Today’s review is about a TV, but not just any TV, it’s a TV for kids. Let’s take a look at Kivi KidsTV — a 32-inch Full HD model with a body that can be used to mount a construction set, a shockproof screen, a built-in nightlight, and more. We have been testing this new product for several weeks and are now ready to share our experience, tests, and impressions.
Pluses:
design that children like; unusual body with grooves for children's construction sets; adequate image with HDR support; screen is protected by tempered glass; Low Blue Light function; built-in night light; Smart TV with built-in convenient Kivi applications; good sound; convenient and medium-sized remote control
Minuses:
the screen does not display true black, but only dark gray, because it is not Mini LED; you need to get used to the important volume buttons in the «swing» format; mediocre hardware
Content
Technical specifications of Kivi KidsTV
| TV type | LED |
| Matrix type | FSA |
| Screen diagonal | 32 inches |
| Type of backlight | Direct LED |
| Screen resolution | Full HD (1920×1080) |
| Screen scanning frequency | 60 Hz |
| Processor | 4 ARM Cortex-A55 1500 MHz cores |
| Graphics | Mali G-31 |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| Built-in memory | 8 GB |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Smart TV | Yes |
| Image enhancement technology | HLG, Super contrast control, Max Vivid, Ultra clear |
| Additionally | Screen protection from shocks, a body on which you can attach a construction set, a night light, parental control |
Packaging and equipment
Kivi KidsTV comes in a colorful box with a comic book on the back.
Inside is the TV itself, remote control, documentation, detachable power cable, legs for surface mounting, fasteners, etc.
Kivi KidsTV design
Kivi KidsTV — is a TV for children, so its appearance and design are unusual and immediately attract attention. First, it has a rich blue and white color. Secondly, the unusual texture of the plastic case. The entire frame, legs and a removable stand between the legs are made of grooves that can be used to attach children’s construction sets.
In fact, each Kivi KidsTV can have a completely different design for different children, so it will have a different, and most importantly, individual look. However, of course, it is still a TV set that has certain standard ports, interfaces, etc.
Kivi KidsTV has the aforementioned wide bezels for placing the construction set. On the bottom frame we can see the Kivi inscription, but this is just a detail that can be removed or attached to any other place.
Between the legs, in the lower part of the case, there are speakers. The blue status indicator is located near the right leg.
The thickness of the case is small. And its rear part has a textured pattern and white and blue colors.
On the top, on the white matte part of the case, there is an AlumiGlow night light.
On the right side panel, on the protruding side panel, we see two USB ports, an antenna input, one HDMI, a mini RCA, and a place for a CI card.
Below, on the other bulging part of the case, there are two HDMI, an optical input, RJ-45 LAN, and several ports for «tulips».
Remote control
Kivi KidsTV has a medium-sized blue remote control with a built-in microphone and voice control function. It’s not a small piece of wood from most modern TVs, but it’s not a giant panel with lots of buttons either. It’s something in between, it’s not heavy, it fits comfortably in both children’s and adults’ hands, has a matte, pleasant-to-the-touch plastic and a rubber button on the bottom with the Kivi inscription.
The remote control has a joystick ring with a round confirmation button inside. Above it are the buttons for launching streaming service clients, turning them off/on, settings, etc.
Below the joystick ring, there is a digital unit, a button to access the main screen, menu navigation and content playback control buttons, volume and channel control buttons, and a button to turn the night light on/off.
The volume buttons here are in the «seesaw» format, that is, they should be pressed up and down instead of inward. But there is also a classic press that turns on the «Mute» mode. And although the manufacturer says that the buttons are ergonomic, in fact, they are not convenient to use at first. At least, that’s how it was for us.
Our fingers press them out of habit instead of clicking up or down, so the mute mode is constantly on. This is not a drawback of the remote or the buttons, but just a point to get used to. Perhaps your remote has such buttons, and you will be fine right away. But my son and I had to go through a period of adaptation to such «swings».
Functionality of Kivi KidsTV
Kivi KidsTV is a smart TV with Smart TV support. It runs on Android TV 11. The processor here is an unknown 4-core on ARM Cortex-A55 1500 MHz. Graphics — Mali G-31. There is 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. Support for Bluetooth 5.1, Chromecast, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) wireless interfaces is declared.
The TV runs on an updated Google interface with a built-in content store, so its appearance will be familiar to most Smart TV users. A child can also quickly understand and navigate it.
On the main screen, you can see the main applications, as well as the «+» button to add them. Below are content recommendations from the installed programs.
In the upper left corner are the main menu items, etc. In the upper right corner are TV settings, a menu with connection sources, Wi-Fi and a clock.
In the settings, everything is also familiar and familiar: the sections «Network and Internet», «Channel», «Accounts and login», «Applications», «Device settings» and «Remotes».
Among the applications and services available out of the box are Kivi Media and Boosteroid. The former contains free channels, applications, and useful apps that will help you start using your TV right away with only Internet access. The latter is a popular cloud gaming service.
