Toshiba 55ZL1

HD TV Reviews (32" and Above)

Before we look at the 55ZL1 Cevo in detail, let's take a look at the television's origins. It was originally called the Cell TV because of the powerful processor that can simultaneously handle eight different HD streams or around forty SD streams. That sort of performance is popular in some of Toshiba's other markets, but it isn't necessarily what European viewers need. The manufacturer went back to the drawing board and switched the Cell TV processor for the less powerful Cevo Engine. It might only be able to handle a single video stream at once, but it's better suited to everyday viewing. The ZL1 Cevo that we're testing has a 55'' PVA display (the LTA550HQ08 from Samsung-Sony) and a 512-zone Full LED backlighting system which relies on three thousand individual LEDs. Like the vast majority of high-end TVs, the display itself sits behind a glossy panel, and while that might look good when it's switched off, reflections from ambient light sources are irritatingly common. You'll need to be careful to keep it out of the way of a window or else invest in some heavy curtains. A more welcome feature of high-end TVs is support for 3D.