Kodak offers a range of Smart TVs in India. We recently decided to take one of its older models, namely 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM), launched last year and review it to see if it would fit consumers’ homes’ in 2021. Since it is a mid-range Smart TV, there are a lot of things that it doesn’t have, but then, it does come with some pretty useful features, which many would appreciate. If you are thinking of purchasing a Smart TV under Rs 30,000, read the complete review of Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM).
Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) Review: Body, Design, Display and Installation
Kodak isn’t one of the biggest and most attractive Smart TV brands in the country. But it has done well to survive and actually be able to make some impact. The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) has a very beautiful and sleek design. It would look really good both on the table or on the wall. The bezels are not the thinnest, but they are standard thick only for a mid-range Smart TV. The stands are very stylish as well and can support the weight of the TV really comfortably. From behind as well, the Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) is really thin, which just adds to the experience of watching anything on it.
The Kodak branding is at the bottom, and the users can comfortably ignore it since the bezel isn’t too big. The power light is at the right bottom, and it is red when the Smart TV is switched off from the remote but is connected to the power source.
There are two USB and three HDMI ports at the back. There is also an audio jack on the TV. The ports were sufficient for me because I hadn’t connected any speaker system such as a Home Theatre system. The weight of the Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) is very light, and it is actually comfy to hold up despite its large size.
Even being inexperienced, I could easily understand how to install the bottom stands and place the TV well on the table. The installation was easy, and setting up the TV was easy as well.
Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) Review: Remote
One of the best things about Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) is its remote. It is really stylish and retains the minimalistic look that the other Smart TV remotes have. There are only 17 buttons on the remote (including the circular layout, which has four directions for commands). Accessing the satellite TV and switching back to the Android dashboard can be done through a single click of a button.
The remote also has some hotkeys of OTT platforms, including ‘SonyLIV’, ‘YouTube’, and ‘Amazon Prime Video’, which saved me a lot of time since I am an avid YouTube user. The Google Assistant button is also pretty convenient to have on the remote. The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) was very responsive to all the buttons that I clicked while testing it.
Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) Review: System UI, Performance and Features
The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) runs on Android TV 9 platform. It has more than 5,000 apps that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. It is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor coupled with up to 8GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM.
Loading apps was a quick experience on the Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM). Despite the fact that it has only 1GB of RAM, I was quickly steering from multiple apps all at the same time. The Android dashboard is very easy to navigate through because of the remote, and it also lets you access the applications very conveniently.
The pre-loaded apps in the Smart TV are - Amazon Prime Video, Sony Liv, Disney+Hotstar, Youtube, Zee5, Google Music. You can also download other apps from the Google Play Store as per your wish and delete them as well.
The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) can support video in the following formats - MP4, MPEG, MPG, MKV, AVI, FLV, ASF.
Connecting to the Wi-Fi and adding my Google ID was a very easy experience, given the fact that this was my first Android TV experience. As per the company, it consumes 100 watts of energy and the minimum power supply required is AC 100 - 240 V, 50 - 60 Hz.
I have used the TV for hours without any issues. Watching a cricket match was especially fun because of all the large visuals that I was able to see after switching from a 32-inch TV. When Smart TV is left alone switched on for quite some time, the screensaver automatically comes, and it is a treat to watch because it keeps on changing every time.
It also has an inbuilt Chromecast which is not of very big use for me since I don’t cast my phone’s screen into the TV a lot, but it might be useful for many who do.
Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) Review: Display And Audio
The Smart TV comes with a 43-inch (108 CM) UHD 4K display. The display can support HDR content and has a contrast ratio of 500000:1 (Dynamic). The refresh rate supported by the TV is 60Hz. It has an IPS panel with 3840x2160 pixels resolution (UHD) support.
Watching anything of high quality on this TV is a treat. You can even adjust the colours and everything related to the display through in-system settings. The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) will make for a perfect Smart TV if you want to watch any over-the-top (OTT) content on it.
The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) can support a maximum of 400nits brightness which is decent but not the best.
In terms of audio, the Smart TV can support the following audio formats - MP3, AAC, ASF, WMA, and it comes with 2 audio channels with 24W speakers. The sound experience was excellent and crisp. There are multiple sound modes that this Kodak Smart TV can support, including the Standard, Music, Movie, Game, and more.
I often let the music play from YouTube and go inside the kitchen, and the audio experience was just fine. Just for perspective, the kitchen is approximately 15 meters away from the Smart TV.
Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) Review: Price and Conclusion
The Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM) is available for a price of Rs 26,999 on both Reliance Digital and Amazon. For this price, you aren’t signing up for a bad deal at all. But the thing is, there are many alternatives at this price range that you can consider as well. These include Smart TVs from big consumer electronics brands such as OnePlus and Xiaomi.
The thing is, while I am satisfied with the Kodak 43UHDX7XPRO (108 CM), I am not entirely happy. There are a few areas where this Smart TV could be better even though it launched a long-time ago. I couldn’t download and run apps such as Netflix, which is a big no-no for me. Watching satellite TV from Airtel Digital TV was a decent experience. The display is good, the sound is good, so you will enjoy watching OTT content on this one.
