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Sony BRAVIA 3 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Reviewed Aug 02, 2024 at 10:46 am
Latest change: Retest Oct 25, 2024 at 02:01 pm
Sony BRAVIA 3 Picture
7.2
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7N [U7, U75N]
7.8
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: none
7.7
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7N [U7, U75N]
6.8
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7N [U7, U75N]
6.8
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
7.2
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7N [U7, U75N]
7.8
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7N [U7, U75N]

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is an entry-level model in Sony's 2024 TV lineup. It's a pretty basic 60Hz TV and doesn't have features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, VRR, and local dimming, but it still has some features like black frame insertion, auto low latency mode, and Dolby Vision. You also get access to the Sony Pictures Core streaming service, which promises high-quality streams that rival the picture quality you get from 4k Blu-rays. The TV is powered by Sony's 4K HDR Processor X1™ and runs the popular Google TV smart interface. It has a built-in 20W 2.0 channel speaker system and supports Dolby Atmos. We bought and tested the 75-inch model, but it's available in six sizes total: 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85-inches.

Our Verdict

7.2 Mixed Usage

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is decent for mixed usage. It's not a very good option to pair with your modern gaming console or PC since it lacks modern gaming features; you're limited to 4k @ 60Hz without VRR. The TV's terrible contrast means blacks look gray when highlights are on screen, so it doesn't look good in a dark room whether you're watching SDR or HDR content. Fortunately, its wide viewing angle makes it suitable for use in a group setting. It also gets bright enough in SDR and has good enough reflection handling that you can use it in a room with some lights on without being distracted.

Pros
  • Wide viewing angle means it's suitable for use in a group setting.
Cons
  • Terrible contrast and no local dimming means blacks look gray when highlights are on the screen.
  • Lacks the HDR brightness needed for impactful highlights.
  • Reflection handling is only okay with lights placed directly opposite the screen.
7.8 TV Shows

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is very good for watching TV shows. The built-in Google TV interface is loaded with streaming apps, so it's very easy to find your favorite shows. It has great low-quality content smoothing and upscaling capabilities, so low-resolution content doesn't look too soft, and low-bitrate content is mostly free from artifacts. The TV has very good SDR brightness and good enough reflection handling for use in a room with some lights on, although it does struggle a bit with direct reflections like a lamp placed opposite the screen. Additionally, its wide viewing angle makes it suitable for watching shows with friends, as the image doesn't degrade much when viewed from the sides of the screen.

Pros
  • Very good image processing for low-resolution and low-quality content.
  • Wide viewing angle means it's suitable for use in a group setting.
Cons
  • Reflection handling is only okay with lights placed directly opposite the screen.
7.7 Sports

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is good for watching sports. It has very good SDR brightness and decent reflection handling, so it overcomes glare in a room with some lights on, but you'll want to avoid placing a lamp opposite the screen. The TV has a wide viewing angle, so it's a good option for watching the game with a group of friends since the image doesn't drastically degrade when viewed from the sides of the screen. It also has very good gray uniformity with minimal dirty screen effect, so you aren't overly distracted when watching sports with large areas of uniform color, like football and hockey. Unfortunately, the TV's response time is only decent, so there's some noticeable blur behind quick-moving players and objects.

Pros
  • Very good image processing for low-resolution and low-quality content.
  • Wide viewing angle means it's suitable for use in a group setting.
Cons
  • Reflection handling is only okay with lights placed directly opposite the screen.
6.8 Video Games

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is okay for playing video games. Unfortunately, it doesn't have modern gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR, so it's not a good option if you're looking to get the most out of your PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or gaming PC. The TV's response time is only decent, so there's noticeable blur behind fast motion. Fortunately, the TV has incredibly low input lag, so you'll get a responsive gaming experience. It has very good SDR brightness and good enough reflection handling that you can game in a room with the lights on. However, it does struggle with direct reflections like a floor lamp placed in front of the screen. Finally, using Game Mode doesn't negatively impact the TV's image, so you don't have to worry about trading in picture quality for performance.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.
Cons
  • Limited to 60Hz refresh rate and no modern gaming features.
  • Reflection handling is only okay with lights placed directly opposite the screen.
6.8 HDR Movies

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is just alright for watching movies in a dark room. The TV has outstanding SDR pre-calibration accuracy, so movies in SDR stay true to the filmmaker's intent. It also automatically removes judder from 24Hz sources like a Blu-ray player or the TV's built-in apps, but it doesn't remove judder from 60Hz sources like a cable box. Even though the TV has okay HDR brightness, it has terrible contrast, so blacks are gray when highlights are also on screen, which means HDR movies aren't very impactful. Fortunately, it has a wide color gamut, so colors in HDR are vibrant and lifelike.

