Two years ago Prism+ entered the Malaysian market with the Prism+ Q65-QE which is one of the most affordable large screen Android TVs on the market. After almost two years Prism+ Q65 Ultra was introduced in Malaysia which is an update model to Q65-QE. What are the improvements of this year's model and has it managed to maintain its status as one of the best value smart TVs in the local market? This review will answer this question.
Specifications
PRISM+ Q65-Ultra
65-inch Screen Size
Resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels (60Hz)
QLED panel
Chip Chip 4X Cortex A53
Memory 2GB RAM
11GB ROM storage
Android TV 11 Operating System With Google TV
HDR Yes / Dolby Vision
Maximum Description Unknown
20W audio, Dolby Atmos
I/O 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x ARC)
2x USB-A 2.0
1x RF
1x AV
1x Optical audio
1x Lan
DTTV Yes/DVB-T2
Google Assistant Virtual Assistant
Internet LAN/ WiFi 5GHz
Bluetooth BT 5.1
Chromecast Yes
AirPlay 2 None
Size 1445 x 902 x 325 mm (with base)
Weight 18.6 kg (with base)
Selling Price RM 3299
Design
There is nothing spectacular about the design of the PRISM+ Q65 Ultra as it is similar to the Q65-QE that we have reviewed before. A minor change was made to the bottom bezel which now has a shiny metal bar in place of the plastic black bar. It makes the Q65-Ultra look more stylish and premium. The TV bezel is still thin compared to TV designs produced by other popular brands.
A 65″ screen with 4K resolution support from the QLED type replaces the previous LED panel. It also supports Dolby Vision's HDR format which is given to the Q65 Pro and Q86 Pro. There are two iron feet that need to be screwed into the bottom if the television is to be placed on a table surface.
The legs are a big try to keep the television stable on the table. What makes us disappointed is that the panel is still 60Hz while in the current market 120Hz panels are becoming more popular to support the latest generation of consoles and also PCs that can achieve higher refresh rates.
The space divided under the base is only 64mm which is smaller when compared to the Q65-QE which has a space of 77mm. For those who like to put the Astro TV box, Apple TV and PlayStation 4 this space still allows these three devices to be placed under the TV but it is now quite narrow. The width of the footprint increased from 290mm to 325mm which makes the TV more stable when placed on a table surface.
If you want to hang the TV, there is also a 400×200 mm VESA pole. The overall weight of the Q65-Ultra is 18.6 kilograms which is relatively light when compared to other TVs in the same class.
I/O options are 3X HDMI 2.0 (with one HDMI ARC), 2X USB-A 2.0, RJ45 LAN, AV in, optical audio output, and RF. For those who need digital television, a DVB-T2 decoder is included. A little disappointing there is no HMDI 2.1 as the QLED panel can only achieve a 120Hz refresh rate.
All I/O are placed on the left side of the television with all connection ports pointing to the side. This greatly facilitates the connection of various cables and accessories when the television is suspended. The power connection port is located on the right side with a cable that has a 90 degree bend again to facilitate the process of hanging the TV.
Internet support is via LAN or WiFi 5GHz. A good improvement as the previous model only supported the relatively slow 2.4GHz WiFi. Fast internet is required if you want to stream 4K HDR content smoothly.
Usage And Visual Quality
Visual quality is satisfactory. Better than LED panels but not as good as OLED panels. The screen is bright and clear with no noticeable blooming effect when there is a bright light source. The black color also looks black instead of gray as is the usual issue on LED TVs. Even in bright situations the Q65-Ultra panel can display content clearly.
Viewing angles are also good without the viewer having to be right in front of the screen to see bright visuals. We do not know the maximum brightness level of this TV panel as it is not listed by Prism+ on their site.
There are Vivid, Standard, Sport, Movie, User and Energy Saving settings provided if the user wants a different visual profile. When Dolby Vision content is detected, the options Dolby Vision Bright, Dolby Vision Dark, Dolby Vision Vivid, Dolby Vision Standard and Dolby Vision Game are given.
Picture settings are accessed by entering the TV Settings menu option. For those who want the settings most compatible with movies, there is also Filmmaker Mode. In addition to Dolby Vision, HDR10+ content is also supported by the Q65-Ultra.
What we don't like is that on the Q65-Ultra, the process of changing the picture mode (Picture Mode) and audio is now more and more difficult. Every time it tries to convert the video will freeze and require several button presses first. On the Q65-QE, just press the Settings button and go to Picture Mode. The video is viewed still in motion with color changes visible in real time. This cannot be done on the Q65-Ultra. Why is the new model less user-friendly than the old model?
When watching content at native 4K resolution, everything looks bright, sharp, alive and vibrant. The issue is only visible when 480P and below content is viewed. There is no upscaling system included on this TV, so the quality of the broken image seems even more noticeable on this 65″ screen.
The lack of upscale features is an issue we have been complaining about since the Q65-QE since most of the content on the internet is not native 4K. On a streaming platform like HBO GO that has unsatisfactory video quality, this good QLED panel cannot be fully utilized and this is a huge disadvantage for the user.
