Heena Sharma Blog

  From entry-level budget ones to premium, smart televisions now come at all price points. Irrespective of price-point, however, every smart television aims to offer better contrast, light control and vibrant colours. These parameters are important because they can truly elevate your home entertainment experience, be it while watching video, listening to music, and playing games. Business Standard lists five best smart televisions across market segments that deliver top-notch experience for their prices. Take a look: Sony A8H OLED The Sony Bravia A8H is among the best 4K smart TV that your money can buy. From exceptional picture quality to immersive sound experience, there is no parameter where the Sony Bravia A8H seems lacking. It boasts a plush design, OLED screen with support for most high dynamic range formats, actuators-based sound system, Android operating system with Play Store for TV for apps, and support for Amazon Alexa, Apple AirPlay and Apple HomeKit, besides Google As

  TCL might be a new name in India, but this Chinese electronics maker is well recognised globally for its feature-rich and competitively-priced smart televisions. Expanding its product portfolio in India, the company recently launched its Android 11 TV platform based smart QLED TVs. Leading the pack are the TCL C725 QLED TV models with screen size of up to 65-inch, quantum LED display tech supported by high dynamic range formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR, HLG), Onkyo sound system powered by Dolby Atmos, and wide input and connectivity options. Besides, it is one of the few smart televisions in the market that come with USB-powered plug-and-play webcam (mics integrated) for video calls and meeting over Google Duo. On paper, the TCL C725 QLED TV seems to be a wholesome package. But is it worth spending Rs 72,990 over for a 55-inch model (review unit)? Let’s find out: Design The TCL C725 QLED TV boasts a bezel-less front profile for a distraction-free viewing experience. Its 55-inc

  LG Electronics on Tuesday said it will expand its streaming service on smart TVs as the tech giant tries to increase its presence amid the pandemic-driven stay-at-home trend. The South Korean company said LG Channels will be launched in an additional 11 European countries, including Switzerland and the Netherlands, within this year. LG Channels, LG's free content streaming service set up in 2015, is currently available in 14 countries providing some 1,600 channels, but that will be expanded to 25 countries with 1,900 channels, it added. In South Korea, users can watch 144 channels for free. To show more content from the Korean Wave, referring to the global popularity of Korean culture, the company said YG TV, which offers exclusive content from YG Entertainment, and New K. Movies, a channel dedicated to Korean movies, have recently become available on LG Channels in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, in addition to four other European countries. Read More

  OnePlus is set to launch today, June 10, the OnePlus Nord CE (Core Edition) smartphone and the OnePlus U1S LED TV at its ‘Summer Launch event’. The CE model is touted to bring the core features, along with some other upgrades, of the original OnePlus Nord (review) at a price point accessible to even more consumers. The OnePlus U1S LED TV, on the other hand, is expected to boast solid audio quality, courtesy Dynaudio-tuned speakers system. Both the OnePlus Nord and OnePlus TV U1S will be available on Amazon India. OnePlus Summer Launch event: How to watch livestream The OnePlus Nord CE and OnePlus TV U1S will launch at the OnePlus Summer Launch event, a virtual event that will livestream on OnePlus website and social media handles at 7pm in India. Besides, the event will livestream on OnePlus official channel on Google’s YouTube. Alternatively, you can watch the event livestream through the video embedded below. Read More

  The Realme X7 Max 5G and Realme Smart TV 4K go on sale on Friday at 12 pm on Realme online store, Flipkart and other mainline channels. Launched on May 31 in India, the Realme X7 Max is the first smartphone in the country powered by MediaTek Dimensity 1200 system-on-chip. It is a flagship grade smartphone with super AMOLED screen of 120Hz refresh rate, stereo speakers with Hi-Res audio and Dolby Atmos support, 64-megapixel based triple camera array on the back, and 50W fast-charging capability. The Realme Smart TV 4K, on the other hand, boasts UHD screen with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 content, DTS surround sound and Dolby Audio, and hands-free voice assistant through built-in far-field microphones. The Realme X7 Max will be available in mercury silver, asteroid black and milky way colours. It will be available in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configuration, priced at Rs 26,999 and Rs 29,999, respectively. The Realme Smart TV 4K comes in 43-inch and 50-inch screen sizes pric

