Sony X75WL vs Sony Bravia 3 50' (VA)

The luminance chart for the Sony X75WL revealed a peak brightness of just 350 nits, which is underwhelming for an HDR-capable display. This limited brightness means that HDR scenes lack the depth and impactful highlights expected for immersive viewing. Additionally, the subpar coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut results in a less vibrant colour representation, negatively impacting the overall quality of HDR content. The combination of insufficient brightness and poor colour gamut coverage significantly diminishes the intended HDR effect, making this model a less compelling choice for those prioritising HDR performance.

Interestingly, in the 50-inch version, the Bravia 3 performs slightly better in terms of brightness than its larger variants. In measurements, it achieved around 370 nits, which still aren't values that can compete with top-end televisions, but enough to speak of a semblance of HDR effect. For some users, this level will be acceptable, while others will view it as typical for SDR content, where spectacular bursts or strong contrasts are not expected. It must be clearly stated that the Bravia 3 is not a television for those who want to extract maximum quality from the most challenging film materials.

However, this does not mean that everything is mediocre. Sony equipped this model with an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions used in QLED televisions. As a result, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette increased to over 91 percent. In everyday use, this means livelier, more saturated colors and a more pleasing image texture. Even if strong lighting effects are lacking, movies and series can look significantly more attractive than in its predecessor, the X75WL.

Colour reproduction tests on the X75WL model, conducted in movie mode, reveal strengths and weaknesses. While movie mode offers some of the best image settings, it is not flawless. One of the most significant issues with the X75WL is the white balance, particularly for HD and 4K HDR content, where a blue hue dominates the image. This results in a noticeably cold tone throughout. The colour checker confirms these discrepancies, showing a clear shift towards cooler shades.

Regarding brightness, the contrast gamma level is generally acceptable, but the EOTF curve presents more challenges. There are noticeable problems with maintaining consistent brightness, with the image sometimes appearing too washed out or too dim. These issues affect the overall visual experience and hinder the accurate perception of content.

We primarily tested the Sony Bravia 3 in movie mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. It's not a perfect picture, but compared to eco mode, which the TV suggests right out of the box, the difference is clear and positive. In movie mode, one can notice a certain problem: the picture 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 satisfactory for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors appear 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 picture in this mode. All 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 hopeless situation. All sorts of errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. That’s why we decided to see how the TV would perform after such adjustments.

The X75WL is one of those cases where image calibration may not lead to a dramatic transformation, but it does offer a notable improvement in colour perception. The white balance for HD and 4K content, has been significantly enhanced, eliminating the strong dominance of cooler tones. The gamma chart also appears more stable, resulting in better image quality overall. However, the main issue remains the EOTF curve, which controls brightness in 4K content. Due to the technological limitations of the television (such as the IPS panel and the absence of local dimming), a significant improvement is difficult to achieve, as the model’s capabilities are constrained. Despite these limitations, the tonality of the image has been substantially improved.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the Bravia 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. Most importantly, we managed to address the deficiency of blue, which previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment in the white balance, most of the errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The shades of white gained naturalness, and the brightness management in gamma stabilized to a level nearly ideal, not exceeding the threshold of human eye perception. One can therefore confidently say that in SDR content, after a few adjustments in settings, the Bravia 3 performs really impressively. Much worse, though still definitely better than before calibration, is its performance with HDR content. The white balance has been brought under control, but the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which is immediately noticeable. Color-wise, the effect is also improved, although far from perfect – many errors still exceed four, or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear 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 great, and in this category, the television surprised us positively.

The X75WL struggles with low-quality tonal transitions. The lack of any function to improve tonal gradation results in noticeable imperfections in colour transitions, which detracts from the overall image quality. However, the digital processing is commendable, with the image displayed without overscan, and relatively sharp presentation. This added sharpness may appeal to some users, though it does not compensate for the tonal transition issues.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony TV family than just a common 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 still, it must be admitted that the image at lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The upscaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge jaggedness found in budget constructions. The feature that improves the fluidity of tonal transitions is also noteworthy. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant loss of detail. It does happen that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp - for example, faces - however, in general, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to people watching lower quality content.

The X75WL features a 60 Hz panel, making it more suited for movie-watching than high-speed gaming. It is equipped with a motion smoother function called Motionflow, which allows users to adjust picture fluidity on a 10-point scale. This function adds intermediate frames, improving motion smoothness and creating a more cinematic effect by reducing choppiness. Additionally, the clarity adjustment helps reduce motion blur, making it particularly beneficial for fast-paced scenes like sports or dynamic action sequences in films. With these settings, users can fine-tune the fluidity and sharpness of motion to their preferences.

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 who are more sensitive to the way images are displayed. We are talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which gives users a lot of adjustment options. Thanks to it, the image can become smoother, almost theatrical, or you can stick with a more cinematic style characterized by the jaggedness that many people simply associate with the filmic atmosphere. These features work for content with lower frame rates, such as movies and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter every day. This is where 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.

The X75WL is not the best television for gamers, as it lacks some key features that more demanding users expect. While it includes the Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and a basic Game Bar, these are not sufficient for a truly immersive gaming experience. In this price range, features like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and a 120 Hz refresh rate—at least in Full HD—have become standard, but unfortunately, these are missing in the X75WL. This is a significant drawback for Sony, as the competition offers more advanced gaming features at a similar price.

Bravia 3 is not equipment for e-sports players or fans of late-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 gets a chance to develop. This is a television for a casual gamer 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 make it feel less bare. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There's even a simple Game Bar that is clear. However, the biggest curiosity here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch games from PS5 wirelessly and see them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it's more of a showcase of capabilities than something you can reliably use every day. If someone really wants to play, it's better to connect the console with an HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.