Sony Bravia 5 review: An excellent mid-range TV for movie fans

Speaking of 4K Blu-ray, this TV showed off its excellent processing when in movie mode watching a recently acquired copy of Alfred Hitchcock’s film vertigo. Great use of light and shadow was presented without harsh bloom, and colors looked deep and well saturated. The scene where the two leaders face off over the Golden Gate Bridge in particular looks like a painting on this screen, praise that belongs to the XR chip and Sony’s excellent use of multi-zone mini LED backlighting.

Photo: Parker Hall

Streaming apps still offer great quality, and they also performed well in dark scenes from the Apple TV For manyAnd in sports mode when broadcasting F1. Colors were vivid, and the TV’s 120Hz refresh rate was on full display, but not quite as intense as when I plugged in Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro. Big tourism It looks smooth and realistic in game mode, where the variable refresh rate helps everything stay smooth, even when doing hard-to-handle things like wet races in shiny cars.

This monitor is available in a variety of sizes, from 55 inches all the way up to a massive 98 inches (enjoy hanging it on the wall), and I imagine the higher sizes are where more people will likely be shopping for this model rather than the much pricier option of the Bravias 7, 8 or 9.

Among the competitors TCL QM6K, Hisense U8QGand Samsung QN80F. The TCL is cheaper, looks brighter, and has an equally usable interface. Sony has better and more natural handling. The Hisense has a slightly harsher look but is great in brighter rooms, making it a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want or need the Sony Pictures Core and watches more broadly. Samsung has amazing little quantum dot panels, but the interface is annoying and doesn’t support Dolby Vision.

Sony is clearly the premium choice in this category for processing, but since it costs a fair amount more than competitors and the screen isn’t as bright, it’s worth asking yourself: How often do I plan to watch high-end content on this TV?

If you’re growing your digital media, Plex server, or 4K Blu-ray collection, the Sony may be the better choice. If not, more affordable brands with equally great streaming apps (and nearly identical displays) may work great, especially in brighter rooms.