Toshiba 46UX600U LCD NetTV with LED Edge Lighting - Product Review

The first thing that is noticeable about the Toshiba 46UX600U is that it is has a very thin appearance. The thinness of the TV is a direct result of the LED Edge-Light system.

In addition, when the set is off, it is one big deep black rectangle with thin transparent exterior edges that compose the outer frame. Toshiba refers to the physical design of the 46UX600U as a "Thin Depth Air Lagoon".

The 46UX600U offers a full complement of audio and video inputs, including four HDMI inputs, two USB ports, SD Card slot, and Ethernet port for network/internet connectivity. In addition to abundant inputs, the 46UX600U has extensive video adjustment options that can be used by an experienced user or installer to do more detailed calibration.

Video Performance

The 46UX600U is a very good performer. However, due to the use of LED edge lighting, the Black Levels were not as deep as I would have hoped for, but still deeper than many non-LED equipped LCD TVs. The main problem with the LED edge light system is the presence of a white "spotlight" effect on the corners of the screen.

As a result of the LED edge lighting, the center of the screen is darker than the edges. Fortunately this not that noticeable when there is a lot of color content on the screen. However, the corner "spotlights" are noticeable on dark scenes and when no signal is present.

On the other hand, the LED edge lighting issue aside, color saturation and detail were excellent with high definition source material, especially Blu-ray Discs. Animation content, such as Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and the combination of live-action-CGI in Avatar looked fantastic, with the images displaying a lot of depth.

Also, although not totally black, the letterbox and pillarbox bars when they are present, are not distracting, blending well with black frame of the TV, except for the spotlight effect in the corners explained previously.

In addition, the 46UX600 120Hz Screen Refresh Rate refresh rate provided smooth motion response (although still not as good as a plasma set).

Although doing well with high definition source material, the Toshiba 46UX600U did not do as well with standard definition source signals. Using the HQV Benchmark Test Disc, which measures the ability a video display (TV, Projector) or source device (Blu-ray disc or upscaling DVD player) to process and upscale standard definition signals, the 46UX600U provided mixed performance results (see test examples).

NetTV

The big addition Toshiba is making on its UX600 series TVs is the incorporation of internet widgets, which is referred to as NetTV.

Pushing either the Widgets button on the remote, or using the onscreen applications menu, the user can access about 6 1/2 pages of websites that provide access to audio and video streaming content.

Some of the accessible sites include Vudu, Pandora, Flickr, CNN, CNET, selected content sites from PBS, Discovery, NBC, HBO, and even social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. New services may be added via updates.

Playing the available content is easy, but it must be noted that you need a good high-speed broadband connection. In my area, my broadband speed is only 1.5mbps which resulted in some video playback stopping periodically to buffer. One workaround is when you access and select a video, put it in stop mode - this will let buffer continue for awhile. Then, when you click play, the video should play longer without encountering the buffering interruptions.

On the other hand, I found when playing the Vudu content in SD format that it still looked pretty good and streamed smoothly without any buffering issues. For those not familiar with Vudu, it is a non-subscription pay site that provides, depending on price, either one-time or unlimited viewing options direct to the TV, of both current and catalog home video releases. In most cases, the movies can be viewed in standard definition, high definition, or high definition 1080p.

It must be noted that there is a lot of variation in the video quality of the streamed content, ranging from low-res compressed video that is hard to watch on a large screen to high-def video feeds that look more like DVD quality or slightly better. Even the 1080p content streamed form the internet will not look quite as detailed as 1080p content played directly from a Blu-ray Disc. Of course, broadband speed could also be a factor.

1. Excellent Color and detail.

2. NetTV features provides a good selection of internet streaming options.

3. Stylish Design.

4. Energy Efficient: Energy Star-rated.

5. Extensive, easy-to-navigate onscreen menu system.

6. Extensive picture setting and calibration options. This may seem overwhelming to the novice, but provides the more technically inclined and installers comprehensive calibration adjustments.

What I Didn't Like About The Toshiba 46UX600U

1. Spotlighting effect visible on the corners of the screen results in uneven black level performance across the entire screen.

2. Video upscaling from analog sources just fair, according to video performance test results.

3. Screen surface susceptible to some glare.

4. Long time duration when changing TV channels. This may be frustrating for some. There is a delay of about a second or so when changing from one TV channel to another.

5. Remote control not as easy to use in a darkened room.

6. Extra care required to unpack and place on stand.

Final Take

Although the Toshiba 46UX600U is not perfect, as noted in the above "What I Liked and Didn't Like" sections, it does provide good core video performance for high definition sources that will please most consumers. In addition, the NetTV and Media player options really add to its value as a centerpiece for a home theater system. I enjoyed my time with this TV and feel that it is deserving of your consideration.

For a closer look at the Toshiba 46UX600U, also check out my supplementary Photo Gallery and Video Performance Test Results.

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