 "Micromax TV: A big one for a small price")
Television, once considered a luxury for any household in India, has progressed by leaps and bounds, and so has the fascination for big-screen TVs. And the transformation from LCDs to LEDs has been even swifter. But most of us put on hold our dream of buying a 50-inch TV unless we have our own houses, given the deep hole it burns in our pockets. Not anymore, as Micromax, the home-grown brand which was among the few that brought smartphones within reach for most Indians, has brought bigger yet cheaper TVs for as less as Rs 35,000. That's cheaper than a lot of smartphones, tablets and PCs.
The Micromax 50B5000FHD, available in stores for Rs 37,000-39,000, is selling for Rs 30,000-35,000 on e-commerce websites. A 50-inch LED costs between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Some, from Onida and Videocon, cost about Rs 45,000.
The TV has a full high-definition screen, supports external speakers and connects to external devices through HDMI and USB ports.
Build
The TV is slim and comes with an elegant stand. The bezel is in fact very thin, compared to most LEDs in the market. The little bulge on the rear could have been avoided. Usually, it's durability that consumers worry about in Micromax's products. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Though not mostly metal, the structure is robust and the material used is as good as in its competitors such as Philips, Onida and Videocon though it's quite far behind Sony, LG and Samsung.
The TV remote has a brushed metal front and a slim edge, but it pales in comparison with the sleek and stylish remotes that come with most TVs.
As the white homescreen comes alive, you realise that the 1,080-pixel LED screen is very clear. The screen quality is good and does manage to deflect most of the light falling on it from surrounding sources.
You can play around with the picture with a handful of preset modes. The zoom is also good and gives you multiple options, which can be handy when the broadcast starts to pixelate. For video, it gives much more control than the average "unsmart" television models.
Sports fans may be the biggest critics and judges for television sets, given the clarity they expect from its performance. While Micromax doesn't disappoint on clarity, what many would find to be a let-down is that it is a tad behind Sony Bravia or Samsung when it comes to providing super-sharp clarity. From a purely technical point of view, it is ideal for movies or TV shows only.
The panel in this Micromax model has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and the levels of black are deep, giving a good contrast ratio.
Sound
This TV gives you a home theatre effect with great sound, which is very loud and again aided by a set of presets. The TV also has a good built-in media player, which can be accessed through the DMP button on the remote. The sound system is sufficient for most standard hall rooms or bedrooms, but if the space you install the TV in is large enough, a speaker enhancement would be a better option.
The typical power consumption is 95 watts and stand-by less than a watt, which is remarkable given most LEDs consume on an average at least 120-140 watts in the 50-55-inch range.
The problems
The colour contrast is very good but certainly not as great as Sony and LG. There is loss of colour when you view it from an angle. A Sony loyalist such as I was not happy with the colour contrast performance, which is impeccable even in some of Sony's smaller televisions.
The warranty is an issue for most people who want to buy any Micromax product - but again that's not the case with the TV. The company offers a one-year manufacturer domestic warranty, which has so far been received decently. However, we are not sure about how well the after-sales service is for Micromax's TVs.
Verdict
Though conservatives would like to tell you that pioneers such as Sony, LG and Samsung are a safer bet as far as TVs are concerned, I'm not so certain. The technology offered for Rs 60,000-90,000 by any of these brands for a 50-inch LED might be superior but the gap is no mind-boggling gulf. Additional features like 3D, ultra HD display or 4K, "curve" and "smart" options are more forced on the consumers as these are still not worth the present cost.
Given the rapid replacement rate for digital products that bugs most consumers today, the Micromax 50-inch full HD LED TV does seem like a wise investment. Especially because you would have to dispose of even a great one from another brand for as high as Rs 1 lakh after three-four years.
The Micromax TV might not be a "smart" TV - no touchscreen, no in-built operating system, etc - but you can connect it to your laptop and use the TV as the main display. Moreover, with devices such as the Google Chromecast, streaming should not be an issue. It is certainly better than spending almost double the amount on a smart TV.
As for 4K viewing, let us get things clear about where the technology stands in India at present. There is very little 4K content available. A majority of TV channels in India broadcast in standard definition (480 pixels). And many of the programmes broadcast in high definition are actually 480-pixel ones upscaled to 720 pixels. Even Hollywood hasn't released a 4K Blu-Ray disc yet.
If you are looking for a high-quality LED TV but have a limited budget, then you must grab this Micromax 50-inch model. The picture quality is brilliant, features are appealing and it even manages to sound good despite a slender frame.
Until Xiaomi's Mi TV comes to India - which is again not comparable as it is a smart TV, not a regular LED - any TV released in recent months is unlikely to offer a better combination of price and picture quality.
