Price Paid:  $1450.00 from Belmont TV

Summary:
I purchased the Toshiba after doing a fair amount of research on 36-inch TVs. I was actually going to buy the 36-inch JVC for less than $1,000, but didn''t like the way it looked as much as I did the Toshiba. I didn''t really consider the 36-inch Sony WEGA TV because I didn''t see that it was worth $300 more than the Toshiba. In addition, I''m not the biggest Sony fan--except for their cream of the crop TVs, their TVs tend to be connector starved. On the Toshiba I have yet to experience the dreaded moire problem that has impacted some Toshiba Cinema Series TV owners.

Strengths:
Picture quality, ample offering of connections on back.

Weaknesses:
Sound! The speakers on the TV are side firing, making for a very frustrating listening experience. I''ve noticed this quite a bit in playing DVD movies--I would have to turn the volume way up to hear dialogues, then way down when action sequences are unfolding (suffered through this while watching "The Matrix"). It got so frustrating that it pushed forward my getting a nice home theatre setup to incorporate the Toshiba into. What a difference that has made! The Toshiba''s remote is a bit on the large side. In addition, it''s a bit too cumbersome having to hit the TV/VIDEO button to toggle through the different viewing modes. Weight! This TV is a back-breaker, weighing in at something like 180 lbs. If you do purchase it, make sure you have at least one burly friend with a large SUV. Loosen up beforehand to minimize the risk of injury from lifting!!

Similar Products Used:
32-inch Sony (only 1 S-Video connector!)

Price Paid:  $1300.00 from HH Greg

Summary:
I purchased a Toshiba mainly because of the name. I was watching a 1989 Mitsu which was a fantastic TV but was well past it's prime. When I first hooked the TV up I was thrilled, however I was comparing the picture to an 89 Mitsubishi. Right after I bought this TV I found this site because I was also looking for a DVD & a new receiver. After reading the site I started to look at JVC's & fell in love with the D-series. The JVC's picture is twice as crisp and the remote is 100 x's better, I now have the 32" in my bedroom. I have experienced the famous morie problem (mainly during sporting events) but in all fairness I'm not sure if I would of noticed it if it wasn't brought to my attention. I plan on selling the Toshiba and buying a 36 JVC for the family room. Better price better everything! Oh & the remote is very bad my mitsu lasted 12 year. I don't think this one will last 4 & it didn't even work well when it was brand new.

Strengths:
Very few strengths compared to TV's of the same price.

Weaknesses:
Morie, remote is very poor, picture sharpness

Similar Products Used:
JVC D Series, older Mitsubishi

Price Paid:  $1150.00 from American TV

Summary:
My TV worked well right out of the box. I have had NO problems with MOIRE. One slight issue is that the picture is slightly distorted. I only notice this if a square border is around something on the screen...for example during a sporting event when they present stats on something. You can see that the box should be perfectly square, but it is slightly distorted on the sides. Also, the whole picture seems to be off center to the right...but just ever so slightly. The average person wouldn't notice.
I also had one glitch about 4 months into use. My mother-in-law turned the TV on and the picture was so blurry you couldn't tell what was on. I left the TV on for 10 minutes and the focus came back in. The strange thing is, this has not happened again...and the picture seems clearer than it did before this happened! (I think my mother-in-law caused it:o)).
My biggest issue is the switching time when changing stations. It is very annoying the time it takes between changes. Also, the remote is terrible.
Other than the facts stated, I really enjoy the TV. I went to the store wanting a SONY WEGA, but this was $500 less and appeared to be more forgiving on bad video sources such as REGULAR CABLE and VHS.

Strengths:
Picture quality... Very sharp and plenty of contrast. Good quality speaker system.

Weaknesses:
My biggest complaint is the switching time between channels and video sources. (I'm getting a new A/V receiver which will remedy the video source switching problem by doing the switching itself). The remote is not very good for this price range. VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE! VERY HEAVY... NO HAND GRIPS!

Similar Products Used:
My first new TV in 10 years. Many months of research though.
Narrowed my search to the TOSHIBA or the SONY WEGA.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from Video Only

Summary:
I had already bought this TV but had not yet had it delievered when I came to this site and read all the reviews about this set. I was scared after reading about all the moire issues and thought that maybe I had made a mistake. I finally got the TV and went over it with a fine tooth comb and for the month now that I have had the TV, it has been perfect. No sign of moire in the least. I could not be happier with the set. I play a ton of video games which is one of the main reasons I got this TV and they all look fantastic. The front A/V inputs make hookup for my many different consoles painless and the built in Cyclone sub is quite impressive. I would highly recommend this TV based on my own experience with it. I am fortunate to not have the moire issue and I noticed from some of the other reviews that I am not alone. Maybe its just the luck of the draw. I feel for anyone who spent that kind of money and has to deal with such an issue as moire.

Strengths:
Very clear and sharp picture, incredible built in sound, A/V inputs in front, composite inputs.

Weaknesses:
None except maybe for the very bright red light in the front. I have seen no signs of moire at all.

Similar Products Used:
JVC 27" inch

Summary:
At first I was really impressed with this set but after I really started playing around with it, little annoying things started popping up. First let me say that the set that is currently sitting in my living room is going back to Good Guys as soon as I decide whether I want to exchange it or replace it with another brand. About four hours into using it the set shut itself off with a pop and the power light on the front of the set started blinking. I can now only turn the set on by rapidly hitting the power button on the front of the set. When the set is on, I get no sound from either antenna input so I am currently watching cable through my VCR via the video one input. If that doesn't totally scare you away from this set, then here are my biggest complaints:

The tuner is very slow. I didn't think this would matter to me that much but since I am using the tuner for my cable it does. I guess I've really gotten used to faster tuners so it's really annoying.

That little red light on the front of the set is very bright and annoying when your watching in dimly lit situations. Maybe I'm a little more aware of this than most since mine won't stop blinking.

Video switching is slower and more cumbersome than on most sets.

My biggest complaint however is the picture preferences. The two presets from the factory are terrible and cannot be altered. As soon as you do alter them you find that you are overwriting your "memory" preset instead. So, there are essentially no preferences unless you're satisisfied with at least one of the factory presets. Believe me, they suck, you won't be.

The side firing cyclone speaker system has a big sound and is enveloping but I do find that there is a bit of a hole in the middle of the soundstage and this is especially bad for dialogue. This should be a major consideration if this unit is to be installed in a built-in cabinet.

On the bright side, the picture quality is really phenomenal on DVD's throught the component in. It took a little tweeking with video essentials but I got it dialed in. The blacks are deep and the colors are rich and bright.
My cable looks bad but that could just be my cable. The cable fleshtones were all on the red side even after video essentials. I found that I had to turn on the "fleshtone" feature just to get them to look decent.

All in all I would like to return this TV and buy a different brand at the same price with identical specs and better features. I've been looking for a couple of weeks now and I don't think that TV exists. I'm either going take my chances on the same TV and put up with it's shortcomings, or go with the Sony KV-36FSV16 for an extra $500.00.

Strengths:
Picture Quality, Price, Lighted Remote

Weaknesses:
Picture Preferences, Slow Tuner, Video Switching, Speaker System, Annoying Red Light

Similar Products Used:
Sony WEGA, Comparable Sharps, JVCs, Panasonics, RCAs and Pro Scans