  Sony on Thursday launched a new 32-inch BRAVIA 32W830 Android TV for India market at Rs 30,990. The new model will be available across all Sony Centers, major electronic stores and online channels from April 15. This is the first 32-inch TV in India that comes enabled with Google Assistant, the company said in a statement. The TV also comes with more than 5,000 apps and built-in Chromecast. It delivers exceptional Full HD clarity by upscaling every pixel for a better and more vivid TV viewing experience. The TV reproduces more natural and attractive clarity, bringing you the excitement of watching shows, movies and gaming in vividly detailed HDR, the company said. The Live Colour feature offers lifelike picture experience with natural colours with no smudging or dulling of the image. The feature expands colours to let you experience your favorite content with more vividness and liveliness. Read More

  Although global TV sales are expected to decline slightly this year, shipments of premium TVs will grow which will be led by Samsung , a report said on Tuesday. The sales of QLED TVs, anchored by the world's largest TV maker Samsung, is likely to surpass 12 million units this year, up 26 per cent from a year ago. Samsung last year sold 7.79 million QLED TVs, accounting for more than 81 per cent of global QLED TV sales. Global TV shipments are projected to reach 223.09 million units in 2021, according to market researcher Omdia, which is down 1 per cent from last year's 225.35 million units. The latest figure is also down from Omdia's previous estimate of 224.22 million units late last year. The robust TV sales propelled by the pandemic-induced stay-at-home economy will continue through the first half of 2021. However, it expected TV sales in the second half of the year to decline from a year earlier, reports Yonhap news agency. Read More

  Samsung Electronics was relegated to the runner-up spot in the market for connected TV devices, which includes smart TVs, streamers and gaming consoles, in the fourth quarter of 2020, a report said on Wednesday. Despite increase in sales, Samsung gave up its top spot to Amazon which sold 13.2 million units of connected TV devices in the last three months of 2020, up 45 per cent from a quarter earlier, for a 12.1 per cent market share. Samsung, the world's largest TV maker, shipped 11.9 million units of connected TV devices in the October-December period, up 2 per cent from a quarter earlier, to account for a 10.9 per cent market share, according to industry researcher Strategy Analytics. "Amazon has had great success with its Fire TV Stick 4K, which became the world's best-selling digital media streamer device in 2020," Strategy Analytics said. Sony came in third with a market share of 8.2 per cent after its shipments soared 116 per cent quarter-on-quarter

  LG Electronics on Tuesday said Google's cloud gaming service will be available on its smart TVs as the South Korean tech powerhouse eyes to expand its TV sales with better service offerings. LG said it will be the first TV manufacturer to support Google's Stadia via its smart TV platform webOS. The company expects the new service to be launched on its smart TVs in the second half of 2021. "Supporting Stadia on LG TVs is our commitment to customers that gaming is an increasingly important feature expected by LG TV owners," said Lee Sang-woo, a senior vice president at LG's Home Entertainment business division. "Stadia is changing how people access their favorite games and by providing webOS compatibility, we're making an early commitment to the platform." Stadia already offers more than 130 games, with more to be added regularly, according to LG. Users can download the Stadia app from the LG Content Store on its smart TVs, reports Yonhap ne

  I thought it would not be easy to like any other smart television after my experience with Sony’s flagship A8H OLED TV (review). Now it seems I might have been wrong. Xiaomi’s debutant 55-inch QLED TV is quite a competent smart television. Though not as technology-rich as Sony’s OLED, it delivers a comprehensive experience that few premium smart TVs can match. Important to note that the Xiaomi Mi QLED TV 4K is priced at Rs 54,999 which makes it an entry-level smart TV in the QLED segment. The Mi QLED TV 4K does carry an accessible price tag, but make no mistake: It barely cuts corners on any major features, technology or otherwise. Starting with the design, the Mi QLED TV 4K boasts a metallic frame with a 55-inch screen covering almost the entire front. The edge-to-edge stretched screen leaves negligible borders and the otherwise prominent bottom bezel is also reasonably thin. The TV’s metallic frame has a glossy finish with diamond-cut edges for a smooth profile, and laser cut en

