Toshiba 20A42 20 inch TV
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Similar in Standard Televisions
- Screen Size: 20 inch
- Built-in Tuner: NTSC
- Screen Type: Flat Screen
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Similar in Standard Televisions
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Nice 2nd (or 3rd) TV
Pros
Great picture. Very dependable. Nice price. Ease of setup.
Cons
Remote feels backward & has small number buttons (but works very well, otherwise).
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Great little TV, and I suggest you take a look at it if you're interested in a TV about this size.
My wife and I had a little Samsung TV/VCR combo TV in our bedroom for several years, but we kept having problems with it. One day, it finally died and just wasn't worth the cost of repair. After having had such a bad experience with that TV, I wanted to get something that would last.
So, of course, I went to Best Buy and Circuit City to scope out their stuff. I also went to Wal-Mart and even (shudder) K-Mart. I poked. I prodded. I annoyed salesmen. I watched.
I was mostly leaning toward a flat-screen in the 20-25 inch range, but I had no real preference for brand. Somewhere in the process, we decided to buy two TVs so that we could replace the one in our bedroom and also put one in the rec room (so we could have the TV on while we worked out). This made price a pretty big consideration.
After much shopping, I stumbled on the Toshiba 20A42. It has two sets of a/v input jacks, one on the front and one on the back. This is great for us because we like to network a couple of xbox's and play. With the front jacks, we don't have to unhook the dvd player, and access to the front jacks really spoils you if you are ever without them (like, say, when visiting family over the holidays).
The price was great on the TV. It was about $180 at the time I bought them (Fall of 2002). It is now almost Summer 2004, and I have had no problems whatsoever with either of them. Both still have crisp pictures. The sound is still excellent.
While in the stores, I was first attracted to a couple of the Sonys and a flat-screen Toshiba. But the 20A42 had such a clear picture and low price that I would have been foolish to buy something else for our purposes. I also think it looks pretty good.
It is cable-ready, of course (181 channel tuner). Setup is very easy. And it has true stereo sound (although this isn't really necessary on such a small TV). I also like how it looks. The silver metallic case is very attractive, in my opinion.
The remote is functional, but always seems backward in my hand due to the tapered end (the infrared unit is on the more blunt end; but I still find myself pointing the tapered end toward the TV from time to time). The numbered buttons are annoyingly small, but that seems to be the norm these days. The directional pad (for up/down channel and volume control) is well-sized, well-placed and intuitive, unlike many remotes that make you search entire pad to find the volume. The "channel return" button would be better if it were a bit larger and not located along the bottom row of the numeric buttons. The buttons glow in the dark, which is helpful. Another nice thing is that we don't seem to go through that many batteries for the remotes, despite constant use.
The menu system is very easy to use (much more easy than my larger RCA). You can also add subtitles (English, Spanish, or French). It also is enabled for closed captioning.
Other neat stuff: V-chip (never used it, but that's important to some folks). Sleep timer. Memorized backup (so you don't lose your settings or channels if the power goes out). Lock feature - for channels, video input and game timer.
We've even strapped both of 'em in the back of a truck to take to a party (private room in a restaurant). They have helpful built-in handles on the side and are light enough to move easily.
So, of course, I went to Best Buy and Circuit City to scope out their stuff. I also went to Wal-Mart and even (shudder) K-Mart. I poked. I prodded. I annoyed salesmen. I watched.
I was mostly leaning toward a flat-screen in the 20-25 inch range, but I had no real preference for brand. Somewhere in the process, we decided to buy two TVs so that we could replace the one in our bedroom and also put one in the rec room (so we could have the TV on while we worked out). This made price a pretty big consideration.
After much shopping, I stumbled on the Toshiba 20A42. It has two sets of a/v input jacks, one on the front and one on the back. This is great for us because we like to network a couple of xbox's and play. With the front jacks, we don't have to unhook the dvd player, and access to the front jacks really spoils you if you are ever without them (like, say, when visiting family over the holidays).
The price was great on the TV. It was about $180 at the time I bought them (Fall of 2002). It is now almost Summer 2004, and I have had no problems whatsoever with either of them. Both still have crisp pictures. The sound is still excellent.
While in the stores, I was first attracted to a couple of the Sonys and a flat-screen Toshiba. But the 20A42 had such a clear picture and low price that I would have been foolish to buy something else for our purposes. I also think it looks pretty good.
It is cable-ready, of course (181 channel tuner). Setup is very easy. And it has true stereo sound (although this isn't really necessary on such a small TV). I also like how it looks. The silver metallic case is very attractive, in my opinion.
The remote is functional, but always seems backward in my hand due to the tapered end (the infrared unit is on the more blunt end; but I still find myself pointing the tapered end toward the TV from time to time). The numbered buttons are annoyingly small, but that seems to be the norm these days. The directional pad (for up/down channel and volume control) is well-sized, well-placed and intuitive, unlike many remotes that make you search entire pad to find the volume. The "channel return" button would be better if it were a bit larger and not located along the bottom row of the numeric buttons. The buttons glow in the dark, which is helpful. Another nice thing is that we don't seem to go through that many batteries for the remotes, despite constant use.
The menu system is very easy to use (much more easy than my larger RCA). You can also add subtitles (English, Spanish, or French). It also is enabled for closed captioning.
Other neat stuff: V-chip (never used it, but that's important to some folks). Sleep timer. Memorized backup (so you don't lose your settings or channels if the power goes out). Lock feature - for channels, video input and game timer.
We've even strapped both of 'em in the back of a truck to take to a party (private room in a restaurant). They have helpful built-in handles on the side and are light enough to move easily.
