The Indian television business is in the midst of a major transformation. When compared to the past, watching television today is an entirely different experience. Similarly, what we see on television tomorrow will be different from what we see now. The television industry has undergone a significant transformation, and today's television is more than just a television; it serves a variety of functions.
So, what has caused this rapid technical change? Growing disposable income, tailored programming, superior technology, changing consumption patterns, and increasing internet penetration are just a few of the significant themes that have altered the Indian television market. The TV industry is going through a similar period as the mobile industry, where the future will be defined by ‘Innovation as a key to success.' After that, let's take a look at a few recent launches that have proven these points.
1. The Gaming Champion – Gaming QLED 4K Android 11 TV C728
Engineered for superior gaming on bigger screen, C728 is a premium offering by TCL for all gamers out there. It features Game Master backed by HDMI 2.1 and premium tech-driven elements such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), eARC, and the company’s proprietary software algorithm, thus giving best-in-class gaming experiences to gamers. It has QLED Display Technology ensuring over 100% color volume for enhanced visual impact. And with Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, and Dolby Atmos, the C728 transforms entertainment with incredible picture and sound.
The device also offers 120Hz MEMC and offers hands-free voice control for seamless user control through simple and direct voice commands to the TV. Available in 55, 65 and 75 the TVs are priced at INR 79,990; INR 102,990 and INR 159,990 respectively.
2. Daiwa D50F58S Smart TV
The Daiwa 49-inch TV ships with a Super Smart Remote with mouse for point and click navigation. The TV comes with a ‘Movie box’ app that offers 7,000+ free movies and is also equipped with other apps like Hotstar, Zee5, Sony Liv, Jio Cinema, Sun Nxt, Voot, and more. As for the new Big Wall UI, it will also be available on all new Daiwa Smart TVs soon. The brand claims that the new user interface offers a user-friendly display that provides intuitive navigation. It comes with the machine learning that stores users’ viewing patterns to provide relevant suggestions.
Big Wall UI supports over 1,700,000+ hours of content, including trending trailers, music, movies, TV shows and more on the home screen along with dedicated powered AI and OTA updates. The Daiwa’s new 49-inch D50F58S smart TV is priced at Rs 26,990, and the brand is offering one year of warranty.
3. Sony A90J OLED
The best Sony 4k TV with an OLED panel that we've tested is the Sony A90J OLED. It's the premium 4k OLED from their 2021 lineup, sitting above the Sony A80J OLED. It delivers exceptional picture quality as it can turn off individual pixels, resulting in perfect blacks. This means that there's no blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. Since each pixel emits light in all directions, it has wide viewing angles, which is great if you have a large seating area because the image remains accurate when viewing from the side. Like most Sony TVs we've tested, it has excellent out-of-the-box color accuracy, and it doesn't have any issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
4. OnePlus 55-Inch U Series 4K LED Android TV
The OnePlus TV U Series 55U1 is the latest television from the electronics manufacturer best known for its 'flagship killer' smartphones. The new television has a 55-inch 4K LED screen, with support for HDR up to the Dolby Vision format. The television runs on Android TV 9 Pie, with additional software features such as Oxygen Play and OnePlus Connect offering an enhanced smart experience to users. OnePlus also has a proven record of improving its products through frequent software updates. In terms of other specifications, the OnePlus TV 55U1 has a rated audio output of 30W though a four-speaker setup, and also supports various audio formats up to the Dolby Atmos standard.
Although black levels are less than ideal, the OnePlus TV U Series 55U1 makes up with good colours, smooth and detailed pictures, and excellent motion. It's also pretty good across resolutions, with particularly impressive upscaling of Full-HD content. Although a bit expensive for a smart 4K LED TV, the OnePlus TV 55U1 does offer additional benefits to justify the price. However, competing options are much more affordable and nearly as good, while it's also possible to buy a decent QLED TV for just a bit more money.
5. Mi TV 4X 43-inch
The Mi TV 4X 43-inch is a TV with good build quality, relatively slim bezels, fantastic panel for its price and clear sound. Then there is the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video support directly built into the TV. The Mi TV 4X 43-inch runs Android 9.0 out-of-the-box and there's PatchWall 2.0 that accesses more content than what users would get with the last generation PatchWall.
