Toshiba 57H81 57 in. TV
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Similar in Projection Televisions
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 4:3 Enhanced 14:9
- Weight: 254 lb.
- Screen Size: 57 inch
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Toshiba 57 inch Television: A more semi-affordable HDTV option.
Pros
Big screen, easy to use, Beautiful picture.
Cons
Not bright enough, Susceptible to burn-in.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
A good television for the money but not the most durable piece of technology.
This is a 16x9 rear project television. You have the projection technology that projects and image on a screen.
Picture quality
I think my uncle's statement sums it up. "Projection televisions really have gone a long way." But they still have a little ways to go still. In my opinion it is definitely better than the first generation of plasma and the LCD projection televisions. But not CRT's (except the cheap ones) and some of the current LCD televisions I have seen.
For the money value, this is the way to go if you want a big screen television (as long as it does not die on you within the first 3 years.)
It is HDTV compliant and the picture is beautiful.
Two things to keep in mind is the brightness is not the best and the blacks are not as dark as CRT's.
Viewing angels?
Is fairly limited. The viewing range is ideal at around a 45-degree angle if you are at the same height as the television screen itself. Once you get past that you are losing some brightness. I do not feel comfortable sitting on the floor because some brightness is lost even at such a small angle. With about 6 people in the room and 4 of use playing Halo, this can be a problem. But for 3 people in the room the viewing angle is not a problem.
Viewing sizes.
You have 4 different viewing options. You have the normal full screen image (called normal) with grey lines on both sides of the screen. The second option (called full) stretches the screen so that a full screen image completely fills up the wide screen. This makes people look fat and I hate this option.
The third option (called theatre wide 1) removes the black lines on the top and bottom of movies but also cut off the sides to retain the true dimensions of the original source.
The fourth option (theatre wide 2) zooms in but cuts off the top and bottom of the full screen image. But for wide screen images (DVD and HDTV signals) there is nothing to cut off so this is the setting you will use for HD widescreen signals. You will also have the black lines on the top and bottom for most movies.
What is really nice about my Sony HD receiver is that it automatically sets the viewing size for you without you having to mess with anything (as long as the receiver is set to 1080.)
Is it too big?
For a small living room it is almost too big. Your average living room should be fine. Your average apartment will be too small.
Sound
Sound is ok, nothing special. You have two sets of speakers on the bottom sides of the cabinet, just below the screen. For movies and sporting events in 5.1, I use my 5.1 speaker system. For regular viewing I just use the speakers in the cabinet and have not experienced any problems with them, but my surround sound speaker system sounds a lot better.
The controls and remote
Like most modern video electronics, you need the remote. This controls all of the features. The remote also controls the timer, picture size, closed captioning, dual picture viewing, numbers, and mute. The remote is also backlit.
The remote also has a slider for a VCR and cable. It also has additional buttons for the vcr, play stop, ff, rew, still, and record.
The front of the television does have a power button, volume, channel, tv/video, touch focus, and access to the menu. It will control most functions except screen size, mute, and a couple of other minor functions that I never use.
Features
Still- You can freeze the picture. I found this feature pretty useless. The only time I used it was to freeze the instant replays in football, and I rarely used it then.
Dual picture viewing- It does not have picture in picture but it can show two composite/antenna inputs at once. Sound comes out of only one of then. If you have two feeds out of your non-HD receiver then you can watch two shows at once. My brother and I played Madden one Sunday while a boring football game was shown on the other side. It was a bit comical. My wife and I also played two different consoles at the same time a half dozen times during the first year we owned the T.V. I basically never used the feature past the first year of ownership since we got the HD receiver. This feature does not work with the HD signals.
V-Chip
parental 4 digit code Restrict access.
Languages English, French, and Spanish.
Automatic brightness adjustment- Depending on the brightness of the room, the TV will adjust the brightness automatically. It does work well.
Can the screen burn in?
