Price Paid:  $349.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I read a number of online reviews before settling on this set. I tried to make comparisons in the store, but this can be very challenging due to the signal material they feed the sets and whether or not someone has been tweaking the settings. Regardless, I felt the Toshiba seemed to offer good picture quality for the money and so I brought it home. Once I got it set up and tweaked the factory settings, I became concerned by a few things: 1. There seemed to be more geometric distortion than I had anticipated. It was very noticable when viewing one of those news channels with the tickertape at the bottom. The image bent sharply down to the left. 2. The screen through a standard tuner and video input was darker than I prefer, however the image through the component inputs was great. 3. I had trouble getting tint settings that made me happy. 4. There was a dynamic (changing) bow tie effect though the color stream input, that seemed to change based on program material. It was especially noticable in material with vertical lines. I had no idea if these were just typical problems of sets in this price range or if I had a lemon. I took the set back to the store and swapped it out for a new one. While I was there I began to scrutinize the other sets, including ones much more expensive (such as the Sony Wega). I soon realized that I may actually have picked the best of the lot. The replacement set was better. Less (different?) geometric distortion and better reds/greens (I didn''t have to overcompensate with tint as much). But it could still use some tweaking. I bought the service plan so I didn''t have to hall the set back in (call me a sucker). I may have the tech come out and see if he can dial out a few of the remaining bugs such as geometric distortion. I guess I was just looking for too much in this price range and as I said, I didn''t care for TV''s costing $200+ more any better. It really is a good set by comparision despite my nitpicking. I am planning to switch to satellite TV soon, which may overcome some picture quality concerns from the tuner by using the S-Video input - we''ll see. I''d recommend you take a good look at this set if you''re looking for a 27" TV in the $300-$400 price range.

Strengths:
Excellent variety of inputs. Great picture though component inputs. Reasonable price.

Weaknesses:
Some geometric distortion (but better than most), screen a bit dark. Weak sound.

Price Paid:  $350.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Well, no major dislikes with this one. In fact I rather like it. I wish I had waited for a better price. I wish the sound was better from its speakers, but I like to listen through my receiver anyway, and that sounds great. When I change channels there is a bit of a temporary jump in volume, which I can deal with just fine. As others have mentioned, the remote is ok, but the placement and simularities in size of the buttons make them slighty awkward to use. wish there was a seperate button for each A/V input, so you don't have to press the same button to pass through the different video inputs to get to where you are going. On the plus side, this has a great near-flat picture, and the whole design and inputs are wonderful. The set-up is easy.

Strengths:
Attractive, simple design, great color, bright, vivid picture, extra imputs, PIP.

Weaknesses:
The on-screen display is too bright and fuzzy. Difficult to exit the display when on. The reset button has been pushed a few times instead of the exit button, because of the simular placement and size. Reset button should have been placed out of the same area. No headphone jack. Sound from front-firing speakers lack any real bass depth or significant highs.

Similar Products Used:
Toshiba 20-inch that I owned for about 15 years before it's collection of minor difficulties turned into major ones. I believe it had better sound than this one!

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Worst Buy

Summary:
Picture is pristine once calibrated. Color is vivid and breathtaking, so vivid in fact...max contrast is too much for your eyes!!! Blacks are REALLY black, i like the fact you can be in a compleatly dark room and not be able to tell if the TV is on or not when no input is feeding it....thats how black it gets. When using S-Video and Component, flicker and moire and other artifacts are just about non existant(with perfect calibration...they ARE non existant), its a real treat on the eyes, text is sharp and you dont have to strain, whitch is a blessing because i watch alot of subtitled Anime (japanese animation)
This is the kind of TV you would use to review source material!

The factory settings on this unit are absurd. But this only means spending 5 mins calibrating it. Great front fireing speakers, although still crappy TV speakers, theyre good tv speakers...if that makes any sense.

More than ample inputs....drumroll please...

2 rear composite
one front composite
rear S video
rear component
and the coaxial

SIX inputs!

Composite is just adverage, S-video and Component are simply breathtaking on this unit....PS2 heaven.



I have something i must say, this will definately ruffle some feathers and make some fur stand on end.

Wegas and most flatties are overrated and overpriced.

Seriously, when you think about it, the only reason Wegas are so popular is because it has become "cool" to own Sony products, Wegas included. Wegas have that very annoying problem where lines are very evident, meaning playing games on them is a nightmare. Anyway, i dont feel like going on and on about it. In the end, it doesnt matter if its flat or not.

Anyone looking for a amazing, Wega destroying, bang-for-buck TV for videogames and DVD and such, the Toshiba 27A51 is amazing. If your buying a new TV, this is your best bet. The qualilty is even better than some of the 700$ flat screens, and you can get it at best buy for like 320ish.

Strengths:
Wega killing picture. INPUTS! Component and S-Video on This tv is amazing. INPUTS! Its amazing you're a gamer or AV nut. Oh, did i mention.....INPUTS!

Weaknesses:
Mediocre composite quality (but still better than adverage!!!) slight delay when changing channels, but evryone uses a cable box anyway. Ridiculous factory settings wich can be easly calibrated
Not flat screen ( but so what, the picture quality kills wegas!)
weird remote

Similar Products Used:
1988 Sharp, Symphonic 20" (worst tv ever) friend's wegas, trinitrons, etc

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Have you ever shopped for an item, and found something that really stood out from the competition? This Toshiba set might be just that item.

A little background.. I have been a Sony buyer since my college days 20+ years ago, but this time around I was replacing a tired Zenith console set from 10 years ago which owed us nothing at all. Given the hours put on the location the Zenith way - I opted to move my 27" V series Sony I bought a few years back... and buy a cheapie to get by with in the den (where the HT setup is).

My shopping was limited to a new Best Buy store (all sets were still with factory default settings) and this Toshiba set was clearly the best of the budget lot. In particular there was less geometric distortion which plagued most of the $300 area budget 27" sets. Letterbox video was the biggest giveaway to how bad these budget sets are... but I was really limited on cost this time around.

Enter the Toshiba - not only did it retain the best, squarest picture, it did not bloom-out as bad as most did (due to weak power supplies), the sound was acceptable for voice (has bass/treble and volume leveler - no psudo-surround) and WOW, talk about imputs! 2 sets of A/V in the rear including S video and "Colorstream" component video.. plus video3 on the front! Add A/V OUTPUTs and as a bonus, this set is barely larger than the CRT, which can really make a difference in some cabinets.

The picture at home - shockingly good! Focus is dead-on right as is convergence. Text is kept sharp assuming levels are set correctly - which is not the case with the factory settings... you need shades to see this set right out of the box. PIP works well, and has 2 sizes as a bonus (but no video adjustments).

My only minor complaints are an akward remote control (PIP controls are hidden within several same-size, no-contrast buttons), and the OSD menus are insanely over-bright to the point the text blooms and the picture pulls in where the adjustment bar-graph is shown across the lower screen. Once setup with the contrast and brightness "dialed down", this is a non-issue.

Overall I am thrilled! I only paid $299.97 for this set due to a sale price and extra discount coupon (normal price was $350) and for that I could not possibly ask for more.

Strengths:
Amazingly good picture, ample inputs and outputs including component video, dirt cheap price.

Weaknesses:
Poor remote layout, OSD over-drives video.

Similar Products Used:
midrange and higher-end Sony as well as a Zenith.