Should you buy a Toshiba TV? Are they any good?

Budget 4K TV: Toshiba 50UK3163DB
(Image credit: Toshiba/ Guilty, Netflix)

Toshiba has been a household name in the world of consumer tech for a long time, and some of the most well-known consumer Toshiba products are TVs – specifically, budget to mid-range TVs that compete with those from the likes of Amazon, Insignia, TCL and Hisense.

Whether you’re in the US or UK is also a big deal in the Toshiba world, as the lines of TVs the company offers vary significantly between these two regions. For folks in the US, there are just two different lines of TVs to choose between, while in the UK there are more.

So, should you buy a Toshiba TV, and if so, which one? What features do Toshiba TVs have versus other competing brands, and how do they compare in terms of pricing? We’ve reviewed some Toshiba TVs, though nowhere near all of them, but there’s a lot we can all learn from looking at specs.

Relax, grab a drink, and read on to learn everything you’ll need to know to decide whether or not a Toshiba TV is the right fit for you…

Should you buy a Toshiba TV? The short answer…

Toshiba M-series TV

(Image credit: Toshiba)

Across the US and the UK, Toshiba offers up a slew of budget TVs that will get the job done when it comes to providing modern TV features and the ability to stream from whatever services you subscribe to. However, most TVs – even affordable models – do that these days, so we’d check prices against similar-spec TVs from the likes of TCL and Hisense. Depending on the TV, you may well be able to find a similar alternative for cheaper, especially if you find a decent sale.

In the UK, the QF5D Series looks to be the most competitive offering from Toshiba, bringing a QLED display to the table for barely more than a similarly-spec standard LCD Toshiba TV. While sometimes you might find another QLED cheaper on sale, the QF5D offers up strong specs, on paper, plus a competitive price that’s hard to ignore when you’re looking for a TV.

Toshiba TVs in the US

Toshiba

(Image credit: Toshiba)

In the US, Toshiba has two primary TV models, each of which is available at a variety of sizes. First up is the smart, 4K C350 series, second is the also-smart, HD V35 series. Unfortunately, the most intriguing, gaming-focused M550 series seems to have now been discontinued.

As you might expect, these TVs scale up in terms of performance, price, and features. However, all of the US Toshiba TVs have an LCD screen with an LED backlight, and most support Dolby audio tech. You’ll get familiar smart functionality out of these TVs as well as VESA wall-mount support, too.

In general, Toshiba TVs tend to offer similar features and similar prices to other budget brands such as Hisense, Insignia, TCL, and Amazon, but Toshiba tends to offer surprisingly good deals on feature-rich TVs you likely won’t be able to beat for value.

Should you buy a Toshiba V35 Series TV?

Toshiba V35

(Image credit: Toshiba)
  • Sizes: 32-inch, 43-inch
  • Display type: LCD
  • Resolution: 720p (32-inch), 1080p (43-inch)
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: None
  • HDMI: ARC

The V35 Series is Toshiba’s most basic line of TV, and it only comes in two sizes. The 720p 32-inch V35 officially costs $200, while the 1080p 43-inch V35 goes for $290. You can, however, often find both on sale for a lot cheaper. So, what's in a V35?

Well, it’s pretty standard stuff. You get an LCD panel with an LED backlight, either HD or Full HD (depending on size), and a 60Hz refresh rate. Plus, the V35 TVs are smart TVs, so you’ll be getting all the familiar smart TV functionality (via the Hisense VIDAA platform) here as well, although no Alexa support.

At full price, neither of these TVs looks like a great deal, but you can often pick up both for significantly less. The 32-inch V35 can sometimes be found for around $100, at which point is looks like pretty good value if you need a screen for your kitchen or guest room, for example. Outside of those kinds of relatively fringe use-cases, though, your money can go a lot further than the V35 with a little doing.

Should you buy a Toshiba C350 Series TV?

Toshiba C350

(Image credit: Toshiba)
  • Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch
  • Display type: LCD
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
  • Audio: Dolby Atmos
  • HDMI: ARC

The C350 Series is Toshiba’s mid-range budget 4K Fire TV, offering up a bunch of different sizes, the full-fat 4K experience, HDR, and a ton of different audio technologies. The C350 Series starts off at $280 for the 43-inch and goes up to $530 for the 65-inch, though you can often find these sets on sale.

This is a modern set with competitive features for the budget side of the TV market in 2023, more so than the V35 Series at any rate, so if you’re looking for a set you can use to stream all the 4K/HDR content you can imagine without spending an arm and a leg, the C350 Series from Toshiba can get you there.

Generally, pricing on the C350 Series is reasonably competitive, falling in line with other brands such as Insignia, but your money is best spent on the C350 Series when on sale. Spending $280 on a 43-inch TV in 2023, even a 4K/HDR set, is usually not too hard to beat, so we’d recommend waiting for a sale.

Plus, if you’re willing to just spend a little more cash, you can often nab a set with more premium display tech or gaming-focused features such as VRR or 120Hz. So, before you buy a C350 TV at retail, make sure you do your due diligence and check out some other sets first, depending on what you’re looking for out of a TV.

Toshiba TVs in the UK

Toshiba Qf5D

(Image credit: Future)

Across the pond, Toshiba brings a totally separate catalogue of televisions to market. In fact, in the UK, Toshiba makes exponentially more TVs than it does in the US. Whether it’s an Android TV you want, a borderless TV, a QLED set or anything else, Toshiba UK probably has what you’re after.

In 2023, Toshiba UK is divided up into three major lines: the QF5D Series, the UF3D Series, and the LK3C Series. There are other 2023 Toshiba TVs, but the main difference here comes down to the smart TV OS you prefer.

As you might expect, these TVs scale up in terms of features and price. However, outside of the QF5D Series, you’ll be getting LCD panels, and across all of Toshiba’s UK TVs you’ll get smart functionality.

All of Toshiba UK’s 2023 TVs are 60Hz TVs, while each line also supports HDR10, and the QF5D Series and UF3D Series support Dolby Vision, too, as well as the TRU Picture Engine that offers up motion smoothing, upscaling, and more.

UK Toshiba TVs target the budget TV market, so you can expect low prices comparatively across all of UK Toshiba TVs.

Should you buy a Toshiba LK3C Series TV?

Toshiba LK3C

(Image credit: Toshiba)
  • Sizes: 32-inch, 43-inch
  • Display type: LCD
  • Resolution: 1080p
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10
  • Audio: Dolby Audio

The LK3C Series is Toshiba UK’s most basic line of 2023 TV. It comes in two sizes, 32-inch and 43-inch, and is a 1080p HD line, not a 4K one. It does come with smarts courtesy of Toshiba itself with its own OS that’ll let you stream whatever content you’d like across a plethora of different services. Plus, you can even watch TikToks on your LK3C TV.

You’re also getting Dolby Audio and HDR10 support, which is not always a given when it comes to budget 1080p TVs, so that’s a welcome addition. The LK3C starts off at £255 for the 43-inch, so you won’t be breaking the bank, but as far as value goes, these TVs could be better.

If you don’t watch any content in resolutions higher than 1080p HD, the LK3C can definitely get the job done, and it will have no trouble letting you stream whatever content you’d like, but for the price, you can usually find better kit.

4K Samsung TVs, for example, regularly drop to the £300 to £350 range, and UK TCL 4K TVs can regularly be found in the £250 to £300 range, so for just a little more money you can often get yourself a better display and a massive increase in resolution. So, unless you’re really married to 1080p content or find an LK3C at a very good price, we’d suggest looking elsewhere first.

Should you buy a Toshiba UF3D Series TV?

Toshiba UF3D

(Image credit: Toshiba)
  • Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch
  • Display type: LCD
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Audio: Dolby Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS Virtual:X

Toshiba’s UK UF3D line of TVs is the brand’s standard flagship 4K TV. This line of TV comes with smarts courtesy of Amazon’s Fire OS, 4K support, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and a slew of audio technologies and Onkyo speakers.

Across these TVs, you’ll get fairly robust HDR support, Dolby Atmos support, and the Fire TV OS for all the 4K streaming you could want. Onkyo speakers are a nice addition, but of course, for a premium sound, you’ll want to invest in an external sound solution, such as a budget-focused soundbar. All told, with modern features and specs, these TVs can get the job done.

The UF3D line starts off at £349 for the 43-inch set, and scales up the bigger the size you’re interested in. However, you'll rarely find this set at retail price, as usually it will be on sale for well below the RRP.

As mentioned above, 4K Samsung sets can often be found on sale for around £350, and other budget brands such as TCL can offer up 4K sets for less than £300. So, unless you’re a big fan of the Toshiba brand or can’t find a better deal, outside of a sale, you’ll generally have the option of spending less.

Should you buy a Toshiba QF5D Series TV?

Toshiba QA5D

(Image credit: Toshiba)
  • Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch
  • Display type: QLED
  • Resolution: 4K
  • Refresh rate: 60Hz
  • HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
  • Audio: Dolby Atmos

Toshiba’s UK QF5D Series is its most interesting, most premium line of TV that brings QLED technology to the table for the first time for Toshiba UK TVs. These TVs come in a variety of sizes, support 4K, smarts courtesy of Toshiba’s own OS, and a range of HDR and audio technologies. And for Toshiba’s most expensive UK TV, it’s not much more expensive than the UF3D.

How much are they, exactly? Well, the QF5Ds start off at £329 for the 43-inch model, which is right around what the UF3D retails for at MSRP; however, like the UF3D, this set rarely sells for its retail price.

In terms of value, the QF5D Series is priced competitively with other budget QLEDs. You’ll see other budget QLEDs for around the same money, such as TCL’s CF630K QLED TV, which goes for £379 for the 50-inch model. If you find a QF5D on sale, you may well be getting some of the best value you can get with a budget QLED, but even at full price, it’s generally competitive compared to what you’ll see from other brands.

If you want a modern 4K TV with some fairly premium display tech on top of easy access to streaming of all of your favourite shows and movies, you could do a lot worse than the Toshiba QF5D Series. If you’re a gamer, you might want to spend your money on a set with 120Hz or VRR support over going for a QLED TV, but if you’re looking for a good way to watch content, the QF5D is worth a look.

MORE: 

Here's whether you should buy a Fire TV

But should you buy an Insignia TV?

And should you buy a TCL TV?

Ruben Circelli

Ruben is a long-time freelance consumer technology and gaming journalist, and was previously a Staff Writer at What Hi-Fi?. Since 2014, Ruben has written news, reviews, features, guides, and everything in-between at a huge variety of outlets that include Lifewire, PCGamesN, GamesRadar+, TheGamer, Twinfinite, and many more. Ruben's a dedicated gamer, tech nerd, and the kind of person who misses physical media. In his spare time, you can find Ruben cooking something delicious or, more likely, lying in bed consuming content.

With contributions from
  • Salvadorfreeman
    I will never buy another Toshiba TV. Toshiba removes apps at whim, Now its smart TV server has stopped altogether. My smart TV has become dumb and I have to rely on an external Android box.
    Reply