Introduction

Front

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Back

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Sides

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Stand/Mount

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Aesthetics

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The 55UL605 is a thin TV and it looks rather stylish, but it doesn't have the same, sleek design you get on Toshiba's higher-end Cinema Series TVs (the WX800 and VX700 models). The bezel on the 55UL605 looks a bit cheaper and it doesn't have a completely flat layout like you see on the Cinema Series (the screen is "sunk in" a bit so the bezel edges out). We still like the 55UL605, though, and the new thin sides look great. There are thinner TVs out there, but who cares... we're talking about fractions of an inch at this point.

Display Size & Technology

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The 55UL605 is a 1080p TV, even though it's not Toshiba's top-line model. The TV does not have 3D support, but it does have LED backlighting that helps improve the contrast ratio and motion quality.

Formats & Resolution

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Since the 55UL605 is a 1080p TV it supports Full HD content at a 1920 x 1080 resolution. You can still watch 720p or standard definition content on the TV, it just won't have the same detail as Full HD footage.

Brightness, Blacks and Contrast Ratio

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Toshiba doesn't list the contrast ratio for the 55UL605, but that doesn't matter anyway. Manufacturers will often list inflated contrast ratios that don't reflect real-world use of the television, so its best to wait until we get the 55UL605 into our labs so we can give you a more accurate contrast ratio measurement.

Color

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Colors looked good on the 55UL605 when we checked out the TV on the floor at the CEDIA Expo in Atlanta. The TV also has a touch sensitive power control that uses Toshiba's DynaLight technology to automatically adjust the television for optimal picture quality for your viewing environment.

Motion & Refresh Rate

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The 55UL605 has a 120Hz refresh rate, which we think is good enough for today's HDTVs. We often notice no improvement in motion quality on 240Hz or 480Hz televisions, so 120Hz should be fine for almost any content. When we actually looked at motion on the TV, we thought it looked really good.

Viewing Angle

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For an LCD TV, the 55UL605 showed us a good viewing angle. The TV started to lose some brightness at extreme angles (beyond 45 degrees), but we still thought the image looked decent.

Audio & Video Ports

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The 55UL605 has two rows of ports on its back side. One row runs vertically down the side of the TV (on the back), while the other runs horizontally beneath it. The TV has the basic connection features like HDMI inputs and AV ports, but it also has a USB terminal and support for DLNA file sharing.

Internet & Other Media

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Included with the Toshiba 55UL605 is a WiFi adapter that allows the television to connect to the internet and use Toshiba's NET TV suite. With this feature, you can stream content from VUDU as well as access websites like Pandora, Facebook, and Twitter.

Placement

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The ports aren't hard to reach, but they could be easier. There are no quick-access ports on the base of the 55UL605, nor are there any ports on the sides of the television.

Remote

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The remote for the 55UL605 is well-sized and feels comfortable in your hand. It doesn't intimidate by having loads of buttons or an odd shape, and we like the layout of the large numbered buttons at the top.

Controls

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While we like the 55UL605's remote, we aren't crazy about the TV's controls. The buttons are very hard to see in the dark and only the power button comes with an easy-to-read label.

Menu

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Conclusion

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The 55UL605 is a good alternative to Toshiba's higher-end Cinema Series TVs if you don't have the need for all the bells and whistles. It doesn't do 3D and it doesn't have a sleek, flat-edged design, but it's still very thin and it looks a whole lot more stylish than Toshiba's previous UX600 series.

As we've noticed with most of Toshiba's new HDTVs, the price on the 55UL605 seems a bit high at $2499. We'd expect the list price for a 55-inch LCD to be a bit cheaper, although the 55UL605 does have a good set of internet connectivity options (and it does come with a WiFi adapter). Still, if Toshiba could just lower the prices on their new models just a tad, then they could be a strong contender on the HDTV market.

Series Comparision

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The UL605 series, which replaces Toshiba's previous UX600 line, includes 40-inch and 46-inch models in addition to the 55-inch 55UL605.

Specs

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