HDTV Trends

No Channel Guide for Antennae Setting
This TV was extremely easy to assemble (just a few screws to position and tighten). I turned it on and was so excited since the picture was beautiful. However,. I only have an antennae--no cable or satellite. I pressed the Channel Guide and...it gave me a "Not Available" message. Not Available?? Surely, I thought I must not be pressing the right button or, perhaps, have not set up the TV correctly. I mean, my Mitsubishi DLP has a Channel Guide using an antennae. Heck, even my old CRT TV had a Channel Guide when I added the converter box! But sadly, no, the Owner's Guide states "Displays the channel guide in the CABLE/SAT mode."

Yes, you can use Favorites, the Channel Browser, etc., but if you want to find out what is on a particular channel through an antennae and how long it is scheduled for, you have to go to that channel and press "Info". No clicking on a Channel Guide, finding a show you like and then clicking to get switched to that channel. Perhaps they did not know that large metropolitan areas would get between 40 and 50 digital channels over the air.

If I would have known this before I bought it, this would have been a deal breaker for me. Yes, you can fault me for not reading the Owner's manual more carefully, but who the heck would think a CRT TV with a converter box would have more funtionality then a digital TV!

Too bad I gave my CRT to my brother--yes I would prefer it to this TV! Thankfully, this is only a "second" TV for back up use. I guess I will have to print out program schedules from the internet every week and keep close at hand.

If I have have misunderstood something about this TV, and someone would like to tell me how to get the Channel Guide to work with an antennae, please blast away! I'd rather have someone think I am technologically ignorant than to spend this money and be this unhappy with a TV.

Great TV at a Great Price
I bought this TV a few months ago, and it's worked out great since the day I bought it. Toshiba is a good brand, and the TV has a lot of inputs, including 2 HDMI, which is really useful. Along with the HDMI, the TV has an auxiliary audio jack, allowing you watch media from your computer, as long you have an HDMI to DVI adaptor and an auxiliary audio cable.

Not bad for the price
Pros:
i) Good picture quality - picture is bright, colours are brilliant, no shadows, viewing angle is so wide that I can even view the TV from my kitchen.
ii) Excellent connectivity - with HDMI, AV and PC input, you're never short of the types of connectivity this TV accepts. I especially like the PC connectivity which is hassle free, good resolution projecting my laptop on the screen, even with standard VGA cables.
Cons:
i) Sound quality - the sound quality is mediocre to below expectation. There's absolutely no bass. Expect to compliment this TV with a home theatre/external sound system if you want to really enjoy your movies.

TOSHIBA KILLS SANTA
NOTE: this is a general review of Toshiba's customer service center. Should you have any concerns about what may happen when or if you tv breaks, this is the chaos and frustration you will find in dealing with them. Please go with a different brand...

We bought a TV/DVD combo from Toshiba as a gift from Santa last year for my 8-year old so that she could watch her Full House and Lizzie McGuire movies on it in her bedroom. Unfortunately, after 4 months, the tv's picture stopped working. She told me to send it back to Santa, so off it went to our local authorized Toshiba repairman, as you cannot return these items to Amazon after a certain period of time. We were told by Toshiba that the tv was under full warranty for parts and service. The repairman said no. We would have to pay at least in service repairs. Well, it's been six months and we have yet to see our tv. The part that was supposedly broken was out of stock. Toshiba has sent out part after part after part...spending more in shipping and parts I'm sure than we actually paid for the tv. Now they are shipping out their 4th part...and we still have no tv and it's November. NOTE: the Toshiba representatives were rude and their supervisor (Dave Thomson) was scripted and condescending. TOSHIBA DOES NOT STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND DOES NOT HELP ITS CUSTOMERS.

My daughter got so upset that Santa didn't return her tv that we had to buy her another tv a few months ago. Then, she overheard one of the numerous heated discussions between my husband and Toshiba. Every time my husband called, we were told the issue would be "escalated". The representatives are scripted and said whatever they could to passify us. In the end, we were told by Toshiba's supervisor (Dave Thomson) that this was their final decision...to just continue to keep trying to fix an inferior product with no hope that it may get fixed. By the time we get the tv back, if we get it back, it will no longer be under warranty.

In the end, with no return of her original tv and the numerous phone calls to/from Toshiba, my daughter finally got the clue and realized Santa doesn't exist. Thanks Toshiba. MAY NO PARENT EVER RELY ON YOUR PRODUCT AGAIN! THE TECHNOLOGY IS LOUSY AND YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT! GIVEN HOW TIGHT CONSUMERS' WALLETS ARE THIS SEASON, I HOPE PEOPLE LOOK PASSED YOUR BRAND AND SELECT A BETTER CHOICE.

FYI...When we purchased the tv, it was not made clear to us that it would be outdated within 14 months with the switch to digital.

