5 comments about Toshiba REGZA 47HL167 47-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. The first one I ordered had an issue right out of the box where the entire right half of the screen was very, very dark as opposed to the left side. I tried hooking up different sources and they all had the same problem. Toshiba claimed never to have heard of the problem and suggested that maybe the shipper dropped it on it's side.
   
   So I took it back and ordered another, and lucky me, I got another one with the EXACT SAME ISSUE. Same advice from Toshiba when I called -- and they couldn't even find my original problem listed anywhere as the person I spoke to called this "the only time he'd ever heard it happening". Nice to know they are hiding some problems from consumers.
   
   Taking it back now and will not reorder.



2. I've just got this set, and enjoyed it for 3 days, when suddenly right half of the screen went dark. I was using HDMI input when this problem arose, then I tried several different input, without making any difference. I saw another review that has exact same problem I experienced. Plan to return this set to get a refund, and buy a different brand. All and all it makes a good excuse to return this item since I've just discovered that it doesn't support wide screen resolution for PC input. Only support 640x480, 800x600, and 1024x768.. very dissapointing. Wasted my time and effort to mount this set on the wall.



3. I purchased this after my 42" Plasma broke. I decided to get an LCD as I live at an altitude of 6200 ft and have been told that Plasmas are not recommended for such high altitudes.
   
   After having a Plasma, the image quality of this LCD comes nowhere close to as being as good. The colors appear more muted. Also, as others here have commented, the colors are further faded as you move anywhere greater than 30 degrees from center. It is a significant fade, not something to discount in your purchasing decision.
   
   As I bought this from Costco, I'm returning under their return policy.



4. I bought 47HL167 for a month. I just found a red line on the right side of the screen this morning. No matter what chennal or input I tried, the line had always been there. One hour ago, the line is gone. What should I do with the TV? Will the line came back?



5. I bought a Toshiba REGZA 47HL167 in April of 2008 (4 months ago) [...]. I waited a while before writing my review because I wanted to make sure the TV didn't die on me after a month of use. So far, I am pretty satisfied with the purchase. As some other reviews have stated, there is a slight color shift problem, however, it does not really bother me. I played with the color settings, and have found settings that satisfy me. However, I notice that some channels are more problematic than others (HGTV is way too red!).
   
   When I first received the TV there was a huge black shadow on the right side of the screen, but I sent it back and have not had the same problem with the replacement. I later discovered that the shadow was due to improper storage of the television whilst in warehouse.
   
   Picture Clarity:
   True, the Samsung does have a clearer picture (the whites are more vibrant), however, at the time of purchase, the Samsung was $900 more than the Toshiba. If you can get the Samsung LNT4665F for a cheaper price, than I would go with the Samsung. That being said, I think the picture quality of the Toshiba is wonderful for the price. I have a Sony PS3/blu-ray, and by connecting it with a cheap HDMI cable purchased from Amazon, the picture clarity is amazing! As mentioned in other reviews, the 1080p converts to 1080i in some instances, but I'm willing to compromise for the price.
   
   Matte Finish Screen:
   I am extremely happy with the matte finish screen, because when viewing television during the day there is absolutely NO glare! (Perfect for weekend afternoon sports!) Because of the way my living room is positioned, the windows have to be directly opposite of the television, causing a very bad glare on most TVs. However, with the matte finish, that problem has been solved! Wonderful!
   
   Remote control problems:
   The remote control is too big! However, I solved this problem by programming the TV into my satellite remote, so I use the Toshiba remote very rarely now. Unfortunately, I still have to use the Toshiba remote to switch in between inputs, and I've noticed that sometimes the arrow buttons don't work - very annoying! However, I think I may have gotten a defective remote, because I haven't seen any other reviews that complain about this problem.
   
   OVERALL:
   Overall, I am very happy with this television. It was a big purchase for me, and I'm glad I made the right choice!

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5 comments about Sharp Aquos LC32D40U 32-Inch LCD HDTV with Integrated ATSC Tuner.

1. I used to be employed by an electronics retail store. When I got ready to buy a flat panel TV, I really wanted a samsung, but settled for this model because of budget. After a 1 1/2 years of use, I too am having trouble with the backlight. It just goes dark religiously at start up every time. After about 30 minutes of hassle (beating it) it will generally stay on for the rest of the day. Luckily, we bought the extended warranty, and will probably be getting a store credit to get a new model. Hopefully, a samsung.



