Toshiba 50-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV with HDR – Fire TV Edition – Limited Edition

After the latest driver/software update, this TV is now amazing. Before you had very limited adjustments for color, contrast, and the like.
Now I have full control over every setting for the TV.
-1 star for the for the stupid “recommended by your apps” bar. Yes I understand that this is an “Amazon” TV, but I don’t need my TV to show me and everyone that visits what I have ordered lately. (If you install the Amazon shopping app, this is what will happen. And no, you have no option to disable it)
-1 star for the Advertisements that you can not remove from the home screen. As you scroll down the home screen , you will get an advertisement after every 3rd or 4th content bar. Very disappointing.

To AmazonJeff Bezo, I bought your damn TV, is really necessary to to keep blasting me with advertisement to buy more stuff from you. Can’t you just let me enjoy my new TV in peace???

For $399, this is a really nice TV. It’s not as bright as some of the TVs at the $1k pricepoint. The audio is fine for a basic experience, and stays clear even when it gets pretty loud. The remote control is clean and easy to use with minimal extra features (apart from that odd Sony placement). I really like that you have to press a button for the Alexa usage rather than having it be always-on and listening in the room. Alexa continues to be best in class for voice recognition and show search across multiple apps (e.g., finding a show in Netflix).

The only awkward thing is that the setup process is not what you might be used to from a FireTV or other Amazon product – it doesn’t come preconfigured with your Amazon account and you need to log in and choose what apps to install. There are also a bunch of questions I didn’t really understand (e.g., Full vs. Limited experience?). Netflix and other apps continue to have a tedious setup process of entering passwords manually for each application, even if you have other devices with Netflix or even other FireTV and Alexa devices in the house.

The defaults are pretty good, with allowing Alexa to control the TV’s power off by default, though sharing personal information with advertisers for a “more customized experience” is unfortunately on by default.

This was a wonderful investment. Best tv experience I’ve had being blind. There’s so much in doing for yourself.
I did complete setup without assistance. Voice View narrated every step. Even tells you screen off when powering off.
Gone are the days of how many presses for input. A heads up for my blind brothers and sisters… the top HDMI port is HDMI 1. This is also the HDMI ARC for your audio receiver, sound bar.
The only difficulty for blind is attaching the stand. A left and right which I guarantee you’ll never figure out. Neighbor attached stand and checked to make sure no damage, or dead pixels.
Thank you Amazon, Best Buy, and Toshiba. Best accessible tv I’ve encountered for blind consumers.
Initial voice view is activated by pressing Back and Menu for 2 seconds. The left and right button above the ring. Remote is slightly different from Fire TV. There is a voice view tutorial for the remote.
Also you can change inputs with voice. Just say input 1, or HDMI 1. Great speakers and value for this price point.
PS: connecting to Echo Dot was a breeze. Link in Alexa app. I can change volume and inputs with Dot. Along with power on/off.
Update:
Another benefit found for blind customers. Software updates on TV’s, Apple TV, etc. can be difficult. Without audible cues it can be hard to tell when done. When software reboots it lets you know disconnect from input. When a device restarts, device reconnects to input with voice cue.
It took awhile to figure out, but changing input name is possible. Go to inputs under settings tab, highlight the input name you want to change, don’t select… Instead press menu twice. An options menu will pop up. Their are like 14 options to name the input.

Update 7-24 I just removed a star because the TV homescreen has ads. Today was an ad for Liberty Mutual. Nowhere was this disclosed in the description of the TV. I don’t mind ads for Prime shows, I do mind third party ads. Dissapointed.

This TV set up very quickly. Just a few set up tips:

1. Be prepared with a Phillips screw driver to put the feet on
2. If you have Alexa devices in the room, mute them. The TV will play a video about the features and Alexa will think you’re asking her questions
3. The paper and onscreen manuals are minimal. I had to Google search how to pair my Dot to my TV, which was ultimately a very easy set up

The Dolby sound is great with a surprising amount of bass for a 43 inch TV. The menus seem to work fine. It’s neat to give audio instructions to my TV. I use my Dot, not the Alexa button on the remote.

Good price, good TV

7-20 Update – The TV does not have an app to play You Tube, but does provide a direct link to the You Tube website to play videos through the web browser.

I just saw some of the negative reviews and wanted to address them from my experience. Direct TV box hookup works fine, no issues. Play Station 4 works fine, no issues. I’m not a techy but I did read the first HDMI port was something I’d never heard of – ARC. I am using ports 2 and 3 with my standard hdmi cables. My suggestion is if you’re having issues with your plug-ins in slot 1, that could be it. I also saw some comments about the audio quality – I thought it was very good. The default setting has a great deal of bass. The sound and video can be adjusted.