Kogan’s hotly-touted 55/” Agora 4K Smart 3D LED TV is now available to purchase for $999. The model comes with a native resolution of 3840×2160 pixels, four USB ports, inbuilt WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) and Google TV support via Android 4.2 — not bad for under $1000. Here are our first impressions.
Ultra HD/4K TVs have been around for a while now, but the technology is still ridiculously expensive even for mid-sized units. If you don’t fancy paying upwards of $8000, Kogan’s $999 offering could represent a decent compromise.
The main caveat to be aware of is that this model isn’t an OLED offering — instead it uses a 55-inch LED panel with a dynamic contrast ratio of 4000:1, a brightness rating of 400cd/m², a refresh rate of 120Hz and a response time of 6.5ms. While we haven’t seen the Kogan Agora 4K Smart 3D LED TV in person, Gizmodo checked it out at this year’s CES and reckoned it’s a surprisingly thin unit with an impressive looking panel.
Some people seem to have an issue with the reliability of Kogan products and the included 12 month warranty doesn’t offer much solace in that regard: we don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a 24 month warranty on a 4K TV even if it’s “only” $999. (On the plus side, the warranty includes phone support which isn’t always the case with online stores.) Whatever you do, don’t sign up for Kogan’s $159 extended warranty — Australian consumer protection laws should cover you against product failure even if it happens after one year.
Personally, we think most people would be better off waiting when it comes to 4K TVs — you can expect better features and far lower prices to become the norm in years to come. However, if you absolutely must have one now, $999 is a much more sensible price to pay than $8000. To purchase the model, head to Kogan’s online store.
See also: Ask LH: When Should I Buy A 4K TV? | Lifehacker 101: Ultra HD TVs | Can The Splendour Of 4K Save A Crap Movie?
Comments
12 responses to “Dealhacker: Kogan’s $999 4K TV Is Available Now”
yeh but 30hz at 4k might as well buy a seiki
at least 60hz
Article says 120 Hz
That’s the max of the panel. Probably what you can get when running 1080p stuff with post-processing. True 4K runs at 60Hz max at the moment.
sorry to say you fell for the marketing
its 120hz MAX, meaning you only get that at some shitty 1080p resolution or lower
At 4k resolution its 30hz
doesnt even say which res is 120hz wata joke
probably upscaled
It’ll be inputting at 60 and using interpolation to double the frame rate to 120 and if previous kogan’s are anything to go by will have massive artefact issues. Hopefully this model gives you the option to at least turn it off.
yeah,,,,i can wait
Recommended a Kogan 55′ 3D TV for a friend and it is absolute rubbish.
Extremely slow in the menus and smart functions and the picture is revolting.
Also got the android keyboard for it which is equally useless. It needs to be in direct sight of the USB dongle that comes with it…all USBs in the TV are behind it.
To top it off doing a firmware update on the weekend has got it stuck in a reboot loop and Kogan have straight away said to send it back to them with no other troubleshooting.
What a hassle.
Definitely would not recommend or buy Kogan products again.
There is a 3rd USB input directly in the middle of the top of the tv. There is also a mini mount for a camera. My keyboard usb is in there and I have no issues.
Don’t buy Kogan! I live by that rule now after being burnt badly twice.
It’s on their website – http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/55-agora-4k-smart-3d-led-tv-uhd/
However it’s been on their website for some time now, and still says what it did – that it leaves the warehouse on the 5th May.
While the product page has been up since Feb, I’m pretty sure you couldn’t actually click “purchase” until today.
What does it have for a HDMI input 1.4 or 2.0?
read the specsheet its 1.4
i wasnt even aware 2.0 was out
There is no point in 4k if there is no 4k content
Well what can I say wait over 8 weeks tv get damaged on the way kogan are no help I have a tv here that is crap don’t buy from them accc may need to know about this
Dont Buy Kogan,
Terrible product and terrible service;
I was extremely unhappy with the service or lack of service I received from Kogan. Here is a short run down of my Kogan TV experience:
Ordered 28/12/15
delivered 31/12/15 (acceptable)
Fault 1 reported 31/12/15
TV Replaced 12/1 (NOT Acceptable)
Fault 2 reported 19/1.
I was given some basic trouble shooting, which did not help.
I asked for an onsite technician to fix it, I was told “It was against the LAW” Please explain, which Law? as I can not find any limitation to onsite repairs.
Picked up 12/2.
Its now 14+ days since it was picked up and still not solution. This is terrible service. Its been 2 months and the TV has never worked correctly. Buy the way they promised to call me with an update from the “senior support center”…. No one ever called me back
They should not treat your customers this way or sell such rubbish