It’s safe to say that 3D as a technology has attracted consumers’ attention but when it comes to adopting 3D in their households, consumers have been reluctant. One of the factors to that could be the price. TV manufacturers often integrate the 3D functionality only in their high-end TV models, thus leaving out a majority of the ‘interested’ crowd.
Taiwan-based AOC however, wants to stir things up. Earlier this year, AOC announced their affordable 23-inch Full HD 3D LED TV and we put it to thorough test to see if it’s worth the hype.
The first glance at AOC’s offering and you’d know that despite the affordable price tag, the company has tried to keep the aesthetic appeal to a maximum. The TV has a really thin bezel and has a brushed metallic finish for a premium look. The TV stand also matches the design language of the television and sports each and every connectivity option at the back while the buttons at the side.
Speaking of connectivity, there are two HDMI ports, one VGA, audio, Component, Composite-out, one USB port and a cable antenna port.
Moving on to its 3D prowess, AOC uses a passive 3D technique that makes it affordable and cost effective. AOC bundles four pair of 3D glasses, which is a big advantage when you’re watching a movie with a family. The 3D glasses also does not require a battery making the maintenance of the glasses cheap.
All said and done, we feel 3D output is satisfactory on this television. The TV claims to automatically detect the type of 3D setting but it failed to properly detect the correct 3D setting on couple of occasions. This is actually not a big issue since you can easily change it with a touch of a button on the remote control. The remote control is a passage to more options – like allowing users to convert their regular 2D content to 3D. The 3D depth can also be changed, according to user’s preference. However, this 2D-to-3D feature may sound innovative, it is rarely effective.
The TV is equipped with a Real Colour Engine and Dream Surround Sound but apart from these fancy marketable names, we feel there’s a room for improvement. The included USB port is an added bonus. Users can easily attach their flash drives or hard drives to view images, videos or listen to music. The TV is fairly quick to bifurcate the data and quickly shows the available videos, images, music in three separate menus.
So is it worth the purchase? AOC hits a home run when it comes to the TV’s feature set and pricing. There’s not much to complain about the TV set since you’re getting what you’re paying for. However, one thing that works against the TV – at least for us – is the 23-inch display size. The TV is small to our liking. But if you’re willing overlook the size, the TV’s 3D and Full HD along with USB media playback support does not disappoint.
Leave a Reply