Honeywell Altura MLX 42-inch HDTV

There are inexpensive sets with great performance, excellent picture quality and sufficient features that would make purchasing them worthwhile. From time to time, manufacturers will give us sets with those criteria. The Honeywell Altura MLX may look like a bargain for an HDTV, but looking closely the set ultimately disappoints.

The 42-inch Honeywell Altura MLX is a tempting bargain. Priced at around $1040, its hard to pass up on a 42-inch HDTV at this price range. But don’t be fooled, its sound and video quality are one of the major setbacks for this TV.

First let’s tackle the MLX’s layout. Lot’s of people thought that its layout is a little bit clumsy, and that makes it hard for users to attach other peripherals on this set. The inputs are inconveniently situated in the back in a recessed and downward-facing panel. For minimalist who doesn’t want to see wires lying around the side, this might be the choice, but connecting cables into the TV can be a real pain. Unlike other TVs out there in the market, the MLX doesn’t have easy-access inputs on the side or front.

Another issue that is worth noting is the lack of a configuration wizard to handle setup. I guess the manufacturer expected everyone to just know what their doing right away.

In tests, the Altura MLX also didn’t fair very well in both audio and video. For video, the MLX has very poor resolutions and colors are not that vibrant. Images lacked definition and the set has trouble with motion, too.

The set also lacks surround-sound emulation, and it doesn’t demonstrate much dynamic range between quiet sounds and loud ones. This TV’s design makes it unintuitive to use, as well. For instance, you must press the remote’s Menu button to return to the previous menu. Most TV remotes have a back or an arrow key, but I guess Altura wanted to be different on this one. Furthermore, there are no on-screen explanations and no shortcut menu for frequently changed options.

The set also does not support SD Cards, USB, or any other special features.

Even with its extremely affordable price, users will have a hard time liking this HDTV. It has unspectacular features and its audio and video quality is something that needs improvement on.