Picture quality, ample offering of connections on back.

Sound! The speakers on the TV are side firing, making for a very frustrating listening experience. I''ve noticed this quite a bit in playing DVD movies--I would have to turn the volume way up to hear dialogues, then way down when action sequences are unfolding (suffered through this while watching "The Matrix"). It got so frustrating that it pushed forward my getting a nice home theatre setup to incorporate the Toshiba into. What a difference that has made! The Toshiba''s remote is a bit on the large side. In addition, it''s a bit too cumbersome having to hit the TV/VIDEO button to toggle through the different viewing modes. Weight! This TV is a back-breaker, weighing in at something like 180 lbs. If you do purchase it, make sure you have at least one burly friend with a large SUV. Loosen up beforehand to minimize the risk of injury from lifting!!

I purchased the Toshiba after doing a fair amount of research on 36-inch TVs. I was actually going to buy the 36-inch JVC for less than $1,000, but didn''t like the way it looked as much as I did the Toshiba. I didn''t really consider the 36-inch Sony WEGA TV because I didn''t see that it was worth $300 more than the Toshiba. In addition, I''m not the biggest Sony fan--except for their cream of the crop TVs, their TVs tend to be connector starved. On the Toshiba I have yet to experience the dreaded moire problem that has impacted some Toshiba Cinema Series TV owners.

Similar Products Used:

32-inch Sony (only 1 S-Video connector!)

Color decoder.

Moire,Moire.....

This tv is a piece of crap, please stay away from this overpriced paperweight. The Moire problem has existed ever since the Cn36G97,CN36H97 and now this piece of CRAP! Toshiba has known about this problem for 2yrs and has done nothing about the problem. I have lost all confidence with Toshiba and if you buy this set you soon will to.

Similar Products Used:

cn36h97

Sound

Moire Problem, slow tuner.

As the one who started this thread, I thought I should post a follow up (even though we are not supposed to).

I have had the 36Z71 for three months now and had to call in Toshiba service to fix the annoying Moire problem. It appeared that the problem is well known at Toshiba as they were already awaiting a modification from the head office when I called.

The technician came to my place last week and replaced the whole chassis (to avoid taking the TV set away for a week). The Moire problem has not disappeared but moved to the middle of the screen. As a result, people now seem to have zebra stripes in the face and it is not great. Not only that but the repair has caused a very noticeable pincushion effect to appear.

The tuner is still slow but this is probably something we can get used to. Surprisingly, switching channels within the PIP is actually faster.

I would not recommend this set.

Great picture

Seems kind of slow to react to remote commands

Wow, what a great picture! Short of an HDTV ready, this has the best picture. I think the picture is better that the Sony Wega, probably due to the better 3 line 3D Y/C comb filter. Makes DVDs look really awesome. Not a "real" flat screen, but close enough to avoid a lot of glare. Nice back-lit programable remote.

Sharpness, Color

Sound, Remote

Purchased this in Dec. of 99 before I knew of this site.
I would never have purchased it after reading the reviews put forth here. Sometimes you get lucky, this unit has had a great picture, the color is brilliant.Lots of different features(seldom used),if the source is good the picture has been excellent. The remote is just okay, you have to aim dead on for it to work, but the worst is the sound. For this price it should be alot better. Muddy and you have to play with the bass for different channels. The surround sound makes it hard to understand voices, sometimes you have to turn up the volume to hear and then you have to reduce the bass. I use a different sound source to avoid this altogether. No moire to talk of.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

Great color contrast and all the components one needs for a decent price

MOIRE MOIRE MOIRE

At first I did not notice the lines creeping in from the side of the TV until I was watching the Matrix and bam waves everywhere. It was quite disturbing since my eye keeps wandering to the waves. At first I though goodness my DVD was on the blink so I unhooked it. The lines still were creeping in from the sides. Finally I started some research and found out about the moiré problem. I called Toshiba and they gave me an authorized dealer to call. He came out and said crap we need to take the TV. I also showed him the website and he was amazed. I bought my TV on Feb. 6, 2000 and it went to the repair shop on April 21, 2000. I have been dealing with Toshiba and the repair shop to no avail. The repair shop said Toshiba has a 5-page report on how to adjust the TV to help alleviate the problem not fix it. Since my TV went to the shop they have had 4 other calls on the same issue. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. Toshiba could care less and you will wait after daily calls to them for resolution.the same issue. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT Toshiba could care less and you will wait after daily calls to them for resolution.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

Picture quality... Very sharp and plenty of contrast. Good quality speaker system.

My biggest complaint is the switching time between channels and video sources. (I'm getting a new A/V receiver which will remedy the video source switching problem by doing the switching itself). The remote is not very good for this price range. VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE! VERY HEAVY... NO HAND GRIPS!

