We earlier reviewed Changhong Ruba Full Screen 4K Android TV that impressed us with its overall performance but primarily the sound quality, all at an affordable price. Here we have another model with us for review, Changhong Ruba G3EM LED TV that is not as expensive as the earlier one; still, it is an entertainment machine.
We reviewed the 39 inches model that appeared adequate for a small-sized room, but its sound level that is more than enough for a large TV lounge. It is also available in 32 and 43 inches.
Design
Coming back to its design, it’s a simple-looking device that looks to have reasonable bezels on the front side that do not seem bigger to catch undue attention while you watch the TV. The screen features a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pix and an aspect ratio of 16:9.
The chin is somehow more prominent than the rest of the bezels since it carries two speakers and the Changhong Ruba logo on the extreme left.
Right behind the logo, there is a stack of manual buttons that seems like an odd place to reach while you want to navigate through the physical keys and see the TV at the same time. I believe the bottom area should have been the one to house those buttons.
The rear side of the LED TV is extremely busy with lots of connectivity options placed in a way that occupies the component box, both vertically and horizontally.
The vertical side holds AV ports, a USB slot, and a 3.5 mm audio jack port. The bottom axis shows the actual ports, such as an RF port for cable or antenna, 2 HDMI ports, a VGA & PC connector, and digital audio out. The TV boasts an A+ grade panel, and despite a metal back cover, it feels really light in weight.
It’s a triple layer protected TV, which means the feature protects the TV against power surge up to 290V and humidity.
Performance
Since it’s not an Android TV, there is no setting required. Power it on and there you land on a live transmission from your cable or magic box. If you are using a PTCL’s Smart TV, for example, you will need to select ‘source’ from the remote control and select one of the HDMI slots where it is connected.
Just like the TV unit, the remote control is easy and straight forward. It gives a shortcut to almost every primary setting of the TV. S mode, P mode, Source, and the Info are the most frequently used buttons for us. However, it’s a subjective practice and may vary from person to person.
It’s a Music TV 2.0, which means the sound is an area where this LED TV should excel, and that is true. The sound is very loud at the lowest volume level, which makes it a suitable device in a noisy environment as well. You can turn on the bass, which, coupled with ‘music’ mode, provides a rich experience.
The S mode lets you choose from five preset sound settings; standard, music, movie, sports, and user (for customization). Out of all five, music is the one that reveals the true potential of this LED TV.
Similarly, the P mode gives you access to the picture menu to choose from dynamic, standard, mild, and user. Just like the sound, the picture quality of this LED TV is very acceptable in this price category. The result is colorful, and the contrast level is reasonable, which can further be altered as per the choice. There is a UC Pro engine inside, which is a video processing engine responsible for color turning and capable of reflecting subtle changes in the dark and bright scenes.
Since this TV targets the lower end buying segment, there is an option to change the language to Urdu, which is a welcome sign for the local users. Changhong Ruba could have provided the option to increase the font size, or by default, it could have installed an easy to read Urdu font as the existing one is hard to read from 15 feet away.
G3EM LED TV offers an impressive audio/video player that comes with an extensive menu. Although you can use the remote control for play/stop and forward/rewind, the soft bar that appears at the bottom of the screen soon as you press the ‘Info’ or ‘enter’ key provides a plethora of controls. You can see a list of movie files on your connected memory in case you plan to play another file in between your movie session. You can jump to a specific time slot on a movie, play it slow or move the slider step by step, and much more.
G3EM belongs to an entry-level segment of the LED TVs that offers the essential features. It’s very light to hold; the sound is loud, the picture quality is reasonable, there is a huge variety of connectivity, and it houses a media player stuffed with extensive controls.
If you are looking for a solution that can also perform as your computer monitor, G3EM LED TV can be helpful.
