Toshiba 32ZP38 Review

Overall Rating

Picture, sound, connections, style and size

reflection on screen surround

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.

Members' Comments onShrek's Review

• tykes2 on 12th Dec 2003

  Great review for a great set. We have just bought one and are very impressed with the picture and surround sound with the external speakers that came with the TV.
  
  In the hope of maximising the 'cinema experience' we bought the Toshiba SD43HK DVD home cinema. The picture and sound when a DVD is playing is superb BUT after many hours I cannot get the sound from TV/Sky digital or video play to come through the DVD home cinema, so we only have the front speaker on the TV itself.
  
  This is very frustrating and the manuals are very poor with regard to connections and troubleshooting.
  
  I have sky scart connected to EXT1, with the external TV aerial connected to the Sky box, the Video out connected to the Sky in via scart, the DVD connected to the TV EXT4 (component) and I have tried audio cables out from the TV/Sky box to the DVD in - NOTHING !!!
  
  I have been through all the on screen permutations in the TV menu - HELP?

• Shrek on 15th Dec 2003

  The back of the TV set has surround out variable, output, for connecting to an external amplifier. Perhaps this needs to be connected to your separate surround system. You then have to set the surround speakers to external in the menu(page 17 in the handbook).
  If you are using the tv speakers for sky and normal TV make sure the little switch above the speaker terminals is set to ext.
  I am just using the integrated Dolby 5.1, and could only get this to work via my DVD and playstation when hooked up to the TV via digital audio inputs. Sky and normal TV is only dolby surround via scart input.
  To receive Sky programs in Dolby Digital 5.1 you need to get a sky+ box as this has the digital output socket needed to enjoy this sound format.

• muxworn1 on 4th Jan 2004

  Great review, I have been looking at this set for a few months and now it is under a grand....it is time to buy!
  
  One question, if you play audio CD's in the DVD player through the tv, does the set need to be on or can it be on standby? It may sound a stupid queston but I don't want the picture to be on all the time.
  
  Cheers

• Shrek on 5th Jan 2004

  the set does need to be on to get sound via the dvd, however you can choose a blank or blue screen background. If you have a toshiba DVD player they have various screen savers that can be projected on the screen during playback.

• Bartman on 7th Jan 2004

  You guys seem to be on the ball with the connections. Which is the best place to find out where to set up the inputs and outputs for my Tosh TV using the TV's internal menu?

• Shrek on 1st Feb 2004

  The instruction manual?
  Please be more specific as the reply seems very rude and its not how it was meant.

• Ponydust on 25th Jan 2005

  So to listen to programs through a sky digibox in dolby digital all I need to do is connect through the complex scart cable that is supplied to ext1 and set the surround up to dolbty digital? What would i be receiving? 3.1 or 5.1?

• Shrek on 26th Jan 2005

  Please be aware that a normal sky digibox only outputs Dolby pro logic surround, to get the Dolby 5.1 output from the movie channels you need to be the owner of a sky+ box, as this is the only service which broadcasts in 5.1 and the boxes have a digital output i.e. optical or coaxial.
  As far as I am aware 5.1 surround cannot be fed via scart cables, it needs to be optical or coaxial out put.