I tested Sonys affordable Bravia 5 TV, and it offers a lot of punch for its price tag, throwing serious shade on Sonys previous mid-range screens

Date:
Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Description:
With its vibrant, bright, sharp and contrast-rich pictures, the Sony Bravia 5 offers some seriously punchy performance given its relatively affordable
price point.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Sony Bravia 5: Two-minute review The Sony Bravia 5 is a mini-LED TV with crisp images, strong contrast and great gaming features. It occupies that level in Sonys TV range where the brand has historically struggled to maintain its
high standards. The Bravia 5, though, bucks this trend in pretty spectacular fashion.

The Sony Bravia 5 retains both mini-LED lighting and local dimming, for starters, as well as an 120Hz panel to keep gamers happy. Sony says the
Bravia 5 LCD panels are still made to the brands Master Backlight Drive standard too, and theyre equipped with a full up-to-date version of the
Google TV smart system. There are catches to this promising specification, of course. In particular, the Bravia 5 wont benefit from as many dimming zones
as the step up Bravia 7, or achieve so much brightness. In reality, though, the 65-inch Bravia 5 (AKA the K65XR55) delivers much less of a step down from Sonys mid-range models than expected based on past Sony lines. Pictures are vibrant, crisp, full of contrast and just way less compromised than previous generations of the same level of Sony TV would have been. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Add punchy, clean and detailed audio to its surprising picture talents, and the Bravia 5 is the Sony value TV weve always wanted. Sony Bravia 5 55-inch Mini LED TV (55-inch LED) at Amazon for 1,199 Sony Bravia 5 review: Price and release date The LG B6 delivers deep black tones and crisp textures (Image credit: Future) Release Date: July 2025 55-inch: $1,399.99 / 1,299 / AU$1,999 65-inch: $1,499.99 / 1,499 / AU$2,299 75-inch: $1,999.99 / 1,799 / AU$2,899 85-inch: $2,399.99 / 2,299 / AU$3,899 98-inch: $4,999.99 / 4,499 (around AU$8,570) While the Bravia 5 is affordable by Sony TV standards, $1,499.99 / 1,499 / AU$2,299 is no longer cheap for a 65-inch TV.

The Bravia 5 retains much more of Sonys mid-range and even premium TV DNA than expected based on similarly positioned models in previous Sony ranges, though. As a result, it has at least the potential to take a clear
performance edge over more affordable rivals. Sony Bravia 5 review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Screen type

Backlight Master Drive VA mini-LED with local dimming

Sizes available

55, 65, 75, 85 and 98 inches

Refresh rate

120Hz

Resolution

4K

HDR support

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Audio support

40W acoustic multi-audio speaker system featuring dual full-range (bass reflex) speakers and two frame tweeters; Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding

Smart TV

Google TV (plus all main UK terrestrial broadcaster catch up apps for UK buyers)

HDMI ports

4 (two full HDMI 2.1) Sony Bravia 5 review: Benchmark results Sony Bravia 5 review: Features (Image credit: Future) Mini-LED lighting Direct lighting
with local dimming Bravia XR processor As Ive hinted more than once already, the Sony Bravia 5 is packing much more feature heat than I would have
expected it to, based on Sony TV ranges of the past. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

This is particularly true of the screen hardware at the Bravia 5s heart. Designated one of Sonys Master Backlight Drive panels, it is illuminated by mini-LEDs driven by a local dimming system that, according to my own counting efforts, operates across an impressive 240 zones. Thats 240 areas of the
image that are capable of receiving their own light level, independent of their neighbors, according to the needs of the image.

The Bravia 5s panel is a VA type, too, which should further enhance contrast (though maybe not viewing angles). Meanwhile, even this far down Sonys range, the brand's consistently impressive XR processor is still on hand to power
all the constituent parts of the TVs pictures. On top of this, rather than dropping down to 50/60Hz, the panel also maintains a native 120Hz refresh rate.

Meanwhile, its support for high dynamic range images extends to Dolby Vision, as well as the more basic HDR10 and HLG formats. Sony is also unusual in the TV world for automatically applying an HDR upgrade to SDR sources on some of its picture presets. Theres no interest from Sony, though, in the HDR10+ format designed as an open-source alternative to Dolby Vision.

