked surprisingly good. However, the problem arises when we stop analyzing the still frames and simply start watching the movies. In motion, the situation changes dramatically. During dynamic scenes on screen, artifacts start to pop up, which are a direct result of using a simply weak image processor here. Unfortunately, a static photo cannot capture this "jittering" of colors, but you have to take our word for it: what looks clean and smooth in the picture can be quite noticeable and simply annoying during playback. This is precisely why we rated this category quite low.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony television family than just a common name. It stands out primarily for its ability to improve the quality of weaker materials thanks to the applied processor. Of course, we won't find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but it must be acknowledged that the image at a lower resolution looked surprisingly good. Scaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive jagged edges found in budget constructions.

The feature that enhances the fluidity of tonal transitions is also worth noting. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking the imperfections of gradation without significant loss of detail. It does happen that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – however, in overall terms, 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.

If you expect that the processor in this model will magically "fix" the poor quality signal from cable TV or old films from YouTube, we must disappoint you. The capabilities of this television end with 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 talk of any intelligent sharpening or adding details. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any functions that reduce unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being viewed has so-called banding (ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colors, e.g., in the sky), this television will display them in all their glory. Additionally, the television tends 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 located 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.

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

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 during fast action scenes or while watching a game. However, the biggest drawback of this model is that you won't find any digital smoothers in the menu. The manufacturer did not give us any room to maneuver – there's no way to smooth anything out or adjust the image to our preferences. The image is always "raw" and we receive it exactly as the source transmits it. For fans of cinematic "motion jump," this might be fine, but everyone else just has to get used to the absence of any motion support.

Bravia 3 is not a device for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of late-night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports wraps up the topic before it can even develop. This is a TV for casual gamers who, after work, want to fire up FIFA or racing games, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has added a few nice extras so it’s not too barren. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the TV to game mode (low latency). We even find a simple Game Bar here that is clear. However, the biggest curiosity is the PlayStation Portal app. With it, you can launch games from PS5 wirelessly and immediately see them on the TV screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant delays. In our opinion, it’s more of a showcase of capabilities than something usable on a daily basis. If someone really wants to play, it’s better to connect the console with an HDMI cable right away and forget about wireless problems.

When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we didn’t expect miracles and indeed – the list of features is not very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they may be significant for some of you at this price. The first advantage is that the TV quite efficiently detects the connected console. Thanks to the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, the device automatically knows when you start gaming and switches to low latency mode. This is convenient because you don’t have to fiddle with the settings every time to prevent input lag from ruining the fun. The second point is a real curiosity that surprised us. Even though it’s a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display images at 120 Hz at Full HD resolution. Sure, we lose 4K details then, but for those playing more dynamic, online shooters where fluidity is more important than resolution, it’s a really nice and unexpected addition in such an inexpensive piece of equipment. Besides these two points, however, you won’t find anything else here. There are no advanced systems for improving fluidity for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. It’s a simple screen for occasional gaming.

Here, Bravia 3 shows its best side. Delays drop below 12 milliseconds almost in every resolution and mode, so the response to controller movements is instantaneous and there is no feeling of lag. It feels as if the console and the TV are speaking the same language, without any unnecessary pauses or hesitations. The Dolby Vision Gaming mode deserves special attention. In its predecessor, the X75WL model, using this feature was simply a nightmare – input lag could exceed 100 milliseconds, which effectively took away the enjoyment of gaming. In Bravia 3, this problem has been completely eliminated.

An important point for every gamer is, of course, input lag, which refers to how quickly the television reacts to our movements on the controller. And 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 lag, gaming is simply phenomenal, and the response is almost instantaneous. However, it's a bit of a pity that the situation changes when switching to 1080p mode. Here, the input lag increases to about 30 ms. To be clear: this is 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 shame that they couldn’t maintain the same good parameters that we saw at full 4K. Still, in the overall assessment, as a budget screen for consoles, Blaupunkt performs really well in this regard.

