Need Reviews of Toshiba 50A61, any owners? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Silence]

I want to get a new RPTV close to 50" to replace my old 27", and want to spend under $1,500, preferably around $1,000. I have read limited, but good, reports about this TV. Are there any owners out there of this TV? If so, I would love to read your responses. Also, if there is another RPTV close to this that you would recommend, speak to that as well.

Thanks for all replies.

 

[Roy H]

Hi Kevin, I have the Toshiba 50A61 and so far it seems to be a great RPTV. I want to be honest with you, I purchased this TV and within 5 days the TV just turned itself off and locked up. I had to switch the surge protector off and then back on to be able to turn the TV back on. As you can imagine this worried me so I started searching the internet to see if other's with this TV had the same problem. The good news is that I did not find any matches with the 50A61 turning off by itself, but I did find numerous matches with other Toshiba RPTV models. Also I want you to know that it was not just Toshiba RPTV's, it was many different size TV's, and not just limited to Toshiba but other brands as well.

Because I really liked the TV, and had other Toshiba products that never gave me any trouble for years, I decided to just return the one I had and get the same exact one to replace it. For me it was peace of mind to just make sure I did not get a lemon.

Now for the good news, the TV is excellent, it has a great picture it's crisp, clean, and sharp with great colors. The sound system built into the TV is very generous for this price range! It has a (SBS) sub base system that is actually shocking for a TV, and a great (MATRIX) surround sound system. I do have it hooked up to my Sony 500 watt DD 5.1 receiver and Sony surrounds, but thats just for movie night.

I also have it hooked up to my Toshiba SD-3750 progressive DVD player via the component inputs with gold component cables of corse. All I can tell you is the picture looks totally 3D due to the Toshiba COLORSTREAM system that they are well known for.

You will find the TV at a store like BestBuy for about $1,399 and even less if you look for sales. But you should be able to get it in most major electronic stores in the same price range. In my opinion you should avoid buying this type of product over the internet, if not just for the size of it, the way to high shipping prices.

I ended up getting a great deal from BestBuy in the long run and a free Leather recliner and leather ottoman to boot.

Again, I only had this second one about four days now and it is an awsome TV for the money. You can find a few reviews of the 50A61 on sites like Audioreview.com and Epinions.com but not many because the 50A61 is a pretty new model for Toshiba.

PS: If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask.

Good Luck,

Roy.

 

[Kevin Silence]

Thanks for the reply Roy. I recently got the Kenwood HTB-544. Sound is great, now my 27" TV is just lost in the surround. My next step is getting the bigger TV.

Roy, tell me. What all have you done, or will do, to calibrate your new TV? I understand it is better to wait a month or so to break it in, before calibration.

I'm in no hurry. I will wait for the price to come down to around $1,000-$1,100. You got a recliner and ottoman with yours? Wow.

Enjoy yours. I believe this is what I'l be getting too... most likely from Best Buy locally. I would consider price matching at Sears, but I don't think Sears carries this TV.

 

[Roy H]

Kevin beside the normal user 9 point convergence and of corse bringing all the adjustments way down when I first turned it on, I have not done any calibration. This TV like most RPTV's comes out of the box with the settings almost to the max. The contrast and brightness were almost at 100%. When I first powered up the TV my living room looked like a nuclear blast zone. I quickly took everything way down and I am doing the 100 hour break in. For the break in period I have the contrast @ 25% and the brightness @ 45%. I keep the TV on for about 12 hours a day for the break in and turn it off at night for a complete cool down. From what I understand this type of break in will allow the CRT's to wear even during the critical first 100 hours of use.

After I pass the break in period I will bring the contrast up to about 30% to 33% (MAX), and the brightness 50% to 55%. Brightness is not really the culprit that causes burn in, it is the contrast you have to keep an eye on. I will do a basic calibration with Avia after the break in as well. I think I will be very happy with the results because I already love the picture the TV puts out.

I think if you decide to go with this RPTV you will be very happy with it. Given all the features and the price I don't think you can go wrong. One more great point is, even though this is a big 50" widescreen, the TV does not take up as much room as you would think, and you have plenty of space on the top of the unit for your other components. Due to the built in wheels it is even easier to get behind to clean and make connections then my 32 inch Sony Trinitron was on it's stand.

All the best Kevin,

Roy.