Home > Consumer Reviews > Toshiba MW27FN1 27-Inch TV-DVD-VCR Combo with FST PURE Flat Screen

I stood there in Best Buy superstore and had a good look at picture quality of all the tv's..I had a good vantage point and could see all the tv's...this tv stood out with the best by far picture.`it really is'.....I took the tv combo home......mother-in-law couldn't believe how good the picture quality was.....maybe it's something to do with the PUREflat screen...black on this screen is jet black with very little glare or reflection...not greyish black........the picture quality looks like you paid thousands. it is very similar in picture quality to these new flat screen LCD screen tv's that cost thousands. The down side is the sound isn't real great(not enough base for me)...but you can plug a home theatre surround sound in the back of the tv to make up..
The tv is very slick in shiney silver and looks the business for that modern look. At first i wanted something like a 36" screen, but picture quality on this is so high in resolution because of the smaller screen size..it blows any 36" screen away. The tv cabinet is quite big because of the DVD and VCR included.
Up to now i've only ever trusted Panasonic TV's...the latest was a 32" screen @ 100Mhz refresh rate in a silver cabinet....that was a great tv which i bought back in england only 12mths ago....this toshiba combo is better than any panasonic that i ever owned.

The few flaws I will get it out of the way right now.
No component video output (dvd player built in, and it looks like internally if does use component ourput)
No optical audio output (does have a digital coaxial, which most audiophiles do prefer)
Remote feels cheap (but it works fine, just dont toss it around)
sound quality is just mediocre (almost all built in speakers are, so this isn't really a fault)
Not widesreen (nothing in the price range is that I know of)
Wont play svcd (how many people actually have these?)

Now the strenths
Screen really is flat, not like others in the price range where the outer glass protecting the screen is flat, where underneath its bulbous.
The picture quality is superb, and glare is a thing of the past.
Dvds, vhs, and vcds work fine. All with good quality, in paticular dvd quality.

The saving grace of this tv is really only its screen and picture quality, paticularly with dvds. But to some/most that is the most important feature of a tv. I would not recommend this for a home theater, it's more of a bedroom tv. Unless your hometheater consists only of dvds, vcds, and vhs, which you will be satisfied to use the built in player. You can output the sound to a dedicated decoder, a good idea since the built in ones are not very good, and have no bass (they're not designed to have any).

Hooking anything up to the tv, you will be forced to use RF coax, or composite video. Both are not very good, to really get the most out of the great screen, you must use the internal dvd player, thats the only way this tv's picture quality will really shine and be enjoyed to the fullest.

The few flaws I will get it out of the way right now.
No component video output (dvd player built in, and it looks like internally if does use component ourput)
No optical audio output (does have a digital coaxial, which most audiophiles do prefer)
Remote feels cheap (but it works fine, just dont toss it around)
sound quality is just mediocre (almost all built in speakers are, so this isn't really a fault)
Not widesreen (nothing in the price range is that I know of)
Wont play svcd (how many people actually have these?)

Now the strenths
Screen really is flat, not like others in the price range where the outer glass protecting the screen is flat, where underneath its bulbous.
The picture quality is superb, and glare is a thing of the past.
Dvds, vhs, and vcds work fine. All with good quality, in paticular dvd quality.

The saving grace of this tv is really only its screen and picture quality, paticularly with dvds. But to some/most that is the most important feature of a tv. I would not recommend this for a home theater, it's more of a bedroom tv. Unless your hometheater consists only of dvds, vcds, and vhs, which you will be satisfied to use the built in player. You can output the sound to a dedicated decoder, a good idea since the built in ones are not very good, and have no bass (they're not designed to have any).

Hooking anything up to the tv, you will be forced to use RF coax, or composite video. Both are not very good, to really get the most out of the great screen, you must use the internal dvd player, thats the only way this tv's picture quality will really shine and be enjoyed to the fullest.

I read the reviews on this TV/Combo before I purchased it. I am sorry to say perhaps I have received a bad one. Not even a month after I purchased this - I am having problems with the DVD getting "stuck". We are very careful with our electronics and there is no reason why this unit should be doing this. Right now - the DVD is open and will not close - this is probably the 4th time it has done this. I purchased a much cheaper Panaconic combo for my mother a year ago and it has had absolutely no problems at all. I wished I would have saved myself about $200 and purchased a Panasonic for my home as well.

Hi: I suddenly had no TV or stereo in my living room. This seemed like a quick fix for cheap. I could not be happier...It set up in minutes. The picture is great! The flat screen delivers everything it promises. It takes up little space, but still be sure to get a cart that can hold a 32 inch TV because it is a combo unit. The VCR and DVD operate intuitively. While there is little here for a sterophile, I am very happy with it. My cable box remote works the TV power and volume, but not the DVD and VCR, but that is good enough for me. (Unless there is something I haven't figured out yet.) It feels like a high quality TV. I would recommend it without hesitation, especially considering the price.

Added Note: Over half a year later and it still works great!