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The great: The Toshiba BDX5200 has built-in Wi-Fi, 3D compatibility, a simple user user interface, and a few high-quality streaming-media services, including Netflix, Vudu, and Pandora. It is also less expensive than many competing midrange Blu-ray players.
The bad: Competing Blu-ray players convey more streaming media services and more features, including DLNA compatibility and smartphone manage. The BDX5200 is also considerably slower than other midrange players, especially from disc-loading. We also experienced spotty Wi-Fi performance in our testing environment.
The underside line: The Toshiba BDX5200 costs a little less than competing midrange Blu-ray gamers, but you'll miss out on worthwhile extra features and speedy performance.
Toshiba isn't the first name you think of with regards to Blu-ray, but the former backer of the now-dead HD-DVD format currently provides a full line of 11 Blu-ray players. The BDX5200 is one of the business's midrange models, offering built-in Wi-Fi, 3D compatibility and a modest suite associated with streaming media services, including Netflix, Pandora and Vudu. It's also currently available at a discount compared to other midrange Blu-ray players, with a street price below $140.
That will save you some extra cash compared with our top-rated midrange players such as the Panasonic DMP-BDT210 and LG BD670, but you're giving up quite a little bit. The BDX5200 is considerably slower than typical 2011 Blu-ray players, it provides fewer streaming media services and lacks common features like smartphone control as well as DLNA compatibility. We also had some issues with the Wi-Fi in the testing environment, where we've successfully tested many other Blu-ray players and additional Wi-Fi products. If you're on a very tight budget, the BDX5200 is really a passable Blu-ray player for less money than most competitors, but most buyers will be better served spending a bit more for one of our better-rated Blu-ray players.
Design
The only thing which saves the BDX5200 from completely generic looks is its two-tone black as well as gray finish. There's virtually nothing on the front panel, save for an Facts slot on the right and the disc tray on the left. Without any physical buttons, front-panel control is handled by illuminated touch-sensitive buttons that appear left from the SD card slot.
We generally prefer physical buttons and the Toshiba's touch-sensitive keys are an example why. The buttons aren't always illuminated, so you need to press the general area of the buttons to get them to show up to begin with. And if you're not familiar with the player, you're likely to do not know how to eject a disc or stop a movie. The lack of buttons could make the BDX5200 sleeker-looking, but they also make it more difficult to make use of.
The included remote is a mixed bag. It gets a lot associated with important functions right, with the eject and power buttons nicely positioned at the very top, and we love the dedicated red Netflix button. The rest of the functions don't fare too. The playback controls (play, fast-forward, etc. ) are too small and regular Blu-ray buttons like pop-up menu don't surround the directional pad, which may be the standard arrangement. Unlike most other midrange Blu-ray players, the BDX5200 can't be controlled with a smartphone app, so you're stuck using standard remote or a universal design.
User interface
Toshiba's user interface doesn't have the visual appeal of individuals from Panasonic and LG, but it's simple to use. Unlike competitors that force you to definitely load an entire content portal to browse streaming media services, the BDX5200 can access the services from the main menu.
The Netflix interface is the most recent incarnation, letting you search for movies and browse for titles not in your instant line via genre. Overall, Toshiba's streaming media experience is straightforward, but it's easier for Toshiba to become simple since offers fewer total services than competitors.
Features
The Toshiba BDX5200 includes a few premium features (built-in Wi-Fi, 3D Blu-ray support), but it lacks features on some other models, such 2D-to-3D conversion or onboard memory. We wouldn't be worried about missing either of those. In our opinion, 2D-to-3D conversion is little greater than a gimmick, and onboard memory is only used for BD-Live features, which all of us never find ourselves using.
The BDX5200 also lacks DLNA compatibility, which is recognized as standard on midrange Blu-ray players. That means you won't be able to stream media from the networked PC, although you can put those files on a USB thumb drive or Facts to be played back by the BDX5200.
Toshiba's suite of streaming media services hits many of the major services we like (Netflix, Vudu and Pandora), but it pales when compared with other midrange Blu-ray players. If you're interested in services like Amazon Immediate, MLB. TV and Picasa, you'll have to go with another player. Take a look at our detailed comparison of streaming content portals for details.
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