TV Reviews

I have a DirecTV system. I read a previous review that said you can't get or record local channels through DirecTV using ReplayTV. Of course, I read this review after I had already purchased the unit. So, I was a little nervous about my purchase at first. The good news is that ReplayTV has upgraded their software, so now in the setup process you can program it to get and record local channels. During the setup procedure, when you get to the screen where you select your cable/satellite system, you choose the option "DirecTV with local channels." The system works very smoothly. The unit is easy and convenient to use. It is much easier to program than a VCR and it takes less time. I like the fact that I don't have to keep a bunch of videotapes lying around. The only reason why I rated this unit a 4, instead of a 5 is because I have found it difficult to contact customer service. Yes, you can send them an e-mail from the website, but if you call the customer service line you get routed through a maze of messages. This can be frustrating when you need assistance. Other than that, I am very pleased with the product. I would recommend it highly.

I've had my ReplayTV for 9 months now. As a longtime time-shifter with a VCR, it's great to be able to watch a program while it is still recording.

The quick-skip button is wonderful. Instantly zapping forward in 30-second intervals makes it a snap to avoid commercials. In fact, my family and I have taken to intentionally starting to watch programs with the Replay 5-10 minutes after their scheduled start time expressly to AVOID the ubiquitous commercials for programs I would never let my preschool and elementary school-age kids watch. Instead of watching commercials, we spend those 10 minutes talking to each other. Imagine that... technology that lets you spend more time with your family, instead of taking away from it!

In all these months, I've only come across 2 downsides to ReplayTV ownership. If they cured these issues, I'd give the product 5 stars.

- The interface doesn't do enough to warn about conflicting recordings. When the networks put two of my favorite shows on at the same time, unless I notice it myself beforehand and set the VCR, I miss the show that is lowest in alphabetical order.

- When I bought my unit last summer, the good folks at ReplayTV thoughtfully put up several custom "channels" each month which would automatically record selected seasonal programs. When the new fall season started, this enabled us to easily sample the new shows! Around November, the company had a round of layoffs. Apparently, the folks who programmed the seasonal channels were among the casualties because the seasonal channels disappeared. Since those channels went away, the burden has shifted to us users to search more interactively. Had I not been a user before the layoffs, this might not matter as much.

To get around the issue another reviewer mentioned of not being able to watch one program while the box is recording another, I would highly recommend installing it only on TVs that have A/V inputs. That permits watching shows with the TV's tuner while the Replay box is recording. A TV with S-Video inputs would be an even better choice for the best picture quality.

In a nutshell, ReplayTV works great! I'd love to put one on every TV I own.

Basically both units due the same thing...they record TV programs on to a 20 gigabyte hard disk. The beauty of the systems is that they are a breeze to program, you don't worry about changing or losing videotapes, and you can pause live programming if someone or thing interrupts you, and not miss anything. The Replay was my choice because of the additional input and outputs compared to the Tivo, and the greater cache time (30 minutes versus about 10 hours). What that means is that should you miss part of a program, the Tivo will overwrite that show after 30 minutes of recording versus the Replays 10 hours. The prices are about the same after you pay for the Tivo's lifetime programming charge.

extrememly dissapointed. bought the 30" phillips widescreen hdtv because it sounded like a good price. I won't buy for price vs. quality again. The whites are very yellow and it actually reminds me of an old tv where the tube is getting worn out. my old sony flat screen has better color actually and the phillips is very hard to adjust the tints. I'm selling it for a loss and will buy another hdtv from a different manufacturer.

In an almost identical manner to another reviewer, 6 months after purchase the color went out on all inputs except the hdtv. Customer service (people in India pretending to be in the US by giving you an American name) were totally clueless. After several calls, they refer me to a local authorized repair center. Since it was out of warranty for labor, that meant $200 for me. The part, cost $700 but was covered under warranty. $65 so that I didn't have to haul the set to the repar place. It has taken 3 service visits and 1 month and the set isn't fixed yet. Adecent (not great) set when its working, but this experience will keep me from buying another Philips / Magnavox product again.

