LED-backlit LCD flat panels (aka "LED TVs") are currently enjoying a surge of popularity amongst TV shoppers. As many consumers are coming to learn, LED-backlit displays are available in two flavors: edge-lit versus full array backlighting. Full array models, which often sport a feature known as "local dimming" to make blacks blacker without impacting the brighter areas of the picture, are usually on the chunky side and sacrifice a bit of sex appeal for the greater good of picture quality. Edge-lit models usually can't compete in the black level arena, nor in overall picture uniformity, but they definitely win a few points back in the aesthetics competition, thanks to their Megan Fox-inspired waistlines.
Even more popular than LED right now is an even shorter acronym: 3D. Thanks at least in part to James Cameron and his floating mountains of Pandora, talk of 3D filmmaking, Blu-ray 3D software, and 3D-capable displays is everywhere right now. Even if you're not a big 3D fan (cough, cough) there's a case to be made for buying 3D-capable hardware should you change your mind in six months or a year. (Who knows, 3D may actually look palatable by then!?)
Where am I going with all of this? Hang in there, a point is rapidly approaching.
If you're one of the many consumers looking for a large, svelte flat-screen to hang on your wall, Toshiba's LED edge-lit 55WX800U is one of the thinnest and most attractive displays we've seen. Measuring just a hair over one inch thick (one inch!), this chrome-trimmed beauty is guaranteed to score high with the aesthetically-minded in your household. (I didn't say women. Not overtly at least.) On top of its stunning good looks, the 55WX800U is also a 3D-capable display, when paired with Toshiba's active shutter 3D glasses. Although the display is far from perfect, TV shoppers looking for a slim and sexy, 3D-ready display would be well-advised to read on.
The Walk Around
As mentioned above, Toshiba's 55WX800U is one THIN display. Said another way, it's flat-out gorgeous, with "flat" being the operative word. Thanks to its edge-lit design, this Toshiba measures only 1.15 inches thick, giving it a ridiculously slim profile when paired with a flush or recessed wall mount. Rounding out the package, chrome trim adorning the sides of the all-black bezel and touch-sensitive controls makes for a winning combination.
The rear and side panels contain the now-customary foursome of HDMI 1.4a inputs, one of which (HDMI 1) is highlighted for its support of the Audio Return Channel (ARC) - a useful feature if you'll be sending audio upstream to a newer A/V receiver or surround sound processor. Toshiba has also given the 55WX800U its "InstaPort Technology," which reduces the time it takes for the HDMI signal chain to complete its usual handshaking. I switched between my DISH Network HD-DVR and a Toshiba Blu-ray player numerous times, and it was definitely a quicker-than-usual experience.
Beyond the HDMI ports is where things get a little different. In lieu of the traditional RCA ports for component video and analog audio, Toshiba has opted instead for mini-ports, which can be used in conjunction with supplied adapters for both composite video/analog audio and component video (one of each). The mini-port decision was presumably made to maintain the 55WX800U's sleek profile, so I for one don't see it as a negative. With virtually everything you're apt to connect now using HDMI, it's easy to see why Toshiba went this route and it's something that Samsung also started doing earlier this year on their slimmest LED models.
Remote, Control
The remote control Toshiba supplies with the 55WX800U is quite the chunky monkey. It's larger than most, heavier than most, and will likely be a bit cumbersome for the dainty hands crowd. That said, my large hands liked this remote quite a bit. For starters, it's fully backlit. The cursor pad area, which features the controls you're apt to use most often, is excellent, with a good layout and welcome spacing between the rocker pad and its surrounding buttons. The RETURN button is the only button that could benefit from a relocation, but aside from that it's all good.
Toshiba's on-screen menu system is simple, elegant, and fast. It's not fancy, it's not loaded with color, but it is intuitive, easy to use, and it gets the job done. Video adjustments can be made without the full menu cluttering up the screen, and Toshiba gives you a fairly robust array of these adjustments in both the "Advanced Picture Settings" and "Expert Picture Settings" - though "Test Patterns" would be a better label for the latter.
Net TV
"Net TV" is the name Toshiba has given to its its suite of internet applications and streaming content options, which at the moment includes Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, and Yahoo TV Widgets (which in turn gets you Pandora and numerous others). If I had to use one word to describe the Toshiba's NetTV interface, that word would be "quirky" - though "moody" and "unpredictable" are close runners-up.
There were numerous occasions during my time with the 55WX800U that the NetTV and Yahoo Widgets buttons on the remote stopped working. On these occasions, the buttons failed to launch the NetTV and Yahoo Widgets interfaces, respectively. Other times, the NetTV button wouldn't work, but the Yahoo Widgets would. And if you the clicked on the NetTV widget icon FROM the Yahoo Widgets bar, NetTV would launch successfully. Mind you, there were also plenty of times NetTV behaved as expected. But I do believe NetTV still has a few gremlins which I'm hoping a future software update can eradicate.
