Toshiba 55UK4D63DB TV 139.7 cm (55") 4K Ultra HD Smart TV Wi-Fi

Product Information

The former enables the TV to take advantage of extra scene-by-scene data delivered by Dolby Vision sources, while the latter sees the TV taking on the challenge of creating a soundstage capable of delivering at least a sense of Dolby Atmos’s object-based approach to sound.

Rather than turn to the likes of Roku or Android TV for its smart features as might have been expected of a TV with a background such as that of the 50UK3163DB, Toshiba’s latest TV instead bravely uses a home-grown system. The 55QA5D63DB ships with a plasticky, rather drab-looking remote control – though this does redeem itself a bit by carrying a fair selection of buttons for providing direct access to key streaming services. The really startling thing about the 50UK3163DB’s HDR performance is that as well as delivering bright HDR shots with an impressively high level of baseline brightness, it still has enough brightness headroom to shift up another gear for the sort of ultra-intense highlights that really make HDR shine.I’ve got no problems with how it feels to use, the buttons are well-spaced out and there’s decent feedback with presses. The 145-year-old firm turned its back on personal computers in June 2020, leaving televisions as one of its few remaining consumer-facing sectors. Its entirely healthy obsession with trying to give you the maximum 4K and HDR bang for your buck may well win it plenty of fans, though. It lacks bass, which isn’t unexpected – but its lack of bass is exacerbated by turning up the volume. There does seem to be some support for the ALLM switching feature that can switch TVs into their fast-response Game mode whenever a game source is detected, but this doesn’t work as consistently during our tests as it should.

While the black bars at the top and bottom are more dark grey than solid black, there's no obvious blotchiness or clouding.This enables it to deliver much more of the brightness, both in small ‘peaks’ and full-screen situations, that high dynamic range content thrives on. For Smart TVs with Freeview Play, your TV will need to be connected to both an aerial and internet connection.

The new UI is part of a tile/row interface– scroll up or down and there’s access to Sources, Settings or Live TV. Unexpectedly, the TV is actually detected by the Xbox Series X as supporting VRR (though only up to 60Hz, obviously).The specifications of this model make it a reliable choice for those looking for a television with a large display and energy-efficient features.

It breaks down the TV’s picture performance into three parts: micro dimming, motion control and upscaling. As the big brands appear to be shying away from the budget reaches of the TV market, it’s left the likes of Toshiba with its UK4D model in prime position to sweep up. The 55QA5D63DB is a better upscaler of HD sources than we might have expected for its money, adding good texture, sharpness and even depth to HD sources.The far-field microphone on the device recognised prompts to increase or decrease the volume, but wouldn’t respond to muting the audio. But even with the 55QA5D63DB’s contrast optimised as much as possible, very dark scenes in beloved films are honestly difficult to watch. So eye-catching is the 50UK3163DB’s HDR performance, in fact, that we’re confident that if you were to put it side by side with any other TV in its class, its HDR efforts would leave its rival looking drab and dull by comparison. The TV’s dual-core processor does an excellent job of keeping things responsive and there are few menus in which to get lost.