Let’s say you’re thinking to buy a new TV.
You’ve heard somebody talking about a Toshiba TV and now you are kinda curious.
The only thing is, you don’t know the brand well enough to make a good judgment.
For example: do Toshiba TVs last long? Are their TVs reliable?
Well, check out this article then.
Read on to find out:
- What a Toshiba Fire TV is.
- Where Toshiba comes from.
- How long a Toshiba TV lasts.
- What Hisense got to do with Toshiba TV.
- And lots more…
Is Toshiba a good TV brand?
Toshiba is a good brand, but not the best. The price-quality ratio is on point. The specifications are not top-notch but will get you going. Also, different companies got involved in manufacturing and it looks like they try to regain what once was theirs: compete with the big boys.
5 Things you should know about Toshiba TVs
#1: History
The first thing we dive into is the History of Toshiba. We’re not going into full detail, so this will be the shortened version.
In Japan, one of the first companies that made telegraphic equipment was founded in 1875 under the name: Tanaka Seizo-sho. Later on, they changed the name to Shibaura Seisaku-sho.
The company became one of the biggest manufacturers of heavy electrical devices.
Another company that made electrical lightbulbs under the name Hakunetsu-sha & Co, was founded in 1890. Later this company would be named: Tokyo Denki.
These 2 companies merged in 1939 under the name: Tokyo Shibaura Denki K.K.
In 1978 they changed the name to Toshiba Corporation.
To this day, they became one of the largest manufacturers of electronic devices in the world.
From air conditioners to TVs. You name it, Toshiba made it.
Toshiba is also listed on the Japanese stock market, the Tokyo Stock exchange.
#2: Compal and Hisense
In 2015 Toshiba announced that Compal, a Taiwanese company, would be licensed to make Toshiba TVs. They were licensed for the North American market.
So, Compal would manufacture the TVs in their factories, but Toshiba’s name would be on the TV.
Later on, in 2017, Hisense got also involved in Toshiba’s televisions. Hisense is a big Chinese electronics manufacturer.
Hisense got 95 percent of Toshiba’s Visual Solutions department. Toshiba itself would keep the leftover 5 percent.
They did this because Toshiba had some financial and structural struggles. This seemed the best solution.
This creates a bit of confusion, two other companies now making Toshiba TVs.
In Toshiba’s defense: other companies are doing this as well like Philips. They also license other companies to manufacture their TVs. So, it’s not completely unusual.
#3: Fire TV
In the United States Toshiba makes regular TVs, but also Fire TVs. It’s a Toshiba TV with an Amazon Fire TV stick built-in.
With Toshiba Fire TVs you can easily use apps like Netflix, and Youtube as well as Amazon Services like Amazon Prime Video and IMDB TV. Just as a heads up: some of these services require a subscription. Keep that in mind.
You can even connect your Alexa Speaker to the Toshiba Fire TV. This way you can voice command live TV playback, launch apps, switch inputs, and lots more.
Most of the Toshiba Fire TVs are equipped with a so-called Regza Engine 4K. This engine in the TV produces Ultra High Definition 4K resolution on the screen.
You will get a crystal clear and very crisp image on the screen. It’s even very good to use a Toshiba TV for gaming.
And the price-quality ratio for these specifications is very on point. A Toshiba 43-inch Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD resolution is being sold for under 300 USD, namely for 279.99 USD.
Ain’t that bad huh?
#4: How long a Toshiba TV will last?
This is a question that’s difficult to answer.
’’Why?’’’
Well, a lot of things you should take into consideration like:
Where do you place the TV? A TV that’s placed in an overcrowded space, or close to a heater, or dusty storage space will last not as long as a TV that has space to ‘breathe’.
How long on average will you watch TV? A TV that’s ON only for a few hours a day will last longer than a TV that’s constantly ON.
’’I only watch the news in the morning and at night I watch a movie. Why would somebody leave their TV on the whole day?’’
Think about stocks channels to stay updated. Or TV’s that are showing ads for pedestrians that are passing by the stores, those TV’s sometimes are ON all the time. The TVs that are constantly ON will be worn out faster.
Are you gonna watch simple sitcoms or will you watch heavy movies which need a lot of processing power to load the image?
Movies with a lot of special effects or games that can best be played at high settings will need more processing power of the TV.
’’But these factors are different for anybody and we could all day about this and still getting nowhere.’’
Yes, that’s true. We just want to make you aware so you have a head start when buying a Toshiba TV.
If we push these factors to the max, so the Tv will be used heavily, it will last around 5-7 years. Around that time things could break, like dead pixels, faded colors, or something else.
Of course, we don’t want your TV to break, so here are some tips to keep your TV in good condition:
Space to ‘breathe’
Place your TV in an open space where it has room to ‘breathe’. The TV will heat up and cool down when it’s being used. So, it needs good ventilation to do this.
Advisable is to place it at least 4 inches (10 cm) from other objects. Also, don’t place it close to a heater or air-conditioning.
Update the TV
In general, a lot of TVs are smart nowadays. This is very handy, you have all the apps close to you on your TV. You can even browse on the internet with your TV.
It’s all fun, fun, fun…but no lunch is for free. All these smart options need to be updated to work properly.
On top of that is that a lot of TVs have glitches and bugs. If they are reported to the manufacturer they can release software updates to fix them.
So, keep your TV up to date. Here’s how you can do this quickly on a Toshiba Fire TV that’s connected to the internet:
- Push the Home Button.
- Select Settings.
- Select Device & Software.
- Go to About.
- Select Install System Update.
It shows if there’s an update. Wait until it’s downloaded and installed.
Optionally, you can check out this video for instructions:
Tilted
Place your TV on a solid standing surface. It should not be tilted or standing uneven.
You can check out this TV stand. It has a solid and flat base and you can wide turn the TV to a total angle of 60 degrees. It’s even adjustable in height.
Get rid of the dust
A TV is one of those places which let you know when to clean.
’’How’s that?’’
Well, most TVs are black and will show you the built-up dust on the TV stand or the edges of the screen. If it’s a lot we both know it’s time to clean.
Also, built-up dust gets into the TV via the vents. These can be placed on the back and the side of the TV.
You can clean the vents with your vacuum cleaner. The best is to use the brush attachment and do it very gently. You don’t want to damage the TV. Also makes sure it’s off or unplugged when you clean the TV.
When you clean the cabinet, use a soft lint-free piece of cloth.
If it’s really dirty, you can moisten the soft lint-free piece of cloth in a weak detergent solution. Get rid of the excess moisture. Then wipe the cabinet clean with the cloth.
For the TV screen clean it with a soft lint-free piece of cloth.
You might also want to check out: 7 Common Toshiba TV Problems And Solutions
#5: Reliability of Toshiba
When it comes to the reliability of Toshiba, there are a few things to mention. Toshiba had some bumps in the road in the last 10 years.
They had some financial and managerial challenges to overcome. They had to split up divisions and they licensed other manufacturers like Hisense and Compal to make their TVs.
When in comparison with the big tv brands like Sony, Philips, or Samsung, Toshiba is not among them. We can acknowledge that. However, Hisense is a name that circles close to these big brands. In that way, Toshiba is on its way up in the shade from Hisense.
Bottom line: it looks like Toshiba is fighting itself back up from where it once was. That’s a good thing because they want to regain your trust and produce good TVs.
With the price/quality you can’t go wrong with Toshiba. But if you want something more special you should check out some of the bigger brands.
Editor’s pick: Why Are Toshiba TVs So Cheap? 5 Weird Facts Revealed