Great picture, Component Video!!!, PiP, Price..ect...ect...

Fishbowl shaped tube, goofy shaped remote, slow channel changing, no clock (who cares?!?)

This TV is a hell of a deal. I got it for $370 with no tax or s & h. There is also a $20 rebate. I bought this TV after over three months of reseaching similar priced ones. It has it all as far as inputs (including Component video and a composite video out). The picture is also pretty descent. Right out of the box, the picture is HORRIBLE!! It is almost like a huge flashlight. I have it fine tuned to my likings. The color decoder still seems to be pushing red a little. This is no big deal. The comb filter does a nice job of fixing up my crappy cable signal. One thing that I am especially happy about is the picture in picture. This is an option that I normally don't care for. But this set allows plenty of options. The PiP can be placed in any corner in 2 different sizes. It's nice being able to flip through channels while waiting for Playstation to load. The only thing I would change is the internal tuner. It flips through channels S L O W. It also doesn't include channel labels. It also lacks a clock. But this isn't enough to mark down my score. This is a great low-costing TV that has many options that are only found on higher end models.

Similar Products Used:

Hitachi 27'

?

Too heavy, poor remote, lack of attention to detail and overall quality.

I have had this TV for 3 years now and have had nothing but problems. After 1 year the picture tube got fried and more recently the remote is totally non functional. I will not buy this brand in the future

Component Video Inputs

Slow tuner

So far I have enjoyed this TV. The picture is quite good from my Toshiba SD-2109 through the component video inputs. The tuner is really slow, so I am using the tuner in my Sony VCR for channel surfing. The screen is a lot more curved than my old Magnavox, if that is important to you. My only other complaint is that it does not have the SmartSound feature that the Magnavox had, so I have to adjust the volume during obnoxious commercials. I look forward to the day when I can purchase the Toshiba TW40H80 :)

Similar Products Used:

Magnavox 27" (I forget the model number)

picture quality , value , component connections and product reliabilty

Slight red tint , not so flat screen , weak audio

I bought this unit as a replacement for a 20" JVC t.v. for the bedroom. I went with this unit after auditioning a total of 4 units. These were the four and my opinion of each:
1.) Panasonic ct27sf26 : This tv had the best picture qaulity of the four. It was also the most expensive. The local best price was $515. The local CC had a 1999 floor model ct27sf25 which they would sell for $435. It ahd approx. 2000 hrs of store useage. It would be considered.
2.) JVC av27d200 : This unit had a SLIGHTLY better picture than the Toshiba (own opinion)and also has component connections. It was the only unit that did not have PIP. The local best price was $420.
3.) Magnavox tp2797b : LOTS of features for the money but also ,in my opinion, the least desireable picture. The best local sale price was $430. Did I say it has a lot of features ? This leads me to my choice >
4.) Toshiba cz27v51 : This unit has a very good picture although it seemed a little strong in the reds. This was easily adjusted out and the picture is nice. This tv has PIP and component connections in case one day I get a DVD for the bedroom. The best local price was $357. The dealer also had a display model that was un-boxed this past week. It was used as a display for an entertainment center. The useage was estimated at approx. 60 hrs. They offered me this unit for $ 325. Toshiba also came out with a $20. rebate offer today so I would get an additional $20. I was torn between this model and the Panasonic. I finally settled on the Toshiba due to the fact this is only a bedroom tv and gets used about 15 hrs a week. If I was going to have a 27" tv for my main television I would have certainly went with the Panasonic. For a price of $305. after rebate I think I got a heck of a deal. I wasn't too worried about buying a demo model , even one with 2000hrs use. Televisions are probably the most reliable electronic items and my 15 yr old JVC was also a demo. If I get 15 yrs out of the Toshiba I will be happy. It is intersting to note that my JVC 20 " was $299. as a demo in 1985. Itwas the top of the line JVC 20 " and has 3 a/v inputs. Its tough to find that in t.v's today. This Toshiba only has two !! Overall I think I made a good purchase. I will certainly write if not all goes well.

