WAVE Electronics might not be on everyone’s radar when it comes to monitors and TVs, but the up-and-coming British brand goes toe to toe against bigger brands when it comes to high-tech TVs. The device under review today, the 43” STREAM, boasts 4K UHD visuals, Dolby Audio, a fancy frameless screen and runs on an Android 9-powered WAVE OS, all at a price tag of £239 or around $327. 

In comparison, the LG UHD 70 Series 43 inch 4K HDR Smart LED TV is priced at $270 while the Samsung 43" Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV TU8000 Series 8 is at $952. The WAVE STREAM positions itself on the more competitively-priced side of the spectrum; and considering that the monitor comes from a newcomer, I was intrigued as to what it had to offer. As such, I was looking forward to testing it when WAVE Electronics and the local distributor HM Rawat  generously provided the review unit. I am very grateful to the team for the opportunity but this did not influence my opinion nor the review process in any way.

Contents and specs

Out of the largest box I’ve had delivered in 2020 came the following:

• 1x WAVE STREAM 43" Smart 4K UHD TV
• 2x TV Stands
• 1x User Manual
• 1x Remote Control

Below are the advertised features:

• 43” frameless screen
• Android 9.0
• 4K Ultra HD
• Dolby Audio
• DVB T2
• WiFi connectivity

As for the tech specs, you’ll find some below and others in the images attached (click for full version). The latter have been taken from the User Manual as I did not find any on the official website nor online (and I’m too lazy to type it all down):

• CPU: ARM CORTEX-A55*4
• GPU: Mali 470*3
• RAM: 1.5 GB
• ROM: 8GB

 

My unit did not come with a wall mount but I am told that it comes as a separate accessory when you purchase the TV from one of WAVE’s approved distributors/resellers. As such, I had to mount the two included stands to place the STREAM on my desk. The process is as easy as screwing them on the underside of the monitor and, once affixed, they help keep the monitor stable.

  

Once placed on a desk or in a living room, the STREAM instantly enhances the set up. It's a sleek and minimalist design; there’s only a small, grey WAVE logo discreetly positioned at the lower end of the screen while the frame surrounding the screen is of a glossy, jet black finish. This gives it a premium look that upgrades the setting with a classy appeal when looked at from the front. From the back, the STREAM isn’t as thin as I would like it to be and is likely due to the DLED 4K screen used over OLED. Nevertheless, my old wooden desk leveled up with the STREAM sitting on top of it.

However, with the stands, the ports found on the underside of the monitor are rather hard to reach. This won’t be a problem if it is mounted on a wall but for easier access, the ports should have been positioned on the side.

 

While it is touted as being “frameless”, the STREAM is more of a thin-framed monitor than being truly frameless. There are millimeter-thin bezels (around 3mm) on 3 sides while the lower, thicker bezel with the WAVE logo measures around 17mm. But these borders are easily overlooked with the immersiveness that the 43” screen offers once powered on, and that’s what we’ll do next.

Riding the WAVE and streaming on the STREAM

When it comes to its basic functionality - display images and videos - the STREAM performs stunningly. Using the STREAM to… uhmm… stream 4K videos is a visual delight. The colors pop, the details are crisp and the whole scene playing on-screen is vividly brought into action--as I attested when viewing The Midnight Sky and Death to 2020 (my favorite movie this last holiday season). I also watched Wonder Woman 1984 at 4K on the STREAM and the action sequences felt epic.

However, the STREAM is no basic TV as it comes loaded with the Android-based WAVE OS. The UI is somewhat akin to Android TV boxes or even the Anker Nebula Capsule as it is not based on Android TV OS but rather full Android 9. This means giving users the full Android experience by downloading apps over Wi-Fi from the Play Store, sideloading apps, reading emails, browsing social media and websites; essentially the STREAM is like an oversized tablet (minus a gigantic touchscreen). With its built-in Wi-Fi, Android OS and DVB T2 feature, the STREAM turns into a standalone entertainment system, allowing you to stream your favorite TV shows and streaming service without the need to hook any device to it. You can further load videos via USB and play it using the built-in media player, and all this at the press of a few buttons from your couch.

