TV Reviews

The Trinitron tube has been notorious for a light vertical pink stripe that has been commonly noticed on the left or right side of the screen. It's only visible on occasion depending on what is shown on the screen. I have been to Best Buy, Circuit City, Conns, Sears and have viewed all the display models and found that every Sony Wega 27" has this problem (some worse than others). I've even been online and have found that other owners have complained about the same problem. Sony authorized repair shops in my area have told me that they get alot of 27" in for repairs. I bought it though b/c Sony does have the best clarity and resolution compared with any other flat 27" TV on the market. Trust me, I returned a perfectly fine Toshiba FST because the resolution wasn't as clean and crisp. What's also great about this model is the speakers are side mounted that improves the sound greatly. The older model WEGA had there speakers mounted on the bottom which created a rattling sound when the volume was too high. The 2 tuner PIP comes in handy when you want to channel surf while waiting for a program to return from commercials. Not worth the extra [amt] though. But you have no choice, this particular television does not have a model w/o PIP. What's also great about this set is it has a 16:9 compressor that allows you to watch anamorphic widescreen DVDs with greater resolution. Furthermore, the problem of scan lines which plagued the WEGA models below this is not existant on this set because of the new 3D Comb Filter. In other words, you see a clean, sharp picture without those annoying horizontal lines. Overall this is a great set, but it definitely loses marks for the pink lines and price.

Granted, after watching television for 10 years on a 19" screen, almost anything would be a step up...

One day, after watching me do something on my computer, my wife mentioned that the 17" monitor was almost as large as our TV screen. I started thinking, and decided it was time to step into the 21st century for our home entertainment.

After checking out websites, and retailers, we decided to take the plunge with the beautiful Sony Wega 27" TV. Needless to say, we have not been disappointed. The screen size is perfect for the living room of our apartment. Anything bigger might have been too much. A rule of thumb is this: Screen Size x 3 = optimal viewing distance.

Picture quality on the flat screen is incredible. Obviously, it isn't like HDTV, but it is still incredible. The viewing angle is very large - you can stand off to the side and view the screen and not miss much (if anything). The remote control and set up are very easy, and the speakers actually sound pretty good. We have home theater, so we don't use the TV's speakers, but every now and again, we'll use them when our son is asleep. They aren't bad at all!

The TV itself is gorgeous. The cabinet is a slightly darker gray than earlier Wegas, and I think this is an improvement. It serves to make it stand out at retailers, especially since companies like JVC made some silver-colored cabinets after Sony broke the mode with its original Wegas.

If you are looking for a 27" color TV, you would be doing yourself a favor by considering this model.

Given the number of complaints I've heard about the Sony Wegas (pink lines, color distortions, picture warping, etc.) and having seen some of the problems on early Wega models in showrooms, I was hesitant about purchasing one. After looking at dozens of models at a variety of stores however, I'm pretty convinced that the majority of problems have been fixed on the more recent models. The Wega KV-27FV17 picture was superior to any other 27" television I looked at over several weeks, and so I decided to take one home. I can report that after a few weeks, I've had no problems, and the picture quality is superb. I have noticed the slight picture bulge some people have complained about when reading the tickers or crawls at the bottom of the screen on business channels. It's minor, so unless you're purchasing a set to obsessively read business or news crawls, it's nothing to lose sleep over. That said, the picture when watching everything else is excellent, and spectacular when using an S-cable or component cable to watch DVD's or digital cable/satelite systems. I'm very pleased with this model.

Having spent several months with this television it has been problem free, save for lip sync problems noted below. The picture is outstanding. After experimenting with setup the blocked highlights problem found in the original setup has disappeared. Generally the standard profiles have much too much contrast and too cold colour rendition robbing the picture of subtlety and much detail. However getting close to the "Pro" profile improves the picture dramatically. I am still fine tuning this setup.

On over the air standard broadcasts the reception is good and the picture is far superior to most others I have seen, giving a fine illusion of greater resolution without false artifacts.

