 "LeEco Super3 X55")
One look at the carton containing the LeEco Super3 X55 (Rs 59,790), and I wasn't impressed. First, it was big and bland, and second, the table stand came a a separate attachment! This couldn't be good, right?
But then, I had been impressed with the company's phones and the price-to-features ratio they offered. Gingerly, I watched as the television was installed. Well, the TV looked a welcome relief in retro silver from all the black and steel ones I have witnessed recently. And the stand - it looked like a work of art. The shape matched the aesthetics of my living room.
Switching on, I was met with a 15-second animation as the 55-inch TV switched on and the familiar LeEco interface ame on. And once I logged in to Levidi, the video subscription service, I had all the streaming channels on tap. But first, I had to log in to my high-speed internet network. The channels started streaming instantly, the only issue being that since almost all were standard definition (SD) channels, while they looked good on the phone screen, SD looked as good or bad as it does on a big-screen TV. But of course, you can watch HD content on YouTube or Eros Now, if you so want, as the TV comes bundled with a 2-year content subscription.
Next, I plugged in my Blu-ray player and slipped in a remastered print of the classic Ben-Hur. As I watched the William Wyler-helmed epic, I couldn't but compliment the sound output of the TV - it was clear, crisp and loud. But it was already late in the night and I needed a snack. Pausing the movie, I headed to the kitchen. When I got back a shade under 10 minutes, I saw a spaceship on the screen. How did Ben-Hur become Gravity, I thought. Turns out, the TV's screensaver had taken over!
Then I connected my TATASky box to catch some action in Rio; the remote was intuitive and the TV's user interface, though it takes some time getting used to, was quite user-friendly and supports voice commands as well. Then I connected the PS3 for a quick game of Far Cry 4. There was no lag and this encouraged me to connect my gaming PC to the TV for a game of FIFA 16. I liked the fact that the TV boasts a plethora of connectivity options. But since you have a customised version of Android, there's no Google Play Store, and thus all apps have to be side-loaded (unless you side-load the Google Play Store and log into your account, something I wasn't able to). A caveat: Around 2GB of memory is available on board, thus one needs to be selective with the apps; or install to an SD card, which can be slipped in as expandable memory. One can also plug in a camera at the top, though till the time of writing, I had no information if the company was coming out with such a camera.
I side-loaded Netflix and logged in to watch Daredevil in 4K. While it was an enjoyable experience, whenever I watched darker scenes, there was a bit of light seepage. When I watched a Prometheus in HD, this was enhanced.
The LeEco Super3 X55 at Rs 59,790 is a fabulous offering at the price point for a big-screen TV. Those looking for a big TV on a budget are likely to ignore the minor niggles.
