When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown. But this week the Digital Downtown event was solidly in Midtown in the shadow of the Empire State Building. Toshiba America Consumer Products was one of the companies present to showcase its latest generation of LCD TVs, all of which a Toshiba spokesperson affirmed were now Energy Star 3.0 compliant.
Entry Level Looks Good
These included sets ranging from the entry AV502 models, 720p sets that will be available in 26-, 32- and 37-inch sizes. Step up to the RV525 line (and above) for Full HD 1080p resolution. The RV525 line will sport 32-, 37-, 40- and 46-inch models.
REGZA Line Shines
The REGZA line, which begins with the XV645 series of 1080p, 120Hz models will arrive with 40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch models; while the step up VXV648 will include the latest CrystalCoat technology to reduce screen glare from a room's ambient lights, along with the inclusion of Dolby Volume for more consistent volume levels across channels and across inputs. Dolby Volume even eliminates that pesky problem where commercials are so much louder than the TV program itself. The 648 line will be available in 40-, 46- and 52-inch models.
The ZV650 adds ClearScan 240 to the mix, and this will feature models in 42-inch, 47-inch and 55-inch screen sizes. This ClearScan 240 technology combines 120 frames per second with advanced Backlight Scanning Technology to create a 240Hz effect, and this system helps the set attain a high 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.
Toshiba Rolls out LED Backlighting
Finally at the top of the heap is the SV670 LED backlit LCD TV (aka "LED TV"), which will be available in 46- and 55-inch models. This line incorporates FocaLight Full Matrix LED backlighting with local dimming, to provide improved brightness uniformity and bring on that "2,000,000:1" dynamic contrast ratio [editor's note: as usual, take these contrast numbers with a huge grain of salt as this spec far exceeds the realm of what can be measured, but Toshiba is not the only manufacturer making these claims].
The SV670 also is the first in Toshiba's lineup to incorporate the new Deep Lagoon Design with Infinity Flush Front, which is meant to evoke the image of "sand disappearing below the surface of calm shores." This front also adds an edge-to-edge anti-reflective front panel.
All of the REGZA models will feature a USB port, SD card slot, four HDMI inputs with InstaPort and REGZA-Link, IR Pass-through port and high-resolution PC input. The new Dolby Volume sound leveling and Audyssey EQ functionality are also being included in this year's TV line-up, with the Dolby Volume being present to help create more balanced audio to accompany the viewing experience. This technology utilizes human psycho-acoustic algorithms to help maintain a consistent volume level, even when viewers are changing channels or when a commercial comes on.
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