TV Reviews

Before I go on and on about how wonderful this product is, I'd like to take a moment to thank the creator of the first watchman, and to congratulate him on a job well done. Okay, I'm finished.

I first got an idea of buying one of these portable tvs when I had to go to my three-year-old sister's gymnastic birthday party. I found myself sitting in the waiting room, bored to death, with dead batteries in my gameboy advance. Then another unfortunate guy came in and turned on a small casio portable tv. I walked over and checked out his little gadget, and was surprised at how good the picture was for the olympic USA vs. Canada hockey match. He noticed me looking over his shoulder, and asked me if I wanted to borrow it while he ran over to the bakery to grab himself something to eat. I said sure and found myself actually enjoying my time at the party.

I immediately started pestering my dad to take me to circuit city to let me buy my own portable tv, and used every last penny in leftover Christmas/birthday money. I was originally planning on buying a sony stereo system, but this seemed more like a neccessity than loud music.

I chose this sony model (I'm such a loyal sony fan) and took it home. When I popped in the batteries and flipped the switch to on, I was immediately stunned! The first thing I saw was Star Wars, on channel 11, and the picture and sound quality was perfect. I couldn't even tell the difference between it and a regular tv (okay, I admit it wasn't completely like our living room television). I scrolled through and found fourteen channels already available including NBC, CBS, WB11, Fox, ABC, etc. Plus the ability to upgrade to more channels! Wow. What a perfect item when going to Disney World and having nothing to entertain yourself while waiting in two hour long lines. Plus the little flip up visor is a big plus by blocking out unwanted sunlight and making it more of a theatre like experience.

Buy yourself this little tv and have some fun with it. ust don't show it to your friends. They'll get to jealous and not like you as much.

I saw nothing but positive things with this little handheld. The picture is great and so is the reception with the long cord antenna. I love the visor because it will keep out most of the unwanted sunlight on the screen. Go buy yourself one and have fun with it, I do!

I don't know what that other guy is talking about. I just bought it and I love it. The reception and image are great.

"When your system is more toward the cutting edge TiVo falls a little short."

Note that there is little written about how TiVo works or doesn't work when your AV system is more complex than television-vcr-straight cable. We bought the Series2 140 hour DVR thinking it would be perfect for our new plasma tv supported by it's hd digital cable box and cinema surround sound system. What we've found after approximately five hours of moving wires and cables from here to there with three different TiVo representatives is that TiVo doesn't seem to be compatable with systems like ours. It seems that if TiVo is not hooked up directly through the television (BOTH audio and video), there are profound delays between the picture and the sound - - if you get both the picture and the sound. In other words, you cannot watch live television through TiVo where the picture and sound match each other if your entertainment system is complicated, and, although we could get it to record, we have not been able to get the recording to play back with any sound whatsoever. We've tried every wiring configuration with every type of wires the representatives at TiVo could come up with without a desired result (I'm pretty good with wiring myself, too). I suspect it would work if we were willing to eliminate the AV Cinema sound system, but we've already spent a tidy sum on extra equipment with the intention of using it.

The concept is wonderful! The telephone service center at TiVo did have a rather long waiting time (about 1/2 hour on hold), and the reps were helpful, all things considered. But I believe that when your system is more toward the cutting edge TiVo falls a little short. One of the customer service reps I spoke with confessed, when asked, that most of their customers did not have equipment comparable to ours and therefore did not have difficulties in getting their TiVo into working order.

With the remote, the newer equipment (HD cable boxes, HD televisions) come with a 24-pin, not 9-pin port, so the remote control system leaves a lot to be desired. We found that it began to change our channels in a seemingly random fashion and at its own will so it needed to be disabled.

Overall, the experience has not been favorable in this household and the equipment will have to be returned. We're very sorry it won't work out for us.

TiVO has totally enhanced our watching experience. From features like being able to start to watch a show 10 minutes into it's beinr recorded (try that with a VCR), to fast skipping the ads (watch a 1 hour show in only 40 mins) its great. I now have two. You should also get one.

