Toshiba 32ZP38 Reviews

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Good Points: Picture, sound, connections, style and size

Bad Points: reflection on screen surround

General comments: 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.

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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 ...

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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. Th ...

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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...

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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 ass ...