Toshiba has added two affordable but powerful TVs to its 2021 UK lineup, and as always they look to be decent options for those wanting a high quality home cinema experience without breaking the bank.
The most impressive of the dependable Japanese brand’s two new TVs is the Toshiba UK31 (pictured), which is a 4K model available in a range of sizes up to 65-inches, with prices starting at £379, the company said. It has lots of premium features inside, with Amazon Alexa voice controls built-in and the company’s TRU Picture Engine technology that brings a trio of enticing capabilities – TRU Micro Dimming for enhanced contrast with deeper blacks, TRU Flow for smoother action during fast-paced scenes, and TRU Resolution that upscales lower resolution content for a crisper, more detailed picture.
The Toshiba UK31 also boasts support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Atmos for surround sound, and is armed with a bunch of apps pre-installed including Freeview Play, Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Twitch.
As for the Toshiba UL21, this appears to be the company’s mid-range offering, mostly because it lacks the TRU Flow technology, but otherwise it has pretty much the same feature set as its slightly more expensive brethren the UK31. Toshiba said the UL21 is available in sizes ranging from 43-inches to 65-inches, with prices starting slightly lower at just £349.
The Japanese firm announced the new sets alongside two models that were previously revealed but haven't gone on sale yet. They include the Toshiba UA2B Android TV, which is very similar specification-wise to the UK31, but slightly more expensive. So we can assume the UA2B is the company’s flagship TV for this year.
The Toshiba UA2B Android TV starts at £399 and comes in sizes ranging from 43-inches to 65-inches. As the name suggests, it runs the Android TV platform and is otherwise more or less the same as the UK31 in terms of features, with the TRU Picture Engine tech present and correct alongside a similar collection of apps and suppprt for Dolby Vison, HDR10, HLG and Dolby Atmos. There are a couple of other things though – the Google Stadia app is preinstalled, providing access to a range of gaming titles. It also offers Chomecast built-in, meaning users can stream content from their phone or tablet or even mirror the screen to the TV. Furthermore, thanks to Android, it can also connect to other Google-enabled smart home devices.
As for TV number four in Toshiba’s 2021 range, that would be the compact but capable Toshiba WK3C that was also announced earlier in the year. Most buyers will probably want to use it as second TV that goes in the kitchen or a bedroom rather than giving it pride of place in the living room, because there's only two size options – 24-inches and 32-inches, priced at £169 and £199, respectively.
But don’t lets its small stature fool you, for the Toshiba WK3C packs a lot of premium features nontheless, including the TRU Micro Dimming and TRU Resolution engines and support for Amazon Alexa, HDR10 and HLG. On the downside, it comes with a HD display instead of a 4K one, though given the small size it probably won't matter too much.
