The beautifully designed Lloyd ULED TV has its pros and cons, says Veer Arjun Singh.
Lloyd, now a Havells-owned company, continues to bring in consumer durables that compete with the finest from tech giants such as Samsung and LG.
Now it hopes to replicate the success of its air conditioners in its new range of ULED TVs.
Design (4.5/5)
I reviewed the 65-inch ULED 4K TV (model: GL65U2G0IU) that was fixed on a wall in front of my bed a few weeks ago.
It has a thin metal frame, which makes the TV light and yet sturdy, and the thin bezels in metal finish ensure the screen gets maximum space.
Many smart TVs tend to have the fittings panel at the back, which is inaccessible when the set is hung on a wall.
The Lloyd TV has one on the right side and plugging in USB drives and HDMI and AV cables is easy.
The design and overall setup rivals the best premium-segment TVs in the market.
Performance (4/5)
Some smart TV brands pair their screens with an air mouse for ease of use while browsing the internet or accessing apps, which Lloyd has stayed away from.
The reason is that a standard air mouse can be very unreliable, and clicking and typing through it is a lot of hassle.
Lloyd seems to have circumvented the need for a mouse with a seamless interface and dedicated buttons on the remote control for Netflix and YouTube.
It does take time, though, to type stuff on the on-screen keyboard, but it's a much smaller inconvenience compared to the pain of using an air mouse.
The Lloyd TV supports 4K and the limited content available on YouTube is almost lifelike.
Even the Ultra-HD on Netflix is extremely sharp. The 2x15W Dolby audio speakers would easily fill a large living room.
I would still recommend a home theatre for a large space for the perfect cinema experience.
But it's sufficiently loud -- with a deep base and low distortion -- for live sports and general entertainment.
The only drawback is its backlight. The TV does not work for a medium-size bedroom because the screen is just too bright for it.
Also, the Any View screencasting app has a few glitches.
The TV's Quad-Core processor, however, is flawless and kept the show going for over 12 hours at a stretch -- while using multiple apps -- without the slightest lag.
Overall (4/5)
The Lloyd ULED -- at 3840x2160 resolution (with 4K) -- delivers the perfect picture with deep blacks and great overall colours, and has a superior audio.
But Lloyd is overreaching with a price of Rs 2.39 lakh and should consider bringing it slightly down to have an edge over the likes of Samsung and LG.
