High-def becomes her
If looks could kill
With names like Bravia and Regza, you'd think that some manufacturers consider their HDTV line to be of the female persuasion. There's nothing wrong with it of course, especially if the model in question is a literal head turner. Fresh on the heels of the WL55 series' plain Jane looks, the WLT68 is a gorgeous freestanding slab of HD goodness.
The Toshiba Regza 42WLT68 is everything you expect a top-end HDTV model to be. Its profile is both clean and elegant; curves and lines are masterfully combined with an ultra-modern visual aesthetic. The boring trapezoidal stand of past models has been replaced by a stable yet svelte crescent base
It's just strange that despite being a 42-inch model, there's no support for full 1080p HD resolution. Max native resolution tops out at 720p although the set accepts 1080i signals, which are then downsampled. Making up for the lack of full HD is the respectable 3,500:1 contrast ratio. All told, we're really not bothered by the absence of 1080p since most of us honestly can't tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p HD resolutions.
Gears of War on the Xbox 360 is absolutely jaw dropping on the Regza. Dead or Alive Extreme 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas become widescreen stunners too on the set. Admittedly they're all good-looking games to begin with, but with the Regza, games appear to be in their fullest visual splendor. Video from HD and standard def sources gets the same high marks, although you may need to do a bit of tweaking to get the black levels properly calibrated.
Speaking of sources, we're quite pleased at the Regza's abundance of inputs. In case you have both a PlayStation 3 and an HD-DVD or a Blu-ray player, they can each have their own dedicated HDMI port. As the video inputs are more than enough, it's also worth mentioning that the Regza even has a separate line-out for a stand-alone subwoofer. For a flagship model, Toshiba has got it pretty much nailed down with the latest Regza line. Jerome Cordero Garcia
TOSHIBA 42WLT68 | P150,000
www.toshiba.com
TECH 16:9 aspect ratio. 1280 x 720 resolution. 480i/480p, 576i/ 576p, 720p, 1080i support. 3500:1 contrast ratio. SRS WOW speakers. HDMI x 3. Component in x 3, S-Video x 1, Composite in x2, RGB PC in x1. 690 x 570 x 280 mm. 35 kg.
LOVE Excellent image processing. Easy set-up. Sexy exterior.
HATE Lack of full HD support. Unsophisticated remote.
WE SAY Outclasses its rivals in the looks and features department.
|
T3 Magazine Philippines - April 2007 Issue
|
 TOSHIBA 42WLT68
 Post your opinion or own review!
|
