Toshiba XD-E500 Upscaling DVD Player - Product Review and Rating

Using its HDMI output at 720p, 1080i, and 1080p settings in conjunction with the Westinghouse Digital LVM-37w3, and Samsung LN-R238W LCD Televisions, and using the Silicon Optix HQV Benchmark DVD video test disc, the XD-E500 produced good results overall. See Test Result Samples.

In terms of detail, color, and jaggie elimination, the XD-E500 faired very well on most cases. However, there were some jagged edges present on the flag test. Background video noise was also present on some sources, but on par with many DVD players I have tested. On the other hand, the XD-E500 did well on the moire pattern elimination test.

In terms of real-world DVD performance, I found the images produced looked comparable to the Oppo DV-980H DVD player used for comparison, but not as good as the Oppo DV-983H reference upscaling DVD player, especially with fine detail and complex motion (such as flag waving).

As part of the "Extended Detail" part of the XD-E500's upscaling feature, there are three additional settings that are available to further tweak the image quality: Contrast, Color, and Sharpness.

The contrast setting is intended to provide better black level detail in darker scenes, while the color setting is designed to increase saturation on blues and greens. The sharpness level provides increased detail. Unlike most other types sharpness controls, which can add harsh edges, the sharpness setting on the XD-E500 is designed to be "intelligent" and add sharpness only where needed.

I found these functions did make a difference in how the image looks on screen, but I didn't think that the overall effect that they provided any better results than the images produced on the two comparison DVD players used for this review. Note: All tests using the Silicon Optix DVD Benchmark Test Disc, mentioned previously, were made with the extend detail enhancement features turned off.

Note: The Toshiba XD-E500 includes a 1080p/24 viewing option. This option is very rare on an upscaling DVD player. It is usually reserved for Blu-ray Disc players. I was not able to actually to test this feature, as I didn't have access to a 1080p/24 compatible TV or video projector during this review period.

Audio Performance

Audio performance of the XD-E500 was very good. Dolby Digital/DTS surround sound options worked well, with excellent directional placement.

Some examples that tested very well were the Blue Room and Arrows scenes from Hero, the Echo Game scene from House of the Flying Daggers, the first Sea Battle scene from Master and Commander, and "Battella de Tambores" cut from Godsmack: Changes/

In addition to surround reproduction from DVD material, sound reproduction from standard music CDs was also very good. Some of the examples that tested well, Magic Man from Dreamboat Annie, "Come Away With Me" from the CD by Norah Jones, and "West Side Story Suite" performed by Joshua Bell.

What I Liked About the Toshiba XD-E500

There are several things I liked about the XD-E500 including:

1. Good video upscaling for the price. For $149, the XD-E500 proved to be a very good video upscaling performer.

2. Very good CD playback quality. Since CD-only players are becoming a rare commodity in the mass market, including good CD performance in CD players is a must. If found that the XD-E500 provided very good CD playback quality with a variety of titles and music styles.

3. Easy Setup and use. If you have an HDTV and a Home Theater Receiver with HDMI that has both video pass-through and HDMI audio access, the setup couldn't be easier. All you have to do is connect a single HDMI cable to your receiver and then from your receiver to an HDTV. In addition, the onscreen menu system is very straightforward.

4. The XD-E500 is very slim and compact. Its 8-inch depth leaves plenty of room in the rear for connecting cables.

5. The $149 price point is affordable for those still shying away from Blu-ray.

What I Didn't Like About the Toshiba XD-E500

Although there is much to like about the Toshiba XD-E500, there are some features that are either lacking or could use some improvement:

1. Extended Detail Enhancement Modes provide only marginal improvement.

2. No DVD-Audio or SACD playback - No 5.1 channel analog audio output option.

3. No USB port for playback of digital still images or digital audio files.

4. The XD-E500 has a cheap looking case and remote control that you would normally expect from a "B" brand player.

5. The Remote control is not backlit, such a feature would make it easier to use in darken rooms.

6. The remote control buttons are small. You have to look at the remote to access some functions, instead of watching the screen. In other words, the small size of the remote control buttons makes it difficult to locate buttons merely by touch.

Final Take

In terms of real-world DVD performance, I found the images produced by the XD-E500 easily comparable to the Oppo DV-980H DVD player used for comparison, but not as good as the Oppo DV-983H reference upscaling DVD player, which was better with fine detail, complex motion, and noise reduction.

As part of the "Extended Detail" part of the XD-E500's upscaling feature, there are three additional settings that are available to further tweak the image quality: Contrast, Color, and Sharpness. I found these functions did make some difference in how the image looks on screen, but I didn't think that they provided a better overall viewing experience than the images produced with these functions disabled, or in comparison to the two Oppo DVD players used for this review.

Audio performance of the XD-E500 was very good. Dolby Digital/DTS surround sound options worked well, with excellent directional placement. Also, sound reproduction from standard music CDs was also very good.

One thing I didn't like about the XD-E500 was the remote: small buttons and no backlight.

Taking both real world performance and the HQV Test results into consideraton, the XD-E500 does well. However, it is not the breakthrough upscaling DVD player that its marketing materials suggest. I give the Toshiba XD-E500 a rating of 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.