Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsNo internet, no TV
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
I have been experiencing numerous issues with this TV. Firstly, it has a strange tendency to turn on randomly throughout the day and night. It is extremely bothersome and disruptive. I'm trying to catch some shut-eye after a long day, only to be awakened by the glaring light of the TV. I constantly have to turn off the TV multiple times during the day and night.
But that's not the only problem I have encountered. The TV often fails to turn on; I see only a red light blinking. It requires me to unplug it completely and wait several minutes for it to boot up again. I missed so many of my favorite TV shows. I have never experienced such difficulties with any other TV before.
To add to my frustration, the TV frequently freezes, making it impossible for me to change channels or access any features. I can't turn i off. I have to unplug the TV and restart it, which is a time-consuming process. This happens multiple times a week, and it is incredibly annoying.
Another annoyance is how long it takes to simply switch inputs. If there would be at least a dedicated input button on the remote control. I don’t mind that I have to press the home button, then navigate to Inputs. However, what frustrates me is that I have to wait 20 to 40 seconds for the different inputs to appear (HDMI1, HDMI2, HDMI3, Composite, and Media Player). And when I select an input, the screen gets dark, and I have to wait another 5 to 10 seconds before I can see content.
The remote control has been a major headache, too. It often becomes unresponsive, and I have to reconnect from once a week to multiple times in a week. This means that I have to get up from my spot on the couch every time the remote decides to stop working, unplug the TV and wait for the TV to fully load the home screen. Then I press the home button for 10 seconds and I got my remote paired again. This defeats the purpose of having a remote in the first place. This is not something I have experienced with any other TV remote before.
The WiFi doesn’t work right either. It randomly disconnects even though the signal is strong. Luckily, I got an old Ethernet cable long enough to hook up my TV directly to the router. I prefer WiFi to avoid unsightly wires, but it is what it is.
My previous TV allowed me to hide channels I don't like from appearing on the channel list. So, I did a scan for over-the-air stations and the selected Manage Channels. Yet, I only see a blank TV screen except for the Manage Channels in the upper left corner. I watched a recent YouTube video on how to scan for channels and manage them. I saw on the video a list with the scanned channels, their corresponding signal strength and a way to hide or show channels (exactly what I want but can’t).
I learned there is a way to favorite channels through the TV Guide. I select a channel to favorite, click on the three lines button, then selected the option to add to favorites, but it does nothing.
Speaking of over-the-air stations, I'm baffled by the fact that my TV seems to require an internet connection even to access channels from the antenna. Initially, I set up the TV to synchronize time information using the antenna signal, but this functionality doesn't seem to work independently. During a recent internet outage from noon until evening, the system time on the TV was off because I had it unplugged to prevent it from randomly turning on. When I attempted to watch TV, all channels in the TV guide were blank. Even when I selected a channel, all I could see was the TV station logo. Strangely, once the internet connection was restored, I regained access to TV channels without any issues, and the system time was correct again. It's frustrating to encounter this dependency on internet connectivity for basic TV functionality. The TV should have retrieved time information from the antenna signal as I have set up in the settings. Nevertheless, I should be able to watch TV even when the time and date are off.
The channel scan isn't better. I adjusted the antenna to improve reception of my local ABC station. Surprisingly, subsequent scans yielded varying results. The first scan before adjusting the antenna reported 62 channels. Yet after repositioning the antenna, the second scan found only 39 channels. However, upon checking the Manage Channels section, I noticed only 18 channels listed. Subsequent scans continued to provide conflicting information. For instance, the third scan reported 58 channels, yet I could only access 41. Similarly, the fourth scan claimed to find 60 channels, but this time luckily I got access to 62 channels, two more than reported by the channel scan. So, I cant even rely on a basic function such as a channel scan. It’s a hit-or-miss kind of thing like many other settings and (dis)functions of this TV. And as I’m afraid I end up again with fewer channels than reported, I decided not scan for new channels.
At least, the display seems free of dead pixels and the colors are bright if set to dynamic and has a HD resolution of 1920x1080. I can customize backlight, contrast, brightness, color, and tint or choose from a set of preset picture modes by clicking the settings (gears icon) button on the remote and selecting picture.
Likewise, I can change sound settings and the volume of the speaker is loud enough to hear clearly even from 10 feet away. There is an option to make dialogue clearer as I do watch a lot of news.
Bluetooth seems to work as I haven't experienced any issues with it. My wireless headphones stay connected.
Overall, I am extremely disappointed with it. Constant glitches and malfunctions have made my viewing experience a nightmare. I hope that the manufacturer addresses these issues and improves the functionality of this buggy TV.