Similar Products Used:

JVC Hitachi

comb filter, component inputs, price

may be my unit, but tuner cannot tolerate signal noise, and 60hz hum from electronics audible thru tube face in quiet room

Just got DVD, so wanted minimum size unit to display letterboxed movies and with s-video/component. Price great at $360 before rebate, recommendations and good reviews. Got the unit home, hooked to same signal my old 20" Sharp got, and when the wind blows and the antenna creaks and the signal gets noisy (?!?), old set showed snow, new set flutters and loses sync. Say what? Same noisy signal (apt house antenna, 30 year old signal amp) run thru $100 vcr to the new Tosh does not flutter or run, so it's definitely a tuner issue. A $4.59 CB filter from Radio Shack seems to help, some. Then there's the hum -- 60hz hum I noticed late at night, volume turned way down low. Turns out to be louder thru side vents, but is audible thru face of tube, when room is quiet and audio is muted. I've been running around friends houses and stores, listening for similar hum on different makes and models, finding none. I see no mention of hum from other users here. Is it my unit, or am I just sensitive to it (which, in general, I know that I am)? I suppose I *could* live with both faults, I'm a casual user and don't know how severe these problems are. I agree with many other reviews, the "normal" color setting is too red on its own but can be adjusted, the tube is quite curvy for this day and age, the remote, like so many, is more mediocre in design than "cheap", I would say, and I miss a channel display LED like last gen (or older!?!) sets had. But then, we're supposed to buy these only for DVD and digital dish signals, we're supposed to just be buying tube and clean input, I guess. But when a $100 vcr has a better tuner, I wonder about the unit, or the design, or my other options.

Component input, great comb filter, nearly accurate color temperature, small overscan area

bowed screen, rear inputs at the bottom of the back are hard to reach, color pushes red slightly, ultra-slow channel switching when not using cable/satellite box,no front inputs, only one s-video input that cannot be used if input 1 is to be used as well, mediocre DC restoration

Wow! What a great set! It's greatest asset is the near 6,500K color temp which means you can get an accurate picture without having to spend the cost of the set on professional calibration as well. Having calibrated the set with Avia (highly recommended) the DVDs I have became wonderfully lush without losing details in the dark images There is NO blooming, noise, or moire on any discs and thought there is still a slight red push (to counter the steel-blue color temp. most people like in a set) it isn't noticable except in a very few scenes on some DVDs and never objectionable to my senses; at least it isn't green like a Zenith or blue like a Philips. The sound is certainly adequate for casual viewing and occasionally sounds 3-dimensional in stereo mode though it doesn't amount to even an economy HT audio setup. The convergence on my set, even after shipping from Montana, was exemplary.

The remote is terrible. Flat out awful. It is oddly sized, few of the buttons are intuitive, and you have to read the bottom buttons which control PIP and VCR functions. The internal channel changer is unbelievably slow causing one to re-press buttons mistakenly thinking the original command wasn't entered successfully.

The screen is very bowed for a set in this day and age but it isn't noticable when viewing from straight-on and never intrudes on viewing enjoyment.

My biggest beef, aside from the channel switching and the remote, is that the rear inputs aren't near the top of the set but down at the bottom underneath the back hump. This makes placing VCRs or other set-top boxes difficult because it's a stretch for the standard 3-foot interconnects. Since there are no front inputs you must use the back connectors for any video inputs you have so the TV must be setup for easy rear access if you use video cameras or other portable video equipment.

While I might seem to be focusing on the negatives please know that the picture is unbelievably good for a set of this price. Because of the set's bedroom location near my work desk, I couldn't begin to stand a Sony (for a lot more $$$ too) because I see the retention wire lines and they annoy me no end. I saw a few other models from Panasonic, Zenith, Philips, and Samsung but Toshiba's legendary reliability, videophile leanings, and local service made the choice a no-brainer.