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With a good price and heaving with HDMI and USB slots, the Toshiba 46TL968 is advanced enough to do a job in any living room. Equipped with smart TV apps and on its best behaviour with both SD and HD programmes, it excels with 2D Blu-ray.
Most of all, though, this Edge LED TV meets its brief by being a good value, mid-range television. Just don't expect fireworks.
We liked
The detail, colour and contrast of 2D Blu-ray is where the Toshiba 46TL968 excels, though standard-definition stuff is nicely upscaled, too.
We also liked the unusual chance to choose between a built-in EPG or a web-powered version. Digital files are handled well, while we also liked ClearScan, its effort at creating hyper-real Blu-ray (though it's not perfect).
We disliked
Not having 3D glasses in the box says to us that the Toshiba 46TL968 isn't a 3D TV at all. In practice, it's with 3D that the Toshiba 46TL968 is at its most mediocre, though its speakers, remote control and its Toshiba Places smart TV platform fall into that category, too. In fact, as a user interface, the Toshiba 46TL968's just doesn't seem quite finished.
We also noticed some motion blur, and some light leakage from the LEDs along the panel's edge that easily shows up in a blackout.
Final verdict
A good value package from Toshiba that performs at its best with 2D Blu-ray and upscales reasonably well, the Toshiba 46TL968 nevertheless misses a trick or two.
We love its four HDMI inputs and two USB slots, and its fake plastic brushed metal slim bezel, too, but without 3D glasses in the box how can the Toshiba 46TL968 call itself a 3D TV?
It makes up for that by including Freeview EPG choices and a fair selection of smart TV apps, though the remote control is poor, as are its speakers. Detail, colour and contrast impress, though there's some motion blur and light leakage from the sides that are very noticeable in a blackout.
It's a good effort that will suit the average living room, but the Toshiba 46TL968 contains few surprises considering its £749 (around AU$1,139/US$1,199) asking price.
Also consider
If you want a step-up option from Toshiba, try the 47WL968, a 47-inch LED TV with a 200Hz panel, auto-calibration and passive 3D.
LG's 47LM670T also deals in passive Cinema 3D, and adds a brilliant SmartShare networking feature that nicely integrates USB sticks and a networked PC into the TV's user interface.
Other competitor TVs worth looking at include the Samsung UE46ES6300, which has both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners, and the Panasonic TX-L47ET50B, which features a Crystal Frame. Both offer active shutter 3D.
