I felt sure 3D TV prices would fall in 2011. The pressure from the still poor economic situation and the need to shift some home electronics made it almost certain. Having said that I was really surprised to see the Toshiba 55WX800U 55 Inch 3D TV come in at just $1,599 (at the time of writing - late January 2011).
We're talking a full 1080p HD TV with a 240HZ refresh rate - top of the range tech until very recently. I have to say, as a consumer, it's great to see this! And as a spin off it will "encourage" others to follow suit which is brilliant. You never know even Sony and Samsung might discount a bit! Of course another contributing factor could be the arrival of 480Hz TVs as well.
So, I had to have a look - and I was impressed.
For the price the performance is right up there, and that pleased me as I didn't really think it was possible to offer top end performance at this sort of price.
So, what about the picture? Comparable to any full LED TV is the answer. That means brilliant colors, crystal clear images and stunning movement. It's true they all have their own LED picture technology with Toshiba boasting "PixelPure5" is the best picture technology. It is a brilliant picture and the 7 million:1 contrast helps screen definition.
Having watched the TV in action I was surprised to find out that there was the odd negative review and press comment. This concerned alleged image clouding and crosstalk (blurring of the 3D image). I did not witness anything of this nature. All 3D sets have some degree of crosstalk and it was a bigger issue on early 3D sets, but it is now pretty much cured, and this set is no different...it was fine.
And, at last... integral wi-fi as standard! Not before time is what I say! I find it incredible that, in this day and age you have to buy an additional receiver to get wi-fi internet access on your TV. I know LG had started to include it but now Toshiba have joined in surely the rest must now follow?
Another "bug-bear" of mine with new generation HD TV has been the complex nature of set up. It has certainly got a lot easier over the past year or so, but this one is an absolute breeze.
Set up was an absolute breeze, all the way through. In fact, the set simply recognised it all! It was a real breathe of fresh air compared to some set ups I've done. You need an IQ of 217 to do some of these set ups. Remember us consumers are simple souls, so massive plaudits for Toshiba on this aspect. Menus were also very easy to navigate, widget set up easy and picture tweaking simple as well.
The sales brochure does suggest new speaker technology and better sound, but, in truth, it's marginal at best. Don't get me wrong it's absolutely fine for normal watching, but if you want a better experience then you'll need a surround system and speakers. However, in truth you need that with any HD set, so it's no different.
And, surround systems are so cheap these days you might as well!
So, to sum up I believe the Toshiba 55WX800U is a really good buy, especially when you look at the level of performance the TV gives you. If you're mulling over the idea of going 3D then I recommend you have a look at this one. It is comparable with more expensive TVs from other manufacturers and offers an excellent entry point to 3D.
Especially given picture quality you get with normal 2D pictures as well, it's impressive.
Definitely good value and highly recommended as an excellent entry point for 3D
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