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If you thought AOC only made monitors, think again. In fact, AOC is a global brand that has sold over a billion large screens around the world, with factories in China, Mexico, Brazil, and Thailand. For 50 years, AOC has been producing reliable TVs and monitors that undergo rigorous testing before hitting the market.
And now, the brand has launched their new AOC U8030 TV—a 4K resolution panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, complete with Google TV installed for all your entertainment needs.
The AOC U8030 comes in three sizes: 50”, 55”, and 65”. We got the chance to get a hands-on experience with the largest model, the 65” TV. Here’s what we thought of it.
Design & Build
Aesthetically, the AOC 65U8030 is a stunner. It has a near-bezel-less design (except for the bottom part), which, combined with sturdy leg stands, gives it a premium look. The TV is also well-equipped in terms of ports, ensuring easy connectivity with a range of devices, from gaming consoles to soundbars.
The remote is ergonomically designed and feels comfortable to hold. It's designed to allow you to make the most of Google TV, with a unique Daily Key button that lets users map their favourite app for quick access. This is a pretty unique feature on the AOC 65U8030, as most other TVs normally have fixed shortcuts for apps. With the Daily Key button, you can choose which streaming service you want to have a button’s touch away!
Display
On its own, the AOC 65U8030 TV’s QLED screen has pretty good colours, with a very neutral colour saturation that we noticed right off the bat. No colour is overwhelming, so everything feels like it was tuned properly. The TV supports HDR10+, so it’s no surprise that it performs decently when it comes to colour accuracy.
Of course, like most other TVs, the AOC 65U8030 TV also offers multiple picture profiles. We found the Standard and Vivid modes to be the best ones, as they provide the best viewing experience in terms of colour and saturation. Movie mode tended to make everything too warm, making it feel like every movie is a Western cowboy film—not exactly the most ideal for shows like, say, Barbie. Then again, you can always head over to the user profile and adjust the image based on your preferences.
Another one of the standout features of this TV is its excellent viewing angles, which removes the hassle of having to move the TV around depending on your living room setup.
Sound
For a budget-friendly TV, the AOC 65U8030 has a pretty decent sound quality for what it’s worth. It does support Dolby Atmos, which does its part in enhancing the overall audio experience.
While the bass could be punchier for more explosion-heavy scenes, the sound is satisfactory for most regular content such as TV shows and sports. We also found that the audio sounds best when DTS mode is turned on.
Software
Now, this was what really interested us on this TV. Instead of the regular, boring Android TV interface, the AOC 65U8030 runs Google TV, which looks much sleeker and integrates better with your Google accounts, which we prefer over proprietary operating systems in other branded TVs that seem to be the norm these days.
Upon booting up, the TV will require you to sign in to at least one Google account, so after that, all Google apps are instantly linked and synced on the TV as well as across your Android and Google devices. No more typing in the same email five hundred times just to get to Netflix!
Being a Google TV, naturally, the AOC 65U8030 comes with the Google Play Store, so you can download a plethora of apps, enhancing the TV's versatility. You’ll also get exclusive Google TV features like ambient mode, tailored recommendations, and Google Photos synced to your TV, just to name a few!
Conclusion
For a 65” TV at this price, we certainly think that the AOC U8030 TV is a great contender for the affordable TV segment. Granted, you might want to hook it up to a soundbar for a better audio experience, but all in all, the AOC 65U8030 TV is a great television choice for those on a budget but still seeking quality entertainment experiences.
[This article was written in collaboration with AOC]