TV Reviews

The day after taking our KV-34XBR910 (latest Sony out since July/Aug 03) out of the box I had Cablevision in to hook it up for input of HDTV signal. Before the hookup, I explored some neat features of the TV such as being able to look at a (approx 22 inch) screen on the left of the 16:9 format and have 5 windows (approx 5 inch) of other channels scroll top to bottom on the right side of the TV or I could look at two active screens (approx 22 inch) side by side. My wife would love the feature given that I am a remote channel changer, but after hooking up to the SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA digital cable box I appear to have lost these features.

The picture on non HDTV appeared to be good. The KV-34XBR910 has Digital Reality Creation™ Circuitry that appears to improve the regular programming slightly, but the 16:9 format takes some getting use to. The TV puts vertical bars (you can change the color) on the right and left side of the regular program image. The HDTV picture is truly movie quality. I watched the "Hunt for Red October" on HBOHD and switched to HBO without HD and you see a big difference.

If you use a memory stick, this TV has a neat feature that allows you to view the pictures on it along with soft piano music in the background. Kind of brings back the days of the old slide projection show my grandmother use to show after her trips.

I purchased this television back in January 2004. I searched for several months and was planning on buying a flat panel, until so many people told me to hold off for a while. So, I turned my attention to the 34xbr910.

I am so glad that I found this model. The picture is simply awesome along with some of the nice features.

You have the option of viewing in 16:9, wide zoom, zoom and normal. If you use a Sony camera with a memory stick this set allows to view you pictures on line.

I also purchased the Sony DVD recorder. Put these two together and they are able to communicate making recording and viewing error free.

The only downside to this television is the weight. It took three of us to pick it up.

The XBR910 series is the cream of the crop of HDTVs. You can spend more on a Plasma or LCD, but you won't get a better picture. Want fashion & a slick form factor? Buy plasma or lcd. Want the best picture? Buy one of the XBR910 series.

These TVs are a steal for the quality of picture they produce.

Do you actually already have a decent Sony triniton for your computer, and are you happy viewing movies with a smaller monitor? Using something like PowerStrip, and a DVD drive, you can probably already view DVDs in progressive scan mode (at obscenely wonderful resolutions).

I purchased this television from Amazon a few weeks ago. It took about two and a half weeks to get it.

We're using it in a home gym in the garage.

I have to say that the picture is quite good and the sound equally so.

My dislikes are that the picture tube front is highly polished. If there is a lamp or a glare anywhere, you see it. I had to purchase a glare filter from a company in N. California for US$79.99 to cut the glare by about 50% and make it usable.

I'm sure if it was in the house this might not be a problem.

The other thing is that the remote is not particularly user-friendly. Set-up of the picture is awkward and inconsistent. The remote responds slowly to commands. We have a satellite feed and the TV must stay on channel three, just like a cable feed. If you don't turn on the satellite unit first, the TV won't lock on to channel 3 and goes to 224. A little over-engineered, I would say. Give me snow on channel 3 and let me decide what to do with it.

The unit takes some hard handling by the freight carrier and is packed OK, but now overly well packed. The plastic bezel on the left upper side of the picture tube was bent in shipping. Not enough to file a claim, but not perfect.

It has all the inputs one would ever need, however we're just using it as a simple TV.

The headphone jack placed in a flip-up cover on the front is a plus.

Lots of contrast, color saturation and good focus at all corners.

Overall, most would be quite happy with this unit. For $299 and free shipping, I can't see how one would do much better.

I actually tried an LCD set and didn't like it. But if you want a sharp picture and great sound without paying alot, check out the Toshiba 24AF44. The screen looks larger than 24 inches and the appearance of the silver color is attractive. It's really
easy to set the video and audio choices using the menu on the
practical remote. If you haven't kept up with the latest advancements in CRT technology, just compare this set with a
LCD or plasma. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. What can I say, a wonderful TV for under $300 and free shipping from Amazon. The picture using a DVD is flat out amazing. A real winner you won't regret buying.

Did my research and noted many of the same problems with the sony 24" model that others had cited (fuzzy picture at corners).
Came down to this one vs. the similar offering from JVC. I've always loved JVC products and it was basically a tossup--at 92 dollars less though the toshiba won hands down.

