The Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV Is Loud and Proud, But Is It Good Enough?
The Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV is a budget-friendly smart TV that packs a punch, literally. It boasts a massive 50W speaker system, promising an immersive audio experience that outperforms most other models in its price range. But while the sound quality is undeniably impressive, does the CyberSound TV deliver on its promise of picture quality as well? This review delves into the nitty-gritty of the Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV’s performance, exploring its design, features, and whether it’s the right choice for you.
Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV design and specifications
The CyberSound 43-inch TV adheres to the design standard of most affordable televisions, featuring a simple plastic frame, slim borders, and a minimalist aesthetic to keep the viewer’s focus on the screen. Adding a subtle touch of flair, a thin silver-colored strip runs along the bottom of the frame, showcasing the Blaupunkt logo and housing the status light and IR receiver.
The TV is surprisingly thin, allowing it to blend seamlessly into any setup. It can be mounted on the wall using standard VESA hooks or placed on the included stands, which require a wider table due to their placement towards the outer edges. A wall-mount kit is included in the box and Blaupunkt even offers free installation with your purchase.
Weighing in at around 6.5 kg, the CyberSound 43-inch TV is lightweight enough for easy lifting and individual installation. However, if you are unfamiliar with the process, opting for professional installation is always recommended.
Beyond the 43-inch model, this range also includes a 50-inch and 55-inch variant, priced at Rs. 36,999 and Rs. 40,999 respectively. Both these larger models share nearly identical specifications with the 43-inch version – the only difference being the screen size. Choosing the right size depends on your individual viewing distance and available space in your home.
The CyberSound 43-inch TV boasts a 43-inch Ultra-HD (3840×2160-pixel) LED-backlit IPS LCD screen with a standard refresh rate of 60Hz and a rated peak brightness of 450 nits. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) content up to the HDR10+ format and features Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby MS12 processing, further enhancing the viewing experience.
However, the absence of Dolby Vision support is a notable omission, especially considering competitors like the Realme Smart TV 4K 43 and the Mi TV 5X offer this feature at similar price points.
Connectivity options on the CyberSound 43-inch TV include three HDMI ports, two USB ports, Ethernet, Optical (Toslink) audio out, an antenna connector, and a composite AV input socket for use with a three-way RCA adapter. Although the specifications list a headphone jack for external audio connectivity, this feature was absent on the review unit.
The TV also supports HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It is powered by a quad-core processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage to accommodate the Android TV 10 software and apps.
Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV remote and features
Contrary to the trend of small, minimalistic remotes on affordable televisions, the CyberSound 43-inch TV features a significantly larger remote equipped with numerous buttons, including a number pad, D-pad for navigation, hotkeys for Netflix, YouTube and Google Play, a Google Assistant button, and playback controls. This design ensures a highly functional user experience and eliminates the need to repeatedly switch between screens or resort to using multiple button presses.
The remote, powered by two AAA batteries (included in the box), offers dedicated buttons for key functions such as changing the source and accessing picture and sound settings from any screen. An info button provides basic technical details in supported apps. While appearing bulky and rather ordinary, the remote proves to be incredibly functional and useful, prioritizing practicality over aesthetics – a winning combination when it comes to TV remote design.
The CyberSound 43-inch TV also offers built-in Google Chromecast functionality and support for Apple AirPlay. While the Google Chromecast worked seamlessly with both screen mirroring and direct content, setting up AirPlay was a bit more challenging. It required a third-party app from the Google Play Store, AirScreen, as the TV couldn’t connect with a source device directly from the Android TV home screen.
Once properly configured, the TV successfully connected to and functioned normally with both a MacBook Air and iPhone. Google Assistant is also integrated into the TV and can be accessed through a dedicated button on the remote for a smooth and responsive experience.
Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV software and interface
The CyberSound 43-inch TV runs Android TV 10 with the stock Android TV launcher. This familiar smart TV experience will be a delight for existing Android TV users. Even for first-time smart TV users, Android TV offers a user-friendly experience, often considered the best among the various available smart TV platforms.
The Google Play Store for Android TV enables downloading apps and games. Certain apps are essential for utilizing all the TV’s features, including the AirScreen app mentioned earlier. Several apps come preinstalled on the CyberSound 43-inch TV, including Netflix, YouTube, and Google Play Movies.
Most popular apps and streaming services are readily available for download and the remote is fully optimized for their control. The television also offers a quick boot time of around five seconds from standby, and around 45 seconds for a full reboot or restarting after the main power was turned off.
While the complete range of settings can be accessed through the Android TV home screen and settings menu, some core settings for picture and sound can be adjusted by pressing the ‘Menu’ button on the remote from anywhere within the interface, even during content playback. This allows for on-the-go adjustments and immediate feedback on any changes made to the TV’s performance. Specific picture modes are available for HDR, with the TV automatically detecting HDR content and selecting an appropriate mode.
Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV performance
As the model name clearly suggests, the Blaupunkt 43-inch Ultra-HD LED CyberSound Android TV is heavily focused on sound performance. However, it also holds its own when it comes to picture capabilities.
Equipped with an Ultra-HD screen with HDR support up to HDR10+ format, a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, and support for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby MS12 processing, and DTS TruSurround, it delivers a competent visual experience.
Despite the absence of Dolby Vision HDR format and Dolby Atmos sound format, which are featured in competing models like the Realme Smart TV 4K 43, the CyberSound 43-inch TV does an exceptional job of showcasing high-quality content with a decent level of detail when played in its native resolution.
The difference between full-HD and Ultra-HD content is visibly apparent, further enhancing the viewing experience. Although the TV offers support for HDR content, it doesn’t show a significant improvement over standard dynamic range content. This can be attributed to the lack of Dolby Vision support, as well as the moderately low peak brightness of the TV.
While color accuracy is decent, and the picture remains sharp and clean with Ultra-HD HDR content, the Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV falls short in terms of brightness and punch. Watching episodes of Street Food: Asia on Netflix, the vibrant colors and dynamic energy of various food markets across Asia weren’t effectively captured by the TV.
The picture often becomes difficult to discern clearly in bright daylight, and increasing the brightness and backlighting only exacerbates the issue, leading to a gray haze. Although drawing the curtains helps improve the picture, night scenes remain challenging to watch in normal conditions. Several scenes in the Cebu episode of Street Food: Asia appeared completely gray, lacking the necessary level of detail.
This brings us to the black levels of the Blaupunkt CyberSound TV. The unusual brightness management and the impact of backlighting on the picture combine to create blacks that don’t appear truly black. Instead, nighttime and dark scenes often exhibit a gray wash that significantly hinders viewing pleasure. HDR performance also feels inconsistent, while standard dynamic range content appears more visually exciting and harmonious.
These flaws are most noticeable when watching content with low production value, where the TV struggles to enhance fast-moving video or scenes shot in non-photogenic settings. However, watching TV shows and movies with carefully constructed sets, like Comedy Premium League on Netflix and episodes of Loki on Disney+ Hotstar, was significantly better.
Despite the issues with brightness and color, the Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV delivers a sharp picture with clean motion, leaving no serious complaints on this front.
Full-HD content on the CyberSound 43-inch TV was almost as good as Ultra-HD content, thanks to effective upscaling, particularly evident in episodes of The Good Place and Parks and Recreation, as well as Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw. Intriguingly, crisp, in-studio filming techniques, along with bright sets and colors, seemed to maximize the TV’s visual performance.
Lower-resolution content, especially kids’ videos on YouTube, looked decent enough and showcased reasonably good upscaling. While the brightness and color issues persist, content that is already colorful and bright enough tends to perform well on the TV.
Sound quality is prominently highlighted as a key feature of the Blaupunkt CyberSound TV series. The 43-inch model houses a 50W quad-speaker system, with downwards firing speakers that deliver a remarkably loud and clean sound experience, outperforming most other options in this price segment. Even at low to medium volume levels, the CyberSound 43-inch TV is exceptionally loud, and the well-tuned speaker system makes it easy to understand the dialogue in movies and TV shows.
Turning up the volume to its maximum level produces an incredibly loud sound, though it does introduce some minor quirks in the sound quality that you wouldn’t typically experience with a quality soundbar with front-firing speakers. However, volume levels are consistent with limited spikes during loud scenes or music playback. Keeping the volume at medium to slightly high levels results in a pleasant and enjoyable listening experience. The Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV easily claims the title of the loudest and best-sounding television available around Rs. 30,000, eliminating the need for an external soundbar or speaker system.
Verdict
The concept of a television prioritizing sound quality isn’t new, but such offerings remain uncommon in the budget segment. The Blaupunkt CyberSound 43-inch TV stands out with its emphasis on sound performance, and its impressive 50W speaker system delivers loud, clean sound that surpasses most options in its price bracket. However, this TV falls slightly behind its competition in terms of picture quality.
Although the CyberSound 43-inch TV performs well with bright content across various resolutions, its subpar brightness and black levels are disappointing, especially when playing dark content. While the Ultra-HD resolution provides a sharp picture, the lack of Dolby Vision support and generally moderate performance with HDR10+ content result in inconsistent picture quality, making some content challenging to watch.
If you primarily view full-HD or lower-resolution content with occasional 4K HDR movie and TV show watching, this Blaupunkt TV should suit your needs well. Prioritize sound quality when making your decision, but consider newer and more capable options like the Mi TV 5X, which offers superior picture and overall performance.