On DVD sources the picture is outstanding in every way. The connection choices are useful and impressive.

The manual is fine for initial conncetion but does not even try to give an understanding of the different adjustments and settings. Who knows what this television is really capable of and how to achieve it? What settings should you use for given sources and what are the advantages and disadvantages of such setting options?

The other serious issue is lip sync. Strangely the sound is significantly AHEAD of the picture. This is particularly disconcerting with dialogue. The effect is to disconnect the sound from the person and break any illusion of reality which you normally get in good programming.

When I contacted Sony I was told this was due to my DVD player. I repeated myself: the problem is independent of the source and exists on broadcast where only the television is being used. They sent a service man who was polite but said he could not see anything wrong with the picture, though he volunteered that this was not unusual and they could send a replacment for either the television or him. He had no means of testing for synchronization other than to watch with me for a couple of minutes.

The sound is mediocre as one would expect but this is not an issue for most people given that it is likely to be used with an external sound system. It is fine for backup purposes.

Purchased this TV about 2 months ago and have been hooked ever since. I can't stand watching golf on TV but I sat in front of the TV watching the Masters all weekend because you literally felt like you were there. If this TV can make watching golf fun what else is there to say?

This widescren HDTV puts out 1080i/720p/480p/480i not all HDTV do this and this is important since alot of material right now is 480i-standard cable, 480p-most dvd's and many games, 720p/1080i-Hight Defintion shows or movies, some games and more games later will support this true HD option also. Plamsas are great but after doing reserch the hours they last is less than half of what a CRT will last. The minus of CRT they are pretty heavy and not thin. This TV is heavy but includes 2 handles at the side so it isn't that bad moving it. This TV and the 910 sony are 2 of the best CRT direct view sets out, I went with this one since it was like $400 cheaper and from about 8 feet away this tv had better brights, while the 910 when you got closer you could see the higher resolution but I don't sit that close to my a 34 inch tv, 8 ft is fine for me.

First, the positives: Great color; user friendly set-up and menu options; Above average sound from built-in speakers; and simple to hook up to stereo system.
Now the negative: Very heavy (183 pounds); cheap looking and cheap feeling remote, which is more complex and with smaller buttons than necessary; and the unit is very sensitive to a center-channel speaker. I took my first set back and exchanged it for another, only to find that my shielded center channel speaker, which worked fine with my 27" Magnavox television, cause a strange "shadowing" on my Sony set. This problem is only eradicated if I move my center speaker several feet away from the set. I got no help from Sony or my dealer, other than to offer yet another exchange. Needless to say, at 183 pounds, this unit is quite difficult to keep loading up and tranporting back and forth.

I was in the market for a basic 36" TV with component video inputs. I almost bought the Toshiba 36A40/50 until I came across this Sony KV35S42 which was on sale at [a local store] around Thanksgiving 2001. Great value. The quality of the Sony Trinitron picture is outstanding. I use S-video for connecting my Pioneer DVD player to the TV, resulting in sharp and crisp picture while watching DVD movies. The built-in 5 Watt TV speakers produce surprisingly pleasant sound with impressive accuracy. Remote control is easy to use.

Strengths:
Great picture quality watching DVD movies. Even watching regular channel TV using basic outdoor roof-top antenna gives satisfactory result. At the price I paid, it was an outstanding value.

Weaknesses:
No component video inputs.
I am just a little concerned about the recent reliability issue (from what I've read) regarding Sony TVs, although I haven't had any problem with mine owning this TV for over a year.

For the price this TV is great. Nice picture, sound, and size. My old 19" TV is like looking though a keyhole now. I did not know what I was missing out on. Quality is top notch. Hole family loves it.

One bad note, I had to take back my first TV because it made a snapping sound and then the screen flashed in the top left corner. Although the TV seemed ok, it was to scary for me so it went back. Second one is doing great.