I bought the Philips 30PW850H 30" Widescreen HD-Ready TV from Costco for $799 (a real bargain, especially with Costco's lifetime return policy.) I needed to replace a large older analog projection TV that was taking up too much space in my family room, and wanted to move to a smaller widescreen HDTV. The Philips Widescreen has not disappointed me. The digital picture from DirectTV is very crisp (I'm currently using s-video connection as I don't yet have an HD satellite receiver.) From a progressive scan DVD the picture is beautiful and near-HD as you would expect. The set has two component inputs and two s-video inputs (one in the back and one on the side.) My wife likes to watch the local channels, so I tried to prepare her for what I thought would be relatively poor picture quality on these over-the-air broadcasts. However, broadcast TV looks great on this set as well - apparently the "Eye-Fidelity" system helps upgrade the analog picture. There are no visible lines nor is there the grainy appearance I had expected to see. The widescreen formats are easy to switch between using the remote. The set is attractive and has a small footprint. If you are looking for a widescreen HD monitor that doesn't dominate a room and you want to stay under $1000 in price, this may well be the TV for you.

I HAVE HAD DIGITAL CABLE FOR A WHILE NOW. THE REASON FOR THE SWITCH WAS STRICTLY PRICE. IT SEEMS EVERY YEAR CABLE RAISES THE PRICE JUST LIKE CLOCKWORK AND I GOT TIRED OF IT. THE SATELLITE IS PRETTY COOL. FIRST ALL OF THE CHANNELS ARE DIGITAL AS COMPARED TO MY OLD CABLE WITCH IS HALF DIGITAL AND HALF ANALOG.MY ONE BIG DRAWBACK IS THE FACT THAT RAIN AND SNOW KNOCK IT OUT SO EASILY. IT DOESNT TAKE A STORM AT ITS PEAK TO KNOCK IT OUT,IT JUST TAKES A MODERATE RAIN STORM. AND WHEN THEY GO THEY ARE GONE(MY SIGNAL STRENGTH IS 85 OR SO...). WITH ALL THE CHANNELS KNOCKED OUT YOU HAVE TO RELY ON YOU OUSIDE ROOFTOP ANTENNA TO WATCH TV AND THATS PRETTY DRAB BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY FOUR CHOICES OR SO. WHY THE DISH IS SO VERNERABLE TO RAIN FADE IS ODD. IT DOESNT HAPPEN EVERY DAY BUT IT HAS HAPPEND (3) TIMES THIS MONTH ALONE. CABLE HARDLY EVER WENT OUT AT MY HOUSE. THE SYSTEM PREFORMS WELL FOR WHAT IT DOES AND THE PICTURE IS GREAT. IF ONLY IT NEVER RAINED OR SNOWED!

DirecTV is indeed fantastic. We have had cable with an old 19" TV for 10+ years. We finally upgraded to a 36" television and decided to try DirecTV with it. We were not disappointed!

DirecTV is friendly, razor sharp for most channels/shows (although sharpness is variable at times) with a generous, logical pricing scheme and tons of great content.

We started with the RCA system but soon discovered that the superior solution is the DirecTV + TiVo combined units which are priced similarly. Amazon carries one by Philips.

The DirecTV + TiVo combo is unbeatable in terms of convenience, content management, personalization, etc. Check it out.

One minor negative note re: the RCA system... One side of the dual LNB "died" during a mild storm. It was a hassle to get a free replacement - I ended up having to buy a replacement from an electronics store for more than I paid for the entire system including installation.

I've been a DirecTV subscriber since 1995, using the same RCA system (first generation) before I upgraded to this system. I also have digital cable in our bedroom, though I will soon remove it and add an additional receiver.

The reason I upgraded it complicated, but let's discuss why this is a great system to have compared to digital cable:

1) Broadcast satellite technology is hands down faster than digital cable. The simple act of changing the channel functions faster with a DSS unit (my signal strength is about 86).

- Digital cable seems to lag between every channel change and sometimes gets downright bogged down.

