Customer Reviews

Toshiba 26AV500U 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike the reviewer from Sterling, VA, I am writing review after using this TV for quite some time. Overall I am very satisfied with my purchase. In my opinion, here are the good and so called not so great things about this TV.

First the Good

- I had this placed side by side to a Samsung in a store. the picture quality was as good as the Samsung. Since I started using this at home, I have been thoroughly amazed by the digital quality.
- Nice footprint. Not heavy but pretty sturdy.
- Controls are on the top. It's a good thing for me because it is out of reach for my 16 month son. There are video inputs to the side and the back.
- Remote control that is simple to use and has one touch access to change the picture mode (normal, full, theater wide etc) and the preset screen setting like brightness, color, contrast etc (sports, movie, standard and customized)
- Cool thing about the "Info" button on the remote - it displays the digital signal strength (shows them as bars like cellphone does). Very handy if you want to tune the antenna and get a instant feedback

Now the not so good feature(s) -

- The screen display font size is very small. Wish it was slightly bigger. Maybe it is optimized to fit the 26" size - but it is certainly *small*. I am surprised no one else in this review mentioned this.

Note - If you don't have cable/dish and watch "over the air" channels, don't fall prey to those so called digital antenna. The antenna you have now will work with this - the TV has the built in tuner to receive both analog/digital channels.

disclaimer - this is my first lcd tv. i do not know if the features listed here are standard across all brands or unique to this one.

This is the first LCD TV I have ever owned. I did not purchase this TV from Amazon, so I cannot comment upon how this item ships, but I would like to put in my two cents about this product.


What everyone has said about the picture quality is absolutely true. I had the opportunity to look at the Toshiba 26AV500U next to the likes of Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic, and I have to say that the Toshiba looked as good or even better than some of the various models offered by the competing companies. The well-defined contrast on the set is what gives it such a rich picture. Granted, this Toshiba is not the same quality as the sets that cost well over a thousand dollars, BUT, for less than $600, the picture alone is worth more than the money I spent. I am using this set in my very small bedroom, so the picture size is more than adequate. If you are looking for a set for your living room, you are probably better off getting a larger TV.

The only reason I'm not giving this product five stars is because I have experienced a problem with losing the audio on the set a few times. For seemingly no reason and quite suddenly, the sound will cease to function. In the manual that comes with the TV, one is instructed to reset the TV by unplugging it for five seconds. Every time I employed this method, the sound restored. I am concerned that this may become a more serious problem in the months to come (especially after the one-year warranty expires). Maybe I have a lemon, or perhaps this is a common problem with these sets. I urge anyone who wishes to buy an LCD TV to do extensive research on reliability issues BEFORE buying. I will try to update this if anything else occurs.

I had to replace an analog TV, so I thought now would be a good time to buy an HDTV. I read a lot about HDTV and the great benefits that it brings to the TV world. I just have a roof antena in my attic and no cable. I read product reviews that flaged Toshiba as a good product/value and own several Toshiba electronic products, which have been great. I was hoping for better analog reception and good over the air HDTV. What I got was a super 26 inch Toshiba HDTV that has "much" better analog reception, fantastic HDTV reception all this at a great price, great delivery and a supper picture. BUY THIS TV!!!

Overall, this is a great television at a great price. This is my first LCD television and I could not be happier. To me, the picture clarity rivals that of more expensive models by different manufacturers. I am very pleased with this television and am considering the purchase of another unit.

Picture quality sometimes varies on any TV based on cables used. Manual says "use S video" for best quality, not component connections. Unplug the Colorstream component cables if you do use S video. And maybe an HDMI cable will get best quality if signal is via a cable box. Toshiba did a better job than most on instructions, connection options & overall design for the price. I like the slimmed down speakers - this 26 inch takes much less space than an older LCD 25 inch that I moved elsewhere. Has lots of inputs & connection options, and a good remote too. My only wish is for a more useful stand - the one provided doesn't swivel or flex.

When my 9 yr. old 27" Phillips/Magnavox CRT TV blew out on me a few days ago, forcing me to join the Flat Screen TV world, I was worried-Most of the Flat Screen TVs I've seen in stores, catalogs & online were 32" and above, and I didn't think I could find a medium sized HD TV that would fit in my cubby-holed entertainment room, and also provide me with a quality viewing experience. Then voila, I see the Toshiba 26AV500U; It has ALL of the Bells & Whistles of the larger Flat Screen TVs. And any concern I had in losing that one inch of screen view quickly vanished, when I saw the GREAT picture quality on this Set!! To be sure, it will be a bit of sticker shock for Newbie Flat Screen TV buyers who haven't upgraded their TVs since the CRT days,until you look over at the bigger models and prices;Then,you'll be grateful for having THIS available choice. So,for those who are looking for a Great Flat Screen HD TV with the economy of price and size,that doesn't sacrifice quality, the Toshiba 26AV500U is the PERFECT FIT!

I deeply enjoy my 32 inch Toshiba REGZA model, so when I wanted to get a 26 inch model for a small room (a kitchen), I didn't even look at any other brand. Unfortunately, no 26 inch REGZA model was readily available the day I made the purchase, so I took this 26 inch non-REGZA model. The picture is still gorgeous, though I strongly recommend getting the REGZA model in your desired size if at all possible. Perfect for wildlife and nature shows, as on Discovery HD Theater and National Geo HD channels, as well as for sports. Try the Sunrise Earth series on Discovery HD Theater--I think it's better (and better for you) than going to church! And for smallish screens (up through 32 inches) 480 is just as satisfactory as 720 or 1080 resolution. So save a few bucks and get a 480 model at a discounted price if you can find one. Else take the 720.

One minor quibble: no headphone jack (why not, Toshiba?). So run the sound through your stereo system, or anything which has a volume control, and plug your headphones in there for listening alone without disturbing the household (try Koss A130 for very decent quality at a moderate price).

This is my first LCD / HD TV. I am very satisfied with the picture and sound quality, especially considering the price. However, Toshiba obviously didn't put a lot of effort into polishing some of the other features. Specifically, the user manual is almost incomprehensible and looks like it was translated from Japanese to English using Babelfish or something... Also customizing the channel lineup is difficult - you can set certain channels as "not viewable", but the firmware is finicky and won't always save your settings. Similarly, when changing inputs, the TV will often land on an input that's completely different from the one you selected for no obvious reason. This seems to point to shoddy firmware, but fortunately these are the only issues I've had so far.

One issue that bugs me that seems to be present on all HDTVs I looked at is the slow response time (it takes 10 seconds just to power on!) On the plus side, if you are planning on gaming with this TV, I haven't noticed any significant lag in the video processing, but then again I don't generally play fast-twitch games.

All in all, this is a great TV with with a lot of strength where it counts (picture and sound) and only a few minor flaws.

What a wonderful TV - perfect, in fact. I already had the 47" size, and needed a smaller screen for my office. What a pleasure. Excellent reception, easy to operate, intuitive controls. AND the price is right. You can't go wrong. If this is the size screen you need, you'll be very happy with this TV. Love it. And, of course, ordering from Amazon is always a pleasure too. Go ahead, order it!

This is a nice lcd screen for the price, I got a vizio, but the image was not what I expected, I returned it and got this one I've seen at sears for about $ 50.00 more plus tax, so far is good but if You are planning to put it up high You may need one that has the controls on the side in case You have the remote control missing.
I'm happy with this after all.
M.G.