Great Picture even out of box. Required only minor tweaking. Picture has remained consistently excellent with S-video connections. Poor on the non S-video VCR.

All remotes seem to be pretty worthless and require at least one specialized feature that prohibit using just 1 remote for all sources.

I researched A LOT and finally settled on this set as the centerpiece of a home theater. It offered the best pirce to picture quality ratio for me. As a Satellite user and huge sports fan it is awesome. Many of the hdtvs are simply not compatible with 4:3 unless they stretch the picture beyond recognition.

Similar Products Used:

none I would call similar

Best Value Product, Great Picture, Individual Video Input and Memory

Screen Protector not Included.

I've researched buying a larger TV for two years and was as confused as everyone else. I finally settled on this non-HDTV choice as a best value. Since my viewing habits are mainly DVD movies and HDTV won't be available in my area for at least five years, I decided to go this route. I considered a 4X3 HDTV RPTV but for the extra money I decided it wasn't worth it, especially as many of them aren't perfected yet. My history shows I turn products over every 6-8 years, so I figured I'll enjoy this big screen then get a widescreen model in a few years when they are cheaper and have the bugs worked out.
I chose the Toshiba 50A50 after rehearsing several models in the store with my own DVD player, movies and S-video (I found out if you wait on them to supply the stuff you'll be very frustrated, at least at box stores). I looked at the Sony, Toshiba 43",50" and 50"HDTV and they were nice but the 50" looked just as good and was cheaper $1899 Canadian(it worked out better for me as the 50A50 has rollers and it sits between two large wall units. My center channel speakers sits on top and would be too deep for the 43" model.
As is the case with all larger TV's you benefit from a bigger, brighter picture but will also see deficiencies in the picture. A well mastered DVD looks awesome,while most VHS and poorly done DVD's are tough to look at, but again this is not the TV's weakness. I use AR Component Video cables and DVD's look great. I sit about 11" away and depending on the movie and tv's calibration you may see some scan lines, but usually not enough to be annoying, and believe me, I am pretty picky. I'll keep my fingers crossed, as I have had no problems so far, but purchased a six year extended warranty just in case.
AS a hold over till widescreen/HDTV takes a stronger hold and becomes more affordable this model is well worth a look, especially if you are a DVD lover.

Similar Products Used:

Toshiba 27",NEC 20"

Great picture, Easy set-up

None

I did substantial research on rear-projection TV's before settling on this one. Bought at Best Buy and was delivered the next day. I also purchased the Video Essentials DVD to use to tweak to picture. Out of the box, and as expected, the picture was way to bright, noisy and contrasty. I popped in the VE DVD into my Toshiba 1600 and after a couple of hours had a picture that rivaled anything I had ever seen, even in HD digital. I very pleased with this purchase and would heartily recommend it to anyone who is willing to take the time and set it up properly.