A 58-inch TV for £349 is definitely too good to be true? Providing stable image and sound, a wide selection of video streaming apps and Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR assist, the Toshiba U29 places in an honest efficiency for an inexpensive worth
Professionals
- Strong image efficiency
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR
- Good options and dimension for the worth
Cons
- Minor backlight points
- Not sufficient brightness for true 4K HDR
Key Specs
- Overview Worth: £349
- Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR
- Sound by Onkyo
- Dolby Audio, DTS-HD, DTS TruSurround
- Toshiba Sensible Audio
- Dimensions: 814 x 245 x 1305mm (HWD)
The Toshiba 58U2963DB is the TV model’s inexpensive 4K HDR set with assist for Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
After a spell on the sidelines, Toshiba made a comeback in 2019 with a model new vary of price range 4K TVs. Nevertheless, the outcomes of its try and convey cutting-edge tech to a broader viewers felt as if Toshiba had tried to run earlier than it may stroll once more, evidenced by a design that was caught previously with a shaky implementation of its latest options.
So it’s with slight trepidation that we flip our eye to the model’s newest TV, the U29. The Hisense Roku H50B7120UK demonstrated {that a} price range mannequin needn’t sacrifice a lot in the best way of high quality. Can Toshiba obtain one thing related?
Associated: Finest low-cost TV
Toshiba 58U2963DB design – Respectable construct high quality, regardless of the usage of plastic
The Toshiba 58U2963DB’s design is much less about fashion and extra involved with sensible issues. It’s use of plastic is par for the course for a price range TV, nevertheless it’s a tidy, environment friendly trying set that’s slimmer than you would possibly anticipate. The TV helps wall-mounting, however the VESA bracket package have to be bought individually.
Meeting is a technique of screwing within the ft, though it isn’t clear from the directions which foot is supposed to go which aspect. The ft don’t permit for as a lot clearance as a central pedestal, so there’s unlikely to be enough house to position a soundbar in entrance with out blocking the IR sign. Once more, it is a set the place the ft can solely be positioned in direction of the sting, so these with a smaller rack for a TV take observe.
The TV comes with three HDMI ports, in addition to different connections together with an optical out, 2 x USB 2.0, satellite tv for pc and TV antenna, headphone out and a standard interface slot, together with VGA and composite connections for legacy gear. Toshiba’s HDMI inputs assist the CEC commonplace for management of different linked gadgets through the distant, and HDMI 2 is the ARC connection for sending audio to exterior audio gear.
There’s built-in Wi-Fi, and if you happen to want a wired connection, then there’s an Ethernet port too. You may plug in a HDD through USB to file programmes or watch any content material on it with the media participant, however you may’t resume content material you’ve exited for the reason that TV received’t keep in mind the place you final left off.
Toshiba 58U2963DB options – Spectacular spec for a price range TV
Toshiba continues to again Alexa voice management, though it’s the “Works with Alexa” selection that requires an exterior speaker. The corporate lately made a splash with its Toshiba Join accent for hands-free Alexa, however there’s no signal of it in its latest vary of TVs. In the event you’re seeking to share content material to the TV through Chromecast, the Toshiba 58U2963DB doesn’t assist it, nor does it assist Bluetooth.
Nevertheless, the U29’s ambitions to be the added-value selection within the price range market are underlined by its good platform. There’s no Disney Plus or Apple TV+, and the shop is stuffed with apps I’ve by no means heard of. However, the streaming fundamentals are coated with Netflix, Prime Video, Britbox, BBC Sport/Information, Rakuten TV and YouTube (in 4K). For the reason that TV helps Freeview Play, you may throw iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My5, UK TV Play and CBS channels Catchup UK and Horror Bites into the discount.
The menu system is ok, though I do want the distant had a button for fast entry to settings. It’s similar to final yr’s mannequin, with buttons for Prime Video, Freeview Play and Netflix. It isn’t probably the most responsive – neither is the good platform itself, regardless of a dual-core processor powering issues. Bugs are nonetheless obvious: for instance, once you’re in an app (say, Netflix), urgent the House button finally ends up opening the image settings as an alternative.
The U29 gives no assist for vast color gamut, however there may be HDR10, HLG HDR for Broadcast TV and Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR. The latter is beneficial: with brightness within the area of 350 nits, this isn’t a TV that can ship probably the most convincing of HDR performances. However with Dolby Imaginative and prescient’s dynamic metadata, which adjusts HDR efficiency on a scene-by-scene foundation, it might probably at the very least deal with facets of it in a extra astute method.
In Sport mode, latency was measured at 25.7ms. Even with Sport mode off, the set measured 25.8ms, so there doesn’t seem like a lot distinction with it on or off. You’ll should manually change Sport mode on; the U29 doesn’t auto-switch.
Toshiba U29 efficiency – A lot improved over the UL5, with a stable efficiency at this worth
I keep in mind struggling to wrangle an honest image out of the UL5. The Toshiba 58U2963DB’s image high quality out of the field is a lot better and gives a fairly stable basis, with a number of further tweaks.
