These days, 'Think Big' seems to be the motto when customers buy TV sets. Bang in the middle of the cricketing season, Hassan M Kamal tests the new 50-inch TV
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InFocus II-50EA800 (50-inch FHD TV)
Display (9/10): We are impressed with the picture quality of the 50-incher from InFocus. The TV set gets a direct-lit LED panel (back light is provided by LED lights placed behind the screen) made by Foxconn with Full HD (1920x1080) resolution. With a 178-degree viewing angle, brightness of 250cd/m2 and non-reflective surface, it's comfortable to watch even with ambient light around. The display supports 1080p display at 60Hz. During our review, we didn't find any missing pixels on the screen; the blacks were up to our satisfaction, and the colour spot-on. However, since we weren't at a store where one can compare TV panels side by side, we would reserve any comparisons with its competitors. (InFocus is offering a Free demo at home service via Snapdeal, where in item is delivered with a demo unit. Here you will be given a demo of the TV set, before confirming your buy. If not happy with the demo item, the bought unit is taken back and purchase money is returned as per the normal return policy of Snapdeal. (This service is available with COD as a mode of payment as well.)
Ports and connections (7/10): The TV set comes with a Composite AV in/out, Component in, a VGA port to connect with PCs, 3.5mm and RCA jacks for audio input, headphone out, RF antenna port and two HDMI 1.4 ports. It gets a single USB 2.0 port, which limits its usage. You might need to buy an external USB powered hub to add support for external devices like a Chromecast and portable hard disk.
Cables and accessories (7/10): The device comes with a standard IR TV remote, a pair of 3AAA batteries and two stands. The buttons on the remote are, at times, difficult to work around, but considering we typically rely on Set Top Boxes for most of our surfing, it's use is limited to switching on or off the TV set. The TV stands are easy to install and can be done without an engineer. We would recommend waiting for the company engineer to set it up. InFocus has played the miser by offering no HDMI cable, or RCA connectors with the TV set. The TV set can be wall-mounted, but there's no wall mount unit provided (not even as an optional buy), which is very disappointing. We would recommend keeping the location of ports in mind before deciding on a wall mount.
Programming and playback (8/10): The built-in OSD menu appears archaic when compared to modern design trends (an issue common in other smart/non-smart TV sets as well). But that's not all. It's slow, and not user-friendly. Finding your way through the menu and playback controls will take a while. Playback is supported for most file extensions, but we faced some issues with MKV video files. We played videos of varying qualities (right 480p SD videos to 720p and 1080p). And though playback is best at 1080p, we found its built-in media player to be good in up-scaling SD/720p videos to fill the 1080p screen. So, even low-res videos appear crisp on this TV set. The manual controls are easily accessible too, and placed at the right bottom edge of the TV.
Audio (9/10): We were impressed with the performance of the two 8-watt drivers (total 16W) placed at the bottom on the TV set. Not only do they offer plenty of bass but are loud enough to fit a big hall without need for third party speakers. We never had to go above 30 on the volume mark at all times (either on USB mode, HDMI or on the TV mode). But don't expect it to replace your home theatre audio system. It comes with five pre-set sound effects — standard, music, movie and sport.
What is it about?
The InFocus II-50EA800 is a 50-inch FULL HD television set offered by the American company, InFocus. The TV set features a great display with 16W (2x8W) drivers placed at the bottom. It's suitable for those looking for a budget Full HD television set, and are satisfied with a single USB port on the device.
InFocus II-50EA800 (50-inch FHD TV)
After Micromax and Vu disrupted the home entertainment industry few years ago with their low-cost TV sets, American brand, InFocus recently made inroads into the segment with four new low-cost models — 24 and 32-inchers with WXGA screen (Rs 9,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively) and two FULL HD TV sets 50-inch (R34,999) and 60-inch (R69,999). The price range is similar to products from brands like Vu or Micromax that adds to the dilemma of which one to plumb for. We tested the 50-incher (model II-50EA800) for a few weeks, and we might have the answers to help you decide.
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