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World Cup schedule: Check. Jerseys of your favourite team: Check. Lots of beer: Check. A big screen: Uh-oh. If that's how your planning for the World Cup goes, it is time you got yourself a big-screen television. And no, I'm not talking about the 32-inch or 42-inch screens, but something much bigger.
If you're in the market for such a gadget, it better be future-ready. These days, the rage seems to be 4K televisions, though there's hardly any content to consume at that resolution. Among these televisions, you have a choice of flat and curved panels as well - and for your viewing pleasure, we will consider curved TVs.
Let's kick off with Samsung's 65-inch Curved Ultra HD HU9000. The TV is huge but a beauty to behold. The HU9000 comes with its own silver stand (I feel the stand would have looked better in black), which won't take up too much space on your cabinet.
The back plate of the HU9000 has connections for just two cables - the power cable and the umbilical cord of the TV, which connects to the OneConnect box. The OneConnect box is the nerve centre of the TV. It contains all the input/output ports. This TV can also connect to the internet via a 3G dongle, if it is plugged in.
Once you connect the video source (I connected a TataSky+HD box and a PS3, both via HDMI), you need to pair the Smart Touch control with the TV. Did I mention, the HU9000 comes with its own IR blaster kit. This means you can use the Smart remote to control both the TV and the set-top box.
Once it is switched on, you will be greeted by Samsung's Smart TV menu, which automatically detects the source to be the DTH. My first port of call is Star World HD, where an episode of How I Met Your Mother is on. I adjust the audio a bit and am amazed by the clarity of dialogues.
As for the visuals, here's the thing - but for the fact that the people appear huge on the 65-inch screen, compared to on my regular HDTV, there's not much that is noticeable.
But why waste time? We're looking for something that will best suit our purpose, namely, watch the FIFA World Cup. So soccer it has to be. For want of anything better live at that moment, I switch to a recording of the Champions League final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, which many believe Atletico coach and former Argentine captain Diego Simeone lost (and then lost it) in the last minutes of stoppage time. I quickly forward the recording to a few minutes before Sergio Ramos headed the ball into the Atletico net to equalise. I had watched the live telecast of the match and suddenly, when the TV's soccer mode was turned on, it felt like I was at the stadium in Lisbon!
I was brought back to my senses by a certain garbled text at the bottom of the screen, which soon became legible - it was the match summary. Maybe it was a transmission glitch. But let's find out. I turn to a financial news channel with a ticker and everything, and the curvature of the screen becomes noticeable. What also becomes noticeable is any text displayed on standard definition channels tends to become warped or stretched. There was no such problem with high-definition channels, which look fabulous. For close-ups, however, there is a distinct lag in upscaling. This is more noticeable in standard definition channels, especially the general entertainment ones. After adjusting the brightness, however, standard definition channels such as TLC look better than before.
Flipping through channels, I suddenly come across an old Bengali movie on DD Bangla, that I had watched as a child. But for the fact that the characters are more in your face, I don't find the transmission to be better or worse from the ones I expect from Doordarshan.
Samsung hasn't specified the optimum distance one needs to be from the screen, but we felt the best position is at the centre of the screen, about 10 feet away. Since it's curved, the company claims there won't be any more fights for the best seats in the house. I found that in terms of HD content and sports events, it really doesn't make too much of a difference. It's only when you play 3D content that the person sitting at the centre might get a better experience.
I then make a Skype call with the TV's built-in camera. While my dad could hear and see me loud and clear, it wasn't the best experience to watch the pixelated feed from his Android tablet.
I also try out the motion controls and voice controls. While they work to an extent (the voice control works quite well), it's difficult speaking and flailing your arms to control a TV, unless you don't mind being called a fruitcake.
Next, I slip in a 3D Blu-Ray disc of the Steven Spielberg-directed Tintin movie. Snapping on one of the four supplied 3D glasses (after I had reconfigured the PS3 to recognise the TV to be a 3D capable display), I am soon engrossed in Tintin and Snowy's adventures. This is when I felt a home-theatre is a must-have accessory to go with this TV - the sound's quite good otherwise, but in 3D movies, it would be best to have surround sound. Also, there was a slight loss in depth when I moved to the edges of the TV.
I then substitute the movie disc with that of Grand Theft Auto V and later Thief. Blacks are rendered well and it turns out to be a pleasurable experience, especially after I select game mode. 3D works fine, but I prefer to play my games in 2D.
Upscaling 2D content to 3D seems gimmicky, because while we get a sense of depth, the characters hardly appeared to be leaping out of the screen. I try watching a soccer match report after upscaling it to 3D, but am not happy with the results. For now, if I could watch the World Cup on the HU9000, I'll stick to watching high definition on the gigantic screen.
Let's double the bets, the next TV we're going to talk about, after all, is more than double the price of the first one. We're talking about the LG 55EA9800 Curved OLED TV. For starters, it's so thin that we thought a slight bump could break it. Its acrylic base, while it looks futuristic, might not go with the decor of your super luxe living room.
I would have preferred it to hide away all the cables like the Samsung TV does, but LG has the cable jacks on the back. Which is a pity, since the TV is a stunner in every other respect, including the 'clear' speakers integrated into the stand.
Switch it on and you'll see images, movies - the works like you've never seen before. Deep blacks, rich colours and superb contrast. I haven't experienced a flat-panel OLED screen before so I can't comment if the curved screen makes a difference. There certainly isn't any noticeable increase in the picture's depth.
Movies and games are brilliant on the OLED TV, but again, installation of a home theatre system seems a necessity for an immersive experience. Viewing angles are great. As for broadcasts, if you get a clean signal, you'll love the World Cup in high-definition. But it probably would be cheaper to attend the event!
SAMSUNG HU9000
Price: Rs 4,49,900
Screen size: 65 inches
Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 pixels
Type: CURVED UHD LED TV
LG 55EA9800
Price: Rs 9.99 lakh
Screen size: 55 inches
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Type: OLED CURVED TV
Price: Rs 4,49,900
Screen size: 65 inches
Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 pixels
Type: CURVED UHD LED TV
LG 55EA9800
Price: Rs 9.99 lakh
Screen size: 55 inches
Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Type: OLED CURVED TV