  Sony has a history of making technology-rich televisions, and the legacy continues with the Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android smart television. Though not the company’s top-end offering, the Bravia A8H is a premium model in the Japanese electronics maker’s OLED smart TV portfolio in India. Except the 8K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate available on the LED-based Bravia Z8H series, the Bravia A8H does not lack any of the Sony’s premium technology and features. On paper, the Sony Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android TV seems to be a tech-rich smart TV worth your money. But is it? Let’s find out: Design The Bravia A8H OLED 4K Android TV is based on Sony’s ‘One Slate’ design concept. It seems carved from a single piece of metal, with vivid 65-inch OLED screen dominating the entire front profile and a plush design on the back. The TV has a thin waistline, but there is a small block-shaped protrusion on the rear side where most of its machinery is placed. Nonetheless, the protrusion is not an obstru

  Chinese electronics maker Realme recently expanded its smart TV portfolio in India with the launch of the Realme Smart TV SLED 4K, a 55-inch model with a new breed of display technology (SLED) for improved viewing experience. Said to be better than conventional LED TVs, the Realme Smart TV SLED 4K promises enhanced contrast ratio, deep blacks, and a wide colour gamut. But is SLED a real breakthrough in display technology or just another marketing gimmick? Let’s find out: Design The Realme Smart TV SLED 4K is a well-built television for its size – it neither has thick bezels around the screen nor does it protrude too much on the back. Its slim profile makes it convenient to mount on the wall. However, it is best for a table-top set-up as ports on the back are difficult to access in a wall-mount set-up. The TV comes with a premium-looking metal-made side legs for a table-top set-up. Unfortunately, the legs fit on extreme ends and require a wide table for setting up. A centre sta

  Flipkart has announced a range of Nokia-branded smart televisions, powered by Android 9.0 Pie TV platform, ahead of its Big Billion Days sale, which commences from October 16. Named Nokia Smart TV, the range will be available in three screen resolution variants – HD, FullHD and UltraHD. “This festive season, Smart TVs are dominating the market like never before. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of smarter and more digitally-savvy lifestyle, prompting consumers to adopt Smart TVs in an affordable manner - equally from metros and non-metro cities of India. As consumers plan their festive season shopping, we want to ensure that they have a wide range of choices across specifications, variants, and design. Towards this endeavor, we are excited to strengthen our collaboration with Nokia to bring a wider suite of Nokia Smart TVs to India to address the much-needed market gap of value-for-money Smart TV range,” Dev Iyer, Vice President – Private Brands at Flipkart said in a st

  Expanding its AIoT products portfolio in India, Chinese electronics brand Realme on Wednesday launched the 55-inch SLED 4K smart TV, 100W soundbar with subwoofer, Buds Air Pro TWS earbuds, Buds Wireless Pro neckband style earphones, Smart Cam 360 security camera, Smart Plug, N1 Sonic Electric Toothbrush and selfie tripod, and 20000 mAh Power Bank 2. Alongside, the company launched the Realme 7i smartphone and unveiled the Realme 7 Pro Sun Kissed edition. The Realme smart TV (55-inch) features a 4K SLED display, 24W quad stereo speakers with Dolby audio and bezel-less design. It is priced at Rs 42999; pre-booking starts from October 16 at Realme online portal and Flipkart. It will be available at an introductory price of Rs 39,999 during the festive first sale offer. The Realme 100W Soundbar boasts four speakers of 60W peak output, and a dedicated 40W Subwoofer. Priced at Rs 6,999, the soundbar will go on sale on October 16 at Realme Online portal, Flipkart and Amazon. Read More

  Xiaomi on Monday introduced the Mi Horizon Edition TV series in India. Part of Mi TV 4A product portfolio, the Mi TV Horizon Edition TVs come in 32-inch and 43-inch screen variants with prices starting at Rs 13,499. The 32-inch model will be available on September 11 while the 43-inch model will be available on September 15. Both these TVs will be available across Mi Stores, Mi Studio and select offline stores. "With people consuming more content lately, Mi TV Horizon Edition series aims to bring in a cinema-like experience at home. With the new bezel-less design, we are confident that these TVs will enhance and enrich users' binge-watching experience," Eshwar Nilakantan, Category head for TV at Mi India said in a statement. The new range is powered by 'PatchWall' platform, designed specifically for the Indian consumers. Read More               