We purchased our set at Sam's Club and have exchanged it three times because of a problem with the remote. Even though the TV otherwise works fine, has a good picture, etc. the remote control stops working unpredictably. (The light on the remote goes on and has power but it just doesn't affect the TV, change channels, volume, etc.) We've changed new batteries many times, tried new remotes and talked with Sam's Club and a local Sylvania dealer. No one has an answer or can fix it. When we exchanged the set for another one, and another one, we had the same problem. Too bad since it's basically a good set, but when you buy a remote you expect it to work.

If you have kids, this is a must for those long car rides. Since getting the tv/vcr combo, I haven't heard "are we there yet?" Great product at a reasonable price. Worth every penny!

After deciding to take a 6 hour car trip with two children (one four years old and the other 18 months) we purchased this unit for use in our minivan. Finding a spot for it in our Honda Odyssey was tricky. It did not fit neatly between the two front seats like we had hoped. We had to tie it down with ropes and bungy cords to one of the folded down middle seats. Once mounted, however, it worked nicely. The picture was clear and it magically kept the baby content for much longer periods of time than usual. The kids were so mesmerized by the videos we had on that they missed new and interesting scenery during our trip, though.

HOWEVER, on the return trip our four year old started complaining of nausea and we realized the TV was making him car sick. Overall, a great purchase if the viewers don't suffer from car sickness and you are willing to give up some space to mount it safely.

THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST INVESTMENT YET. WITH THREE CHILDREN WATCHING AT THE SAME TIME IT WAS PERFECT THE SMALLER DVD PLAYERS ARE REALLY JUST FOR TWO OR LESS WITH NOT MUCH SCREEN TO SEE. FROM CT TO VA WHAT A WAY TO GO. ONLY THING THAT IS WAS A LITTLE BULKY IN BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS WE HAD THIS IN A SEDAN.

What a lifesaver!! I purchased this for our 10 hr drive to Canada. The kids loved it which made the drive so much better..I had originally purchased a small portable DVD player, but was so glad that I returned it and bought this instead. The carrying bag for the car is such a handy item, it fit nice and secure in my SUV. I'd recommend this for anyone taking a long trip in the car.

Pros: Perfect size for car, good looking design, every function you could want.

Cons: Picture not as sharp as any [] 13", remote too big, no DVD info display.

Summary: We just bought the Toshiba MD9DM1 9" TV []and think it's a great bargain what it can do. It fits perfectly between the two front seats of our minivan, but I did opt for a canvas type carry bag that makes it hold in place really well. Everything about it functions extremely well, and I really like the front AV inputs as well as the rear AV outputs. That's a super design plus because the inputs are great for game systems or watching video camera stuff, while the outputs allow me to hook the unit up to a larger TV, say at a hotel or something and watch DVDs where there is a bigger TV, but not a DVD player available. I also really like the car power adapter because it's got good length to it. It must be at least 8ft because I can plug it into to my van's rear AC output and the cord easily reaches the rear of the TV up between the front seats. Many such cords are 6 feet, and wouldn't allow this. I also like that this is a stereo unit, with a headphone jack in the front. I don't know of another such 9" TV that has all these conveniences in one, at this great price. The Toshiba MD9DM1 also has an appealing all silver cabinet that is sleek and modern looking.

As far as any complaints about it, they're minor for me. The picture is not as sharp as a 13" [] TV I have it outputted to right now as I write this watching a DVD, but that was expected a little due to it's size. Also the remote it came with is as big or bigger than any other remote I own, counting 2 other DVD players, and 3 other TVs so not sure why they couldn't have gone with a smaller design. And finally, I find that I miss being able to see the time and track details while viewing a DVD, since there is no display on the unit like you'd have on a standard DVD player. Maybe there's a way to call it up onscreen with the remote, but I havn't found it yet in the few days I've played with it.

A great TV/DVD combo for any portable need. Great design and functionality. It has everything from front AV inputs, rear AV outputs, headphone jack, long car AC cord, etc. Super!

