Toshiba TDP-ET20 user reviews

sarak74 28 January 2009

Good: Got it for a GREAT price & creates fantastic atmosphere even with a home made screen!

Bad: Volume control can be a bit low on some DVDs.

Comment: I saw this item & immediately had that "girl sees pair of shoes that she loves but can't think of an occasion she would wear them to", meaning that I fell in love with it but couldn't put my finger on why. I know you can get HUGE screen tvs that will probably give you much better pictures & infinitely more volume control, but the flexibility of this machine sparked a "must have it" moment (& surprisingly enough for a female I don't have them THAT often, HONEST!). The price at which I had seen the item advertised did give me a moment's pause though, so I did what I usually do in these cases, bookmarked the item on Pricerunner.co.uk & went away to obsess about it quietly, occasionally checking back.
On the off chance, I typed the name into Play.com & to my surprise up it popped, but still at a high (to my mind) price of around £800. A few weeks later, obsessing about it again in my lunch hour, I typed it in to Play.com again & it came up at £399, thinking this must be a typ-o, I refreshed the page but no there it was, as bold as brass at £399!!! Well I'm sure you can guess the rest...
Having received it & tested it that first evening (projecting The Incredibles onto the kitchen ceiling as I hadn't rigged up my screen yet) I was amazed at the size of image it could go up to & retain clarity. Yes the fan can be a bit of a background drone, but surely this is nothing compared to the incessant drone of teenagers whispering & texting each other during an evening at the cinema, & unless you all know something I don't know the option to take your dog into the cinema to watch a movie isn't available whereas with the ET20 there is (sad but true, he loves animations!).
The only real downside is the volume, but this doesn't make itself a nuisance on ALL DVDs. We watched Wall-E last night & it was perfect, but on some it does seem a bit low even on maximum. I'm sure this could be easily remedied by hooking it up to a surround sound system, for which there MUST be a socket amonst the many on the front (nicely concealed by a cover which appealed to my woman's aesthetic requirements too!!!).
I can recommend this item WITHOUT reservation to anyone who takes note of it's (to me) insignificant faults & would add that, before shelling out on an expensive 100" projector screen, try making one out of a wooden frame & a stretched white bed sheet (make sure there is something backing it to prevent light bleeding through), it sounds kooky but it's cheap & it works!
I can't wait until the summer so I can take it outside & have screenings in the garden of Star Wars with all my nerdy mates after a barbeque on a nice warm day, hmmmmm, Han Solo...
If you can get one for a good price, buy & enjoy!!!
May the force be with you, coz I'm hoping it will be with me this summer...