A new 2018 lineup of Toshiba TVs - manufactured and sold in Europe under license by Turkish outfit Vestel - has been announced, and what caught our attention was understandably the X98 series of OLED TVs with multi-format HDR support and branded audio solution. Two screen sizes are available: a 55-inch and a larger 65-inch model.
OLED display technology has dominated the high-end TV market over the last couple of years, thanks to its self-emissive properties which allow for true blacks, vibrant colours and wide viewing angles, not to mention super slim form factor. Toshiba is speccing a DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 99% for the X98, which is in line with the WRGB OLED panels produced by LG Display, the sole vendor of commercially viable TV-sized OLED screens at this time of writing.
HDR formats supported on the Toshiba X98 include the open-standard HDR10, broadcast-friendly HLG (Hybrid-Log Gamma), and perhaps most appealingly to video enthusiasts, the proprietary Dolby Vision technology. There are Netflix 4K and Youtube 4K on board, although we need to confirm the HDR status of these apps, as well as the availability of other on-demand video applications such as Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.
More and more TV manufacturers are striking partnerships with premium audio companies to differentiate their OLEDs, and Toshiba has gone with fellow Japanese brand Onkyo who have lent their expertise into the design of the X98's speakers and subwoofers.
The 55in and 65in Toshiba X98 OLED televisions should be available for sale before the 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off, unlike last year's X97 OLED which never really made it to the UK market. Prices remain unknown, but prospective buyers will be hoping they undercut LG's and Sony's Dolby Vision-capable OLEDs.
