Sony Bravia 3 II Review: The Sony Bravia 3 II TV has accomplished a feat my parents still dream of: keeping me away from my smartphone for hours. It has fulfilled my round-the-clock entertainment needs without resorting to bells and whistles. Sony’s new TV is just a 55-inch Direct LED Smart TV with two built-in 20W speakers, with no extra bells and whistles. From a bird’s eye view, this execution feels like something common in Toyota’s cars, offering a premium experience through refinement rather than complex hardware. Although this approach has made my everyday entertainment sessions feel like it ran smoothly, there have been some ups and downs along the way. To find out how my month of testing the Sony Bravia 3 II TV went, let’s take a look at the TV:
Display: A vibrant panel with impressive stability
Movies and Series:
The BRAVIA 3 II TV has delivered on what it was designed for: delivering an entertaining experience with its performance as the driving force. To test its colorful output, I watched eight episodes over and over again spider-noir The series in “true color” full color instead of the intended black-and-white. Needless to say, the BRAVIA 3 II TV worked phenomenal. It beautifully captured the silly, lively scenes of the series without oversaturating it.
Since the series streams in HDR with Dolby Atmos, the TV presented each scene with sharp clarity, making each frame look like a detailed painting. This was especially evident in close-up shots spider-noir, Where I could easily make out the unique design of his suit.
While the BRAVIA 3 II TV handles HDR content exceptionally well, it also pays the same level of attention to detail to SDR content. As an anime fanatic, I watch countless anime series, with Crunchyroll being my primary streaming service. Although Crunchyroll only offers 4K HDR for a few series, all of my recent favorite series fall into the SDR camp. Nevertheless, I still had a great time working on my watchlist. at that time i reborn like a slime series, or Tensura In short, what stood out most during my viewing was the moment when yuki kagurazaka Found to be under mind control.
To put the scene in perspective, the frame featured a striking purple background, with vibrant particle effects surrounding the character. Despite the complexity of the scene, the BRAVIA 3 II TV balanced dark and bright areas well, making each scene element stand out.
All of these moments underline the progress Sony has made with its new XR processor, which allows it to render colors and scenes with remarkable consistency.
Gaming:
Apart from watching movies, playing games on BRAVIA 3 II TV is equally enjoyable. For starters, the TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a big step up from its predecessors, which only had one. As a result, any gaming console, including the PS5, can output games at 4K 120 fps with ALLM and VRR, regardless of the port used.
Speaking of PS5, the Bravia 3 II TV comes with thoughtful features designed to improve the gaming experience on the Sony-owned console. For example, the TV lets me control various PS5 functions using my remote, whether it’s switching between apps, adjusting settings, or fast-forwarding a show on a streaming service.
In addition to these convenience features, Sony has built a dedicated Game Mode into the BRAVIA 3 II TV that automatically optimizes the display and audio settings for gaming when a PS5 is connected. This mode also includes a suite of gaming-focused tools designed to improve visibility and responsiveness in demanding titles. Among the most useful is the Black Equalizer. In my case, this feature brightened the darkest areas of the game Infamous: Second son, Helping me quickly identify enemies without highlighting highlights.
However, my time is with Notorious: Second Son Also exposed a shortcoming of TV. For context, the game features a bold sepia-toned aesthetic in its environments, from the skies to the buildings and streets. As I looked at a frame of this from an off-axis angle, I noticed that the warm color on the side of a building suddenly turned slightly pink, indicating a color change. I doubt the sepia tone is so obvious everywhere Notorious: Second Son Even minor changes in color become easy to identify.
Glow
The longer I watched movies and played games, the more I noticed that the BRAVIA 3 II TV offers a clear viewing experience even in harsh indoor lighting. For reference, the TV has a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness to match lighting conditions.
During my testing, even with every light on, including chandeliers and ceiling lights in the hall, I could still watch content comfortably, showing that Sony really cares about providing an enjoyable experience even during difficult situations like parties.
