Even with the advent of consuming video on the go, the television is still pretty much a staple in homes. After all, there’s nothing better than coming home to a TV-centered living room; plopping down on the couch, legs resting on the coffee table, and watching good ol’ shows and movies in all their HD glory. Just recently, Hisense sent over one of their 4K Ultra HD TVs, the K322, which is just the perfect home entertainment centrepiece.
DESIGN 4.5 Star
When the package containing the K322 arrived in the office, we all had to pause and ogle at beauty that is this UHD TV. At first glance, you’ll get the impression that this television belongs in the upper tier. It flaunts a beautiful 58-inch panel, with thin chrome bezels, giving it sophistication that fits right in with any style living room. The TV is good-looking in a modest way—nothing very flashy about the design but commands attention given its size.
Looking around the TV, you’ll get the Hisense looking on the bottom center of the bezel and a small LED indicator right below it. This flatscreen is as flat as it gets, though there’s a thin bump on the rear which we assume hides hardware. Connections for HDMI, MHL, USB, Audio, AV, etc, and control buttons sit along its rear and sides.
HARDWARE 3.5 Star
A quick scan of the K322’s specs sheet, it would appear that this television is all about delivering an excellent viewing experience. It is built with a Direct Lit LED (DLED) which serves as its backlight, this gives it the ability to deliver noticeably superior blacks and produce a wider color spectrum. The aforementioned translates to rich and satisfying images.
Listed among its processing capabilities is 4K streaming and upscaling which enables it to render fine-detailed images from lower quality content. The TV is also dual-band Wi-Fi compatible, this promises blazing-fast media streaming if connected to a fast internet network.
On board the K322, you will find a total of four HDMI ports and three USB ports. The TV runs Hisense’ proprietary VIDAA smart TV platform and comes pre-loaded with apps such as Netflix, Youtube, Dailymotion, Twitter, Picasa, and more.
USER EXPERIENCE 3.5 Star
Navigating your way around the TV is an easy affair with the options available right up in your face. The home screen is divided into three parts. The upper right part contains current time and status indicators for internet connection and other devices such as a thumb drive. The largest part contains two subparts: a small section on the right which has the inputs on the TVs rear and on its left displays real-time status of when a device is inserted into a port. Lastly, the bottom part contains the Live TV, VOD, Media, and Apps icons.
Within the span of our review, our team enjoyed watching just about anything we could find for the most part. However, if you scrutinize every detail, you’ll see that it does fall short in some aspects. We definitely commend it for its ability to produce quality picture and sharp image reproduction. Its contrast is admirable too. But, I noticed it a bit when large-format content is played, or that might be just me. Also, its color reproduction is pretty decent but it could use more vibrancy. I’ll go ahead and say content when played appears a bit dull and flat, however I didn’t have much time to tinker with its settings which might be the reason for the lack I’ve pinpointed.
Lastly, keying in words using its remote control is very frustrating but it’s something you could get used to eventually.
VALUE 4 Star
All in all, I could conclude that the K322 offers great value. It’s a premium-looking 4K UHD TV that delivers solid black levels, uncomplicated user interface, and easy access to online content all for a price that won’t make a dent on your wallet.
Specifications:
Dimensions: 1297 x 809 x 263 (with stand)
Display: DLED, 3840 x 2160p resolution
Smart TV: Vidaa smart TV platform
Tuner: UHF/VHF
Audio: 10W, Dolby Digital, DBX
Connections: HDMI, MHL, RF, Component, AV, USB, Optical Digital Audio Output, Ethernet Port, Wi-Fi
What’s Hot:
– Beautiful behemoth
– User friendly interface
What’s Not:
– Color lacks punch
Bottomline
The K322 is definitely a no-brainer purchase. That is if you have the budget for it.
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE August 2016 issue.
Words by Mia Carisse Barrientos