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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Best Deal in 32" LCDs"
Pros: Bright picture with deep colors; comprehensive menu system; qam tuner is a must have for free network HD programming; price seems impossibly low for 1080p and feature range
Cons: No DVI; Buttons on side of panel give the set's front a clean look but are not convenient in tight spaces; remote does its job but has confusing labels and feels a bit flimsy
Summary: I bought this set a few days ago from Crutchfield at the introductory sale price of $899, and paid $45 for FedEx standard overnight (a great deal in and of itself). I've had it set up for a couple days in my apartment, and have been enthused about the performance, appearance, and feature set of the television. The picture is bright, shows deep color, handles skin tone exceptionally well, and motion is displayed very smoothly. I have not seen any missing pixels, nor any jaggedness in the edges. Toshiba provided extensive control over color and video settings within the menu: I stuck with the "film" picture setting but boosted the brightness up to 60.
The 32RV530U has many functions which I've judged to be rare in the 32" LCD market. The Theaterwide settings allow for the viewer to expand 1.85:1 and other extreme widescreen-formats to fill the entire screen (something that's always annoyed me). The option for "native" picture size avoids the cropping of 1080 signals that occur on other sets. The cableclear technology does a fine job of cleaning up NTSC signals. Most significantly for the casual viewer, every major Video adjustment feature on this set appears to possess an "Auto" setting that will automatically detect the best choice depending on the signal. While not foolproof, this automatic functionality is most welcomed.
Toshiba also nails the small details. The sleep timer adjusts in 10 minute increments. The stand swivels, and does so smoothly and surely like the door hinges on a german sedan. The mute button goes 1/2 volume and then full mute. There are 3 HDMI inputs on the back of the set, but a 4th on the side panel as well. The menu is graphically attractive, if a bit complicated in the number of windows to go through. The channel scanner uses QAM to pick up the "x-xx" digital in-the-clear channels, but avoids including the blank ones like I've experienced on Sharp's Aquos sets. Finally, the television is impressively slim at 3.5", and the curved contours at the sides make it seem even slimmer. I'll be updating the review soon when I test out Blu-ray 1080p to judge the set's full HD performance. If you don't have space for larger than a 32" set, and demand 1080p, then this tv is the best deal on the market. $899 at many major retailers, and free shipping at most of them as well (check out Vanns too as they are offering a free harmony universal remote with the set).
