Customer Reviews

Toshiba REGZA 32HL67U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

5 star:		(153)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

I just purchased this TV after looking at a wide range of TVs to go with my dual-tuner TiVo Series 3 player and an older progressive scan Toshiba DVD player, and I have to say that I couldn't be happier with my selection. I let the TV do the upconvert from 480i from the TiVo and the result looks quite acceptable (assuming you're not 3 feet away), and the HD detail on HD channels is spectacular. The Toshiba has a wide range of picture boxing settings to take care of properly framing the upconverted 480p DVD signal, and a lot of color settings so that tuning the color with Avia-derived settings I found on the internet helped as well. I have my own Avia disc on order to fine-tune the picture myself, as well.

The main products I was comparing against were all other 720p 32" TVs. 1080p resolution seemed silly to pay for in this size, since you can't see it, though the brands that put out 32" 1080p TVs (e.g. Sharp) seemed to have better video processors in the 1080p models and skimp a bit in the 720p models. Specifically, I compared against the Sony Bravia 2010 S-Series (not the XDR2), Sharp Aquos 32D43U, and the Samsung 3253, as well as the Olevia 532/332s as a bargin alternative. The Olevia was by far the least expensive, but its picture quality seemed comparatively much worse, not to mention external styling. In the store I looked, the Sony and Toshiba were solid across the board, the Sharp had the best flesh tones (color setting issues with other TVs?), and the Samsung the best contrast for dark areas (e.g. air contrails behind a slow-motion spinning baseball). Given that the Toshiba was about $150 cheaper than the alternatives at the time, I opted for it and couldn't be happier.

If you are looking for a LCD HD TV but don't know where to start, look to Toshiba first. I read in a leading consumer magazine that Toshiba spends more money (on an average of 5 to 1) on research and development than any of it's other competitors (Example: Sony, Toshiba, JVC, Panasonic, etc....) and the REGZA is a result of that research.

After a very detailed 2-3 months worth of research, I decided on the 32HL67. Toshiba electronic products (especially TV's & DVD players) have always performed very well for me. I will be utilizing this TV in my bedroom and it's a good thing that I am. This television is completely amazing and is by far the best value for a very good HDTV for the bedroom. The design is truly a beautiful piece of electronics. It has a sleek curve stand with a piano black frame finish. The picture and the set-up right out of the box was brilliant. I utilize DIRECTV HD and the colors and picture quality is simply brilliant. The HD programming is very sharp with a very clear and very distinctive display.

The native resolution of this unit is 720p, but this HDTV will display all formats 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p. However, it only receives 1080p when connected via a HDMI port. This TV comes with 3 HDMI inputs, plus a input port for a computer and two HD color components inputs.

The Toshiba is very easy to setup with its user friendly onscreen menus. All the speakers are located along the bottom of the screen, therefore helping to reduce the total width of the unit. I only had approximately 33" to fit a TV into and this one fit perfectly. The DIRECTV gentlemen installing my HD satellite dish and setting up the HD receiver commented that the fit looked nearly perfect to him. This LCD is very thin and fairly lightweight (approximately 40 pounds). Easily handled by one person. The mount for the Toshiba 32HL67 was very easy to attach to the bottom of the unit, which is how I use mine. I'm sure this TV would be just as easy to use as a wall mount unit by installing the mount onto the rear of this unit.

Very impressed

Shopping over at Best Buy for a HDTV a few days ago, I decided to give this REGZA a shot. The picture quality compared favorably to the Sharp and Samsung that I was looking at. Plus, it was under $1000 unlike the other two, so why not?

Once I set it up and got a good look at it, it exceeded my expectations.

First of all, this thing's got three HDMI inputs. I always thought that TVs of this size only had two at most. That's pretty damn generous of Toshiba. I mean, it ain't like I'm gonna be able to use them all, but it's still nice to have them.

Second, when I hooked it up to the cable and had it scan for channels, I found that it was able to receive the unencrypted digital channels without a cable box. I sure don't remember my old 23 inch Samsung HDTV being able to do that. Sure, I'm primarily gonna use this TV to play video games, but as with the three HDMI inputs, it's just nice to have them.

Third, when I hooked up my PS3 and Xbox360, I found that I was able to set the picture size to 'native'. Now this was a big deal to me, as my previous sets would normally cut off the top and bottom of the picture. This means that when I played certain games and viewed my pictures, some of the text would get cut off, and that annoyed me to no end. But thanks to the 'native' setting, I was able to see the full picture. I was absolutely overjoyed.

All in all, I am completely satisfied with this purchase. Great features, a beautiful HD picture, a very reasonable price, and a sleek looking design make this set the best HDTV I've bought so far. Only real complaint is that this model won't accept a 1080p signal through component cables, but only through HDMI. Kinda disappointing, but since I can't really see a difference between my Xbox360 in 1080i and my PS3 in 1080p, I'm sure that I can live with that.

I won't hesitate to buy another Toshiba HDTV from now on.

Purchased on 10/23/07 & (updated 11/21/07). I have had my eye on a 32 inch for the last few years. I read every SINGLE review on AMAZON, BEST BUY (which also has a how to buy & tweak an HDTV, FREE workshop on-line) and CIRCUIT CITY. Checked all my prices and recommend NEXT TAG (they have a graph displaying price highs & lows) August & October 2007 are the lows thus far. Also, go to TOSHIBA and they will WALK you through any REGZA model.... Some like myself, were clever enough to download the OWNERS MANUEL which you can READ even before you ORDER!! Make no mistake, here is a TV that came out at $1,500.00 in early 2006 and was originally reviewed in PC WORLD. It got high marks even at that price. Those who paid $899.00 or more are still very happy. I got the TV and 2 day delievery on a (standard order) for under $700.00! So, I am thrilled with that DEAL...!

Can't beat AMAZON or Electronics Expo for prompt service at under a $50.00 charge. What others fail to mention is that if you have "CABLE" this TV can virtually eliminate the need for a CABLE BOX, FEES FOR DIGITAL SERVICE & believe it or not some PREMIUM channels! Saving on that alone increases this TVs value...! Press the MUTE BUTTON and it will lower sound 1/2 or full. Go to full and the TV will automatically display "closed caption" until you put the sound back on! Not much they didn't think of here.. I'll let others describe the incredible picture and advanced sound options on this model. Needless to say, I got VERY LUCKY in finding this BRAND and a trusted SELLER like AMAZON!

Yes, you can find some good deals i.e. a 32in (Vizio & Olevia) at under $599.00 and BRANDSMART is pushing the 32in JVC at $498.00 and a 32in PHILLIPS (my 2nd choice) at $598.00 but REMEMBER, (You also pay tax & delivery at retail stores so add another $100.00) Bottom line...the vast majority give this PARTICULAR model 5*stars and you will be hard pressed to find a better deal on a TOP of the line 32 inch LCD-HDTV. Forget about spending MORE for full (HD 1080i) as it has no barring on a smaller SIZE screen. PS. Pay by credit card and "double" the manufactures warranty to 2 yrs! That saves another $150.00 on an extended warranty (ho ho ho)..There were 58 reviews when I bought this TV, look how many there are NOW. JUST ENJOY IT!!

I had been researching LCD T.V.'s for two months, as this was my first purchase for a really nice T.V. set. I had my eyes set on either a Sony Bravia or a Sharp, depending on the prices of course.

At American I saw the new Sharp Aquos, and the Bravia, they both were stunning and I was leaning towards the sharp, then I noticed the brand new Toshiba REGZA. It's a beautiful set and I watched it side by side to the Sharp and I couldn't tell a difference to pay an extra $200 for the Aquos when the REGZA was just as good if not better. The REGZA has a 14 bit processor and the Aquos is equipped with a 12 bit, so even there it just convinced me to try out the Toshiba. The sleek design, 3 HDMI INPUTS!!, pretty much everything you want in lcd for under $1000. This was my first purchase and I'm very happy I didn't pay extra for that name brand hype from Sony and Sharp.

