Toshiba’s new 4K TVs come with an Amazon Alexa-enabled microphone called Toshiba Connect
The microphone forms part of a separate piece of kit called Toshiba Connect that plugs into your TV via USB
Toshiba has thrown the covers off a new range of 4K TVs ahead of this year’s IFA trade show in September.
There are four new TVs in total – the premium UL7A and TL7A, and the mid-range U5LA and VL5A. Both L7 models come with either a 49in or 55in screen, while the UL5A and VL5A are available in 43in, 49in and 55in sizes. There is additionally a 65in model of the VL5A.
At launch, the UL5A will additionally ship with an accessory called Toshiba Connect. Whereas previous Toshiba TVs have offered a “Works With Alexa” function that adds voice commands to your TV when connected to the Alexa app, the Toshiba Connect offers a more integrated system.
Fitted with a far-field microphone, Toshiba Connect plugs into the TV via one of its USB ports to fully integrate Amazon Alexa into the TV set itself, without the need for a separate Amazon Echo speaker. It can then be used to manage TV-specific controls including changing the channel or turning down the volume or brightness. Other models in the Toshiba 2019 TV range will be available with Toshiba Connect but not until later this year.
It may seem like a subtle difference but the Toshiba Connect has been designed to give the TV greater voice control and features without relying on other external hardware. This isn’t entirely new, and in fact some rival TVs have Amazon Alexa built in to the set (namely LG’s 2019 range), but they don’t come as cheap as the Toshiba 2019 models.
Speaking of prices: the U7LA will be available from Currys PC World and starts at £449 for the 49in model, or £549 for the 55in.
The T7LA will be available from AO.com and also starts at £449 for the 49in model, or £549 for the 55in.
The standard U5LA will be available from various retailers and costs £349 for the 43in model, £399 for the 49in, and £479 for the 55in. If you want the Toshiba Connect bundled with this TV, you’ll need to pay an extra £20 on top of each of these prices.
And finally, the Toshiba VL5A is exclusively available from Currys PC World from £349 for the 43in model, £399 for the 49in, £479 for the 55in and £699 for the 65in version.
All models will go on sale after the IFA showcase in September.
Beyond Amazon Alexa integration, the UL7A has an edge-lit (ELED) wide colour gamut HDR 4K panel and offers support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision high dynamic range profiles. The UL7A also comes with 42W speakers designed in collaboration with Onkyo.
The TL7A has similar specifications but uses less advanced speakers. Both L7 models are thinner than their 5L siblings because the latter use DLED (Direct LED) back-lighting rather than ELED technology, which makes the TVs a little chunkier. They also support Dolby Vision HDR.
All TVs in the Toshiba 2019 range have Freeview Play, YouTube and Netflix apps built-in, plus Amazon Prime Video. Each telly uses Toshiba’s TRU Picture Engine that uses micro dimming for better colour and contrast; the technology makes motion less juddery and upscales non-4K content to as close to 4K quality as possible.