Controls are done via the included remote control. It does the job as a TV remote control but I wish it could do more to control a smart TV. While there are dedicated buttons to access YouTube and Netflix, I wish other apps were as easily accessible, maybe with a mini microphone to call up the Google Assistant (I’ve seen it elsewhere like with the Nebula Capsule II). I also wish there was a way to easily adjust brightness with the remote as easily as I use it to change volume or channels. But for brightness, I have to manually adjust it via a user picture mode profile.

Of note, there are no hardware keys or even a touch panel for controls. While this could add to the minimalist appeal, such controls should have been included as a backup for accessing basic features of the monitor like powering it on/off, switching input source and controlling volume. But instead, we are stuck with the 2x AAA battery-powered remote control.

Another gripe I’ve had with the STREAM is with its audio. The built-in speakers quality is definitely serviceable. But if you are used to better quality audio from headphones or third-party speakers, you’d want to switch to those. As such, my first reaction was to plug in the Creative Sound BlasterX Katana soundbar but I got no output by plugging it in via USB. I later found out that the USB ports are meant to only read multimedia files (from a flash drive for example) and not to output audio. To use a soundbar or headphones, you’ll have to connect them via the 3.5mm AUX cable or RCA to AUX. But the STREAM package is rather lacking in such cables, so you’d better have some to spare.

 

Top image: with soundbar connected; bottom thumbnails: built-in speakers

This brings us to my major issue with this smart TV. As a tech device boasting the “smart” tag, it lacks a feature that’s virtually omnipresent in any contemporary smart device: Bluetooth connectivity. This omission hinders the device from opening up its potential and free users from the wired jungle that their tech-infused life already is. For one, it could allow pairing of speakers and soundbars, without limiting users to the number of built-in ports. Bluetooth could also remedy the dependence on the remote control and have a dedicated smartphone app to similarly control the TV. Bluetooth is a feature that I seriously hope WAVE will include in its future smart devices to boost their potential.

Gaming on the STREAM

The STREAM is not advertised for gaming per se but with a 4K display and a 60Hz refresh rate, one can’t help but hook it up to a gaming device and game at glorious 4K, 60 fps. Sure, it does not support the fastest refresh rate (and that’s why it’s not particularly gaming-centric) nor does it use an arguably superior OLED screen but gaming on it is more than decent. Virtual worlds are vibrantly rendered on the 4K display with devices supporting 4K output, but even at 1080p images are visually appealing (although obviously less sharp than at 4K).

Games with highly detailed environments like Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Zero Dawn are a real treat to the eyes on the STREAM with the meticulous attention to details in those worlds highlighted. I experienced no display issues or screen tearing when gaming on PC or a docked Nintendo Switch. I particularly enjoyed using the Arkade Blaster with FPS games on my PC hooked to the STREAM as the 43” screen helps in scouting the area and taking in the world.

And while you have that PC connected via HDMI, you could also use the STREAM as a massive, 43" screen for regular PC and internet use if that's something you fancy; and if you do, the STREAM will indeed offer fancy visuals.

    

That said, the WAVE STREAM is a smart TV first and a gaming monitor second and, for its main purpose, it does its job pretty well with the vibrant 4K display. Even if it uses a DLED 4K screen rather than an OLED one, making for a bulkier monitor, the visual fidelity is there while keeping the price down. Bluetooth connectivity is sorely lacking but the fact that it runs on full-blown Android somewhat compensates as this opens it up to more possibilities. Gaming on its gorgeous 4K screen makes for eye candy scenes but there’s a 60Hz cap for its refresh rate, so if you are looking to game at higher fps, you should look elsewhere.

However, for a company that’s under the radar (it doesn’t even have a YouTube channel from which to share videos from!), WAVE’s smart TVs are worth getting into your radar if you are looking affordable monitors that offer quality visuals.