VU XT800 Review: A jaw dropping tryst with 4K viewing
Ultra HD televisions are here to stay, and the VU is a solid contender, minor setbacks aside.
Televisions have come a long way since the cathode ray tube sets from over a decade ago. And despite the influx of smart TVs, nothing demonstrates that difference more than 4K technology.Enter the VU XT800, a massive 4K resolution curved LED TV. It’s just gorgeous to look at; a slight curve to the screen, for optimum frontal viewing, sleek lines and gradients, and those twin speakers on both side panels. But it’s not just for looking at (well, technically it is) but this baby is quite the joy to use.With a 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD resolution at your disposal, you’ll actually be hard pressed to find any 4K content to watch. But what we did watch manage to watch at that resolution was phenomenal. 4K translates to more than eight million pixels, four times what you have in a full HD video! Visuals are crystal clear and sharp to a knife edge, the colour gamut and contrast ratio (1,000,000:1) are off the charts and blacks look deeper than we’ve seen. And don't you worry about glare on the screen, the device's curve fixes that issue.As far as sound goes, the TVs 30W output with Dolby Digital does very well. Deep, rich bass with decent clarity is the game, with sound that can comfortably fill all but the largest of rooms. We connected a laptop to this baby and fired up some Skyrim and the result was epic. Even though the game settings were not at max, the VU somehow managed to make it look better. Crystal clear visuals on a massive scale and a room echoing with "FUS RO DAH!" will leave your mouth agape and salivating. Playing Skyrim in 4K for the first time is one experience I will treasure…...until, of course, I can play it in VR.But how about the TV’s functionality? Well, whatever brilliance it exudes in visuals, the device seems to falter with in basic functionality. The only way you’re going to comfortably play content on this TV is a computer or media server with an HDMI out, and your media software of choice. The TV does not come preloaded with an app, and it’s WiFi connectivity is somewhat glitchy. When you DO get it to work, however, I guarantee your mind will be blown.