Toshiba 32ZP38

Let's get the only bad point out of the way at the start. The Toshiba 32ZP38 has a very attractive frame around the screen, this has a beautiful high gloss black finish, the trouble is, this mirrors some channels logos and subtitles, and other bright details that appear near the edge of the screen. This is not very noticeable during daylight or in fully lit rooms, but when the lights go low, while watching those movies on your home cinema TV, the reflections on the frame can get a little distracting.

Picture:

The picture is wonderful, but make sure you have the TV set to the right options for the signal being received, and that you have a very good analogue signal, if this is your only input. Traditional TV from an aerial is found wanting if the signal is not up to scratch, especially if the menu is set to super size and the incoming signal is a poor version of 4:3, as I found when my first pictures were viewed on the set. A re-aligned aerial later and the set produces the best picture I have witnessed from any CRT TV. Stretching any 4:3 image to maximum size really tests the sets capabilities, but the Toshiba copes, just, with my analogue signal on this setting. Digital satellite, DVD, and games console images are truly spectacular, but here again you need to have the set adjusted to the right scan modes for the input. This is facilitated to some degree by the 3 preset picture modes with various setting provided, plus a personal setting choice, and if this does not get the desired appearance then the settings are easily reached and adjusted in the menu.

Sound:

I was amazed by Nicam Stereo when it first appeared but it soon sounded "normal", my last TV gave me Dolby surround, which was excellent for movies, but poor when compared to anything viewed at the cinema, Dolby digital is like being at the cinema.

I have what I imagine is a medium sized lounge, 15'x15', and the Toshiba manages to fill my auditorium with a volume to spare. The inclusion of independent front speakers allows for a wider front sound to be created than the integrated front speakers provided with most sets. If I was honest the onboard subwoofer is hardly noticed unless it's cranked up quite high, I get round this by upping the general bass level when watching movies that call for good rumble. Only a slight gripe is the surround set up test mode, this is where you set up the volume of the various speakers, only the centre and left right rears are adjustable here, front left and right and sub are adjusted elsewhere in the menus, that said it stops you adjusting for the sake of it if your anything like me.

Connections:

Component RGB connection any one, this high-end spec only input, is included with the Toshiba, along with 3 Scart inputs two of which are RGB capable. Front AV and S-Video is also included for video camera/console connection. Two digital sound inputs are also present 1 optical and the other digital co-axial. This is a boon for people like me who are normally camped behind the TV changing scarts or flicking switcher boxes.

MY current set up is:

Sky in RGB scart 1, complete with integrated Dolby digital signal via the scart lead.

Playstation in RGB scart 2, with Dolby digital input via the optical connection.

DVD through the best connection available, component RGB, Dolby supplied via the digital co-axial input.

Scart 3 houses the good old VCR.

Front connections for the video camera.

Other connections are TV/AV outputs from Scart 3, audio out, for Hi-Fi connection, and active audio out, for an amplified Dolby Digital signal if required.

Other points worth mentioning are the styling is different from the current oversized silver microwave ovens, and for what its worth, my opinion is it looks less bland and better quality than most of the high street opposition. The cabinet width is smaller than lots of current 28" widscreen models, so if space is at a premium e.g. built in fire place plinth, constructed for ye olde 21" square set, you can still enjoy maximum screen size.

Overall:

This set has more than exceeded my expectations, and provided me with a multitude of connection options. It has stopped me from dropping sky movies from my digital package, I have started playing some of my old playstation games again just for the visual clarity and sound it provides, and I could even just listen to some movie sound tracks now with my eyes shut, such is the effect Dolby Digital can produce. If you have not already got a Dolby digital amplifier/system, and are changing your TV you could do a lot worse and would have to search long and hard to find a set up, that would give you this quality at a lower overall price.

I really, really liked this Toshiba 32ZP38 and wanted to keep one of the THREE I had but sadly they all had to go back !

The first set was from the very first batch and seemingly this was a faulty batch. My TV kept switching itself off randomly and I wish Toshiba could have just sent someone out to fix it as the picture and screen itself were immaculate. Sadly they couldn't and the set had to go back.

When the second set arrived the power problem was gone but the screen had what looked like a thumb print at the centre top of the screen with a very thin line below it running all the way to the bottom of the screen. I thought I'd just wipe it off but it was on the INSIDE of the screen. On closer inspection there were smear-like marks of a similar colour in both of the top corners of the screen.

Set 3 arrived with the no marks in the centre of the screen but with worse smear marks in the corners. Again on the inside of the screen. It was as if the screen had been polished but there was some residue left on the glass. I tried to suffer it but when light reflected off the screen it was clearly visible and really distracting. Return and refund !

I've gone round a few shops since and none of the display sets have had these problems so I may purchase another and just hope I have better luck as it is a fantastic home cinema performer.

The picture is very natural and there are practically no processing artefacts.

