With the average income failing to match rising property prices, space is always at a premium. And given that the living room is where people congregate in the home, how can you make this the focal point of entertainment for family and friends? With a snazzy TV, of course!
Toshiba TV has this covered with its new OLED 4K X9900L, which offers some 65 inches (or 165cm) of prime viewing real estate while boasting an extremely thin side profile.
Setting it up is a snap. Screw in the two stands with a Phillips screwdriver, plug in the power cable, and… that’s it!
The OLED 4K X99OOL is powered by the electronics giant’s very own VIDAA operating system that also supports Apple Airplay and Apple Home. The user interface is intuitive enough to connect to your home Wi-Fi network without having to jump through hoops and, once connected, it’s a cinch to configure your other streaming services.
Let’s face it, very few people watch terrestrial TV these days, but the X9900L does offer that option in case you get bitten by the nostalgia bug. You will be able to scan for live TV channels upon turning it on; otherwise, simply head straight for your favourite streaming services.
The remote control, powered by a couple of AA batteries, is fairly large and heavy. The buttons have just the right amount of travel, making it easy to navigate without having to worry about wet fingers and fiddling around with a touchscreen.
All connecting ports are located at the back of the unit, so if you plan to mount your TV against the wall, do ensure that there is sufficient space for cables. There are two HDMI 2.1 and two 2.0 ports behind, plus an RCA port for those who want to access legacy media.
Bluetooth connectivity is also thrown into the mix, letting you enjoy movies using a pair of headphones without disturbing anyone else at home.
Stream to your heart’s content
Preloaded streaming services include YouTube, Prime Video, Plex, YouTube Kids, UEFA.tv, deezer, Apple TV, and Netflix, among others. There is no Disney Hotstar app supported at the moment despite running on the latest firmware version, so you will have to hook it up to another device should you wish to use that service.
Toshiba TV’s REGZA Engine OLED, with its 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160-pixel) resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, is the heart and soul of this television.
While there has been much fear of artificial intelligence wiping out mankind, this revolutionary AI engine works in our favour by utilising self-luminous pixels with its algorithms, reproducing what Toshiba TV claims to be perfectly black blacks, the right degree of brightness, and extremely accurate colours.
TV manufacturers have been touting “blacker blacks” for the longest time ever since chunky CRTs lost favour with the consumer, and the quest continues until this day. The OLED 4K X9900L does not disappoint, and seeing Batman in his natural low-light environment on this display is a treat for the eyes.
It also comes with low-blue-light and flicker-free output, while gamers will certainly enjoy the support for AMD’s FreeSync Premium, letting you hook up your gaming laptop or console to enjoy the big screen without any lag.
Immersion by leaps and sounds
It is not only a visual feast Toshiba TV delivers, but an auditory experience that complements each viewing session. REGZA Power Audio Extreme offers incredible sound effects, combining the power of its TRU Bass Processor and TRU Screen Sound using REGZA’s 3.1.2 surround-sound technology.
In other words, if you live in an apartment or have a regular-sized living room, there is no need for a sound bar or additional speakers. This TV’s secret sauce is its deep understanding of psychoacoustics, relying on the intelligent matching of different frequencies to deliver the right kind of audio performance to match video content.
The 113W front-firing, 8-channel speakers make plenty of sense in most modern, space-starved homes, although audiophiles can always rely on its DTS-HD technology that decodes high-resolution bitstreams with up to 7.1 channels of audio.
Some of you might lament that the 4K OLED X9900L lacks 8K-resolution support, and might shun this in lieu of other 8K TVs that have hit the market. But consider this: how much 8K content do you have access to at the moment? As it stands, it is already a challenge to tell the difference between Full HD and 4K resolution with fast-paced action scenes.
All in all, the 4K OLED X9900L has clearly entrenched itself in the flagship range. It will feature a RM13,999 price tag at all authorised retail stores and official e-stores, although it is not uncommon to enjoy additional discounts from various retailers.
And given that the price difference between a similar-sized 8K TV and this can be more than double, perhaps a more prudent approach is recommended until 4K content becomes commonplace, let alone 8K.
Learn more about the 4K OLED X9900L by visiting the official website.
Edwin Kee dreamt of being a pro-gamer only to have circumstances mould him into a programmer in a past life. He has since moved on to write about consumer electronics and other topics.