The Bravia 5s connections keep up with its step-up siblings. So you get four HDMIs (though only two support the TVs full range of gaming features like VRR and ALLM), USB media playback support, and wireless support that includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, built-in Chromecast, Apple Airplay, and Apple HomeKit. (Image credit: Future) Sonys TV business has long traded on its from camera
to TV product chain, and the potential for accuracy that this can bring. So
as usual the Bravia 5s Professional Mode setting, at least, will have been tuned alongside one of Sonys professional mastering monitors, and the set is equipped with a bunch of so-called Calibrated modes designed to replicate as closely as possible the mastering standards of the Prime Video, Netflix and Sony Pictures Core video streaming services.

Buying a Bravia 5 entitles you to 10 free films and 24 months of access to Sony Pictures Core too, by the way, complete with its unique high-bandwidth streaming speeds for enhanced picture quality.

Further third party endorsement finds the Bravia 5 earning an IMAX Enhanced badge, indicating that it has been deemed capable of doing justice to the special noise-limiting mastering processes and potential shifting aspect ratios associated with the IMAX Enhanced system. IMAX Enhanced titles are available on Sony Pictures Core and Disney+.

The Bravia 5s audio setup is pretty potent by mid-range TV standards. It offers two full range Bass Reflex-design drivers and two separated tweeters getting 10W a piece to deliver both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks the latter even includes the special tweaked version of DTS:X associated with
IMAX Enhanced content. Features score: 4.5 / 5 Sony Bravia 5 review: Picture quality Impressive brightness and light control Bold but also natural colour Genuine 4K sharpness and excellent 4K upscaling The Sony Bravia 5s image quality instantly changes the fortunes of this level of Sonys TV range, leaning much more towards the Sony TVs above it than those below.

Particularly great to see is how much contrast the Bravia 5 retains for this level of Sonys range. Black colors look deep and strikingly consistent, exhibiting minimal issues with backlight blooming around bright objects or general areas of clouding. That's despite the fact the screen is capable of hitting nearly 900 nit brightness peaks on a 10% HDR window and sustaining an OLED -beating 595 nits with a full 100% HDR window.

Combining Sonys backlight structure and XR Processor, the Bravia 5 can maintain more intensely bright highlights against dark backdrops than youd expect for its price tag, despite how limited the clouding around such highlights is. This combination of bright stand-out objects and limited clouding is very difficult to achieve with locally dimmed TVs, yet the Bravia 5 makes it look easy.

Dark scenes look stable, too, in the sense that you never feel aware of the sudden brightness jumps or obvious handovers between different dimming zones as bright objects move around a dark backdrop. (Image credit: Future) Many screens with strong contrast performances are often capable of good color reproduction too and this trend continues with the Bravia 5. In its Standard preset, it produces strikingly vibrant, rich and bold tones (actually
upgraded to HDR if youre watching an SDR source) that still feel balanced, full of subtlety and nuance, and connected to source tones for the most part. They feel more like amplifications of source content colors rather than aggressive departures from them.

Unfortunately, the Bravia 5 pushes this amplification effect way too far in the Vivid preset, which is best avoided. But the Standard setting is an excellent bright room option, as well as actually being delicate and balanced enough to hold up as a dark room movie night option if your image tastes tend towards the bright and vibrant.

Unlike most other TV brands, Sony doesn't offer a Filmmaker Mode preset for
AV fans who favor as the director intended viewing. Its Professional Mode, though, does pretty much the same thing, with an emphasis on trying to match the image as closely as possible to Sonys professional video mastering monitor.

Using Portrait Displays Calman Ultimate software, G1 signal generator and C6 HDR5000 colorimeter, the accuracy of the Bravia 5 Professional mode was easy enough to demonstate. Errors recorded in both SDR and HDR across the board came in at well under the 3.0 DeltaE 2000 average beyond which errors might become visible to the human eye. (Image credit: Future) The Bravia 5s Professional mode doesnt just measure well. It also looks subjectively
lovely, packed with the subtle texturing, immaculate color balance, and remarkable light control for a lower mid-range LCD TV. The benefits of Sony finally being able to introduce a superior core panel in a TV at the Bravia
5s level are arguably at their most obvious in the Professional preset, in fact, given that this mode uses relatively few processing tools to help boost its appearance.