The applied IPS matrix, combined with properly functioning 4:4:4 chroma support, ensures that font readability is at an excellent level. Letters appear sharp, regardless of the background color or the content itself, making work with documents or browsing websites easy on the eyes. In this role, the television definitely deserves a very good rating, if not an excellent one, as few models in this budget perform as well. Of course, if we look at the Bravia 3 from a PC gamer's perspective, the picture won't be as rosy. We won't find G-SYNC or Free Sync frame synchronization with graphics cards or high refresh rates here, so for fast-paced computer games, the television is not the best choice. However, in the role of a monitor for work, whether in a home office or a student’s room, it performs excellently, and in this regard, it's really hard to criticize.

If you plan to connect a computer to this television, it is absolutely crucial that you find and enable the PC compatibility option in the menu. Once you do that, magic happens – the implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 and font clarity jumps to an exemplary level. The legibility of text is simply great here. Of course, our editorial meticulousness would not allow us to pass by this hardware 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, this is not an ideal choice (as we mentioned regarding the 60 Hz refresh rate), but if any of you are wondering whether you can comfortably work on such a Blaupunkt – we answer: yes, it is absolutely possible.

Thanks to the applied IPS matrix, colors do not lose intensity as quickly as with screens based on VA panels. Even when watching television in a larger group, when some people sit at an angle, the image remains clear and does not appear washed out. Of course, this is not the level offered by organic OLED matrices, where the image looks identical from almost every position, but for an LCD television, the viewing angles in the Bravia 3 are among the better ones. This provides a sense of comfort and freedom, especially in larger living rooms or during family screenings, where it is difficult for everyone to sit directly in front of the screen.

It is really very good here. Regardless of whether we sat directly in front or on the edge of the couch, the colors retained their saturation. This is a big plus if you plan to watch matches or movies with a larger group – no one will complain that their picture looks worse. While IPS panels are known for good viewing angles, in this particular model, when viewed from a large angle, the picture clearly loses brightness. Interestingly, the color saturation still remains in place, but the screen simply becomes darker. This is not something that disqualifies this television, but it is worth knowing.

The Bravia 3 performs quite decently against daylight. The applied satin coating on the screen effectively reduces reflections, and colors do not lose their intensity when stronger light from outside hits the screen. As a result, in typical home conditions, with the blinds open or in a living room with a larger window, the image maintains its readability. However, it is important to remember that this is not a high-brightness television. The Bravia 3 has no chance of competing with brighter models, so in very sunlit rooms, there are moments when the screen simply cannot compete with the intense light. Under normal conditions, it handles well, but in more challenging scenarios, one should not expect miracles.

In terms of daytime performance, Blaupunkt is simply average. It all comes down to the low brightness of the panel, which – as we mentioned before – hovers around 250 nits. This is definitely too little for the screen to "break through" strong light coming into the living room. As a result, under high sunlight, the image loses clarity and appears somewhat washed out. However, there is one bright spot in this category: the satin coating of the panel. Thanks to it, we don't have to deal with the mirror effect, which often makes us watch the reflection of our own sofa instead of the movie. The satin nicely diffuses reflections, which saves the situation somewhat. Nonetheless, we can't defy physics: while the coating bravely fights against reflections, the low brightness ultimately capitulates in the battle with sunlight. If you are planning a screening in the middle of the day in a very bright room, be prepared to close the curtains.

Smart TV Features

The biggest advantage of the Bravia 3 in everyday use is the presence of the Google TV system. Thanks to it, we have access to one of the largest libraries of applications and streaming services, so regardless of whether someone mainly uses Netflix, Disney+, or smaller platforms, everything is at their fingertips. The Google Assistant also worked very well, as it was able to respond to our commands quite "smartly." The Google TV system in theory should work very smoothly because Sony has been implementing it better than many cheaper competitors for years. Unfortunately, in the case of the Bravia 3, it is not as great as we would expect. During testing, we noticed slight stutters in the interface, and some functions, such as screen mirroring, simply refused to cooperate. One could get the impression that the processor in this model sometimes struggles with the demanding system, and not everything works as smoothly as we would hope.

