Toshiba 46TL963
Toshiba
46TL963
Features
·Screen size: 46in
·Display type: LCD
·Backlighting: Edge-lit LED
·Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
·Tuners: analogue UHF; DVB-T/T2; DVB-S/S2
·Speakers: 2 x 10W
·Image processing: 200Hz (100Hz + backlight scanning)
EPG; Freeview HD 7-day, Freesat HD 7-day
·CI slot: Yes
·Teletext: Yes
·Apps: including Twitter, Flickr, Facebook,
Inbox, Livesport, Euronews, iConcerts
·Video on demand: BBC iPlayer, Blinkbox, Acetrax,
Cinetrailer, Viewster, DailyMotion, YouTube, Woomi
·Web browser: No
·Wi-Fi networking: Optional USB adapter required
·Ethernet: Yes
·SD out/in: 1 x Scart (RGB/composite), composite
video in
·HD in: 4 x HDMI v1.4, component video, PC RGB
·Audio out: Digital optical audio, headphones
jack
·Audio in: Mini jack, Stereo phono
·Data ports: 2 x USB. Ethernet
Ratings
Great price
·Decent picture tools
·Good HD pictures
Minus
·Unwieldy remote control
·3D glasses not supplied
·Lack of Smart TV services
·Build: 9/10
·Setup: 8/10
·Searching: 8/10
·Navigation: 8/10
·Performance: 8/10
·Features: 8/10
·Value: 10/10
·Overall: 8.2/10
Picture quality
This may be an entry-level LED model, but its picture performance is far from bargain basement. For starters, contrast is very good and shadow detail is deftly handled in dark scenes — something that taxes a lot of budget LED screens. Panasonic’s picture presets, especially the Cinema and True Cinema modes, are as good as ever and do a great job of showing off just how warm and pleasing this model’s colour tones can be. Colours really do look bright and vivid without becoming garish.
Panasonic’s True Cinema picture mode shows off the set’s rich colours at their best.
Viewing angles are wide too, thanks to its use of an IPS panel. Although images aren’t as fantastically sharp as I would have liked on HD content, the set still has enough finesse to tease plenty of detail from the best HD sources. It performs well with standard-definition too, as it manages to sharpen up even the ropier channels on Freeview without amplifying their weaknesses.
This set uses a 50Hz panel, but Panasonic has added backlight blinking to boost it to the magical 150Hz figure quoted on the marketing material. It isn’t really comparable to what you get from a true 100Hz screen though. This can be seen when the set is dealing with fast motion such as camera pans in footy matches. Look closely and you’ll notice that when the speed of the pan picks up, the screen’s resolution drops, giving a slightly smeared look to the images. It’s not terrible, but motion isn’t as clean as Panasonic’s higher-end LED displays.
The set’s other Achilles Heel is its backlight. On the model I had in for review, there was some clouding in the lower-left and right-hand corners of the screen. On some displays you can mask this slightly by turning down the backlight/contrast control in the menu, but even with this adjusted, it was still visible during darker scenes.
Firmware Update Procedures
Perform steps 1 through 4 listed below.
- Step 1: Check the current version of firmware used by your TV.
- Step 2: Download an updated version of the firmware and double click the downloaded file to decompress it.
- Step 3: Copy the firmware file onto an SD Memory Card.
- Step 4: Install the firmware update.
Step 1. Check the current version of firmware used by your TV.
Panasonic recommends that you update the firmware in your TV if either of the following conditions exists:Gf the firmware version indicated is older than the version being offered, please update firmware.
It will only be necessary to update the software if the version that you have in your TV is older than the version being offered.
- Steps
(The following display images may be slightly different from your TV, but the firmware update
procedures are the same.)
Turn the power ON
Press button to display Main Menu
Select «Setup» in Main menu
Select «System Menu» in «Setup Menu»
| Select «System Information» in «System Menu» | |
Confirm «software Version»
If the firmware version indicated is older than the version being offered,
please update firmware.
(Please update firmware, if is smaller than .)
Internet and video playback
The E5B is a Smart TV so it comes loaded with Panasonic’s Viera Connect Internet TV platform. This provides you with a range of apps for a variety of services, from on-demand video content to news and weather apps, and even 3D games.
There’s a range of news apps including a neat one from the Beeb, as well as some half-decent games, including a 3D car racing game from Gameloft. Overall, there aren’t quite as many apps available as you’ll see on LG and Samsung models, but it’s still a pretty impressive line-up.
