Cello 24ANSMT portable connected TV review by Steve May
This small screen is big on features
Whether you want a small TV for gaming or a smart bedroom set, this connected 24-incher fits the bill, says independent AV reviewer Steve May. Large screen smart TVs are commonplace. So much so, that watching Catch-up TV from the BBC, and streaming shows from Netflix is seen by many as a standard feature. But if you’re looking for a smaller, portable LED LCD set, then smart connectability is a rarer commodity. But Cello has a smart option…
This 24-inch HD widescreen TV will sit happily in most bedrooms and smaller apartments, yet runs the popular Android TV OS. It features Catch-up TV and streaming services, and will also play back video and audio files from USB. And it makes for a great gaming telly.
The 24ANSMT V2 has a slim gloss black bezel and sits on a simple central stand. The screen comes with Cello’s fully-featured remote control.
Rear connections include two HDMI inputs, plus VGA and PC minijack audio, plus composite video and stereo audio inputs. There’s an optical digital audio output, to route TV sound to a soundbar or seperate audio system, alongside a USB media reader, Micro SD slot. Pretty much any source you have can be connected. The set supports firmware updates via USB.
If you have the TV readily to hand, there’s also a selection of on-body controls.
Picture quality is good. While 24-inches is very forgiving for standard definition (SD) channels, this set is still more than able to reveal the extra detail available from HD, thanks to its 1920 x 1080 resolution panel. Images are crisp and detailed.
The set is a doddle to use, thanks to a clean and uncomplicated menu. You can toggle between Channel, Picture, Sound, in addition to other basic system settings. Picture presets comprise Standard, Dynamic, Mild and User. I found Standard a good all-purpose setting for most TV content, although you can opt for Dynamic if you want to give pictures a brightness/colour lift.
The TV’s 2×2.5w sound system does the job. As you might expect from such a small telly, it’s low on bass but the detail is there. The good news is that the optical output can be used with a small soundbar or soundbase speaker, if you need a bigger audio experience.
The Android Smart experience offers plenty of familiar apps, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon prime, BBC iPlayer, All4, ITV Hub and Now TV. It’s worth noting that you need a Google account to access the Google Play store.
However, given that small set doesn’t actually have Wi-Fi, you’ll need a direct wired Ethernet connection to get online. If you have your broadband router near the screen, it’s simply a
matter of running an Ethernet cable from the router to the TV. If the two are in different rooms, consider a PowerLine extender. This will use your mains circuit to connect with TV with a router; power line sockets have Ethernet ports built-in, enabling them to communicate.
Of course, a small screen like this makes a natural gaming display. The good news is that this 24-incher doesn’t lag behind. I measured input lag at just 26ms. So gamers can hook up their consoles confident that they’ll not be at any disadvantage when starting a Fortnite session..
The USB media player is excellent. It handles all popular video file formats – my collection of MKV and AVI files all played perfectly, as well as MP3 and AAC audio formats.
Verdict
The Cello 24ANSMT V2 is a well appointed connected small TV, and warrants a thumbs up. The lack of Wi-Fi could stump some, but sorting out an Ethernet connection is actually straightforward – and wired is always the best way to get a TV online anyway, I reckon. And this 24-incher really shines if you plan on using it for video games.
