The Amazon Hearth TV good TV platform is a robust interface with numerous options, notably the Alexa voice assistant, and we extremely advocate Hearth TV media hubs just like the Hearth TV Stick 4K and Hearth TV Dice. Up to now, although, we’ve been underwhelmed by TVs that use the Hearth TV platform, and even Amazon’s personal Hearth TV Omni upset us with its mediocre efficiency. The corporate has since up to date its TV, which is now known as the Hearth TV Omni QLED ($799.99 for the 65-inch mannequin). It’s solely barely costlier than the outgoing model, and whereas it isn’t an excessive amount of brighter than the unique, it has superior distinction and colour, and that makes it way more interesting, notably for devoted Alexa customers.
Editors’ Word: This assessment is predicated on testing carried out on the 65-inch mannequin Hearth TV Omni QLED. Other than the screen-size distinction, the $529.99 50-inch Hearth TV Omni QLED is similar in options, and we anticipate related efficiency.
A Easy, Engaging Design
The Hearth TV Omni QLED has an understated type that is change into typical of present high-end TVs. The display screen is framed by a barely there quarter-inch gunmetal grey bezel on the perimeters and prime, with a 3/4-inch brushed metallic strip on the underside edge. A black protrusion on the decrease bezel holds the far-field microphones and mic mute change.
The TV sits on two V-shaped metallic legs positioned nearer the perimeters. This implies it has to take a seat on one thing at the very least as large because the legs and would possibly negate sure narrower TV stands. It additionally helps normal VESA mounts.
The ability cable connects to a port on the left facet of the TV’s rear panel. All the opposite ports are on the precise facet, together with 4 HDMI ports (one eARC), a USB port, an Ethernet port, an optical audio output, a 3.5mm headphone output, a 3.5mm port for the included infrared blaster, and an antenna/cable connector.
The distant is similar to the one included with the Hearth TV Dice. It’s a skinny black wand with a round navigation pad close to the highest. The ability button, Alexa button, and pinhole microphone are above the nav pad. Menu and playback controls sit under the pad, with quantity and channel rockers farther down. Devoted service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix are positioned close to the underside of the distant.
Hearth TV With Arms-Free Alexa
The Hearth TV Omni QLED makes use of Amazon’s Hearth TV good TV platform, which makes it successfully work similar to a Hearth TV Dice. The interface helps most main streaming providers along with Amazon’s, together with Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Sling, Twitch, and YouTube. Music is accessible via each Amazon Music and a wide range of third-party providers, together with SiriusXM and Spotify. Gaming is accessible, too, through Amazon Luna, which you should use with a appropriate Bluetooth controller or the Amazon Luna controller.
Native display screen sharing through cellular gadgets is by far the largest weak point with Hearth TV, however the Hearth TV Omni QLED makes an enchancment over media streamers with the platform. Hearth TV on media streamers helps Miracast/WiDi, however lacks Apple AirPlay and Google Solid for simplified streaming immediately out of your telephone or pill. Nonetheless, the Hearth TV Omni QLED options Apple AirPlay as nicely, including to its flexibility.
Hearth TV allows you to use Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, and the Hearth TV Omni QLED’s far-field microphone array allows hands-free voice instructions. You’ll be able to merely say, “Alexa,” adopted by a request, and the TV will act. It really works in addition to the Hearth TV Dice, Hearth TV Omni, and different TVs with hands-free voice management; it ought to be capable to decide up your voice until the TV could be very loud.
Alexa can management the TV itself by opening apps and trying to find content material. It additionally supplies helpful data like climate forecasts and sports activities scores visualized on display screen and allows you to make voice and video calls with Amazon’s Drop In service, Skype, or Zoom (so long as you have got a appropriate webcam related for video). As well as, Alexa can management any appropriate good house gadgets in your community.
The Hearth TV platform allows a customizable ambient mode with useful widgets. You’ll be able to set the TV to point out completely different pictures, together with curated artwork and your personal photographs, then show extra widgets like your calendar, house sticky notes, and particulars corresponding to what’s at present on stay TV.
