Sections
- Page 1 Kogan KULED19XXXYA Review
- Page 2 Performance Review
- Page 3 Sharpness, Contrast, Gaming and Verdict Review
Verdict
Pros
- Unbelievably cheap
- Good picture quality for the money
- Offers USB playback and recording
Cons
- Contrast not the best
- Puny sound
- Rather plasticky design
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £89.00
- 19in LCD TV with Edge LED lighting
- 720p HD Ready resolution
- Built-in Freeview HD tuner
- Multimedia playback and tuner recording via USB
Introduction
Never let it be said that we AV kit testers don’t lead a varied life. For no sooner have we concluded our tests on JVC’s awesome five grand X55 projector, with its 200-inch image potential, than we find ourselves looking at a 19-inch TV costing the princely sum of £89.
The TV in question is the KULED19XXXYA from Australian budget brand Kogan. And it really does look tiny in the context of the ever-bigger TVs finding their way through our doors these days.
Kogan KULED19XXXYA – Design
Well, at least the screen portion looks tiny. The bezel around the screen is actually quite chunky by modern standards, adding a good inch to the screen’s top, left and right edges, as well as two-three inches along the bottom edge. This makes it look like a budget set – an impression that the plasticky finish does nothing to change. The only saving grace is the extreme glossiness that’s been applied to the surface of the black frame.
The screen can be mounted on its supplied pedestal foot stand, or your wall using a 100×100 VESA mount.
Kogan KULED19XXXYA – Connections
Connectivity is surprisingly good. Two HDMIs provide digital playback options for your HD sources, while elsewhere there’s a D-Sub PC port, a Scart input, a composite video input, a component video input, a USB port, and an RF feed.
Looking at some of these connections in more detail, not surprisingly for such a cheap TV the RF only feeds into a standard definition Freeview tuner – but this is perfectly acceptable on such a small TV.
The USB port, very surprisingly for such a cheap TV, proves able to play back video, photo and music files, AND be used to record from the Freeview tuner to a USB HDD (up to 1TB in size). Impressive.
Kogan KULED19XXXYA – Screen Specs
Shifting our focus to the KULED19XXXYA’s internal specifications, the TV is HD Ready, offering a native resolution of 1366×768. Plus, despite its lowly price and large image frame, it uses edge LED lighting rather than the standard CCFL system we might have expected.
This raises hopes of strong levels of brightness by small-screen LCD TV standards. Though it also raises concerns about potential backlight inconsistencies – even though such inconsistencies are traditionally more common on larger screens.
How we test televisions
We test every TV we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
