Toshiba Regza 37CV505D

Performance
We really liked almost every aspect of this TV's performance. Freeview looked good, although considerable tweaking needed to be done to get the very best out of the picture quality. For example, the backlight was initially set far too high, leading to reds looking very overdone and everything lacking in detail. Knocking the backlight down to 20-30 per cent really helps; we'd suggest it be the first thing you do when you get the TV.

HD material looked brilliant. There was plenty of definition and the darker areas had enough detail. Our Blu-ray test discs, such as Casino Royale, had remarkable detail levels. The incredibly grainy black-and-white opening scene was awash with the intended noise. Conversely, the opening credits start and the picture is pure and totally noise free. Some quick testing with the HQV benchmarking disc confirmed that picture processing was doing a great job too.

The TV has a mode dedicated to dealing with games consoles, which sets the screen up to handle motion and also better pixel mapping. We found our trusty Burnout Paradise disc got plenty of use during this phase of our tests.

We did think the sound was muffled at times. Plus, there are far too many ways to increase the bass and the TV really isn't very good at handling this low-end sound. The result can be the sensation that the TV is a long way away or at the bottom of a pond. For normal TV viewing, you won't have a huge problem. For games and movies, however, you should invest in an external speaker system or simply hook the TV outputs to your hi-fi, which will help a huge amount.

Conclusion
We can strongly recommend this TV if you're looking for a good buy. It's not quite as brilliant as its older brother, the 37XV505D, but we'd be lying if we said the difference in resolution made much of a difference.

If you're prepared to spend more, we'd suggest the Panasonic Viera TH-37PX80B as a very credible alternative, and of course, Toshiba's own 37XV505D. Whichever you choose, we're sure you'll be thrilled.

Edited by Shannon Doubleday

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