Inevitably, given its far from the most premium TV in Sonys range, there are
a few limitations to the Bravia 5s picture performance. Dark scenes in the Professional mode look a little grayer than they do in Standard mode, and backlight blooming around bright objects can become more noticeable if you view the TV from an angle. Strangely, certain shades of red can look a bit over-ripe during dark scenes, and some dark shots also take on a slightly green undertone.

Finally, some of Sonys preset choices dont actually help the Bravia 5s pictures at all. Motion processing only really helps 24p movie sources if its switched to its True Cinema mode, for instance, with other settings tending
to generate unwanted digital side effects or leave the image looking unnaturally smooth. Id also recommend turning off the noise reduction features, especially with native 4K sources, to ensure the screens impressive native sharpness isnt unnecessarily softened away.

The Bravia 5s issues are mild enough or easy enough to fix, though, that they dont stop it from being an all-round excellent picture performer for its money. Picture quality score: 4.5 / 5 Sony Bravia 5 review: Sound quality (Image credit: Future) Impressive clarity and detailing Sound doesnt suffer with distortions Bass is a bit lightweight The Bravia 5s sound joins its pictures in being impressively expressive and clean, working within the speakers limitations rather than pushing things beyond their breaking point
as so many integrated TV sound systems are wont to do.

Even the brightest, shrillest treble sounds are produced without sounding
thin or brittle, while the mid-range is clean and pretty expansive, able to cope with the ebbs and flows of even quite dense action scenes without sounding forced, muddy or compressed.

It uses its four-speaker system well to create a fairly large soundstage, too
one thats well populated with accurately placed, crisp but never overstated details.

My only complaint is that the Bravia 5 feels a bit light in the bass department. Dinosaur footprints, rumbling space ships, meaty explosions and the like dont hit with quite as much heft as Id like. At the same time, though, not even Hollywoods most extreme bass moments cause the Bravia 5s speakers to succumb to distracting crackles or distortions. Sound quality score: 4 / 5 Sony Bravia 5 review: Design (Image credit: Future) Multi-point foot attachment Recycled plastic remote control Minimal frame The Bravia 5s design doesnt feel like much of a step-down at all from Sonys Bravia 7
series. Its screen frame is extremely narrow, distracting scarcely at all
from the pictures within, and it also stays fairly trim around the back for a lower mid-range LCD TV.

Its feet look a little basic when attached to such an elegantly minimalistic screen, perhaps. But Sony has thoughtfully provided the option to attach them either quite close together or out towards the TVs bottom corners, depending on the width of the furniture you want to stand the TV on.

Build quality is good, too, and despite its relatively affordable position in Sonys current TV range, it ships with two remote controls. The sleeker, more modern and more feature-rich handset is made largely made from recycled plastic, as part of Sonys wide-ranging attempts to make the TV production process greener. Design score: 4 / 5 Sony Bravia 5 review: Smart TV & menus LG's webOS 26 is easily one of the best smart TV platforms around (Image credit: Future) Google TV smart system YouView for full UK app coverage Optional Bravia Cam The Sony Bravia 5 runs the latest Google TV system very well, avoiding the sluggishness the system sometimes causes on less powerful TVs. Google TV carries pretty much all of the most popular and important
video streaming services, and Sony has helpfully worked round Google TVs
blind spot when it comes to some of the UKs most popular terrestrial broadcaster catch up services by adding the YouView app.

Google TV can still feel a little overwhelming in its presentation and doesnt feel as intelligent as some rival smart systems when it comes to recommending content based on your viewing habits. The smarter of the two remote controls Sony provides, though, makes navigation of the menus feel straightforward. On top of this, you can access a good range of features and issue quite complex search instructions just by talking to the Bravia 5 via the Google Assistant voice recognition system.

