For the last several years, Samsung has been on something of a creative bender with its home entertainment products, namely its smart TVs. Case in point, the brand showed off The Sero to the world back in April 2019 before bringing it over to Malaysia earlier this year.
Sero, the Korean word for “vertical”, is also the self-describing term of the product’s nature; a verticle-style TV, fitted with a 43-inch 4K QLED panel that also rotates into the horizontal mode the world’s more accustomed to. Oddly enough, Samsung’s benching on The Sero’s unique design on being a selling point towards the younger, hip generation.
The TV looks good, and I’m not just saying that for the sake of it; looking at it up close, I can actually see the appeal of The Sero. In its default state, its long, vertical design makes it an ideal piece of furniture or passive art in just about any room. That effect, by the way, is further compounded by the TV’s ambient mode.
As a TV, however, there are definitely a fair number of questions I have about The Sero’s design and accessibility. The first is the default and only angle for The Sero. Whether you’re viewing in its vertical or horizontal state, the TV’s viewing angle is perpetually stuck in one setting, and it’s the one you can see in the picture.
The Sero can also be moved around, thanks to the detachable wheels designed for its base. The bad news is, those wheels seem to be a separate accessory, and can be purchased for just RM299.
But enough of that, let’s talk about The Sero’s 43-inch display. Like the product itself, Samsung has clearly spared no expense for it and as such, its panel uses the brand’s 4K QLED technology. The final results of this display are bright, crisp, sharp, and detailed images and video output; basically, all the key details I have come to expect of Samsung’s more premium TVs.
Of course, I can’t speak about The Sero without talking about the main attraction: its ability to switch between a vertical and horizontal state, depending on the orientation on your phone. Mind you, the auto-rotation only works with a Samsung smartphone, but I was assured by one of Samsung’s representatives that the TV can still be paired with other Android devices. They’ll just have to manually switch between modes via the provided TV remote.
As for its audio output, I’m happy to tell you that the 60W 4.1 channel speakers definitely work as intended. At high volume, they’re loud and give no indication of breaking, while its bass is surprisingly deep, but not to the point that it creates a reverb effect.
Word to the wise: if you intend to stream music from your phone through The Sero on apps such as Spotify, it’s probably a good idea to make sure the app itself is pre-installed on the TV’s OS first. Otherwise, the audio experience actually feels a little muted and won’t be quite as loud.
The Sero currently retails for RM6999 and at the moment, Samsung is also giving away a free Air Purifier for each purchase of the TV in conjunction with the on-going National Day promotion.
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