Pioneer 4K LED Xumo Smart TV Review

A Budget-Friendly Option Offering Good Performance

Intro

In this article, I’m reviewing the Pioneer PN43-751-24U 4K LED Xumo Smart TV. But before diving into this review, I have to admit—I didn’t even realize Pioneer was “making” TVs again. As it turns out, they’re not. Pioneer exited the TV market back in 2009 after a legendary run with their plasma displays, and they still aren’t manufacturing televisions today.

Instead, modern Pioneer-branded TVs are produced by TCL under a licensing agreement with Pioneer Electronics and are sold exclusively through Best Buy. Because these models fly under the radar and rarely get discussed, I wanted to give this surprisingly capable, low-cost entry-level TV the attention it deserves.

For this review, I picked up the 43-inch version from my local Best Buy, though it’s also available in 50- and 55-inch sizes. These TVs are extremely budget-friendly—I paid only $140 for the 43-inch model on sale. If you’re curious about an affordable name-brand 4K TV with solid performance, stick around. Now, let’s get into the review.

Design & Features

The Pioneer PN43-751-24U features an all-plastic construction but still manages decent build quality for a TV under $200. The bezels aren’t ultra-thin like those found on mid-range and premium models, and the semi-gloss screen uses direct-LED backlighting with no local dimming.

Because brightness is limited and the panel lacks an anti-glare coating, this TV isn’t ideal for rooms with bright, direct sunlight or indirect sunlight. It also uses a 60Hz panel, which can result in less-than-smooth motion during fast action scenes.

The TV is supported by two plastic feet that offer stable support, though they require a wide media stand.

Feature-wise, Pioneer delivers a respectable package for an entry-level 4K set. Its biggest selling point is the built-in Xumo smart platform, which offers:

• 300+ free live channels
• 250+ preloaded apps
• A smooth, easy-to-navigate UI

The downside? You can’t download additional apps—you’re limited to what Xumo provides. Still, most major streaming apps are included, and overall performance felt responsive and snappy. That said, platforms like Google TV, webOS, and Tizen are still more polished.

Surprisingly, the TV supports Dolby Vision HDR—almost unheard of in this price range—as well as the standard HDR10 format. Audio enhancements include Dolby Audio, which helps improve clarity and reduce background noise.

Additional features include:

• Apple AirPlay
• Bluetooth
• Voice remote
• Casting via the Xumo Play app (Xumo content only)

Connectivity

The TV’s connection options are generous for this class:

• 3 HDMI 2.1 ports (one supports ARC)
• 1 composite input
• 1 Digital optical output
• 1 USB port
• Ethernet port
• Antenna input
• Headphone jack
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Performance:

Picture Quality

Here’s the bottom line: once properly adjusted, the picture quality is very good for a TV in this price bracket—and it even competes with models costing significantly more.

Out of the box, however, the default picture settings weren’t great. After a few tweaks, the TV delivered surprisingly strong performance.

Black Levels & Contrast
For a budget TV with no local dimming, black levels were deeper than expected. Shadow detail was solid as well, making this a good choice for movie watching in a dark room. Full-array local dimming would improve contrast, but at this price, performance is commendable.

HDR Performance (HDR 10)
If you are looking for a TV that offers good HDR performance, you’ll have to look elsewhere, since this TV doesn’t produce high peak brightness output. HDR images lacked strong dynamic pop and specular highlights.

Color Performance
Colors looked well-saturated without appearing artificial. Accuracy was respectable with a natural tonal balance, though not on par with high-end models—which is expected.

Detail & Sharpness
Clarity was impressive. Fine details in faces, fabrics, and foliage were crisp and clean, contributing greatly to the overall image quality.

Viewing Angles
Like most VA panels, the TV loses contrast and color saturation when viewed from wide angles.

Motion Handling
Motion was a mixed bag. Sports content looked smooth with no noticeable artifacts. However, slow panning shots in certain movies showed some jerkiness, and with no motion-interpolation features available, there’s no way to improve this.

Sound Quality

Audio quality was better than expected for a low-cost TV. Dialogue sounded clear and easy to understand, even at high volume levels. The sound rarely came across as muffled, though certain content made vocals feel slightly lean.

Music through YouTube produced a surprisingly spacious, room-filling presentation. Mid and high frequencies lacked the refinement of higher-end TVs, sounding a bit restricted or hollow at times, but the TV even delivered a small amount of deep bass—something most flat panels struggle with.

Conclusion

The more I watched this TV during my review process, the more I was impressed by how good the picture quality was for such an inexpensive display. And the more time I spend with it, the better it seems to perform. If you need a budget-friendly 4K TV with solid picture quality, and you don’t mind a bare minimum of features, in addition to a shockingly good value, the Pioneer 751-24U is absolutely worth considering.

 

Pioneer Roku smart TV available at BestBuy.com

 

Check out the YouTube review of the Pioneer Xumo 4K TV: