Customer Reviews

Toshiba 27AF41 27" FST Pure Flat Screen TV

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The first thing that struk me after the TV was delivered was the amazing picture. As soon as I swithed the channel to TV guide, I saw the horizontal and vertical lines were skewed. Thinking that it was my cable that was doing it, I played a DVD: the same problem. I called Toshiba and they said it probably was a defective unit and also asked me to keep the TV away from any external speakers to eliminate magnetic interference. I did and it was still the same. I went back to several stores and saw that the Toshiba was doing it more than any other television (almost all flat screens in the store did this though but to a very lesser extent). I exchanged it with the Panasonic PureFlat Tau series CT-27sx11. Minimal geometry problems with this set but it still doesn't beat the Toshiba in picture quality. The Toshiba would have been a 5 star, if not for the geometry.

After narrowing my choices down to the Sharp 27" flat, the Sony 27" flat (WEGA) and this one, I noticed that only one thing separated the three: the picture quality. I would have guessed that Sony would have the better picture based on past experience. But I stood in Best Buy for about an hour watching and comparing, and this Toshiba is by far the best picture quality. The color is awesome! I would even go so far as to put this up against a 27" HDTV!! When I got this thing home and hooked up my playstation 2, I knew I made the right choice. The sound is also exceptional. DVD playback is perfect. I can only imagine what it will look like using the component hookups. If you're in the market for a flat-screen I would highly recommend giving this one a look.

I had the opportunity to buy either the Sony WEGA or this TV I chose this one as the picture is brighter and sharper.. and the TV design is more attractive than the WEGA's bigger, taller black casing. I have been using it the last 2 weeks. VERY SATISFIED. Only complaint is that the bass level gets bad when you blast the vol, but it's a TV speaker set. Note these are some of the best simulated surround TV speakers I have heard on a 27 incher. Once you get a subwoofer for the bass, wow, what a great experience. An EXCELLENT TV.

I haven't had the geometry problem listed on other reviews. The picture quality far surpasses any other similar flat screen. You cannot go wrong with this TV. I am so impressed with the image quality and the options this TV came with. How many TV's have you seen with two s-video inputs?? Have a Dish a DVD or Digital Cable. You can have s-video for almost all. I went to buy the Sharp 27" flat and I also was interested in the Samsung (nice looking TV)I couldn't beat the Toshiba. Sony eat your heart out.

This TV has the most features for the price I have seen. Only problem I had was a VERY slight geometry problem but I just gained access to the service menu (you can get in the service menu by pushing mute, then pushing and holding mute and hitting the menu button on the front of the set. An S should appear and then just hit menu button once more and your there. Dont try this unless you know what your doing and make sure you write down EVERY value you change) and done a little tweaking and now its perfect! I highly recommend this TV.

And, I'm not talking about high school math.

Like some other "flat screen" TV's, this model can "bend" what should be straight lines in the picture. If you look at this TV in a store, find an image that contains a large box - like an on screen menu - or any image that you know should be square.

The model I viewed on display at an electronics store in Chicago bent straight lines inward - along the left side of the screen, and bent straight lines upward toward the top right hand side of the screen.

The picture color and clarity are brilliant on this model, but who cares. Once you know the geometry is off it will make you nuts.

Did I view a single bad set? Probably not. I read a review of this TV on another website. That author purchased this TV, noted the bad geometry, and had the same issue after replacing it twice. He finally opted for a flat screen set from another manufacturer

In the previous review, I had stated that the Toshiba had a better picture than the panasonic I exchanged for. Although the Toshiba had the best picture with the default factory settings for picture, with some adjustment, I could get the panasonic to display an equally good picture. But, the panasonic is 20 lbs heavier than this Toshiba. Just be aware of the skewed lines in the Toshiba.

I've had my Toshiba 27" Pure Flat since Dec. 2001 and it's made all the difference in the world! The glares are gone, the picture is crisp and when I play DVD's (I have progressive scan), it is close to rivaling an HDTV! The lines I saw in the SONY Wega were an annoyance. You don't see that on the Toshiba nearly as bad as they have a better interlacing system by far. Plus, the size is slightly lower in height than the SONY Wega, which helped tremendously in fitting perfectly in my entertainment center.

My previous TV was also Toshiba and I have yet to have a problem with it (had it since 1989). I just wanted a bigger TV that makes my progressive scan DVD worth it and this sure does the trick. The colors are crisp! I also use digital cable and the quality is night and day compared to the curved TV I had before that couldn't optimize the digital filters this Toshiba has. In addition, you have more inputs and outputs at the back of the TV than you can shake a stick at! I have my DVD directly hooked, my Sony stereo system and my Sega. In addition, the remote is nice. I especially love that it glows in the dark so I can navigate more easily without having to turn on the light.

My only qualm is that it doesn't come with the monster cables for DVD players but I reckon that goes for all the manufacturers. Those cables are SUPER... for good quality. Don't let that deter you. I shop around for best bang for buck with quality on top of the list. Toshiba does one helluva job!

There is definitely a geometry problem that ruins a really good TV. it's not incredibly noticeable but is definitely there if you look at it.

you think flat screen would have straight lines...but that is not the case here.

otherwise, the picture and the case are very sleek and nice but skewed lines ruin it.

This 27" Flat Screen television is worth it's retail price and more. I went to Best Buy which I highly recommend doing before purchasing a new television. It allows you to see many of the most similar models right next to each other and you can compare picture clarity and features. Keep in mind that other consumers have tampered with tint, color, etc....

However, upon comparison, the Toshiba could not be beat. It was most comparable to the Panasonic 27" Tau Flat Screen and the Sony WEGA 27". The Toshiba is priced in between those two with the Panasonic being the cheapest. The picture on the Toshiba, however, was clearly....well...the clearest. Also, the design is very attractive with speakers on each side running from top to bottom. With simulated surround sound, S-video, Component video, front/rear A/V jacks and many other features....I could not see spending that much money on any other television. I highly recommend this product.

**Two things to keep in mind are (1) it is really heavy weighing in at nearly 95 pounds and (2) it is much wider than most 27" tvs because of its speakers...something to consider with an entertainment center that boasts "fits MOST 27" tvs."