2) The onscreen guide for DirecTV lets you look furthur into the scheduling future with more accuracy.

- several times in the recent past we have turned on a channel because of the digital cable online guide and a different show was on. This happens from time to time with DirecTV, but with much less frequency

3) There are more channels on DirecTV, including a better selection of music. We often tune the television to one of the theme music channels while we clean house.

- sometimes on digital cable the music channels were garbled.

- The online guide on DirecTV shows the music channels, digital cable omits them

4) The original RCA DSS unit was the fastest selling consumer electronics item in history. After selling millions of units, many companies are now supporting this technology and pushing the technological curve forward. You can look at upgrading in these directions with DSS (and not digital cable):

- Tivo : There are several units out there that work directly with your DirecTV to let you record one show and watch another one.

- Integrated televisions: RCA sells a big screen television that has a built in DSS receiver. No additional boxes, and it tunes itself.

5) More pay per views with a wider selection

In digital cable's defense, DirecTV is slightly more expensive and my DirecTV unit has more outages than my local cable, but not many more. One noticable difference is that I always seems to lose at least one local channel on cable during a rainstorm, as opposed to losing all of my DirecTV channels during the peak of the storm. In the years I have had my unit, I would be able to say this happens to me four times a year.

After you get a dish installed, you can disconnect the main coaxial drop from your cable company and use the same coaxial to transmit the encoded signal to your individual units.

Why did I upgrade to this unit?

Because I had my card 'zapped' and lost contact with the person who did it. My access card died and it was cheaper to turn the account off, wait a few months and then buy a whole new system.

DirecTV has been plagued with these pirate access cards and has really stepped up security against them. I advise you not to let anyone manipulate any data on your access card because DirecTV can electronically turn them off and the card pirates themselves can permamently damage the cards.

You really can't get something for nothing, or at least not forever.

I wanted something for my wife and me to better manage our TV viewing, yet I'm completely against paying a monthly-fee for recording TV programs. The Toshiba SD-H400 with TiVo Basic turned out to be a perfect product for us, until Media Center PCs go mainstream.

I didn't really need another DVD player at home (we already have 5 other stand-alone DVD players), but if that's the only way to get TiVo Basic service, so be it. Plus, the price I paid for this Toshiba (no rebate) is only (a bit) more than a stand-alone Series 2 TiVo (after rebate). For (the money), I got a progressive-scan DVD player, progressive output for TiVo, AND free life-time subscription to TiVo Basic service. What a bargain.

TiVo Basic Service:
Okay, so I don't get the Season Pass feature. However, once you're set to record a show (say, Friends at 8PM this Thursday), you can navigate to the To-Do list and select that program, and change the recording option to "Repeat this recording". Change it to weekly, then you're all set. The only risk if that if NBC changes the time of Friends to 9 due to say the State of the Union Address, then you'll record 30 minutes worth of a bunch of people clapping at nothing. But that's a risk I'm willing to take.

One feature I don't get with the Basic service is the show search feature. However, we got the TiVo to help with managing the shows that we KNOW we want to watch. With young children, we really don't have time to watch the programs that we didn't want to watch in the first place but are suggested to us. So I won't miss that feature. For new movies we have had Netflix 4-disc service since 2000. You can always navigate using the program guide to set up recording if you want to watch something.

If you visit TiVo forums such as tivocommunity.com, you'll see that other TiVo owners complaining about the fact that you can no longer use TiVo Series 2 for anything, including manual recording, without paying the (monthly) fee. With the Toshiba SD-H400, not only you can use it for manual recording, you have a 3-day program guide available to you over the phone or wireless network.

If the Plus features are important to you, then you can always upgrade to the full TiVo feature for the same fee as a stand-alone Series 2. It goes without saying that we have no intention of upgrading.

To get program guide via wireless network:
My Toshiba came with version 5.1.1 of the TiVo software, but version 5.1.1b is required for the newer version of the Linksys USB Wireless Adapter (v 2.8). It took a few tries to download the new version of the TiVo software. It would have done it over night, but I was impatient and wanted to pull the sw manually. Note that landline is required to get the software upgrade.

