It all started with my quest to upgrade from my decade old Sony Projection TV with a shiny new 4K TV. As you might be aware that the projection TV’s were the thing back in the days. Watching a movie on a Projection TV was nothing short of a cinema experience thanks to its huge screen size and cinematic sound experience. But with time, technology has evolved manifolds and even the best of Projection TV’s can’t match the HD broadcasting or Blu-Ray resolution. When the Projection TV’s prevailed there was no such resolution available, hence they are not equipped to display it. Citing all these problems, my dad asked me to find a replacement for our living room Projection TV and I convinced him to go for a 4K tv instead of a Full HD LED TV.
My reasons to convince him were:
- With a 4k tv we can get a bigger screen size, just apt to replace our huge projection tv
- If we buy a 4K tv now we would future proof ourselves for the next 5 years at least
- Now that TVs with 4K resolution have fallen to mainstream prices, why not?
And that’s how our search for the most value for money 4k TV began! The instructions my dad gave me to decide on a TV were:
- It should look and feel worth its price
- It should be a known brand (Sony he always bought, and wanted me to do the same)
- Under no circumstances I shall spend more than INR 1 Lac ($ 1500)
- It should have enough ports to hook up all our media devices
Now with a budget constraint, I was left with 2 options, either to go for a smaller screen size or a lesser known brand. As prices of Sony, Samsung, LG 4K TV’s are sky rocketing and no day I wanted to go lower than 50″. The search went on and I stumbled upon brands like Vizio, VU and Videocon – all making 4K TV’s at comparatively lesser price. But with Dad, only considering Sony as his preferred brand it was almost impossible for me to convince him to even look at a nascent brand. After demoing Videocon and Vu, I decided to take my dad for a demo of the Vu 4K TV. It wasn’t easy get a demo as VU 4K TV’s as they are not available in Brick-Mortar shops, but with my media links I managed to get one.
I deliberately didn’t tell my dad about the TV’s brand so that he doesn’t have any preconceived notions about it. I made him walk into a dark room with recliners setup at an best viewing distance from the TV. We sat there experiencing an immersive demo of the Vu’s 4K TV and we were sold instantly. Once the demo got over, Dad was pretty happy and to my surprise said these new players are good. But his only bone of contention was the after sales, he didn’t want shell out so much money and then never get support. He checked the companies background and their service centre count etc before giving me a nod.
Following that I ordered my 50″ 4K Vu TV from Snapdeal.com.
It was time! The good old daddy of televisions the Sony projection TV will be replaced by Vu 4K UHD TV. BTW #PS4 on #4K will be effing brill 😀
List of impressive features on the Vu LEDN50K310X3D 4K TV:
- Ultra High definition Panel
- 3840 x 2160 Resolution
- A+ Grade Panel
- 120Hz Panel Refreshrate
- 6 ms Response Time
- 178° (H) X 178° (V) viewing angle
- Edge-lit LED Backlit
- 1:1 Pixel Mapping
- Motion Enhancement & Compensation
- Display Life 100000Hrs
- Auto Backlight Adjust
- Digital Noise Reduction
- Energy Efficient
- HDMI ports x 4nos
- HDMI CEC
- MHL (Mobile HD Link)
- HDMI Audio return channel
- 4X Quard Core Graphics Engine
- Any View Cast
- 3D, 2D to 3D conversion
- 3D depth adjustment
- Silk motion active 3D glasses
- Smart features
- Built in Wifi-IEEE802.11N
- Network Ethernet Port
- Social Media
- You tube
- Opera Browser
- DLNA, My Share device
- Analogue TV & Digital TV
- Personal Video Recorder
- Password Protected Hotel Lock
- Slim line bezel
- Auto Sleep Timer
- Built in Digital Media Player
- Movies support in USB mode
- USB x 3nos
- MPEG H.264 decoder
- Digital Audio output to connect-external Audio system
- Dolby Digital
- 10 + 10 Watt Audio
- Bass Boost level
- Moisture resistant + Dust resistant components
- Healthy from Inside
- Parental Control Lock
- ON-OFF Clock
- Table Top Mount
- Wall Mounting Bracket
- Password Protected Hotel Lock
- Smart Remote
If you are a geek like me, then here are the complete specs:
| Model No. | Vu 4k | LEDN50K310X3D |
| Panel | Panel Grade | A+ Grade Achromatic Panel – The Best panel in the Industry. |
| Design | Front-cover Color | Black High Glossy |
| Description | 127cm (50in) LED edge-lit LCD TV | |
| Front-cover Color | Black High Glossy | |
| Panel | Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Active display area (Horiz x Vert) | 1095.84 x 616.41 mm | |
