Toshiba DVR660 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a Samsung digital TV (1080p), and with my new Toshiba DVR660 and an HDMI cable, I can turn HD programming into sharp DVD's that appear to match my 1080p picture pixel for pixel. (In actuality, the DVR660 records it to 480p and then upconverts it back to 1080p.) By the way, I get all my programming from a portable antenna, and the DVD recorder has an excellent HD tuner.
The VCR is adequate, giving me the same picture quality as the SONY which preceeded it. After seeing how easy it was to make a DVD recording, and how fabulous the results, I realized that I would never make a VCR recording again. It did an excellent job dubbing a VCR tape to a DVD.
Although I am not a computer programmer like the "Man from Happy Rock", who found it so difficult to use, I found that the machine was not so difficult to use at all, as long as you followed the instructions. One of the major complaints from Mr. Happy Rock was that the machine turns itself off after you use the "set timer" button. My brother, who IS a computer programmer, said that his Magnavox also turns itself off when you use the "set timer" function and that they all do this. He also said it took him 2 years to master his Magnavox!
I did have a couple questions the first day, and I called the Toshiba telephone number given for DVD recorders. My call was answered by a real person with an American accent within 30 seconds. She answered all my questions easily.
Before I purchased this recorder, I spent hours reading and re-reading the reviews for like products made by Sony, Samsung, Panisonic, JVC, Philips, etc. All the other products seemed to have fatal flaws, so I made the decision for Toshiba. I'm glad I did.

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DVD Recorder/VCR Combo with 1080p Upconversion with Built-in Digital Tuner

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Sony Bravia M-Series KDL-32M3000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this purchase. The TV has very good looks, sleek and discreet. The equivalent Samsung and Sharp had frames too shiny and looked cheap. The picture is great. SD cable looks very good. Audio is very good. Best of all is Sony reliability. My previous experience was the Samsung 30" SlimFit. That had bending issues at first and was replaced. Then it refused to turn on, and customer service was rude and unhelpful. The Slimfit has major reliability problems. I am very happy with this Sony that replaced it.
Adding to this review after 2 weeks of extensive use. I compared this TV to Sony's 37" KDF-37H1000 LCD projection TV. This 32" LCD TV won out because:
1. Sharper picture on HD signal - the KDF-37H1000 is a little more blurry. (Note the KDF-37H1000 picture is better than no-name brand LCDs). The Sony LCDs had better focus.
1a. LCD TVs have a brighter picture. The Sony TVs have 3 picture settings: i) Vivid (very bright, what you see in Best Buy, ii) Standard (less bright, what looks better at home), and iii) Cinema (softer, more reds and earth shades). On the KDF-37H1000, you have to set it to vivid to watch even at home. On LCDs, you have to reduce brightness becuase they're brighter pictures.
2. SD cable on LCD TV is much much better than on KDF-37H1000.
2a. Motion was much cleaner on the LCD TVs. Sports blurred on the KDF-37H1000. I watched a bit of "8 below" Disney's Alaskan adventure with lots of white dogs and snow, and it looked bad, blurry and soft on the KDF-37H1000.
3. LCD TV has much less depth. Looks sleeker. I also tapped my fingers and felt around the frames on the 2 TVs. The LCDs were firmer and fit better. The KDF-37H1000 frame was looser and cheaper materials like a toy.
4. Maintainence costs - the KDF-37H1000 will require $200-400 bulb replacement in 1.5 years. The sales people said this could even happen in less than a year due to bulb malfunctions, just like in a floor lamp or any lamp. Note, Sony is phasing out LCD projection TVs in favor of SXRD, Hence, parts for the KDF-37H1000 will become harder to find. The KDF-37H1000 lamps are already $400 (Sony parts are always costlier - look at their digital camera memories, compared to Canon's).
4a. The complex combination of chips, mirrors, projectors, lamps on a projection TV is more prone to break than the simpler LCD technology. I am an electrical engineer and design integrated circuits for a living.
5. The KDF-37H1000 generates more heat than LCD, but much less than plasma.
6. The KDF-37H1000 has moving parts, such as the cooling fan, etc., All of these are more prone to malfunction.
7. Consumer reports rates the LCD TV reliability higher than projection TVs after looking at consumer repair data. Projection TVs had higher rates of return and repair.
7a. The folks at Best Buy told me they saw higher rates of returns due to reliability on the KDF-37H1000 than on Sony's LCDs.
8. The LCD TV has higher pixel count 1368 X 768, compared to the KDF-37H1000's 1200 X 720. This leads to sharper picture and better focus.
9. Screen door effect on KDF-37H1000. When objects on screen moved, their individual pixels did not move as a group. The picture was constantly dissolving and reforming. Faces had spots that appeared and dissappeared.
10. 2-3 years from now, I can put the LCD TV on a dresser in my bedroom as a 2nd TV, or put it in my study as a computer monitor. Cannot do this with the KDF-37H1000.
11. Moving - when we move houses, the LCD TV will ride easily in the seat in my Honda Civic. Cannot do this with the KDF-37H1000, which will have to go in the back of the truck with my wife.
The KDF-37H1000 was better than the Sony LCD TV in terms of:
1. Sound was much better becuase larger speakers and probably more pwerful amp.
2. A few more features and options that I will not use.
3. Larger screen. However, you must sit further back to avoid seeing spots and motion blurs.
Note the KDF-37H1000 is an excellent TV and very reliable compared to no-name brands. Definitely more reliable than the Samsung Slimfit TVs. We just came out of a bruising warranty battle with Samsung, and their reliability and customer service is pretty bad. The KDF-37H1000 does look very good compared to Samsung or Westinghouse LCD TVs, which had cheap and shiny frames. However, the KDF-37H1000 is just not as good as Sony's 32" LCD TVs. If you want a bigger screen than Sony's LCDs, go 46" or 55" projection. The SXRD projection TVs had better motion. If you're thinking of 37", get an LCD.
One thing the KDF-37H1000 has going for it is Sony reliability. I work for IBM and we design integrated circuits for Sony's products. They require a 100 defective parts per million quality level from us. This is very good in the industry.

