Toshiba Regza 40PS20 (40-inch LCD)

The 40PS20 is one of the latest Power TVs from Toshiba. We're particularly fond of this model, which sports a sleeker design compared with its brethren. Aside from the facelift, the company has also refined the onboard multimedia playback system among other minor tweaks.

Picture quality-wise, this 40-incher displays overall crisp and clean visuals with deep blacks. Still, some Blu-ray movies can appear "judderish" and there're few frills considering its affordability

Design

With an alluring 17mm-thin bezel, the 40PS20 is easily one of the sleekest Toshiba TVs after the stylish 46WL700. The company has also given the panel a v-shaped bottom bezel that is lined with chrome trimming to break the otherwise boxy silhouette.


The side A/V inputs and TV controls are still relatively accessible despite being positioned 85mm from the edge of the bezel, though the stand lacks a swivel function.

	Design and layout
Panel depth	21.9mm
Bezel width	17mm
Finishing	Matte screen; plastic bezel in piano black
TV controls	Left side: Push buttons
Auxiliary A/V inputs	Left side: USB, composite-A/V, HDMI
Mounting option	Non-swivel stand; wall bracket

Bundled with the TV is a no-frills, but ergonomic remote which is noticeably shorter than other clickers. We like the nice tactile feedback provided by the rubberized buttons, as well as a Quick key for accessing major settings. Rounding it up is an Input button for switching video sources.

	Remote control
Form factor	Longish; arched bottom; 175mm-long
Finishing	Plastic; matte black
Backlight	N.A.
Input selection keys	Input
Multifunctional control	N.A.

The interface felt dated by today's standards, but this is somewhat offset by a selection of nine video presets with independent memory for each input. Advanced A/V settings are limited, too, except for a comprehensive color management system based on six primary and secondary hues.

	Software menu
User interface	Text-based; black and while
Video modes	AutoView; Dynamic; Standard; Mild; Movie; Eco Mode 1; Eco Mode 2; Game; PC
Audio modes	N.A.
Key advanced settings	Backlight adjustment; color management system; cinema mode (cadence detection)
Notable extras	N.A.

Features

The 40PS20 lacks many of the latest bells and whistles compared with most LED TVs from other brands. However, it's equipped with Toshiba's proprietary AutoView technology, which promises users improved picture quality. This function automatically optimizes crucial image parameters, such as screen brightness, based on room lighting and the content that the panel is currently playing.

Another highlight is the integrated USB playback system compatible with most popular media files. These include 28 video formats ranging from Real Media to Flash and 1080p-quality MKV files. Additionally, the USB port supports memory storage devices and higher-capability external hard drives.

	A/V and multimedia
Video	PVA panel; LED-edgelit
Audio	10W x 2; Dolby Digital
Multimedia	MP3, MP4, WMA, WAV, JPEG, BMP, MPEG-1/2/4, RMVB; FLV; H.264, VC-1, DivX Plus HD, WMV-HD, MKV via USB
TV tuner	Analog

This Toshiba has a mediocre connectivity suite since there're only two HDMI inputs and a USB port. Furthermore, its component-video socket and PC jack are unable to accept 1080p signals. An optical output behind the panel allows users to play back 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound through a home theater system.

	Connectivity
HDMI input(s)	Two sockets; version 1.3; 24p-ready
Component-video input(s)	One socket; 1080i-ready
PC input	Analog; Up to WXGA
Audio output(s)	Analog, digital optical

Performance

TV broadcasts
The Toshiba fared brilliantly in this department with a combination of sharp and clean pictures. There was negligible background grain, while ghosting and noise were well suppressed and minimal. We were also pleasantly surprised by a news channel's relatively smooth scrolling news ticker even though the 40PS20 lacks a faster 100Hz refresh rate.

DVDs
Switching to DVDs from TV shows yielded better details on top of the comparatively crisp, fluid and sanitized visuals. Overall DVD-upscaling performance was commendable, too, as there were very little jaggies and video artifacts. However, up to 5 percent movie footage was cropped along the sides due to the panel's moderately high overscan setting.

Blu-ray Discs
These native 1080p movies look amazingly sharp with lots of discernable subtle detail, but at the expense of the softer image found in movie theaters. In addition, we managed to work around the DVD image cropping issue by using the native aspect ratio mode instead of widescreen.

Unfortunately, we also detected visible motion judder, which showed up frequently during slow panning scenes. Some older Blu-ray Disc titles appeared somewhat grainier as well.

Color Accuracy
Our calibrated review unit displayed a distinctly blue tint which skewed some skin tones. This is a shame as we were rather impressed by its relatively inky blacks and good shadow detail. These observations were further verified using Avia test patterns where the 40PS20 achieved flawless grayscale tracking and color decoding results.

Audio
The TV speakers were slightly underpowered, save for its largely balanced sound with light mid-bass and fine stereo imaging. Do note that Toshiba did not include any virtual surround function for this model.

Miscellaneous
Screen reflections were mild under brighter lighting, thanks to the matte panel. Moreover, brightness uniformity was quite consistent throughout the screen without any strong clouding effects. That said, we noticed a slight drop in color vibrancy when viewing the TV from its sides.

Lastly, power consumption using our calibration settings was averaging at 58W, which is slightly lower than the Panasonic TH-L42E30.

	Rating
TV broadcasts	Good
DVDs	Good
Blu-ray Discs	Average
Color accuracy	Average
Audio	Average

Conclusion

You'll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper 40-inch LED TV than the S$1,099 Toshiba 40PS20, which performed reasonably well with its sharp visuals and deeper than average blacks. The low price is reflected by the panel's stripped-down feature set, while motion judder is a major shortcoming when playing back Blu-ray movies.

If you're willing to pay an additional S$100, the LG 42LV5500 is a much better deal with its 100Hz refresh rate, smart TV capability and many other extras.

Test setup and tools

Equipment	Model(s)
Reference 3D Blu-ray player	Panasonic DMP-BDT300
Reference DVD player	Pioneer DV-S969AVi
Reference game consoles	Sony PS3/Xbox 360
A/V interconnects	Monster cables/Philips/Gefen
HDMI distribution	Gefen
Reference LED-lit TV	Samsung LA46A950
Reference plasma/3D TVn	Panasonic Viera TH-P50VT20S
Calibration tool	DataColor SpyderTV Pro