Vu is known for offering large-screen 4K and QLED TVs with premium features at competitive prices. It recently launched a series of MiniLED TVs in India in four different sizes, with a starting price of Rs 42,500. The Vu Glo MiniLED TV series is available in 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch variants. We’ve had the 55-inch variant for review, and here’s what our experience has been like.
Before we get into the review, let’s talk about MiniLED TVs and what makes them different. MiniLED TVs use thousands of smaller LEDs for backlighting, which allows better brightness, contrast, and black levels than conventional LED TVs. So, you’re essentially getting better picture quality in dark scenes and HDR content. You can also look at Mini-LED TVs as an affordable alternative to OLED TVs, which are priced much higher.
Design
There’s not much to say about TV designs, but the Vu MiniLED 55-inch TV adds its own flair with a silver aluminium bottom frame. This gives it a distinctive look while retaining a sleek, bezel-less design. The TV is otherwise slim and lightweight, weighing 11.5kg. For connectivity, you get three HDMI ports, one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port, a digital audio output, an earphone jack, AV IN, Ethernet, and a tuner.
Display
The Vu Glo MiniLED TV panel supports up to 600 nits of HDR brightness, along with Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG formats. It also features a 120Hz refresh rate. The TV comes with AI-driven picture enhancements, including black-level detail enhancement, dynamic contrast optimisation, and intelligent colour calibration, which are designed to add greater depth and clarity to the visuals. As explained earlier, MiniLED technology uses thousands of smaller LEDs for backlighting to deliver better brightness, contrast, and black levels.
In my experience, the display quality has been impressive across different types of content and streaming platforms. Whether it’s music videos on YouTube and Spotify or movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV, the TV delivers an enjoyable viewing experience.
Some examples include Widow’s Bay on Apple TV, Dead End Job and Nobody Wants This on Netflix, and the anime Frieren on Crunchyroll. Of these, Widow’s Bay was the most pleasing to watch, as it required virtually no adjustments to the display settings. The show’s predominantly dark, greyish colour palette, along with its dimly lit scenes, was handled particularly well, with the picture remaining consistent and comfortable to watch during both daytime and nighttime viewing. Dead End Job, on the other hand, is a much more colourful show with punchy contrasts, which the TV also reproduced nicely. My only minor gripe was with Nobody Wants This, which features several brightly lit scenes with sunny outdoor settings. Here, the picture occasionally appeared a little oversharpened, prompting me to switch to Cinema mode for a warmer, more natural-looking image.
Like most TVs, it can still reflect your shadow and surrounding light on the screen, particularly during the day or if the room is brightly lit. This is something OLED panels generally handle better, although the Vu MiniLED does a better job of managing reflections than the 4K LED TV I use personally. You also get several picture modes, including Standard, Dynamic, Cricket, Cinema, Game, Eye Care, and Personal. I mostly stick to Cinema mode, as it adds a warm tone that feels comfortable to the eyes.
Another handy feature lets you transfer photos from your smartphone, choose from different frame styles, and display artwork or family memories when the TV is idle.
Performance and software
The Vu Glo MiniLED TV is powered by a dual-architecture VuON AI processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. On the software front, it runs Google TV, one of the most widely used smart TV platforms in India. Setting up the TV is fairly straightforward, with most of the process handled through your Google account. However, the interface felt a little sluggish at first, though performance improved after some use.
Google TV offers a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface, with the home screen bringing together your frequently used apps, recently watched content, and personalised recommendations based on your viewing habits. You also get Gemini-powered assistance, built-in Chromecast and AirPlay, along with Apple HomeKit support. That said, Google TV still has room to improve how it handles content discovery. For instance, the Continue Watching section only showed a shortcut for Amazon Prime Video, with no similar integration for apps such as Netflix or Apple TV. Content recommendations were also largely dominated by Prime Video, with a few suggestions from Apple TV. While the platform does a decent job of making the home screen feel personalised, better integration across streaming services would make the experience better.
If you prefer voice commands, the remote has a dedicated button to access Gemini, allowing you to search for apps and content without navigating through menus. There are also dedicated hotkeys for popular streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video. Interestingly, Vu bundles two remote controls with the TV, which adds to the convenience. Both also feature dedicated Live TV and Cricket buttons. The former takes you to a separate interface for accessing live channels, much like a traditional television experience, while the latter activates a dedicated cricket mode for watching matches. You can also install apps that offer live TV streaming, giving you more options beyond conventional cable or DTH services.
Overall, the software experience is feature-rich and easy to navigate, although the occasional sluggishness and limited cross-platform content recommendations leave some room for improvement.
Sound
For audio, the Vu Glo MiniLED TV packs a 50W 2.2-channel VuFX Dolby Atmos speaker system, comprising two main speakers and two woofers. The TV gets impressively loud, making it suitable even for larger living rooms and halls. Even in a bedroom, the audio output felt more than powerful, with Dolby Atmos adding noticeable spatial depth and a wider soundstage for a more immersive viewing experience. The speakers also maintained consistent output across different types of content, with no noticeable distortion, crackling, or abrupt changes in sound quality at higher volumes. Overall, the built-in audio system is capable enough for everyday viewing and entertainment without necessarily requiring an external soundbar.
Verdict
The Vu Glo MiniLED TV is a compelling option for those looking to upgrade to MiniLED technology without spending a premium. It delivers impressive picture quality, loud and capable Dolby Atmos speakers, and a feature-rich Google TV experience, making it well-suited for movies, music videos, and everyday entertainment. The 120Hz panel, Dolby Vision support, and dedicated Cricket mode further add to its appeal, although the software could benefit from better optimisation and more comprehensive content recommendations.
At Rs 53,000, the Vu Glo MiniLED TV offers good value, particularly for those prioritising picture quality and audio. However, if gaming is a priority, the Hisense E8S with its 144Hz Game Mode Pro or the TCL Q6C with native 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support are better alternatives. Samsung’s more affordable MiniLED offering is also worth considering, although its 30W speakers might seem less powerful in a spacious room. Overall, the Vu Glo MiniLED TV is a well-rounded choice for everyday entertainment, while dedicated gamers may find better options elsewhere.
Editor’s rating: 8/10
Pros:
- Impressive display quality with good colour reproduction
- Powerful, room-filling speakers with impressive audio quality
- Sleek, premium design
Cons:
- User interface could benefit from further refinement
- May not cater to the needs of more demanding gamers