To record one channel while watching another:
I can watch a different channel than the one I'm recording because I split my cable signal so that one cable goes to the Toshiba and one goes to the TV. While recording on the Toshiba, I can use the regular TV remote to switch to other channels.

Any cons?
Remote: The Toshiba remote is not as nicely designed as that of the TiVo, which had just been recognized by the NY Times as one piece of industrial design mastery. The Toshiba remote is long and hard to use if you change channel via numeral buttons often.

Wireless adapter: Since the TiVo software it comes with is version 5.1.1, it does not support the newer versions of the Linksys USB wireless adapter (I got a v. 2.8). You will need a landline to download a new TiVo software to upgrade to version 5.1.1b for the Toshiba to recognize your network adapter.

Video extraction or copying: Like the stand-alone TiVo Series 2, there is no easy way of extracting the recorded video from the Toshiba device without opening it up (voiding the warranty) and load some files onto the base Linux operating system. The only other way is to video capture (analog cable to digital to analog to digital again) it back into a PC. Not the most elegant solution.

Upgrade: according to TiVo specialists at Weaknees, it's not simple to upgrade the HD on the Toshiba. You can replace the 80G HD with a larger one, but it will not see beyond the first 80G. Weaknees is working on a solution.

The Toshiba SD-H400 has changed the way I watch TV, as I look back, I can't imagine watching broadcast TV with out it. As I evaluated my purchase, I read all of the review here, and found some to be very helpful, and others to be way off, here are my experiences;

1) Wireless / Wired Network support: It works, just not right out of the box. You have to connect via a phone line twice, once to subscribe to TIVO, the next to download the "b" version of the software with allows for connection via network. Once that's done, it's as simple as plugging in the adapter into the USB port and pressing a few buttons on the remote. Worked the first time.

2) Noise from fan: Yes, there is a fan, and it makes a slight noise, I have a Sony digital cable box that is alot louder so the low hum from the Toshiba is hardly a concern for me, if it was, I'd put all the components in a rack behind glass as others suggest.

3) Lack of tuner or cable box: This is a little kludgey, as the H400 expects you to set up IR connectors in front of your cable or satellite box. The other problem is the H400 only addesses two and three channel cable tuners, my Sony happens to use four digits for the channel number and the result is a delay in channel changing as the cable box waits for the timeout for the 4th digit before switching channels, minor annoyance when surfing.

4) Inability to record and watch different shows. I overcame this by splitting my cable signal and running one line into the H400 and the other into my TV. But it would have been nice if there way some way within the box to handle this.

5) TIVO: This is awesome, the ability to set up recordings and not worry about tapes, rewinding, and such is a dream come true. Just press a few buttons on the remote, and TIVO does the rest, can't ask for more. I may even upgrade to the plus service for the Season pass and other benefits.

6) No more commercials: Like to watch alot of shows but don't have the time, this device will cut your tv viewing in half, or allow you to watch twice as many shows. My wife and I start watching TV between 8:30 - 9:00, which is just enough time to get you to 11:00 and fast forward through all the commercials. That 2 hour American Idol really only lasts 55 minutes when you get rid of the intro's and commercials, its great.

7) Remote: Ergonomically, it's not perfect. The zero (0) is to the right of the numbers as opposed to the bottom, and the numbers are in two rows as opposed to the normal 3 or 4 on most remotes which can be annoying. The buttons are almost all the same size and feel except for the TIVO button, so until you get used to the button placement, keep a light on. This is probably my biggest gripe with the unit.

8) Progressive Scan DVD Player: Nice add-in would have been ok if it didn't have one or would have preferred a recordable DVD, but given the price, it's a nice freebie. Works great, though others have said they had problems with certain media.

Overall, I highly recommend the product, if they improved the remote, or added a recordable dvd or extra tuner, I would have given it 5 stars.

I've had it for about a week and did not have any problems setting the system up. I was able to sign into the Tivo service quickly and am in the processing of connecting it into the wireless network and removing the phone lines.

