HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was only decent. HD image detail was generally excellent, but color accuracy was below that of most models and the lack of a tint control prevented optimization. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--was good, but highlights tended to look a bit overbrightened possible due to some dynamic contrast processing. Black level was generally good, though not as dark as better performers on the darkest scenes (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). The picture could be driven to a fairly high brightness level with the backlight turned up, so the picture is well suited for a very sunny room. A lower backlight setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. There was visible banding (unnatural contours) on scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, rather than smooth transitions. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was poor with visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing was only good, with some jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Polaroid 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 viewed the TV from the sides image quality degraded significantly. The picture showed a strong loss of color, so flesh tones looked very 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 good. The picture showed some change in color, contrast, and black level.
MOTION BLUR. This Polaroid TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This is better than average for LCD displays with the basic 60Hz frame rate. 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 notably absent, but treble was nicely detailed, while the overall sound was overly bright, and notably thin and closed in. The volume from its speakers was limited -- just adequate for a smaller, quiet listening environment and without obvious distortion. 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. Polaroid includes a traditional button keypad remote for control of basic functions. The labels on the buttons are rather small and not so easy to read in a dimmer viewing environment. It includes buttons that allow direct access to streaming services from Netflix and YouTube. It lacks the ability to add custom labels to different input sources. The TV's stand is 32 inches wide.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV provides basic Internet functionality with a limited selection of applications. Movie streaming services include Netflix and YouTube.
CONNECTIONS. This model has two 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 one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV. Analog connections are made via special breakout cable adapters (included) that attach to the TV as single plugs.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
