Toshiba XV545U (1080p @ 120hz LCD)

Available Models: 42" 42XV545U 46" 46XV545U 52" 52XV545U

Where to buy

The Good

  • Elegant double skin high-gloss black finish
  • CineSpeed 10-bit LCD panel
  • ClearFrame 120Hz anti-blur technology with 5:5 pulldown
  • SRT upconversion improves the look of 480i/480p/720p resolution sources
  • AutoView automatically adjusts the picture based on ambient room light
  • 4 x HDMI v1.3 — accepts signals up to 1080p (60Hz, 24Hz)
  • Optical digital audio output for Dolby® Digital
  • Detachable swivel stand/wall-mountable (bracket not included)
  • ColorBurst™ Wide Color Gamut CCFL - Same lighting used in high-end Sony HDTVs.
  • 5:5 pulldown / 24P support
  • Semi-matte screen helps reduce glare
  • Gaming mode that drastically reduces blur from high-speed console (PS3, Xbox 360) gaming.

The Bad

  • Lower contrast ratio than competing Samsung A650/A750/A850 lines.
  • Speakers aren’t that great

Summary

The Toshiba XV545U’s are the best HDTV’s of 2009 for the average HDTV buyer - in fact, this is the HDTV that I bought for myself.

I know Toshiba isn’t the brand that comes to mind when you think HDTV, but I’m telling you, Toshiba put together a winner with their XV545U line.

After months of (re)searching for the best HDTV (I could afford) it came down to the Toshiba 52XV545U and the Samsung LN52A650. I almost pulled the trigger on the Samsung LN52A650, but the red touch-of-color stopped me (i’m just not a fan of the red trim, but to each his own). The Toshiba 52XV545U won me over for the following reasons:

  1. Excellent picture quality. The 52″ 52XV545U actually uses a Samsung LCD  panel that is known for excellent contrast ratio and response time. The 52XV545U uses WCG CCFL lighting which is best LCD back-lighting outside of LED (and you’ll pay out the nose for an LED LCD).
  2. It sports a very simple, thin elegant black and grey trim, will look great in any room.
  3. Its a 1080p HDTV which gives me the highest resolution for HDTVs. Great for hooking a computer up to it and, of course, Blu-ray playback.
  4. Its a 120Hz HDTV that support 5:5 pulldown / 24P for smoother Blu-ray playback
  5. Its a LCD HDTV, so it handles being used as a computer monitor very well (much better than Plasmas). I have it hooked up to my HTPC (Home Theatre PC) which streams most of the video I watch. Also, LCD’s maintain their picture quality better than Plasmas in rooms with lots of light like my living room.
  6. SRT Upconversion - SRT upconversion is a special technology Toshiba developed that makes lower resolution video (like non-HD cable, DVDs, etc) appear sharper. SRT works OK, but it unfortunately doesn’t bring non-HD video anywhere near HD quality.
  7. The price - I was able to pick up the 52″ model (52XV545U) for $2,000 shipped.

That being said, the Samsung LNA650 line is a very strong contender for the #1 spot. If you don’t mind (or even like) the red touch-of-color trim, I highly recommend checking the LNA650 out. If it wasn’t for the red trim I would have the Samsung LN52A650 sitting in my living room right now.

Note: The 42″ 42XV545U uses a LCD panel made by LG/Philips where as a the 46″ 46XV545U and 52″ 52XV545U use LCD panels made by Samsung; the Samsung LCD panels have slightly better contrast and response time.

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