I've had no problems with the T.V. i've had it for over a month now, it plays video games so well in high definition, there is no ghosting at all. In Resistance Fall of Man the gameplay is actually better because I can see things clearer, and the action runs smoother. Dvd's & Blu-Ray look phenomenal, I cannot think of a problem i've had with this t.v. the only complaint I have is I wish I had more money so I could buy the 42"!!!!

If your looking for an overall solid LCD T.V. this is a great set and I highly recommend it to anybody looking for hi-def.

For the price and the features, this TV kept coming out at the top of my list. We've had it for a few weeks now and I have to say I'm very happy. It has 3 HDMI inputs (one is HDCP) as well as a slew of other inputs for S-video, composite and VGA. Audio is fine for when we don't want the home theatre on and the pass-through means we can get audio to the home theatre system no matter where the input came from. The glossy body is very sexy and the screen has a nice matte look when it's not on.

I'm very happy with the TV and if I were to have to come up with something I don't like, I guess it's that the legs stick out quite a bit in the front (for balance) which means you need to push it back a bit further than you might want if it's inside a unit. But that's a small small gripe and if it really bothers me, I can get a VESA mount and change it as it has standard VESA holes in back.

I currently own some Sony Bravias in addition to a 32 inch sharp aquos and one of the much hyped Samsung HDTVs.

I've had the opportunity to compare this thing to all these other HDTVs and I think this one for the price, in my opinion, not only matches the quality of all those other HDTVs, but I think it actually exceeds them in some instances.

I see no signs of ghosting or bleeding on this television. The colors are some of the best I've seen from any HDTV. The picture quality is truly stunning and it has some of the best black levels I've seen with an HDTV. I use it with my Xbox 360, PS3, HD-DVD player and hi-definition Cable Television and it really does enhance the experience ten fold. I've gone back to play older 360 titles that I put down long ago just to see how great they look on the television and you truly see with this television what all the fuss is about with HDTVS.

For people that may play their Xbox 360s on a computer monitor you see all sorts of details on this HDTV that you simply didn't see well enough on a pc monitor or totally missed altogether on even other HDTVS which is a testament to how great this television set is.

Standard definition channels on this television look great and the HD channels are incredible. You get your moneys worth because its immediately obvious that they blow away the standard definition channels. The television also has fantastic sound quality which I didn't expect. The options to adjust the picture how you want aren't as plentiful as some other HDTVs I've used, but that doesn't matter because I think what is there will allow you to adjust the picture to pretty much anyone's preference.

Colors and details in hi-definition content really shine through on this television. You look at things that you didn't use to make a big deal about before like clothing, skin, floors, walls etc in a totally different way when you are looking at them on this television.

My only complaint is that its so unbelievably tempting to constantly play around with the picture settings even after they are already perfect.

Its fully equipped with 3 HDMI ports, connection for your PC, 2 HD component spaces, and a plethora of others that I'm sure you can find out about just by looking at the technical details of the television. It supports 480i all the way up to 1080p (1080p only through HDMI)

Its recommended you connect this HDTV to a PC by using a DVI to HDMI cable as that way you are guaranteed decent resolutions for your pc while viewing it on this HDTV.

The remote pretty much sucks as a Universal Remote. It lacks support for even the most popular of cable boxes or directv receivers. The same applies to other televisions. If you're going to use this remote only for this television then its perfect.

The picture settings I use and like a lot are

Contrast 100
Backlight 84
Dynalight on
Brightness 56
Color 51
Tint 0
Sharpness 72
Dynamic Contrast High
Static Gamma +1
Color Temperature Medium

MPEG Noise Reduction Middle
DNR Middle

I use these settings I really like how the details just pop on this set when the settings are like this. The Backlight, Contrast and Dynalight are especially big contributers to how I like viewing things on this set.