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Affordable Excellence BRAVIA HDTVs represent outstanding performance from the top of the line right down to where it all starts - M-Series. M-Series HDTVs have just the right amount of features, style and performance to make them a great entry level choice. It starts with the 16:9 high definition LCD display panel including a fast panel response time and excellent 178° wide viewing angles. The 3D comb filter reduces dot crawl and color imperfections for fine picture detail, The right connections to enable connection of the latest video sources. And then there's that famous BRAVIA style. A rich-looking space saving black cabinet wraps around the bottom mounted speakers and is accented by silver trim and mounted to the included silver pedestal. Now just about anyone can afford a BRAVIA HDTV!

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Samsung SyncMaster 192MP 19" LCD Monitor with TV Tuner (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been waiting to upgrade to an LCD monitor. After reading the review on Samsungs smaller *MP monitors, I knew that I wanted a built in tuner, but I also knew I wouldn't be as satisfied with a 17" LCD.
Read the announcement on this model months ago, but Samsung was forever getting it to market. Very happy I waited for it.
Picture is wonderful using the analog 15pin input, has DVI as well, but I probably won't bother with until I upgrade video card. Can't imagine that my picture will improve much.
Response time is faster that most LCD's. DVD's, online games, etc. look great. Every pixel works.
Was really suprised by the sound quality. I had planned to set up external speakers to enhance the sound. After hearing the sound on this, I'm not in any rush. The finest sound I've heard from any multimedia monitor. (and I've owned the incredible Toshiba with the built in subwoofer).
If you don't require or think you might want the built in tuner, Samsung has some similarly spec'd 19" lcd's that are more reasonably priced.
I'm glad I purchased this one.

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The SyncMaster 192MP from Samsung is a large 19-inch LCD monitor that comes loaded with extra features, such as a TV tuner and HDTV compatibility. Perfect for a wide range of personal and professional applications, the 192MP has a high-quality onscreen image and wide 170-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles. The external TV tuner lets you use the monitor as a fully-functional TV, while a picture-in-picture feature lets you watch TV and use the computer at the same time.
With a 1,280 x 1,024 maximum resolution, 25 ms response time, and 0.294 dot pitch, images are crisp and accurate, and a high 700:1 contrast ratio and 260 cd/m2 of brightness result in easy-to-see images and text. The 192MP supports a wide range of inputs through its 15-pin D-sub, DVI-D, S-video, component, and TV (antenna/cable) connections.
With a 17-by-7.8-inch footprint, the 192MP takes up very little space; the wall-mount option lets you free up your valuable desktop completely. The monitor consumes about 62 watts of power during normal operation and meets TCO '99 emission standards. Plug-and-play compatibility makes setup quick and easy. Compatible with both PC and Mac operating platforms, the 192MP also comes backed with by a three-year limited warranty on parts, labor, and backlight.
What's in the Box Monitor, base, 15-pin D-sub cable, power cord, quick setup guide, CD-ROM with user's guide and natural color/driver installation, warranty card, remote control, audio cable, DC adapter, two AAA batteries