I purchased my first TiVo about five years ago but was so impressed that, when I outgrew it, I didn't think twice about buying a larger size. I gave my old TiVo to a friend who has nothing but rave reviews about it. I have purchased TiVo's as gifts for friends who give it nothing but rave reviews and talk about how easy it is to set up and how it has changed the way they view television.

I enjoy this device because I can set up Wishlists, pre-select shows and just forget the machine. When I finish things I need to get done (working, shopping, cleaning, etc.), I can sit down at the television and watch things that I've selected. If I'm interrupted, I can stop the TiVo and go back later to pick up where I left off. I also enjoy this device because I no longer have to decide whether to watch the educational channels or an entertaining movie. I watch the one I'm in the mood for right now and record the one that I know I'll want to see later. What a wonderful feeling of freedom to know that I can watch something I want to watch when I want to watch it!

I thought the 20" Toshiba had a good picture and good sound. I would rate it at 3.5 stars. One problem I found but I'm not sure if its just my tv or if others have this problem. When I use the headjack I get like a humming noise.

This TV is perfect for people who want to buy a decent, small and well priced TV. It has a very good picture.
I am not giving this TV a 5 star, just because the sound seems to be somewhat flat (not a lot of bass at all).
Good TV, I am happy with this purchase... I recommend it...

i paid 199.95, free shipping, i can't say 'no tax' but "no tax", i declare it in my state return. TV is running now, i plugged her in it was 9 degrees when i brought box in house, runs great.

The first thing you must consider before buying this product is the size. Since this is a 13" screen, you really don't want to use this as the cornerstone for your Home Entertainment Center. However, as a tv for a dorm room (why I bought it), bedroom or kitchen it is a great size. This is a great little machine as long as you don't mind the size.

I purchased this system for my younger brother who is away at college and his old 13" tv no longer works. Since space is at a premium, we decided to get a small size TV. And the price on this set was so good, I decided to take the jump over a plain TV or even one with a VCR combo. Needless to say, we were not disappointed...

The Good: The image quality and sharpness are very, very good. It comes with two video inputs which are switchable from the remote. It automatically switches to any video game system that you have hooked up to it as soon as you turn on the power. It is digital cable ready, and recieves up to 125 channels. The speakers produce a good, clear, stereo sound at a high volume. The remote controls everything and is simple and easy to understand. Neat features include the ability to "zoom" in on the screen (DVDs) and continuously loop a portion of the movie over and over again.

The Bad: Size. The screen is small enough, but if you watch a movie in widescreen, it gets even smaller. This can be offset somewhat by using the "zoom" feature. There is a significant volume difference between DVD and TV, so if you have the DVD turned way up, when you switch to TV it will blow you away unless you turned the volume down first before switching.

Conclusion: Great little TV/DVD combo. The quality and features in both video and audio are great. The only downfall is that the screen is so small. However, if the small size is what you need (for a dorm, bedroom, kitchen, etc) then look no further...

We are very pleased with this TV/DVD set. The picture, sound and overall quality are the best for a 13" set. It is light enough to be portable and versatile with the a/v inputs (2). We took this TV on a 7 hour road trip to help entertain our 12 year old. It worked wonderful in the vehicle with a 400 watt power converter ...I would highly recommend this product to anyone considering it.

It's compact, and it's beautiful... Just got this for my fiance to put in the kitchen to watch DVD's... It's just the right size... The picture is beautiful and the reputation of Toshiba is not tarnished here... It's a great value and a great TV.

The unique texture of this product caught my eye and persuaded me to seek more. After doing my "research" I dealt myself to buy one and drifted towards a new unit. When received in the mail, I assembled the unit and after 24 hours, only 50 pounds of force, the unit collapsed. Now, feeling that this must be an unknown error, I returned it and received another unit. The same thing happened, yet again.

So, this may just be a "luck of the darn draw", but it sure was some bad luck.

Becareful when you unpack the shelving materials. There are 8 circular styrofoam spacers on two square sheets of styrofoam that look like packing material. You could easily damage the styrofoam if you don't notice them. Other than that, the table was very easy to assemble. It looks great and seems to be very strong.

