Toshiba Amazon Fire TV C350 series review: Alexa, what’s on?

The C350 collection from Toshiba presents big-screen, bodily kind to Amazon’s Fireplace Tv set streaming procedure. From the fonts to the colors, if you have interacted with any Fireplace Tv set adhere or other Amazon Tv set system, you can expect to be completely acquainted with this television. As you would count on, it leans tough into Alexa and has full Amazon Primary Movie integration, but it also has other streaming services like Netflix, Disney Moreover, HBO Max and far more. 

Photograph high-quality on the C350 was wonderful for a budget Tv set, if a minimal worse than the competition. In my facet-by-facet comparisons its color and distinction could not really match the TCL 4-Series and Vizio V-Series, but at this price tag the image high-quality variations most likely you should not make any difference that substantially. Arguably far more essential is the wise Tv set, and whilst Alexa beats Roku and Vizio for voice control, we like Roku’s easier, far more agnostic wise Tv set strategy greater. It’s also bothersome that some non-Amazon services, like Vudu, get quick shrift, whilst some others, particularly Peacock, are not offered at all.

Right now the C350 also prices far more than possibly of all those competition from TCL and Vizio, but with Primary Working day quick approaching, we would not be stunned to see a big price tag fall. Till that transpires, having said that, we can only definitely advise it for somebody who completely embraces the Bezos bonanza and desires their Tv set to be a aspect of that. 

Browse far more: Early Primary Working day Tv set offers: Save on models from Insignia, LG, TCL, Toshiba and Vizio

The Toshiba C350 collection is offered in 43-, 50- and fifty five-inch variations, with much larger 65- and seventy five-inch sizes coming before long. I reviewed the 50-inch product.

Primary features and connections

Like other TVs at this price tag the C530 is a standard 4K HDR product — no fancy extras like next-gen gaming perks, local dimming, wide color gamut or tons of light here. Its Fireplace Tv set features is the big aspect in this article and the menus have what Amazon calls a written content-forward design and style: loads of thumbnails for Tv set exhibits and films as opposed to tiles like Roku. Numerous aim on Amazon’s Primary Movie library, but you can download apps for other big streaming services, which unpack rows of their thumbnails.

I favored the Toshiba’s remote greater than the TCL’s since it features Alexa voice as effectively as Bluetooth, so you you should not have to purpose it at the Tv set. The button structure is uncomplicated and thoroughly clean, if not really as sparse as Roku, and consists of outstanding white shortcut keys to a variety of services. 

The C350 essentially ties the Roku in most consumer-friendly set up screens. It has the included reward that if you happen to be an Amazon Primary member (and I believe you are if you happen to be thinking of this Tv set), after you go by means of the initial set up you have by now logged in and are prepared to observe exhibits and films.

A person frustrating design and style choice is that the photo settings menu covers one-third of the screen, and shadows about 50 percent. This menu does not disappear or shrink when you make changes possibly. Now, you would think this would only be a problem if you happen to be a Tv set reviewer like me employing check designs (you should not get me wrong, it definitely is), but it also makes it more durable if you happen to be attempting to eyeball the appropriate setting at household. Which is since the the greater part of the screen is not what the screen will appear like after you exit the menus. Almost certainly not a large deal for most consumers, to be honest, but it is a bummer if you like to get a Tv set wanting as great as probable.

Browse far more: Prevent watching undesirable Tv set photo settings: 9 approaches to optimize your big screen

Vitality Star score for the 50-inch product is $21 a 12 months, which is mid-pack for this array of TVs.

Some TVs in this price tag array have 3 HDMI inputs, and it certainly is not a undesirable point that the C350 has four. It even has analog video and audio inputs. So if you have an old gaming console or any retro A/V gear, you happen to be in luck. 

If you decide you want to go your personal streaming route and eschew Fireplace Tv set, you will not likely be ready to electricity most streaming sticks from the TV’s USB connections. Not a large deal: It just means you can expect to need to have to run electricity independently to the adhere.

• HDMI inputs: four
• Composite analog input
• USB ports: two (.5A electricity)
• Net: Wi-Fi, Wired
• Antenna input
• Analog audio output (3.5mm)
• Optical electronic audio output
• Speakers: two downward-firing

Alexa, what is Vudu?