The sound is as good as most of the budget sub/sat all in ones on the market providing you don't have a massive room to fill.

The connectivity is very good too, although if you have quite chunky scart plugs you might have a little difficulty. The component inputs are a great addition though, allowing prog scan (both PAL and NTSC)and Prog Scan NTSC DVD's on this set are a sight to behold !

This is a great set and I believe I was very, very unlucky. However with the Panasonic 32PD30 now available I may not buy the same set again. I need to audition them side by side !

After a lot of research, including reading the reviews from this website, I descided upon the 32" Toshiba 32ZP38 Television. I managed to get it at a bargain price of £1,025 from a high street retailer! I have a DVD player, Sky+, Playstation2 and Gamecube, so I wanted a TV that had plenty of the right connections for everything to work.

Building the stand was tricky but setting up the TV was a doddle. Although it did take quite a few re-reads of the manual before I got the hang of it. The stand is smart and compliments the TV very well. Due to its compact design the TV and stand take up less space than my old Philips 28" widescreen!

My advice would be to plug it in and setup the analogue channels before you start connecting anything else to it. Then one by one plug in and setup everyting else. Leave the Dolby Digital and external speakers till last.

Initally I was disappointed by the analogue picture and even the Sky digital picture. But remember that because the picture is so good it shows up the artefacts in a digital signal. After playing aroung with the picture adjustments they both look very good. If you have Sky try watching a football match (or Golf, Motor Racing etc) because the picture from an outside broadcast is brilliant.

Where this set shines is with DVD through the component connections, it's superb! Setup the Dolby Digital and watch something like Lord of the Rings and you'll be very impressed! The onboard sound system is very good, and the external speakers look quite cool too.

This TV comes very higly recommended!

Assembling the stand is easy,but takes 2 people to lift tv onto stand, setting up is easy,I picked the packaged deal-TV,Video,DVD,because its not much dearer than just the TV.

Never had one hickup as yet,cross me fingers...

Tv works in all colour modes...

We had put off buying a wide screen TV for a long time. So when the time came to make the purchase we took our time and made it a family decision. We spend a lot of time watching TV. It's the main family entertainment, so we set a budget of up to £900.

We went to the big warehouse store and looked around. We stood back and looked at the machines again. To me, there was one machine that stood out. It was a Toshiba 32ZP18 Picture Frame set. But I didn't have space for a 32" set. A sales assistant convinced me that the Tosh was no bigger than a standard 28" set, but it wasn't priced. I sent my wife in to get her opinion, would this be grounds for divorce or a match made in heaven? She agreed! In the words of Homer J. Simpson, "we shouldn't scrimp on the machine that gonna raise our children" I checked the net for prices and reviews. Clearly this was in a different league to the set's I had been considering, without being too much more cost. Then I started seeing reviews for the Picture Frame 2 sets, better still, and no mention of the speaker buzzing that was reported in the earlier version. The bundled DVD and VCR swung the deal. The budget was stretched and the purchase made.

Toshiba installed the set, with a basic (but perfectly functional) set-up. First impressions were good. Everything worked, the kit was compatible and the quality was there for all to see. No geometry problems and no buzz from the speakers. The set doesn't dominate the room (although it is big, it's as small as any 32" I've seen - but when you get close, the set is very deep, measure up carefully). The main impression is of strong, well-defined colours. I expected the picture to be sharp (it is), but the colours were a surprise. Previously I thought red was red; now I realise I had been watching washed-out colours all the time.

I was aware that the sound was not optimal. I changed various setting but to date I still don't have the best possible audio output. I always seem to be one cable short of connecting it up properly. To date I am getting stereo output. I watched my wife dodging bullets in the opening scenes of the latest James Bond movie, and realised how good it was. It's still only Dolby 3.0 though. Toshiba, why doesn't your manual have an illustration of the optimal connections? A better description of the required wires would help too.

I have similar problems with setting up the component video. My advice to purchasers is to connect everthing up and then start removing cables. I lost first sound and then picture from the DVD because I didn't change the settings before I removed the cables. A spare scart will not go amiss. Now I have to select the input device for DVD's when I play one, but I can see the improvement in the output (It's those colours again!).

Another gripe is that there are two scart sockets alongside each other on the rear of the set. If I try and connect to both of these using high-quality scarts (£25 plus) one obstructs the other. These are scarts with the cable attached at the side of the plug, and I can fit one good plug and one standard one in any combination. If I'd known I'd have spent more time getting a scart with the cable attached to the rear of the plug.

Am I happy with my purchase? You bet! It's a lot of money for a TV. £600 to £900 will by you a high quality set that will be the envy of your neighbours, but the Tosh does everything noticeable better. Given that the TV will last me 10 years the extra cost per year is insignificant. Would I make the same purchase if I could start again? Yep! The only change I would make would be in the cables I bought to connect it up.