This is a huge problem. We watched a combination of full screen DVD's, wide screen shows, and full screen shows and we did eventually get a burn in on the sides of the screen where the grey lines appeared during full screen viewing. If all you watched were DVD's and wide screen broadcasts then burn in should not be a concern. It was very noticeable when the projected image was lighter in color and did ruin the viewing experience. You should expect to pay over 200 to have the 1 screen replaced, including labor (there are actually 3 screens but I think we just need to replace the one. If it is more than one screen needing to be replaced than it will cost more.)
Problems with brightness
The television is not very bright so you will need to crank up the brightness. The problem with this is it increases the chance of having a burn in. This is what we experienced.
Inputs/outputs
You have 3 composite (or s-video) inputs. 2 in back and 1 in front.
You have 2 component inputs. Both in the back.
You have a component audio & video output as well as a separate audio only output.
There is also a center audio output.
Antenna output and 2 antenna inputs.
Does it need an antenna?
Yes. My antenna is plugged into my Sony DirecTV HD-SAT300 receiver not the tv but you can plug it into the antenna inputs.
Does it need an HDTV receiver?
Yes. It does not have a built in receiver and I use a Sony DirecTV HD-SAT300 receiver.
What I like
It is a big screen.
Good size for the money.
Easy to use and rolls around easily.
What I do not like
The brightness is not very high.
It is heavy (compared to flat screen).
Longevity was not good.
Not kid/flying toy friendly.
Not enough component hook ups (I need 5, 6 when Xbox 360 comes out.)
Is it a better image than an LCD projection television? A CRT?
In my opinion, yes. I actually like the image better than the LCD projection television a family member owns.
For the higher end CRT's the answer is a definite no. The CRT's have a higher brightness and better overall picture quality. The main problem is their weight, depth, and maximum size.
Durability
This is a fairly fragile item. The screen covering the speakers and the front access panel sometimes comes off if it is hit lightly. Also my son broke the clear plastic cover (the outer most screen.) The bulb (or something electronic) also went out in just over 3 years of use. The screen was also burnt in on the sides of the screen.
Problems and why we replaced it.
The first problem we had was the burn in. We lived with it but talked about replacing the screen for a while now. About 2 months ago my son threw a toy at the screen and cracked the top right of the screen. My wife did the research and found it would cost $400-$500 to have the screens replaced by a local repair shop. Just a week later the T.V. refused to turn on. There was no smell and nothing out of the ordinary; the red light just flickered in a disturbing pattern. The repair place did not feel it was a simple issue and would probably cost another $500 in addition to replacing the screen. I was a little uncomfortable paying $1000 to fix a used $1800 T.V., so my wife ended up buying a HDTV CRT a week ago.
We had the T.V. for just over 3 years and would not have expected it to burn out so quickly. When I make the time I'll do a little more research and see if I can fix it myself.
Who is this for?
Someone that wants a large screen HDTV but does not want to spend the amount of money it takes to get a plasma or LCD. It is also for someone that does not have a space issue.
If you want a nicer and crisper image then I recommend a high end CRT or a very expensive LCD. But only if you are a videophile.
Cleaning
You just need to dust it off from time to time. If you have kids then you will need to wipe it down with a soft cloth a couple of times a week. I highly recommend getting a non-glare covering to put in front of the screen if you have kids.
Warning about picture quality when you go shopping
Some stores do not display in HD format. They usually only display in a standard quality. So if you are comparing televisions, make sure you check the back of the television and make sure they are using the component cables (red, blue, green), not the composite (red, white, yellow).
I asked a salesman at Circuit City if they have a Component splitter. He said no but there are commercial versions that cost hundreds of dollars that they use and I could probably buy one of those online but they are expensive. This appears to be the main reason why stores like Best Buy only display in the old television format (composite or S-video.)
Weight and dimensions
Weight: 254 lbs.
Dimensions: 52 3/16 x 55 3/4 x 23 5/8
Summary
This is a good HDTV projection television for the average person. My only reservation in recommending it is the lack of longevity I have experienced. From what I have heard that is not an issue with these types of televisions but I'm not convinced. But if you want a big television and do not want to spend a lot of money then this is a good buy.
Other reviews you might be interested in.
Sony 46 in. HDTV LCD Television
My HDTV Antenna
Panasonic LCD HDTV
Sony WEGA HDTV
Nintendo Wii Gaming Console
Picture quality
I think my uncle's statement sums it up. "Projection televisions really have gone a long way." But they still have a little ways to go still. In my opinion it is definitely better than the first generation of plasma and the LCD projection televisions. But not CRT's (except the cheap ones) and some of the current LCD televisions I have seen.
For the money value, this is the way to go if you want a big screen television (as long as it does not die on you within the first 3 years.)
It is HDTV compliant and the picture is beautiful.
Two things to keep in mind is the brightness is not the best and the blacks are not as dark as CRT's.
Viewing angels?
Is fairly limited. The viewing range is ideal at around a 45-degree angle if you are at the same height as the television screen itself. Once you get past that you are losing some brightness. I do not feel comfortable sitting on the floor because some brightness is lost even at such a small angle. With about 6 people in the room and 4 of use playing Halo, this can be a problem. But for 3 people in the room the viewing angle is not a problem.
Viewing sizes.
You have 4 different viewing options. You have the normal full screen image (called normal) with grey lines on both sides of the screen. The second option (called full) stretches the screen so that a full screen image completely fills up the wide screen. This makes people look fat and I hate this option.
The third option (called theatre wide 1) removes the black lines on the top and bottom of movies but also cut off the sides to retain the true dimensions of the original source.
The fourth option (theatre wide 2) zooms in but cuts off the top and bottom of the full screen image. But for wide screen images (DVD and HDTV signals) there is nothing to cut off so this is the setting you will use for HD widescreen signals. You will also have the black lines on the top and bottom for most movies.
What is really nice about my Sony HD receiver is that it automatically sets the viewing size for you without you having to mess with anything (as long as the receiver is set to 1080.)
Is it too big?
For a small living room it is almost too big. Your average living room should be fine. Your average apartment will be too small.
Sound
Sound is ok, nothing special. You have two sets of speakers on the bottom sides of the cabinet, just below the screen. For movies and sporting events in 5.1, I use my 5.1 speaker system. For regular viewing I just use the speakers in the cabinet and have not experienced any problems with them, but my surround sound speaker system sounds a lot better.
The controls and remote
Like most modern video electronics, you need the remote. This controls all of the features. The remote also controls the timer, picture size, closed captioning, dual picture viewing, numbers, and mute. The remote is also backlit.
The remote also has a slider for a VCR and cable. It also has additional buttons for the vcr, play stop, ff, rew, still, and record.
The front of the television does have a power button, volume, channel, tv/video, touch focus, and access to the menu. It will control most functions except screen size, mute, and a couple of other minor functions that I never use.
Features
Still- You can freeze the picture. I found this feature pretty useless. The only time I used it was to freeze the instant replays in football, and I rarely used it then.
Dual picture viewing- It does not have picture in picture but it can show two composite/antenna inputs at once. Sound comes out of only one of then. If you have two feeds out of your non-HD receiver then you can watch two shows at once. My brother and I played Madden one Sunday while a boring football game was shown on the other side. It was a bit comical. My wife and I also played two different consoles at the same time a half dozen times during the first year we owned the T.V. I basically never used the feature past the first year of ownership since we got the HD receiver. This feature does not work with the HD signals.
V-Chip
parental 4 digit code Restrict access.
Languages English, French, and Spanish.
Automatic brightness adjustment- Depending on the brightness of the room, the TV will adjust the brightness automatically. It does work well.
Can the screen burn in?
This is a huge problem. We watched a combination of full screen DVD's, wide screen shows, and full screen shows and we did eventually get a burn in on the sides of the screen where the grey lines appeared during full screen viewing. If all you watched were DVD's and wide screen broadcasts then burn in should not be a concern. It was very noticeable when the projected image was lighter in color and did ruin the viewing experience. You should expect to pay over 200 to have the 1 screen replaced, including labor (there are actually 3 screens but I think we just need to replace the one. If it is more than one screen needing to be replaced than it will cost more.)