Image modes are a selection of Dynamic, Sport, Sports activities, Cinema, Pure and Person, plus their respective HDR variations. Pure appears finest suited to the job, with a vibrant however refined presentation. Dynamic Distinction and Noise Discount ought to be set to medium, with the color temp at regular for HD content material.
For HDR content material, it appears finest to set Dynamic Distinction to low; medium and excessive settings make colors too darkish and leech element out of the whites. Change Noise Discount off for 4K – and, no matter you do, flip off Power Saving because it leads to a dreary trying picture.
Watching Countdown and A Place within the Solar on Channel 4 HD, the published regarded vibrant and punchy, but in addition pure and fewer liable to oversaturation than it did on the UL5. The blues of the Countdown set have a bit extra subtlety and vary, and element is agreeable and readability superb, although some faces err in direction of a waxy look.
The upscaling efficiency is ok, however you may, in fact, anticipate pricier TVs to be extra completed on this regard. The U29 at the very least doesn’t overdo issues by making faces so outlined they appear like they’ve been sandblasted to oblivion.
I’m left not sure as to the apparent advantages of Noise Discount. The U29 has bother monitoring digicam pans and motion in faces, and no quantity of NR appears in a position to resolve this. It’s nonetheless eminently watchable, although.
A change to a 4K Blu-ray of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and efficiency in darkish scenes provide an enchancment over the UL5. Cap’s stealthy incursion of the Lemurian Star at night time reads higher, and colors are extra correct. The scene nonetheless lacks pop and is rendered too darkish in locations, with some black crush evident. However, HDR10 efficiency right here is a lot better than on the UL5.
At this worth level, the U29 lacks the brightness wanted to do justice to 4K HDR content material. However, a viewing of Seven Worlds One Planet on iPlayer is a delightful sufficient expertise. Comparably, it offers somewhat sharpness and element away to the Hisense Roku TV, however colors are stable sufficient and distinction adequate to make for a stable watch.
With Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR there’s a selection of Brilliant and Darkish modes. Dolby Imaginative and prescient settings can’t be modified – however, curiously (or maybe not), the color temp for DV content material is Heat, which I don’t suppose makes for probably the most revealing picture. In Dolby Imaginative and prescient Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom, there’s a inexperienced tint that’s lacking from its HDR10 presentation, and performs of 2001: A Area Odyssey and Aquaman in Dolby Imaginative and prescient profit from a wider vary of colors and extra exacting HDR efficiency.
HDR10 Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR
The place the Toshiba U29 does have the sting over the Hisense Roku TV is in its supply of SD content material. In fact, there’s an absence of definition and readability, however the efficiency is nowhere close to as tough. Viewing angles are reasonably disappointing, although: you don’t have to maneuver off-axis a lot for colors to lose punch and depth.
Watch fast-moving sports activities equivalent to MotoGP or Premier League replays, and also you’ll see some blur, however the Toshiba handles it a smidgen higher than the Hisense Roku TV.
There are some minor backlight uniformity points, with the edges of the DLED panel showing somewhat pale in comparison with every thing else. It’s noticeable, however I’d deem it as a slight, reasonably than main, concern.
Sound is supplied by Onkyo’s down-firing audio system– they usually ship an honest efficiency. The sound stage isn’t vast, and it doesn’t have the spacious high quality that the Hisense Roku gives. However neither is it shrill or harsh, with first rate dynamics and vocal readability that makes the U29 a very good set for daytime TV.
The TV helps Dolby Audio, DTS HD and DTS TruSurround and it’s finest to maintain the Dolby good Audio turned on. With it off, vocal readability falls away, and the audio sounds squashed.
I’d advocate a soundbar to go together with the Toshiba 58U2963DB, and if you happen to do go down that street don’t neglect to flick the audio system’ setting to Amplifier. The guide that comes with the TV may do with making that clearer (or, actually, mentioning all of it), as chances are you’ll spend time like I did staring on the TV and questioning why the sound was popping out of each it and the soundbar.
Associated: Finest soundbar
Do you have to purchase the Toshiba 58U2963DB?
The Toshiba 58U2963DB is a surprisingly good TV, providing good worth for its £349 price ticket. A worth that low can typically result in disappointment, however that isn’t the case right here. Apart from the minor backlight points, the usual HDR efficiency is improved over the UL5, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist enhances suitable 4K Blu-ray/streaming content material as a lot as it might probably.
Audio efficiency is pretty first rate, too, though it might probably’t match that of the Hisense Roku TV. The Toshiba U29 nonetheless has some tough edges, and the shortage of more moderen streaming apps equivalent to Disney+ and Apple TV+ offers the Hisense Roku the sting within the good stakes.
Regardless of these points, the U29 is a a lot better realisation of what Toshiba was aiming for with its 2019 vary. Hopefully, the corporate can use this platform because the springboard for bringing big-screen tech to those that can’t afford pricier choices.
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