TV Reviews

I purchased this TV for My Bedroom Entertainment Set Up. The armoire I have that is designed to be an Entertainment center is not deep enough to accommodate the Depth of this TV. The Design is very narrow, cone shaped. This makes it difficult to fit into a regular cabinet or entertainment center, which would normally accommodate this size TV. I have a 52" Television in my living room, and it is as deep as this 19" model. Keep this in mind when buying, "where is it going to go?". Also, the TV works great but it does not have stereo sound or hookups which accommodate L/R Channel Speaker hookups for DVD, and Audio components of that nature. Great for just watching TV! And it has many menu features such as detailed parental controls and Smartsound (to balance out different channel volume levels). The remote is a bit different; there is an arrow pad in the center which would usually control channel surfing & volume, but these arrow buttons are just for menu browsing and the volume and channel controls are to the sides of that (set up like a digital cable remote).

I use this TV as a part of my cheap home theater. I don't use the TV's built in sound at all. I have a Surround Sound Pro Logic receiver, a VCR, and this TV all hooked together. the TV has excellent picture quality, very easy to use on screen controls, composite/component video in on the front of the tv (I wish it was on the back). To be honest, I have never touched any buttons on the TV besides the power button. My VCR controls the channel changing, and my receiver controls the audio.

But, this TV is very deep. Is BARELY fits back into my home theater enclosure. It also has a very weirdly shaped backend. It does, however have a nice flat spot on the top of the set to put my large center channel speaker.

The tube on this TV is quite rounded (though this doesn't affect picture quality at all, which is excellent), so dont' expect anything like a trinitron monitor to come out of the packing.

This is a great little TV that is well worth the price. I would buy again.

i've also owned an rca tv, this time i wanted to try a philips, boy i'm so glad i did, it's wonderful, very easy to program, the sleeptimer i think is great, now i'm looking for 27-inch for the family room. philips here we go again.

I actually have the Last Black Cabinet version of this TV, which was on closeout. I purchased it to replace a Philips (which I far preferred, but it was a really ugly silver, like this TV and all of the others you can buy these days. What gives?)

This TV has great picture quality and pretty good sound on its own. Coupling it with a stereo amplifier is not a really good choice, since the volume control on the TV doesn't control output to the amp. You'll need a home theatre system instead, if you want your full-blown Dolby this that and the other thing. This box is set up to be the center speaker in such a setup.

The menus and setup are awful. Of course, how often to you change the settings on your TV? There are a few features missing. For example, I used to use the timer feature on my old TV as an alarm clock (when getting up early). This TV has that feature---but forces you to tune to a real TV channel. If you're using a settop box (or a TiVo, as I am), you'll get a giant blast of static. Ick.

In any event, this TV is really solid with a beautiful picture. I would have kept the Philips that I owned for a few days instead, but for the cabinet color. But you won't go wrong with this model.

I purchased this tv for my first apartment and I have been more than happy with it. It has great picture quality (I especially like the flat screen--it cuts back on the glare), great sound and all the necessary toys like electronic bass boost and hyper-surround sound. The one touch multi-stage brightness is perfect for switching from a movie and tv without having to adjust all of the menu's. I swear by JVC for all my products and they have never let me down. Its a great value and has all the awesome performance I wanted. There is nothing missing from this tv.

I compared the JVC to the Sony and Toshiba 32". JVC had the best picture quality. Plus the price was right at a major department store.

If I had one complaint I agree with the other reviewer that it is heavy and takes two to carry. However, the Sony Specs were 100 lbs heavier at a [higher price]. If you compare features and pictures side by side you will see that the JVC is worth the buy even at the same price as the Sony.

QUICK SUMMARY: PT-53WX42
If you are looking for a quality widescreen at a reasonable price, this is definitely a model to consider.

As of Feb '03, in my opinion this Pansonic model is the biggest screen with the most quality features for the best price. NOTE: there is a similar model that ends in a "52" instead of a "42"... the biggest difference is that the "52" has the protective screen shield ... but don't let that stop you... many people try to take off screen shields to get rid of the annoying glare and to brighten their widescreen tv's. Also, you can always purchase & install a separate Micro-Perf brand screen shield (90% glare free) down the road.