Classic Features

Sony, even in the cheapest series, manages to remind us of its experience with various users. In the set, we find as many as two remotes. The first is modern and minimalist, with a small number of buttons, which works great when using applications and Google TV functions. The second is a classic remote with a richer set of keys and a numeric keypad, which will be appreciated especially by older people accustomed to traditional solutions. This is a nice nod to different user groups, and it must be admitted that Sony handled this very practically. It is a pity, however, that compared to the X75WL model, the ability to record content from TV tuners to USB memory has disappeared. The manufacturer has completely eliminated this feature, so if someone was attached to it, they will unfortunately not find it in the Bravia 3.

In terms of Smart TV functionality, Blaupunkt UGC5500S is a classic example of a device where the system is both its greatest asset and its biggest flaw. On one hand, we have full Google TV, which at this price point is a huge plus. We get access to a gigantic library of applications and virtually all the features we know from brands that use this software. Nothing is cut out forcefully, which is truly appreciated in such an affordable television. Unfortunately, we must honestly admit that in Blaupunkt's version, this system simply runs sluggishly. This is a typical issue with low-budget TVs featuring Google TV – the processor barely keeps up with the software. Navigation through the menu is not as smooth as we would like, and the remote can respond with a noticeable delay, giving the impression of being "dull." Of course, once you launch a specific app and start a movie, everything runs stably, but simply sifting through the interface requires a bit of patience.

As for classic television functions, Blaupunkt does not offer anything extraordinary. It’s a basic device for fundamental tasks. The remote deserves praise for having a classic numeric keypad, which is simply convenient when flipping through cable channels. We also have Bluetooth, so you can easily connect wireless headphones or a speaker. The television also has a physical mini-jack headphone output. At a time when manufacturers are mass removing 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 brings joy.

Here Sony really did a great job. The built-in player works quickly and doesn't "struggle" when launching various formats. We didn't need to reach for external applications like VLC because the television handled even files that can cause a lot of problems on other models – such as HEIC photos from Apple devices. It's a small detail, but one that shows the manufacturer wanted the user to have a sense of complete convenience. By plugging a movie onto a USB stick or photos from vacation onto an external drive, you can simply connect them and watch immediately on the big screen. No fussing, no installing additional software, no searching for workarounds. This is really rare in televisions, and it must be admitted that in this aspect, the Bravia 3 pleasantly surprised us.

In terms of playing files from USB, Blaupunkt performs quite solidly. We checked several of the most popular formats and basically everything that matters worked smoothly on the factory player. Therefore, you are not forced to immediately download additional software right after taking the television out of the box because the device is simply self-sufficient "out of the box." Nevertheless, taking advantage of the charms of Google TV, we still recommend that you install something external, like VLC or Kodi. The factory player is adequate, but it is in these external applications that you will find the most configuration options, better subtitle support, or simply a more convenient interface. Since the system gives you such freedom, it's worth taking advantage of it to get as much as possible from your media.

Bravia 3 sounds quite flat, but makes up for it with volume. It is excellent for watching traditional television, as the dialogues are clear and the mid-tones are easily audible. This type of sound profile will be especially appreciated by older users, who primarily care about speech intelligibility. However, if someone expects something more from the sound, such as stronger bass or a wider soundstage, it is still worth reaching for a soundbar. The TV supports modern codecs, including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, so an external sound system can easily take advantage of their potential. This assures that with a relatively small expenditure, one can achieve a much fuller and more engaging sound.

In terms of audio, Blaupunkt performs really well, especially considering that this is a typical budget television. You can see, or rather hear, that the brand hasn't forgotten its roots, and for such an inexpensive setup, the sound is actually excellent. Of course, there's a clear lack of bass, but overall it is loud and surprisingly clear. Most importantly for us – even at louder listening levels, the sound is not heavily distorted, which is a rarity and a nice surprise at this price point.

SONY BRAVIA 3 vs Blaupunkt UGC5500S

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

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

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Smart TV Features

Classic Features

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements