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Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
The XF550U series of LCD televisions from Toshiba takes the top spot as the flagship line in their 2008 set of tvs. The XF550Us feature all the picture technologies expected in a modern high-end LCD television, this includes a 1080p native resolution, and 120Hz mode that Toshiba names Clear Frame. Unlike the flagship models of other manufacturers, Toshiba focuses on the television's picture itself and opted to not include extra features such as ethernet ports or digital media support. Overall the XF550U series shares much in common with the XF540 series, but removes the 4th HDMI port to accommodate the significantly smaller bezel design which measures less than 1 inch (0.9") across.
MSRP $2,000 - $3,200
Release date March, 2008
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Pros & Cons6
Reviews2
Details
Buy It4
Competitors12
Related10
Gallery2
Pros & Cons
2 positive
0 mixed
0 negative
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The ProSCORE is calculated based on the ratio of Pros & Cons about this product as voted by
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ProSCORE = 100 x (Pro votes) / [(Pro votes) + (Con votes)]
Numbers used for this ProSCORE:
Pro votes = 7
Con votes = 1
Total votes = 8
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Details
Specs
- CCFL backlighting
- Thin bezel
- 3,000:1 native contrast ratio
- 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- 14-bit PixelPure 4G tech
- 10-bit panel
- 5:5 pulldown mode for 24p content (Clear Frame)
- Inputs: HDMI x 3, Component x 2, Composite x 1, S-Video x 1
14-bit processing/10-bit panel - Being a chip company Toshiba's television strength lies in the pixel processing technology with the XF550 featuring the latest 4G PixelPure chip. Processing of the image is done at 14-bit, while the panel displays 10-bit color information. These extra bits are used for more color reproduction and Toshiba claims they should result in a clearer and more vibrant picture.
5:5 Clear Frame - Film modes on other leading sets use a combination of 120Hz display and motion compensation to achieve a smooth look. However, in practise these technologies often introduce their own problems, most commonly known as the Triple Ball Effect (TBE) and the soap opera effect. Toshiba's conversion process doesn't introduce these artifacts, instead each frame is displayed an equal number of times so you see the movie exactly how it was filmed.
Models
The naming convention of the XF550U series takes the form of: Toshiba Cinema Regza --XF550U
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This report was started
March 18, 2008 at 5:27 pm by
Omar
with the last edit occurring
December 1, 2008 at 12:38 pm by
DGPickett
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Buy It
Competitors
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series is ranked 9th among it's competitors.
See the
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Televisions »
MSRP $1,500 - $2,000
Released June, 2008
Pros
- 24p True Cinema with 120 Hz refresh rate
- Fantastic black levels, comparable to high-end plasma
- 4 HDMI inputs
Cons
- 32" does NOT feature 120 Hz refresh rate
- 37" is also only 60Hz
- 1080p isn't useful at this size
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
0%
vs.
Sony Bravia XBR6 Series
100%
MSRP $2,599 - $4,000
Released April, 2008
Pros
- 4 HDMI ports
- Added ethernet connectivity
- Top in class picture quality
Cons
- As with all new tech.. a tad pricey
- Extra features aren't worth the extra price over the 6 series
- "Halo" effect, where the bezel gets lit up by the screen, can be distracting
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
0%
vs.
Samsung 7 Series (2008)
100%
MSRP $2,700.00
Released August, 2008
Pros
- Very slim bezel
- Great quality panel proven in Series 6 and 7 sets
- Wide variety of digital format compatibility
Cons
- price is way too high
- None so far
- Still a glare on the screen. Use in room with little or no lighting. Excellent for use in controlled lighting evironments.
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
0%
vs.
Samsung 8 Series
100%
MSRP $2,000 - $2,000
Released April, 2008
Pros
- Sony picture quality
- DLNA support for streaming media
- 1080p/60Hz support over component and HDMI
- Next generation Bravia engine
Cons
- DLNA support is limited to pictures and audio
- Unattractive design
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
20%
vs.
Sony Bravia Z Series
80%
MSRP $350 - $2,699
Released March, 2008
Pros
- 120 Hz refresh rate and 4 ms response time
- 4 HDMI inputs
- Great black levels
Cons
- Doesn't have an LED backlight.
- Ugly remote control
- Picture-in-Picture support only for analog signals
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
25%
vs.
Samsung 6 Series (2008)
75%
MSRP $1,500 - $2,500
Released May, 2008
Pros
- Clear Frame 120Hz mode works better than competitors for film content
- Good price/performance
- Four HDMI inputs
Cons
- Lacks extra features like streaming media
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
Toshiba Regza XV540 Series
MSRP --
Released May, 2008
Pros
- Ridiculously thin
- Wide viewing angle
- Sleek design
Cons
- Limited video/audio input options
- Very expensive
- No tuners
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
Hitachi 1.5 Series
MSRP $2,599 - $8,000
Released February, 2008
Pros
- Deep black levels
- Great color output
- Speakers are detachable
Cons
- A little banding (compared to other manufacturers)
- Doesn't do 5:5 pulldown for film content
- Not the loudest output from its built in speakers
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
Sharp AQUOS Special Edition SE94U Series
MSRP $1,499 - $1,899
Released July, 2008
Pros
- Competitively priced
- Advanced features comparable to top of the line sets from other manufacturers
- 4 HDMI inputs
Cons
- DD 5.1 not working through HDMI (support says it should but not sure, tried Blu-Ray and XBOX360)
- HDMI port 2 does not support sound
- Have to aim the remote just right
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
Vizio XVT Series
MSRP $1,579 - $2,300
Released April, 2008
Pros
- Attractive styling
- High-end features for a budget price
- Very fast response time
Cons
- firmware fixes the problems
- HDMI handshake issues
- Infrequent random resets
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
100%
vs.
Philips 7400 Series
0%
MSRP --
Released October, 2008
Pros
- 1080p, 120Hz
- 10-bit panel, 10-bit processing
- attractive
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
Sony Bravia XBR7 Series
MSRP --
Released May, 2008
Pros
- LED backlighting on some models
for superior contrast, longer life, lower power consumption
Toshiba Cinema Regza XF550U Series
vs.
LG LG70 Series
Reviews
April 1, 2008
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Super thin bezel looks great
- Well priced
- No soap opera effect with 120Hz "film" mode
- No false contouring
- Great black levels
Cons
- Relatively few "premium" features such as digital media support
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December 1, 2008
approved
reviewer
Pros
- Super thin bezel looks great
- Well priced
Cons
Did not agree with any cons
Did you find this review helpful?
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/
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This product is also known as:
XF, 550, U, XF550, 550U, XF550U