DETAILED SUMMARY:

I finally decided on this model after several weeks of serious research, including at online and offline at major stores (CC, BB, WM), not-so-big-of-a-name stores, price comparison websites, user opinion websites, consumer reports, home theater forums, etc. I researched TOSHIBA, PANASONIC, RCA, ZENITH, HITACHI, PHILIPS, SAMSUNG, and SHARP... 45"-61" widescreens. Originally I was also comparing the "normal" 4:3 projection screens, but then decided to go wide so that I don't have to purchase another tv in a few years. I also went into the buying scene without an opinion of any particular brand, I already had a mish-mash of these manufacturers in my house so it didn't matter to me what name was on the product... I was looking for quality vs price.

The whole process was challenging, since each store seems to cater to certain brands (they don't admit it though). :) It also makes it hard to compare "features/quality vs. cost" when everybody is throwing different deals at you. The icing on the cake... you read the reviews of products... and you see that some people give certain models horrible reviews, yet others give top notch praise. What is a consumer to do? :) Oh wait... I forgot about the obscene prices certain stores charge for an extended warranty (Visa Gold-Platinum holders: remember that Visa instantly doubles the manufacturers warranty, and sells 3-5 year extended warranty's at a fantastic price, check their website). Also, this tv comes with a little mail-in thing to learn more about extending the manufacturers warranty.

MORE INFO:....
Definitely pick up high quality cables (this goes for any HDTV), and a progressive scan DVD player. And if you like to tweak things, get the AVIA home theater DVD to help you calibrate your tv so you get the best viewing quality out of your set. You'll never want to go to the movie theater again.

That said... this is a great HDTV for the money. I'm not allowed to list the price I paid here, but... to date, I'd say it's one of the top 3 values in the 50-57" range (comparing price vs. screen size vs. features). Until I pickup a 2nd satellite receiver I am unable to take advantage of the Picture-in-Picture and split-screen features... but, even without that perk I have no regrets about owning this widescreen projection tv.

CONS..........
1) From the moment eagleUSA delivery service unpacked this tv I've been impressed. The only thing I would change about it is to make a wider flat-top to put your electronic goodies on. This is a challenge with 95% of widescreens. There is roughly a 6" top flat lip, but only 1/2 of a dvd player can rest on it.... it's a balancing act. So, keep in mind that with any widescreen, you will probably need to have a little table nearby, or be creative and use velcro to secure your devices.

2) The remote is not backlit. However, this is the first universal remote that actually works all my mix-n-match brand goods. A nice suprise indeed, the coffee table looks much less cluttered. If you want a remote that lights up, go buy one. :)

All the best to you in your widescreen shopping experience!

Great tv for a great price!

I've had this set for over a month now and do not regret the purchase. It sells for significantly less than other sets with similar features but is comparable in picture quality. HD source material is outstanding. Even DirecTV source material looks OK - this was a concern before I bought the set. You simply cannot beat this set at the price. It was my understanding that perhaps the reason for a lower price was that this set was not calibrated as extensively as others before shipment (labor-intensive). It appears this has been improved with this years' models however. By the way, other reviewers have complained about the manual 9-point convergence - a full 64-point convergence is available via the service menu. Also, while the "JUST" stretch mode is generally thought of as average at best compared to other HDTV sets, I find it acceptable. Of course there is no "distortion" viewing 16X9 or other wisescreen material as long as your DVD player is set up correctly.

Excellent TV.

I bought this tv when my Sony KP-53XBR300 53" Projection TV went out after six years(the red "pot" went nova) and to fix it was out of the question. As the Sony KP-53V80 had very good reviews I went for it. Bad idea for me as the more I watch it the worse the picture gets. Sharpness was nowhere to be found, the soft colors will not blend, and an all black screen has an area that shows white. The Sony KP-53XBR300 53" Projection TV was the best I had ever seen. The reviewers for the Sony KP-53V80 said it had the best picture. Not this one. I bought this one for the price and the reviews, I should have paid more and got the Sony KP-53XBR300. Just thought you might want to know.

When my Sony 53"XBR300 went nova and I was told by fourrepair men that it would cost too much to repair...I wentshopping and I came across these reviews. As most of the the reviews said that the picture was the best they have ever seen I thought that I would save.... Now I wish that I had spent the extra bucks and got another XBR300. .... My equipment is top shelf with a Sony DVP-S7700 connected with Monster component video cables and I use a Sony satellite system (SAT-A50, refined with a REPLAYTV. Selecting the picture mode from the presets was not much help as the "Vivid" selection was worthless, the "Standard" was the factory preset, too bright. The "Movie, Personal 1 and 2" modes can be adjusted but getting warmth and sharp is next to impossible, at least on the set I got. One of the nice touches on the V80 was the convergence adjustment, which is automatic. As I don't use cable or the sound from the tv very often I won't review those features. So, maybe it is the set I bought and maybe it is the best I can expect for the price. I did not buy it for the whistles and bells: I really bought it for the monitor (CRT) and that is my disappointment.

