Realme Smart TV X 43inch Review: Appealing To A Mass Audience
The Realme Smart TV X was announced earlier this year and now I finally have the chance to test the 43-inch version of the device. It's very competitive at Rs 24,999 and has capable hardware on paper. Now, many gamers have entered the smart TV race and the main among them are Xiaomi, OnePlus, etc. In this review, we find out whether the Realme Smart TV X is worth considering in the highly competitive TV space.
landingRealme's design work on the Smart TV X is nothing short of extraordinary. The default black color scheme and plastic design won't win any style points in my opinion. This is a budget smart TV, so expecting a premium look might be a bit much. As for build quality, the TV is sturdy enough and the bezels don't creak when you move the TV. There is a bulge on the back to make room for the ports and a configuration of four 24W speakers at the bottom.
You can wall mount the TV or use two brackets to screw to the floor and place it on any flat surface. I chose the latter and had no problems with the stability of the support. As for the ports, you have three HDMI ports, two USB Type A ports, an Ethernet port, an AV port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Accessing the ports is fairly straightforward, although a wall mount bracket can make it difficult to access between the two HDMI and USB Type A ports. For wireless connectivity options, the device offers Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi. dual-band.
MediaTek's quad-core SoC, with Cortex A55 processor and Mali G31 MP2 GPU, drives the performance. Plus, you get 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. In short, I wasn't particularly impressed with the Smart TV X's processing power. The UI felt a bit sluggish and could randomly freeze for a few seconds when switching between apps. However, the apps themselves ran smoothly and showed no signs of buffering. Android TV 11 works on devices and provides access to the Play Store and your favorite OTT apps. As you'd expect, there's built-in Chromecast functionality for easy screencast
The remote has the same design and button layout as the previous Realme TV remote. It's smooth, made with a composite polymer, and has a matte finish across the board.Dedicated buttons on the remote give you direct access to Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video. In addition, there is a dedicated Google Assistant button to access the interface via voice commands. The remote control integrates effectively with the Smart TV X.
In terms of display quality, I was quite happy with the Realme Smart TV X viewing experience. The display is compatible with HDR10 and HLG, increasing dynamic range on supported media platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Also, the bezels around the panel are quite thin, which I like. The TV also has a Chroma Boost image engine running behind the screen to increase color saturation and brightness, but you can turn this off in the settings menu. The TV X has a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which I think is more than enough for any type of indoor use. The panel does not have an anti-reflective coating, so any light source shining directly behind you will block your view.
In terms of sound quality, the configuration of the four 24W speakers works well. It is Dolby Audio certified for better clarity and the speakers don't pop even at very high volumes. Voices are easily distinguishable from background instruments and the soundstage is superior. However, the speakers lack bass, which deprives the sound quality in depth.
judgementEven at its low price, Realme Smart TV X definitely has a touch of quality. It may not be obvious from the outside, but in terms of parameters like screen quality and usability, the TV X is indeed a worthy choice over its rivals. One concern might be TV X's processing power However, as an overall package, Realme Smart TV X is a smart TV that can exceed Rs 25,000.
Editor's rating: 4/5 Pro.
