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Review on ๐Ÿ“บ TCL 32S334 32-inch HD LED Smart Android TV (2021 Model): Top-notch Entertainment at Its Best by Chris Hamim

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great TV for watching content without a cable subscription

This is a good value TV that doesn't require a cable box or cable subscription to watch a lot of content. This is helpful if you already have a subscription to a service like Netflix, Hulu, Revain Prime (which comes with Prime Video), Disney+, ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock, or whatever. But there is also a good selection of free offers. Pluto TV has a lot of random free channels and only broadcasts ads like regular TV and I watched quite a bit of it. There are other similar free services that I haven't tried like Vudu (for movies), Crackle (TV & Movies) and Xumo (Movies & TV) that should work. And then you always have access to everything on YouTube. However, unless you are using traditional cable TV, the quality of this TV will depend on the quality of the internet connection you provide, as all of this content is streamed. You can connect it to Wi-Fi, but this TV has an Ethernet port, so I connected the cable straight from the modem to the TV, which gives a stable connection and good picture quality. Buffering occurred when I tried to use Wi-Fi. So if you don't have fast enough Wi-Fi speed, use an Ethernet cable. Sound quality is good and there are the necessary ports if you want to add a soundbar or other type of sound. Device. The picture quality is also quite decent. It's not a pure HD TV, but that's to be expected at the price. My TV arrived with a dead pixel at the top of the screen, but that wasn't a problem for me. If you already have an Android phone, you're probably familiar with how things work. In fact, this is a modified version of the Android operating system, designed for the TV. To get apps, be it Netflix or Pluto TV, go to the Google App Store and download them there. Any application that you can download and use on your phone to watch content will likely be available for this TV. If you are unfamiliar with modern technology and smartphones, you may find this TV difficult to use - I've been using an Android phone for years. The remote control has a minimalist design, so there are no dedicated rewind/backward buttons or back button etc. Just like a cellphone, you just intuitively know if the back arrow when you're in a show will rewind or take you back when you are in a menu etc. (I saw someone complain in another review about the TV not coming with a remote control - mine came with a remote control, two new batteries, a power cord and an A /V adapter cable supplied .) Some people who are not used to modern user interfaces for telephone applications and such can sometimes confuse the remote control. Overall I think this is a useful TV for less than $200. For the room I was planning to put this TV in, the monthly cost of another box from my cable company would have been prohibitive. It's better for me to watch streaming services that I already subscribe to on this TV.

Pros
  • Great for a small home
Cons
  • Questionable purchase for seniors