This was my first large screen tv purchase and I was a little apprehensive that the picture might fade from view as you move side to side.

The Sony has no fade that I have been able to see. It has a clear picture -- similar to looking at a regular "tubed" TV.

The only complaints I have are:

a) The remote control is very touchy. The large buttons stick out a ways and I'm always brushing up against them by accident.

b) The speakers seem a little underpowered. I don't know if these large screen tvs are meant to have external speakers, but I sometimes have trouble hearing the sound. The brilliant picture however makes up for this shortcoming.

I recommend this TV as a real solid purchase. Everyone who has come over remarks on how clear and nice the picture is.

I purchased my unit in December. The picture and the DVD were great. Right up until the 90 day warrantee ran out.

The DVD unit will not return the disc. The disc remains inside the unit. This is not an uncommon problem with this unit.

I have just been informed that the on-site repair will run [expensive], if I am lucky.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy the DVD as a separate unit.

I bought this combo after initially looking for just a DVD player...after being veered off into the television area, this one caught my attention. The screen is not flat, but provided a great picture on the display model. The size was perfect for my entertainment center, clearing the sides by about 1 1/2inches all around. The built-in DVD worked smoothly with the TV, and the price clinched it for me (I got it at an electronics store, where it was being cleared out to make space for newer models).

This TV has front & back AV inputs, which is wonderful for those who have many things plugged into their TV...I have DirecTV, a VCR and two game systems, and the continual plugging and unplugging from my old tv was becoming tiresome...now I can plug the GameCube into the front when I want to use it, while keeping the DTV/VCR plugged into the coax port (or move them into the rear AV) & leaving the PS2 (now being saved from use as a DVD, hopefully extending it's life) in the rear, or even plugging the PS2 in front and doing a quick & easy swap when I want to switch game systems. I'm no techno-phile, but setup was very easy on this TV...the hardest part was carrying the 80LB monster in!

The only real drawbacks are that while it will play CD-RW's, it won't play CDR's (!!!); also, the remote is a bit confusing, and takes a lot of getting used to. You have to remember to press the appropriate TV/DVD select button before using that devices' features, which can get very confusing.

Overall, easy set-up, excellent out-of-the box sound and picture make this a great value.

I purchased this TV a year ago ~ as a moving out on my own/birthday gift;) ~ initially I went looking for a small TV/VCR combo & compact stereo/CD player... and then I saw her ~ the sliver/gray case is very attractive (and expensive looking) & the front input (as well as back) a great for when I decide to dust of & use the VRC & video game systems.

The biggest selling pint for me was the ability to play DVD & Audio Cd's (but not CDR's) the "screen saver" is kind of weak (blue DVD logo) compared to some others I have seen (cool graphics), but not a huge issue for me. And it has a front headphone jack!

Picture quality is exceptional, compatible to a flat screen for considerably less $$$! DVD play looks phenomenal & (antenna - no cable for me) TV is surprisingly good. Also, its weird but, it appears to be bigger being bigger than 27" I have concerns about the DVD tray breaking & opted for an expended 2 year warranty (in home if you can get it ~ she is very, very heavy!) ~ which I have not had to use. Treat it kindly, press button to open & close (don't push close ~ that's a safety lest it gets bumped ~ not for normal use). Sound is fantastic ~ if you set it to expanded stereo.... Setting this TV up can be simple as plugging it in & going thought set up (under 5 minutes) or take time to read the manual & set all the additional features to you preferences ~ it's worth the time & effort! ...

The remote is great (kind of complicated ~ you will have to read the manual to figure it all out ~ the manual is very user helpful with step by set instruction on how to do things) with light up buttons for easy use in the dark (I love that!).

Panasonic's toll-free customer service was also excellent ~ quick & very helpful, helping with the DVD screen saved problem I had ~ I didn't have a problem; I just expected something a bit more exciting .

I love this TV & so do all my friends ;)

I bought it because of all the great reviews, but I'm disappointed in the picture quality; it's not very sharp.

The Toshiba 27A41 is a great value. I've shopped for a new large screen for several weeks and I'm pleased with my final choice. This is my second Toshiba (I currently have a 20" Toshiba that is over 5 yrs. old and works perfectly too!)

By the way, Toshiba is a major maker of picture tubes for companies...I had a JVC that had a Toshiba picture tube (discovered that fact when I had that set service for a blown fuse.)

I am pleased with the front av port that makes hooking up a my ps2 a breeze. The sound quality is good, but what can you expect from 5 watt speakers...adding home theatre audio is a snap.

Overall, this is a great deal!

Given the price and category of this television (27" non-flat tube, analog), I have been extremely satifsied with the Toshiba 27A41 during the first six months of use. I would highly recommend this television (or its successor when Toshiba discontinues this model).

Compared to my ten-year-old 26" TV which it replaced, the 27A41 has much better picture quality when watching cable TV broadcasts, with high detail and good colors. This good picture quality is a result of the good digital comb filter. In an electronics store, I compared the visual quality of this 27" non-flat TV with a 24" flat-screen TV (which costs a little more) and could not see much difference except for potential glare problems on the 27" non-flat TV. But after choosing a good location in my living room, the 27A41 gives me no glare problems at all. A 24" flat-screen would have been too small for this room. So if you can find a good location for your television, a flat-screen TV is probably not worth the extra cost or smaller size.

The built-in stereo speakers are typical for speakers that are not side-mounted: they are small and don't sound very good at very high volumes. For casual viewing in small living rooms, the sound quality is adequate. When I need good loud sound, I connect the 27A41's stereo audio outputs to my portable stereo's audio inputs and blast the sound through external speakers. I'm not an audio expert, but the sound quality through my stereo seems very good to me. It should sound even better through a real non-portable stereo system with an audio amplifier.

The 3 sets of A/V inputs (2 rear, 1 front), S-video input, and ColorStream inputs (component video) are very useful in this age of VCR's, DVD players, camcorders, video game consoles, and satellite TV. I'm currently using a stereo VCR for the primary rear A/V inputs and a Playstation 2 for the secondary rear A/V inputs. Switching between the two is a snap using the 27A41's remote. It's also good to know that I have an open set of A/V inputs in front for convenient temporary connections (like for a camcorder). Although I haven't used the S-video or ColorStream inputs yet, it's good to know that I can use them to get the best picture quality possible from a DVD player or modern video game console.

Some might think this is unimportant, but the TOSHIBA brand name is a comforting feature to me. I know some people will disagree with me, but a big-name Japanese brand gives me a sense of quality and reliability. My family's previous television was an early-90's 26" RCA that started going bad two years ago (flakey cable/antenna input). After reading past issues of Consumer Reports at the library, I found out that RCA, GE, and Zenith (all American brands) were the most repair-prone brands of televisions. The big-name Japanese brands, including Toshiba, were rated as more consistenly reliable. Toshiba also offers very good prices compared to the other big-name Japanese brands.

Miscellaneous: The remote is medium-sized, lightweight, and easy to use. Programming the remote to control my JVC VCR was easy, but it lacks the buttons to control the VCR's advanced functions. The remote can also control a cable box. The owner's manual is thorough and easy to understand with clear illustrations where needed. The manual's illustrations are especially useful for figuring out how to connect multiple devices (e.g. two VCR's, DVD, cable box, camcorder, satellite, audio amplifier) to the television using all those inputs and outputs.

Overall, I give the Toshiba 27A41 5 stars because it gives me more value than I expected for the price I paid. For this price, you should not expect a glare-resistant flat-screen TV or huge built-in speakers. But the potential glare problems or inadequate sound can be made up for by choosing a good location and attaching an external stereo system.

The clarity of the picture is good, and I was happy with the controls. I cannot recommend the purchase of this TV. After just 2 years of normal use, it went up. No picture at all. It has been out for 6 weeks because Best Buy can't seem to find qualified people to work on this TV. Also, I overheard them talking about the poor construction of the boards. They making it very difficult to repair by glueing the parts to the board so you have to purchase an entire new board.

Best Buy also has very poor service and I will never purchase their PSP warranty package again. They are not customer oriented and are only the middle guy for the service people, which has you running in circles.

I bought the varient of this model 50H12(some people are telling 50H12 is better than 50H82) which in my view are same at Costco for $1600 including taxes. It really rocks for the price. Picture Quality is great & Audio is excellent. I feel now why Consumer Reports rated hight for Toshiba in Projection TVs.

