Toshiba's TV lineup can often bring to mind Forrest Gump's famous saying, 'life is like a box of chocolates.' With Toshiba's latest televisions being primarily produced in Turkey instead of Japan, we've experienced a wide range of quality, from great to not so great.

Given this, we had no idea what to expect from the new 50-inch 50UK3163DB when it arrived for testing. To our surprise, this model delivered some of the most advanced next-gen visuals we've seen from any TV under £500, leaving us thoroughly impressed.

Price

With a £449 price tag, the 50UK3163DB might seem affordable for a 50-inch TV, but it's actually on the higher side for a budget brand like Toshiba. The reason becomes clear when you consider its high-end features such as Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound.

Competition in this price range is fierce, with models like Samsung’s £449 UE43AU7100, Hisense’s £399 R50A7200UK Roku TV, and even the 55-inch TCL RP620K. Therefore, it has to offer something exceptional to truly stand out.

Design

Our latest product embodies modern aesthetics with a sleek, minimalist design that fits seamlessly into any setting. Crafted with precision, the clean lines and elegant finishes speak to contemporary tastes while maintaining functionality. You'll appreciate the harmonious balance of form and function, ensuring the product stands out both visually and practically.

Features

• Streamlined silhouette for a modern look

• Available in a variety of colors to match your decor

• Durable materials ensure longevity

Experience how thoughtful design can enhance your everyday life with our latest offering. Perfect for those who value style and substance.

The Toshiba 50UK3163DB stands out visually, especially for a budget-friendly TV. Its jet black bezel and robust, plinth-like desktop stand boast a high-gloss finish that attempts to elevate its plastic build. The unique rectangle positioned at the center of the screen's bottom edge adds a quirky, eye-catching touch.

The TV has a substantial rear end, likely due to its direct LED lighting system and built-in Dolby Atmos-capable sound system, but this is a trade-off we're happy to accept.

The remote control of the 50UK3163DB is sizable and chunky, which surprisingly works in its favor. The large, well-spaced buttons are easy to find and use, even in a dark room.

Features

Our latest product brings you a plethora of innovative features designed to enhance your experience. With a user-friendly interface and seamless integration, you can enjoy unparalleled convenience and efficiency.

Enhanced Usability

Experience intuitive navigation and effortlessly find the tools you need. Our interface is designed for users of all levels, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Seamless Integration

Connect with your favorite apps and services easily. Our product offers superior compatibility, making it a breeze to sync and streamline your digital life.

Top-Notch Performance

With lightning-fast speeds and robust reliability, our product delivers exceptional performance, no matter the task. Enjoy a consistent and dependable experience every time you use it.

Explore all these exciting features and more, and discover how our product can transform your daily routine.

The standout features of the 50UK3163DB TV, beyond its attractive price of £449 for a 50-inch 4K HDR display, are the inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound support.

Dolby Vision enhances the TV's display by using extra scene-by-scene data, while Dolby Atmos offers a soundstage that mimics the immersive, object-based audio experience.

Although Toshiba hasn't included HDR10+ like some Samsung TVs, the combination of Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG formats still makes this TV a solid pick.

The 50UK3163DB is also notable for its TRU Picture Engine. This feature, found in the TV menus, improves contour smoothness, motion reproduction, and contrast through detailed image analysis.

Unlike other TVs that might use systems like Roku or Android TV, Toshiba has opted for its own system that resembles Samsung’s Eden platform, with a user-friendly home screen showcasing a couple of icon decks at the screen's bottom.

Navigation is straightforward as you can shift up or down from the home menu to access settings and other features. Another rare find for a sub-£500 TV is its built-in far-field mic, facilitating voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

The smart system does have its downsides—it can be sluggish when loading the Home screen and currently lacks apps for Disney+ and Apple TV.

Connection options for the 50UK3163DB include three HDMI ports and one USB port. The HDMI ports support Automatic Low Latency Mode and ARC audio pass through, but not 120Hz, variable refresh rates, or the eARC system for lossless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks.

Lastly, the 50UK3163DB employs a direct LED lighting array and a VA panel to deliver its visuals, which should promise better contrast performance.

Picture

When it comes to visual excellence, our screens truly stand out. Every pixel is crafted to deliver stunning clarity, ensuring that every scene you watch is vibrant and lifelike. Whether you're enjoying the latest blockbuster or binge-watching your favorite series, our display technology provides an immersive viewing experience.

