Sony R302E Review
Type : LED Resolution : 768p Refresh Rate : 50 Hz
The Sony R302E is a remake of the 2016 famous model R302D. It is a basic TV available in 32 Inches and 40 Inches (R352E) with 768p resolution. Unfortunately the picture quality is average, lacking many of the features found in high end TVs. The contrast ratio is low and the panel uniformity is bad. Also the 24p content like movies results in judder. At least the motion handling is good and the picture looks fine when viewed at an angle.
Design
Curved : No
The TV has a simple design which looks good in any room. The borders are made of plastic, which is quite shiny and attracts fingerprints. The back looks bulky and has a rough plastic finish which is susceptible to minor fingerprints. Unfortunately, the table stand has poor quality but holds the TV well.
Stand
The table stand is made up of poor quality plastic. It has a small footprint and holds the TV well.
Borders
Top Border : 0.7" (1.8cm)
Side Border : 0.6" (1.6cm)
Bottom Border : 0.9" (2.3cm)
The borders have average width and made of plastic having reflective finish and prone to fingerprints.
Back
The TV looks bulky from the back but it is made with a good quality plastic. The TV controls and the inputs at the back may be difficult to access if the TV is wall mounted.
Thickness
Max Thickness : 2.4" (6.2cm)
The TV has an average thickness spread near evenly from the top to bottom. Due to this, the TV looks little odd when wall mounted.
Build Quality
The build quality is mostly good except the table stand. Everything is made of good quality plastic.
Picture Quality
The R302E has an average picture quality. When viewed in a dark room, the blacks are not really deep due to the low native contrast ratio and the lack of local dimming feature. They color and panel uniformity are both average. There is judder while watching 24p content like movies. The screen is hardly visible with a strong reflection in a bright room because of the low peak brightness and semi-gloss screen. The color gamut coverage is good with the good motion handling. The picture looks good if viewed from an angle with a little loss in colors.
Contrast Ratio
Black : 0.124 cd/m2
White : 118.680 cd/m2
Contrast : 954:1
The TV has below average native contrast ratio. The R302E has an IPS panel which usually has a lower contrast ratio when compared to TVs that have the VA panel. Unfortunately, this one is even somehow on the low end when compared to other IPS TVs though.
Peak Brightness
Peak 2% Window : 257.0 cd/m2
Peak 100% Window : 255.4 cd/m2
The peak brightness performance is bad on this TV. It will be okay for a dark room but for a bright room it is not sufficient to fight glare of strong reflections from back during the day. Also the TV lacks the local dimming feature thus the brightness remains same no matter what is shown on the screen.
Viewing Angle
Panel type : IPS
The viewing angle is good for this TV. Colors loose some saturation at an angle but the overall performance is satisfactory. It can be a good choice for people with a wide seating area.
Panel Uniformity
Max Colour Dev. (50% pattern) : 1.0
Avg Luminance Dev. (5% pattern) : 12.53%
The R302E has poor color uniformity. The screen is darker at the edges and the corners. This is visible while watching sports. However there is little dirty screen effect which is a plus point.
This TV has worst luminance uniformity.
There is severe flashlighting and clouding visible on the entire screen. This usually matters while watching the TV at night but it differs for each individual unit.
Native Resolution - 768p
The TV has a WXGA resolution. Unfortunately, the picture is not very sharp and lacks detail.
Reflections - Bright Room
The R302E is average at dealing with reflections. The semi- gloss finish of the screen is not able to diffuse the reflections properly.
Local Dimming
Local Dimming : No
The TV does not have local dimming feature. As seen in the test picture, entire backlight remains ON even when a single pixel line is displayed on the edges and the middle.
Gamut Coverage
sRGB gamut coverage : 96.82%
Adobe RGB gamut coverage : 74.14%
The colors of the R302E are enough for SD content. The TV does not support wide color gamut hence the HDR content will not look good.
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE : 8.83
Color dE : 7.32
Gamma : 1.98
Before calibration, results are not good. White balance is OFF at all the levels. This is mainly because of the cool color temperature.
Post Calibration
White Balance dE : 1.74
Color dE : 4.68
Gamma : 2.23
The results became good just with a warmer color temperature. There are few controls to adjust the picture, hence only basic adjustments are made.
Motion
Motion Blur
Sony R302E has significant motion blur and moving objects are not clear.
Motion Interpolation
The motion of this TV becomes very clear after activating LED Motion Mode. Activate this mode to get best visual experience with fast moving content like sports.
Inputs
Input Lag
Game mode : 25.8 ms
Outside Game mode : 26.3 ms
The input lag is very good for this TV both within and outside the game mode. Hence, it’s a good TV for passionate players.
Side Inputs
USB : 1 Port
HDMI : 1 Ports
Rear Inputs
Headphone Out : 1 Port
RF Connection (Cable/Antenna) : 1 Port
HDMI : 1 Port
Component In : 1 Port
Total Inputs
USB : 1 Port
HDMI : 2 Ports
Headphone Out : 1 Port
RF Connection (Cable/Antenna) : 1 Port
Component In : 1 Port
Input Specifications
USB 2.0 : Yes
USB 3.0 : No
HDMI 1.4 : Yes
HDMI 2.0 : No
HDMI ARC : Yes
HDMI DVI : No
HDCP 2.2 : No
HDCP 1.4 : Yes
HDMI (CEC) : Yes
HDMI (MHL) : No
Variable Analogue Audio Out : No
Miscl.
TV Controls
Some basic controls are placed behind the right side of the TV. These may be difficult to access if the TV is wall mounted.
Power Consumption
Power Consump (Max) : 18.46 W
Power Consump (Standby) : 0.0 W
The readings are taken after calibration.
Remote
The remote is basic similar to supplied with other models. It is made of good quality plastic and seems durable.
In the Box
- Remote
- Table Stand
- Power Adaptor
- Power Cord
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
- Screws
- Batteries
Conclusion
The R302E is a low end TV from Sony in the competitive segment of 32 Inches. The overall picture quality is average but in the 32 inch segment the TV is much better compared to the competitors. The TV is highly recommended for those looking to purchase a good non smart 32 inch TV with decent picture quality.