What’s not so impressive is the Viera Connect user interface. Panasonic has opted for a 3D layered system, where you glide up and down through pages of apps. However, as each page only holds eight icons for apps, it can get tedious moving between them, especially as the animation to switch pages is sluggish.
The 3D layered layout isn’t the best interface I’ve seen for smart services.
As with most of today’s smart TVs, this one has digital media playback features. You can play videos locally from USB drives and SD cards, or stream files across a home network from a PC or NAS drive. Panasonic has upgraded this media playback software from older models and format support is much, much better. On the audio side it, can work with MP3, WMA and AAC tracks, while on the movie front it has no problem playing MP4, AVI, Mov, DviX and Xvid files, as well as HD MKV videos.
Features
Both screens have no shortage of picture
adjustment tools including color management, active backlighting, noise
reduction and gamma control. Beyond that you sense that Toshiba has really
pushed the boat out to include as many features as possible without pushing up
the price. There are four HDMI sockets and it’s reassuring to discover the
presence of Active Vision picture processing on the 46TL963, along with AMR200.
The former cleans up jerkiness and judder with fast moving subjects, while
(hopefully) keeping trailing artifacts in check, and the latter is a tuners
plus Active 3D (including 2D to 3D conversion), although the specs which sell
for at least $90 aren’t included. Both screens are WiFi capable, but require
the purchase of additional dongles to eliminate the Ethernet cable from your
set-up.
Beyond
that you sense that Toshiba has really pushed the boat out to include as many
features as possible without pushing up the price
The Panasonic TX-L47E5 with just three
HDMIs is a 2D-only job and is based on a 50Hz panel with backlight scanning to
yield a 150Hz refresh rate. It doesn’t sport Panasonic’s IFC picture processor,
which is not necessarily a bad thing since only the minimum settings should
ever be used. Both screens can record video to a USB-connected hard drive but
only the TX-L47E5 has an SD card slot, which is very handy for enjoying holiday
snaps from a digital camera.
In terms of networking and media streaming,
there’s very little to choose between them. They both have DLNA approval and
are compatible with more or less the same number of file formats and containers
including MKVs, DivX and XviD. Notably only the Panasonic will play FLAC files.
‘Toshiba has really pushed the boat
out to include as many features as possible’
Audio quality
This model has stereo 10W speakers positioned at the bottom of the chassis, firing downwards. The chassis is thicker at the bottom than it is at the top to accommodate them. This is a trick that Panasonic used to good effect on some of its previous LED TVs, as having larger drivers usually leads to better bass performance.
Selecting the wrong speaker mode can adversely affect the clarity of dialogue in TV shows and movies.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case here and the E5B actually sounds worse than last year’s TVs. It doesn’t have the same bass oomph as the TX-L42E3B, for example, and you have to be careful with the audio settings. If you get things wrong — especially if you choose the wrong ‘distance to wall’ setting — dialogue can sound muffled and indistinct. To be fair, the latter isn’t a problem if you just rely on the presets for Music and Speech, although the lack of bass is still an issue with these two modes.
Panasonic has also included two virtual surround modes — V-Audio and V-surround. The former does widen the soundstage a tad, but the latter doesn’t really bring anything to the party so I found it best left alone.
Характеристики
47 дюймов, Freeview HD, разрешение 1920×1,080, 3D: нет, 4x HDMI
В этом обзоре мы протестировали 46-дюймовую модель в диапазоне ES6540, но она также доступна в 32-дюймовом (TX-L32E5B), 37-дюймовом (TX-L37E5B) и 42-дюймовом (TX-L42E5B) экранах. Все модели имеют идентичные характеристики, за исключением их размеров и энергопотребления. Мы уверены, что качество изображения будет практически одинаковым во всем диапазоне.
Когда дело доходит до телевизоров, Panasonic, вероятно, наиболее известен как один из последних крупных сторонников плазменных технологий. Плазменные экраны имеют феноменальное качество изображения, которое отличает их от ЖК-телевизоров, но, к сожалению, они также имеют повышенное энергопотребление и могут быть более дорогими. Для более бюджетной установки домашнего кинотеатра ЖК-телевизор TX-L47E5B должен обеспечивать золотую середину между ними со светодиодной подсветкой, которая потребляет меньше энергии, чем плазма, и панелью IPS, которая создает превосходные углы обзора в 178 градусов.
Простой черный ободок и подставка — не совсем определение стиля, но, по крайней мере, они не отвлекают от того, что на экране. Телевизор имеет HD-тюнер Freeview и несколько входов для игровых приставок, телевизионных приставок и проигрывателей Blu-ray; четырех портов HDMI, компонентного или композитного видео через один адаптер и вход VGA для ПК должно быть более чем достаточно для большинства установок. Поддержка аудио более ограничена: всего один цифровой оптический выход и один дополнительный 3,5-мм вход. Наконец, два порта USB, слот для карты памяти SDXC, Ethernet и общий слот интерфейса дополняют заднюю панель.