Netflix streaming, sure to be the most popular of the app bunch, is unfortunately the first generation of the interface - most common on 2010 model year TVs and Blu-ray players. That means you cannot search for movies by title and you are effectively limited to watching that which is already listed in your Instant Queue. Based on what I've heard from other manufacturers, it is unlikely this will evolve over time on current models. It is what it is. That said, managing your queue from Netflix.com is hardly a major chore. All it takes is a web-enabled PC, Mac or smart phone and a few clicks of a mouse (or a few taps on a touch screen, as the case may be)
In addition to the aforementioned apps Toshiba gives you, there is also an icon for Netflix's nemesis: Blockbuster On Demand. However, when you click it, it tells you this service is coming soon. It's possible we'll hear more about this at the Consumer Electronics Show later this week, so stay tuned. [it's also possible no one cares much about Blockbuster - ed.]
The 55WX800U is a DLNA-certified device with support for MPEG2 PS, MPEG2 TS, AVCHD, MP4, MP3, MP4 (AAC), LPCM, JPEG media files. In addition to working together with your home network, the 55WX800U also gives you a pair of USB ports plus an SD card reader, all of which are side-facing for maximum convenience.
On the subject of home networks, it should be noted that the 55WX800U features built-in 802.11 Wi-Fi. The process of identifying your wireless network is somewhat cumbersome, but I did eventually to play nice with the 5Ghz signal coming from my Linksys dual-band router. Entering the password (for me, a combination of uppercase, lowercase, and digits) had my yearning for VIZIO's slide-out QWERTY keyboard remote, and I can't wait until other manufacturers decide to follow their lead on that front. Up, Up, Right, Right, Right, Enter... egad man!
Processing... Processing...
After a quick trip through the video settings menus turning off all of the usual suspects (noise reduction, dynamic contrast, ambient light sensor, etc.) I popped in the DVD edition of IDT's HQV Benchmark 2.0 using my Oppo DVD player connected via component video using 480i output. Most of the tests passed just fine, with minor stair-stepping visible on the flag and relatively minor ripples on the oscillating bars. However, one test proved rather troublesome and that was the 3:2 film cadence detection clip in the disc's "Film Resolution" test.
After repeated tests and lots of trial and error, I discovered that the only way to get the 55WX800U to properly detect and handle 3:2 film cadence is to engage the "Film Stabilization" feature, which has three settings: Standard, Middle, and High. Unfortunately, this feature - working in tandem with Toshiba's "ClearFrame 240" anti-blur technology - gives film that unnatural look of video or a daytime soap opera. The "Standard" setting is rather subtle in this regard, but it was rather disappointing to see that 3:2 cadence could not be properly handled without this feature engaged. (Note: It is possible to subsequently turn off ClearFrame 240, but it gets engaged by default whenever you turn on Film Stabilization.)
Picture This
A quick color calibration yielded solid results with respect to color accuracy and grayscale. The latter was quite good in fact, with black-to-white ramp patterns yielding a nice, consistent gradient with no discernible color push. This manifested in excellent skin tones during real world viewing material such as Will Smith's I Am Legend on Blu-ray. Smith's red Mustang popped magnificently against the overgrown grime of NYC and shadow detail inside the car was respectable with an above average depth of black.
The opening minutes of The Dark Knight Blu-ray also looked great with respect to fine detail and color, but when the IMAX-filmed opening ended, I did find my eyes occasionally drifting to the four corners of the display. The black bars framing the 2.35:1 content showed noticeable light bleed at the four corners, and there were also spots toward the center of the screen that I can only describe as light "blotches." This uneven brightness is undoubtedly the result of the Toshiba's edge-lit approach to its LED backlighting.
Unfortunately, this is not an issue you can easily mitigate through calibration. Edge-lit LED TVs must pay a price for their slim profiles, and very often that price is uneven brightness when it comes to black level. This is also known as "uniformity" as the lighting of these edge-lit sets lacks the uniform brightness you would see on a self-emissive technology such as a plasma. For some, this is a major issue, but you really have to see if for yourself before considering it a deal breaker. For example: if I didn't point it out to my wife, it's doubtful she would have ever noticed it on her own. During regular TV viewing, it's not something you generally see. But put on a movie with good dark scenes and you are more likely to notice it.
3D-Ready (Glasses Sold Separately)
Watching Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D and Image's Grand Canyon Adventure, I was routinely distracted by the double edges and halos around objects caused by the set's overall lackluster 3D performance. To be fair though, I was hardly blown away by the 3D performance on LG's PX950 Series, the first THX-certified 3D display, so your mileage may vary. My editor tells me I'm "more sensitive" to 3D artifacts (and yet he still keeps sending 3D displays my way... go figure). Also, I haven't yet evaluated any other 3D LED TVs, though I can't say my experience with the 55WX800U left me hankering to change that.
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Final Thoughts
There's no getting around the fact that Toshiba's 55WX800U is a beautifully designed display. Its slim profile, elegant trim, and invisible speakers combine to give this TV supermodel good looks. However, like supermodels -- because I've dated so many -- the 55WX800 is prone to mood swings, particularly with respect to its NetTV feature. Also, and more importantly, her picture quality is hampered by uneven backlighting and light bleed at the corners. This coupled with the Toshiba's forced use of "Film Stabilization" to obtain proper 3:2 cadence detection and less than perfect handling of 3D content puts a bit of a damper on an otherwise beautiful display. Try before you buy, it's as simple as that.
Manufacturer's Specifications for Toshiba 55WX800U 240Hz 3D LED HDTV:
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Manufacturer's Contact Information:
Toshiba America, Inc.
1251 Avenue of the Americas
Suite 4110
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 800-631-3811
Web: www.ToshibaTV.com
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