Toshiba has launched a new range of QLED TVs that are packed with big new features, but at a cheap price point. After all, the best TV isn’t necessarily the most expensive or advanced – give me a good picture, decent sound, a nice interface and I’m quite happy, especially if the price is right.
Which is why I’m excited about Toshiba’s new 4K budget model – the QF5D. The set has Amazon’s Fire TV built in, which means you won’t need a separate Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. It also means that you’ll know straight away that the interface will be familiar and easy to use. And because it’s QLED you can expect clear images with decent HDR too – check out our OLED vs QLED explainer to find out more about which TV tech is better.
What I like best, though, is the price. You’ll be able to get one of these from just £349 at Amazon or Argos. That’s for the 43-inch version. There’s also a 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch, which will set you back £379, £429 or £529.
What are the specs for Toshiba’s QF5D?
The QF5D has a QLED panel that delivers a 4K resolution with a 50Hz motion rate and Dolby Vision HDR. Toshiba also collaborated with Onkyo to incorporate a Dolby Atmos sound system, which combines integrated 2 x 10W speakers and a subwoofer (on models 50 inches and larger) to deliver surround sound.
I suspect you’ll still want one of the best soundbars, though. Twin down firing speakers aren’t going to give you the immersive Atmos experience that you could achieve from upgrading your audio. I’d temper my expectations of HDR too – these are not the brightest QLEDs on the market by any means.
There’s also the obligatory Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth included, with three HDMI and two USB connections. The Fire TV interface also brings all the key streaming apps, including BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Prime Video, Now TV, Disney Plus and more. It’s voice-controllable from your Alexa smart speaker or Alexa push to talk on the remote.
It’ll be interesting to see what our expert testers make of this one, because we rate Toshiba’s budget TVs quite highly, especially if you’re after one of the best 32-inch TVs. However, when we reviewed a previous budget model, the Toshiba UL5A, we didn’t rate its smart TV interface. So this Fire TV-powered model could be a big improvement.
If you’re thinking that this new model sounds similar to the QA5D then you’re right. Toshiba launched the super-cheap QLED 4K TV in 2022, giving the 43-inch model a similar price tag of £349. The jury is still out on how it compares to the QF5D though.
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