| Backlight source {CCFL, Edge-lit LED,…} | Edge-lit LED | |
| Resolution | 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 ) pixels | |
| Refresh rate | 120 | |
| 3D image | Yes | |
| Brightness | 500 nit | |
| Viewing Angle (Horiz / Vert) | 178 / 178 degrees | |
| Response Time | 6 ms | |
| Connectivity | HDMI Input (UHD) | 4 |
| Radio frequency input (RF) | 1 | |
| Component / Y Pb (Cb) Pr (Cr) | 1 | |
| Audio L/R for component input | 1 | |
| AV input | 1 | |
| USB interface | 3 | |
| VGA input | 1 | |
| Analog Audio L/R for VGA input | 1 | |
| Video RCA output | 1 | |
| Optical digital audio output (SPDIF) | 1 | |
| Earphone jack | 1 | |
| Networking | Ethernet RJ45 port | Yes |
| Wireless IEEE 802.11 N (Wifi) | Internal | |
| DLNA compliance | Yes | |
| AnyView Cast (Mirroring Mobile , Tablet to TV) | ||
| Widgets availability – Provider | Opera store | |
| Web browser – Description {Chrome, Firefox, ….} | Opera | |
| Digital TV Reception | Television standard in VHF band | DVB-T+C |
| Television standard in UHF band | DVB-T+C | |
| AS 4599.1 compliance | Yes | |
| AS 4933.1 compliance | Yes | |
| AC3 Surround sound decoder | AC3 | |
| Logical channel number (LCN) and service name support | Yes | |
| Teletext | Yes | |
| Subtitles | Yes | |
| RF Signal strength indicator | Yes | |
| RF Signal/noise indicator | Yes | |
| Electronic programming guide (EPG) 7 days in all sub-channels | Yes | |
| Parental rating lock | Yes | |
| Analogue TV Reception | Colour-Sound systems in VHF band | PAL-B |
| Colour-Sound systems in UHF band | PAL-B | |
| Stereo sound decoder {A2, Nicam, ….} | A2 | |
| Teletext | Yes | |
| Subtitles | Yes | |
| Image control | Backlight control | Yes |
| Adaptive backlight | Yes | |
| Zoom function with: 4:3, 16:1, Auto, Zoom 1, Zoom 2 | Yes | |
| 1:1 Pixel mapping | Yes | |
| Still image | Yes | |
| Image position adjustment (DTV, HDMI, Component, VGA) | No, No, No, Yes | |
| Image size adjustment (DTV, HDMI, Component, VGA) | Yes, No, Yes, Yes | |
| Motion enhancement and compensation (MEMC) | Yes | |
| Sound | Audio power output | 10 + 10 watt |
| Automatic volume level (AVL) | Yes | |
| Audio equalizer | Yes | |
| Dolby Digital | Yes | |
| Lip-sync adjustment | Yes | |
| Features | On/off timer | Yes |
| No signal power off | Yes | |
| Sleep timer | Yes | |
| Child lock | Yes | |
| Program lock | Yes | |
| OSD transparency control | Yes | |
| Software version OSD indication | Yes | |
| Favourite channels list | Yes | |
| Advanced Features | Personal Video recorder | Yes |
| Time shifting | Yes | |
| Recording from EPG | Yes | |
| DivX decoder | Yes | |
| H264 decoder | Yes | |
| Digital media player (DMP) for music, video and photographs and text | Yes | |
| Attached list of DMP formats for audio and video provided | Yes | |
| Hotel lock | Password protected Hotel lock submenu | Yes |
| Clone function for programs, sound and image settings. | Yes | |
| Tuning lock | Yes | |
| Maximum volume lock | Yes | |
| Power on volume | Yes | |
| Power on source selection | Yes | |
| Power on RF channel selection | Yes | |
| Power on mode (on, standby, last) | Yes | |
| Inputs access (enable/disable) | Yes | |
| Hardware | Speakers mounted in a box | Yes |
| Mains power switch | Yes | |
| Swivel base | Yes | |
| Compact packaging | Yes | |
| Power Supply | 220-240V | |
| Power Consumption | 110 Watt | |
| Standby consumption | 100-240 V | |
| VESA wall mount dimensions (Horiz / Vert) | 200 / 200 mm | |
| VESA wall mount, screw type (length, thread) | 25, M6 mm | |
| Accessories | Remote controller | 1 |
| Battery (size / quantity) | AAA / 2 | |
| Power cord | Built-in | |
| Cable tie | 1 | |
| User manual | 1 | |
| 3D glasses Type(Passive/ Shutter) Qty | shutter / 2 | |
| 3D glasses Type(Model Number/ Part number) | FPS3D07A | |
| Dimensions | Dimensions with stand (W x H x D) | 1125 X 710 X 245 mm |
| Dimensions without stand (W x H x D) | 1125 X 656.5 X 56.3 mm | |
| Carton box dimensions (W x H x D) | 1384×823×163mm | |
| Net weight with stand | 21.3 kg | |
| Net weight without stand | 18 kg | |
| Gross weight | 25 kg | |
It’s been more than a month now and here is my review of the Vu 4K UHD TV so far:
What Works – The Vu LEDN50K310X3D 4K TV’s pictures are easily comparable to that of any industry leading, double its price LCD or plasma TV, with perfect black levels and exceedingly bright whites. It’s equally adept in bright and dark rooms, showed exact colour, and looks better from off-angle than any LED LCD. Its 4K resolution is plenty for a 50-inch screen. The TV looks striking with clear back in the front and posh white on the back.
