Kodak 55" 4K UHD Smart TV First Impressions: Big screen Smart TV experience at budget price-point

Specifications

Kodak 55-inch 4K UHD Smart TV comes with a resolution of ­­­­­­­­­3840 x 2160 pixels. The TV is powered by a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor and comes with 1GB memory and an internal storage of up to 8GB. The TV runs on Android 4.4 and comes pre-loaded with Netflix, YouTube, Hotstar and a couple of other applications.

As far as connectivity is concerned, Kodak's Smart TV comes equipped with Wi-Fi, LAN, multiple connectivity ports and also has Screencast built-in. The TV comes with Vesa wall mounting brackets and has a smart remote control for easy access.

Design and Display

Kodak's 55-inch 4K UHD Smart TV does not have the most appealing design in its segment, but the company has taken care of basics very well. The TV has black colored minimal bezels around the vibrant UHD panel that seamlessly blend with the panel to give wider screen view. The TV has dimensions- 1244.6 mm x 711.2 mm and comes with a Tabletop stand. Like most of the TVs in this price-segment, the connectivity ports are provided on the rear left side of the unit and the rear side has been given a matte finish.

The 55-inch UHD LED panel has a brightness of 550 nits and view angle of 178 degrees. We asked Kodak about the display used in the manufacturing of the TVs and Mr. Avneet Singh Marwah, Director, SPPL informed us that the company sources panels from Samsung, a leader in display segment. The UHD LED screen offers a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and utilizes Auto Depth Enhancer technology to improve visual experience by applying various levels of contrast to different areas on the screen.

We played some videos on YouTube and the output seemed pretty decent. We will test the screen quality in detail in our comprehensive review.

Software and Audio

User interface plays a vital role in Smart TVs and Kodak seems to have some good and some bad in this department for its TV range. The 55-inch USH Smart TV runs on Android 4.4.4, which is quite dated as per today's standards. However, the positive side is the support for almost all the required streaming apps that will keep you hooked to your TV.

The smart TV comes pre-installed with Netflix, Hotstar, YouTube, Facebook, web browser and an app store to download all major apps. Besides, as informed by the Kodak team, you can also install Android APKs to install them as per your requirement. We are yet to test the complete app ecosystem and app's functionality on the new TV to give a final word.

As far as audio is concerned, the TV has 2 speakers of 20W each. The Smart TV also has a built-in audio equalizer to tweak audio output as per your requirement.

Connectivity Features and Service Support

For connectivity, Kodak's 55-inch UHD TV has Wi-Fi, LAN, Bluetooth, Miracast, 3 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and AVx2 input. The TV is not RF capable which is a weak point.

We also inquired about the service support for which the Kodak team told us that the company has over 350 service centers to serve the consumers. Kodak offers 1 year warranty on its product line-up that includes TVs with 30-inch, 40-inch, 50-inch and 55-inches screen sizes.

Conclusion

After smartphones, it is time for the TV market to offer affordable smart experience to Indian consumers. If you want to buy a big screen Smart TV but don't want to spend a fortune, then the affordable 55-inch UHD TV from Kodak can be a decent alternative.

Yes, you might not get the latest software and have to compromise on certain aspects but the overall deal will not leave you disappointed. However, we will advise you to wait for a while for our detailed review to make a final call. Stay tuned on Gizbot.com.