Kodak Matrix QLED TV review: Cinematic TV experience now affordable!

A quick search to buy a TV for yourself in 2022 may leave many wandering amid the umpteen options. But if a rich cinematic experience and diverse soundstage are what you seek, then QLED TVs come into the picture. QLED stands for "quantum dot LED" TV which adds a quantum dot film to the LCD panel, and when light these microscopic molecules, they emit their own differently coloured light. Too much tech going around? In simpler terms, QLED simply manages to bring brighter, rich colours, and deep blacks than your usual LCD or LED smart TVs. However, a rich experience comes at a cost! To change the narrative, Kodak which is owned by Super Plastronics Private Limited (SPPL), has introduced an affordable range of QLED 4K TV series, starting at just Rs. 32,999 for the 50-inch display size. The cherry on the top is the 40W stereo sound speakers, support for Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision.

But does it live up to its expectations in real life and shines out against the tough competition from Samsung, Hisense, TCL, and others? To know, I lived with a Kodak Matrix QLED TV 55-inch for the last couple of weeks, and here is what I have found.

Design

The experience of moving from an aged 32-inches LED TV to a 55-inches QLED 4K TV has been blissful -- no thick bezels, slimmer design, and a giant display than before (obviously!). The new Kodak Matrix QLED TV simply feels like keeping the vibe of trendy designs coupled with a well-built matte-finish body. However, it features a slightly thin chin, where the branding of Kodak sits at the middle like a bloat. Kodak defines it as an AirSlim design. I have been using the Matrix QLED TV on a tabletop stand.

For connectivity, you get almost all the necessary options – 3 HDMI ports with one ARC support, antenna, LAN, and AV output. You also get 2 USB ports here. For wireless connectivity, it comes with Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi with dual-band (2.4 + 5)GHz. It also features built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant support.

Display and Audio Performance

The Kodak Matrix QLED TV shines with its 4K display featuring 1 Billion colours. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ to bring an enjoyable experience from top platforms such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and others. And that’s one of the biggest strengths of the new Kodak Matrix TV, as this is the first time Kodak introduced a QLED panel over the traditional LED display. And the difference is visible while coming from a LED TV. It impresses with its viewing experience enriched with boosted colours, making the content look more lively. It exhibits darker blacks which makes it a delight to watch low-lit shows, thanks to the dynamic backlighting option.

The viewing angles are wide too, without bringing any deviation in colours. I enjoyed the movies and shows in 4K video; but sadly the poor video upscaling option makes the 720p videos look deficit in clarity. Also, I couldn’t test games on Matrix QLED TV, but the performance with the set-top box has been great.

The viewing experience gets a boost with the dual speakers rated at 40W sound output and certified by Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus. The Kodak Matrix QLED TV impresses with its loud and clear soundstage. Even at low volume, the sound has the clarity to comprehend the dialogues of the movies and shows. I rarely exceeded the volume level of 40. However, the mids are balanced with an ample amount of bass and so do the highs. However, at maximum volume, you may feel a lack of clarity in understanding the dialogues. To tune it better, it offers Dolby Sound modes such as Standard, Movies, Music, and Sports.

Smart features

Here Kodak brings the Google TV experience, which means a clean and sorted UI experience with minimally pre-loaded apps. Oh, that too with some of the important apps including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others. I liked the personalised “For you” option, where you can find recently watched and most widely used apps smartly sorted in one place. The rest of the access to the settings and specific options for movies, shows, and games makes the experience smooth. However, it infrequently shows some lags and makes you wait a little longer to load an OTT app. While, the overall experience and response remain quick, which relies on an MT9062 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage.

It can be controlled with its remote controller, featuring a minimalist button layout – home button, quick settings, dedicated mute option, volume controls, and Google Assistance are here to make the experience more trouble-free and blissful. Plus, in-built Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube buttons let you access these apps directly from the remote. Access to Google Assistant is too smooth, just like any other Android smartphone -- hold on to the key and simply ask your Google Assistant to open apps or play anything. But I wish Kodak could have provided better build quality for the remote.

Verdict

A package of an impressive viewing experience clubbed with clear audio - that’s how I can define the new Kodak Matrix QLED TV. It impresses with all the basics that you may seek from a new TV while looking for a cinematic experience. The 55-inch model of the Kodak Matrix QLED TV range offers rich colours and good contrast at 4K resolution for viewing high definition OTT content, and so does the sound with minimal distortion at highs.

However, I wish Kodak could provide a better 4K video upscaling option and better build quality of the remote. But while considering the price and the experience that the new Kodak QLED TV offers, these tiny points can be neglected. Overall, from bezel-less design, and clean and sorted UI to rich audio-video performance, the Kodak Matrix QLED TV 55-inch priced at Rs. 40,999 is surely recommendable if you are moving from an old LED or LCD TV.