Toshiba 32AV502U 32" HDTV LCD TV

I was so happy going to Best Buy, to purchase this television, along with my Xbox 360, and several video games. Over the year I had behaved myself by not purchasing a lot of high priced electronics, and after a somewhat cursory approval from my wife, I was off to my toy store to purchase these new items for my new lair. My wife's influence is all over our house, as she is very fashionable, and I'm just a blue jeans and t-shirt type of guy. While I have agreed that no taxidermy will be placed anywhere in our house, I needed to have an area to unwind after work. That is why I purchased these items, which included a Toshiba 32AV502U 32" LCD TV.

I have had a lot of luck with Toshiba products over the year, and I do have some loyalty to them, since I did security work for them while going through college. They had a fabrication plant where their computer chips were manufactured, that I worked at in my early twentys, and I was impressed by what I learned about their quality control standards. There was a fair amount of free time to become educated on this, when I wasn't standing next to the liquid hydrogen truck or with machines that had sulfuric acid running through them, and I've had plenty of their computers, televisions, and other devices over the years.

This kind of brand loyalty was earned, because I have never had a problem with anything from Toshiba.....until now. I was thrilled to get this television on sale for $479.99 without having to stand in line on Black Friday, and was much happier to carry this on my shoulders, than several of our larger televisions that could be best described as a full cardio workout. This model only weighs in at 32 pounds, which is another reason why I love LCD's over those old cathode tube models of years past. After getting it home, I was also satisfied with the easy installation.

As many of you are aware, getting a LCD TV set up can be a chore. I despise having to do any kind of work that requires sweat, when it involves electronics, by putting my upstairs television into the base was a rather **** busting affair. This television was real simple, and the base already had the screws put into it, so all it requires was a bit of alignment. On a lot of televisions, I have needed someone to help me, but I was able to get this taken care of by myself. You don't need any tools with this, so I had this television up and running quicker than any one I've had yet.

The first thing that impressed me with this television was the crisp, clear picture. Although this television was purchased to be my video game television, I first put a Star Wars movie on to see what it could handle. I'm not an electronics expert by any means, but I could not tell the difference between this 720 HD with the 1080 HD's that I saw at the store. The dark images were absolutely beautiful, which I believe are enhanced by the black cabinet that encases the screen, and the lighter images had plenty of sparkle without cutting on visibility. I have a much bigger television upstairs that is used for movies, and I actually liked this one much better, so I decided to watch Stargate on it. The picture quality for movies blew me away, and I was so happy with my purchase, that I thought I might just have to use this for more than the Xbox 360. The only problem with the black cabinet though, was that you did have to dust it every couple of days, but it was more than worth it for these capabilities.

For regular television programming, I was pleased with it as well, as I did watch several sporting events on it. Football games looked incredible, and I felt like I was actually in a seat at the stadium, that was not in the nosebleed section. I have some problems following hockey, because like a lot of viewers, it is hard to see where the puck is. No, I'm not that idiot that goes to a hockey game asking where the red circle is, but it is helpful to have this device during several plays of each game. This television actually helped me keep track of where the puck is, because even with the fast movements of the cameras used to film the game, my television kept up with them. There was no blurring of the images, and no problems with the colors either, if these images were quick also.

For video games on my new xbox 360, I was very satisfied with this television. I play a lot of games that strain any television, such as Mortal Kombats and Madden Football, so I wasn't expecting anything different than what I've dealt with before. There were going to be times that the gameplay would be a bit delayed, and there would be color blurs, and some inevitable streakiness of characters and action pieces. This television handled full hand to hand combat on Mortal Kombat vs DC beautifully, and I just sat back in amazement while my brother and a friend had some rounds on it. The images are so crystal clear, that it almost takes your breath away, and I was distracted by how pretty the games looked at a few points.

Sound quality was fantastic as well. A lot of televisions, even some that carry a premium price tag, do require a surround sound system to properly amplify the experience. I didn't have this attached to my receiver, and I was very happy with what it offered. You can adjust the settings easily on the television, if you actually want to stand up, or do this with the remote control. The bass is so strong, that it actually made the table next to the television shake, so it is fine for most even without a complex set up. It was great during movies, as it allowed for the sounds to be dispersed in a way that you could discern what was happening, and there was no tinniness with any format. It was an absolute joy with Rock Band 2, as it allowed my guitar playing and drums to annoy everyone upstairs.

This noise and image quality was a benefit, but getting the xbox 360 attached, because the hookups in the rear are difficult to reach. They are located in a small compartment in the bottom rear, and you will need a flashlight to see where you are attaching your electronics devices, even in optimally illuminated conditions. Its a real hassle having to jam wires in there, because there is no space between the connections, and you have to place everything at a strange angle to get them in there. I also found the buttons for channels and volume, that are on the side, to be a bit awkwardly placed, and you have to put some muscle into these to use them.

As a lazy male, that has nightmares about televisions of years ago that did not have remote controls, this had one of the best I've ever seen. Now I'm sure you might be wondering why I'm referring to this television in past tense, but the one thing I wish in addition to its picture quality and sound, was that I could have kept this remote control. The remote for this television fits perfectly in the palm of an average hand, as is one of the most lightweight I've ever held. It could be considered in the featherweight line of remotes, and I like how the mode selector was an easy to move knob, on the very bottom part of it. The buttons were large enough to allow for easy selections, but were also spaced in such a manner, that you wouldn't accidentally flip to the wrong network or setting.

The remote control was also glow in the dark, which was helpful for finding it quickly, when it was hidden under the couch or other dark area downstairs. I totally loved the menu controls, as a lot of HDTV's have been so complicated, that I have to consider them user friendly. My limited knowledge of electronics products might be responsible for some of this, but I want something that will employ the KISS THEORY. The Menu button resolved all issues with this television, from contrast and color settings, to what mode you want the television in. This made life a lot easier, and I liked this one powerful button feature due to this. The remote runs off of two AA batteries, which were in the box.

This television sadly lasted only three weeks, and although it did have a lot of heavy usage, you shouldn't be able to kill one in this time frame. One night while I was playing Rock Band 2, a brilliant flash of green colors flashed across the screen, and it made a loud noise that actually made me jump. There was a rather nasty, acidic smell emiting from the unit, so I turned it off to give it a rest. The next day I realized I had a major problem, since it would light up like it wanted to work, but it had no display. After bringing it back to Best Buy, one of the Geek Squad Guys was called up to take a look at it. He said, "Let me guess, its a Toshiba 32". That caught my attention, and he told me that he had quite a few of these getting returned, and he said he would exchange it for another.

I'm not sure who to blame on this, as there are lemons that are turned out by quality brands, from time to time. However, when the lady helping me after he checked it out asked if I wanted the same television, my answer was a rather strong "No." Instead I purchased a Samsung 32", which cost a bit more, but has now worked for a longer period than this one did. Its a shame because I really loved this Toshiba Television, because it did have the best picture and sound quality I've seen for a product in this price range, but after my experience and talking to the Geek Squad Guy, I'm a bit leery of them now.

If you want to risk it, and do purchase this television, I'd recommend getting an extended warranty if possible. It does offer a lot of value for the money if it works, and the two high definition multimedia interfaces, and digital picture noise reduction are great features.
You'll also be buying an Energy Star Product, which allows your conscience to feel at least somewhat green, and perhaps save a few bucks on your electric bill each year. Its a shame that this product blew up, because I really liked it, and was so happy to have this attractive television in my play area. However, I am now satisfied with my new television, and hope that it will not blow up like this one did.