What Doesn’t – Buying a 4K TV right now, feels like buying a Ferrari with no roads to drive it on. Even the likes of Xbox One and PS4 can’t handle 4K at the moment, there are no 4K Blu-rays or TV channels, and it will still take many years for TV broadcasters and producers to replace all their HD equipment with 4K cameras and broadcasting setup. But that’s with every new technology, sooner or later we adapt it or are forced to use it. Coming to the Vu LEDN50K310X3D 4K TV, what could have been better is:
- the remote controller lacked branding and looked flimsy
- the pure white back of the telly starts turning in to grey or black in a month
- lack of availability in stores, its only available on snapdeal.com at the moment
The Unbiased Verdict – The Vu LEDN50K310X3D 4K TV lives up to the promise of 3D 4K UHD LED TV with the best picture quality compared to super expensive lot by Samsung, Sony and LG. If like me, you want to embrace the future of technology by buying a 4K TV right now without burning a hole in your pocket then the VU 4K TV is for you.
Hi
How is your experience on after sales service by VU tv , performance without problems and durability of VU tv?
Hi Srinivas, fortunately we didn’t have to call the customer service even once after they came and installed the VU TV. The product is nothing less compared to the biggest TV manufacturers out there. Just like smartphones, its just a matter of time when consumers will realise that some brands are charging a premium for the ads they play on TV.
can u connect xbox 360(2013) and normal blue ray player, dvd player via hdmi ?
Yes you can connect any HDMI compatible device including Blu-ray players, DVD players, Gaming consoles etc via VU Tv’s HDMI ports.
Looking for 4K TV myself. Couple of questions.
– What HDMI version does it support? 4K content needs HDMI 2 whereas HDMI 1.4 is typical on full HD TVs. I did not find this mentioned anywhere.
– I read some complains about audio not upto mark? What’s your experience?
– Did you evaluate LG 49UB850T?
Hi Shailesh,
Thanks for sorting out your queries in bullets. I’ll answer them in the same order:
– There are 4 HDMI ports on the Vu TV we bought. We use all 4 ports for the following – 1 for PS4, 1 for HD set top box, 1 for WDTV Live Hub and lastly 1 for Chromecast. Now all of these devices work with HDMI 1.4 so I can’t bet on the ports being HDMI 2. That said, allow me sometime to procure a device that supports 4k video I/O
– To be frank, I’ve never expected a lot from Flat panel TV’s when it comes to the sound department. The only time I was happy with a TV’s sound was from my projection TV. Since, then I’ve always used a 5.1 Home Theatre setup on all the flat tv’s I’ve bought. And with Vu 4K TV too, the sound is not really I look up to so I have the 5.1 system connected all the time.
– No I didnt go to the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony or Panasonic due to the price difference. The only TV I compared it with was the Videocon’s 4k offering
Hope the replies are suffice, if there is absolutely anything else then please feel free to write back or tweet to us on @theunbiasedblog
–
What is the price you paid for this TV?
Who made the panel, who is the panel manufacturer? (A+ Grade Achromatic Panel has to do with the quality test results, not the performance of the panel. For example, you can have a cheap LED component but they all lit up when quality tested – but that does not imply it’s a good quality LED component. A spinning hard drive is not equal to a good hard drive.)
Does this use Win7/8 for the OS? If so, how long does it take to boot up?
What modifications did Vu had to make to get normal HDMI compatible devices (blue ray players, X-Box, etc) to work with this TV (you would need at least HDMI pass-through and an upscaler)?
Hi
I am planning to buy Vu 42D6455 107 cm (42) LED TV(Ultra HD (4K), Smart) TV. Flipkart is offering it in a discount way.
Can anyone guide me / help me with their recommendations and suggestions.
All advises are sincerely welcome.
Best choice no1 brand that touch to watch 4K PIX WITH SUPERB technology we welcome u that every like to buy good price !!
Have you tested PS4 1080 P games on VY tv whether they are running without any lag ?
I have seen some reviews that VU is lagging on some of the games played from ps4.
also the 4k games which is played from PC. It is nt able to handle and there is lag issues.
Thank you for sharing the useful blog.
Please let me know your PS4 experience on VU Tv . I have also finalised to buy one for myself.
Hi,
It’s august 2017, how’s this TV doing today ?
I read this review and sure was impressed but I know what happens to these local brands after some months of usage. And going through that is hell.
So today, do you still stick to your opinion about this brand. I’ve read a ton of scary reviews about vu. Your unbiased opinion would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Do you know device name which converts tv hd set top box(Tata sky) streaming to 4k ultra hd for this VU 4K tv?
Thanks in advance.
How can I update the software of this TV? Online update not available since the first day..
LEDN50K310X3D