2. I have had the same issue with my Sharp. When I can get the tv to turn on, sometimes after 30 tries or so. yes patience is helpful. I have found a way to keep it working. Go to the menu button on the remote, when the setup appears, look for the option 'back lighting' on the setup option. turn it to Zero. this is the back lighting not the screen. then go to the brightness and color options and turn them up. This works for me. I can now turn the thing on consistantly. Granted the back light option is gone. I suspect the back light has something to do with the issue of the Please wait then the black screen. My set started to be unreliable at about 18 months. I did not contact Sharp, I was out of warranty. The TV I had before the Sharp lasted for 14 years. I don't plan on purchasing a Sharp product again. I hope this works you.



3. After 14 months I began having the exact same problem as many other owners: After initial startup with the "Please Wait" message displayed the screen goes blank and only audio comes through. This happens about every third time we try to use the set. SHARP customer service pretends they don't know about this problem even though I suggested they google their own product or even look at the Amazon reviews. My set was at a repair shop for over a month and they decided they couldn't fix it.



4. We had the same problem as others where the screen never started displaying a picture. I had a service agreement so I called to get fixed. Sharp issued a service bulletin. Basically, it's 4 screws that are slightly too long and are grounding out. I don't know more than that, the service tech wouldn't give me more info.
   
   Hopefully you can call Sharp and get the info.
   
   As for a review, I think it's a great TV. The picture is great and we're really happy with it - now that we've solved the black screen of death!
   
   Good luck



5. My Aquos LC32D40U LCD TV worked fine for about 20 months then like many other owners have experienced, the TV would stop displaying a picture and in my case, it no longer produce sound either. The unit will power-on and display a blank screen no matter what I have tried.
   
   Called Sharp support and the tech said, "never heard of this before" and pretty much said Sharp cannot do anything for me. He then directed me to the closest certified repair shop and gave the phone number.
   
   Cost for the repair shop to just examine the TV is $175. Ouch! Not sure what the final repair cost will be but expecting a call back from the repair shop saying it will be between $350 and $500. Guess I have learned a lesson in buying a low-cost item from Sharp. Spend little up-front then pay more later plus the added bonus of getting a lot of frustration.
   
   UPDATE: Repair shop said $2,000 to repair as the LCD panel is dead. Told shop to recycle it for me. Total cost for 20 months of ownership is close to $1,100.
   
   Recommend to avoid this poorly built Sharp LCD TV. It is really not worth the money.

5 comments about Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50-Inch Plasma HDTV.

1. I bought this TV in January 2007 and I love it. The picture is phenomenal. A friend of mine bought the smaller version of this set and loves it too.
   At this point in time (late Nov 2007), though, the newer models are out and so this one is likely outdated or will be discontinued soon. But if you can get one for a solid discount off the new models (say $1500?) you wouldn't be unhappy.
   
   And as many others have written, set the Picture Mode to something other than Vivid for a more natural, pleasing view.



2. I've now owned this tv for 14 months and have found it near perfect in every regard. The only "let down," is that non-HD shows are not as good as they were on my non-HD tv. That said,I would not go back to my non-HD tv for any price.
   
   As mentioned by other reviewers here, the sports broadcast are particularly outstanding. Numerous visitors to my house have been blown away by the 50" broadcast of college and NFL football games ... they're simply incredible to behold. I've simply not seen any other HD tv with a picture as rich and sharp as this Panasonic. I've heard the latest versions, with super black color capability, present a better picture, but their cost is 6-7 times what people are paying for this 50" plasma ... and that speaks volumes about this Panasonic jewel.



3. I purchased this Panasonic Plasma 50" ten months ago and I am now ready to write a formal review: ...
   
   I bought it. We love it. You buy it. You will have one fantastic TV!
   
   End of review. (No sense adding minutia to the review when the total product is superb).
   
   Let me add one thing about Amazon. I purchased this through Amazon and it was my first big ticket purchase through them (obviously higher priced than today). I saved roughly $500.00 buying through Amazon. I paid no sales tax, where I would have paid 7% in Florida. I also saved an additional chunk of money as it was priced lower than Best Buy et al. I was pleased by the entire transaction, and Amazon even credited me $100.00 as the priced dropped soon after I ordered it. I was very impressed with Amazon, have since purchased some smaller items from them, and will be purchasing soon some high end Canon camera and lenses through Amazon. This Panasonic Plasma has a great quality picture. I do not see how any brand can have a better picture than this. I was torn between Pioneer and Panasonic, but now so pleased I chose this brand and model.