For those who would like to simplfy their electronic gadgets for their TV, this is an excellent product. I was able to free up a DVD player for another TV in the house.

As a longtime user of the Sangean DT-300VW radio, I needed to
purchase another radio and didn't need the weather band. I have
been extremely satisfied with the DT-300VW except that the coating
on the metal faceplate wears off very quickly (the radio does not
age gracefully).

I received the DT-210V only eight days ago and had similarly high
expectations. I am extremely disappointed and am planning
to return this radio as I write this review.

My disappointment concerns the method of using the memory presets.
Incredibly, the memory presets are not the default method of tuning
for this radio. The user must depress the recall button on the side
of the radio in order to place the radio in memory preset selection
mode. An "M" on the display begins to flash allowing you to select
the presets for a short period of time. The radio then returns to
manual tuning mode automatically. On my radio, the recall button
is also very imprecise making it difficult to ensure you are in memory
preset tuning mode without holding the button down for an extended
period of time.

This is an incredible engineering error by Sangean! How many
car radios (or any radios) do you know that do not have memory
preset tuning as the default or allow you to select that default.
I even wonder if Sangean only found this error at the last minute
and didn't want to recall the radios in the distribution pipeline. I
mention this because the photo on the back of the DT-210V's box
shows the graphic "SEL" adjacent to the button instead on
the term "RECALL" that is on the actual radio. A select function
would make more sense allowing the user to select either
manual tuning or memory preset tuning.

In my opinion, this is a grievous engineering error and I would
not recommend this radio in any circumstance (at least
until Sangean corrects the problem).

I've had a Sangean DT-110 radio for the past year (under the Radio Shack brand) which I thought was very good, except I wanted one w/a speaker, and wanted to try and get better AM reception (since I'd heard so much about the DT200). I ended up getting the DT210 which I'm quite happy with. I love listening to distant AM stations and in actuality this one isn't that much different on AM than the 110 is (but is still far better than any other pocket radio). I also wanted better FM reception, b/c the 110 has TERRIBLE station separation and bleed-through (strong stations are picked up on weaker frequencies all over the dial). Well, the DT210 is only SLIGHTLY better with that.

What should be noted, is regarding the presets. You can preset 10 (count `em.. 10) AM - FM and TV stations. The box says 15 for FM, but that's NOT for THIS model!!!! (go figure) I like the quality of the radio, it's slim design and it's speaker. It has the same features as the DT110 and the belt clip is great too.

Overall, a very good unit.

I walk a lot in an urban setting, and like to spend the time listening to the radio, including some weak FM stations. All of the radios I've tried had difficulty getting the weak stations. Setting the DX/Local switch to local helped, but there were parts of my walk where I just couldn't get the stations I want.

This radio has solved that problem. The reception is rock-solid on both AM and FM (even without a DX/local switch). It's much better than the four or five other radios that I've tried. (I can actually get some AM stations inside a public bus in an underground station! Beat that!)

I took away one star because the controls could be better designed. The volume control knob is too small, making it overly sensitive and hard to work with gloves on. And to use preset stations, you have to push a button before you can browse through the presets. After a short time, it resets to manual, so you have to push the button again to change stations again. It's annoying for station-flippers.

Despite these minor annoyances, I heartily recommend this radio to anyone looking for really good reception in an urban area. I haven't used it to get weak signals out in the boondocks, but I bet it would be good at that too.

The picture tube went less than 2 month. This unit is made in Mexico.

As the title states, this television "is" perfection! I purchased this approximately a year ago as the centerpiece to a second system and have since found it to be one of the wisest television purchases I've ever made. The only mistake that I made was not getting the model that included the picture-in-picture feature. In conjunction with the Sony SLV-N700 Hi-Fi VHS VCR and the Sony DVP-NS325S DVD Player (Silver), this small system has worked beautifully, with this exceptionally outstanding FD Trinitron WEGA TV enhancing the viewing/listening experience with its superior quality in image and sound!