Great functionality, easy to navigate, remote seems perfect. Overall a very good value!

I bought this tv dvd player for my teenager daughter. She won't get it until Yule however, I took it out of the box to test it out. At the store when it's next to a more expensive name brand model, you can see a difference in picture quality but not a big enough difference to matter. And for the price, you can't beat the added feature of the dvd player. Its very user friendly easy to use and sounds great! I noticed it doesn't play vcd's however a lot of dvd players don't. I was just hoping it would have had the added feature. I love it so much, I want one for my exercise room and my bedroom.

We were a little skeptical of the item based on the low price and a few reviews from other owners...but it's been great so far. Take into account that this is under [price] and many other units are [price]+, so expectations were not theater quality sound, etc.

This is a great 2nd TV (with the luxury of a 2nd DVD player built right in - for about what we payed for a DVD player alone on our primary system a year or so ago).

The picture is good with brilliant colors, sound is good (on both DVD movies and TV)...and I like the remote (in spite of complaints I read from a few users). The DVD portion of the remote functionality is more intuitive and easy to handle than the DVD player on our main entertainment system.

Plus the 19" size is perfect for the bedroom (13" is too small but about what you can get in most other brands for the price) - you can actually use letterbox features on you DVD and see the movie clearly. Overall - it's a great little system so far!

I would have given it 5 stars, but it has an overheating problem plus the adapters to be able to plug it in, even when buying universals don't seem to fit right. The screen resolution was well worth buying a more expensive model. The sound quality is excellent as is the reception. I just hope they do something about the overheating problem.

Have you seen a handheld tv and thought, "Wow, that thing is awesome!" but never actually owned one? Well, the time is now to get one. With this tv as top of the line as they come, you get everything you want: beautiful resolution, clear sound, and good picture with the right position of the antenna. The only draw back to this is that it [uses] batteries faster than you can drool over the picture quality. So invest in some good rechargeable batteries while you're shopping. Once you have them, you're all set! So, to conclude, this is a wonderful tv in every way, assuming you have a healthy supply of batteries on hand.

I really like this little tv--I use it in the bathroom when I'm getting ready in the morning. It is a perfect size and gets a fabulously clear picture.

The main complaint I have is that it really goes through batteries. I kept thinking it wasn't working correctly because I would get about three days worth of life out of batteries (we're talking a total of MAYBE 1 hour viewing time each day) and then my picture would get all fuzzy. I couldn't believe the problem could be in the batteries because I had just replaced them. But, alas, when I changed the batteries, everything worked fine.

I finally broke down and bought rechargeable batteries, and I am much happier now. You should definitely get some if you decide to get this tv.

I think that for the price, this is an excellent TV. It has all of the inputs you need, and the sound is what sold me on this model. A lot of TV's in this price range don't have adequate sound (high volume). The sound on this is good, and it also looks very nice (silver). All around, it is a good TV that I would definitely recommend. Look around though, because there might be newer TV's that may be better for the price.

we boght this TV to upgrade to a bigger living room Tv and Wow. im amazed at the picture quality and the way it sounds when i play a DVD. with 3 av hookups it made hooking all the game systems / dvd player etc. a lot easier than removing one to hook another.

Panasonic has always made a excellent tv! We were please as always with the value and Pictue/Sound Quality from this new set! anyone who buys this set will definatly get their Moneys worth!

I purchased Both the set top box & the wireless keyboard 3 Yrs. ago & worked very good;BUT, it is Degrading. Keys stick & set top Box is Failing. I tried to reach Sony but to No Avail.!! I can't seem to find Any Sony W-250 units. I would like to know if they still make them?? The ONLY set top box I can find is that New MSN-TV which the keyboard is 1/2 the size! This may push me into Finally Buying a computer!!!!

