Execs
- Ridiculously good worth for cash
- Good image high quality general
- Robust 4K-friendly connectivity for the cash
Cons
- Common audio
- Somewhat fundamental good system
- Restricted viewing angle assist
Key Specs
- 50-inch LCD TV with direct LED lighting
- Native 4K UHD decision
- Price range value
- Multimedia playback by way of USB or DLNA
- Good TV platform together with Amazon and Netflix 4K providers
What’s the Hisense LTDN50K321UWT?
Regardless of its impossible-to-remember mannequin title, the LTDN50K321UWT from Chinese language model Hisense is definitely a TV we’re not going to overlook in a rush.
Its mixture of a 50-inch native 4K UHD display with a value of solely £499 is eye-catching in itself. However whenever you issue the LTDN50K321UWT’s real efficiency high quality as properly, I believe it might mark the start of a lot of sleepless nights for the extra established TV manufacturers.
Hisense LTDN50K321UWT – Design and Options
When being dealt with, construct high quality does really feel a bit plasticky. General, nevertheless, the LTDN50K321UWT’s design does valuable little to provide away how ridiculously low cost it’s. The slim, gray body is bang on development, and is definitely much more slender that the surrounds on many big-name rival TVs.
A shiny end on the underside edge lends a contact of sophistication, and whereas there’s nothing significantly trendy in regards to the desktop toes, they’re definitely not ugly – and better of all, they’re super-easy to connect.
Placement of the legs at every finish of the TV does imply that customers would require a fairly vast piece of furnishings on which to relaxation the set. Whereas this would possibly current a problem with a 65-inch TV, most furnishings ought to deal with this 50-inch mannequin.
The LTDN50K321UWT’s connections additionally betray little, if any, signal of the TV’s affordability.
The inclusion of 4 HDMIs is beneficiant at this value, particularly since they assist the UHD HDCP 2.2 anti-piracy protocol. Solely two will play 4K UHD at 50/60 frames a second; predictably, none are enabled for top dynamic vary playback.
However in actual fact, discovering any 4K/50p assist on the LTDN50K321UWT is one thing of a aid. It could have been all too simple for Hisense to have opted for extra dated HDMIs with the intention to maintain down prices.
For multimedia playback there are three USBs and assist for DLNA multimedia streaming over your community. This community assist consists of built-in Wi-Fi – definitely one thing I wouldn’t anticipate as a given on a TV as low cost as this one.
The Wi-Fi proves unusually receptive, too. The connection gauge displayed a full 4 bars with my router – even from areas the place many rival TVs present solely two bars or fail to attach in any respect.
The community connectivity can be utilized to discover Hisense’s stash of on-line content material and apps. I’m happy to say that these apps embrace the 4K-capable model of Netflix, for many who have a broadband connection quick sufficient – not less than 15Mbps – to obtain the UHD streams.
Hisense’s app assortment additionally consists of the BBC iPlayer – exhibiting that the corporate clearly has a staff in place to work on UK localisation – and there’s a graphical “placeholder” for Amazon. The Amazon app is predicted to launch earlier than Christmas, and once more it’ll assist the service’s 4K streams.
In today of LG’s webOS and Panasonic’s Firefox OS good TV interfaces, Hisense’s good OS seems to be a bit fundamental. As well as, it takes over your entire display real-estate, so you may’t maintain watching TV whilst you use it. Its “suggestions” really feel considerably random, and you’ll’t customise which apps seem on the homepage.
Observe that though there are many overseas language apps on present, there’s no signal of the ITV Participant, All 4 or Demand 5 – so there’s nonetheless room for enchancment right here.
However once more, it’s an concept to recollect the £499 value; arguably, discovering any good TV options in any respect is a bonus on a 4K UHD TV this low cost, by no means thoughts the 4K variations of Amazon and Netflix.
The LTDN50K321UWT doesn’t boast a very whizz-bang processing mind, so navigating the good menus and options generally is a contact gradual. Scrolling up and down the EPG listings might be significantly irritating. Nevertheless, the system appears secure, and the sluggishness shouldn’t be extreme sufficient to place off most individuals from exploring what the LTDN50K321UWT has to supply.
Not surprisingly, the LTDN50K321UWT doesn’t ship with the kind of good distant management discovered accompanying a few of this yr’s costlier TVs. Nevertheless, Hisense’s extra commonplace mannequin does have a Netflix button, which is a pleasant contact.
One function the LTDN50K321UWT doesn’t assist is 3D playback. However I can’t see this being of a lot concern when folks contemplate how a lot they’re getting for his or her cash.
Hisense LTDN50K321UWT – Setup
On the entire, the LTDN50K321UWT is fairly simple to put in. It additionally features a first rate array of image calibration controls for such an inexpensive set, together with the power to fine-tune white steadiness.
The set’s Normal or Pure presets are each first rate sufficient – they don’t require a lot tweaking for regular daytime viewing. For these lights-down film periods, nevertheless, you’ll have to put in a bit of labor.
I’d suggest turning off all noise-reduction and motion-processing programs, since these have a tendency to depart movie grain trying unnatural. Additionally, set the dynamic distinction mode to its highest stage and switch down the backlight to round its 27-30 stage. This may scale back the looks of greyness and minimise the faint traces of clouding that seem with the backlight on its default settings.
How we take a look at televisions
We take a look at each TV we assessment totally over an prolonged time frame. We use business commonplace checks to check options correctly. We’ll all the time let you know what we discover. We by no means, ever, settle for cash to assessment a product.
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Used as the primary TV for the assessment interval
Examined for greater than per week
Examined utilizing business calibrated instruments, discs and with actual world use
Examined with broadcast content material (HD/SD), video streams and demo discs