As features go, there is little to want for that this marvelous television set does not have as is detailed in the editorial review and the technical specifications on the front page for this product, there are however, some wonderful features that I would like to highlight in this review. One of the most important aspects of a purchase such as this is a well written and thought out operating manual with clear and concise setup directions and Sony has done an outstanding job with that whereas many other manufacturers do so miserably.

Given that there are four separate video inputs for this exceptional TV, it can be, as I've been using it, set up as a system independent of a stereo receiver and you can have up to four different devices such as a VCR player, DVD player and camcorder attached to with no problems and still have room for one more device of your choice. Given for such wonderful performance as a stand alone set as functionality goes, you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal in a television set of this quality and price range.

The on screen menu system is perfect on this set, possessing a majority of the functions that a customer would enjoy. Among those features are parental controls; two timers and a sleep timer; four different preset video modes; color temperature; VM (Velocity Modulation; audio setting to include treble, bass, balance, effects and MTS.

The remote is also a picture of perfection providing you've set yourself up with a Sony "system" as you can control the television, the VCR and the DVD player with it, providing that much more ease of use without having to keep track of two or more remotes at once.

For the consummate audio and videophile such as me, this is an outstanding television set! I highly recommend this or any other outstanding Sony television set to any and all who demand quality from their television sets without wishing to dish out much higher dollars for HD and flat panel sets that are "way" over priced at this time. {ssintrepid}

I've had a slew of uninspiring 19 inch conventional televisions, so this Sony 27 inch is practically perfect in size, picture quality, and function. No, this is no HDTV and when viewing cable and tv shows, you can easily see more graininess and lines than an HDTV if you do a direct comparison, but for a conventional TV, it still is the best that I have seen.

The picture is sharp, clear, and lively when you sit close and from afar. Colors are saturated, but not overly so- the result is pleasing to my eyes and I enjoy watching it. The biggest feature in my mind is the 16:9 mode. This mode allows the TV to use all of its resolution for widescreen viewing, making it a mini 25-26" widescreen. In this mode, I cannot see any lines and the picture is clean and vivid. Watching widescreen DVDs in this mode is so rich and clean- I cannot describe it- I swear it is close to HDTV, but in tiny form, but the clarity and resolution are still very high- Finding Nemo is very sharp and there are no lines visible to my eyes.

There are some downsides that I have noticed- Even though this is a flatscreen, the glass has some distortions and lines are not perfectly straight. This is normal in all tubed TVs. Also, for this basic model, the 16:9 mode is activated in a menu so it takes like five button presses to get to turn it on. The sound quality is improved, but you still need a surround system to get full sound. As another reviewer has said, to turn off the TV sound (to use your own surround sound), you have to go through a menu. I think the more expensive versions have direct buttons for these features.

Dudes, you know how important a TV is when you get home and just want to veg- HDTV is great, but costly and not really ready for anything other than basic TV channels and DVDs. If you are watching regular non HDTV channels on an HDTV, you will need a 34" widescreen to get the same conventional 27" picture. For the price, I'd rather get this TV now and wait for HDTV when it matures (in about 2006). The 27 inch TV is perfect for a small apartment or a large bedroom. At a viewing distance of 6-7 feet, it feels intimate, but not "large." This TV is the cream of the crop in its class and provides entertainment without digging a large HDTV hole in your wallet.

tuner stoped working. buy a quality brand not RCA. RCA should be forced to repair these DWD490RE models free because you will have to buy another one.

I thought I would weigh in on UltimateTV debate. There seems to be a couple Tivo devotees who wrote reviews on here and I wanted to clear the air.

First of all, I think that this is a wonderful product and all my friends are insanely jealous. The pausing of live TV is awesome. You will find that you become annoyed when TV is live because you cannot forward through commericals (which takes 2 seconds and 3-4 presses of the "Forward Jump" button).

Let me respond to come complaints:

1) Slow response time. I agree. It takes a second to respond when you press a button when using menus or (to a lesser degree) when switching between channels. I would disagree that erasing shows takes 15 seconds. I would was it takes me 3-4 seconds, although I agree that the last screen is utterly useless. At first it may be annoying if you are used to controlling your cable TV, but you become used to it and I no longer notice.