Exceptionally good sound (given the usual limitations of onboard speakers) using just the TV's own speakers...the bbe function does wonders for dialog clarity. I'll probably hook up to a low end surround system though. Great small room TV and the prices of the flat screens have finally gotten to be a real bargain. I highly reccommend.

This was a reviewed model from Consumer Reports. This is how it faired.

Decent performance at a reasonable price for dual-tuner PIP and flat screen. Remote control easy to use in low light. Has channel block-out and auto power-off. Can lock all video inputs. But lacks clock and alarm ("on") timer. Rear jacks are poorly labeled. Short (3-month) labor warranty. Similar model 27A42, $330, has no PIP; has "game timer" to limit game-playing. 22.25 x 29.25 x 19.75 in. (HWD)

The S-VIDEO INPUT PICTURE QUALITY was rated very good. The ANTENNA/CABLE INPUT PICTURE QUALITY was rated good. SOUND QUALITY good. Most of the TV's (11 TV's were given an almost identical score) on the list faired the same as this one. However Toshiba has one of the lowest repair scores available from a manufacturer. The overall score for the tv was GOOD, close to VERY GOOD but not quite there.

All in all you could get an absolutely fabulous TV regardless of the brand with great picture, great sound, and all the features you want, but when it breaks in two years I bet you wish you opted to buy a brand with a better repair history.

I like Toshiba. Toshiba's and Sony's have the best "Percentage of models high-rated over 6 yrs." as stipulated on the site as; About 75% -very good or excellent-

For warnings sake, RCA and GE have the worst repair history possible.

There were only two TV's considered better rated. The top pick was none other than "Toshiba 27AF42" and the second being "Sony KV-27FV300" both of which are flat screen models. Quite a large price difference. This review is strictly for 27-inch conventional sets. Meaning NOT HD-READY sets. I hope this information helps any future buyer.

We bought this TV, because we wanted a good clean picture without having to fork over a lot of money for a HDTV or for a decent flat screen. Figureing in a few years we can buy one of those for much cheaper. This TV while not being flat, does not have a lot of glare and the picture is very crisp. It is especially crisp when playing DVD's. The quality of the picture does have a downside though, it does show some of the flaws with cable. I guess with a cheaper TV the mess all blends in.

Some of the other nice things about this set is it has multiple hook-ups in the back including component, which we like. Plus, the PIP. My wife and I have never had PIP before, but have found it very convinent. Plus, this TV was on sale and was actually cheaper then buying the TOshiba 27A42 (without PIP). ALso the remote is easy to use and one can figure it out in a matter of minutes.

The only thing that we wish was better was the sound. While the sound is not bad, it is nothing to brag about.

Overall, good TV set for the price and from what I hear one should expect to have it for awhile as the Toshiba brands are made with really good quality.

I just love this TV I cant find any thing wrong with it the Pic looks great . I have a x-box, Stereo and a Digital cable box. Iam really happy with the TV.

The 32A61 has a stunningly beautiful picture IF you use the composite inputs from the DVD. The picture is just outstanding. It also has a great picture if you use the S Video input from the VCR, but the picture quality just isn't up to the standards of my previous Toshiba 27" for standard broadcast TV signals supplied through the coax input. The coax input picture has a lot more noise than my earlier TV.

I have connected my TV to a set of external speakers for better sound. However I found that the audio output level is not controlled by the TV like my previous Toshiba TV. So pressing mute does not mute the external speakers! So your audio choices are 1) Don't use external speakers, 2) Use external speakers, but change volume in a two step process, change the volume on the TV, then the external speakers, 3) only use the external speakers, but lose the convenient mute feature....

The PIP really works and is very simple to operate! I was dubious about the value of paying the extra for this feature (compared to the 32A41), but it is simple to operate and allows you to channel surf during commercials without missing any of the show you really want to watch.

The remote is easy to use and hard to lose!

Overall this TV is a excellent value for the money.

If you are planning to use it with a good DVD and VCR and you have a high quality output from your cable box, this is the one for you.

If you primarily watch broadcast TV over coax, I'd keep shopping.

Buy this TV.

