The Toshiba 34HF83's design packs a visual wallop. From its stylish chassis to its flat picture tube, the 34HF83 is a beautiful television, with excellent image quality to boot.
From a features standpoint, the 34HF83's specifications are similar to those of the other TVs we reviewed. For inputs, it has two RF (cable), two component, and three composite connections. If DVDs are your main source of widescreen material, you'll appreciate the 34HF83's Cinema Mode (3:2 pulldown) circuitry (see the "Most Wanted Features" sidebar in this article for an explanation of 3:2 pulldown circuitry). This modifies the frame sequence for film-based videos and converts them to a more accurate reproduction. The result is a reduction in digital artifacts and a crisper image.
The 34HF83 also features Toshiba's CrystalScan HDSC technology. This converts lower-resolution content to a 1080i format. A common complaint from new HDTV owners is how awful standard definition television looks on their new HDTVs. It's not that their sets are defective; they're simply displaying a low-resolution image. Upconverting content to 1080i attempts to alleviate this (as much as possible). Although you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, upconverting does improve the picture quality. In addition, the 34HF83 can accept 720p HD content, displayed at a resolution of 1080i.
Like most of the TVs we reviewed, the 34HF83's speaker system was nothing to write home about. Because Dolby Digital 5.1 is the preferred sound format for HD, as well as for most DVDs, you're better off using a surround sound system rather than Toshiba's internal speakers.
The 34HF83 really shines in terms of its picture quality. Though not the best of the TVs we reviewed, we were consistently impressed with how well the 34HF83 displayed both SD and HD content. The 34HF83 had good color fidelity right out of the box, and its image sharpness and clarity were excellent. The 34HF83 features three color temperature settings (Warm/ Medium/Cool) that let you adjust the set's color temperature. Whether you watch HD shows, DVDs, or SD broadcasts, you won't be disappointed with the 34HF83.
