Toshiba 55QA5D63DB review: affordable 4K TV with compromises

Budget-friendly Toshiba TV falters in picture quality

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image: © Toshiba / Netflix, The Volcano, Rescue From Whakaari)
last updated May 18, 2024

Verdict

Toshiba’s 55QA5D63DB boasts impressive features, but its picture quality leaves much to be desired.

Pros

  • + Crisp, clear sound
  • + Vivid, bright images
  • + Superior HDR support

Cons

  • - Mediocre black levels
  • - No support for 4K/120 gaming
  • - Buggy Android TV system

The Toshiba 55QA5D63DB takes on the challenge of captivating UK TV buyers with five enticing strategies. First, its 55-inch screen utilizes Quantum Dots for more vibrant colors compared to traditional filters. Second, the TV features a rich array of content thanks to its Android TV smart system. Third, it supports all four current HDR formats, whereas many other brands support only two or three. Fourth, its audio system is developed in collaboration with renowned audio brand Onkyo. Fifth and most impressively, it is priced at just £429 (around $525 / AU$750), offering exceptional value for a TV packed with such high-end features. Let’s delve deeper to uncover any potential drawbacks...

Price

When it comes to finding the best deal, the price often plays a critical role. Our extensive market analysis shows that our offering stands out due to its competitive pricing, ensuring you get the most value for your money without compromising on quality.

Our product is priced attractively to provide excellent value, combining affordability with premium features. This careful balance makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious consumers who still want top-notch performance. So, if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, our product is the ultimate choice.

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

Snagging a 55-inch TV for just £429 (around $525 / AU$750) seems like an incredible deal. That’s before even considering the Toshiba 55QA5D63DB’s premium Quantum Dot color system, extensive high dynamic range support, and content-rich Android TV features.

The only other TV we've reviewed that offers Quantum Dots on a 55-inch screen at a similar price is the £529 (around $645 / AU$925) TCL 55C735K. While a tad pricier, it also boasts some key gaming features that the Toshiba lacks.

If you're looking to spend even less and can forgo Quantum Dots, Toshiba’s 50UK4D63DB is an impressive all-rounder, currently available for just £349 (around $400 / AU$575).

Note that all these TVs are exclusively available in the UK.

Design

When it comes to modern aesthetics, our latest product sets the benchmark. Its sleek and stylish appearance is not just for show; it offers practical functionality that fits seamlessly into any setting. The elegant design is accentuated by refined details that catch the eye without overwhelming the senses.

Unmatched Elegance

Every curve and line of this product is meticulously crafted to provide both form and function. With a focus on user-centric design, we've ensured that it not only pleases the eye but also enhances usability.

Ergonomic Features

Our ergonomic design ensures maximum comfort, making it ideal for prolonged use. Every aspect has been considered to provide a superior user experience, from easy-to-reach controls to a comfortable grip.

Premium Materials

We use only the highest quality materials to ensure durability and a premium feel. This attention to detail ensures that the product is not only beautiful but also built to last.

Experience the perfect blend of form and function with our latest design. It's more than just a product; it's a statement of style and innovation.

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

The 55QA5D63DB’s design offers a blend of elements. The frame around the screen is wider than what you usually see these days, with a seam that feels a bit awkward. However, the build quality is commendable for such an affordable TV. The combination of black on three sides and grey on the bottom edge, which deliberately protrudes for style, creates an interesting visual appeal.

If you aren't wall-mounting the TV, the desktop feet positioned towards each corner feature an attractive blade design, becoming nearly invisible when viewed straight on.

The 55QA5D63DB comes with a rather plain and plasticky remote control, but it does make up for this by including a good number of buttons for direct access to key streaming services.

Features

Welcome to the comprehensive guide on our product's features! Our product stands out for its cutting-edge innovation, crafted to meet all your needs. With an impressive list of functionalities, you'll find it indispensable.

Advanced Technology

Our product boasts the latest advancements in technology to ensure top-notch performance and reliability. From seamless connectivity to robust security measures, we've got you covered.

User-Friendly Design

Designed with the user in mind, our product features an intuitive interface that makes navigation a breeze. Whether you're tech-savvy or a beginner, you'll appreciate the ease of use.

Versatility

  • Multi-device compatibility
  • Adaptable for various tasks and environments
  • Supports numerous applications

Customer Support

We pride ourselves on exceptional customer support. Our dedicated team is always ready to assist you with any queries or issues. Your satisfaction is our priority.

