Televisions have changed enormously in the last decade, turning to digital inputs offering much higher quality resolutions and cinema-like experiences. Toshiba have aggressively entered the LED market with their new WL series and here I have been able to experience the Toshiba LED 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) 40″ REGZA 40WL753B. Your first question is probably what on earth is LED?
The television screen has evolved quickly and one of the latest incarnations is the use of LED edge backlighting (Light Emitting Diodes) to illuminate modern day viewing experiences. The technology offers reduced power consumption, a longer lifespan and the clincher for you and I will be the increased picture quality.
Another recent development is the introduction of Freeview HD…
Freeview HD
Freeview has been available in the UK for some time now and as televisions have evolved into high definition, the Freeview experience has needed to step up to the plate and meet the latest consumer requirements. Freeview HD offers the well known ‘subscription free’ service we have all become aware of, but adds a few high definition channels on top of the existing line-up. An outside aerial and a ‘Freeview HD’ decoder is all you require to enjoy this latest update and thankfully the Toshiba REGZA LED TV here is fully compatible with this new standard without the need for yet another set-top box.
The featured programme guide fills the screen completely, displaying the wealth of current and upcoming shows within the following week. On occasion, the programme title may be obscured due to its length, however simply navigating over the relevant programme block reveals the full title, to which a summary can also be opened for more specific information regarding the episode.
To find out more about Freeview HD, you can view our guide:
> Freeview, Freeview HD and Freesat – An Introduction to Digital Television in the UK
Quality
Televisions are required to cope with a myriad of devices including gaming consoles, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players. All have their particular demands and the Toshiba model here presented them all with bright and rich colours, while keeping the white and blacks clearly separated. Like most people, I tweaked the defaults ever so slightly as I felt the factory pre-set settings were a little strong in terms of colour, however it took no time at all to navigate the on-screen menus and to make the personal adjustments.
Unfortunately the internal speakers were less exciting, however on most flat-screen panels they are often lacking oomph due to their small size. I would always recommend people invest in a surround sound system when they have any modern television as flat-screens offer little room for larger, more impressive speakers.
Connections
The Toshiba REGZA 40″ LED TV is jam packed with connectivity options and we certainly require them these days with so many devices that require a free port. Featuring four HDMI ports, component and composite, VGA, two scart sockets, digital-out and more besides. There are also ports around the side of the television for easy access when connecting external equipment.
It doesn’t end there though as this Toshiba television also has two USB ports. This allows you to plug in a USB memory stick to playback various media types, which for practicality is perfect for those family slide-shows we usually dread on a small computer screen. At long last you have a large 40″ display to truly enjoy the moment, although I am afraid this still is dependent on the storyteller of course! If all else fails, you can always fall back on the SD card slot for photo viewing.
Resolution +
We may be in the high definition era, yet many of the programmes we watch today are still stuck in the past with the same old standard resolutions. These don’t compare well with HD transmissions, so Resolution + attempts to increase the overall quality. Improving in particular edge details, which would otherwise look quite jagged due to viewing a lower resolution transmission.
200Hz Film Stabilization
Televisions and even the cinema are stuck in formats that were invented decades ago, however even with these limitations newer sets are adding enhancements that increase the smoothness with a little help. 200Hz picture processing is four times as fast as the traditional 50Hz we have become accustomed to here in the UK and the aim is to offer a more fluid viewing experience, which is particularly evident when watching sports and action movies. Even viewing documentaries or the news, the enhancement provides a noticeable smooth look and feel.
If you have a gaming console connected, switching some of these enhancements off are recommended, as extremely fast movements can be prone to judder in this environment.
Media Streaming
One of the quirkier additions to this television is the ability to stream content from your home computer, which currently requires a minimum of a Windows 7 operating system. Pictures, music and even video that are stored on your computers hard drive can be selected from your TV and viewed on a much larger and more impressive screen. This is transmitted through a LAN Ethernet port, but if this is a problem also available is an additional port for a wireless USB dongle that Toshiba offers as an optional extra for those with a wireless router. The performance even with a high bit-rate HD video I created coped well with the strain. On top of this is YouTube video playback, giving you the chance to select video clips of the usual human and animal exploits that usually leave you in stitches.
Specification Highlights
- Resolution: 1080p – 1920x1080p
- Screen Type: LED LCD
- Built in Decoder: Freeview HD
- Screen Format: 16:9
- Response Time: 5ms
- Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 6,000,000:1
- Viewing Angle: 178 cm
- Dimentions with Stand: Width 1007 mm, Height 682 mm, Depth 305 mm, Weight 19 kg
Final Thoughts
The Toshiba REGZA LED TV includes an amazing set of connections and features that would add greatly to any home configuration.
The picture quality is very impressive and no matter which kind of media you throw in its direction, the Toshiba copes well while adding enhancements of its own. The media connection to a computer is also a nice touch – with pictures, music and video streaming, giving any family photo slide-show a much needed larger screen.
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