Reasonably Priced Large Screen Combo

My husband and I had been talking about a larger television for our room for a while. When the flat screen televisions came out a couple of years ago I fell in love. The price at the time was more than we could afford so we waited. Well about eight months ago I happened to find an amazing deal on a Sylvania 37 in. tv combo. I talked to my husband about it and he said as long as we could swing it to go ahead and get it.

-From Website-
Model: #LD370SS8
Screen type: WXGA LCD
Screen size: 37 inches
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
HD Ready: HD-enabled
Other Differentiator: Built in DVD player

Additional Features & Specifications:
* Resolution (in pixels): WXGA 1366X768
*Brightness: 450
* Progressive Scan
* HGTV Upgradeable: HD-enabled
* NTSC TV Tuner: Yes
* Speakers: 2-10 Watt
* Audio Output Per Channel: 10 Watts
* Simulated Surround Sound: Stereo & Virtual Surround Sound
* Child Lockout/V-chip: Downloadable Rating (V-Chip 2.0)
* Power Consumption: 230 W Maximum
* Viewing Modes: Full, zoom, cinema, expand
* Viewing Angles: Vertical & Horizontal: 170 degrees
* Languages: English, Spanish, French
* Refresh Rate: 8 (ms)
* Table Stand: Built in
* Weidght: 47.5 lb.
* Inputs: Video, S-video, audio, GDMI, PC-in, RF, audio mini
* Playback Formats: DVD, DVD-R/RW, CD, DC-R/RW, MP3 audio disks, JPEG & picture CD's

* Plastic construction
* UL Listed
* Measures approx.: 37.5 L X 11.5 W X 28.1 H
* Comes With 1 year manufacturers limited warranty

Accessories Included:
* Remote Control
* 2 AA batteries for remote
* users manual
* quick start guide

-What I like about this combo-
When I pulled this television out of its box I could not believe how slim and compact this television is. I t was easy for me to carry by myself. My 27 in. that I was replacing is big and bulky and weighs more than this television. I love the fact that this has a dvd player in it. It is one less thing I have to worry about hooking up to the television. My husband was not around and I easily hooked this up on my own. Trust me that is saying something since I am one who gets frustrated easily. The instructions were easy to understand and I only had to hook up a couple of things to get the television working for me. I also love that I only need one remote instead of one for the tv and one for the cable and one for the dvd player. Makes things so much easier as it never fails I loose one of the remotes.

-What I do not like-
I wish that I had the option of putting this up on the wall. I have more wall space than I do anything else. I had to buy a larger entertainment stand for this to fit on than the one I had for my 27 in. Though I did have a picture with my regular cable box the picture was fuzzy on some channels and not crisp and clear like you would expect from high definition. I was told that I had to upgrade my cable box to an HD cable box and it would clear the problem up. I had the HD cable upgrade and the picture is crisp and clear. The shows pop from the screen now and remind me of a 3D effect. There is no color distortion or blurriness anymore at all. The HD upgrade to my cable cost an extra $60 a month though. The sound quality is good as well. There is no distortion of the sound or static that comes through at all. I do not have to turn the television up as loud as I did with the 27 inch and there is no cutting out of the sound or getting louder on its own.

Overall I am very happy with the Sylvania television combo. I would have to say though that I wish I would have known up front that I was going to have to get a HD cable box for the picture quality that I really wanted. We are on a budget like a lot of people and the extra $60 tacked onto our cable bill a month can make it pretty tight at times. So if you are looking for a reasonably priced flat screen combo and already have an HD cable box or direct tv HD this is for you. If you do not have the extra money monthly to give for the HD cable upgrade keep looking. You will get a half way decent quality picture with out it, but I found clarity to be more fuzzy and color not as crisp without the HD cable.