When I ripped the box open I was pleasantly surprised to see the plethora of inputs. You usually have to spend over $1,000 to get enough inputs for everything, but not in Toshiba's case. I highly recommend using the S-Video inputs as it noticably improves picture quality. Right now I have a DVD player (composite video inputs), Tivo/DirectTV receiver, VCR and a second direcTV receiver (cable tv connected to this one too).

Another nice feature is that the TV has an a/v output which lets me send the audio signal to my Onkyo receiver to power my 5.1 speaker system and it will play from any of the TV's inputs; which also means less wire clutter. While the tv doesn't have a clock or alarm it will automatically display closed captioning when the sound is muted.

Everything I needed and a stunning picture. Oh and for those worried it's not a flat screen and that you hate watching tv inside a fish bowl. The screen is SUBTLY curved. Hardly noticeable. I'm buying another one for the bedroom. One more thing, Toshiba has been ranked at the top or very close in all of Consumer Reports quality/requirng service surveys. Which means once you put this 123lb box in place you won't have to move it again, well not for repair anyway.

The picture is amazing. If you have a variety of inputs you will love the great variety of input options. Cannot be beat for the price.

I am satisfied with my Toshiba 27AF61 TV but have these criticisims and opinions of the set.
A. The set-up sections of the screen menus have a gray scale background rectangle that obscures changes in the picture display. An example of this is the set-up of the color temperature. Changes cannot be viewed by toggling between warm and cool to view the differences between the two screen set-ups. This makes it almost impossible to objectively see the subtle differneces between the screens.
B. The bass response and sub-bass adjustments are only so-so. For [the price] the sound should be better.
C. The lower right corner is out of focus.
D. Other on-line reviews criticized the set for excessive pin-cushion and barrel distortion - mine is adjusted correctly.
E. I viewed comparable Sony sets and noticed that Sony screens were anamorphic - the height of the image was exaggerated versus the width. This Sony distortion was disconcerting and very noticeable when viewed side-by-side with the Toshiba.
F. My viewing distance is 8 feet from the screen. I thought a 27 inch screen would be too large. It is not, especially when watching letter-box DVD's.
G. The 27AF61 has PIP. I asked friends who have PIP if they use it. They all replied no. I paid...extra for PIP and I don't use it either.
I recommend this set.

My intention was to buy the Sony Vega KV27FS13 27" television. However, while looking at TV's in the store, the Toshiba caught my eye. The image quality, skin tones and color appeared warmer and had more depth than the Sony.

In purchasing the TV, I was looking for a flat screen TV with component input for use with my DVD player (which is also a Toshiba).

In all, I'm extremely happy with the purchase. The image quality from the DVD is superb and the sound quality is really good. My only negative comment has to do with the remote control. Since I have a toshiba DVD, It would have been great if the "universal" remote could control that too, but it doesn't. The remote has three settings, for TV, VCR and Cable. Also the remote has a Reset button that resets the TV to the default settings. If you accidentally press it, all the image and sound setting go back to default and you have to go through the setup menus again.

I just thought this Television was nothing short of superb. The picture quality and sound clarity was truly an astonishing feat. I would highly reccommend this product. My only qualm about this product was that it didnt come with an audio head phone jack. I wanted to hook up some speakers to it but the only speakers I had had a phone jack input. Either way, this was a great television that came at what I thought to be a fairly decent price.

I love my TV! I can't really compare it to others because I don't know what others have to offer. I do know that the sound is great, as is the picture. However, this can really depend on the cabling you buy (sold separately!). For example, component cable is probably the best (and costliest). But if you want quality, you will pay...And then there is your sound cables. I have a DVD player and VCR hooked up. Watching DVD on that tv is a dream (because of the cables I invested in). Just remember the quality of your cables. Research. "Component" is the best.

I haven't received this yet but I plan to return it as soon as it arrives. I ordered it under the impression that it had an S-Video input (this according to toshiba's web site). However, upon calling toshiba tech support, I was told that it actually doesn't which is enough to take a star off its rating (I wouldn't rate it at all if that field weren't required).

A very satisfying buy.. worth all the 500 bucks i spent on it. I was looking at a Panasonic around the same price range, but this one beat it because of a good resolution of 750, and a AV output. I highly recommend it if u r looking for a reliable, quality tv without the frills...

It's a good TV with very bright and clear picture but unfortunately it does work with my Pioneer DV-434 Progressive Scan DVD Player when I turn on Progressive Scan.

