With models as affordable as these
there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your TV viewing at the size it truly
deserves
A few years ago the idea of bagging a 46in
or 47in screen for under $1050 would have been unthinkable. But largely as a
result of the rivalry between LG and Samsung prices have tumbled, and Japanese
manufacturers including Toshiba and Panasonic have been forced to slash prices
too. And while prices have fallen, performance and specifications have improved
thanks to technological evolution and innovation. Also fueling the growth in
demand for larger screens is the increased availability of HD content and
Blu-ray material. Suddenly a 46in screen really makes sense.
Moving from say a 32in screen to a 46in set
may seem overwhelming when you get the set out of the box but you soon become
accustomed to it and will quickly wonder how you ever managed with such a
little TV. High quality home entertainment really begins at this screen size
and while it may be tempting to save a few quid and opt for a smaller model
remember that the difference in impact between a 40in or 42in and a 46in or
47in set is much greater than the marginal cost saving.
You can of course spend a great deal more
money on a screen this size but while more expensive models may offer superior
picture processing, better audio and elite levels of performance, the
technology available at this price is mature enough (and good enough) to do a
more than respectable job, especially with HD sources.
Even budget screens these days offer some
degree of multi-media capability for streaming files from a home network. Also,
with Smart TV solutions found on almost every screen, you’ll be joining the
online and more networking revolution.
Buying tips
3D is one feature that you may decide to
forego to save cash. Also, watch out for active 3D screens that don’t include
any 3D specs. The glasses cost at least $75 a go.
Once you’ve bought a screen you’ll end up
spending an awful lot of time playing with the remote control and navigating
the onscreen menus. Be sure to spend five minutes or so trying them out
When you look round a showroom you’re
usually standing much closer to the screen than you will be at home. Remember
to stand back and also check out the off-axis viewing.
Toshiba 46TL963
Toshiba
46TL963
Features
·
Screen size: 46in
·
Display type: LCD
·
Backlighting: Edge-lit LED
·
Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
·
Tuners: analogue UHF; DVB-T/T2; DVB-S/S2
·
Speakers: 2 x 10W
·
Image processing: 200Hz (100Hz + backlight scanning)
EPG; Freeview HD 7-day, Freesat HD 7-day
·
CI slot: Yes
·
Teletext: Yes
·
Apps: including Twitter, Flickr, Facebook,
Inbox, Livesport, Euronews, iConcerts
·
Video on demand: BBC iPlayer, Blinkbox, Acetrax,
Cinetrailer, Viewster, DailyMotion, YouTube, Woomi
·
Web browser: No
·
Wi-Fi networking: Optional USB adapter required
·
Ethernet: Yes
·
SD out/in: 1 x Scart (RGB/composite), composite
video in
·
HD in: 4 x HDMI v1.4, component video, PC RGB
·
Audio out: Digital optical audio, headphones
jack
·
Audio in: Mini jack, Stereo phono
·
Data ports: 2 x USB. Ethernet
Ratings
Great price
·
Decent picture tools
·
Good HD pictures
Minus
·
Unwieldy remote control
·
3D glasses not supplied
·
Lack of Smart TV services
·
Build: 9/10
·
Setup: 8/10
·
Searching: 8/10
·
Navigation: 8/10
·
Performance: 8/10
·
Features: 8/10
·
Value: 10/10
·
Overall: 8.2/10
Panasonic TX-L47E5
Panasonic TX-L47E5
Features
·
Screen size: 47in
·
Display type: LCD
·
Backlighting: Edge-lit LED
·
Resolution: 1920 x 1080p
·
Tuners: Analogue EHF; DVB-T/T2
·
Speakers: 2 x 10W
·
Image processing: 150Hz (50Hz + backlight
scanning)
·
EPG: Freeview HD 7-day
·
CI slot: Yes
·
Teletext: Yes
·
Apps: including Skype, Twitter, Facebook,
Picasa, iConcerts
·
Video on demand: BBC iPayer, BBC News, Eurosport
Player, YouTube, Acetrax, BBC Sport, CNBC, Netflix, Euronews, DailyMotion, Fetch
TV, Aupeo, Rovi Guide, Shoutcast, ZDF, Woomi, YuppTV, Viewster, Vimeo, Voyo,
SmagFilms, Ustream, Viaway, MyTVScout, Break Comedy, Big Flix VOD, Kylin TV
·
Web browser: No
·
WiFi networking: Optical USB adapter required
·
Ethernet: Yes
·
SD out/in: 1 x Scart (RGB/composite)
·
HD in: 4 X HDMI v1.4, component video, PC RGB
·
Audio out: Digital optical audio, headphones
jack
·
Audio in: Stereo phono, PC audio Data ports: 2 x
USB, Ethernet, SD card
Ratings
Plus
·
Good multimedia support
·
Nice design
·
Plenty of Smart TV apps
Minus
·
Outdated menu system
·
Picture banding
·
Low refresh rate
·
Build: 9/10
·
Setup: 9/10
·
Searching: 8/10
·
Navigation: 8/10
·
Performance: 7/10
·
Features: 7/10
·
Value: 9/10
·
Overall: 8.1/10
It’s often quite hard to tell TV screens
apart and if you’re looking at the black bezelled Toshiba 46TL963 (rather than
its brushed aluminum sibling) you could easily think that you were looking at
the Panasonic TX-L47E5.
Both screens have a similar 2cm-wide frame,
dark non-reflective screen and rectangular black glass stand. The Panasonic
TX-L47E5 does sport a translucent plastic trim round the edge of its frame but
against a busy background you’ll barely notice it. The design is bold and
reassuring. It worked well for Toshiba last season and we suspect Panasonic may
have been influenced by it.
Maybe Toshiba should take a leaf out of
Panasonic’s book when it comes to the remote controls. The one supplied with
the TX-L47E5 is excellent, fashioned from a decent quality shiny black plastic
and nicely laid out with decent sized and clearly labeled buttons. The
46TL963’s remote is the very reverse: it has a weird wedge-shape in profile
which makes it unbalanced. It looks drab and many of the keys are small and
have too flat a profile. Its saving grace is an Option button that brings up a shortcut
to some useful picture, sound and channel editing tools. A similar button on
the Panasonic remote usually only displays sound options (albeit useful ones
for the hard of hearing).
‘Both screens have decent looking
Smart TV portals’
Features
Both screens have no shortage of picture
adjustment tools including color management, active backlighting, noise
reduction and gamma control. Beyond that you sense that Toshiba has really
pushed the boat out to include as many features as possible without pushing up
the price. There are four HDMI sockets and it’s reassuring to discover the
presence of Active Vision picture processing on the 46TL963, along with AMR200.
The former cleans up jerkiness and judder with fast moving subjects, while
(hopefully) keeping trailing artifacts in check, and the latter is a tuners
plus Active 3D (including 2D to 3D conversion), although the specs which sell
for at least $90 aren’t included. Both screens are WiFi capable, but require
the purchase of additional dongles to eliminate the Ethernet cable from your
set-up.
Beyond
that you sense that Toshiba has really pushed the boat out to include as many
features as possible without pushing up the price
The Panasonic TX-L47E5 with just three
HDMIs is a 2D-only job and is based on a 50Hz panel with backlight scanning to
yield a 150Hz refresh rate. It doesn’t sport Panasonic’s IFC picture processor,
which is not necessarily a bad thing since only the minimum settings should
ever be used. Both screens can record video to a USB-connected hard drive but
only the TX-L47E5 has an SD card slot, which is very handy for enjoying holiday
snaps from a digital camera.
In terms of networking and media streaming,
there’s very little to choose between them. They both have DLNA approval and
are compatible with more or less the same number of file formats and containers
including MKVs, DivX and XviD. Notably only the Panasonic will play FLAC files.
‘Toshiba has really pushed the boat
out to include as many features as possible’
