JVC Roku TV CR330 review

Roku has recently been collaborating with manufacturers to integrate its streaming software into their hardware. The latest venture sees the company pairing up with industry veteran JVC for a new range of televisions that are intended to offer a full Smart TV experience for a very affordable price.

This is an excellent goal, but have they managed to pull it off? I park myself on the sofa and put the panel to the test.

Design & Build

• 40- and 43-inch sizes
• Slim and light design
• Twin-legged stands

All is as you would expect with an affordable modern TV. The material is a durable black plastic, which results in a lightweight construction (6.8kg for the 43in model tested) that won’t throw your back out when you take it out of the box.

This can also be a bonus if you want to mount the JVC on your wall. For those who prefer a freestanding approach, there are two attachable feet that go at each end of the device. The spacing means you’ll need a surface that can accommodate its 619 x 961.9 x 220mm dimensions, again for the larger model.

There’s a thin bezel around the 43in panel giving it the look of a mid-range set

There’s a thin bezel around the 43in panel giving it the look of a mid-range set, on which the name Roku TV is printed in the bottom right corner, although it’s quite subtle and doesn’t draw attention.

The set sits quite high, meaning it’s possible to fit a PlayStation 4 perfectly under the screen, although not centrally as there is an IR receiver placed there that also houses the standby light. It should be noted that the speakers are down-firing and built into the underside of the TV, which means the PlayStation or similar sized device would block some of the sound.

This might not be a bad thing, as we’ll explore later. 

A plastic remote control accompanies the device, with dedicated buttons for Freeview Play, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify and Apple TV+.

You don’t get the headphone jack that some Roku controllers used to offer or a microphone for voice commands, but the latter is available if you download the Android or iOS Roku app that turns your smartphone into a controller for the TV. 

The JVC Roku TV CR330 comes with a decent amount of ports on offer, which should cover anything you want to connect to the device

Specs & Features

• Three HDMI 1.4 (1x ARC compatible) ports
• Optical and 3.5mm audio outputs
• Roku TV OS 

The JVC Roku TV CR330 comes with a decent amount of ports on offer, which should cover anything you want to connect to the device. All of the ports are in a downward-facing section on the back, which does make it a bit difficult to see what you’re doing, but as you won’t normally be plugging and unplugging things, it’s not really a problem. 

There are three HDMI 1.4 ports available, one of which supports ARC (audio return channel) for high-quality audio output to a soundbar or amplifier. It’s not the higher eARC option, but that’s completely understandable on a cheaper device.

There are also optical and 3.5mm audio outputs too, so you’re covered if you want to use an external audio device instead of relying on the built-in speakers. 

The TV has Wi-Fi capabilities, but if you want a hard connection then there’s an Ethernet port on-board. This is joined by the usual suspects of an aerial connection, composite ports, USB 2.0 port and a CI card slot. 

Switching the device on brings up the Roku TV OS. If you’ve used one of the company’s streaming sticks or boxes over the years then everything will be very familiar.

It’s a clean and simple menu with nice large icons for all the major streaming services that you’d expect, with Freeview Play, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Mubi, not to mention all the UK catch-up services either pre-installed or ready to download. There’s also a free 30-day trial included for ITVX as part of the package.

In classic Roku fashion, there’s a collection of more obscure streaming services that offer specialised subject matters. Want a sci-fi B-movie from 1963? There’s probably a free channel for that. 

It’s not just for these apps though, as the OS also lets you change settings on the TV itself, such as picture and sound modes, plus you can name or choose from a list what you want the various connected devices are called. So, instead of HDMI 2 it could be PlayStation, making it easier to find stuff when you want to switch between external connections.

Everything works smoothly, and the setup is easy, with most apps offering QR codes that you scan with your phone when you want to enter your account details, rather than having to awkwardly type them in with the remote control.

Roku TV OS supports Apple’s AirPlay and Home features, as well as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, so you can blend it straight into your existing Smart Home setup. 

Colours started to pop (as they should with HDR10 supported) and it suddenly looked like a set you’d be happy to watch

Picture & Sound Quality

• LED display
• Poor off-angle viewing
• Awful speakers

First impressions of the JVC CR330’s display aren’t great.