Pros
  • Removes judder from 24Hz sources.
  • Dolby Vision support.
Cons
  • Terrible contrast and no local dimming means blacks look gray when highlights are on the screen.
  • Lacks the HDR brightness needed for impactful highlights.
7.2 HDR Gaming

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is satisfactory for playing games in HDR. It has okay HDR brightness, but unfortunately, it has terrible contrast, so highlights don't stand out much at all in HDR games. The TV doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR, so you're limited to 4k @ 60Hz with noticeable screen-tearing. Its response time is only decent, so there's noticeable blur behind quick motion, but it does have incredibly low input lag, so it delivers a responsive gaming experience.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.
  • Dolby Vision support.
Cons
  • Terrible contrast and no local dimming means blacks look gray when highlights are on the screen.
  • Limited to 60Hz refresh rate and no modern gaming features.
  • Lacks the HDR brightness needed for impactful highlights.
7.8 PC Monitor

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is very good for use as a PC monitor. It has very good gray uniformity with minimal dirty screen effect, so you aren't distracted when looking at large areas of uniform color, like when browsing the web. The TV's wide viewing angle means that you can sit close to the screen, and the edges remain consistent with the center. Its very good SDR brightness and decent reflection handling means it overcomes some glare in a room with the lights on, but it does struggle a bit with direct reflections. The TV displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, and it uses an RGB subpixel layout, so the text is clear and easy to read. You also get a responsive desktop experience thanks to its incredibly low input lag. Unfortunately, it only has a decent response time, so there's noticeable blur behind quick cursor movements and other fast motion.

Pros
  • Incredibly low input lag for a responsive experience.
  • Wide viewing angle means it's suitable for use in a group setting.
Cons
  • Reflection handling is only okay with lights placed directly opposite the screen.
  • 7.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.8 TV Shows
  • 7.7 Sports
  • 6.8 Video Games
  • 6.8 HDR Movies
  • 7.2 HDR Gaming
  • 7.8 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Oct 25, 2024:

    Changed Color Calibration from 'Yes' to 'No' in the Post Calibration section.

  2. Updated Oct 03, 2024: Updated the information on panel technology in the Pixels section of this review.
  3. Updated Sep 25, 2024: Added a link to the TV’s spectral power distribution chart and included some information on the panel technology in the Pixels section of this review.
  4. Updated Aug 09, 2024: We added information on the types of panels used for the different sizes of the TV in the Differences Between Sizes and Variants and the Pixels section of this review.
  5. Updated Aug 02, 2024: Review published.
  6. Updated Jul 31, 2024: Early access published.
  7. Updated Jul 23, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Jun 27, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Jun 13, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We bought and tested the 75-inch Sony BRAVIA 3, and the results are also valid for the 43-inch and 55-inch models. There are reports that the 50-inch, 65-inch, and 85-inch models use a VA panel, so we expect those to have better contrast and a worse viewing angle. The type of panel used may vary between regions, so this information is only valid for the North American models.

Costco has variants of the 55, 65, 75, and 85-inch sizes with slightly different model codes. These variants perform the same but come with an extended warranty, an extended trial for the Sony Pictures Core streaming service, and a backlit remote.

SizeUS ModelCostco VariantPanel Type
43"K-43S30-IPS
50"K-50S30-VA
55"K-55S30K55S30CBIPS
65"K-65S30K65S30CBVA
75"K-75S30K75S30CBIPS
85"K-85S30K85S30CBVA

Our unit was manufactured in April 2024, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is a decent TV, but it doesn't do anything that separates it from the crowd of other entry-level models. It doesn't have a local dimming feature, and its native contrast is terrible, so blacks are gray most of the time, and HDR content isn't very impactful. Its SDR brightness is good enough to overcome some glare in a room with the lights on. However, its handling of direct reflections, such as from lights placed in front of the screen, limits its usefulness in a bright room. It's also very limited with modern gaming features, so it's not a good option if you're looking for a TV to pair with your modern console or gaming PC. If you don't need modern gaming features but still want a TV that looks good overall, you're better off buying a TV like the cheaper Hisense U6/U6N, as that TV has a local dimming feature that provides significantly better contrast. If you do need modern gaming features, you can even get the fully-featured Hisense U7N for around the same cost as the BRAVIA 3.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs under $1,000, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best TVs for gaming.

Sony X90L/X90CL
55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

The Sony X90L/X90CL is much better than the Sony BRAVIA 3. The X90L has a local dimming feature to improve its contrast, so blacks are much deeper and stay deep when highlights are also on screen. It's also the brighter TV overall, meaning it overcomes more glare in a bright room and provides a more impactful HDR experience. The X90L is also much better for gaming due to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, up to 4k @ 120Hz, VRR feature, and faster response time.

Samsung Q60D [Q60, Q60DD] QLED
32" 43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q60D QLED and the Sony BRAVIA 3 are very similar TVs that are better than each other in different ways. The Samsung has better contrast and black uniformity, so it displays deeper blacks in a dark room. On the other hand, the Sony is the more accurate TV in SDR and HDR, and it has better image processing. The Sony also has a wider viewing angle, so it's the better option for watching TV in a group setting.

Sony X80K/X80CK
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is a bit better than the Sony X80K/X80CK. The BRAVIA 3 is a bit brighter overall, so it fights more glare in a room with the lights on, and highlights stand out slightly more in HDR content. The BRAVIA 3 has better PQ EOTF tracking and pre-calibration accuracy, so it's more accurate in SDR and HDR. Finally, the BRAVIA 3 has significantly better low-quality content smoothing, so it does a better job at removing artifacts in low-bitrate content.

LG C4 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C4 OLED is much better than the Sony BRAVIA 3. The LG displays significantly deeper blacks, so it looks much better in a dark room. The LG also gets brighter in HDR and has a wider color gamut, so highlights stand out a lot more, and colors are more vibrant in HDR content. The LG also has modern gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, VRR, and up to 4k @ 144Hz, so it's a better option for modern gaming consoles or PCs. Additionally, the LG's much faster response time delivers fast motion with almost no blur.

Hisense U6/U6N
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Hisense U6/U6N is mostly better than the Sony BRAVIA 3. The Hisense has a local dimming feature that drastically improves the TV's contrast, so it delivers much deeper blacks in a dark room. The Hisense also has a faster response time, so there's less blur behind quick motion in sports and video games. Although both TVs don't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth or support for 4k @ 120Hz, the Hisense supports VRR, and you can game in up to 1440p @ 120Hz, so it's the better option for gamers. However, the Sony does have better image processing; it does a slightly better job at upscaling and a significantly better job at removing artifacts from low-quality content.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The TV is very reminiscent of the Sony A80K/A80CK OLED, with a basic design that looks good overall.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures N/A
Design
Stand

The TV comes with two metal feet. They're set wide apart and can't be adjusted, so they take up a lot of space, and you'll need a large cabinet for the larger sizes. The feet lift the TV about 3.86 inches above the table, so most soundbars fit underneath without blocking the screen.

Footprint of the 75-inch model: 52.28" x 16.14".

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

The back of the TV is made entirely of plastic and has the familiar checkerboard pattern similar to many other Sony TVs. The inputs are on the far left side of the TV when facing the front, but they're in a recessed cutout, so they're a bit hard to reach if you have the TV mounted flush to the wall. Clips on the feet can be used to help with cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.47" (1.2 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.80" (7.1 cm)
7.0
Design
Build Quality

The TV has decent build quality overall. It's mostly made of plastic, so it's light and feels a bit cheap, but the two metal feet hold the TV well enough that there are no major issues with stability. The build quality is nothing special, but there's no issue with quality control, which is great.

Picture Quality
2.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
1,864 : 1
Native Contrast
1,864 : 1

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has terrible contrast. Blacks are raised and look gray when highlights are also on the screen, and the TV lacks a local dimming feature to improve its contrast.

10
Picture Quality
Blooming

The TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so there's no blooming around bright objects or subtitles during dark scenes.

10
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
N/A

This TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so it can't adjust the backlight of individual areas to brighten up highlights without impacting the rest of the image. This means that there are no distracting flickers or brightness changes as bright highlights move across the screen.

5.0
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

Switching to Game Mode doesn't result in any noticeable difference in dark scene performance.

6.9
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
345 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
360 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
198 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
468 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
469 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
469 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
469 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
469 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
467 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
468 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
468 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
468 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
468 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has just okay HDR brightness. Some highlights stand out a bit in darker scenes, but the TV's HDR brightness isn't good enough to display brighter highlights with impact.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Professional
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Expert 2

6.9
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
347 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
356 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
195 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
465 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
466 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
466 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
466 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
466 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
464 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
464 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
465 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
465 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
465 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

There's no noticeable difference in HDR brightness when the TV is set to Game Mode.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Game
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Expert 2

8.7
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0083
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0083
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0083

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has excellent PQ EOTF tracking. Blacks and near-blacks are raised, but the TV follows the curve very closely until it approaches its peak brightness. The TV has the same gradual roll-off near its peak brightness for content mastered at all three nit levels to preserve some details in highlights.