Happy Holidays from a very dissatisfied customer.

Great first HDTV
I purchased this TV from a big box store three days ago; I am not disappointed.

This is my first HDTV, upgrading from a 12 year old Sony 27" Trinitron tube. The picture quality on this Toshiba set on HD sources is great. ESPN HD, NFL football, HBO HD, my XBox 360 all look great. Colors pop.

Non HD sources look nice as well. My Digital Cable box (Time Warner) is connected via a HDMI cable. Non hi-def stations (like Comedy Central) look wonderful (and every bit as good, if not better, than my old set). This Toshiba includes a "DNR" setting (Digital Noise Reduction) which cleans up standard def sources. The picture looks smooth and colorful, not splotchy and downgraded.

Some people have complained about the set needing several seconds to turn on. It does, but I doubt most people will be bothered by it. It takes 5 to 7 seconds.

One caveat. The factory presets on this set aren't ideal. The blacks were slightly washed out and flesh tones a little too orange for my liking. But after going through a THX Optimization (available on every Disney DVD), it looks great. Blacks are much deeper and flesh tones are appropriately pink.

This may not be the best LCD set on the market, but it is very good. In my opinion, it offers a better picture than the Sony KDL-32L4000 and costs significantly less. I found it for $[...] and am thrilled.

Why two remotes?
We need to use a Comcast remote with the Comcast cable box.. With our previous TV the Comcast remote controlled al functions. Now we need the Toshiba remote for on/off and volume control. Black shades are not what they should be. I bought without seeing thee set in action - should have looked first.

This is a very nice TV!
I purchased this tv & dvd combo to replace an older tv & vhs that had a small screen. We use the tv in the kitchen to watch with our morning coffee since both myself & wife are partially retired. The tv/dvd is an excellent product and in the month that we have owned it I can find nothing that I don't like about it. I would recommend it to anyone.

toshiba 19lv505 tv
The TV arrived faster than expected and the box and TV were in great shape. The picture is very sharp but the sound is just a little low. It fits in a space that I never thought that I could get a TV in. It is being used in the kitchen and it helps to past the time when baking

Very pleased
I am very pleased with my Toshiba 19 in HDTV w/DVD. Not only does it have great picture quality, it's the perfect all in one for my kitchen. I got it at a fabulous price through Amazon and could not get it in white locally. It was a win/win for me!

Could be a 4- 5 star rating
I purchased the Toshiba TV/DVD for my office and I think this will be a perfect fit. The picture quatilty if very good as is the sound. Right now I'm giving this product a 3 star rating and that is because I'm curious about one feature? As you change the stations (it's hooked up to my current cable) it shows a blank screen with two boxes at the bottom; one indicating cable analog and the other the station then the actual station appears. This happens each time you switch stations and is annoying. Is there something I missed in setting up this TV or is this the way all HDTV work?

Add me to the WOW reviews
I bought this TV based on its low cost (at the time) and good AMAZON reviews. I set it up in minutes yesterday with only an indoor HDTV antenna and the picture is AMAZING. I am completely blown away as I had somewhat low expectations. The black and overall contrast as well as brightness are very very good and the picture resolution is truly sharp and crisp. I cannot say that this set is comparable to the $$$$$ sets, and I would not find such a comparison fair. But for a nice size set for bedroom viewing with no cable, dish, satellite, or other significantly enhanced signal delivery I am shocked, amazed, and thrilled with this Toshiba 26" 720p LCD HDTV, especially based on the minimal investment.

good picture
This is a nice lcd screen for the price, I got a vizio, but the image was not what I expected, I returned it and got this one I've seen at sears for about $ 50.00 more plus tax, so far is good but if You are planning to put it up high You may need one that has the controls on the side in case You have the remote control missing.
I'm happy with this after all.
M.G.

A Good LCD TV, but with problems
I bought it several weeks ago and now it works ok. The picture is nice though not as good as some high end TVs. The menu is easy to use.

Just one thing bothers me that the TV takes long to wake up. When I turned it on, there is sound but no pic. I waited for 1 min the pic still does not show up. Then I turned it off and turned it on again, everything goes normal. Does it happen to all you guys? Or I missed some setting options?

terrific LCD
What a wonderful TV - perfect, in fact. I already had the 47" size, and needed a smaller screen for my office. What a pleasure. Excellent reception, easy to operate, intuitive controls. AND the price is right. You can't go wrong. If this is the size screen you need, you'll be very happy with this TV. Love it. And, of course, ordering from Amazon is always a pleasure too. Go ahead, order it!

Best picture around for the price range.
This is the first LCD TV I have ever owned. I did not purchase this TV from Amazon, so I cannot comment upon how this item ships, but I would like to put in my two cents about this product.