Conclusion

In summary, our product offers a blend of advanced technology, user-friendly design, and unparalleled versatility, making it an excellent choice for any user. Discover the difference it can make in your daily life!

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

The 55QA5D63DB’s blend of a Quantum Dot color system (which delivers cleaner, purer, and brighter colors than the typical LCD color filter) with direct LED lighting (where LEDs are placed directly behind the screen instead of at the edges) promises a performance level that's exceptional for its price.

However, these hopes might be dampened by the 55QA5D63DB’s use of an IPS type of LCD panel rather than a VA one. This typically means, from past experience, that while it offers a wider viewing angle than VA panels, it may struggle with achieving deep contrast.

There's no local dimming to enhance light control, but this is expected at the 55QA5D63DB’s budget.

The connections are slightly limited for its price range. It features three HDMIs instead of the four typically found in higher-priced models, and none of these HDMIs support the latest premium gaming features like 4K/120Hz or VRR.

The TV does support ALLM, which is designed to automatically switch the TV into Game mode when a game source is detected, though this function wasn't as consistent in our tests as it should be.

Our Xbox Series X identifies the 55QA5D63DB as capable of operating in Dolby Vision HDR mode for gaming but warns of high latency, a warning that turned out to be accurate, making the mode nearly unplayable.

Dolby Vision is only one of the HDR formats supported by the 55QA5D63DB. It also supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+, ensuring it can display the best version of any content it’s presented with.

The 55QA5D63DB’s Dolby connection extends to Dolby Atmos audio decoding as well. Its onscreen menus feature a surprisingly broad array of picture setup options, including tweaks for Toshiba’s proprietary ‘Tru’ Picture Engine video processor. However, the impact of many of these adjustments is limited, and some features are so poorly explained that it's difficult to understand their purpose.

The 55QA5D63DB uses Android TV for its smart system, avoiding the missing app issues seen in other models, such as the impressive Toshiba 50UK4D63B. Content availability is high, particularly with the inclusion of Freeview Play, which covers the blind spots of some UK terrestrial broadcaster catch-up apps.

The Android interface does experience occasional sluggishness, and we encountered a few bugs during our use, such as sudden, temporary brightness drops unrelated to any picture settings and complete sound loss that required a full power cycle to fix. Hopefully, these issues will be corrected in future firmware updates.

Picture

When it comes to visual quality, this product stands out. Its crisp, vibrant colors and deep contrasts ensure a viewing experience like no other. Whether you're watching the latest blockbuster or enjoying a nature documentary, the picture quality is consistently top-notch. This product uses advanced technology to deliver sharp details and lifelike images that bring every scene to life.

Optimized for both dark and bright environments, you will appreciate the adaptive brightness features that automatically adjust to deliver the clearest picture possible. Plus, the wide viewing angles mean that everyone watching gets the best view, no matter where they're sitting.

With seamless compatibility with various modes and settings, you can always tailor your viewing experience to your preference. The intuitive controls and user-friendly interface make it easy to get the perfect picture every time.

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

With the right content, the 55QA5D63DB can deliver some engaging pictures. However, its picture quality often fluctuates between disappointing and poor.

The main source of both its strengths and flaws is its brightness. Right out of the box, it’s noticeably brighter than its cheaper sibling, the 50UK4D63B. This increased brightness enhances high dynamic range (HDR) content, both in small 'peaks' and full-screen scenarios.

While it doesn't reach the brightness levels of premium OLEDs or high-end LCD TVs, the 55QA5D63DB is bright enough to offer the most noticeable jump from standard dynamic range (SDR) to HDR in its price category.

The higher native brightness also reduces clipping (loss of subtle shading and details) in the brightest areas compared to the 50UK4D63DB.

Bright HDR scenes reveal the benefits of the 55QA5D63DB's Quantum Dots, providing richly saturated, vibrant, and intense colors. Despite its modest price tag, it also maintains nuanced shading and detailing.

However, the combination of high brightness and an IPS panel causes significant issues with dark scenes. Black levels are extremely weak, resulting in washed-out, gray, and flat images with a lack of detail.

You can slightly improve this by tweaking the Adaptive Luma and Local Contrast controls, but even then, very dark scenes in beloved films remain difficult to watch.

