Gone are the days when you can head to your nearest electronics store and buy a 4K Smart TV for less than ₹30,000. With the pandemic-induced inflation, you can only get a Full HD TV from leading brands such Xiaomi, Samsung, Sony and others. Kodak, which is one of the many brands owned by Indian firm Super Plastronics (SPPL), is trying otherwise by going super aggressive with its CA Pro series of smart TVs.
Take a look at the Kodak CA PRO 43. It costs ₹27,999 and is one of the few 43-inch smart TVs running on Google’s Android TV OS that has a 4K display. For someone looking to spend this much on a TV, this seems tempting, doesn’t it? So how does it fare in the real world? Should the lead brands be worried of SPPL’s latest affordable smart TV lineup?
I found out after living with the Kodak CA PRO 43 for two weeks and here’s what I think.
Kodak CA PRO 43 Design & Build
Kodak CA PRO 43 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
The Kodak CA PRO 43 is tailored to a budget and as a result, you aren’t getting top-class fit and finish. The plastic bits on the bottom bezel isn’t pleasant to behold, especially with the “too-bold” Kodak logo. However, this has the frameless design where the other three sides end abruptly; you will still see the bezels. For a smart TV costing ₹28,000, the Kodak CA PRO 43 looks nice as home décor, except for that Kodak logo breaking its minimalism.
SPPL offers two table legs in the box as well as the wall mount. Along with the remote controller, you get a pair of batteries too. You will also find AV cables for connection to set-top boxes/DVD players. How nice of SPPL!
Kodak CA PRO 43 (Amritanshu / HT Tech)
The remote controller looks modern with just the required amount of buttons you need to operate a smart TV. I appreciate the presence of a dedicated mute button and quick access to basic TV settings apart from the usual array of keys (Google Assistant, Home key, back key, navigation keys and more). Shortcut keys for Netflix and Prime Video are present along with those for YouTube and Google Play. This is one of the smartest TV remote controllers I have seen in this price range.
The I/O ports are easy to access from the side, especially when it is wall …….