Not A lot Brighter, However It Appears a Lot Higher
The Amazon Hearth TV Omni QLED is a 4K TV that helps excessive dynamic vary (HDR) content material in Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log gamma (HLG). It has a 60Hz refresh price.
We check TVs utilizing a Klein Ok-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G sign generator, and Portrait Shows’ Calman software program. In our checks, the Hearth TV Omni QLED’s native dimming array didn’t make it wildly brighter than the Hearth TV Omni, nevertheless it did considerably enhance distinction. Out of the field, in Film Shiny mode with an SDR sign, the TV confirmed a peak brightness of 430 nits with a full-screen white area and 499 nits with an 18% white area, with a black stage of 0.007cd/m^2. With an HDR sign, peak brightness curiously dipped barely to 423 nits with a full-screen white area and 474 nits with an 18% white area. Its black stage was considerably decrease, although, at 0.004cd/m^2, for an efficient distinction ratio of 118,500:1. That’s an enormous soar in distinction from the Hearth TV Omni (334 nits peak brightness, 0.11cd/m^2 black stage, 3,033:1 distinction ratio). The Hisense U6H will get brighter at 588 nits, however with the next black stage of 0.03cd/m^2 it has a a lot decrease distinction ratio of 19,608:1.
The above charts present the Hearth TV Omni QLED’s colour ranges in Film Shiny mode with an SDR sign in contrast towards Rec.709 broadcast requirements, and with an HDR sign in contrast towards DCI-P3 digital cinema requirements. In each circumstances, whites are spot-on, which is an efficient begin for any TV. SDR colours are additionally nearly good, and whereas magentas are a little bit heat with an HDR sign, it nonetheless presents wonderful efficiency out of the field. Extra importantly, it is a step up in colour vary from the unique Hearth TV Omni.
The TV’s large colours make BBC’s Planet Earth II pop. The greens of leaves and the blues of water are wealthy and various, with good impartial steadiness for animal fur and bark. Effective particulars come via clearly in each direct daylight and shade.
The crimson of Deadpool’s costume within the overcast opening scenes of Deadpool is balanced and saturated regardless of the comparatively cool pictures. Later, within the burning lab struggle, the flames look pretty vivid and various, and shadow particulars could be discerned in the identical body with out trying washed out.
Regardless of its lack of serious brightness, the TV is sweet at exhibiting off the stark distinction of the celebration scenes in The Nice Gatsby. The white of shirts and balloons comes via prominently whereas the cuts and contours of black fits could be seen clearly. The black objects in frames look correctly darkish, although they don’t fairly attain into inkiness. Pores and skin tones additionally look balanced and pure.
Few Gaming Options
On paper, the Hearth TV Omni QLED gained’t maintain a lot curiosity to avid gamers. Whereas it options variable refresh price (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM), its panel is just 60Hz and it lacks AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. Nonetheless, it’s extraordinarily responsive.
Testing enter lag with an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix, we measured a latency of solely 3.2 milliseconds in Recreation mode, nicely under the 10ms threshold we use to find out if a TV is sweet for gaming.
An Reasonably priced TV for Alexa Followers
The Amazon Hearth TV Omni QLED resolves the largest points we had with the earlier mannequin. Whereas it might nonetheless be brighter, its distinction is way larger thanks to raised black ranges, and its colour vary is wider and correct out of the field. The Omni QLED can also be filled with options because of the Hearth TV platform and hands-free Amazon Alexa, and whereas it doesn’t have a whole lot of gamer-friendly bullet factors, its enter lag is low. For $40 greater than the retail value of the 2021 Hearth TV Omni, the QLED mannequin is a far superior selection.
This doesn’t essentially imply it’s one of the best finances TV obtainable, although. The Google TV-based Hisense U6H ($799.99 for 65 inches) nonetheless takes that distinction with a brighter panel and powerful colour efficiency (plus it’s usually on sale). The Hisense U8H stays our Editors’ Alternative for total worth because of its a lot brighter panel, and the TCL 6-Sequence Google TV is one other wonderful decide. For devoted Amazon Alexa customers, although, the Hearth TV Omni QLED is a worthwhile various.
