Toshiba 55L7200U

By John R. Delaney

There's a lot to like about Toshiba's L7200U series, its?high-end LED backlit HDTV line. Its (so-called) bezel-less design and thin profile make it one of the best-looking TVs to hit PCMag Labs, and its color accuracy is quite good. We tested the 55-inch 55L7200U ($2,399.99 list), which delivers good measured black levels, thanks to local dimming technology. It comes with four pairs of 3D glasses and a wireless QWERTY keyboard that make it easy to set up and use 3D media and Web apps. So what's the downside? Screen uniformity is splotchy and there's considerable backlight bleed in the corners and along the sides, and Toshiba's selection of Web services is lacking.

Design and Features
The 55L7200U boasts Toshiba's Aero design, which does away with bezels on the top and sides but contains a one-inch curved bottom bezel with silver trim. Throw in a relatively slim 1.7-inch matte black cabinet with a slim band of brushed aluminum around its perimeter and edge-to-edge glass and you've got one visually stunning HDTV. The 54.6-inch screen is supported by a glossy black rectangular glass stand with a swivel mechanism that is easy to adjust with one hand.

Channel, Volume Up/Down, Power Up/Down, Menu, and Input buttons are located at the rear of the set on the lower left side. Their placement certainly helps maintain the cabinet's clean lines but makes it difficult to adjust settings while actually looking at the screen. You're better off using the 59-button remote for tweaking image settings. The tapered wand is 9-inches long and has a glossy black and brushed metal face. Buttons are backlit, and include dedicated Netflix, Apps, and Search buttons. There's also an ePortal key, which provides a central location for selecting Web apps, browsing the Internet, USB-connected, and networked devices. An eManual provides a comprehensive operating guide, and there's a built-in EPG (Electronic Program Guide) that you can set up to display local programming times and channels. This is only useful for over-the-air or clearQAM television, though; if you have digital cable, you still need to go through your cable box.

Searching the Web and using Web services such as Facebook and Twitter is a breeze with the included wireless QWERTY keyboard. At 5.5 by 12.7 inches (HW) it's around the same size as a 14-inch laptop keyboard and connects to the TV using a USB dongle, letting you surf the Web from the comfort of your couch. A built-in touchpad or trackball would be ideal, but the keyboard is a welcome feature nonetheless.

All inputs are located on the back of the cabinet with the most widely used ports facing left, including three HDMI inputs, two USB ports, digital and analog audio outputs, and an IR blaster jack. There are several down-facing ports that can be difficult to access when the set is mounted on a wall, including a fourth HDMI port, an Ethernet port, ColorStream (Toshiba's video port format) and composite video inputs, HDMI and ColorStream audio inputs, and a TV antenna coaxial jack. The 55L7200U comes with a set of dongles for connecting component video to the ColorStream ports as well as an IR blaster cable for controlling other devices.

The 55L7200U's Audyssey-powered sound system is plenty loud and features a simulated surround sound effect that is decent when used in smaller rooms but sounds hollow when used in large open areas. You may want to add a subwoofer for some much needed bass, in which case you may as well go with a dedicated multi-channel speaker system to enjoy true surround sound.

Picture settings are extensive. You get all the basics, including Brightness, Contrast, Backlighting, Color, Tint, and Sharpness. The six picture presets include Standard, Movie, Dynamic, Game, PC, and AutoView modes (AutoView uses an ambient light sensor and on-screen content to automatically adjust brightness, contrast, and other settings). Advanced settings let you enable the DynaLight (strengthens black levels), ClearScan (240Hz anti-blur technology), and Edge Enhancer options. Here you can also fine-tune colors using the ColorMaster feature, set noise reduction and gamma levels, and activate the Backlight Adjustment Pro option, which changes the backlighting level depending on ambient light. Expert settings let you adjust white balance and individual RGB settings, both of which are used by professionals to calibrate the set.

You can connect to the Web (and networked devices) via the aforementioned wired LAN port or use the built-in Wi-Fi to connect wirelessly. You don't get nearly as many Web apps with the 55L7200U as you do with Samsung's UN46ES6500F but you do get a handful of quality online services such as Vudu, Netflix, and CinemaNow movie channels, as well as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter social networking channels. Vudu-powered apps offer around 20 music, science, lifestyle, and entertainment Web apps, while the Samsung app catalog has more than 100 free and paid services to choose from.

A firmware update will add several features to the L7200U in the coming weeks, including support for three new Android apps: A/V Remote, Media Guide, and Send & Play (an app that lets you stream movies from your phone to the HDTV). It also will add Flash and HTML5 support to its Web browser.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Rel-VEDC-Vg/0,2817,2408138,00.asp

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