  Sony has launched its Bravia X9000H series 4K LED TVs in India. The series include 65-inch and 55-inch screen models priced at Rs 1,59,990 and Rs 1,09,990, respectively. Both the TVs will be available across online portals and Sony retail stores. The TVs boast full-array LED backlighting, HDR, Android TV platform, Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support. Interestingly, the TVs are designed for upcoming PlayStation 5 and are touted to run games at up to 4K resolution with 120 frames per second (fps). The premium 65-inch model also supports Acoustic Multi-Audio feature for improved acoustics. In terms of design, the Sony Bravia X9000H series TVs get premium treatment with aluminium frame and metal stand. Though based on LCD panel, the TVs use full-array LED backlighting to light up the pixels, instead of conventional corner-lit panels. Therefore, one can expect improved contrast and brightness compared to other LED screen based smart TVs. Both the TVs feature 4K UHD resolution screen o

OnePlus has launched affordable Y-series and premium U-series smart TVs in India, priced at Rs 12,999 onwards. The OnePlus TV 2020 series includes a 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch screen models. The Y-series include the 32-inch (32Y1) and 43-inch (43Y1) models, whereas the 55-inch (55U1) model is part of the U-series. OnePlus TV 2020 price in India The OnePlus TV 55U1, OnePlus TV 43Y1 and OnePlus TV 32Y1 are priced at Rs 49,999, Rs 22,999, and Rs 12,999, respectively. The OnePlus TV 32Y1 will be available on Amazon India from July 5. The OnePlus TV 43Y1 and 55U1 shall go on sale at later dates, which have not been disclosed yet by the company. OnePlus TV Y-series and OnePlus U-series launch offers Up to 12 months no interest equated monthly instalment (no-cost EMI) valid on all major banks’ cards Free Amazon Echo Dot with the OnePlus TV 55U1 and OnePlus TV 43Y1 on Amazon India Amazon Echo Dot at Rs 1,999 with the OnePlus TV 32Y1 on Amazon India. Read More

OnePlus is set to unveil its affordable range of smart televisions in India today. The unveiling shall be done in an online-only event, which will livestream on company’s social media channels and official portal. The OnePlus TV 2020 series would include three models of varied screen sizes. Price of the OnePlus TVs are expected to start from as low as Rs 15,000. OnePlus TV 2020 event livestream The OnePlus TV 2020 series event will livestream on company’s Twitter profile and YouTube channel from 7 pm. OnePlus TV 2020 expected specifications The OnePlus TV 2020 series is expected to cover the entry-level and midrange segments with televisions of at least three different screen sizes – 32-inch, 43-inch and 55-inch. There are chances that all three models would have different set of specifications and features. However, at least one of the smart TVs would have company's burdenless design with bezel-less profile and thin frame. Read More

Wednesday launched its Oath Pro-series smart televisions in India. The Oath Pro-series comes in 43-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch screen sizes priced at Rs 24,999 onwards. The Thomson Oath Pro-series televisions are based on Google’s Android TV platform, featuring HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio. The televisions in the series boast screen panels of up to 4K ultraHD resolution. The televisions will go on sale through Flipkart from July 5. Thomson Oath Pro-series specifications Powered by Android 9 Pie TV platform, the Thomson Oath Pro series ships with stock Android launcher and features Google Play store for apps. The televisions support some of the commonly used over-the-top (OTT) platforms for content, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Hotstar+Disney. The TVs’ remote feature hotkeys to some of these app. The TVs support Google Chromecast for content sharing and Google Assistant for voice commands. Read More

OnePlus is set to launch its affordable smart TVs in India on July 2. Before the launch, however, the company has started taking pre-orders on its partner e-commerce platform Amazon. Amazon is taking pre-orders for OnePlus smart TVs (2020) by offering a two-year extended warranty from Acko general insurance worth Rs 3,000 at a discounted price of Rs 1,000, which would also be reversed to consumers Amazon Pay account later, essentially making the two-year insurance free to all those who pre-order and purchase the TV. "An email confirmation will be shared on purchase. Purchase any of the new OnePlus TVs (2020 models) on Amazon before August 5," the company said in a statement. Read More