4. I have other plasmas, but this is the best picture I've seen. Excellent value. If you spend twice as much you can probably get a 1080p that has a better picture, but that will only have value with bluray because cable and satellite won't give you enough resolution now to push this TV.



5. Good - The picture is fantastic.
   
   Bad - I had to have it repaired 32 days after I bought it. Good thing it was still under warranty. 18 months after I bought it and now out of warranty,it developed a thin black horizontal line all the way across the screen about 8" up from the bottom. Cost to repair - $1600 !!!! This is more than I paid for it. Poor quality like this for a product that is this expensive is absolutely inexcusable.

5 comments about Toshiba 42HM66 42-Inch 720p DLP HDTV.

1. Only reason I purchased this TV was because it was fairly inexpensive. I put it downstairs for the kids to use. Of course the TV is not as good as a plasma since you need to be directly in from of the DLP projections, but for the kids it is good.
   
   Stick with the LCD and plasma Tv's if you want a family TV.



2. This is a great HDTV for the price. Picture quality is outstanding.The only drawback is the sound quality is average and the remote control is poorly designed. I tried to have my Direct TV remote programmed but it was not compatible with this model.



3. Be prepared to pay the "DLP Tax" annually. That is one lamp each year. Toshiba knows that these lamps will not run 6-8000 Hrs. 2000-3000 is normal. I have spoken to 3 different Toshiba Authorized repairs centers and hey all verify that a year is the average lifespan of these lamps.



4. I have a Toshiba 42HM66 Model # TV. We like the picture quality of the television but the sound is lacking - can't increase the way you want. The one major problem is we have had it 13 months now - and have to change the DLP Lamp - which costs over $300. This television we figure has about 2800 hours of usage on it. These lamps are advertised usage over 3000 hours - that's so false!!! I am so upset and know that i have to purchase a new lamp every year - i think not - I think i am going to sell this television and buy a SONY!!!! oh yeah - the customer support ith toshiba was no help either - good luck!



5. I wish I knew before I bought this TV for my dad. I think I paid $799 for it just 15 months ago and the lamp has to be replaced. Until this point I was happy with Toshiba products(I have a 42" LCD and two HD-DVD players) but now...How can you justify a TV that costs $1000 retail having to have a $200 part every year? Of course the warranty expired 3 months ago. An extended warranty may have covered the new bulb but you have to make sure, for $50 bucks or so the 2 year warranty would cover 2 bulbs at this rate and save about $400.

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2 comments about Sylvania LC320SS9 32-Inch LCD HDTV.

1. Sylvania LC320SS9 32-Inch LCD HDTV
   My home office TV went on the fritz and I needed a video fix but quick. (I live in my mancave!) that said, I'm still cheap enough to do a litttle research before hitting the store or clicking on "BUY PRODUCT".
   I should state up front that I am not an audio/videophile, but I am a musician who knows a bit about electronics and a designer so I know "what looks good", (in general). I hit the Sears store and walked up and down looking at the sony and other name brands I'd seen with good ratings on line. then I see this Sylvania, that cost a couple hundred less than these name brands with a picture that matches or surpasses them. I DO suggest you go to the store because the pictures really were of different quality on different sets.
   anyway, after checking to make sure this set had all the hook-ups I'd need, (it has more; HD, VGA, gaming ports, etc.)I took a chance and bought it. I only had so much room, and despite wondering if a 32 inch would have a weird looking picture, I am pleased to announce the picture is just great. I unboxed it, set it on my desk and it scanned my cable channels in about two minutes and I've been viewing in bliss ever since. I've played computer games on it and it works wonderfully for that too. the sound is obviously not as good as my stereo, but it's fine for me or any family living room set.
   I truly thing this TV is a good deal. And although I'm skeptical of TV's made by other companies and sold under a different name, (this Tv is made by Funai), I'd buy this set again in a minute. I'vew been reading comments about the difference betwwen 780i and 1080I. Although this TV accepts 1080i, apparently that doesn't mean it will display that. But that is meaningless to a non videophile like myself. the picture is ten times better than my 1999 trinitron and not too different from the 52" HD picture on the set we have downstairs new sony. While an expert can pick my review apart, I'm sure, if you want a good tv picture at a good price, this is a good choice.



