If you’re looking for a small television to go in a bedroom or study, then the Toshiba 26DV615D is worth considering. This flatscreen TV incorporates a DVD player, so there’s no need to ruin the look with a tangle of cables.
Available in gloss white as well as black, this 720p 26-incher has a slot DVD drive tucked in the side of its sturdy, smoked glass frame. It’s a skilled drive, too, and although it doesn’t upscale DVDs it can play DixV, MP3 and JPEG files burned on DVD-R or DVD-RW discs.
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Jagged edges are noticeable during DVD playback, though its colourful pictures aren’t hampered by blur or judder. Watching from the wings does see contrast drain from the screen, but that shouldn’t be a major problem if this set is destined for a bedroom. The DVD player could do with a progressive mode, but merely the presence of a hidden disc spinner should make this Toshiba popular with lazy film fans.
Freeview is treated better; clean, stable and colourful, the Toshiba’s reliable digital pictures rounded off with some impressive sonics. The 26DV615D’s bulk proves its worth with speakers below the screen that pump out enough bass and mid-range for film soundtracks and music, something that’s not expected at this size or price.
Toshiba 26DV615D: Connections
Also stretching beyond expectations is this set’s ins and outs. Two HDMIs are the highlight, and bring the possibility of gaming and Blu-ray, though with only a 1366×768 HD-ready screen it’s DVD that the 26DV615D is clearly designed for. For the same reason its PC input and PC audio jack should be ignored, though its component video ports, twin Scarts and coaxial digital output should come in handy – the latter for hooking-up this TV to a home cinema.
The remote control, is a polished affair; a high-grade grey plastic base and black panel is studded with white rubber buttons that are thoughtfully ranked to make things as easy as possible.
Toshiba 26DV615D: Ease of use
In fact our only major criticism of the 26DV615D is that it partially wastes its ‘all in one’ philosophy by being a tricky set to operate. The DVD drive uses its own rather basic interface and is joined-up to the main only TV by the remote, which contains the play, pause and tracking controls. However in similarly confusing fashion the Freeview tuner’s EPG, digital set-up and TV settings all have individual – and vastly different – interfaces that will baffle technophobes.
Its messy and disjointed onscreen menus aside, if you’re looking for a compact DVD/TV combination, the 26DV615D is a good performer for the money.
