I was with my cousin today shopping for a no-frills, straight forward HD Ready T.V - Just for PS3 use, and after an hour of wobbling at Sights and Sounds he ended up with this unit.
Now for my initial impression of Toshiba's new 32 incher!
This unit was viewed in comparison to my Samsung 32A550 and the Toshiba 32CV500E
Blu-Ray/Dvd:
The usual Pioneer DV-410v set at 720p was used along with the movie "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" as film reference. The colors of this unit set to Standard was more subtle than the already subtle CV500, picture quality was both clear and clean. During the final battle of the film where numerous space ships were clashing for galactic dominance, the T.V was able to handle the fast paced scene quite well with very little motion blur. Compared to the 32 inch CV500, the unit's ability to handle speedy movies was better than it's predecessor. On Blu-Ray using the PS3 set at 720p, we popped-in the "Underworld" to check for black levels and screen uniformity. Good news! This unit pumped out better black levels over the CV500 and even screen light patches were not as obvious. In short, it performed extremely well for an entry level 720p t.v.
For a Sammy A550 comparison, we jumped up both units to their default Dynamic picture modes, and again I would prefer the more subtle picture definition of the AV550E. However, when it came to the CG movie "Final Fantasy: Advent Children" the A550 with it's full high definition panel delivered better details.
PS3:
Surprisingly, the AV550E eliminates the very good "game" picture mode found on the older Toshiba CV500, so we had to live with gaming at Standard mode. The unit outperforms the 32 inch version of the CV500 in this area with very minimal motion blur, and with a picture quality that is very pleasing to the eye and is ideal for arcade type of games like "Soul Calibur 4", these kinds of games require you to sit close to the T.V - Hence the softer colors of the Toshiba is a welcomed picture definition. (My cousin loves arcade games - the reason why he got the unit).
Compared to the Samsung 32A550 for gaming, the unit did not deliver graphics that were as crisp and as detailed as a full hd panel. I observed this while looking closely at the intricate armor details of a Soul Calibur 4 knight. The A550 outlines the resplendent outfit of the character, while the AV550E had a fuzzy feel to it. This clearly shows a full hd panel does well for games and presents a noticeable jump over a 720p native T.V even at this size.
Features:
Now, this is where I get a little wacky - Why the heck would Toshiba release a new unit with just one - Yes, 1 HDMI port? I know this is supposed to be a no frills tv, but this unit rolled-out towards the end of 2008 and I would like to believe that people now have more than 1 HDMI source. Also, what's with the white plastic "cheapy clicky" remote? I've seen better looking remotes bundled with generic dvd players...
The unit is also 1080p capable but we hardly go beyond a T.V's "native" resolution so no testing was done here yet.
Sound:
Very good and solid, as expected from an SRS powered unit.
Over-all
+Solid 720p unit
+Very good colors and black levels
+Good motion handling and input response time
+1080p capable
-1 HDMI port
-A queer looking remote from a reputable company like Toshiba
More to come when we spend more "tackle" time with the unit.
Tech specs comparison of Toshiba's AV550 and CV500.
32AV550E
-18k to 1 Dynamic contrast ratio
-7ms response rate
-10-bit Video Processing
-450cd/m2 Brightness
32CV500E
-15k to 1 Dynamic contrast ratio
-9ms response rate
-10-bit Video Processing
-500cd/m2 Brightness
For our little joy ride with the 37 inch CV500 please check this thread:
http://pinoydvd.com/board/index.php?topic=87348.0Note: The 37 inch version of the CV500 has a higher response rate than it's 32 inch version.
POST UPDATE: Forgot to mention that my cousin's dad also purchased a Hitachi 42X01 Full Hd T.V, AND WILL GIVE YOU GUYS AN IMPRESSION OF A NOT SO POPULAR BRAND
