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There’s little weight to speak of and no real dynamism either, no matter what audio preferences you use, but that’s difficult to find in a budget TV. For that, we’d usually recommend a soundbar. The blurring is not quite as bad as we drop down in resolution to watch an upscaled version of First Man in Full HD on Blu-ray. Colour handling is still consistent and dark details are certainly no worse than before. In fact, all things considered, this TV’s scaling chops are not bad at all. Thankfully the Toshiba UK31 does well where it counts – it’s picture performance is excellent when compared to other budget-friendly sets. Buy It Direct Ltd is a limited company registered in England. Registered number 04171412. Registered office: Unit A Trident Business Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1UA.
The 50UK3163DB’s HDR efforts aren’t the only way it makes an unexpected mark on the affordable TV world, either. Its native 4K pictures also look remarkably sharp and detailed. So much so, in fact, that they make the efforts of even some recent LCD TVs we’ve seen from the usually dependable Samsung look soft and undefined by comparison. (Though its upscaled HD pictures, by comparison, look a little soft and noisy.) The biggest issue is that this panel just can’t handle movement. It offers good 4K detail when the picture is still, but even small actions such as characters moving their heads causes blurring. It’s incredibly off-putting and the motion processing technology does little to improve it. Toshiba 55UL7A63DB review Despite the price tag, this ‘bargain’ 55in 4K TV isn’t the great deal it might initially seem As for ports, you'll find three HDMI 2.0 ports that support 4K at 60Hz. One of these ports supports eARC for connecting a sound bar. You'll also find an Ethernet, a digital optical output and a USB port so you connect a multitude of devices. If you’re searching for a cheap HD TV with a handful of smart features, allow me to introduce you to the Toshiba WK3C.
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Fortunately, this TV is not as shabby for sound. Toshiba has used Onkyo to tune its speaker system of two down-firing drivers plus a sub, powered by a total of 42W of amplification. It supports both Dolby and DTS audio codecs and there are plenty of options in the sound menus to tailor the audio to your tastes. But, if you can afford to splash out on a soundbar then you’ll be treated to a major boost in performance. Lastly, the remote is a big, old-fashioned hunk of plastic – and it isn’t the most responsive either. There’s a smaller remote, but that comes with the more expensive UL7A model.
The 55UL5A63DB’s speakers are tuned by Onkyo, but the UL5A misses out on the “Enhanced” speakers of the UL7A and the front-firing efforts of the TL7A. Contains a token that can be used to retrieve a Client ID from AMP Client ID service. Other possible values indicate opt-out, inflight request or an error retrieving a Client ID from AMP Client ID service.
A budget display that won't blow you away
Hold down the manual button on the unit for 30 seconds (if unsure of location please refer to the user manual). The best soundbars for small TVs can bring you big sound from a compact unit and make speech clearer
We drop down further to some standard-def daytime TV with Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. The blurring is still present and the detail is understandably wanting, but that’s what we’d expect at this price. In fact, the only HDMI 2.1-related feature the 50UK3163DB’s HDMIs do support is automatic low latency mode switching, so that the TV can activate its low input lag game mode when a game source is detected. This results in a seriously good input lag figure of just 10.1ms. Die playing in Call Of Duty on the Toshiba 50UK3163DB and you’ve only got yourself to blame. This isn’t “Works with Alexa”, which requires an external speaker – although it does need an external receiver to work. Hook up the Toshiba Connect to a USB port and it performs like any other Alexa device, with the Alexa logo popping up on the screen when she’s in use.When it comes to detail, the Toshiba captured individual strands of hair and wrinkles in the skin, along with all of the tiny details that decorate Tahani’s grand house. However, as with Daredevil, the image often seemed to verge on being overly sharp. Sound quality The user interface is occasionally a little slow to load, particularly when using the EPG, and stutters a fair bit when browsing the menus. Toshiba’s choice of the dual-core processor at the heart of this set may not have been the best option. The fact that its HDR support stretches to Dolby Vision is particularly welcome, as it shows a genuine interest in trying to give consumers a premium picture experience. In fact, Dolby Vision tends to have more beneficial impact on relatively affordable TVs like this Toshiba than it does on really high-end sets. It works well, but it isn’t without some niggles. The far-field microphone on the device recognised prompts to increase or decrease the volume, but wouldn’t respond to muting the audio. Asking Alexa to change the channel created an awkward period of silence, and trying to open Netflix led to her to telling me facts about Netflix. Perhaps I just didn’t make myself clear, but there do appear to be limitations to how much you can ask of the digital assistant. Costco Online UK Limited, UK Home Office, Hartspring Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 8JS. Registered in England and Wales No. 8055444
A last word on the gaming latency, which is an improvement over other Toshiba TVs I’ve tested. Previously there was no difference when the game mode was switched on, but the UK31 offers a swift 10.3ms – fast enough for blink and you’ll miss it controller response. The picture quality could use more tuning as colours in Gran Turismo 7 are too vividly represented. Picture quality There’s also Alexa, built-in to the bezel of the TV, that can be used to navigate the TV or to ask questions and conjure up information, as you would with an Echo smart speaker.
This issue can lead to some colours in dark scenes looking a little ‘polluted’ by greyness too – though at least neither the greyness nor any over-aggressive work by the Tru Micro Dimming system results in any significant loss of shadow detail.
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