We have been testing the 50-inch Display model 50U5050 which has 4K, Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos all for a competitive price of INR 33,999. These VIDAA OS powered 4K HDR TVs are also available in 55-inch (55U5050) and 65-inch(65U5050) sizes. In our Toshiba 50-inch 4K LED Smart TV review, we will discuss whether the practical experience does justice to the alluring spec sheet..

Toshiba 50-inch 4K LED Smart TV Price and Specifications

Toshiba 50-Inch 4K LED Smart TV Review: Design, I/O, and Connectivity

Toshiba 50U5050 has uniformly narrow bezels on the front. It is light in weight and reasonably slim, and the IR sensor that juts out from below is centrally aligned. There is a multipurpose hard button behind the IR sensor for times when you just can’t locate the remote.  The bundled stand looks premium and firmly holds the TV in its place, which is to say there is no wobble when the TV is mounted on a table. A wall mount bracket comes bundled with the TV and Toshiba also offers free installation. There are the usual set of connectivity options on the rear and they are thankfully well spaced and easy to access when the TV rests on its stand. The ports are, however, located towards the center and not on the sides which should make them tough to reach once the TV is wall mounted.

All of the three HDMI 2.0 ports have HDCP 2.2 for 4K@60Hz and HDMI 1 has ARC. To enable 4K streaming from a 4K supported device, you will need to switch to Enhanced HDMI mode under system settings. HDMI CEC worked flawlessly. Other connectivity options include 2x USB 2.0, LAN port, Audio Jack output, Optical out, AV port, Antenna port,  Bluetooth, and 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi. Dual-band Wi-Fi is not supported.  Also Read: Realme 4K SLED TV Review

Toshiba 50-Inch 4K LED Smart TV Review: Remote, Interface, and Performance

Consumers who watch DTH content will appreciate that the Toshiba remote is densely populated with full set of buttons and options. Buttons are soft and we didn’t find much of an issue with their placement on the remote. It’s reasonably comfortable to handle and there are hotkeys for Netflix, YouTube, and Prime videos.  Supported Apps include Prime Videos, Netflix, YouTube, Zee5, Yupp YV, and Hungama Play. Toshiba also adds its own content library, but it doesn’t have much to look forward to. Toshiba assures of adding more apps in the first half of next year.

The good thing is that the software is light, mature, and easy to navigate. Even while stress testing the TV we encountered very few stutters, which is unusual for TVs in this price segment.  The UI is intuitive and people who are not as tech-savvy should be able to easily find what they are looking for with fair ease. However, to fill in the gaps for an adequate Smart TV experience, you will need to invest in an external streaming device like FireTV Stick 4K or Mi Box 4k. Also Read: Realme 100W Soundbar Review

Toshiba 50-Inch 4K LED Smart TV Review: Picture Quality and Audio

This 50-inch 4K LED TV screen supports all types of HDR Format – Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and HLG. But you will need to balance your expectations when it comes to HDR on affordable and Mid-range TVs.  White and black uniformity issues are common on TVs that cost less than 50k and the Toshiba 50U5050 is no different. These imperfections, however, aren’t overwhelming but are still very noticeable when you are watching your TV in a dark ambiance or in scenes with White backdrop. 

Viewing angles are quite wide and the panel is not overly reflective. Color tones are pleasant and the dynamic range is wide. Advanced users can make use of the options to further fine-tune different picture modes to their own liking.

The difference between SDR and Dolby HDR content on the TV is noticeable, which is again not something that’s very common in this price segment where peak panel brightness is low by HDR standards and there is no local dimming solution to enhance contrast.  HD and full HD scaling are pretty decent but they fall short of what we experienced with the Realme SLED TV.  Audio quality from the 30W speakers on Toshiba 50U5050 is loud and clear, and normal consumers will be able to manage without a soundbar or any external sound system. The speakers have Dolby Atmos support but content in native apps and when streaming from FireTV didn’t detect Atmos and only showed 5.1 audio.   Overall, it was a pleasant experience consuming content on this Toshiba TV. We mostly streamed 4K Dolby Vision HDR content from our FireTV stick. The TV could reproduce details in the dark scenes and could sufficiently enhance brightness in bright scenes without the highlights feeling burnt. We preferred Dolby Vision Bright for most content but every now and then Dolby Vision Dark felt more palatable. While viewing SDR content, we mostly preferred Dynamic mode. 

Toshiba 50-Inch 4K LED Smart TV Review: Verdict

Overall, the Toshiba 50U5050 is easy to recommend for its affordable price. And that’s because the basics are well covered. The HDR and SDR picture quality is pretty good, the audio output from TV speakers is brilliant, and all the expected connectivity options are present.  The only downside is that that App support is very limited and unlike most Android TVs in the price band, this one doesn’t support Chromecast Built-in. These drawbacks can be fixed if you are willing to spend a little bit extra on a decent streaming device.  Pros 

Good Picture quality Great audio experience Decent set of connectivity options

Cons 

Limited App support No Chromecast built-in

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