Customer Reviews

Toshiba 24AF44 24" FST Pure Flat Television

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Did my research and noted many of the same problems with the sony 24" model that others had cited (fuzzy picture at corners).
Came down to this one vs. the similar offering from JVC. I've always loved JVC products and it was basically a tossup--at 92 dollars less though the toshiba won hands down.

Exceptionally good sound (given the usual limitations of onboard speakers) using just the TV's own speakers...the bbe function does wonders for dialog clarity. I'll probably hook up to a low end surround system though. Great small room TV and the prices of the flat screens have finally gotten to be a real bargain. I highly reccommend.

I actually tried an LCD set and didn't like it. But if you want a sharp picture and great sound without paying alot, check out the Toshiba 24AF44. The screen looks larger than 24 inches and the appearance of the silver color is attractive. It's really
easy to set the video and audio choices using the menu on the
practical remote. If you haven't kept up with the latest advancements in CRT technology, just compare this set with a
LCD or plasma. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. What can I say, a wonderful TV for under $300 and free shipping from Amazon. The picture using a DVD is flat out amazing. A real winner you won't regret buying.

I searched and this TV was the best for the price. I didn't buy it from Amazon.com but I should have because it was ridiculously hard to find. This TV is so great that stores usually have it on back order so you might have to wait like 2 weeks to get one. I lucked out and found a dealer who had one left.

The picture quality on this TV is awesome. I'm using my Playstation 2 with it to watch DVDs and play video games and the detail in the picture is breathtaking. I was also surprised at how good the sound was. Every track of the movies seem to come out crystal clear and have depth to them. I never thought that the two speakers on a TV this size could do this.

If you buy this TV and are using it to watch DVDs either with a PS2/Xbox or player I strongly suggest you buy some component video cables. These cables give the absolute best quality.

Best 300$ I ever spent.

I purchased this TV about two weeks ago. At first I thought I wanted a Sony but after reading so many customer reviews about problems with geometry - I decided to go with the Toshiba.

So far I'm completely satisfied with the unit. The clarity, contrast, sharpness and color are simply outstanding. Plus, it doesn't exhibit any "clicking" noise while turned off as other reviews indicated for cheaper Walmart type sets that I almost bought before reading the consumer reviews.

I live in an apartment and typically watch it from a distance of 6 to 7 feet. When in the kitchen, at a 45 degree angle and 18 feet away, I can easily see the picture and is crystal clear.

The unit also has all the inputs and outputs I require. Using the component DVD input is simply stunning and is an improvement over S-Video. The other requirement I had was for the set to provide output jacks to feed an entertainment center. This set has that (the 24" Sony doesn't).

Was considering an HD TV but I really don't spend that much time in front of it. However, I do want a crystal clear, geometry correct TV when I watch it!

As I said, I've only had it for two weeks but would buy it again now that I can see how well it performs.

Hope this helps with your buying decision.

Toshiba and Sony make the best TVs out there, although my Toshiba products have always lasted longer than my Sonys. I have had this TV for 6 months now.

Pros:
1) Beautiful picture
2) Great sound
3) The 16:9 mode displays movies beautifully. This is a necessary feature unless you rarely watch movies, it uses the entire 480 lines of horizontal resolution to display the movie, most TVs use 20% of the display to show the black bars, while this tv compactifies the resolution to the middle of the TV
4) Audio out so you can run everything through a stereo
5) Comb filter on the RF input which somehow makes your cable tv look sharper. Necessary feature if you watch much cable.

Cons:
The remote is pretty busy, its hard to find things fast, and I always confuse the volume and channel up/down buttons, which means I accidentally flip channels sometimes.

FYI: When I bought the TV I was under the impression that one could have cable plus 5 devices, but you are limited to cable plus 3. This is because 4 of the rear video inputs (2 composite, 1 component, and 1 S-video) share 2 audio inputs. (In addition, you can attach cable tv in the back and there is one composite with audio connection in the front).

Bought from BB in April for 280+30 for a 4yr extended wty.
Look for future updates. Very satisfied with it.
*Matching Toshiba SD 3980 DVD fits/looks/and runs well sitting on top of the TV.
*Remote is user friendly--large channel buttons; good range; controls DVD completely; glow in the dark buttons also helpful in dim light
*16:9 button on remote gives you a cool 'cinema-like' feel to your shows
*sound is great; speakers are 5W each; much better than the 1.5W you get from the dvd-combo set; audio outputs are variable, meaning if you hook up a speaker system you can control the volume level from the TV (unlike the Sony KV-24FS120); also has bass/treble/BBE/Surround sound like options for tailoring to your tastes; also has a feature to keep the volume constant--works well
*thinking of hooking up my TiVo to this TV since we watch this TV more--will keep you posted on it's review
*no problem with the 'velocity modulation' and the factory settings out of the box are very acceptable

I Wish I had read the review regarding TiVo " Works great except with TiVo, January 30, 2005, Reviewer: J. Henry (Arizona) before making my purchase at Bestbuy in West Los Angeles. Bestbuy is totally unresponive to customer complaints. After reading earlier reviews, I figured for the price ($299.) and elegantly styled box, I couldn't go wrong with Toshiba. I never knew Direct TV/Tivo causes the sort of inteference. The manual makes no mention of this at all...nor did the Bestbuy salesman.

But wait, it gets better!