Very easy to assemble, has very classic lines, lets stereo equipment have plenty of ventilation, hard to find add-on shelf in maple. Holds a lot of equipment.

I own this TV and it is a piece of junk. If I could rate it minus stars, I would. The picture quality is horrible. Despite all adjustments, the color ranges from dull and lifeless to garish and ugly. Worse than the picture is the very loud and piercing hum that can be heard from across the room. I previously owned another 20 inch Sony, model KV-2095R that had a beautiful picture and worked perfectly for 15 years, so naturally I replaced it with another Sony. What a mistake - I am shopping for a new TV.

Bought this TV for use as a monitor on my video editing computer system. It has 2 extra line level inputs (one in front, one in back and lamentably no S-Video). I use a switchbox to switch between my VCR, DVD player, and Computer. i have used it for a number of years and the picture controls work well. Altho not a true flat screen, I consider it to give a better viewing experience than from some 20" flat-screen TV's at the local electronics stores. the sound isnt that great (most of it goes out the back), but what basic TV's sound is? My studio is relatively small but i output all sound to a stereo receiver with some nice bookshelf speakers. i only use the TV's sound when i watch TV.

This the best tv for the price and size sony trinton are best of the line ... this perfect if you don't have a big room and have a dvd player this is better than some of the 27" on the market trust me i sell tv's at my store and this is a beautiful tv

the picture is really cool, and it seems like there are multiple speakers. that i like. what i don't like is that i paid 150 bucks to get the screen flat. you can get a TV with this great picture for less. i recommend searching a little more before you choose a TV

I have the latest model, the KV-27FV17. I suddenly had to replace my 1991 Sony KV27V75 when it passed away. I really considered no other brand but Sony. Picture quality was important and I knew that Sony would deliver. But sound quality was critical as well. The FV series has superior speakers and sound as compared to the FS series. The only thing I do not like is the remote control. If you are over 40, get out your cheaters -- you will have a difficult time reading this remote. Also of note is that even though this TV has two S-video inputs, one of them is in the front. And I am not crazy about the styling - gray color and a larger cabinet than my old Sony - but it's the way most manufacturers are going these days. All in all, you can't lose with this TV. Plus, there's something about that SONY logo on the set that makes one feel a bit superior.

I purchased the KV-27FV16 27" WEGA television for my family for Christmas. I could not be happier with my decision -- it is worth every penny. I recommend this set over any other 27". ... If you buy this TV, you won't regret it.

I purchased this antenna from J&R through Amazon.com. I have tried using it with my Grundig S350 radio, with my McIntosh MAC-4100, and with a generic radio. No better reception was obtained on any AM station and where fuzz was before, fuzz still existed. I have exchanged the antenna once to no avail. While the other reviewers sing praises about this item, I have been most disappointed in it. Based on my experience, I would not recommend.

I'm a stickler for performance, and have high expectations for electronic equipment... especially when I hear fellow users raving about a certain product.

After getting the Terk AM Advantage to use primarily with my CC Radio, I have to say I'm not dissappointed. Giving it 5 stars would be saying that it goes beyond my expectations. The 4 star rating means that it comes pretty damn close!

Anyway, it does a fine job. The great thing, is that it can be used with ANY radio with or without external antenna terminals. I find it seems to work better without the hookup. Tuning the stations can be a bit tricky at times. The dial is slightly off and registers a station a few kHz higher than it is, and must be turned various ways near the radio to accurately do its job. It even seems to do quite well at being able to resist stronger signals that are adjecent to weaker ones.

For the AM DX'er, or lover of good `ol AM radio in general, it's an answer to a prayer!

I purchased this product from a local electronics chain store thinking I'd have to return it. However, help was needed! I recently purchased a "bookshelf" stereo system which came with the typical "foldable" antenna, and the AM sounded AWFUL! Once I hooked up the Terk Advantage, I noticed an immediate and dramatic improvement in the strength and static level for all of the AM stations I listen to. However, just to make sure, I also ordered a "Select-a-tenna", which had been mentioned by other reviewers of the Terk. In my situation, the TERK worked much better! My only regrets on this product...I could have saved a few bucks orderering from Amazon. The other reviewers were correct on the abilities of this product. Reviews go just so far. After all, there is only one real way to know if something like this works...try it out!