Additionally, the mist and clouding in dark scenes can sometimes take on reddish or bluish tints, creating further viewing barriers.

The inability to deliver true black colors affects even the Quantum Dots’ performance, making colors look flatter and less natural in dark scenes than in bright ones.

The black-level issues are less pronounced with SDR content and can be mitigated to some extent by ensuring ample ambient light in your room. However, these are less than ideal compromises, especially given that the TV is designed with HDR in mind.

To be fair, the 55QA5D63DB excels in a few picture areas. Its native 4K pictures are crisp and sharp (perhaps a bit too much in its Vivid and Standard presets), and this sharpness holds up well during motion. It also avoids the overt smearing or excessive judder often seen in budget TVs, even with 24p movie sources.

We recommend using the Low setting on the TV’s motion processing system, as it reduces judder without unwanted side effects or the 'soap opera' effect. But if you're opposed to motion processing, the 55QA5D63DB remains watchable without it.

For HD sources, the 55QA5D63DB provides good upscaling, adding texture, sharpness, and depth. Furthermore, its IPS panel maintains color accuracy better when viewed from an angle than VA-type panels.

However, the IPS panel can't prevent significant contrast degradation from an angle, reminding us that despite certain strengths, its contrast issues are fundamental and hard to overlook. In fact, we prefer the pictures of the substantially cheaper 50UK4D63B, showing that Quantum Dots alone don't guarantee better picture quality in the budget TV segment.

Lastly, for gamers hoping that the 55QA5D63DB’s brightness and bold colors would complement HDR games, there's more bad news: even in Game mode, this TV manages only around 50ms of input lag, far behind the best gaming TVs.

Sound

Are you ready to transform your audio experience? Dive into the world of exquisite sound quality with our expert insights! Whether you're a music aficionado or a casual listener, enhancing your sound setup can truly elevate your listening experience.

Why Sound Quality Matters?

Sound is more than just noise; it's an experience. Exceptional audio quality can take you on a journey, whether you're watching a movie, playing a game, or listening to your favorite album. With the right setup, each note and sound effect can be heard with crystal-clear precision.

How to Improve Your Sound?

  • Choose the Right Equipment: Investing in high-quality speakers and headphones can make a significant difference.
  • Optimize Your Space: The layout and acoustics of your room can greatly impact sound quality. Consider soundproofing and the placement of your audio devices.
  • Regular Maintenance: Keeping your equipment clean and well-maintained ensures longevity and optimal performance.

We hope these tips inspire you to enhance your audio setup and enjoy sound like never before. Stay tuned for more expert advice and exciting updates!

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

The 55QA5D63DB’s speakers, crafted in collaboration with Onkyo, pack a powerful punch, making it one of the loudest budget TVs available.

Dolby Atmos playback creates an expansive soundstage, extending impressively to the left and right while also adding a sense of height. This gives the effect of a enveloping 'wall of sound' rather than just horizontal dispersion.

These speakers are highly sensitive, capturing even the finest audio details with clarity and presence. Dialogue remains clear and understandable at all times, regardless of any background noise.

The speakers also boast dynamic range and power, scaling seamlessly with escalating action scenes – a feat that even pricier TVs struggle to achieve. The sound constantly delivers direct impact, avoiding the sense of being muffled behind the screen.

However, high-frequency sounds can occasionally be overly prominent, drawing too much attention and becoming slightly abrasive at high volumes, partly due to the 55QA5D63DB's less generous bass response. Despite these minor issues, the 55QA5D63DB impresses overall for its affordability.

Final Verdict

This product truly stands out in the market for its exceptional quality and performance. Designed with the user in mind, it effortlessly blends cutting-edge technology with user-friendly features. Whether you're a novice or an expert, you will appreciate the intuitive design and robust build. Moreover, its competitive pricing makes it a must-have.

With a sleek design, durable material, and stellar performance, this product is set to elevate your daily experience.

Key Highlights

  • Unmatched performance
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Affordable pricing

Make the smart choice today and invest in a product that guarantees satisfaction and exceeds expectations. Click here to learn more.

4K TV: Toshiba 55QA5D63DB
(Image credit: Toshiba)

The 55QA5D63DB is a standout in the budget TV market with its impressive brightness and attractive price point. It offers a complete smart TV experience that is sure to appeal to many users. However, its viewing experience is significantly diminished by poor contrast performance, which can make it almost unwatchable at times.

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