Поскольку этот телевизор подходит к более дешевому концу диапазона Panasonic, вы не получаете встроенный Wi-Fi — только проводной Ethernet. Если телевизор находится совсем рядом с маршрутизатором, вы можете купить официальный Wi-Fi-ключ (DY-WL10E-K, £ 44 на сайте www.amazon.co.uk) или просто воспользоваться сетью Powerline. Телевизор оснащен медиа-ресивером DLNA, который может воспроизводить мультимедийные файлы с подключенного ПК или устройства NAS. Поддержка форматов файлов была превосходной, что позволило нам воспроизвести все наши тестовые видео, включая файлы MKV, DivX и XviD.
Сервис VIERA Connect от Panasonic не является самым полным порталом Smart TV, который мы использовали, но у него все еще есть множество приложений на выбор. Помимо BBC iPlayer, вы также получаете новости и спортивные приложения BBC, а также YouTube для потокового видео и выбор между Netflix и AceTrax для фильмов по запросу. Существует также рынок для загрузки дополнительных приложений, но между интернет-радиостанциями не так уж много необходимости. Единственным исключением является Skype, который позволяет вам совершать голосовые и видеозвонки со своего дивана, если вы покупаете дорогую внешнюю камеру Panasonic (TY-CC20W, 79 фунтов стерлингов с веб-сайта www.very.co.uk).
User interface and EPG
One area where Panasonic was slipping behind the competition last year was in the look and feel of its menu system. This trend looks set to continue for another year at least. Despite this being a brand new model, the menu has barely changed since Panasonic’s 2011 TVs.
There have been a few tweaks here and there, including a more welcoming set-up menu that greets you when you first turn on the TV. It guides you through the process of tuning in channels, setting up the network connection and downloading and installing any firmware updates that are available.
Turning on the Advance (Calibration) option unlocks more picture tweaking controls.
The electronic programme guide (EPG) has also been tweaked slightly. Thankfully, the web-style adverts that used to take up space on last year’s models have been banished to the annals of history, so there’s a little more room for displaying programme data. You can switch between three layouts that adjust the number of channels shown on screen at any one time. It’s also possible to choose whether the EPG shows you a programme info box or not. The latter details the current show or movie that you’ve selected in the EPG.
The EPG is quite quick to use, but it’s far from perfect as the presentation is dull. When you open it up you lose all audio and video from the programme you were watching. A lot of other EPGs either overlay on top of the current channel or have a video thumbnail window, both of which are preferable to what Panasonic has opted for.
Update Information
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| Update Version |
Ver. 1.269 |
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| Update Date | Jun. 23, 2020 |
Improvements
| Date/Version | Description |
| Jun. 23, 2020 Ver. 1.269 |
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| Jun. 24, 2014 Ver. 1.267 |
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| Nov. 5, 2013 Ver. 1.266 |
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| Jun. 5, 2013 Ver. 1.265 |
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| Sep. 25, 2012 Ver. 1.261 |
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| Jun. 19, 2012 Ver. 1.256 |
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| Apr. 26, 2012 Ver. 1.253 |
Design and connections
Like most of Panasonic’s TVs, this one feels like it’s remarkably well put together. When you’re setting it up on its pedestal, it doesn’t creak or flex like some of LG’s cheaper models. It’s not the prettiest set around, but it’s no ugly duckling. The design has clearly been heavily influenced by the styling on LG’s sets last year. The bezel has a similar look, where the polished black frame is edged by a transparent trim. It’s still neat and classy, and about a million times more attractive than Panasonic’s older designs.
Panasonic has added a transparent lip to the edge of the TV.
As with the other 2012 Panasonic models I’ve seen, the company has shifted all four of the HDMI ports to a panel on the left edge, which is also home to two USB ports and an SD card slot. Thankfully, the HDMI ports are mounted far enough away from the side of the set that your cables won’t awkwardly poke out, spoiling the look of the TV.
A second connections panel on the rear houses the rest of the ports. You’ll find mini component and Scart inputs that use small break-out cables, a VGA port, optical digital audio output and RF input for the Freeview HD tuner. There’s also an Ethernet port here, but unlike the smaller screens in the E5B range, this one includes Wi-Fi as standard. Most people are likely to go wireless instead of a cabled connection with a computer.