Toshiba 26HF85 CRT HDTV Reviews

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We are having a love affair with Toshiba. Their laptops are superb — and their TVs are quickly becoming some of the best out there.

The Toshiba 26HF85 does not disappoint in that respect. One of its very best qualities, however, is that it’s mind-bogglingly cheap, costing less than, that’s right, six hundred dollars. You would think that a 26″ inch flat-screen HD-ready TV under six hundred dollars would be, pardon our French, a piece of merde — but no. This TV will impress not only with its price, but with its quality.

Sleek and silvery on the outside, it’s just as pretty on the inside. Using a DFine high-speed velocity-scan modulation to improve picture edges and create sharper images, the set also features a 3D Y/C (4MB, 10-bit) digital comb filter with a Vertical Contour Correction — which, as the name implies, sharpens and cleans up the picture.

Surprisingly, the set comes with something called CrystalScan HDSC — which upconverts all video signals (including 480i/p) to 1080i HD. This is almost unheard of for a TV of this price. But wait, there’s more.

CableClear DNR+ Digital Noise Reduction circuitry optimizes the poorest of NTSC signals and helps eliminate video noise and snow. The TV also comes with HDMI (High-Def Multimedia Interface) which supports SD (standard-def), ED (enhanced-def), and HD (high-def) video.

If there’s one thing that Toshiba knows — with all its products, really, not just TVs — it’s durability. And Toshiba sets are known to last much longer than other TVs — something to think about when investing nearly nothing for something this good. This TV is simply one of the best out there for its price — which we obviously still can’t get over — and makes a superb bedroom TV.

The only problem is it doesn’t come with an ATSC tuner — which is easily purchased (most TVs below a thousand dollars don’t come with an ATSC tuner), and is a very small inconvenience.

The picture is just superb, the quality is mind-boggling, and when you tell people how much you spent for it, it will literally bring them to tears. If you’re on a budget, the 26HF85 is the thing to buy.

Things That Make It Special:

* Includes two 5 watt stereo speakers.
* 26″ inch flat widescreen CRT, HD-ready TV.
* 16:9 aspect ratio.
* Uses a flat tub design that delivers increased viewing angles, reduces light reflections, and enhances picture linearity.
* Inputs: 3 composite, 3 S-Video, 2 component, and 1 HDMI.
* Is, pardon our French, tres bien.