At the end of last year, Toshiba TV introduced the M550 TV line. Despite the presence of almost all modern image and sound enhancement technologies, the cost of new products has remained acceptable.
It seems that progress in creating new TVs has stopped. But this is not so – the focus has simply shifted to the software part of the products. Therefore, it is not surprising that the new TVs look as similar as possible to the models of 2-3 years ago. Screen frames can no longer be reduced, and switching to 8K resolution for consumer equipment does not make much sense yet.
Nevertheless, TVs are being upgraded: processing algorithms are improving, top technologies and components are gradually becoming more accessible. The new Toshiba M550 turned out to be quite sophisticated, while not very expensive.
Image and sound
Thin screen bezels have become a “must have” for flagship models. In Toshiba M550, they are also barely noticeable – only the lower one, with the logo, is traditionally thicker than the rest.
By the way, on the left (if you look at the screen) there are convenient brackets for pulling wires. The brackets are made entirely of metal. The screen with a resolution of 3840×2160 has received almost all the latest technologies to improve the image. The matrix has wide viewing angles (178º) and, importantly, a high brightness of 450 nits. Brightness is of great importance if you are going to install the TV near or in front of a window.
In budget models, it is much lower, at the level of 250 nits – as a result, the image may become faded in intense daylight. Another trend of our time is a reduced level of harmful blue. Here it is certified by TÜV Rheinland. The response time of the matrix is 8 ms – this is a good indicator for a TV. It is worth paying attention to those who have a game console.
Two 10W speakers are responsible for the sound. Like many other Toshiba TV models, the new line supports two popular surround sound standards at once: both Dolby Atmos, which is relevant, for example, for Apple TV or ivi, and DTS Virtual X.
Hardware and interfaces
The image is processed by the NovaTek NT72671D processor, which is called the REGZA Engine 4K in the TV specifications. This is already a proven solution that supports AI algorithms and does an excellent job of upscaling if the content resolution does not reach 4K.
Smart TV
Smart functions are still implemented on the proprietary VIDAA OS. It is simple and clear, while not creating a large load on the processor. It is unlikely that you will have to face a shortage of applications: there are almost all popular ones. Many of them are placed on a separate button on the remote control.
It is convenient to search for content: the remote has a microphone, and you can give voice commands. What is important, when requested, the search is launched simultaneously on all available platforms. Almost like an internet search engine.
By the way, about the Internet. Both wireless and wired connection methods are supported here. Moreover, wireless works immediately in two bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz. We recommend using the latter as 4K content requires a high connection speed when streaming.
Conclusion
Toshiba M550 can be called the top line for the mass user. It does not have expensive solutions like OLED-matrix and 8K resolutions, so retail prices have not flown into space even in the current situation. At the same time, the quality of the image and sound will suit most fans of movies and TV shows.