Problems with brightness
The television is not very bright so you will need to crank up the brightness. The problem with this is it increases the chance of having a burn in. This is what we experienced.
Inputs/outputs
You have 3 composite (or s-video) inputs. 2 in back and 1 in front.
You have 2 component inputs. Both in the back.
You have a component audio & video output as well as a separate audio only output.
There is also a center audio output.
Antenna output and 2 antenna inputs.
Does it need an antenna?
Yes. My antenna is plugged into my Sony DirecTV HD-SAT300 receiver not the tv but you can plug it into the antenna inputs.
Does it need an HDTV receiver?
Yes. It does not have a built in receiver and I use a Sony DirecTV HD-SAT300 receiver.
What I like
It is a big screen.
Good size for the money.
Easy to use and rolls around easily.
What I do not like
The brightness is not very high.
It is heavy (compared to flat screen).
Longevity was not good.
Not kid/flying toy friendly.
Not enough component hook ups (I need 5, 6 when Xbox 360 comes out.)
Is it a better image than an LCD projection television? A CRT?
In my opinion, yes. I actually like the image better than the LCD projection television a family member owns.
For the higher end CRT's the answer is a definite no. The CRT's have a higher brightness and better overall picture quality. The main problem is their weight, depth, and maximum size.
Durability
This is a fairly fragile item. The screen covering the speakers and the front access panel sometimes comes off if it is hit lightly. Also my son broke the clear plastic cover (the outer most screen.) The bulb (or something electronic) also went out in just over 3 years of use. The screen was also burnt in on the sides of the screen.
Problems and why we replaced it.
The first problem we had was the burn in. We lived with it but talked about replacing the screen for a while now. About 2 months ago my son threw a toy at the screen and cracked the top right of the screen. My wife did the research and found it would cost $400-$500 to have the screens replaced by a local repair shop. Just a week later the T.V. refused to turn on. There was no smell and nothing out of the ordinary; the red light just flickered in a disturbing pattern. The repair place did not feel it was a simple issue and would probably cost another $500 in addition to replacing the screen. I was a little uncomfortable paying $1000 to fix a used $1800 T.V., so my wife ended up buying a HDTV CRT a week ago.
We had the T.V. for just over 3 years and would not have expected it to burn out so quickly. When I make the time I'll do a little more research and see if I can fix it myself.
Who is this for?
Someone that wants a large screen HDTV but does not want to spend the amount of money it takes to get a plasma or LCD. It is also for someone that does not have a space issue.
If you want a nicer and crisper image then I recommend a high end CRT or a very expensive LCD. But only if you are a videophile.
Cleaning
You just need to dust it off from time to time. If you have kids then you will need to wipe it down with a soft cloth a couple of times a week. I highly recommend getting a non-glare covering to put in front of the screen if you have kids.
Warning about picture quality when you go shopping
Some stores do not display in HD format. They usually only display in a standard quality. So if you are comparing televisions, make sure you check the back of the television and make sure they are using the component cables (red, blue, green), not the composite (red, white, yellow).
I asked a salesman at Circuit City if they have a Component splitter. He said no but there are commercial versions that cost hundreds of dollars that they use and I could probably buy one of those online but they are expensive. This appears to be the main reason why stores like Best Buy only display in the old television format (composite or S-video.)
Weight and dimensions
Weight: 254 lbs.
Dimensions: 52 3/16 x 55 3/4 x 23 5/8
Summary
This is a good HDTV projection television for the average person. My only reservation in recommending it is the lack of longevity I have experienced. From what I have heard that is not an issue with these types of televisions but I'm not convinced. But if you want a big television and do not want to spend a lot of money then this is a good buy.
Other reviews you might be interested in.
Sony 46 in. HDTV LCD Television
My HDTV Antenna
Panasonic LCD HDTV
Sony WEGA HDTV
Nintendo Wii Gaming Console