Fantastic quality, the screen is very sharp, clear, and crisp! While this is sold as an analog tv, it uses High Definition components. Some of the reviews actually indicate it is HDTV ready. I saw it first at Best Buy, and bought it here. Delivery was prompt and the setup and trash removal (carton) feature of the delivery was very nice.

I'd recommend it highly!

We have been using this for 2 weeks. It has a very good picture. I setup a custom preference, which I saved in the setup menu. I tweaked the color, contrast,brightness, ....). The TV comes with predefined schemes, but my custom setup looks quite a bit better. As far as progressive scan goes, I am not even sure what it is (see previous review). The Image with DVDs is excellent and very good with cable. I looked at a local chanin store and the images were horrible looking, I almost deceided to wait a couple years to buy a large screen, but I am glad that I didn't. The sound system in the television is pretty decent as well. I am still mulling the extended warranty about $400 for 4 additional years. The paper work is included with the television.

In summary, if you are looking for a fairly inexpensive, but nice projection television. This is a good one.

Althought the price is right the picture could be alot better. It is fuzzy almost all the time. I would not suggest buying this product. It is a waste of money when there are so many other great televisions out there.

I recently purchased this item [...]. ...It has a 4 head vcr and includes picture in picture. These are nice options that are not listed in technical details. Many TV/VCR combos only have a two head vcr. I am please with my purchase.

Another reviewer of this product complained about a fuzzy tube picture. I would just like to say that I've used this product for a while now and I've not noticed any problems with it.

Perhaps the previous reviewer had a fluke, in which case I am sure he could send it to Toshiba and get a new tele, or have it fixed.

ND

Excellent picture quality and great sound. I highly recommend this TV and Amazon.com has a great price. I compared similiar ones at local stores that were ranging from $700-$899. WOW! this TV is really heavy though.

My husband and I purchased a Toshiba TV of this size a few years ago. The only thing that is different is that we do not have PIP. :( This TV has an excellent picture, not to mention great sound. A center channel speaker is not really necessary. However, I give this TV only 4 stars because of its weight. This things a pain to move! Without the weight considered, I'd definetly buy it again-ESPECIALLY AT THIS PRICE!!!!

THIS SET, chock full of current TV electronics technology and housed in a versatile, neutral design case, DELIVERS AN EXCELLENT PICTURE. Ease of setup and use contribute to high rating. The product, Amazon's reasonable price, in-house delivery and convenient purchase mode (I shopped and placed my order @ 1:00AM) are an unbeatable combination.

If you are just looking to improve your graphics a bit over integrated video then this card is pretty good. It will play most new games that don't have a maximum 3d demand. I will say that its 2d scores blew away a lot of higher dollar cards. Overclocking really doesn't enhance performance that much and in some cases actually degrades it. Installation is fairly easy, although I highly recommend that if you have difficulty due to onboard video that you boot into VGA mode in xp and check your irq settings. Lots of good troubleshooting info on the web. All in all a good card for the money and much better than the comparable prices gForce chip.

I upgraded from an ATI Radeon 7000 64MB to this one. I must say that the graphics processor does a very nice job. Everything in my layouts, digital photography, and games, seem to come alive. The only drawback that I can find with this card is that it doesn't overclock very well. ATI and Sapphire Technologies are the best AGP manufacturers out there. Forget the nVidia nForce. Ive had one of those also, and can truly say that the graphics are not as good as this card. I recommend this card to anyone that does not intend to overclock or play serious games that call for overclocking. And last, but not least, buy it@amazon for the best price and service.
Ps also they have here with 256 Mb edition for $30 more

I have been waiting for about 2 years now to get a video card, I was planning to buy a 32MB or a 64MB, but little did I expect that I would buy a 128MB, such one as good as this video card.

I am a big Star Wars fan and I play Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy as well as BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic and I must say, the video and graphics quality are TOP NOTCH! I was astounded because I was finally able to upgrade from my old nVIDIA 16MB video chipset to a VisionTek Xtasy ATI Radeon 9200 SE 128MB video chipset and the graphics that it was processing.

I am very pleased with my new piece of hardware and am very happy. If you are looking for a video card and don't want to spend a whole lot on one, I suggest this one!