Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV

Review by Demand Curve for Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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I bought the TV after not knowing a lot of details about the model. It seems like Toshiba was purposefully not publishing the specs. I would imagine not to hurt its regza sales. Although Regza’s I think have 14bit processing and 3 HDMI ports. But then again all have 8 bit screens ….. It looks like the details have the screen res at 1366 x 768, with a response time: 8 ms.

I did notice that it does come with 10bit processing – this is a selling point for some other TV makers. So I bought it a bit on chance – plus it was available for amazon prime shipping. Big plus to have it here in two days. Without extra cost. I also live in CA – so no sales tax (At least from amazon :).

The TV has enough inputs for me. 2 HDMI are good for all I need – and the sound is really solid. It is pretty thin and looks nice with the piano black frame. I have only had it for a couple of days – so hard to say much more.

The picture looks fantastic when hooked up to HD Source (computer or HD antenna). Fired up half life 2 – lost coast and it looked great too – no ghosting that I could see – flawless game play visually.

I will update as I play with it more. No cables in box (but it does come with a power cord). Remote is actually very usable (but it will sit). I have a Tivo HD – and that works with the first remote code. The Tivo HD hooked right into the HDMI port and works perfectly to max res out of the gate. It wanted to go 1080i -but I put it back down to 720p. I may change that ….

Also – the base is not adjustable. So make sure you have a good solid surface at approximately the viewing height you want. Or you will have to wall mount it … 🙂

Overall – very pleased. Great quality tv (as far as I can tell) for a good price.

Review by No-Nonsense Consumer for Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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Wow. This has been a great experience. The picture is drop-dead beautiful. The sound quality is good too. Paying $679 is wonderful. TV was delivered within a few days. Super easy to plug in and play. Remote is logical. Couldn’t be happier with this purchase. Strongly recommend getting an HDMI cable (under $10 now) since the box doesn’t include video cables.

Review by Mrs. Wilson for Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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Update to Review: Once in a while we turn on the tv and the sound comes on with no picture. Luckily when it’s turned off and back on it usually comes on okay. Personally I don’t think one brand is really better than the next for reliability purposes. The newer tv’s just break easier. My suggestion is, if you plan on keeping a newly purchased tv for a long time, get a service agreement. I’m one of those people who NEVER buys a service agreement, but for tv’s I would reconsider that.

Original Review: I looked at a lot of tv’s before I bought this one. It had a picture closest to the top end tv’s but a reasonable price. I bought it in a local store and was able to get the box in the back seat of my economy car and drive it home without a problem. I am SO impressed with the clarity of the Hi-Def picture, along with pretty good sound. The sleek black “frame” makes the picture look even better. This one is a no-brainer. I haven’t owned it that long; if any issues arise, I will update my review. So far I am extremely impressed.

Review by Gordo for Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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Just got this TV yesterday. Ordered from Amazon on Thursday and it arrived Monday. What service! The Hi Def channels are great clear crisp and bright. I did not connect the set to my HD cable box. The auto tune picked up 26 digital channels directly from cable. I don’t think I’ll bother with a cable box on this set unless I decide I would like to watch the encoded channels. SD is good and about what you would expect. Sound is good, perfect for a bedroom. The remote and menu set up is simple and intuitive

The price is very competitive and good value for the money. At this stage I am pleased with the purchase.

I would recommend this set to anyone looking for a 32 inch LCD TV at a reasonable price

Review by W. Robertson for Toshiba 32AV500U 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
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I went to my local electronics store, planning to buy the Sharp LC32SB24U rather than this Toshiba. The sales person suggested, before buying, I do a side by side comparison view of the Toshiba 32AV500U and the Sharp LC32SB24U. The Toshiba was $40 more than the Sharp, and I figured it would be the typical upsell.

But comparing the image quality of the Sharp and Toshiba, the Toshiba won hands down. The Sharp definitely had a more “washed out” look, while the Toshiba picture was more vibrant with blacker blacks and greater contrast. I doublechecked that both sets were tuned to the same HD source, etc. Anyway this demo was enough to (up)sell me and I bought the Toshiba. It has been great.

This unit is for the bedroom and I don’t regret getting the 32″ instead of a 26″.

I didn’t know much about QAM tuners before buying, but what that means is that I can connect my Verizon FIOS cable directly into the TV (no converter box) and receive digital TV channels, some HD channels, and all the digital music channels, all without needing a converter box. Obviously with a converter box you get a better user interface (onscreen interactive program guide) and many more channels, but for the moment I am happy using the TV with direct cable connection (no converter box) and saving a few $ per month.

HD picture quality is so much better than regular digital TV — if you go to the expense of buying an HDTV (like this one) you really need to hook it up to receive HDTV or you are missing a whole lot.

I am not a videophile or audiophile but have to say that I would recommend this Toshiba very highly to anyone looking to spend between $600 and $700 for a 32″ HDTV.