Medion X16500 at Aldi: The: 65-inch bargain in the test!

S.Port and feature film fans, watch out: Aldi has a huge TV on offer. The Medion X16500 (MD 32065) has a screen diagonal of 164 centimeters. This size is ideal for larger living rooms with a 3 to 5 meter distance between the sofa and TV. Of course, the space also has to match the 65-inch television: The slim metal feet are 1.24 meters apart, the device is 1.46 meters wide. With a weight of 20 kilograms, wall mounting is no problem, also thanks to the threads on the back according to VESA standards (400×200). The Aldi advertisement praises the television not only as large, but also as well-equipped. COMPUTER BILD has tested it in practice and revealed whether it is a good buy.

The Medion X16500 (MD 32065) is the big brother of the 55 inch or 140 centimeter measuring Medion X15515 (MD 31505). Both televisions have practically the same features. This includes the Ultra HD resolution (4K) of the screen with 3840×2160 pixels, which is state of the art today. This means that the individual pixels of the screen turn out to be nice and small, which promises a clear picture impression regardless of the resolution played. Medion also cites “Micro Dimming” and a “Motion Picture Index” of 1,600 MPI in the technical data; both are marketing phrases without meaningfulness. As usual, TV reception is possible via cable, satellite and antenna (DVB-C, DVB-S2 and DVB-T2); there is a CI slot for playing back encrypted private channels in HD. This is where the so-called decryption modules fit in, and paying HD subscribers get a worthwhile investment from the cable network operator, from HD + for satellite or from Freenet for antenna reception with televisions of this size. On the back there are four HDMI connections for a large number of players: from the game console to the Entertain or Sky receiver to the soundbar. On top of that there is an analog AV connection for old camcorders, a VGA connection for older computers, a headphone output and an optical digital output for audio devices without HDMI. This variety of connections is rare for televisions.

As is common today, the Medion X16500 is a Smart TV. The connection to the internet router is possible via cable and WLAN. The ability to surf the Internet with the television is more for emergencies. Because the browser installed for this turned out to be slow in the test, and operation uncomfortable. Rather, smart TVs are intended for the use of streaming apps. For example, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are planned for the Medion, with corresponding subscriptions in 4K resolution. Both services offer more and more films and series with HDR technology, i.e. with more color and brightness gradations. The Medion does not display these in full glory like much more expensive televisions, but it adapts HDR material well to its possibilities. This is particularly successful with the “Dolby Vision” HDR variant, which makes the best possible use of the screen contrast scene by scene. The only thing that HDR does not deliver in this price range is a dazzlingly brilliant image. Free 4K and HDR films can be found on YouTube, and the Medion also offers the right app for this. The media libraries of the television stations are also available. Users can do this by selecting the desired program and then pressing the red button on the remote control. It activates what is known as HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV): These are the Internet extras of the TV stations, including the media libraries. The Medion also masters the young restart function, which is currently mainly offered by ARD stations. Thanks to it, you can restart a current TV program by pressing the blue button. Classic TV recordings are also possible, a USB hard drive is sufficient.