Cello 55in Platinum P55ANSMT-4K review by Steve May

Independent AV reviewer Steve May takes a closer look at Cello’s 55-inch Platinum 4K TV

With its integrated soundbar and dramatic silver-grey finish, the Cello 55-inch Platinum is undoubtedly an eye-catching 4K TV.

The Platinum line is Cello’s premium flatscreen range, all of which are distinguished by a built-in multi-speaker system (that’s a soundbar to you and me). This model sits between 50- and 65-inch stablemates (so if you fancy it, you can buy slightly smaller or quite a bit larger). Not that this set isn’t big enough.

Some 88mm deep and with feet positioned toward the edge of the screen, the first thing that struck me about it was just how solid and well made it looks. If you’re not planning to wall-mount, make sure your TV stand is wide enough to accommodate it.

Connections comprise three HDMI inputs (typically for a games console, media streamer or TV box, and a Blu-ray player), a trio of USBs and composite AV inputs for any older components you may still use. There’s also an optical digital audio output, if you want to route TV sound to an external audio system (which is unlikely) and a micro SD card reader. The tuner is Freeview HD.

The TV is built around an Android operating system, and Cello has made a point of keeping things nice and simple simple. There’s a selection of picture presets (Standard, Dynamic, Theatre and Personal) but no deep image tweaking or set-up is required.

Powered up, with your sources connected, this Platinum makes a shining first impression. Onscreen image detail is high. The 4K panel offers four times the resolution of a standard 1080p HD TV, and with 4K source components (I used a UHD Blu-ray player, Sky Q and an Amazon Fire TV streamer during my evaluation), astonishing levels of fine detail are revealed.

Of course, to really appreciate the extra clarity, a large screen is essential, and this 55-incher fits the bill nicely (although personally, I might be tempted by that step-up 65-inch model).

Of course, for the most part you’re likely to be watching HD, rather than 4K on this screen. The good news is it looks fine with regular sources too, such as Freeview HD and Blu-ray discs. Background uniformity is good, without any obvious backlight splashiness. Colours are vibrant. It’s not the brightest screen out there, one reason why it warrants a low energy consumption rating, so I recommend dimming the lights before putting your feet up. In higher ambient room lighting, contrast is reduced.

In low light, I was struck by how cinematic the picture can look. The TV almost insists you get the popcorn in.

Interestingly, it transpires that the TV makes a fine gaming display. I measured input lag at 30.3ms in HDMI video mode, which is a good figure in and of itself, but this drops to just 26.5ms if you switch to HDMI PC mode in the menu. This makes the 55-incher a very attractive console gaming TV for PS4 and Xbox One enthusiasts.

Of course, what really sets this Cello apart from the competition is the built-in sound system. A six driver array creates a wide stereo soundstage, with more depth and body than you’ll hear from thin screens with small downward firing speaker systems. Rated at 16w, it’ll go plenty loud too. Audio presets include Standard, Music, Movie, Sports and Personal, each of which offers a minor tonal change.

My verdict

The Cello 55 Platinum is a lot of TV for the money. It’s well-made, has excellent 4K fine detail performance, and incorporates an effective multi-speaker audio system. For everyday telly, movies and (in particular) gaming, it should be considered a high value big screen.