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Six years ago I bought a 34 inch, 720p, Toshiba Cinema Series TV (which is a picture tube set!). It has been great, served me well, but now that the prices have come down so much, I thought it would be a good time to buy a new set. Considering how almost no programming is 1080p, I figured I'd go for a good deal on a 720p set, which everyone is trying to get rid of.
I bought a Panasonic X1 Viera 720p, 42 inch, plasma set from a local retailer. I got it home and felt the picture was good, but not better than my old Toshiba. Unfortunately (fortunately) it developed a hum/high pitched buzz. I took it back immediately and the sales person showed me this Toshiba XV648. It was a little bit more than I wanted to spend at first, because I was happy with my old set and was strictly looking for a bargain on a bigger, more contemporary set. He gave me a great deal on it and I could not be more pleased.
First off, don't invest in a 720p (unless you just absolutely can't afford this set). Even though the only 1080p programming right now is blu-ray, you will eventually get a blu-ray and you'd be missing out some on picture quality. This TV looks beautiful sitting in my room. The piano black case and the dark black of the screen make this very attractive. But the picture is what will blow you away! The Viera was good, but the LCD offers so much more brightness, contract, and crispness it really was no comparison. It is really easy to set up, easy to operate, and easy to configure. You can adjust the picture based on simple settings or very advanced fine tuning depending on your needs.
I am the type of person who likes to research and read reviews, and it was difficult to find any on this particular set because it's still quite new. Don't be deterred by some of the bad things you may have heard about Toshiba. Just like Sony Bravia, or Samsung, Toshiba makes a fair amount of cheap product out there to be sold in warehouse clubs and/or big box stores. If it says REGZA or Cinema Series, you should be just fine. For the money, I am convinced that there is not a better set out there. It really is an awesome picture and a refined design.
If there is a knock on it it would have to be the sound. It's not bad, mind you, for a flat panel. However, I have run through my amp 5.1 surround sound so its no big deal at all.
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I've had this set for nearly a year now and i could'nt be more happy with it. The picture quality is outstanding, looks great mounted on my wall, and the price was right. I originally bought a Samsung, 52 inch, 850 series lcd tv which had a very bad clouding issue and also had very weak speakers. I returned it to Amazon and chose this plasma set instead. I tell ya, for those who say plasma tv's are not the way to go anymore are mistaken. The black level's on plasma's are superior to lcd tv's, and in my opinion, they have more of a realistic picture. I am totally satisfied with this tv and im glad i made with switch to plasma. I give it 5 stars.
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I've had this TV/DVD Combo for over two months, and I am very pleased with it. The picture is great, and I like the way the DVD operates. The only thing that is slightly annoying is the complicated remote. The price was great, just under 0, and there isn't a better bargain out there.
Update: The DVD part lasted until November, then quit. The TV is still fine, but I can no longer watch DVDs on it. That was my main reason for getting it--to take up less space in my bedroom. It's a bummer that it broke; it had very light use, certainly not every night and only one movie a day. Lesson learned.
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Overall, this TV is excellent for what I want of it. I'm not sure what others had in mind when they purchase it, but for my needs, this TV is absolutely perfect doing double-duty as my computer monitor and small bedroom television. It's actually 22", widescreen, and high-definition, with brilliant color, nice design, compact size, hidden speakers (which, somewhat reduces audio quality, but adds to visual appeal), and at least one hook-up for any kind of device you need. As a monitor, it takes my computer to a whole new level, and as a HD television for my Xbox (using a VGA cable), the images are overwhelming at times. For the price, this TV is an excellent purchase, and a great compact television.
However, the one I bought had a single burned out pixel (which I was too lazy to take back and replace with another TV; not that noticeable unless you're watching something that's really dark and are sitting a foot away from the screen); plus, the TV has no tilt or turn ability. Instead, it just comes with a simple, small, rigid stand that locks into the bottom of the TV (however, once again, for my purposes, this really doesn't impact me too much). Also, audio quality is not great when using the TV's speakers, but since I mostly use the TV as a monitor, that once again is not a big deal. The only other thing I'm not thrilled about is the widescreen images seem to not be exactly widescreen; they seem a little short actually, causing circles to appear more as vertically stretched ovals, even when the TV and appropriate devices have been set to display in widescreen. However, the distortion is very slight, and only noticeable if you pay attention.
Overall, for the price, this is a great desktop or small bedroom TV. At 22", being high-definition, a television, and sylish, with all hook-ups on the back, this will be more than worth the value as a computer monitor and TV, especially for those on a budget.
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I have had the Panasonic TH-50PZ850U for about 6 months. I spent about 00 with extended warranty. So far, I have been impressed. The resolution was top notch. I used "Finding Nemo" to test the colors. On the vivid setting it was fantastic... Probably a bit exaggerated. The Studio ref mode offers more accurate colors. The THX settings on the 800U may be more accurate, but I would love to have a little bit of oomph to the colors even if it is not accurate. Don't we all like "exaggerated fake ones"!
Clearly this TV is a winner. It comes close to the blacks in a pioneer and the THX accuracy of the 800U. It matches the Brilliant colors of a Samsung or probably even better. It has improved energy savings, better anti glare screen, wider viewing angle, and a web interface via viera cast. I am going to set up the viera cast soon. I cannot find another TV that packs more.
The speakers are great. I moved to a smaller home and had to keep the surround speakers in storage, but I don't feel the need for them.
It is easy to assemble and set up. You won't need a professional. I bought an upconverting DVD player to watch all my old DVDs and the difference is obvious. I am yet to watch Blu-ray movies. I am waiting for a good blu ray player that can also play movies stored on an external hard drive through a USB connection.
Like others have mentioned, the only bug - if a player is connected through a HDMI port it will switch out another that is connected via component cables.
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