Get the latest Idea on Mobile Phones:
The Toshiba BDX2400 is a tiny Blu-ray gamer, determining simply 290 x 180 x 36mm (11.4 x 7.1 x 1.4 inches) and weighing a mere 800g (1.76 lbs). It’s BBC iPlayer and HD Blu-ray functions. All for an asking rate of ₤ 69/US$129.99 (around AU$ 115). But Toshiba’s entry-level Blu-ray gamer for 2013 is not really much enjoyable to make use of.
Smart in both looks and functions, this matt black plastic-adorned box appears like a Freeview box or a portable DVD player – it’s remarkably slim and little.
On its side is a USB slot capable of playing video, while the back of the device is home to just 3 even more ports for HDMI, coaxial digital audio (a change from the usual digital optical) and a wired Ethernet LAN slot. The latter allows DLNA networking from nearby PCs, however flags up the absence of a Wi-Fi module inside.
Those after Wi-Fi should invest the additional money on the step-up Toshiba BDX3400, which also includes Miracast (streaming from an Android phone). Miracast is flagged up on the Toshiba BDX2400’s on-screen menus, however it’s provided as ‘not offered yet’, even though it never ever will be.
All the major near by sound formats are right here on the Toshiba BDX2400, consisting of Dolby Digital Real HD and DTS Master Audio, while the deck can output in PCM or bitstream.
Performance
If you believe the always-on green circular light around the standby switch might get aggravating, you’ve actually seen absolutely nothing yet. The Toshiba BDX2400 is blessed with one of the dreariest user interfaces around, and its easy carousel of low resolution icons on the left-hand side of the screen are not much helped by the light-weight push-button control.
In practice it’s relatively unresponsive, and we needed to strike a few buttons a variety of times before anything occurred. Everything on the Toshiba BDX2400 happens a 2nd after it should.
If that’s not a terrific beginning, the Toshiba Cloud Site screen is an enjoyable surprise, even if it does take a while to load, doesn’t have its own button on the push-button control, and is rendered in a rather low resolution.
It boasts a basic readout for the existing weather condition and temperature below a grid for app icons ranged around a few pretty pictures of an iceberg and the Louvre gallery in Paris. Eh?
At least the option of apps is excellent. Top billing willings to BBC iPlayer, obviously, however it’s also got Acetrax film streaming and Netflix, the BBC News app, Picasa and YouTube. YouTube is provided in its all-new Lean Back taste, though in our test the category icons were continuously bunched up so as to be virtually unreadable, while some of the virtual navigation controls appeared in the middle of the screen during video playback.
No such troubles bug the BBC iPlayer, which packed quickly and played Top of the Lake in HD smoothly and stably. It was likewise fast to zoom around, and browsing proved much easier than making use of the Toshiba BDX2400’s other functions.
Some will miss a Lovefilm app – and any semblance of an ‘app shop’ for downloading new apps – though the Toshiba BDX2400 puts some versatility back into the mix with its functional USB slot.
Choosing My Video, My Music or My Photos for some reason stops the Website display in favor of a primary interface, though we did manage to get all the major formats to play, including MKV, AVI, AVC HD (albeit with the odd fuzzy diagonal edge) and MP4.
JPEG slideshows were speedy, while the Toshiba BDX2400 also handles the lossless WAV and OGG (though not FLAC) music formats, as well as MP3 and M4A. Rely solely on DLNA networking and you’ll need to forgo MKV playback. That USB slot also powers basic BD Live showcases if fitted with a USB flash drive that’s then formatted by the Toshiba BDX2400.
However, put a CD in the Toshiba BDX2400 and it’s quickly obvious that there’s no display on the front, and unfortunately the disc doesn’t begin automatically. Include an unresponsive remote and a fairly slow deck, and we just were not sure whether we were trying to play or pause a CD. It took us numerous minutes to get anything from the Toshiba BDX2400 – it’s a poor selection for those wishing to listen to CD collections. Incidentally, Blu-ray discs load and play in around 15 seconds.
Picture quality
It’s hardly enjoyable to use, however the Toshiba BDX2400 does spit out some suitable HD video.
Both DVD and streamed video – in this case from the The West Wing and the BBC News app – were upscaled to some level, largely cleaning them up, though both looked soft on our 40-inch TELEVISION, and displayed some stepped edges. Still, both looked better than a lot of standard-definition digital TV channels.
During our 2D Blu-ray test with both a 46-inch TELEVISION and a projector, edges on our test disc Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon held together and movement was impressively smooth in 24p mode.
Colours are on the muted side, however well filled, and while close-ups preserve a lot of information, we’ve seen more accurate efficiencies. Night-time scenes lacked a little shadow detail and can look a little empty, but total it’s tough to argue with for this type of cash.
Verdict
The Toshiba BDX2400 is a budget plan Blu-ray player with BBC iPlayer, Netflix and YouTube. It’s otherwise as basic as it gets, and can be a discomfort to use, however if you are after as low expense a choice as possible, this unobtrusive deck is just about capable of dragging your living room into the wise period.
We liked
The low price is nice, as is the selection of core apps, while USB playback is versatile and excellent. However, it’s the BBC iPlayer app that’s the highlight, given that it’s quick and an overall delight to utilize.
There’s a clean aim to lower quality sources, while images from Blu-ray are full of detail. We also like the Toshiba BDX2400’s tiny size – two can quickly fit side-by-side on an AV rack.
We disliked
Any so-called wise machine needs Wi-Fi, in our opinion, however the Toshiba BDX2400 has other problems. A slightly repetitive, extremely standard and slow to navigate interface is the biggest trouble. We are just uncertain why it requires both a Site screen for apps and a separate carousel of settings, considering that virtually everything is just duplicated. It’s right here the R&D costs have been slashed.
But the greatest concern is with the remote control, which is unresponsive and normally irritating to make use of. Even the reasonably pleasant Site page takes too long to load. There’s also a bug in the YouTube app, which is a shame considering that there are only six apps offered.
Final verdict
It looks a lot like a set-top box and puts such a focus on its apps that its Blu-ray disc tray is something of an afterthought, but it’s nevertheless with HD discs that the Toshiba BDX2400 excels.
However, considered that most people want a Blu-ray gamer mostly to offer their TELEVISION a smart dimension without needing to update, we are uncertain the Toshiba BDX2400’s BBC iPlayer and Netflix apps are quite enough. Even for those who’re delighted with that double act, the poor remote control will add a layer of frustration that’s not worth saving a few quid for.
Also consider
If you are on a restricted spending plan but can stretch as much as ₤ 100 or so, consider Toshiba’s flagship BDX5400 deck. For the extra spend you’ll get 3D playback and a glosser design that utilizes aluminium, though it’s got the exact same small dimensions.
However, if you can spend that type of money it would be ridiculous not to at least test-drive the Samsung BD-F6500, which has an altogether smarter interface and an unrivalled selection of apps that includes Lovefilm, BBC Sport, BlinkBox and 4OD.