My TV worked well right out of the box. I have had NO problems with MOIRE. One slight issue is that the picture is slightly distorted. I only notice this if a square border is around something on the screen...for example during a sporting event when they present stats on something. You can see that the box should be perfectly square, but it is slightly distorted on the sides. Also, the whole picture seems to be off center to the right...but just ever so slightly. The average person wouldn't notice.
I also had one glitch about 4 months into use. My mother-in-law turned the TV on and the picture was so blurry you couldn't tell what was on. I left the TV on for 10 minutes and the focus came back in. The strange thing is, this has not happened again...and the picture seems clearer than it did before this happened! (I think my mother-in-law caused it:o)).
My biggest issue is the switching time when changing stations. It is very annoying the time it takes between changes. Also, the remote is terrible.
Other than the facts stated, I really enjoy the TV. I went to the store wanting a SONY WEGA, but this was $500 less and appeared to be more forgiving on bad video sources such as REGULAR CABLE and VHS.

Similar Products Used:

My first new TV in 10 years. Many months of research though.
Narrowed my search to the TOSHIBA or the SONY WEGA.

Very few strengths compared to TV's of the same price.

Morie, remote is very poor, picture sharpness

I purchased a Toshiba mainly because of the name. I was watching a 1989 Mitsu which was a fantastic TV but was well past it's prime. When I first hooked the TV up I was thrilled, however I was comparing the picture to an 89 Mitsubishi. Right after I bought this TV I found this site because I was also looking for a DVD & a new receiver. After reading the site I started to look at JVC's & fell in love with the D-series. The JVC's picture is twice as crisp and the remote is 100 x's better, I now have the 32" in my bedroom. I have experienced the famous morie problem (mainly during sporting events) but in all fairness I'm not sure if I would of noticed it if it wasn't brought to my attention. I plan on selling the Toshiba and buying a 36 JVC for the family room. Better price better everything! Oh & the remote is very bad my mitsu lasted 12 year. I don't think this one will last 4 & it didn't even work well when it was brand new.

Similar Products Used:

JVC D Series, older Mitsubishi

Picture Quality, Price, Lighted Remote

Picture Preferences, Slow Tuner, Video Switching, Speaker System, Annoying Red Light

At first I was really impressed with this set but after I really started playing around with it, little annoying things started popping up. First let me say that the set that is currently sitting in my living room is going back to Good Guys as soon as I decide whether I want to exchange it or replace it with another brand. About four hours into using it the set shut itself off with a pop and the power light on the front of the set started blinking. I can now only turn the set on by rapidly hitting the power button on the front of the set. When the set is on, I get no sound from either antenna input so I am currently watching cable through my VCR via the video one input. If that doesn't totally scare you away from this set, then here are my biggest complaints:

The tuner is very slow. I didn't think this would matter to me that much but since I am using the tuner for my cable it does. I guess I've really gotten used to faster tuners so it's really annoying.

That little red light on the front of the set is very bright and annoying when your watching in dimly lit situations. Maybe I'm a little more aware of this than most since mine won't stop blinking.

Video switching is slower and more cumbersome than on most sets.

My biggest complaint however is the picture preferences. The two presets from the factory are terrible and cannot be altered. As soon as you do alter them you find that you are overwriting your "memory" preset instead. So, there are essentially no preferences unless you're satisisfied with at least one of the factory presets. Believe me, they suck, you won't be.

The side firing cyclone speaker system has a big sound and is enveloping but I do find that there is a bit of a hole in the middle of the soundstage and this is especially bad for dialogue. This should be a major consideration if this unit is to be installed in a built-in cabinet.

On the bright side, the picture quality is really phenomenal on DVD's throught the component in. It took a little tweeking with video essentials but I got it dialed in. The blacks are deep and the colors are rich and bright.
My cable looks bad but that could just be my cable. The cable fleshtones were all on the red side even after video essentials. I found that I had to turn on the "fleshtone" feature just to get them to look decent.

All in all I would like to return this TV and buy a different brand at the same price with identical specs and better features. I've been looking for a couple of weeks now and I don't think that TV exists. I'm either going take my chances on the same TV and put up with it's shortcomings, or go with the Sony KV-36FSV16 for an extra $500.00.

Similar Products Used:

Sony WEGA, Comparable Sharps, JVCs, Panasonics, RCAs and Pro Scans

Picture, Price

What is this moire problem???????

Can someone tell me more about this moire problem and what it is? I never thought buying a TV would be such a confusing process. I have been in the market for a 36" direct view TV for a few months now, but there seems to be no clear cut choice.

I start off looking at the Sony Vega, but I honestly didn't think the picture was so great. I was all set to go by the Toshiba until I started reading these threade, but now I am worried.

Please advise, is this a problem which has gone away with the 2000 models? If not, can it be fixed up front? I will be really upset if I get a TV I am not completely satisfied with.

PS: Tweeter just droppen the price on this TV to $1299 (seems like a good deal to me). The HD ready model is still around $2000

Similar Products Used:

Sony Vega XBR