7.9
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
397 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
453 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
451 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
450 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
449 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
448 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
451 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
449 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
448 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
447 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
447 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.001

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has very good SDR brightness, and it overcomes some glare in a room with the lights on.

These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

  • HDR Picture Mode: Professional
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: 90
  • Gamma: 0
  • Color Temperature: Expert 1

8.0
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
90.26%
DCI P3 uv
94.21%
Rec 2020 xy
65.22%
Rec 2020 uv
69.36%

The TV has a very good HDR color gamut. It has outstanding coverage of the commonly used DCI-P3 color space, but all colors are undersaturated and mostly off the mark. The TV has okay coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space, but colors are inaccurate and undersaturated.

7.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
58.2%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
27.0%
White Luminance
465 cd/m²
Red Luminance
98 cd/m²
Green Luminance
324 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
39 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
365 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
136 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
422 cd/m²

The TV has satisfactory color volume, but it doesn't do a very good job of displaying dark saturated colors due to its terrible contrast. It also can't display most colors very brightly.

9.0
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
1.31
Color dE
1.67
Gamma
2.32
Color Temperature
6,500 K
Picture Mode
Professional
Color Temp Setting
Expert 1
Gamma Setting
0

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has fantastic pre-calibration SDR accuracy. The TV's white balance is outstanding, with blues, reds, and greens just a bit underrepresented in shades of gray. The color temperature is exactly at 6500K, and it does an excellent job of displaying colors with accuracy, but there are still some minor inaccuracies with most colors. Gamma is close to our target of 2.2, but all scenes are displayed darker than intended.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.36
Color dE
0.98
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,518 K
White Balance Calibration
10 point
Color Calibration
No

The TV has remarkable SDR accuracy after calibration. There are no noticeable issues with white balance, and gamma is perfectly at our target of 2.2. There are still some minor inaccuracies with some colors, but these aren't noticeable to most people.

You can see our full calibration settings here.

7.8
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.055%
50% DSE
0.179%
5% Std. Dev.
0.430%
5% DSE
0.070%

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has very good gray uniformity, although the corners are darker than the rest of the screen, and there's some dirty screen effect towards the center. On a very dark or near-black screen, its uniformity is fantastic, with only the edges being slightly lighter than the rest of the screen.

7.3
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
N/A
Native Std. Dev.
1.142%

The TV has decent black uniformity, but large areas of the screen are blueish and cloudy.

8.0
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
37°
Color Shift
65°
Brightness Loss
40°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
47°

The TV has a very good viewing angle. Colors wash out, and there's some brightness loss the further you move off-center. However, the image remains mostly consistent when viewed from the sides of the screen. This makes it a good option for a wide seating arrangement.

7.4
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
5.3%
Indirect Reflections
0.4%
Calculated Direct Reflections
4.9%

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has satisfactory reflection handling. Its semi-gloss screen finish significantly reduces the intensity of indirect reflections, like when glare from a ceiling light isn't directly facing the screen. Unfortunately, the TV's handling of direct reflections is only alright, so reflections caused by something like a lamp positioned in front of the screen are distracting.

7.5
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
6.0
50% Gray to 100% White
8.0
100% Black to 50% Red
8.0
50% Red to 100% Red
8.0
100% Black to 50% Green
8.0
50% Green to 100% Green
6.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
8.0
50% Blue to 100% Blue
8.0

The TV has good HDR gradient handling. There's noticeable banding in dark grays and bright greens, but all other colors have minimal banding.

8.0
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
8.0
Detail Preservation
8.0

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has great low-quality content smoothing. It does an impressive job of smoothing out artifacts in low-bitrate content while still preserving details.

8.0
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

The TV does an impressive job with upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs, standard definition cable channels, and lower-resolution streams. Details are well-defined and clear enough, but very fine details are a bit hard to make out.

Sharpness processing was calibrated with no over-sharpening for low-resolution content, with the following settings:

  • Sharpness: 60
  • Reality Creation: Auto

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
RGB
Type LED
Sub-Type
IPS

The TV has an RGB sub-pixel layout, so it doesn't have any issues rendering text when used as a PC monitor.

Note that there are reports that the 50-inch, 65-inch, and 85-inch models use a VA panel with a BGR subpixel layout, which can affect text clarity.

The TV uses a KSF phosphor coating to produce red light and a quantum dot color converter to produce green light, as confirmed by the TV's spectral power distribution (SPD).

Motion
7.4
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
5.7 ms
100% Response Time
15.5 ms

The Sony BRAVIA 3 has an only decent response time, so there's some noticeable blur behind fast-moving objects.

