HDTV/3D TV News
In the battle for supremacy, LCDs and Plasmas are on the frontline vying for popularity and picture quality bragging rights. Picture quality is one of LCDs weaknesses but recent models have slowly surpassed that. Nevertheless, this weakness provided manufacturers with a reason to charge extra for step-up models. Features such as Higher refresh rates like 120Hz and now 240Hz aim to clean up blurring with newfangled technology.
Toshiba’s 55ZV650U is one of the least expensive sets out in the market which offers 240Hz functionality. It uses Toshiba’s own technology in producing the 240Hz effect, unlike true 240Hz HDTVs.
To start off, let’s take a look at the 55ZV650U ‘s design. The set let’s go of the traditional flat-panel TV frames that is very common in today’s HDTVs. Instead, Toshiba opted to use a frame edged in silver metal, which borders a silver background that fades tastefully to black. A closer look will show that the black fade is suspended above the silver background on a transparent sheet, and the silver is composed of tiny squares that curve from the extreme edge of the panel inward. It’s a bit complicated and hard to comprehend when one is describing it. But seen in person, the Toshiba 55ZV650U is definitely a thing of beauty and style.
As for features, the 55ZV650U, as mentioned, features Toshiba’s 240Hz effect. The company calls it Clearscan 240. It combines 120 frames per second with new advanced backlight scanning systems to create a 240Hz effect. Since most sources are at 60 frames per second, Toshiba’s method, also used by Vizio and LG, doubles each frame to get to 120 like a standard 120Hz LCD, while flashing the backlight extremely quickly – much faster than human vision can perceive – to achieve further reduction in blurring. This is different from Sony and Samsung’s methods. They actually quadruple the original frames to get to 240, thus deserving the title of sets with true 240Hz capabilities.
Also present on the Toshiba 55ZV650U is a function called Film Stabilization, its own version of dejudder processing.
Picture adjustments are extensive on the ZV650U series. The set offers five adjustable picture modes and a sixth, called AutoView, that automatically adjusts certain parameters according to its own logic, based on ambient lighting and picture content. Toshiba included a big bag of tweaks. Most are quite useful, such as a 31-position gamma slider that allows a great deal of fine-tuning, an extensive color management system, and the ability to lock your settings.
On to connectivity, the 55ZV650U features a back panel that contains three HDMI inputs, adding two component-video, one VGA-style PC (1,280×1,024 maximum resolution), and one AV input with composite and S-Video, along with digital and analog audio outputs. The side panel sports a fourth HDMI, another AV input with composite video, and USB and SD card slots.
Overall, the Toshiba 55ZV650U is a solid performer. Though not one of the best flat-panel LCDs out there, still, the 55ZV650U is worth the consideration. For instance, you have its color accuracy, which it one of the TV’s main strengths. With its extensive color adjustments, its not hard for users to experience this kind of quality from this set. It’s major weakness of course, as with most LCDs, is its black level. Toshiba’s 240Hz effect doesn’t even contribute significantly one way or the other to the TV’s overall performance.
In conclusion, the Toshiba 55ZV650U is worth something, though just not a lot. It can’t match the performance and quality of leading HDTVs but it can substitute for them. As always, it all depends on the user’s, preference.
Sources:
http://www.lcdtvreviews.org.uk
http://www.product-reviews.net
http://www.televisioninfo.com
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