Almost thought the webtv would be thrown over the fence after contacting Sony and ascertaining that Sony no longer has replacement keyboards. This unit is actually better than the original; a bit larger and with convenient thumb indentations for ease in holding the keyboard. Price was actually less than the previous board purchased through Sears. Alas, the purchase of a Dell shall have to wait.

I ordered this keyboard as a gift to my mother, but due to shipping problems, I needed to track the order down with Web TV the provider for Amazon. Not only did they answer me within minutes, they immediately sent out a replacement until they could resend the original order. The two guys who helped me were Matt and Dave in Customer service. They were fast and polite. Within a couple of days my mother received the temp keyboard, with a beautiful note and a follow up of the original ordered keyboard projected delivery date. The Web TV customer service is OUTSTANDING! They are the example all companies should follow :)

Very good overall but a few annoying glitches. The set is very difficult to watch when the screen turns black as the screen mirrors everything in the room when lights are on.The directions in the manual could use a great deal of improvement. when directions are followed the desired result is not always accomplished.. The picture is excellent if you can control the lights. The set is very heavy and this resulted in delivery problems. You must be very knowledgeable if you are going to set up the wiring of vcrs, dvd, Direct TV, Cspan, Roof top antenna ,cable etc. You must also spend a lot of time reading and playing with the remote to find all the goodies this TV can do.

Besides having a good picture this TOSHIBA is an excellent Projection TV in the 4 by 3 aspect ratio. Remember that term: 4 by 3. Don't pass this one up! Manufacturers are moving toward the 16 by 9 aspect ratio. For conventional antenna, cable or satellite TV broadcasts and VHS playback this TOSHIBA is the one of a handful of the best Projection sets available. Get them while they are still around, 4 by 3 aspect ratios that is. Many people going with the 16 by 9 sets are not happy because there are very few HD signals out there at least for the next 4 or 5 years. 4 by 3 is the way to go right now. People are complaining because when viewing a widescreen program on a 4 by 3 set you get black bars on the top and bottom. On 16 by 9 sets you get black bars on the left and right sides of the screen all the time unless you watch a wide screen program! That means that you are going to get black bars on the sides for over 90 percent of what you are going to be watching for the next 5 or 6 years. You see, the FCC, the major Broadcasting Networks and Cable companies still can't agree on how they are going to broadcast High Definition Television signals. And that decision does not look like it is gong to be made any time soon! Stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio like this Projection set has. You can't go wrong and you will be much happier. Many people are returning their 16 by 9 projection sets according to an area dealer because they can't stand the black bars on the right and left. Remember to stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio! I have seen this TOSHIBA set and it really has an excellent picture. It is truly incredible that you are looking at a 61 inch projected picture.

Projection set technology has come a long way but the current television market is in a state of flux. We keep hearing about HDTV or High Definition Television but what does it all mean to you? High Definition Television refers to a complete product and/or system with the vertical display of 1080i (interlaced) or higher lines of resolution. The aspect ratio has to be capable of displaying a 16:9 image at the minimum resolution level. (All HDTV is in the 16:9 image). The current standard for color television in the United States is called NTSC (National Television System Committee). It is based on 525 horizontal scanning lines capable of displaying a 4:3 image. Many cable companies are resisting the change to HDTV and want to carry only the NTSC standard. The FCC wants the networks to start broadcasting HDTV but they are now also resisting because they can't settle on a conversion system. Currently satellites are carrying a few HDTV signals, but they are far and few in number and show little signs of increasing. Don't forget HDTV signals have to be converted so you can watch them. Then you have Television manufactures who are getting way ahead of themselves. Many are pushing the HDTV formatted screen on most of their projection sets, which is 16:9. If you are still watching cable TV, VHS videos and Laserdiscs you are in big trouble. You are only going to get a picture in the center of your 16:9 set with big black bars on the sides. The best way to go is with a 4:3 projection set, like this one, which is going to give you the full frame. You are going to get the entire screen you paid for. In addition projection sets have come a long way. This is a state of the art set. The image is clear and sharp and the colors are very exact. You can't get much better.