10
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The TV is flicker-free in all pictures modes and at all brightness levels, which is great.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
120 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
No
120Hz For 120 fps
No
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz

The TV has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion, to reduce persistence blur. It only flickers at 120Hz, which causes image duplications with 60 fps content.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

The TV has an optional motion interpolation feature to improve the clarity of motion, but it doesn't work very well. Even slower-moving scenes have some noticeable artifacts. The TV really struggles in faster-moving scenes, and there are distracting artifacts and haloing, and at times, the TV stops interpolating altogether.

7.8
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
26.2 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
1.2 ms

Due to the TV's slower response time, there's only some minor stutter when watching movies or TV shows, and it's only noticeable during slow panning shots.

7.8
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Sony BRAVIA 3 automatically removes judder from 24Hz sources like a Blu-ray player and the native apps. Unfortunately, it doesn't remove 24p judder from 60Hz sources like most cable TV boxes and older streaming devices that lack a Match Frame Rate feature.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
HDMI Forum VRR
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
VRR + Local Dimming No Local Dimming

This TV doesn't support VRR to reduce screen tearing.

Inputs
9.7
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
9.9 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
114.1 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
N/A
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
N/A
1440p @ 120Hz
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
9.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
9.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
9.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
113.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
122.0 ms
4k @ 120Hz
N/A
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

This TV has incredibly low input lag when set to Game Mode and Graphics Mode, which ensures a very responsive gaming experience with very little delay between your actions on a controller or mouse and the action on-screen.

6.4
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The Sony BRAVIA 3 supports almost all common resolutions up to 4k @ 60Hz, but it doesn't support 1440p. It displays chroma 4:4:4 properly with any signal as long as the TV is in Graphics Mode, which is important for reading clear text from a PC.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is a 60Hz TV, so it only supports up to 4k @ 60Hz on the PS5. It has Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), so it'll automatically switch to Game Mode when the TV detects a game console as its input device, which gives you the lowest possible input lag for games. The TV doesn't support 1440p.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

The Sony BRAVIA 3 is a 60Hz TV, so it only supports up to 4k @ 60Hz on the Xbox Series X|S. It has Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), so it'll automatically switch to Game Mode when the TV detects a game console as its input device, which gives you the lowest possible input lag for games. It also supports Dolby Vision for gaming, but it doesn't support 1440p.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
ATSC Tuner
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz)

The TV is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth on all four ports. It supports Dolby Vision, and it has an ATSC 3.0 tuner, so you can watch 4k content over-the-air.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

The TV has eARC support, which allows it to pass uncompressed high-quality audio from a connected source to your home theater system or soundbar. Unfortunately, it doesn't support any DTS formats commonly used on Blu-rays.

Sound Quality
6.8
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
95.14 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.28 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.71 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.75 dB
Max
86.3 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.35 dB

The TV has an alright frequency response. Like most TVs, there's almost no bass. Dialogue is clear at most listening levels, but the sound becomes quite unbalanced at the TV's maximum volume. Since the speakers don't get very loud, it's best suited for a quiet environment.

6.7
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.095
Weighted THD @ Max
0.720
IMD @ 80
5.26%
IMD @ Max
10.74%

The TV's distortion performance is okay. The distortion increases as you raise the TV's volume, and it's very noticeable at the TV's maximum volume. You need to listen at lower volume levels for minimal distortion.

Smart Features
8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Google TV
Version 12
Ease of Use
Average
Smoothness
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
2 s
Advanced Options
Many

The Sony BRAVIA 3 uses version 12 of the popular Google TV operating system, and the interface is smooth and easy to use.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, like almost all TVs on the market, the smart interface contains ads, and you can't disable them.

9.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Very Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The TV has a fantastic selection of apps, so finding your favorite content is easy. You can cast content from your phone using the built-in AirPlay 2 or Chromecast, and you can play videos directly from a USB stick.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
Remote App Android TV

The remote has a matte finish with blue speckles. Outside of that, it's identical to the remotes included with most of Sony's 2023 models. It has buttons for popular streaming services, and you can use the built-in microphone to switch inputs, change apps, search within apps, and ask for the weather and time.

Smart Features
TV Controls

There's a single button on the bottom of the TV that can be used to switch inputs, adjust the volume, change channels, and power the TV on/off. There's also a small button that you can use to turn on/off the TV's built-in microphone.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Manuals
  • Remote (with 2x AAA batteries)
  • Power cable
  • VESA mount extenders

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 77 W
Power Consumption (Max) 243 W
Firmware 6120300202