HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is generally very good, with a touch of noise reduction processing noted. Color accuracy is very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural, though color temperature is slightly on the cool side with images tending toward a bluish tone. Contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—is good, so images have some depth. Black levels are acceptable, though not the deepest, so dark scenes won't look hazy (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). Image brightness is good (with the backlight control turned up), making it a suitable choice for all but the sunniest rooms. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is slight display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). Severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content is excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing is very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Insignia has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs for this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. When we view the TV from the sides image quality degrades significantly. The picture shows a moderate loss of color, so flesh tones look a bit washed out. Black levels visibly brighten, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle is good. The picture shows only a slight change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Insignia TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SOUND QUALITY. This model's sound quality falls short with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass is lacking, but treble is nicely detailed, while the overall sound is a bit thin and closed in. The speakers produce 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 keeps the sound from distorting but also limits 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. The remote has a traditional design with a full number key pad. Consider the TV's stand is 48 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart TV provides Internet functionality with a selection of applications. This TV does not provide access to the Internet with access to a library of applications.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. A detachable power cord. No printed manual is included.
