HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality fell short. Image detail and texture was compromised by added noise reduction processing we could not turn off. There was also some clipping of near black shadow detail which made dark areas of the image look overly dark. Color accuracy was very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, so images had depth and dimension. Black level was generally good, though a clear step down from better performers on the darkest scenes (quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). Image brightness was only fair, dimmer than most even with the backlight turned up, and is not the best choice for a bright room. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Element has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing TVs we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of this model. When we viewed the TV from the sides, image quality got worse. The picture showed a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones looked a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was very good. The picture showed minimal change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Element TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass was lacking in depth and a bit in definition, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression kept the sound from distorting but also limited the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be a bit distracting on some audio content. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Element includes a traditional button keypad remote for control of basic functions. It includes buttons for direct access to streaming services including Netflix, VUDU, YouTube and Pandora. The high contrast labels on the buttons make them easier to read in a dimmer viewing environment. It lacks the ability to add custom labels to different input sources. Consider the TV's stand is 43 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides basic Internet functionality with a selection of applications via its "Streaming" portal. Movie streaming services include Netflix and YouTube.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time). It also has two USB ports, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port, a VGA video input, WiFi wireless networking; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries.
