RCA LED46A55R120Q is pricewise at the lower end of 3D compatible products, but that doesn’t mean that does not have its plusses. Out of the box this sleek ultrathin TV looks like it would look good anywhere in your place of residence. In fact, if you were to be selecting your TV based off of aesthetics alone, this TV would be up towards the top regardless of the price range. The question remains though, upon closer inspection of its picture and other technical qualities, can this TV help pull RCA back into being a major player in the television market?
RCA LED46A55R120Q Image
The RCA LED46A55R120Q, with its full 1080P resolution, has widely been commended for its good picture quality. Its 4,000:1 contrast ratio is very good for a TV of this price and helps to create an incredibly deep color spectrum that you don’t get with many other products. As can be said for all TV’s with LED backlighting, its brightness is in the upper level of the television market. On top of this, while its 120 HZ refresh rate may not be at the top of the market, it is more than adequate for most uses.
This holds especially true for people who are used to a 60 Hz refresh rate, who will be shocked at how much less blurry intense action scenes are on a 120 Hz television. This is also a good TV to use in a room that will receive lots of light, as its true life screen will help to prevent any glare. Also, thanks to the digital noise reducer, you can be assured that you will get a crisp picture without any interference.
As can be expected, the RCA LED46A55R120Q is not without its flaws. For starters, unfortunately for gamers and sports fans its 4.5ms refresh time is slow in comparison to many other options out there. While 4.5ms may sound good it can often decide whether you can see things like who crossed the finish line first in a tight race. However, its biggest reported problem is its narrow viewing cone which is a problem that has plagued many RCA products.
While the RCA LED46A55R120Q looks great when sitting directly in front of it, its quality drastically drops dramatically as you start to move to either side. While this may not be a problem in a residence that consists of either a couch or a couple of chairs directly in front of the TV, it is a real annoyance and problem in households that have a couch off to the side of the TV as well.
RCA LED46A55R120Q Sound
While the image may be overall a bit disappointing, this product manages to impress in the sound department. It possesses two speakers that are eight watts a piece, which is fairly standard for TV speakers. Where this product does stand out though, is in its virtual surround mode. This virtual surround ranks up there with the top of the marked and is perfect for somebody that either cannot install a surround sound system or does not want to pay the money for one. Obviously while this sound quality will be good for a large majority of people, it will not satisfy everybody.
If you are a sound junky that has gotten used to your large home theater system and surround sound system, these built-in speakers will obviously pale in comparison to what you are used to. Luckily for you, the RCA LED46A55R120Q comes with plenty of inputs for you to beef up the sound system.
Bells and Whistles
We have gotten past the days where a good picture and great sound is all that matters, people now want to know what else a TV offers. As could be expected due to the price tag of this product, the answer is very little. Other than its 4 HDMI inputs for the user with tons of entertainment devices (some would also find it worth noting that it also comes with a variety of other connections such as VGA, component, and audio), a USB port to view pictures from, and energy efficiency it is your standard bare bones TV. However, it is worth noting that their energy efficiency was deemed good enough to receive an energy star certification.
Also, if you choose not to mount your TV, it comes with a full swivel stand that allows you to rotate the TV to wherever you are facing. The sturdiness of the swivel stand has come under question though, so you might want to keep the swiveling to a minimum.
RCA LED46A55R120Q Quality
One question that often arises when dealing with an RCA product is what is the quality of the parts like, and how long will this TV last me. This is a legitimate question, as if you have a TV that is constantly breaking; it does not do you much good to buy in the lower price range to begin with. While the TV has not really been around long enough to really judge it in this category, so far things have been very smooth.
There have obviously been occasional complaints about something breaking, like can be expected with any piece of technology, but there has not been a problem that has been consistently found throughout its first year of existence. Also, if you do happen to be one of the unlucky ones that grab a TV that happens to break in the first year, your TV comes with a one year warranty.
PROS
- One of the best pictures for its price on the market
- Good sound in comparison to other built in speakers
- Ample ports for all your entertainment needs
- Very aesthetic
CONS
- Narrow viewing angle
- Fairly bare bones
- Stand is not very sturdy
- 4.5ms refresh time is a bit slow for some applications
The Final Verdict
While it may have its flaws, the RCA LED46A55R120Q 3D TV is great for somebody that is on a budget. This holds especially true if your room only has seating directly in front of the TV and you will not be doing much gaming on it. While the RCA LED46A55R120Q will certainly not be taking the market by storm, RCA has produced a solid product that will make many happy that they have one of the top products in its price range.