Im using this TV for my dorm room and it's probably the worst TV i've seen in years. The pixels are huge and the image is grainy. The colors are okay, but color convergence and moire are pretty prominent making the picture look pretty bad overall. DVD's play okay when a player is hooked up, but the image is still pretty blah overall.

The flat screen was nice for about 5 minutes, and then I realized that a regular "bubble tube" CRT television actually has a sharper and more well defined picture than flat screen. You don't notice the size of the pixels as much and colors seem to come out better in a bubble tube TV.

Again, I urge you to look elsewhere and avoid this Toshiba Flat-screen TV. The only flat-screen TVs I would seriously recommend are Sony Trinitrons which are excellent quality.

I found a couple of things odd about this combo which made me return it -
I noticed that the picture tube of this model of toshiba is a little bent on one edge, I went back to the dealer, and all the other TV's of this model had the same problem,(you can easily notice this problem when you are say viewing a horizontal bar over the screen). picture quality of this TV is good (once again, not great!)
Also, the buttons on the remote (especially the volume/channel) are very small, also the maximum sound volume on this TV is not much - infact its less , and for those looking an regular TV, size does matter and a 20" definitely looks smaller on this. The VCR of the system works fine.

Unlike most combos the Toshiba MV20FK3 is loaded with features. The unit has two stereo inputs (one front, one rear), one stereo output, headphone jack, stereo speakers, and a great 4 head hifi VCR with VCR Plus. The picture quality is superior and the remote control is easy to operate. If you're looking for a no nonsense, easy to use combo with quality features this is it. As an added bonus the Toshiba has clean lines and is a very attractive package. I love this TV!

This is my first flat screen TV. Picture is crip and clear with good color. For someone who just wants a Flat screen TV without spending a fortune this might be the one.
The remote does lack the ability to code with my Dish Sat. and the instuctions are not the best for programming the remote. But all in all I am pleased with the set until I can afford a more expensive HDTV in the future.

Bought this TV because we got a really good deal on it, and why spend like 200 bucks more for a Sony or Panasonic when in a few years HDTV will be all the rage anyhow. Now i am not sure what the deal with Apex is, and why their items are so [inexpensive]. But sometimes I see why. I previously have the AD-1500 DVD player, and I find that to be an excellent player that you can pretty much throw anything at and it will play it. So I figured now since they are in the TV business, their TVs must be decent. Well like the DVD remote, the remote for the TV is pretty small and somewhat poorly designed. It doesn't cater to other brands of anything, and doesn't have any universal capabilities (while other universal remotes don't cater to apex) I did find that Toshiba codes usually work for Apex though. Anyhow the features on the TV are ok, nothing too spectacular on the menu system. It is nice that it does have the AV out, and the 3 AV inputs including one with S-video in. But there seems to be an issue with the TV cutting off the sides of the screen. Now I called apex about this and asked them what the deal was, and they said that this shouldn't happen, so I replaced the TV (within the 30 days) and it still happens a bit. It isn't like you really notice it at all unless you are watching some sports scores, or if channels have their little logo on the screen at all times, then you will see it is cutting off a little bit what it shouldn't. Now I don't know why it does this due to the fact that it is a FLAT SCREEN TV, but i guess that is why it is a little cheaper. So that is my warning about this TV, it is good for its price, looks like a nice picture and everything. But it seems to cut off the sides of the picture by about half an inch or so. I even conducted the THX test from one of my DVDs and it should have two full boxes and only has one and parts of the lines of the other on the screen. Who knows. Good TV for the price, but spend more if you want perfection.

I knew about Apex's quality because I have one of their under $... DVD players, so I decided to get their 32in flat screen TV. So far I've had no problems with it and am pleased with its performance thus far. My only complaint is that the design for their remote controls must have been done by some execs 10 year old child;)