When Xiaomi entered the smartphone category a few years back in India, there was sort of a shakedown in the industry. Competition had to up their game and tweak their product strategies. So when the Chinese tech giant recently launched its first TV in India, we can expect competition to act swiftly and respond with newer, affordable products. One brand that has launched new TVs is VU Technologies. The new televisions run Android Nougat and come with ActiVoice technology. The televisions from VU are available in three screen sizes -- 43-inch, 49-inch and 55-inch -- and their price starts at Rs 36,999. We got a chance to spend some time with the 55-inch model television, and here is what we think of it:
Design
If there’s one thing that stands out in the VU television then it’s the design. There are thin borders on three sides of the television whereas on the bottom you see the built-in soundbar with VU branding bang in the middle. It’s the soundbar which makes the real difference to the design element. Like most other TV sets in the market, this one comes with a stand as well as the option to mount it non the wall. For connectivity, the VU TV comes with the usual options: three HDMI ports, one of which has support for ARC (Audio Return Channel) and MHL (for Android phone connectivity). Besides these, there is also a USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 port, a port for Digital Audio output, an Ethernet port, composite input, a headphone jack and an RF antenna socket.
VU’s 55SU134 4K UHD Android TV also supports wireless connectivity like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The most peculiar aspect of the TV is that it comes with two remote controls. While one of them is a standard one, the other can be connected via Bluetooth and has lesser number of buttons. The Bluetooth remote comes with a Voice Control button using which you can speak out instructions and the Google Assistant on the TV follows. Although we appreciate this functionality, we believe that the button could have been integrated in the standard remote. Using two remote controls can be confusing as well as cumbersome.
Display
Now let’s talk about the display of the device. The television has an Ultra HD IPS display with 3840 x 2160 pixels resolution. It is notable that it does not come with HDR, but it does support 4K. The 55-inch TV comes with a refresh rate of 60Hz and comes with Motion Control, Wide Colour Gamut and Dynamic Contrast.The images projected on the display were sharp and the colours were bright and vibrant. The colour reproduction was accurate but did not remain consistent when we viewed the television from different angles. We would say that the viewing experience was good, but viewing angles definitely could have been better.
Audio Performance
The
television comes with two 10-Watt speakers, which are placed in the
soundbar we mentioned earlier. The television can play music on a really
high volume without compromising the clarity of sound.
Sound output was mostly good and we did not encounter any distortion.
However, it can be better for sure. Attaching an external soundbar or
speakers can definitely enhance the sound quality of the television.
Video Performance
As far as the video performance of Vu's television goes, we were left with a bag of mixed feelings. The TV has a number of apps like Google Play Store, Hotstar, Sony Liv, Alt Balaji, Netflix, YouTube, and Facebook Video. We mostly watched videos on YouTube to test the television and there were a few key observations that we made. As expected, the performance of the television varied with different content that we played on it. For instance, when we played 4K or UHD content on the television, we observed some very noticeable pixilation.
But when we played HD content, the
image quality and the viewing experience immediately became better. In
fact, we even noticed an improvement in sound. There were some videos we
watched where we felt that the images could have been sharper, but
other videos looked just fine. What the television really lacks in terms
of performance is consistency. While some content turned out to be
good, some of it was just not up to the mark. But what really bothered
us was the fact that there was a slight pixilation towards the edges of
the screen most of the time. The viewing experience would have been much
better without it.
Verdict
There are reasons to buy the TV and there are also some reasons to go for an alternative. The bright display, good design, accurate colour reproduction and a number of connectivity options are the upsides. If you wouldn't be confused with using two remotes, then the voice controls offered by the Bluetooth remote are also a plus. However, the lack of HDR, and the fact that video performance fluctuates when one plays 4K content on the TV may make you want to look for another option. At a price of Rs 55,999, we expected a better performance from it, but it is not a bad buy.
Video Performance
As far as the video performance of Vu's television goes, we were left with a bag of mixed feelings. The TV has a number of apps like Google Play Store, Hotstar, Sony Liv, Alt Balaji, Netflix, YouTube, and Facebook Video. We mostly watched videos on YouTube to test the television and there were a few key observations that we made. As expected, the performance of the television varied with different content that we played on it. For instance, when we played 4K or UHD content on the television, we observed some very noticeable pixilation.
But when we played HD content, the
image quality and the viewing experience immediately became better. In
fact, we even noticed an improvement in sound. There were some videos we
watched where we felt that the images could have been sharper, but
other videos looked just fine. What the television really lacks in terms
of performance is consistency. While some content turned out to be
good, some of it was just not up to the mark. But what really bothered
us was the fact that there was a slight pixilation towards the edges of
the screen most of the time. The viewing experience would have been much
better without it.Verdict
There are reasons to buy the TV and there are also some reasons to go for an alternative. The bright display, good design, accurate colour reproduction and a number of connectivity options are the upsides. If you wouldn't be confused with using two remotes, then the voice controls offered by the Bluetooth remote are also a plus. However, the lack of HDR, and the fact that video performance fluctuates when one plays 4K content on the TV may make you want to look for another option. At a price of Rs 55,999, we expected a better performance from it, but it is not a bad buy.
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