2. I had been in the market for a new TV for roughly 6 months. I only had one on loan from someone and my time was close to running up. Luckily there happened to be a sale on HDTVs by sylvania at Kmart. So I picked one up and set it up. The picture is great, and it even has energy saving features[HOORAY!]. It has a great amount of outputs, 2 HDMI, VGA, 3 Video/Audio, S-Video and co-ax. It even has a 3.5mm jack so you can plug your computers audio in with the VGA. All in all its been going good for the last month.

5 comments about Olevia 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV.

1. I bought this TV after reading through a lot of positive comments in an online forum. It was actually bigger than I originally wanted, but the price was less than the smaller sets I was considering. I thought it would be too big for my space, but I am very glad for the size now.
   
   It has performed very well for the past 4 months, and I am extremely happy with it.
   
   It is just a little bit heavier than similarly sized sets, and you do need two people to lift it safely.
   
   I compared the set side-by-side to a Sony in a store. The Sony does have some darker blacks, but nothing close to being worth the $800 difference. There are some menu options to boost the black up on the Olevia but I find I lose too much detail. I personally think the hyper black of the Sony looks too fake.
   
   Be sure to set the lighting setting to "dark room". It makes a huge difference. If you have a Disney or Pixar DVD (better with Blue-ray) there is a calibration section on the menu that can help you tweak your picture.
   
   The sound is pretty good. It helps to boost up the base a bit. I've never even turned my volume up to 1/4 of the way and it is plenty loud. Its not a lush stereo sound, but it is good and clear.
   
   The frame of the unit is a nice matte black. My parents have a Samsung with the shiny frame and I find it to be very distracting.
   
   
   
   Pluses:
   It has an HDTV tuner, so you don't need the fancy cable service. I have the uber-cheap limited cable, and all the local HD stations come through the cable without any special equipment or upgrading the service.
   Additionally, you can get an HD antennae and skip cable altogether (unless you want the extra channels - you need to have a cable box and HD service for those).
   
   It has a one year on-site warranty, but you need to send the warranty card in within 30 days or you lose the on-site feature! They allow you to register online as well. Do that so you don't forget.
   
   You get plenty of inputs. 2 composite, 2 component, 2 SVHS, 2 HDMI, VGA, VGA component, and cable.
   
   Downsides:
   There are a few, but none are too terrible.
   The manual is on a CD. This can be a pain if you want to look something up quick.
   
   The inputs run up the left side of the back of the unit. Some of my cables were a little short to reach the top of this very large set where their particular inputs are. The TV is very stable, so having cables plugged in at the top doesn't pull it. Having the inputs vertical makes them very easy to reach though.
   
   The menu settings take a few minutes to get used to. If changing the source input, you do need to scroll through all the unused options with a bright blue screen. When the signal drops out from a DVD or VHS the screen goes bright blue. My old tv had a setting to change that to black, but I couldn't find any on the Olevia (those are the times it is nice to have a paper manual). The dropouts hardly ever happen though.
   
   It takes a few seconds to start up - again, with a big blue screen. Once you get used to these, you don't really notice them
   
   There is a little blue light that stays on when the set is off, but it is off when you are watching it.
   
   The worst thing for me is that the remote doesn't have an auto shut off if something is pressing it for an extended period. I always have books on my couch burying the remote, so I've gone through 2 sets of batteries now. I've switched to rechargeables.



2. Don't buy a Syntax Olevia! I bought one and it died almost to the day the warranty went out. Customer service said I would have to pay to ship it back and pay the parts and labor to fix it and that would cost over half of the TV's cost. They wouldn't offer to help with anything and they said they lost my registration card, the same one they used to call me with to ask me how I liked it a week after I bought the TV. So all I can do is to post this to every blog I can to try to inform others.



3. When I bought this TV it was through Tigerdirect through Amazon and the price (with shipping) came out to $925. That is an amazing price for a 42" 1080P TV. The picture is excellent, though I'll be the first to admit a $3000 Sony's picture would top it, but I can't complain for the price.



4. The picture is superb. Everyone who has seen the picture raves about the clarity.Setup is easy. The only negative is the relatively long time to get a picture when you turn the tv on.



5. I bought an Olevia 42" and it worked great for about 16 months. Now, it has been in the shop for about 5-6 months. First of all, it was difficult to find a local TV repair shop that would even work on an Olevia. Then, after a long wait the part arrived and the set worked for a few days. Now, according to the TV shop, Olevia will not replace the defective part under warranty (the mainboard). I would not buy another Olevia even with an extended warranty.

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