Pros:– Good picture quality- Compliant with Dolby Vision and HDR10+- Loud and punchy sound output- Latest Google TV- Access to TV settings on the fly- Dual-band WiFi
Cons:– Erratic contrast in certain HDR10 content- Lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and analogue audio output- UI feels sluggish at times- Far-field mics don’t always work as intended
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Price: Rs 35,999
Earlier this week, we reviewed a 55-inch Thomson QLED TV and we quite liked what it offered for a reasonable selling price. We now have its 50-inch QLED cousin from popular German brand Blaupunkt that offers a couple more tricks like better audio output and far-field microphones for hands-free voice commands. No, Thomson and Blaupunkt aren’t related (not that I am aware of), but Super Plastronics holds the brand licence for both in India, hence the familial reference. Time to see if Germany can score one over France in this clash of QLED TVs.
Blaupunkt 50QD7010 QLED TV – Design and connectivity: 7/10The design of this TV is aesthetically pleasing with a near lack of bezels on three sides and a metallic strip running across the bottom bezel. Below it is a trapezoid chin that hosts a bunch of LEDs and receivers for far-field mics, along with a power LED and IR receiver. All these elements make it stand out from several other budget TVs. Just like the Thomson, the connectivity ports are located closer to the centre of the TV rather than near the edge, making them hard to access if you wall-mount it.
The TV can be wall-mounted or placed on a desk using the bundled mount or the metal stands respectively. The stands feel sturdy and hold the TV firmly in place without a wobble. You don’t just get a voice-enabled remote in the package but also far-field microphones on the TV that let you issue voice commands without pressing any button. More on both a little later. The necessary screws and a pair of AAA batteries are present in the package.
The connectivity department is almost identical to the Thomson QLED TV with most of the basics covered, barring one. You get three HDMI ports, one of which supports ARC, but no HDMI 2.1 ports here either. We believe every 4K TV launched in 2022 should have those. Beyond that, you have two USB 2.0 ports, Optical audio out, A/V input and a LAN port. Analogue audio output like a 3.5 mm headphone jack or a coaxial A/V out is missing. Wireless connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band WiFi with support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
Image Credit: Tech2 Ameya Dalvi
When you switch on the TV from a long standby, the mics just stop working and you need to restart the TV. Another issue for the next software update to address. If you have privacy concerns about the mics being always on, there is a physical switch underneath the chin to turn them off. But doing that turns on four yellow LEDs that cannot be switched off; something similar to the OnePlus U1S TV.
Blaupunkt 50QD7010 QLED TV – Price and verdictThe Blaupunkt 50QD7010 QLED TV is priced at Rs 35,999 with a one-year warranty, which is not a bad price for what it offers. While the fancy features like far-field mics often misfire, the TV does get the basics right with a lively picture, enjoyable sound, Google TV OS and decent connectivity options. It misses out on the newer HDMI 2.1 ports which I would have happily traded for the hands-free voice commands feature, but the HDR format support is good.
All in all, this Blaupunkt QLED TV is a decent option for its selling price. And if the company chooses to fix its minor shortcomings through a software update, it can be a very good option. However, if you do not care for far-field mics and can live with slightly less powerful audio output, you may want to consider the 50-inch variant of the Thomson QLED TV (Q50H1000) that sells for Rs 2,000 less than this Blaupunkt TV. The rest of the features are pretty much the same for both.