Test Report: Toshiba 55WX800U Toshiba 3D LCD HDT

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed that it's a great big 3D world out there, and it's getting bigger every day. The latest arrival is Toshiba's 55WX800U, a 55-inch 3D LCD TV with edge-lit LED backlighting. At $3,300 (list), the 55WX800U doesn?t come cheap, but it does have the usual array of features we've come to expect from a top-of-the-line set.

First among these is distinctive styling. Toshiba has given this 1-inch-thick panel a sleek all-glass, bezel- less facade ringed by a beveled mirror edge. The swivel stand has a black metal platform with a 4-inch hole in the center; the TV rests on a triangular mirrored column that emerges from this hole. The look is modern and retro at the same time - the kind of TV that Captain Kirk might have watched in his private quarters after a long day battling Klingons.

Along with the 55WX800U's ability to display 3D content, it has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity to access Toshiba's suite of online services. Here you'll find the usual suspects: Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, and YouTube for streaming video; Pandora Internet radio; and the user- friendly Yahoo! Widgets TV interface.

Connections are plentiful. The four HDMI inputs include one that supports Audio Return Channel (ARC) for feeding the TV's audio output back to an A/V receiver that also supports this function. There's a minijack component-video input with a supplied RCA adapter, a composite-video input, and an RGB PC connection. An IR output allows you to control components in a closed cabinet through the TV's IR receiver, and there are two USB ports and an SD card reader for viewing personal media files. There's also a wired LAN connection. DLNA compliance allows streaming of files from a network drive or PC, and the onscreen Media Player interface allows for navigation of all these sources.

Toshiba's remote took a little getting used to, but I appreciated its beefy size after handling the narrow wands offered by other brands. It's fully backlit, and the buttons are large and well laid out. Critical keys, such as the Menu and Mute buttons, and access to the Net TV and Yahoo! Widgets features, are found on three rockers above the navigation keypad. A helpful Quick Menu button offers fast access to the picture, aspect ratio, 3D, and Media Player settings. Aspect ratio options for HD signals include Native (a bit-for-bit mode), Full (mild overscan), 4:3, and three TheaterWide zoom modes.

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