Kogan Smarter TV
CHEAP, BUT NOT THE MOST CHEERFUL OPTION.
KOGAN’S 58-INCH SMARTER TV was relatively-cheap when it first appeared at $949 but it’s since dropped even more to $849. The smaller, 50-inch version can be had for just $699. For this, you get a 4K screen with HDR10 support plus Android TV functionality. Android TV’s wide support of video apps has become increasingly important in recent years, but it’s still sometimes a dog to use with annoying lag.
Virtually everything is catered for on the platform and that’s a big deal when your TV, say, doesn’t support Amazon Prime and you have to buy another device to watch one of your favourite shows. Another boon is the built-in Chromecast; this will potentially be very convenient for beaming content from your phone, although with Android already built into the TV, streamers won’t actually need to use their phones as much.
Setting it up resembles the process of a phone and indeed, the device is powered by smartphone-like components and operates in a similar way. It will even offer to sync with your phone while performing this process. After that, while it takes a while to boot up the first time (and any time it loses power) it turns on instantly thereafter and puts you right back where you left off.
The remote is responsive but don’t expect much from the voice-control system, which uses a microphone that’s built into it; few people have found that it works in an acceptable way despite Mr Kogan’s claims that the age of pressing buttons on a remote are over.
It’s not the prettiest device, as you’d expect at this price point, but the ugly chunkiness is relegated to the rear while the thin bezel makes the TV look almost-attractive from the front.
As for performance, it doesn’t offer the best picture due to its older LCD technology. Colours are washed out compared to rivals and the screen does not get very bright (it has a rating of just 200 nits) which could be an issue for watching during the day in many Aussie homes. We also frequently saw banding in colour gradients, which is a bit distracting and something we’d got used to not seeing on premium TVs. Despite claims of HDR10 compliance, when the primary image is so mediocre, it’s hard to notice the high-end flourishes that the feature provides.
Nonetheless, courtesy of Android, all of the catch-up TV applications are present, along with popular streaming apps, media servers etc.
However, Kogan’s 4K Smarter TVs are really only a decent choice if your budget is severely limited and you absolutely must have 4K. Elsewhere, while Hisense offers significantly better performance with its P7 series, they aren’t the cheap go-to option that they once were and you’ll be looking to pay almost 50 per cent more for a smaller rival that doesn’t support Android. However, if you can find an extra $130 we recommend plumping for the TCL P6. It’s picture performance rivals the best LCD TVs and the range is all based upon Android TV too.
KOGAN’S 4K SMARTER TVS ARE REALLY ONLY A DECENT CHOICE IF YOUR BUDGET IS SEVERELY LIMITED AND YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE 4K.