Toshiba Regza 42ZV625D

Note: Our test model was the 42ZV625D, which has exactly the same specifications as the 42ZV635 that's more widely available in the UK.

Today it’s a new Toshiba TV that’s on its way to our product survey. The ZV625D is one of the brand’s mid-range models and, on paper, the spec looks like it could rival the best. Noteworthy features include an integrated multimedia player and an Active Vision M200 HD image processing system for smooth, flowing pictures in fast-action scenes. Let’s take a look!

Hardware & handling: 200 Hz, fluorescent-tube backlighting and a multimedia player

You’ll notice just how shiny the screen is as soon as you get it out of the box. In fact, given that it’s particularly subject to reflections and glare, you’ll have to keep this TV away from direct light sources. And while we’re on the subject of the 1080p Full HD panel, Toshiba has chosen to use fluorescent-tube backlighting rather than LED, which explains why the TV’s 9.4 centimetres thick.

Connections can be found on the rear and the side of the TV and there’s a good selection on offer, including four HDMI sockets, a component connection and a VGA connection. This ZV-series TV has a USB port for access to multimedia files stored external storage devices, as well as a JPEG-only memory card reader.

When we tested the multimedia player, only a small selection of our files could actually be played. In fact, video compatibility is restricted to Divx 5 and Xvid SD, making it a pretty measly multimedia player.

The remote control has a fairly traditional design and isn’t backlit. It is, however, practical and well laid out even if its design is somewhat out-dated.

Default picture quality: too dark

With the default settings, blacks displayed on the 42ZV625D aren’t very deep, and Toshiba has tried to hide the problem with a low brightness setting. Surprisingly enough, in spite of the low brightness, the backlighting still succeeds in overexposing white areas. Plus, just like competitors’ TVs, this 42-inch Toshiba's colours are quite simply too cold. In other words, it’s fair to say the picture quality is pretty poor with the default settings.


Picture quality in Movie mode: disappointing

Switching to Movie mode does correct some of these issues. The gamma, for example, is corrected to make the picture look a lot more natural. However, the black is still nowhere near deep enough at 0.32 cd/m². As a result, the contrast is measured at just 531:1 when competitors’ models can frequently exceed 1500:1.


The overall result is pretty average. Colour settings in the default mode aren’t really improved, and the DeltaE 94 is 4.2 when it should ideally be under 3. HD picture quality is good, so long as you ignore the colour rendition issues and the lack of depth in the black tone. Plus, upscaling is way too soft, which in turn makes the picture look blurred. In fact, I reckon most home Blu-ray players can do a better job.

Finally, the Active Vision M200HD picture processing system that’s supposed to make fast-action scenes smooth and seamless has no visible effect as far as I can see. What’s more, as well as not doing very much, it creates a fair few digital artefacts if you turn it up to the higher settings. If I were you, I’d leave it on the first level and have done with it.

Audio: good quality

It’s true that larger TVs tend to have better audio systems, and the ZV625D is no exception. The speakers’ volume hinders clarity slightly but the overall effect is pleasing. Even if it’s still a long way off the quality you’d get from a home cinema system, it’s certainly better than the sound output from most of the super-slim TVs on the market.

Power consumption

For power consumption, the ZV625D gets an average ranking compared with other products in our survey. It consumes 0.3 W on standby and 135 W when in operation, which really isn’t that bad for a 42-inch TV.