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Samsung LNS2641D 26-Inch LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is intended to be a little technical, so if you want an easy description of this TV, this would be it: it's a great TV with features most entry level LCD buyers are looking for: great contrast, decent response time, good color reproduction and an extensive jack panel including a FANTASTIC VGA PC connection.
Here's the technical break-down of what I think makes this TV great:
1.) It's an PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) LCD panel. PVAs and S-PVAs (not usually available in this size) are my favorite over the other two common LCD panels: TFT (Thin Film Transitors) and IPS (In-Plane Switching). TFTs (used most commonly by Sharp) boast excellent response/lag time (usually around 6ms); however, they suffer from the worst color reproduction and artifacting problems. IPS panels (most commonly used by Panasonic) can be thought of as the older predecessor to PVA panels. While they boast excellent color reproduction and moderate contrast, they generally have the longest response/lag times (usually in the range of 12ms). PVA panels (used by Samsung and Sony) offer the best of both worlds with excellent color reproduction (keep in mind, color reproduction also depends on the set's lamp), the best in contrast, decent response times (usually around 8ms) and excellent viewing angles (up to 178* on S-PVA panels).
2.) It's made by Samsung. Samsung and Sharp have long been the leaders in LCD panel technology, investing large amounts of money into LCD R&D. Samsung can take a lot of the credit for the dip in prices of larger LCD screens with the construction of their generation seven LCD plant (the generation number of a plant refers to the size of the glass panels they are able to cut to use in TVs). Samsung built the plant and Sony rents/shares part of it. SAMSUNG DOES NOT MANUFACTURE SONY'S LCDs. This is a common misconception. Samsung owns the plant in which Sony does its glass cutting, but the panels are independently manufactured by each company.
3.) The PC connection is great. Many LCDs come with a VGA connector to attach a PC and use the TV as a monitor (recently, Sharp has been removing this feature from a lot of its TVs). What makes this PC connection great is that it will accept a full screen signal from a compatible video card, up to 1330 by 768 if my memory serves me correct. Many LCD TVs will only accept a 640 x 480 or 600 x 800 PC input.
4.) The matte black bezel. You might think this is purely a cosmetic perk, but it has serious implications! The whole reason that TV cabinets were originally black after the console era was because black draws the eye out, to make the screen appear larger and more vibrant. The 51 series that Samsung offers does boast higher qualitative statistics such as a wider color gamut and higher contrast ratio; however, I still like the 41 series better because the high gloss finish on the bezel of the 51 series is extremely distracting. Sharp started this trend last model year by offering glamourous "piano black" on their TVs, but think of this: a piano is beautiful because it has a high-gloss, COMPLETELY FLAT finish. The high-gloss finish on these TVs accentuates all the bumps and fluctuations in the plastic of the TV. It merely looks like high gloss plastic (that is far from completely smooth) instead of the glamoursly intended piano finish. LCDs are great for brightly lit areas because they absorb, not reflect, light like plasma TVs do. This high gloss finish makes a bigger difference than you might think.
5.) The remote is ergonomically comfortable. Anyone who has a Sony TV will tell you they're remote is confortable and easy to operate and anyone that owns anything JVC will tell you there are more words on the remote than in the manual. Samsung has developed a remote control layout this year that the company has used across the board on almost all their TVs. It's a perfect balance of functionality and ergonomics. And it looks great too...
6.) It's light. And it's lighter than most LCDs in this size, especially over Panasonic. Sony had issues with weight last year which that have since mildly addressed, but just compare the weight of this item to that of Panasonic's models as well as the depth. The Samsung is slim and light, making it easy to mount on the wall without fear of it pulling the wall in.And in closing, I wanted to address a previous review posted here: YOU DO NOT NEED AN AV SWITCH TO OPERATE THIS TV. Your connection set depends completely on what you are hooking the TV up to. In the case of Time Warner Cable, they use a box to descramble some channels, so a box is necessary. In most markets, a box is necessary from your cable or satellite provider to provide HDTV (this TV is an integrated HDTV, meaning it will receive high def broadcasts over the air if they are available in your market, but just like an old antenna, you have to be able to receive those signals; things, such as buildings, will interfere). Usually you will hook your box up to the TV via component cables or a single HDMI cable, depending on your cable or satellite provider. Hooking any TV up to standard cable with an RF cable IS ONLY GOING TO GIVE YOU STANDARD TV, unless your cable company provides un-encrypted digital cable. This is EXTREMELY rare because a box allows the cable company to encrypt pay stations. Unencrypted digital cable systems are usually only available in mass-purchase markets, such as on college campuses. Be sure you understand your connect scheme and HD availability before you purchase a TV or explain your setup to a store salesperson. Any QUALIFIED salesperson should be able to tell you what is right for you.
(BTW, I often get people asking me if I work for any specific company--I do not work for an electronics company; I'm still in college. I sell electronics at my summer/part-time job, but I sell lots of different brands and items, not just Samsung or any other brand.)

