The Toshiba C350 Fire TV 2021 is a basic entry-level TV that replaces the Toshiba Fire TV 2020, and it's Toshiba's only TV available in the United States. It competes with other entry-level TVs like the Hisense A6G, Vizio V5 Series 2021, and Insignia F30 Series 2022. Amazon has also released their own branded TVs, and this TV is very similar to the Amazon Fire TV 4-Series. It uses the Amazon Fire TV smart platform, which is user-friendly and has a great selection of apps available to download. It supports Apple AirPlay if you want to cast content from your phone, but not Google Chromecast. It's available in a wide range of sizes from 43 to 75 inches, so you can get the perfect size for your needs.
Our Verdict
The Toshiba C350 is a mediocre TV overall. It has a wide viewing angle, making it alright for watching shows or sports in a wide seating area. However, it has low contrast and it's disappointing for watching movies in a dark room. HDR adds almost nothing to this TV, as it can't get bright enough to bring out bright highlights in HDR and it can't display a wide color gamut. It isn't bad for gaming, but it doesn't have any extra gaming features.
- 55 inch model has wide viewing angles.
- Flicker-free backlight reduces image duplication.
- Decent response time; no black smearing on the 55 inch unit.
- Our 55 inch model has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- Doesn't upscale lower-resolution content well.
The Toshiba C350 is disappointing for watching movies in the dark. It has low contrast, so blacks appear raised and the entire screen has a glow to it when you're in a dark room. The black uniformity is poor, and there's no local dimming feature to improve it. It also can't remove judder from any source, so movies aren't played back smoothly.
- Displays 1080p and 4k content without any issues.
- Can't remove 24p judder from any source.
- Our 55 inch model has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
The Toshiba C350 Series is decent for watching TV shows in a moderately-lit room. The built-in Fire TV platform has a ton of apps available to download, so you can easily stream your favorite content. It has decent reflection handling, but it's not ideal for well-lit rooms because it doesn't get very bright and glare is distracting. On the other hand, it has a wide viewing angle, which is great if you have a wide seating area, as the image remains consistent from the sides.
- 55 inch model has wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- Doesn't upscale lower-resolution content well.
The Toshiba C350 Series is okay for watching sports in bright environments. Fast-moving content looks decent due to the fairly quick response time, and there's no backlight flicker that would cause image duplication. It has a wide viewing angle, making it a decent choice for watching the game with a large group of friends as you don't have to fight over the best spot. It has decent reflection handling, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight glare.
- 55 inch model has wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Flicker-free backlight reduces image duplication.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- Doesn't upscale lower-resolution content well.
- Dirty screen effect in the center.
The Toshiba C350 Series isn't bad for playing video games. It has a decent response time and low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. However, it doesn't have any extra gaming perks like variable refresh rate support. It has a wide viewing angle, so it's a decent choice for couch co-op games or party games with a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains consistent when viewed from the sides. Unfortunately, it's not a good choice for gaming in the dark due to its low contrast ratio.
- Low input lag in Game Mode.
- Decent response time; no black smearing on the 55 inch unit.
- Our 55 inch model has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- No VRR technologies.
The Toshiba C350 TV is poor for watching HDR movies. It can't display the wide color gamut needed for HDR content, and it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop. It has a low contrast ratio, so dark scenes aren't displayed properly and blacks appear raised. It also lacks a local dimming feature to improve the appearance of dark scenes.
- Displays 1080p and 4k content without any issues.
- Our 55 inch model has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- Can't display a wide color gamut.
The Toshiba C350 is okay for HDR gaming. It delivers a responsive gaming experience thanks to the low input lag, and motion handling is decent too. However, HDR content doesn't look good because it has low HDR peak brightness and can't display a wide color gamut. Our unit also has a low contrast ratio and there's no local dimming feature to improve it.
- Low input lag in Game Mode.
- Decent response time; no black smearing on the 55 inch unit.
- Our 55 inch model has a low contrast ratio and poor black uniformity.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- No VRR technologies.
- Can't display a wide color gamut.
The Toshiba C350 is okay for PC gaming, but it's not a good choice for desktop use as a PC monitor. It's one of the only TVs available that doesn't display chroma 4:4:4 properly at any resolution, so text looks blurry. On the other hand, it has a wide viewing angle, ensuring the sides of the screen remain consistent when you're sitting up close.
- 55 inch model has wide viewing angles.
- Decent reflection handling.
- Flicker-free backlight reduces image duplication.
- Low peak brightness in SDR and HDR.
- Dirty screen effect in the center.
- Can't display chroma 4:4:4 with any resolution.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 20, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Sep 11, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 25, 2024: We changed 'Backlight' from 'Edge' to 'Direct' in the Local Dimming section since the backlight is direct-lit.
- Updated Jul 17, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55-inch Toshiba C350 (55C350KU), and this review is also valid for the 43, 50, 65, and 75-inch models.
| Size | Model Code | Retailers |
|---|---|---|
| 43" | 43C350KU | Amazon, Best Buy |
| 50" | 50C350KU | Amazon, Best Buy |
| 55" | 55C350KU | Amazon, Best Buy |
| 65" | 65C350KU | Best Buy |
| 75" | 75C350KU | Best Buy |
Our unit of the C350 was manufactured in March 2021; you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Toshiba C350 is a basic entry-level TV that's disappointing even for a low-cost option. It's nearly identical to the Insignia F30 Series 2022, and it doesn't improve at all from the Toshiba Fire TV 2020 and gets worse in a few areas like brightness and upscaling. Even if you're looking for a cheap TV, better options are available with a few more features or better performance, like the newer Toshiba C350 Series 2023 or the Hisense A6G.
See our recommendations for the best budget TVs, the best smart TVs, and the best small TVs.
The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series and the Toshiba C350 Series 2021 use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Amazon TV has much better contrast, so it's a better choice for a dark room. The Toshiba TV has wide viewing angles, but it's not a good choice for a bright room, as it can't overcome glare.
The Insignia F50 QLED is much better than the Toshiba C350 Series 2021. The Insignia has much better contrast, higher peak brightness, and better uniformity, meaning it's a much better choice for a dark room. On the other hand, the Toshiba has a much wider viewing angle, so it's a better choice for a wide seating arrangement.
The Toshiba C350 Series 2023 is a solid improvement over the Toshiba C350 Series 2021. The 2021 model is flicker-free in all picture modes and all brightness levels and has better HDR gradient handling than the 2023 model. Outside of those two things, the newer model is better than its predecessor in every facet.
The Hisense A6G and the Toshiba C350 Series 2021 are both okay entry-level TVs. The units we tested of each have the same panel type, but they both have variants with different panel types, too. Although picture quality isn't good on either, the Hisense does a better job at upscaling low-resolution content, like from DVDs and cable boxes, and it gets a bit brighter. The Hisense has a few more features like the ability to remove judder from 24p sources and display chroma 4:4:4, which the Toshiba can't do. The Fire TV platform on the Toshiba is easier to use than Android TV, but the Android TV is more customizable.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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