What everyone has said about the picture quality is absolutely true. I had the opportunity to look at the Toshiba 26AV500U next to the likes of Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic, and I have to say that the Toshiba looked as good or even better than some of the various models offered by the competing companies. The well-defined contrast on the set is what gives it such a rich picture. Granted, this Toshiba is not the same quality as the sets that cost well over a thousand dollars, BUT, for less than 0, the picture alone is worth more than the money I spent. I am using this set in my very small bedroom, so the picture size is more than adequate. If you are looking for a set for your living room, you are probably better off getting a larger TV.

The only reason I'm not giving this product five stars is because I have experienced a problem with losing the audio on the set a few times. For seemingly no reason and quite suddenly, the sound will cease to function. In the manual that comes with the TV, one is instructed to reset the TV by unplugging it for five seconds. Every time I employed this method, the sound restored. I am concerned that this may become a more serious problem in the months to come (especially after the one-year warranty expires). Maybe I have a lemon, or perhaps this is a common problem with these sets. I urge anyone who wishes to buy an LCD TV to do extensive research on reliability issues BEFORE buying. I will try to update this if anything else occurs.

Great Product
Received my Plasma TV within 8 days from placing my order. Delivery service was very friendly, bringing into my home, unpacking to inspect for damaage. White glove service at no cost. The Panasonic HDTV Plasma is great. The picture quality excellent and easy setup. The only draw back is the TV remote only operates the TV not the cable box or other
components. Consumer reports rates this unit # 1 for quality 42" Plasma
TV. Gread price, great service and entertainment!! Recommend.

Wowsa
I had been searching and doing the research for a while on Tv's. Fell in love with the plasmas. The 720 is a great picture. The presentation and overall look of the tv is awesome, updating any room. Easy set up. Couldn't be happier with this purchase, and with the price. I got a fantastic deal on an incredible electronic.

Value winner
Ordered the Panasonic Plasma TH-42PX80U on 12/3/08 and it was delivered within the dates promised by Amazon. White glove service was excellent - unpacking and making sure the set turned on as-well-as removing boxes etc. The white glove service doesn't included attaching the stand (if not already attached) nor the tuning and set up of the picture. Both were relatively easy for yours truly (a non-techy) to do. I'd suggest you try to setup the set yourself versus spending bucks to have a 3rd party do it.
The picture quality of the Panasonic is excellent and believe a plasma 720 is the best way to go. The anti-reflective technology reduces any glare issues to almost zero. Compare Amazon pricing before buying any place else! Track pricing over a period as their price changes almost daily. Bottom line the Amazon pricing was the best value and their shipping and handling was excellent.

Great product, great price.
This is a great TV! And at 9 with no tax and free shipping it was a great deal. I've only had it for a few weeks so I can't talk about its durability, but I'm loving it for now!

Excellent value
We are very satisfied with this television. We wondered if it would be bright enough for our room but no problem. There is only a slight reflection. The reciever is superior to our Sony WEGA crt model which it replaced. We seldom lose reception even in extreme conditions.

Excellent TV
Purchased as a gift for my mother to bring her into the digital age. And the Panasonic LZ85 exceeded all of my expectations. Perfect picture, intuitive menu, simple remote, and especially excellent in all ways when you consider the very reasonable price. As a matter of fact, I own a more expensive LG 1080p and the picture quality of the less expensive Panasonic is superior to the LG's. I am so impressed with the Panasonic LZ85 that I will likely buy one for myself and use it in one of the bedrooms.

Excellent
I researched LCD TVs for quite a while before deciding on this model. Consumer Reports gave it very high ratings. I was debating between this and some Samsung models. After looking at a local electronics store, I felt that the Panasonic had better picture quality and better sound. I've had the TV for about a month now and am very pleased with it. The standard definition picture looks better than the old CRT unit it replaced. Some reviewers had commented on the sound quality. I'd say it is as good as any TV I've heard. I'm using this model in a bedroom and so have no plans to hook it up to an A/V system. I think the sound is fine. My only complaint is regarding the remote- it is not backlit and in a dark room it is easy to have the remote upside down due to the symmetrical shape. The price on Amazon sealed the deal for me.

super fast shipping!!
Ordered TV on Saturday after Christmas. Delivered to my house Tuesday morning. Wow!!

Great TV - no complaints! 37 inch is great in our small living room. No picture problems even when standing way off to the side.

Next TV will be another Panasonic and will get from Amazon. Thanks!!!

New to HDTV
We're very impressed with our new Panasonic HDTV set. It's great, and the shipping and delivery couldn't have been better.

Panasonic 37 inch HD TV review
Very pleased with color, clarity, sound, and appearance of this television. The blacks are excellent. I'm watching many old classic films and the picture is great. Football games are dazzling, although games on the Fox network do not have the same sharpness and I attribute this to the signal transmission, not the television. The set is light enough to move around whenever necessary. I have it on a table, although it could be easily mounted on the wall. Panasonic, as usual, gets high marks.