From the deepest blacks to the most vivid colors, our screens offer a dynamic range that brings every frame to life. The enhanced contrast and sharpness mean you won't miss a single detail, making every viewing session a true delight. Plus, with advanced motion smoothing, fast-paced action scenes remain crisp and clear, without any annoying blurring.

Experience entertainment like never before, with images so real you’ll feel like you’re part of the action. Our commitment to superior picture quality ensures that you get the best possible visual performance, whether you're gaming, streaming, or simply browsing photos.

The 50UK3163DB makes a notable impact when it comes to contrast, albeit in an unexpected way.

Its performance in black levels is quite average, which stands as a significant shortcoming. Dark scenes often suffer from a common low-contrast blue-grey mist effect, preventing them from achieving the natural, cinematic quality seen on the top best TVs.

This issue can cause some colors in dark scenes to appear slightly 'polluted' by greyness. However, the greyness or the Tru Micro Dimming system's work doesn’t lead to a significant loss of shadow detail.

While the 50UK3163DB may not excel in handling dark images, it shines with the intensity it brings to both bright areas in dark scenes and full-screen bright HDR content. In terms of brightness, it delivers one of the most aggressive HDR performances in its category.

The striking element of the 50UK3163DB's HDR performance is its ability to deliver bright HDR shots with a high baseline brightness, while still having the capacity for ultra-intense highlights that truly make HDR stand out. No other sub-£500 TV we’ve tested has managed to achieve this level of brightness so effectively.

An excellent example of this can be seen in the scene from It where Georgie chases his boat down a rain-soaked street. On the 50UK3163DB, every raindrop splash is accompanied by a noticeable HDR gleam, and the light reflecting on windows and cars is intensely bright, just as you’d expect if you were actually there, following Georgie through the rain.

Such is the eye-catching nature of the 50UK3163DB's HDR performance that we’re confident it would outshine any other TV in its class if placed side by side, leaving competitors looking dull in comparison.

The 50UK3163DB stands out in the affordable TV market with its impressive HDR performance and remarkably sharp native 4K pictures. These images are so detailed that they outshine even some recent LCD TVs from typically reliable brands, presenting clearer and more defined visuals. Although its upscaled HD images may appear a bit soft and noisy in comparison, the 50UK3163DB still delivers a commendable visual experience.

However, the TV's color handling slightly diminishes its overall appeal. The screen struggles to support a wide enough color gamut to match its intense brightness, resulting in some colors appearing thin and washed out compared to competitors. Additionally, subtle shading in both bright HDR and SDR highlights can be lost, likely due to the TV's preference for high brightness over precise HDR tone mapping.

Another minor drawback is the motion handling, which is solid but not outstanding, even with the Tru Motion feature enabled.

Despite these flaws, the 50UK3163DB remains unmatched in its price range for delivering the combined benefits of HDR and 4K, making it a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers seeking high-quality visual performance.

Sound

Experience audio brilliance that captures every nuance and detail. Our advanced sound systems deliver unparalleled clarity and depth, ensuring an immersive listening experience. Whether you're a music enthusiast or a casual listener, our products cater to all, enhancing your auditory journey with precision and quality.

• Unmatched sound clarity

• Deep, rich bass

• Perfect for all listening preferences

Discover the difference a premium sound system can make. Upgrade your audio experience today and enjoy the best in sound technology.

The 50UK3163DB offers an impressive delivery of Dolby Atmos decoding, adding value and depth to your viewing experience. When switching between DTS and Dolby Atmos tracks on various 4K Blu-rays, there's a noticeable enhancement in the sound stage's size, providing a wider dynamic range and a more forward, aggressive sound.

The Dolby Atmos decoder excels in anchoring dialogue to the screen while creating a three-dimensional soundstage that expands slightly to the sides. This effect ensures high detail levels where dialogue remains clear and never gets overpowered. The mid-range is open and expressive, rising well to meet the demands of intense action scenes.

At higher volumes, the treble might become a bit harsh, especially with a dense sound mix, and the bass is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, there's no cabinet rattle or speaker dropout, with the openness of the mid-range compensating for the lack of bass to some extent.

Overall, the 50UK3163DB's sound profile rarely distracts you from the on-screen action. Instead, it actively works to involve you in what you're watching, making for an engaging audio-visual experience.

Verdict

Inevitably for its price, the Toshiba 50UK3163DB isn't flawless. Black levels are average, and sometimes, the pictures can appear a bit harsh, with some colors looking rather muted.

However, its strong focus on delivering the most 4K and HDR value for your money is likely to attract many fans. Particularly in stores where you can see it alongside its more subtle competitors.