The first set we brought home littlerally exploded when plugged into the surge protector. My apt. filled with Toxic gasses and smoke and we had to call the local fire dept. It seems this was a defective unit. We exchanged the next morning--after proving that the bezel sourrounding the screen was bent on the bottom and had a fine hairline crack that wasn't noticible to the naked eye, except for a piece of tape that tried to camouflage the defect. We picked up another set of the same brand/model at Bestbuy.

I'm afraid I'm very disappionted with the 24" TV with FST PURE FLAT Screen. Who expects to to have problems with a simple TV right out of the box? When I contacted Bestbuy, they said it was 31 days from date of purchase and they're not going to make another return/exchange. I called Toshiba. The picture issues mentioned by other reviewers were resolved by the repair firm Toshiba recommended, but the onboard speakers still emit a tinny echo and constant hissing noise that gets into your head after a while. MTS button never worked, there's no stereo reception, and constant hissing noise has not been resolved since I purchased the set on Jan 14/2005. Two friends and my daughter have larger version Toshibas, older models, and are pleased with reception and features and never have problems.

Toshiba customer service is being very responsive and presently trying to resolve my problems, but I recommend you think twice before buying from Bestbuy. (I have bought major kitchen appliances and audio system, computer hardware, phones, etc.,, but never again!) When I went back to my localBestbuy store I noticed a lineup of the same TV set along the floor with open box sale tags. Each one had noticeable damage to the exterior case and the delicate bezel around screen. Perhaps this is an issue with most of this model--and Bestbuy is unloading them? Be careful ask to open caron and inspect TV before the staff brings it to you car.

I bought this TV 2 months ago and the picture is crisp. I cannot setup the TV since I received a defective remote and I shipped it back. I ended up with a $60 refund because target.com did not have any additional remotes for the TV. Not a bad deal, but now no universal remote is able to be setup with the television. I'm left getting up to turn the tv on and off and changing the volume. Recommend the television, but not the remote that comes with it.

I bought the 24AF44 and also a 20AF44, basically the 20 inch version of this TV. The 20 inch set was awful. It just could not handle straight vertical lines. There would be a halo around them and they would shimmer and shake a little. It was bizarre. Back it went and I decided to repair my 15 yr old SONY 20 inch for $80. I'm glad I did.
The 24 inch does the halo affect on straight lines sometimes also but much less frequently. Otherwise the picture on the 24 inch is not bad at all, though not as good as my 15 yr old SONY 20 inch Trinitron. I am not pleased with SONYs quality control lately so I decided to go with the Toshiba.
In order to get a good picture I have found that the controls need to be adjusted more than some other sets I've owned. With these custom settings I like the picture much better. This is how I set it up:
From top to bottom on the Picture Settings:
33
32
23
0
32

These are quite different from the factory settings which are:
64
32
32
0
32

However, if you try my settings I think you all would see an improvement, unless the ambient light where your TV is differs greatly from mine. Try it out, you can always switch back.
By the way, the sound quality I found to be excellent.
I also think this TV is the best looking one out there. I had wanted a black TV but the dark grey area surrounding the screen is very attractive.
I don't care about the Remote because I use the Remote from my Cable Box, but I found the Toshiba to be easy to navigate. I agree, though, with another review here and the TV/Video Switch should be on the front of the TV.
Anyway, as of now I cannot recommend the TV until Toshiba finds a way to allow users to adjust the Velocity Modulation or turn it off altogether.
Note that I have edited this review because I could put up with the VM problems because of the nice color the TV produces, until I started playing DVDs through the TV. The VM is excruciatingly obnoxious when playing DVDs. I would now give the set 2 out of 5 stars. Check out Panasonic TVs, thats what I will be doing.

Add To Review (4/2/05)- I decided to return this TV because the shimmer on vertical lines was even worse when using a DVD Player. There is no way to get rid of it because Velocity Modulation cannot be turned off as previously mentioned. You can adjust VM on SONY and Panasonic TV's or turn it off completely and there is no excuse for Toshiba to leave off the choice since it is so annoying to some people (if you search Google you will see many complaints about it).
So, Amazon does not offer a way to change the star ratings but I would have given it 2 stars out of 5. Given the option to turn off the VM the set most likely would have gotten a 5. Are you listening, Toshiba?

I purchased this television from Amazon a few weeks ago. It took about two and a half weeks to get it.

We're using it in a home gym in the garage.

I have to say that the picture is quite good and the sound equally so.

My dislikes are that the picture tube front is highly polished. If there is a lamp or a glare anywhere, you see it. I had to purchase a glare filter from a company in N. California for US$79.99 to cut the glare by about 50% and make it usable.

I'm sure if it was in the house this might not be a problem.

The other thing is that the remote is not particularly user-friendly. Set-up of the picture is awkward and inconsistent. The remote responds slowly to commands. We have a satellite feed and the TV must stay on channel three, just like a cable feed. If you don't turn on the satellite unit first, the TV won't lock on to channel 3 and goes to 224. A little over-engineered, I would say. Give me snow on channel 3 and let me decide what to do with it.

The unit takes some hard handling by the freight carrier and is packed OK, but now overly well packed. The plastic bezel on the left upper side of the picture tube was bent in shipping. Not enough to file a claim, but not perfect.

It has all the inputs one would ever need, however we're just using it as a simple TV.

The headphone jack placed in a flip-up cover on the front is a plus.

Lots of contrast, color saturation and good focus at all corners.

Overall, most would be quite happy with this unit. For $299 and free shipping, I can't see how one would do much better.