If you are a Toshiba Regza diehard holding out for a 2007 100Hz-driven model, we have both good and bad news for you. On the positive side, there is finally a glimpse of hope with the Z3500-series' impending December launch. Having said that, you will need ample space in your living room to fit the mammoth 52-incher which may be a bit of a space crunch for many city dwellers. In fact, the 52Z3500E is the smallest screen size available besides its 57-inch sibling in the Japanese company's flagship lineup. Here's our quick take on what's hot and not for this panel.

Pros

The upcoming 52Z3500E shares an identical facade as the award-winning 46X3500E based on an elegant yet simple design. It may lack the elaborate high-fashion appeal of the Samsung F8 and the polished industrial look of the Bravia X, but it's definitely no pushover in aesthetics. In fact, we felt it has a picturesque outlook ideal for wall-mounting with an unobtrusive and balanced LCD frame symmetry. You will probably notice the bottom-mounted super-slim speaker and unique V-shaped swivel stand, all dressed in refreshingly matching gun-metal.

Though introduced late last year, the Z3500Es are only the second batch of Regzas to receive the Meta Brain Pro 100 video-processing technology. This has the distinct advantage of smoother motion reproduction courtesy of an inbuilt frame rate-doubling engine. Unlike traditional 50 frame per second (fps) TVs, blurring is minimized with videos rendered at twice the speed of 100fps instead. To further enhance the fluidity of frame-level transition, the system also incorporates motion compensation by inserting a unique interpolated frame rather than simple duplication.

This Regza also offers the same future-proofed 1,920 x 1,080-pixel native resolution and industry-leading 178-degree viewing angle of the above-mentioned midrange equivalent. This is besides a slight edge over the former in terms of LCD response time documented at 6ms. To complement the ultra-high-resolution panel, there are three HDMI 1.3 terminals (one side, two rear) with extensive performance-centric features. Most notable is the full 1080p signal handling, including judder-free 1080p24-compatibility and Deep Color support for an extended color palette.

Cons

It's a little difficult to comprehend why Toshiba would like to limit this flagship series to 52- and 57-inch screen sizes. While we agree that a big display is recommended for full-HD, a 46-incher is definitely easier to set up and likely to be more pocket-friendly, too. The set's 10,000:1 dynamic contrast is also on the low side and pales against market leaders such as Sony and Samsung at 18:000:1 and 25,000:1, respectively. Nonetheless, we would like to caution against any premature judgment over the Regza which is best left to a side-by-side comparison with its peers in-store.

Bottomline

Toshiba has finally caught up with the rest of the vendors with this 100Hz-driven Regza and, from its ongoing aggressive pricing strategy, we may have another coup in the making here. But until we receive confirmation on the final price, this model will be treading a fine line. Price it too high and the lack of value-added icing may be a bone of contention for many. On the other hand, if the margin is too low, this is going to hurt the company bottom line in the long run.