SPECIFICATIONS
The Micromax 50B5000FHD, available in stores for Rs 37,000-39,000, is selling for Rs 30,000-35,000 on e-commerce websites. A 50-inch LED costs between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Some, from Onida and Videocon, cost about Rs 45,000.
The TV has a full high-definition screen, supports external speakers and connects to external devices through HDMI and USB ports.
Build
The TV is slim and comes with an elegant stand. The bezel is in fact very thin, compared to most LEDs in the market. The little bulge on the rear could have been avoided. Usually, it's durability that consumers worry about in Micromax's products. Thankfully, that's not the case here. Though not mostly metal, the structure is robust and the material used is as good as in its competitors such as Philips, Onida and Videocon though it's quite far behind Sony, LG and Samsung.
The TV remote has a brushed metal front and a slim edge, but it pales in comparison with the sleek and stylish remotes that come with most TVs.
As the white homescreen comes alive, you realise that the 1,080-pixel LED screen is very clear. The screen quality is good and does manage to deflect most of the light falling on it from surrounding sources.
You can play around with the picture with a handful of preset modes. The zoom is also good and gives you multiple options, which can be handy when the broadcast starts to pixelate. For video, it gives much more control than the average "unsmart" television models.
Sports fans may be the biggest critics and judges for television sets, given the clarity they expect from its performance. While Micromax doesn't disappoint on clarity, what many would find to be a let-down is that it is a tad behind Sony Bravia or Samsung when it comes to providing super-sharp clarity. From a purely technical point of view, it is ideal for movies or TV shows only.
The panel in this Micromax model has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and the levels of black are deep, giving a good contrast ratio.
Sound
This TV gives you a home theatre effect with great sound, which is very loud and again aided by a set of presets. The TV also has a good built-in media player, which can be accessed through the DMP button on the remote. The sound system is sufficient for most standard hall rooms or bedrooms, but if the space you install the TV in is large enough, a speaker enhancement would be a better option.
The typical power consumption is 95 watts and stand-by less than a watt, which is remarkable given most LEDs consume on an average at least 120-140 watts in the 50-55-inch range.
The problems
The colour contrast is very good but certainly not as great as Sony and LG. There is loss of colour when you view it from an angle. A Sony loyalist such as I was not happy with the colour contrast performance, which is impeccable even in some of Sony's smaller televisions.
The warranty is an issue for most people who want to buy any Micromax product - but again that's not the case with the TV. The company offers a one-year manufacturer domestic warranty, which has so far been received decently. However, we are not sure about how well the after-sales service is for Micromax's TVs.
Verdict
Though conservatives would like to tell you that pioneers such as Sony, LG and Samsung are a safer bet as far as TVs are concerned, I'm not so certain. The technology offered for Rs 60,000-90,000 by any of these brands for a 50-inch LED might be superior but the gap is no mind-boggling gulf. Additional features like 3D, ultra HD display or 4K, "curve" and "smart" options are more forced on the consumers as these are still not worth the present cost.
Given the rapid replacement rate for digital products that bugs most consumers today, the Micromax 50-inch full HD LED TV does seem like a wise investment. Especially because you would have to dispose of even a great one from another brand for as high as Rs 1 lakh after three-four years.
The Micromax TV might not be a "smart" TV - no touchscreen, no in-built operating system, etc - but you can connect it to your laptop and use the TV as the main display. Moreover, with devices such as the Google Chromecast, streaming should not be an issue. It is certainly better than spending almost double the amount on a smart TV.
As for 4K viewing, let us get things clear about where the technology stands in India at present. There is very little 4K content available. A majority of TV channels in India broadcast in standard definition (480 pixels). And many of the programmes broadcast in high definition are actually 480-pixel ones upscaled to 720 pixels. Even Hollywood hasn't released a 4K Blu-Ray disc yet.
If you are looking for a high-quality LED TV but have a limited budget, then you must grab this Micromax 50-inch model. The picture quality is brilliant, features are appealing and it even manages to sound good despite a slender frame.
Until Xiaomi's Mi TV comes to India - which is again not comparable as it is a smart TV, not a regular LED - any TV released in recent months is unlikely to offer a better combination of price and picture quality.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: LED
- Screen size: 50 inches
- Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, zero dot LED panel
- Viewing angle: 176°(H)/176°(V)
- Display: Full HD
- Speakers: Two built-in speakers, SRS surround system
- Connectivity: Two HDMI, two USB ports
- 3D Comb Filter: Yes
- Brightness: Yes
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Dynamic contrast ratio: 300,000:1
- Estimated street price: Rs 37,000
- Estimated online price: Rs 33,490