Toshiba SD-360E review

Features
Setting up the player is easy. At first, it must be hooked up to your display device via composite or Scart, then you simply tap the remote control's Setup button to bring up a menu. This menu allows you set your screen shape (4:3 or 16:9), as well as specify which video output you would prefer to use. If you select HDMI, then you can also choose one of 480/576p, 720p and 1080i as your preferred output resolution. 480/576p is standard definition, and changes depending on the source material -- if your DVD is PAL, it'll appear in 576p; if it's NTSC, 480p. That's it on the setup front -- the player is now ready to spin your DVDs.

There are a few other features and functions, though. First, the EPM -- this allows you to adjust the picture slightly, altering the brightness and sharpness of the image. It works reasonably effectively (particularly the brightness setting), is instantly accessible from the remote control and makes a welcome change from having to adjust from within your TV's menu.

There is also the EAM setting, which basically switches between normal sound and a 3D-surround mode. This doesn't make a huge difference to sound quality, but does give the effect of a slightly wider soundfield.

As with most DVD players, inserting a CD or an MP3/JPEG disc in the SD-360E's drawer brings up a browser menu that allows you to pick and choose the tracks/snaps/flicks you want to see or hear.

Other features include a zoom function, bit rate meter, step-by-step playback and 'multi-angle' mode.

Performance
Use an HDMI cable and the picture quality can be superb. We watched Mr & Mrs Smith on a Sharp LCD TV, flicking between 576p, 720p and the RGB Scart setting. The Scart provides a decent but rather washed-out picture, while both the HDMI modes delivered sharper edges and greater detail -- we could pick out lines on Brad Pitt's face, for instance.

In truth, there was very little difference between 576p and 720p -- both looked excellent, despite 720p's extra lines. This was on a 32-inch screen, though -- if you have a mammoth plasma or a projector the improvement would be more pronounced. The only criticism we have where the image is concerned is the appearance of some speckles of noise in smooth areas of colour (skies, for example) and, during movement, a tiny bit of flickering in areas with lots of detail, such as leaves on trees. Neither are show-stopping problems, especially on such an affordable upscaling player.

Sound quality is fine -- it reliably does its job.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Kate Macefield