Fantastic manual that pretty much explains all you need to know. Nothing, but great things to say about this HDTV.

I've had this television for a week now, and it has exceeded my expectations. In the interest of brevity, here's the total system I'm using and the pros and cons I've found with the television.

Display: Toshiba 32 HL67
HD Television source: Comcast's Motorola HD Receiver with DVR (connected via HDMI)
DVD: Toshiba HD-A2 (connected via HDMI)
Receiver: Pioneer Elite VSX-33TX (retired from a primary HT set-up, connected via the display's optical output and the HD DVD player's optical out)
Speakers: Assorted Boston Accoustics VR speakers (retired from primary HT)

Display cons:
Optical output is limited to Dolby Digital and PCM
Remote is cheap and the remote senor flaky
Remote has no out-of-the-box support for the same-brand HD player (come on, Toshiba, have a little faith)
Out-of-the-box picture settings are no one's idea of a "good picture." (too bright, too dark, too green, and do it yourself are your options)
1080i is sharp but prone to artifacts and choppy presentation (but I looked at many televisions in this price range, and that was true of them all).
Built in speakers are a little too bright.

Display pros:
Once calibrated, pure blacks, stunning greens and blues, sharp reds. I think this must be color heaven.
Cool backlight sensor works, dimming and brightening perfectly according the ambient light in the room (note- must be turned on from the menu- is not on by default).
Audio output is clear- the lipsynch technology keeps the voice and audio in perfect harmony, even when output through the optical.
Audio output also keeps commercials from blasting you out of the room (again, even through the optical, and, again, not turned on by default).
Maintains different settings between inputs.
Sleek cabinet design.

Test subjects/performance:

Live HD broadcast of the Avalanche vs. Stars game./Huh. That's a tooth in that pool of blood.
Live HD broadcast of Heroes./Nathan's facial hair is real.
DVR recording of Heroes./Or maybe not (stupid Motorola DVR I can't live without).
HD DVD Planet Earth./Suddenly I'm a teenage boy again. The only word that comes to mind is "Awesome."
Incredibles DVD (upscaled to 720p)./Wow. 1080what?
The Third Man DVD (previous Criterion single disc edition, upscaled to 720p)./Fan-freaking-tastic contrast.

Summation:
If you're in the market for television this size, get a method of calibration (Spyder has a great product or, if you're not into the hardware aspect of it, there are many discs that can help you get the picture into fantastic shape) and buy this TV. It's worth it.

We had our TV three months before it broke -- it started turning on and off on its own until it just wouldn't turn on again. We gave the TV to the service center (authorized by Toshiba) who told us the part they needed was back-ordered at Toshiba. Over two weeks later, we're still in the queue to have Toshiba simply look for the part, with no guarantees as to if or when they'll find it. We've had to make multiple phone calls just to get Toshiba to do anything at all -- and we've had to act as the middle man between the authorized service center and Toshiba. I definitely won't be buying another Toshiba TV after this experience!

I researched just about every 32" LCD I could find for about 2 weeks, and I was just about ready to buy a Samsung when I just happened to notice this TV. The first thing that drew me in was the price -- $780 was too hard to pass by. Then I noticed that I did not hear one bad thing about it, so I decided to go with it.

Let me just say that it was an amazing decision, as this TV has so much to offer for its price. Sure, it's not quite as sharp as some of the 1080i LCDs or plasmas for about $2,000, but you've got to be realistic about it. This TV costs literally less than half of that. Plus I just can't get over the fact that it not only has 3 HDMI inputs, it's also got a PC input which is awesome. I had been using S-Video to connect to my TV before... this is a drastic difference.

All in all it has a great picture, it looks awesome, and it's at an amazing price.