2) Ability to record 35 hours of programming. I recently put this to the test during the winter olympics. I was recording all the Olympic coverage on MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC every day. This was 15+ hours of coverage a day. I did lose an episode of AliaS I had been saving after I was not able to watch (of fast forward through) my recordings one day. I didn't add it up, but it was at least 30+ when it began erasing previous recordings.

3) Recording. I am still not sure what I think of the recording system. Once shows are recorded it is great. Playback is easy. I have a couple complaints with the planning to record system. The recurring record feature is too broad. If you recvord a show like the Simpsons which is in synidcation, you end up getting the Simpsons every day, rather than just the Sunday first run episodes. Which I find annoying.

I think those were the main compaints. The control you have or live TV or recorded tv is wonderful. When you are fast forwarding, when you press stop becuase you saw where you wanted to be in the show ... it jumps back 2-3 seconds to match you reaction time.

Admittedly, I have not tried Tivo ... but I am in love with UltimateTV and it is helping convince some of my friend's wives that they should get satellite TV too, just to have UltimateTV.

One note, we all call it Tivo cause it's easier to say. UlitmateTV is too long and a stupid name. Funny.

This is so cool, I never watch "live TV" any more. I have had this for over a year now and it is so easy to watch your favorite programs. I can watch a football game in 40 minutes or so. It records entire seasons worth of shows with a touch of the remote (now put away because the wireless keyboard is "it").
The menus are easy to follow, and program guide is also. My VCRs are just clocks now, unless I want to record something to save (how long do tapes last anymore, bring on DVD-R)
Record two programs at once WHILE watching something you recorded earlier.
Pause live tv....you've read all this from others.
I recomend this for anyone who likes to watch tv and does'nt have time for commercials, time-outs, injured player breaks, green flag nascar races (in fast forward mode you can see when the yellow flag comes out) and so much more.

My friend bought a Tivo and this by far a superior product.
As much as I Love this I do have a few problems 1.
more record time, 35 hours is cool but double would be great.
2. sometimes when you fast forward it keeps on going no matter what you press. 3. web tv is sooooo slow and more often than not I can't even get connected.
Enough said, this product can only get better.

This is a great TV with great features. The only drawback is poor user-interface design.

I've seen more intuitive, easy-to-read and just plain BETTER on-screen menus on TV's from 10 years ago!

On the set itself all the control buttons are small, and look-alike. Each time I approach set I need to "figure-it-out" again. This isn't a problem for people who are tech-minded and can and undestand standard TV/VCR symbols. Toshiba is really showing their lack of polish and refinement by rushing this set to market in such a utilitarian configuration.

The remote control suffers from the same deficits. Most of the buttons look and are shaped the same way making it non-intuitive. Even more troubling is the way buttons are shared between the VCR and DVD functionality. To distinguish, there are two sets of colored labels. It's very hard to determine if the label is meant for the button above or the button below.

Lastly, I could find no-way to program the remote control to change channels on my Cable-box. I bought this TV/CD/DVD combo to SIMPLIFY things somewhat. With all the people these days with Cable, it's really annoying that you *STILL* need two remotes to work with this TV if you use a cable box.

Combo units sometimes get a bad rap because people assume that having everything together in one box compromises the quality one could have by buying a TV, VCR and DVD as separate components. With this Toshiba unit, there is absolutely no compromise, because everything is first rate. The flat screen TV renders an outstanding picture and the quality of the VCR and DVD are as good as if one would have purchased them separately. The remote, however, could be improved. The DVD controls are non-intuitive, and difficult to read. It took me watching about six movies before I could navigate my way easily around the menus. Thus, because of the remote, I can't give it a five-star rating. Otherwise, this is a great purchase, and kudos to Amazon[.com] for shipping it about a month before I expected it!