You can even add basic gesture control features to the Bravia 5 if you cough up 200 for one of Sonys Bravia Cam accessories. This add-on camera can also detect your location in the room and adjust the TVs picture and sound
settings accordingly, as well as issuing audio warnings if it detects anyone getting too close to the screen. Im not personally convinced Bravia CAM does enough to justify its price, but if the features Ive just described sound
good to you, then fill your boots! Smart TV & menus score: 4.5 / 5 Sony
Bravia 5 review: Gaming (Image credit: Future) 4K/120Hz support VRR support Perfect For PlayStation 5 support The Sony Bravia 5 is fairly, rather than brilliantly, well specified as a gaming display. For instance, while it does support 4K game feeds at 120Hz refresh rates, it only does so over two of its HDMIs, rather than all four. It also doesnt stretch the refresh rate support to 144Hz or even 165Hz, like some rival TVs currently do.

Similarly, while the Bravia 5 supports variable refresh rates, that support doesnt extend to the AMD Freesync or Nvidia G-Sync systems. There is support for auto low latency mode switching, though, so the TV can automatically switch into its fastest responding picture mode when a game source is detected. While in this mode, the Bravia 5 takes just 13.3ms to render 60Hz gaming feeds.

Theres support, too, for Sonys unique Perfect For PlayStation 5 features, comprising a PS5-specific version of automatic game mode switching, and an excellent system where a connected PS5 is able to tell which Sony TV model
its attached to, and automatically optimize its HDR output accordingly.

You can also call up a dedicated gaming menu when the Bravia 5 is in Game mode, containing information on the game feed and a few helpful gaming assistants. Finally, the actual gaming experience when using one of the two wide-bandwidth HDMIs is very enjoyable. The TVs vibrant, exceptionally sharp and contrast-rich pictures provide a perfect fit for todays usually HDR and
4K graphics, while the rapid response time and VRR support means gaming never feels sluggish or laggy. Gaming score: 4 / 5 (Image credit: Future) Sony Bravia 5 review: Value Not so long ago, spending $1,499.99 / 1,499 / AU$2,299 to get a 65-inch TV as good and feature rich as the Sony Bravia 5 would have felt like a great deal. Recently, though, TCL in particular has drastically shifted the TV value window, with its bright, vibrant and gaming-friendly 65-inch C7K currently going for just 779.

The Bravia 5 does offer more precision and balance in its pictures than the TCL C7K, but the price gap is big enough to mean you may feel like holding
out for a special offer on Sonys model, or searching beyond the most popular electronics retailers for a better deal. Value score: 3.5 / 5 Should I buy
the Sony Bravia 5? Swipe to scroll horizontally Sony Bravia 5 scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Aside from a few gaming limitations, the Bravia 5 is well featured for its money.

4.5 / 5

Picture quality

Vibrant, bright, sharp and contrast rich pictures reveal the presence of more excellent Sony backlighting and video processing systems.

4.5 / 5

Sound quality

While bass heads might wish for a bit more low frequency impact, the Bravia
5s sound is clean, punchy, detailed and unusually well staged.

4 / 5

Design

With its choice of foot position, elegantly minimalist frame, slender frame and strong build quality, the Bravia 5 looks premium enough to match its price.

4 / 5

Smart TV and menus

Google TV runs stably and reasonably slickly on the Bravia 5, making it easy to access the huge array of content options it offers. The set up menus are well organised and graphically rich, too.

4.5 / 5

Gaming

Only two HDMIs support the Bravia 5s full array of gaming features, and those features dont include absolutely everything some rivals offer. However, the exclusive to Sony TVs Auto HDR Perfect For PlayStation 5 feature is
excellent, and the screen feels responsive and immersive.

4 / 5

Value

While the Bravia 5 is well priced for a Sony TV that performs as well as this one, competition at this price level is brutal these days.

3.5 / 5 Buy it if...

You want that Sony picture feel for less The Bravia 5 holds on to more of
the panel and processing prowess of more premium Sony TVs than you'd expect
at this price.

