The Seiki SE39UY04 is an Ultra HD television (also called UHD, or 4K) with 3840x2160 pixel resolution, four times that of a 1080p HDTV. As an LCD TV with LED backlighting, this Seiki not only functions as a regular HDTV, but it can also display higher-than-HD resolution movies and videos that are delivered in the Ultra HD format. Unfortunately, we have no commercially available UHD content to play on this TV at this time, so we could not evaluate this display's image quality with these high resolution videos. However, using an HD-to-UHD upconverting Blu-ray player, and our UHD images and test patterns we can offer a very good prediction of how well this display will perform with native UHD content. To evaluate this Seiki's overall performance we ran the TV through all our standard HDTV tests, most of which remain valid regardless of the video type, unless otherwise noted. Comments about this TV's UHD picture performance are provided.
PICTURE QUALITY This model's high-definition picture quality, though good, was below that of most other sets. It did a very good job displaying fine detail. Edges of objects in the image stood out too much because of over-enhancement. Color accuracy was very good, with images looking quite natural. Color temperature was slightly on the warm side, lending images a reddish tone. Lack of contrast gave images a flatter appearance with little depth. Brightness level was only fair, dimmer than most, best-suited for a darker room. Black levels were only fair -- black areas of the image were too bright, and darker scenes looked unnaturally illuminated. Dark scenes, in particular, were lacking in contrast, even though we did see evidence of an active local dimming effect which was not very ineffective. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the TV did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. Film mode operation for HD film-based content was only good with visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes on movies. Deinterlacing was very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
VIEWING ANGLE This Seiki has a moderate viewing angle overall, decent, but not quite as good as the better-performing LCD sets we've tested. The optimal seating position for best picture quality is directly in front of the TV. If your family is seated in chairs off to the side of the TV, they'll see decent but compromised image quality.
When we moved off to the sides the horizontal viewing angle was fair; the picture showed a strong loss of color so flesh tones looked very washed out, along with a slight color shift. Black levels brightened significantly, making dark scenes look hazy. 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.
ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE To test UHD picture performance we used our reference 4K upconverting Blu-ray player, the OPPO BDP-103, with its video output set to 3840x2160 resolution. While the Oppo can't yield the full performance of native UHD content, we can nevertheless determine how well the TV preserves the image quality of a variety of HD videos that have been upconverted to the UHD format. Based on our observations we rate this Seiki as having only decent UHD picture performance. After adjusting the picture settings for best fidelity using our calibration procedure, upconverted 4K picture quality showed visible edge enhancement and other processing effects which reduced image fidelity. Though the picture was very detailed and colors were generally fine, people and objects looked less natural on the Seiki, and not as accurate as we've seen on better performing Ultra HD TVs, which is disappointing. We anticipate that playback of native UHD content on this TV will yield full 4K detail, but we don't believe you'll see the pristine clarity we expect from the best Ultra HD content. How does this TV do with1080p? Since you'll likely watch mostly regular HD programs for the near term, we also checked to see how well this Seiki's internal HD-to-UHD upconverter performs on 1080p input video. We found that Seiki's upconversion was not very good, clearly inferior to the Oppo's output quality, and to that of other UHDs we've tested. Jaggies along the edges of objects, whether still or in motion were more obvious on the Seiki, though this is only visible when viewing from up close. In addition to our video tests, we also confirmed that digital photos played back via the USB port do take full advantage of the display's 4K resolution, a plus. On the other hand, Seiki provides no picture adjustments in photo viewing mode, which in this case would be very helpful since Seiki applies considerable oversharpening to Photos and there was no way we could reduce it. If you're not a picky viewer, you'll definitely appreciate the added 4K detail, but pictures don't look natural.
MOTION BLUR This Seiki TV has only fair motion performance, with significant blurring on our motion tests. Though it claims to have a higher frame rate than 60Hz, a feature designed to reduce motion blur, it could not be found in the menu, and performance was worse than on models with an effective similar feature. On typical program content, the blurring effect is often fleeting and may not bother most people. However, keen-eyed viewers may detect the loss of texture and detail on scenes with movement, especially in high-quality video such as a Blu-ray movie.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY Though not as mirror-like as on some LCDs, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. The screen is dark so it does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast even in a bright room.
SOUND QUALITY This TV's sound is only fair, acceptable for typical programming but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. It has a limited volume range allowing the TV to play just adequately loud. At more typical listening volume levels the TV's sound lacks bass, is bright sounding, and is noticeably thin-sounding. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system to this set.
EASE OF USE Overall, we found the set easy to use. Setting up the TV for the first time was very easy, as was access to features and controls you'll probably adjust only once. Ease of access to features you typically use more often was good. Also, the remote is satisfactory, and the on-screen menu is very easy to navigate.
Lacks the ability to add custom labels to different input sources.
STAND ASSEMBLY Mounting the TV to the included one-piece support stand is easy.
INTERNET FEATURES This TV does not have access to the Internet.
CONNECTIONS This TV includes three HDMI inputs, one shared connection between the component and composite inputs (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time), one VGA input, coaxial digital audio out, and two USB ports. This TV has no type of wireless connectivity. The cable connections on the rear panel are recessed with side or bottom-facing ports, so wires don't protrude beyond the display's depth.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX The TV comes with: a printed user manual, an electronic manual in the TV's menu, a quick start guide, a remote with batteries, and provided cables (1 HDMI). ABOUT FIRMWARE VERSION: Our test results and picture settings are valid for the version of firmware indicated. If your TV's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the TV's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your TV via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable), USB port, or memory card, depending on your TV's capability. You can check your TV's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer's website if further guidance is needed.
