Bernard Herrmann
Toshiba 15lv505 Review.
I’m far from being a “techie,” but within a few minutes of removing this item from the box, plugging it into the wall, and attaching an ordinary coaxial cable, I was commander of a media empire (with nary a glance at the instruction manual). Very first of all, this thing is remarkably light, compact, and transportable. Even though it was delegated to replace the aging Emerson 13″ TV in our kitchen, I can’t think of anything I would rather take with me to an additional room, my desk, or on a trip. As is the case with any flat LCD screen, it does not “play” as big as its cathode ray equivalent. (For instance, In case you want to experience the effect of your old 27″ massive tube TV, you’ll require a 37″ LCD display–not just for the reason that of aspect ratio but the brighter, a lot more intense, life-like high quality which is exclusive to the “picture-tube” television sets of yore.) So given the shallow profile of this baby, do not be surprised when you discover yourself second-guessing whether or not you must have sprung for the 19″-20″ model (Toshiba 15lv505).
Nevertheless, once you have lit up this little Toshiba, chances are you will not need to let it out of your sight. It doesn’t have HDMI inputs–just coax, S-Video, and 3-color component video. Yet with a screen this tiny, clarity and brightness are never an problem. Even with an ordinary coax connection, the images are as crisp and sharply defined as the “enhanced” HD signals at a Finest Get or Sears TV department, the colors are vivid yet complex (just be certain to set it in permanent “Movie” mode–all of the other settings push contrast at the expense of hues and colors).
I have a huge Sony flat screen that takes me numerous minutes to locate the switches, adjust the TV menu, then the set-top box, and by the time I obtain my way by means of the plethora of Time-Warner channels, I’ve missed the opening skit to SNL. The Toshiba, by comparison, is instant (allow for numerous seconds for the channel to lock plus the screen to illuminate. The audio is acceptable for dialog. There’s no distortion or “canned” quality, though for listening to Bernard Herrmann’s score to “Vertigo” (the 1st DVD I fed the machine), I could give some consideration to making use of audio “out” for headphones or a hi-fi system. For most purposes, the sound is just fine. The remote, moreover, is bigger and friendlier than those coming with sets costing 5-10 times as much (yet this is one set for which the remote is an unneeded luxury). And I locate the channel changes to be fairly quick for an LCD hi def processor (Toshiba 15lv505 best price).
In sum, simplicity, practicality, price and state-of-the-art technology tell me this is a “gadget” to own–if only simply because it behaves less like a gadget than a utilitarian necessity. Just remember to set it in “movie mode” (I know, too yellow on most HD sets), which appears like the perfect setting for all program kinds on this baby.
[June, 2010 update: the set is still performing like a champion--and still among the best-selling flat-screens on Amazon. The word has gotten out (toshiba 15lv505 compare).
Bernard Herrmann Tribute
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40 Famous Marches $7.74 FAMOUSE MARCHES... |
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Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1958 Film) $10.49 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.... |
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The Science Fiction Album $17.41 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.... |
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Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann [VHS] $9.98 … |
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A Talk With Hitchcock [VHS] $8.09 Come back to the year 1964 for an interview with Hitch himself. This conversation initially appeared on the ’60s CBC program Telescope, with director Fletcher Markle pinning down the genial horror maestro for some very interesting insights. Hitchcock discusses his early career path, beginning as an editor for silent-movie title cards and nearly stumbling into assistant director and director positi… |
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The Day the Earth Stood Still $6.78 A hallmark of the science fiction genre as well as a wry commentary on the political climate of the 1950s, The Day the Earth Stood Still is a sci-fi movie less concerned with special effects than with a social parable. A spacecraft lands in Washington, D.C., carrying a humanoid messenger from another world (Michael Rennie) imparting a warning to the people of Earth to cease their violent behavior…. |
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (Special Edition) [Blu-ray] $17.99 Classic sci-fi drama with a message stars Michael Rennie as Klaatu, an emissary from the stars who arrives on Earth with his robot companion, Gort, to warn mankind about the danger of nuclear warfare. Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray also star; Robert Wise directs. “Klaatu barada nikto!” 92 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English DTS HD 5.1, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Do… |
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The Man Who Knew Too Much $2.99 … |
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CAPE FEAR—-1962 ORIGINAL FILM SCORE CD———BERNARD HERRMANN Tracklisting: Track 1 (8:20) 1a Main Title 1b The Courtroom 1c The Car Keys 1d The House 1e Bowling Alley 1f The Barking Dog 1g The Dog Is Poisoned Track 2 (7:36) 2a The Dream 2b After The Dream 2c Sam Talks To The Police 2d An Evening With Max Cady 2e The Pick-Up 2f The Girl Is Found 2g The Girl Refuses To Testify Track 3 (5:35) 3a Cady At The Boat Dock 3b At The School 3c C… |