Despite the small amount of RAM and built-in memory, the system is fast and does not slow down. There were no lags or bugs during use.
Kivi KidsTV smart TV has a built-in AlumiGlow night light. This is the horizontal lamp on the back of the case, which was mentioned in the description. The night light glows with a pleasant soft yellow light, but its brightness can be adjusted. The lamp works even when the TV is off, so it can actually be used as a night light in a child’s room if the child is afraid to fall asleep in the dark.
Even the brightest mode is still relatively dim and pleasing to the eye. It’s also just a convenient lamp that can be turned on in the evening instead of a table lamp, sconce or overhead light. It’s better for your eyes and makes the room cozier.
Kivi KidsTV screen
Kivi KidsTV has a 32-inch screen with Full HD resolution and FSA matrix. It features Direct LED backlighting technology, as well as support for HDR, Super Contrast Control, Max Vivid, and Ultra Clear. Separately, support for Low Blue Light technology is noted. It filters out dangerous blue radiation and helps protect children’s eyesight, especially in the evening or before bedtime.
The image is clear and bright. There are different presets and modes, but overall I liked the picture. Of course, the matrix is not perfect, and the black is not black, but dark gray, but this is not a problem with this particular model because really black is only in Mini LED, and this is a completely different category of TVs.
Some people may not like the Full-HD resolution, but for 32 inches and for a children’s model, in my opinion, it is definitely the gold standard.
The TV screen is protected by tempered glass. The manufacturer claims that it will withstand a toy, ball, book, etc. launched into the screen. I have seen for myself, albeit not intentionally, that this is true. But read more about the incident in the user experience section.
Sound
Kivi KidsTV has two speakers of 8 watts each — that is 16 watts of sound. It supports Dolby Audio, Sound Surround, Auto Volume Control, SRC technologies.
The TV has a loud sound. I also noticed a bit of buzzing, but it is noticeable only at maximum volume, which you will not turn on for sure because it is too loud. In general, the sound was a pleasant surprise. It is quite clear, but has a little hum. However, for this size of speakers, their power, and the overall class of the TV, the sound is more than adequate.
Experience of use
In general, I liked Kivi KidsTV and was pleasantly surprised. And most importantly, my son liked it very much, and after unpacking it, he was amazed by the presence of grooves for the construction set. He immediately ran to decorate it, install Minecraft figures, etc. Children really like this thing.
The picture, clarity, sound quality, etc. are on par with a normal modern affordable Full HD TV. Of course, you won’t see black because you won’t see it anywhere except for a certain category of matrices, but everything else is of high quality and adequate.
Bonuses and pleasant impressions are added by these additional gizmos that are made specifically for children’s use. The screen protector works as well as the night light. I especially liked the real reinforced glass. In promotional videos and clips from presentations, I saw people throwing a lot of things at this TV and it remained intact and without scratches. But that’s on video, and a person needs to go through it for himself to be sure. And I did. My son helped me.
I have to say that I was not going to actually test the reinforced glass on TVs for review, of course. But my son was playing on the console, and I called him to help me because he was nearby. He stood up and wanted to put the gamepad on the table next to the TV, but somehow the controller flew straight into the screen and smashed into it.
To my surprise because I automatically thought it was the end of the screen, nothing happened. Not at all. The TV continued to work, the matrix was intact, nothing was cracked, etc. I didn’t even find a scratch on the glass to take a picture and show you, and the gamepad arrived with normal force. This means that the reinforced glass really works and really protects the TV from the child, his entertainment, etc. Of course, it was unintentional, but hundreds of other TVs get broken because of such incidents. And this one will definitely hold up because I know it from my own experience.
I would also like to note the blue status indicator, which shines minimally at night and does not hurt the eyes, unlike the more familiar red lights.
Price and competitors
Kivi KidsTV is sold at the official price of 11,999 in popular networks Allo orComfy, or on the official website of the manufacturer. Yes, it is more expensive than other conventional 32-inch FullHD models. But, firstly, not always because there are TVs without these features, but with the same price tag. Secondly, you have already realized that this TV is unusual, so the price for its additional bonuses and uniqueness, in my opinion, is more than adequate.
I should also note that there are no actual competitors to this model. It is a kind of unicorn in the world of small TVs and the only model for children and calm parents that I have found on the Ukrainian market. Therefore, I will give some examples of 32-inch models below, but I want to note that in this case, more advantages will always be on the side of Kivi KidsTV because of its screen protection, nightlight, case, etc. Just keep that in mind.
So, we have on the market LG 32LQ6300 with a price tag starting at UAH 7900, Thomson 32FA2S13 (price from UAH 7200), Sharp 32FH8EA with a price tag of UAH 10,900, Hisense 32A5KQ (price from UAH 8100), as well as Philips 32PFS6908 (price from UAH 10,800).