I have owned my Toshiba 50H82 for approximately 6 months and have nothing but praise for the set. I have not had the luck of experiencing any HD pictures yet, but my progressive scan DVD (hooked up through component video) is remarkable! Digital cable looks great too (Analog is decent). I love the fact that this tv has wheels underneath as well as the fact that the top of the TV has about a 6-inch depth to act as a "shelf" so I can set my center-speaker for my surround on top.

Very highly recommend this set!

The low price was tempting, and even more so the smaller footprint and poundage compared to the similar models by Sony and Toshiba. But once I viewed the Panasonic and the Sony KV-34XBR800 side by side in a showroom, playing the same DVD, it's no contest at all. Sony was sharp, clear, crisp, accurate, and properly staurated, it was radiant, truly awesome. The Panasonic on the other hand was dull and had unacceptably poor color that couldn't be adjusted for much improvement. Blonde hair tinged green, skin tones awful, darks fading out, etc. I later discovered technical reviews at cnet.com and saw that the reviewers had the same reaction. My advice, if you can't afford the Sony, then you certainly can't afford to throw away money for the inferior Panasonic - unless you are color blind that is! Whatever you do, don't buy the Panasonic without viewing it first, especially skin tones and blonde hair.

This was the best bang for my buck value I could find in widescreen HDTVs, without getting the super thin plasma screens. It looks really cool, and the picture is very nice. There's no HDTV in NYC, so I can't attest to how good that looks, but if you're looking for a widescreen TV, you should definitely consider this.

I purchased this TV 2 weeks ago and the joy hasn't warn off yet. The picture is breathtaking and I think more highly of this TV with every new DVD I watch. The first DVD I watched was the SuperBit version of The Fifth Element. All I can say is that it was money well spent. Truly a videophile's TV. You won't be disappointed.

Mine failed after 15 months, goes blank after being on a few seconds. Took a look at the "warranty"--they'll repair it but I have to pay for any parts or labor.

As another one of the people in another review said, I needed a Tv to play my gamecube on. This TV has a really great picture, pretty silver finish, favorite channels, S Video, you name it, it has it. One of the most convenient features, however, are the front A/V hookups. Any amateur can now set up their new console with no problems at all. And of course,its a Philips, so dependability is a necessity which it lives up to just fine.

I found a 20" Panasonic which I purchased for ten dollars more. It was defective ( Picture tube). I returned it and bought the Phillips. It had more features, was higher in quality and value than the Panasonic

I don't like this TV as the sound is pretty bad and the screen can't be made to set straight up--tilted backward. Speakers weak and not clear. Need improvement. It seems the 1735 is much better though less expensive.

This TV is a decent device but a little overpriced for what you get.

My number one gripe with this TV has to do with the sound quality. The standard built-in speaker does not offer the clarity and crispness of the ordinary 10 year-old tube TV that it replaced.

The other annoyance has to do with the short muscial tone it plays every time the TV is turned on or off. It gets old fast.

My third peeve is with the monitor's on/off indicator light. When the TV is turned off, a red LED light glows red, and when the TV is on, the LED light disappears which is the total opposite way that I would have designed it to function.

On other hand, the picture quality for regular cable-TV channels/broadcast TV is good to very good, depending on the channel.

The HDTV option is a little awkward to work and not worth the trouble due to the limited number of HDTV channels available in NYC.

Bottom line, is I love the thinness of the TV but the speaker system needs improvement.

After looking at comparable models from Sharp, Phillips, Sony, and others we settled on the Samsung LTN 1785W. It is sitting on a credenza in the breakfast nook off the kitchen and fits very nicely on the counter and under the china cabinets. The screen is plenty bright enough for full daylight viewing. This was important to us, as the area has a lot of natural light from windows and a skylight. The picture is very clear and sharp. The options available for picture, color and sound adjustment are simple and effective. I added the HDTV box yesterday and the added clarity is quite astounding. As noted in another review I would rate the sound quality as acceptable, but not outstanding. The Dolby 5.1 added with HDTV helps.

I note this set is list priced (currently) at about $999, but we got it for over $100 less by shopping around, then got $100 cable credit from Comcast and Samsung on a special offer. So, while initially pricey for a 17 inch set, the net cost was quite reasonable for this quality HDTV ready widescreen set.