You have a PlayStation 5 The Bravia 5s Perfect For PlayStation 5 features allow a PS5 console to automatically feed it optimized HDR games a genuinely helpful feature given that HDR gaming is still in something of a wild west stage at the moment.

You want to put your TV on a narrow piece of furniture While the widest foot placement looks more elegant, Sony provides the option to place the Bravia 5s feet close together as well. Don't buy it if...

You are on a tight budget Some rivals, most notably TCL, sell bright,
vibrant 65-inch TVs with good gaming features for substantially less than the Bravia 5 costs.

You have more than two premium gaming sources Only two of the Bravia 5s HDMI ports support the full range of cutting-edge gaming features that todays gamers are looking for (4K/120Hz and VRR).

You want a Filmmaker Mode and/or HDR10+ support If you happen to be a real fan of Filmmaker Mode presets and the HDR10+ rival to Dolby Vision HDR, you should know that the Bravia 5 doesnt support either of these features. Sony Bravia 5 review: also consider Swipe to scroll horizontally Header Cell - Column 0

Sony Bravia 5

TCL C7K

LG C5

Samsung QN90F

Price (65-inch)

$1,499.99 / 1,499 / AU$2,299

$899.99 / 779 / AU$2,295

$1,399.99 / 1,599 / AU$2,699.99

$1,599.99 / 1,399 / AU$2,899

Screen type

Backlight Master Drive VA mini-LED with local dimming

Mini-LED with local dimming

WRGB OLED

Mini-LED with local dimming

Refresh rate

120Hz 4K

144Hz (up to 288Hz at lower resolution)

144Hz

120Hz (up to 165Hz with Motion Xcelerator technology)

HDR support

HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG

HDR10, HDR10+, HLG

Smart TV

Google TV (plus all main UK terrestrial broadcaster catch up apps for UK buyers)

Google TV with YouView

WebOS 25

Tizen OS

HDMI ports

4 (two full HDMI 2.1)

4 (two HDMI 2.1)

4 x HDMI 2.1

4 x HDMI 2.1

TCL C7K With its extreme brightness, surprisingly good backlight control and uncompromising gaming features, the C7K has single-handedly rewritten the TV value rulebook. While Sonys set delivers a more controlled image, the C7Ks bang for your buck is crazy. And it supports all four key HDR formats too. Read our full TCL C7K review .

LG C5 With LGs 2026 OLED TV range just arriving, at the time of writing you can buy 2025s C5 at a knock down price. Every pixel in OLED TVs delivers its own color and light without compromising its neighbors, delivering stunning contrast. The C5 also delivers excellent gaming support, and some of the most accurate pictures around. Read our full LG C5 OLED TV review.

Samsung QN90F Samsungs flagship 4K mini-LED TV for 2025 is also still around as we wait for the brands 2026 models, and it looks like strong value at its current $1,599.99 / 1,399 / AU$2,899 price. Its impressive pictures are
joined by four full HDMI 2.1 ports, and an Object Tracking Sound (OTS) system that does a strikingly good job of placing sound effects in the right place
on screen. Read our full Samsung QN90F TV review. How I tested the Sony
Bravia 5 Tested over three weeks Tested with 4K Blu-rays, multiple streaming platforms and resolutions, Freeview HD broadcasts, and HD Blu-rays Reviewed
in both dark and light dedicated test room conditions, on its feet in both corner and mid wall positions I tested the Sony Bravia 5 over a three-week period in a variety of room conditions including using it as a regular
living room TV for more than a week.

I checked out streamed content at a variety of resolutions from all of the main video streaming platforms, including Sonys exclusive Sony Pictures Core high-bandwidth services. I also watched tuner channels and fed it a selection of our regularly used test Blu-rays and 4K Blu-ray discs. Gaming was explored using a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X and a gaming PC.

Objective testing was performed using Portrait Displays Calman Ultimate analysis software, G1 signal generator, and C6 HDR5000 light meter. First reviewed: September 2026 Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee Sony Bravia 5
Mini LED TV: Price Comparison 1,199 View voucher gift Low Stock 1,599 1,299 View voucher gift Low Stock 1,599 1,299 View deal 1,399 1,299 View 1,499 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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