Colours on the 43in 60Hz LED panel I tested are washed out, contrast is low and generally the images are underwhelming. Thankfully there are several modes to switch between which can bring things to life.

I found that there wasn’t a massive difference between the picture settings themselves, but turning off the low-power mode instantly brought a big improvement. Colours started to pop (as they should with HDR10 supported) and it suddenly looked like a set you’d be happy to watch.

The resolution tops out at 1080p, but this means you can still watch Blu-rays and stream HD content, as it’s only 4K that’s not supported. Note that the smaller JVC CR230 model – from £169 – comes in 24- and 32-inch sizes with a 720p resolution if that should interest you.

There is a slight light bleed around the entire perimeter of the display, which looks like a subtle border where the picture is marginally brighter than the rest of the image. At first, I thought this would be a problem, but to be honest you don’t really notice it once you start watching the content rather than looking for imperfections. 

One thing to bear in mind is that viewing angles are quite poor. So, if you’re sat facing the screen head-on, then everything looks great. But, those at a slight angle get a sharp loss in colour as the screen looks very pale. If it’s just yourself or a couple of you watching on the sofa, then this won’t be an issue.

Should you want to host a movie night though, this could definitely make the experience a poor one for those sitting to the sides of the optimum viewing angle. 

Sound quality is frankly awful. The speakers emit tinny and echoey audio that doesn’t even match the quality of some tablets I’ve used. Switching sound modes doesn’t help, with even the bassy setting sounding like the TV is sitting in a bucket. Truly abysmal audio.

I did find a fix though, by plugging in a cheap pair of speakers I’d used on a laptop years before. We’re talking little £25 desktop speakers here, not studio quality ones. After I attached them to the headphone jack on the TV there was an instant upgrade.

Sound was full and richer, with all the echoes dispatched. Thankfully there were no syncing issues either, so I found it to be an easy and affordable way to make the TV actually usable. There’s also the option of a soundbar going through the digital optical port or HDMI (ARC) port, but there’s no Bluetooth option to connect to wireless headphones.

Without those accessories though, I couldn’t recommend the TV if you care about good sound quality. 

Price & Availability

As JVC is now a house-brand of Currys, it should come as no surprise that this range is available exclusively through the retailer and only in the UK. Here’s the official pricing for the two Roku TV CR330 models:

• 40in £299.99 
• 43in £329.99

While these prices are definitely in the affordable bracket for a modern smart TV, it should be noted that at the time of writing Currys were offering heavy discounts on several of the models, with the top of the range 43in model I’ve reviewed here being reduced to £219, which is a really good deal. How long these reductions stay in place is uncertain, but it’s certainly worth checking the site before looking at other models. 

If you like the idea of a Roku powered TV, then the TCL 43RC630K is an excellent alternative. It offers a higher quality QLED 4K display for around the same (unreduced) price of the JVC model. The Toshiba UF3D is another 4K affordable set that uses Amazon’s Fire OS TV interface and comes in at around £349 but is often discounted to offer an even better deal.

You’ll also find plenty of other great bargains in our best budget TV chart. 

Should you buy the JVC Roku TV CR330?

The affordable TV market is a fiercely competitive one at the moment, and I don’t think this JVC/Roku collaboration offers enough to contend with the higher-specced alternatives that it needs to dislodge.

Full HD is fine for a lot of content, but when most of your rivals are boasting 4K panels the display on the CR330 does seem ill-judged. Take into account the poor viewing angles and terrible sound quality and it’s hard to see how anyone would choose this model over most of the others out there.

One potential saving grace though is the aggressive discounting Currys seems to be pursuing. At those prices, things do take on a different shape especially if this telly is destined for somewhere like a playroom or kitchen where quality might not matter to you so much.

Just over £200 for a solid TV with the Roku interface and a few limitations? There’s certainly an argument to be made.

Specs

• Model tested:
• 43in LED 60Hz 1920×1080 display
• Roku TV OS
• 16W Twin speakers
• Dolby Audio
• 3x HDMI 1.4 (1 supporting ARC)
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Digital Optical Audio out
• USB 2.0 port
• CI card slot
• Composite port
• Ethernet port
• Wi-Fi
• Twin-legged stand
• 619 x 961.9 x 220 mm
• 6.8kg