The voice research works effectively. It directs you to Amazon in most scenarios, but it does give you some alternate alternatives. For example, if you say “Thor Ragnarok” it will provide up a screen with that and some linked written content, and if you find the film out of all those choices you have the option to invest in or lease on Amazon — or observe it on Disney Moreover. An additional click on provides up extra locations to observe. Even so, it does not demonstrate all alternatives like Roku or Vizio would. It does not demonstrate you Vudu, for example. 

It’s basically worthy of focusing on Vudu as an example of the limitations pressured on this Toshiba, presumably by Amazon. There is, technically, a Vudu app. So at initial look in a retail outlet or on a checklist, it appears to have far more alternatives to invest in or lease written content than just Amazon. The truth of the matter, having said that, is that it is an historical version of the Vudu app that has an archaic interface and only makes it possible for you to observe SD written content. You go through that accurately: not even Hd, and neglect about 4K. 

And that is for written content you by now personal. You are not able to invest in something in the Vudu app. You have to go to Vudu’s web page to invest in it. With TCL/Roku, Vizio and Samsung, you can invest in straight in the app. So you ought to definitely take into consideration this Tv set not just “largely” an Amazon system, but an Amazon system that may possibly lock you out of non-Amazon stuff. 

It’s also worthy of repeating that Fireplace Tv set, and by extension this Tv set, is the only big streaming system to lack an app for Peacock. Subscribers can try out facet-loading if they’re adventurous, but our assistance is to get a various Tv set if Peacock is essential to you.

Photograph high-quality comparisons

The TCL 4-Series and Vizio V-collection are immediate competition of the Toshiba C530, with identical features and charges, so they make excellent comparison models. I linked them by way of a Monoprice 1×4 distribution amplifier and viewed them facet-by-facet-by-facet watching a mix of Hd, 4K and 4K HDR written content.

The Vizio and the TCL appear quite identical. The Toshiba is in one way greater and most other approaches marginally worse. It’s appreciably brighter than possibly, nearing the substantially far more-expensive Samsung Q60A with non-HDR written content (while with HDR written content the Samsung is far brighter). None of these TVs are dim, of training course, but if you have an very vivid room and need to have all the mild you can get from your Tv set, the Toshiba has an advantage.

That stated, with check designs it was quickly evident that the C350 only attained its peak brightness for a several seconds, then quickly dimmed. With real written content, this wasn’t quickly obvious. It did this no matter of settings, so it is probable it was however executing it with real written content, just not as substantially or as noticeably as with check designs. 

In other aspects of photo high-quality, the C350 is not as great as the other two. Not appreciably, but when viewing them all at the very same time, sufficient that you could see it. The color is a minimal considerably less accurate, a minimal considerably less lifelike. The distinction is a minimal considerably less punchy. It wasn’t undesirable, but when I’d slide across the sofa to see possibly the TCL or Vizio (all have mediocre off-axis photo high-quality), all those two just appeared a minimal greater.

Primary real estate?

Any one wanting for a budget Tv set has some great alternatives all for quite minimal money. The TCL 4-Series is most likely the most effective alternative for most persons, specially all those who you should not know their distinction from their composite. It’s uncomplicated to use many thanks to its Roku interface, and has access to all the big streaming services. The Vizio V-Series is practically as great, with far more photo setting alternatives and a far more lively interface. 

Which leaves the C350. If you invest in every little thing by means of Amazon, including renting films and shopping for Tv set exhibits, then it is most likely wonderful. But the limitations imposed by Fireplace Tv set may possibly be frustrating in the extended run. A far more budget-agnostic Tv set, like the TCL/Roku or the Vizio, let you to get written content any way you want (largely), without having funneling or limiting you to Amazon’s ecosystem. It’s sort of like a automobile that only drives on specific roads. If you only push on all those roads, that is wonderful. But if you want to acquire a new shortcut to get the job done, you happen to be out of luck. 

If someone’s not quite tech-savvy and has gotten utilized to Fireplace Tv set particularly, or Alexa typically, then this may possibly be a great alternative since it is quite substantially an Amazon product or service, inspite of the identify on the base. For everybody else, having said that, I’d advise the TCL or Vizio initial.