Toshiba 61H70 61-Inch HDTV-Ready Projection TV

Product Review

The Toshiba 61H70 is a 61-inch projection television that comes with all the trimmings. A picture tube--or cathode ray tube (CRT)--has an electron gun that presents an image by sending the electron beam to the tube's faceplate. The Toshiba 61H70 has three such tubes, in red, green, and blue. They use fine phosphor for high resolution, brightness, and color purity.

For fine tuning, use the remote control to adjust nine points on the screen. The result is very good focus and superior picture quality.

With A/V outputs you can send the audio/video signal to a VCR for recording. The fixed audio outputs can also be sent to an A/V receiver, and provide a cleaner signal than variable audio outputs. An extra set of front A/V inputs allows you to connect a camcorder or other portable device.

The Toshiba 61H70 has ColorStream HD component video inputs, the best inputs to use for today's high-resolution digital sources, such as a DVD player or an HDTV set-top box.

The universal remote has been programmed to operate the TV, most VCRs, and cable boxes. Many of the keys are illuminated for easy access when watching TV in a dark room. The remote accesses all TV functions with an icon-based on-screen display. This full-featured system can be operated in English, French, or Spanish. In addition, the remote learns the codes of other remotes.

You can input your 12 favorite channels and easily scan through only those stations. Pressing the return button sends you to the last channel you were viewing. This allows you to easily switch back and forth between two channels. You can label your channels by putting the call letters (e.g. ABC, HBO) on the screen along with the station numbers.

At the touch of a button, a sleep timer allows you to fall asleep and program the TV to turn off in 15-minute intervals for up to three hours.

Any time you press the mute button, closed captioning automatically engages. So, if one viewer needs to answer the telephone, another can still read along.

Now you can watch two channels at once, or find out what's on all your favorite channels. Two built-in tuners allow picture-in-picture without the use of a VCR. In single box mode, you can change the size of the sub-picture, move it to different locations on the screen, or freeze it. Six- and nine-box modes allow continuous channel previewing in multiple sub-pictures along the bottom of the screen. You can also use picture-outside-picture, whereby half the screen is used for the main image, while the other half is used for nine sub-pictures.

The new V-chip lets parents decide which show ratings are appropriate for their children. The TV will block out the audio and video of any program with an inappropriate rating. Parents use a code to override the system.

Customer Reviews