Gaming
As we mentioned above, the Q65-Ultra only uses a 60Hz panel. For gaming needs on PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch this may be sufficient. But in 2023 the PS5, Xbox Series X and PC consoles support refresh rates up to 120Hz. Therefore the absence of high refresh rates, NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync and VRR is quite noticeable.
The good news is that we didn't see any significant ghosting issues throughout the review period. We played Forza Horizon 5 which has fast graphics with no issues. Too bad the panels on this TV can't go faster.
Android TV 11 With Google TV
The Q65-Ultra uses the latest Android TV 11-based Google TV operating system. The Google TV interface looks more attractive, neat and has more information that users need. As owners of Chromecast with Google TV, we like this interface because it is more in line with the interface used on Android smartphones.
Google TV also has a profile feature that makes it easy for different users in the home to have their own interface. There is a personal profile, wife or child.
The panel and operating system are improved but the Q65-Ultra is still only equipped with 4x Cortex-A53 chips, Mali-G52 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 11GB of storage. This is the same chip as in the slightly older Q65-QE. As a result the performance of Google TV on the Q65-Ultra is less than satisfactory.
The time taken to boot up is quite slow around a minute. A far cry from the recently reviewed Samsung QN800C Tizen TV which took less than 20 seconds. After launching the TV it takes a few more minutes before it can be used smoothly. If we try to launch the application immediately, it will take around 30 seconds before it can be opened.
The small amount of RAM does not help because if many applications are launched simultaneously, the process of switching between applications is also slow. There are lags and the application is not responsive for some time. The experience is like using an entry-level phone Realme C53 which we have also reviewed.
The advantage of Google TV is that there are thousands of applications that can be downloaded because. App support is also very good with Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, HBO GO, iQiyi and more can be downloaded without any problem. The 11GB storage provided is also large enough because the previous model was only equipped with 4GB storage.
With the Android operating system, there is also built-in Chromecast support which is very useful for streaming content from your phone/tablet/computer directly to the TV. The only thing missing at the moment is AirPlay 2 because until now Google has refused to support this Apple system.
Another thing is that the USB-A 2.0 port used can read USB drives or hard drives formatted using FAT32 and NTFS only. If you use other formats like APFS for example, this external storage cannot be read by Android TV 11.
Remote control
The remote control this time is easier, compact and comfortable to hold in the hand. Still made of plastic but at least the buttons no longer feel cheap. The navigation system this time is placed on the same round button as the Chromecast remote control with Google TV, Apple TV 4K and Samsung.
There are four quick shortcut buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and another can be programmed yourself. This is a great feature because we ourselves programmed this fourth button for Disney+ Hotstar. No other manufacturer provides this feature on their remotes.
The back is rounded which makes the sharp boxy side issue on the previous Prism+ controller not repeat. The rather rough finish makes it not easy to trap dirt.
To use the remote control two AAA size batteries are required. Because the Q65-Ultra uses the Android TV with Google TV operating system, owners can also control it using the free downloadable Google TV app for Android and iOS.
Audio Quality
The 20W speaker supports Dolby Atmos and DTS TruSurround audio. The speakers shoot down and therefore the audio experience we enjoyed was not very encouraging especially after we just reviewed the Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN800C which is equipped with the best speaker system we have ever seen on a TV.
Audio feels pretty flat even with Atmos enabled. Doesn't feel comprehensive with Atmos effect not noticeable at all. When watching a movie with talking scenes and explosions going on at the same time, the dialogue is not very clear to hear. This TV speaker is not rubbish but it is not satisfactory either. We recommend that this TV be paired with a Dolby Atmos soundbar for an audio experience that is more in line with its good visual experience.
Conclusion
Prism+ Q65-Ultra is an updated model for Q65-QE and Q65-Pro due to the use of QLED panels which have better visual quality than LED panels. Colors appear more vibrant, the screen is brighter, and images appear sharper. Watching 4K content with Dolby Vision on this TV does not disappoint.
At a price of RM3299 it is marketed at a competitive price when compared to Samsung, Sony and Hisense TVs with the same size and panel. The use of Android TV with Google TV also ensures that the choice of applications that can be installed is very good.
We just have to say that it is affordable because it still uses the A53 quad-core chip that is quite old. The user experience is less smooth especially when trying to launch apps or switch between apps. The panel is also still 60Hz without HDMI 2.1 and a less than satisfactory 20W speaker. But if you want to be frugal and patient, the visual quality of the Q65 Ultra can cover the shortcomings we listed earlier.
Pro
Sharp 4K screen with satisfying description.
Dolby Vision support.
Using the latest version of Android TV 11 with many applications.
A tall TV stand for consoles, TV boxes and DVD players.
Good I/O options.
Affordable price.
Cons
20W speakers are less loud for Dolby Atmos.
Not smooth enough because of the old processor.
Panel up to 60Hz
No AirPlay 2.