Audio: Clear and loud, but light on bass
The Bravia 3 II performs exceptionally well in the display department, but the audio quality struggles to match that standard. To be clear, the TV only delivers room-filling audio with great highs and mids, even at 50% volume. It even keeps dialogue clear during action-heavy scenes. That said, the Bravia 3 II TV struggles to handle low-end audio, so it fails to deliver an impressive experience involving SFX like explosions.
Additionally, the TV’s sound settings are not well tuned for a pleasant audio experience right out of the box. After several attempts, these are the adjustments that worked in my favor:
Having said that, Sony also offers a dedicated equalizer with the BRAVIA 3 II TV, which allows audiophiles to precisely fine-tune the sound as per their preferences.
Design and build quality: Familiar design, refined execution
A look at the design of the Bravia 3 II TV reinforces the idea that Sony really believes in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The reason I say this is that the TV has the same chassis as its previous iteration. This means it comes with a premium build, thin bezels around the display panel, and a slightly thick back. To differentiate it from its TV predecessors, Sony has flattened its arched TV stand to resemble a blade. Speaking of stands, the brand doesn’t ship a TV stand or wall mount with the Bravia 3 II TV, so you’ll have to order one once you get the TV home.
My only gripe with the design of the Bravia 3 II TV is that the two HDMI 2.1 ports, especially the one with eARC support, are located low on the back. As a result, users planning to wall-mount the TV should connect any necessary HDMI cables beforehand, as access to those ports later may be inconvenient.
Remote: accessible, comfortable and thoughtfully designed
In addition to the Bravia 3 II TV, Sony’s attention to detail is also evident in its bundled remote. First and foremost, the brand has designed it to better meet the needs of people with disabilities. The remote’s buttons are raised rather than flush with the surface, making them easier to navigate even if you can’t see them.
The remote is also designed to sit comfortably in the palm, allowing for long periods of use without any discomfort. Aiming to reduce environmental impact, Sony has manufactured the remote using recycled plastic derived from marine environments.
Performance and software: Mostly smooth, with occasional stutters
The BRAVIA 3 II TV doesn’t believe in rushing things. It takes a few minutes to become fully active once turned on, giving users a brief but noticeable lesson in patience. However, once up and running, the experience is mostly seamless. The TV runs Google TV, giving users access to a huge library of apps through the Google Play Store. During my time with it, app launches, navigation, and content discovery felt noticeably faster. That said, the interface wasn’t completely free of glitches. I occasionally noticed minor stutters, especially when switching between input sources, though these were fleeting enough not to detract much from the overall experience.
Connectivity: Mostly smooth, sometimes patchy
On the connectivity front, the BRAVIA 3 II TV supports built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay for wireless screen mirroring. However, my experience with these features was somewhat inconsistent. During most of my testing, the TV remained connected to my home Wi-Fi network, which delivered speeds of around 200Mbps. Despite this, it never appeared as a casting destination on my MacBook or my Android smartphone. What’s interesting is that switching the TV to my phone’s 5G hotspot made it instantly discoverable, and casting worked flawlessly. The exact reason is unclear, but the TV appears to be sensitive to certain network environments.
decision
The Sony Bravia 3 II TV proves that refinement can be just as effective as reinvention. Its display is the obvious highlight, delivering rich colours, sharp details, strong contrast and excellent brightness in both HDR and SDR content. The TV is equally enjoyable for gaming, thanks to its four HDMI 2.1 ports and thoughtful PS5-centric features. That said, the BRAVIA 3 II TV is not without flaws. The speakers lack impressive bass, while the software and casting experience occasionally show minor flaws. Fortunately, these issues don’t do much to detract from an otherwise excellent package. If picture quality matters most, this TV is an easy recommendation.
Check out more details about Sony Bravia 3 II TV here:
Watch similar TV here:
Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay updated with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a share of the revenue when you make a purchase. We will not be liable for any claims under applicable laws including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 in relation to the Products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.
