Finlux 42FME242S-T review

FINLUX 42FME242S-T PORTS AND SMART TV

The 42FMES-T has a good range of connection ports. In addition to the three HDMI ports there are VGA, SCART and composite inputs, as well as a coaxial output, an Ethernet port, and a Common Interface slot. There are also two USB ports, although one is likely to be occupied by the bundled Wi-Fi dongle so that you can access the TV’s smart services wirelessly.

Strangely, Finlux’s smart TV services are accessed by pressing the web browser button on the remote control, which takes you to the TV’s online hub. Online services include BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr apps, as well as a web browser. There’s also a space below your live feed for social network updates. While the range of apps is relatively small, it’s certainly no worse than what we’ve seen on bigger brand TVs at the lower end of the price scale. We also like that there are shortcut buttons for Netflix and YouTube on the remote control to help save time.

Sadly, the remote control is a little too spongey for our liking, and is our only real complaint about the TV. This is mostly because the main menu and back buttons are too small, and they don’t provide as much tactile feedback as we’d like. The directional buttons are arranged around a raised dome in the centre of the remote control, and this makes them difficult to press firmly.

FINLUX 42FME242S-T CONCLUSION

The remote is disappointing, but there’s no denying that the FME242S-T is still a fantastic budget TV. It has some downsides, but its default picture quality is excellent and its range of apps rivals most of its more well-known competitors. If you’re looking for a great-value TV and don’t want to spend a fortune, the FME242S-T could be for you.