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If you're just entering the HD arena and don't want to break the bank on your first flat-screen television, the entry-level 26-inch Samsung LNS2641D LCD TV is a great fit for your budget and it offers many of the same video processing features as its higher end 51- and 52-Series siblings. It features an integrated HDTV tuner, 10-bit video processor, and a 3000:1 contrast ratio for smooth, vibrant pictures. It also includes dual HDMI inputs for simultaneous signal transfer of audio and video from digital devices and PC connectivity. The dual purpose pedestal stand can also be used as an articulating wall mount when it’s folded back. Additionally, the stand can be removed for wall-mounting via optional VESA compatible hardware (such as Samsung wall mounting kit WMTL2600).
The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time to dramatically reduce edge image artifacts while improving transition detail.
The LNS2641D features a stunning 3000:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 brightness rating (for brighter whites, deeper blacks, and every shade in between), a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution (for a widescreen 16:9 screen aspect ratio), 170-degree viewing angle, and a super-fast 8ms (millisecond) response time, which minimizes blurring of moving images and is especially helpful for sports and action movies. Other convenience features include:
Picture-in-picture (PIP) enables convenient simultaneous viewing of TV programs and video or PC sources.
Built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.
Parental Control (V-Chip) helps parents monitor what their children watch on TV by establishing rating limits.
Auto volume leveler keeps audio volume consistent during channel changing.
Multi-lingual on-screen displays in English, Spanish or French.

High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the speakers built into the sides of the TV. SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass. It produces 5 watts of power per channel (for 10 watts total) and offers the following connection options:
Composite (RCA audio/video): 2 inputs (1 on the side)
S-Video: 2 inputs (1 on the side)
Component (Y/Pb/Pr): 1 input
HDMI: 2 inputs
PC: 1 D-Sub15 input
RF: 2 inputs
Sound monitor output: 1
Digital optical audio ouput: 1
Headphone: 1
RS232 port: 1

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
TruSurround XT audio adds three new audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into Focus during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
The SRS WOW feature widens the soundstage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.
Component video (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound.
What's in the Box 26-inch LCD TV, tabletop stand, remote control (with batteries), AV cable, AC power adapter, printed operating instructions
Warranty 1 year parts and labor (90 days parts and labor for commercial use)

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Mitsubishi 3DC-1000 3D HDTV Starter Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)I got the Mitsubishi WD-65C9 65-Inch DLP TV in November and have been waiting for the Mitsubishi 3d kit. I was able to order this kit from RC Willey and it was delivered today! I hooked it up in a matter of minutes (I also have 3d ready Blu-Ray player) and turned it on. The kit comes with a dvd that previews upcoming 3d Blu-Ray releases and I have to tell you, it is pretty amazing. The 3d is really fantastic and I can not believe that I am able to have this in my living room!! I LOVE IT!!!! When we turned it on...all we could say was "Wow" over and over again. I have one blu-ray 3d dvd movie - Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs - I plan on watching it tonight with my kids. I highly recommend the Mitsubishi WD-65C9 TV and the Mitsubishi 3DC-1000 3D HDTV Starter Pack Kit. Can't wait for more releases!!!

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3D Technology Checklist
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Samsung LN37C550 37-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Beautiful looking set, great picture. BUT - steady buzz from back of set. Not very loud, but clearly shouldn't be there. When sitting in front of the TV with it turned on, you really can't notice. But if you turn volume down, or mute, it is clearly noticable. Called customer service - and she was clearly someone with barebones training. Most questions I asked her, she put me on hold and obviously checked with someone else. Anyway, bottom line is she came back to the phone and told me that 'that's normal; that's the way the set sounds'. I voiced my concern about this answer, but clearly was not going to get any further on this phonecall. Hung up. To be sure I wasn't being too picky, I had my wife and a brother come into den, where this TV is, and they both agreed that this was, in fact, NOT normal - at all! Called Samsung back, gave them history, and told the guy NOT to tell me this was 'normal'. He didn't. Instead he dispatched local repair shop. Several days later service guy arrived, and took set apart. He figured out which module was buzzing, and ordered one. Two weeks later he returned with an entire front panel of the TV. This includes new screen, frame, most of the guts (including buzzing component), less one board, and power supply. Samsung told him to order it that way, not just the "failing" component (?) Almost a new TV entirely! He put it all together, and guess what? The noise was still there, but now louder than ever! That was a few days ago, and here I sit with my now louder buzzing TV, that I can now hear, sitting in front of set with normal volume on. And Samsung says this is Normal !! Grrrrrrrrrr. The service guy now plans on ordering a new power supply, and replacing that. If that doesn't work, he thinks a new set entirely is in order! Except for 1 board where all the jack connectors are, the metal back panel, and the pedestal, isn't that what I already have?? ! To be continued....

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Make the move to the smoothest LCD action ever. Samsung's LN37C550 LCD HDTV offers incredible color and rich clarity, all on a 37-inch screen. Add the power of Samsung's Wide Color Enhancer, for a picture that optimizes a given color's hue, resulting in more natural rendering of colors and lifelike action. Samsung HDTVs are also ENERGY STAR compliant, helping the environment by using less energy while saving you money.

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