
Background:
My wife bought me a 15.4" Polariod LDC TV for Christmas. We were both so disappointed with the picture that we quickly returned it. After looking at a lot of different TVs in the store and much research, I settled on this 15.6" Toshiba. The DVD player was not a factor because we already had one. Overall I am very happy with this unit. I would not hesitate to buy this TV again
Pros:
- Excellent viewing angle. I can look at this at almost any angle and get a very reasonable picture.
- I think the picture is wayyyy better than the Polaroid (junk). Actually it is excellent for this class of TV (note I said for it's class), but I do think that the colors are slightly off. I haven't had time to properly calibrate with a reference disc yet, but it's good enough now that it doesn't bother me and I'm accustomed to a properly calibrated Cinema series CRT TV in the living room.
- DVD player is a great bonus (and I like that it is slot-load, I think trays are too flimsy).
- Cabinet looks and feels nice.
- Sound is excellent for it's class
- I love the slot-load DVD player.
- 15.6" is just the right size next to the bed. Any bigger would strain my eyes.
Cons/complaints:
- The DVD player motor can be a bit noisy. I don't think it's any louder than a lot of home DVD players. It wouldn't bother me if I was across the room, but this set is not intended to be used close up so I think the player motor should be a bit quieter.
- Remote control should be back lit. I love the remote actually, It is pleasing to hold, weight is right, button layout and ergonomics are all good, (other manufacturers take note, this is how to do it right) I just can't read the buttons in the dark. This is my only complaint about it.
- Power light. Why did they make a huge, distracting light just below the picture? Okay, it's not that bad; one quickly adjusts to it and forgets it is there, but still, why? At night, I have a bright red LED pointed at my eyes when the TV is off.
- The AC cord plugs in behind a protective cover. This is not a complaint, just a question: Why did they think to provide a cover for the AC cord and leave nothing to manage the other dozen cables coming from the back? In my case the component cables were very loose (cheap cables provided by my cable company). I ended up tying them to the coaxial cable to prevent them from falling out and make the back look prettier.
- No HDMI input. Granted; it's not the centerpiece of a home theater, but still, how hard is it to add one?
- Base/stand isn't adjustable at all.Get more detail about Toshiba 15LV505 15.6-Inch Widescreen LCD TV with Built-in DVD Player (Black).