Price: Rs 32,990
Rating: ***1/2
Specifications: 40-inch LED panel, 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, 2 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Ethernet, 2 x 10W RMS box speakers, 1,00,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, built-in WiFi, 1.3Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, Android 4.4.4, 11kg
Pros: Slim bezels, excellent display, loud audio output, intuitive Android smart interface, WiFi, quick access buttons on remote, cursor mode on remote, access to Google play store
Cons: Only 2 HDMI inputs, no 3.5mm headphone jack, remote control feels cheap & flimsy
Thanks to the entry of various Indian and Chinese brands in the Indian television markets, prices have been in free fall. Daiwa is one of these brands — they started operations a few years ago and offer TVs at aggressive prices. Their latest offering is a 40-inch Android smart TV available at a price at which you would expect a 32-inch smart TV.
This TV follows the current design trend of slim bezels around the screen. You get 2 x USB ports on the side along with composite and component ports.
The two HDMI inputs are on the back which makes them harder to reach. You might find it limiting that there are only two HDMI ports — although you can get a cheap HDMI splitter if you have more than two video sources. One of the cut corners includes the missing headphone out jack. Also, the bundled remote control feels terrible. It does have quick access button for YouTube, Netflix, Hotstar and a cursor mode, but the buttons feels cheap.
Let’s talk about where it counts! The screen has excellent brightness and contrast plus the full HD resolution keeps visuals sharp. We used it with an Xbox One and Tata Sky HD box — picture quality was great and even the upscaling of non HD channels was surprisingly good.
Audio quality is excellent — it offers clear vocals and good loudness. At 70% volume, the TV is loud enough for a medium size room. As for the software, Daiwa offers a customized skin over Android 4.4. The interface is icon-based and you can install apps via the APK method as well as via the Google Play Store. Several apps are preloaded which along with Android OS take up 4.5GB of the internal 8GB storage. While its not the fastest interface in terms of response, it is perfectly usable and did not hang or freeze.
At the time of writing, this TV is available on various e-commerce platforms for Rs 22,000 which makes it a great deal in our opinion. Just be prepared to accept a few cut corners here and there.
[“Source-ndtv”]