I bought this set to replace a JVC unit that I did not like the color or sound on. We have been pleased with the flat screen picture tube which has less distortion on the sides than other tubes and the sound and color are great. You can make fine adjustments via the menu driven controls on the remote. The VCR and DVD units are also easy to use and high quality to view. Everything is easy to control via just one remote. I would buy another one.

This is a great TV with great features. The only drawback is poor user-interface design.

I've seen more intuitive, easy-to-read and just plain BETTER on-screen menus on TV's from 10 years ago!

On the set itself all the control buttons are small, and look-alike. Each time I approach set I need to "figure-it-out" again. This isn't a problem for people who are tech-minded and can and undestand standard TV/VCR symbols. Toshiba is really showing their lack of polish and refinement by rushing this set to market in such a utilitarian configuration.

The remote control suffers from the same deficits. Most of the buttons look and are shaped the same way making it non-intuitive. Even more troubling is the way buttons are shared between the VCR and DVD functionality. To distinguish, there are two sets of colored labels. It's very hard to determine if the label is meant for the button above or the button below.

Lastly, I could find no-way to program the remote control to change channels on my Cable-box. I bought this TV/CD/DVD combo to SIMPLIFY things somewhat. With all the people these days with Cable, it's really annoying that you *STILL* need two remotes to work with this TV if you use a cable box.

Combo units sometimes get a bad rap because people assume that having everything together in one box compromises the quality one could have by buying a TV, VCR and DVD as separate components. With this Toshiba unit, there is absolutely no compromise, because everything is first rate. The flat screen TV renders an outstanding picture and the quality of the VCR and DVD are as good as if one would have purchased them separately. The remote, however, could be improved. The DVD controls are non-intuitive, and difficult to read. It took me watching about six movies before I could navigate my way easily around the menus. Thus, because of the remote, I can't give it a five-star rating. Otherwise, this is a great purchase, and kudos to Amazon[.com] for shipping it about a month before I expected it!

I bought this set to replace a JVC unit that I did not like the color or sound on. We have been pleased with the flat screen picture tube which has less distortion on the sides than other tubes and the sound and color are great. You can make fine adjustments via the menu driven controls on the remote. The VCR and DVD units are also easy to use and high quality to view. Everything is easy to control via just one remote. I would buy another one.

Worst reception I have ever had in all the various Sony headsets I have purchased over the years.

I purchased this for use when walking my dogs. I wanted digital tuning in a small package. I tried the SRF-M37V along with several other similar radios and found it to be the best.

Pros:
1)Small and sturdy. So light you will forget you're wearing it.
2)Excellent battery life. I am using a basic Walgreens battery and it has lasted for weeks.
3)Sound quality. Even with the base headphones that others here have criticised, this unit has excellent sound.
4)Lock out button so you don't accidently bump the unit and lose your station.

Cons:

1) Presets buttons are the same size and shape as the weather band button. When walking, I often will accidently hit it when I try to go by feel rather than having to look at the unit. The band button is slightly smaller and thus avoids this problem.
2)Reception is good, but not great. No other unit was measurably better. AM was weak at night, stronger during the day, FM would fade in and out a bit from time to time, and the weather band is very low volume. TV band is all but useless where I live.
3)Digital display isn't backlit. Hard to see at night unless you pass under a streetlight or use your flashlight.

In summary, it sounds good, is fairly inexpensive, is durable, and easy to carry. Give it a try!

I needed a portable radio that was effective and had great quality. I'm happy that I chose this one. The Sony SRF-M37V radio is a lightweight wonder. It's so small and can fit in your pocket and can clip onto your belt.

This radio is awesome. The quality of the sound is very good. The digital tuning and the preset buttons are very convenient. The TV channels are also a nice feature (for local channels up to channel 13).

This radio looks sleek and very nice. It's also very nice in that it doesn't waste batteries. It only takes on AAA battery and lasts for many hours on that.

At first I thought that this radio was {too much} but it's a very good deal. You get a durable and reliable radio that you can use while working out or just chilling. When the radio is off the digital display tells the time, which is very convenient. You can take this Walkman anywhere, and it's great for private listening.