Toshiba 55TL515U Pro Reviews

I fear I may have listed more negatives than positives here. The set’s color management system—ColorMaster—proved to be more of an annoyance than it was worth (see HT Labs Measures). The clipping that occurs above white and below black made the brightness and contrast controls difficult to set properly. The black level, shadow detail, and screen uniformity were unimpressive. Ghosting, and that visible horizontal line structure, detracted somewhat from the full 3D experience. But through it all, the Toshiba did produce images that will satisfy a lot of buyers. The limited black level only intruded in the darkest scenes. The color balance was pleasing (even after I abandoned attempts to use the ColorMaster feature) with natural-looking greens (at least in 2D) and believable flesh tones, particularly after calibration. The off-axis performance is impressive, which may be an important consideration for some. The screen is much less reflective than most current sets. The set’s 3D will be more than satisfying to most viewers, for whom any 3D at home is a major thrill. And the price is certainly right.

The Toshiba 55TL515U provides a great picture and 3D in a cheap, user-friendly, super-slim package, with a nice, big screen. While this model doesn’t escape the issues often associated with edge-lit TVs, its local dimming feature does enable it to display slightly better black levels than sets with no local dimming at all. We appreciate some of Toshiba’s processing features, most notably the Autoview picture mode, which looks better than any of the set’s other presets. With a $1,500 street price, the 55TL515U gives its competition a good run for its money and represents an excellent value in large-screen, flat-panel televisions.

Although its attractive features, design, and passive 3D have merit, the picture quality issues of the Toshiba TL515U LED-based LCD TV lessen its appeal in the face of the stiff competition.