Ahhh...the first TV I have bought by myself, such a proud moment! I'm a college student and for the first time since high school, I have my own room. Obviously, my first priority was furnishing it (on a budget of course) and buying all of the necessities (like a TV!).

Now, first I have to mention that this review is on the RCA TruFlat 20" TV/DVD. There was no listing on Epinions for this particular TV; however, I am assuming that it is the same exact TV except for the DVD player.

All of the options for buying a TV (for a bedroom)was quite overwhelming: 13" or 20", brand, w/VCR or DVD, price and whether or not to go with a TruFlat were just some of the issues I considered.

SIZE
I ultimately decided on a 20" because of my bad eyesight. I have to wear glasses in order to see a 13" screen which is annoying. Additionally, a 20" is large enough that it could be used in a small living room or den in the future...it's versatile! The size is perfect, it doesn't look too huge or overwhelming in my bedroom and I can see it without having to squint or reach for those glasses.

BRAND
At first, I didn't care about brand...I just wanted something cheap and cool looking. Then...my parents got involved! They warned me that I should go with a reliable, well-known brand and that this TV is an investment...it should last...blah blah blah! I considered it, but my real decision with brand occured when I actually went to BestBuy to pick out my new TV. I had looked at lesser known name brands such as Broksonic and Sylvania, which may or may not be good TVs.

Well, my good 'ol RCA just happened to be placed next to a 20" TV/DVD/VCR Sylvania. The difference was incredible! The picture and sound quality of the RCA was much superior to that of the Sylvania. The RCA was comparable to the Toshiba and Sony models that I looked at as well. Also, the RCA TruFlat 20" TV/DVD was so sleek and modern looking with its silver color, flat screen and cool remote!

COMBO TV ISSUES
Once again, my parents get involved...I don't know if combo TV's (w/VCR, DVD or both) are a new concept or what?! For some reason my parents get all nervous about two high-tech, expensive pieces of equipment being attached to each other. I try to explain to them mthat everyone in college has one! Not only is it convenient, but it saves space! They were worried...what if the dvd breaks or just the TV..blah blah blah! Finally, I won this battle by agreeing to shell out an extra $60 to BestBuy so that if anything happens in the next four years, they'll fix it for no additional charge. I love the combo, I want this TV to last and DVDs are the future so it works, looks better and saves space.

PRICE
Ok, this RCA TruFlat 20" TV/DVD was $349.00 at BestBuy in Boston plus and extra $60 that I paid for the protection. This was the cheapest 20" TV/DVD among the major brand such as Toshiba, Samsung and Sony. It also had similar features and quality. I recommend going to the BestBuy wesbsite (even if you don't plan on buying from the store) as you can choose a few models, hit compare and it will list and compare all of the features of the various brands and models for you.

TRUFLAT
As I mentioned earlier, I want something that is going to last and stay new and cool looking! Well, the new thing with TV's are flat screens. Personally, I cannot afford a $1,000 real flat screen. However, the TruFlat is great! The front of the TV is completely flat, yet the back is the same as a regular TV. It reduces glare so that you can see the screen from any angle. Additionally, it provides a larger screen so that you can see everything. Best of all, it looks modern and sleek!

So, I made my decision...the RCA 20" TruFlat TV/DVD was the way to go! Now, what happened post-purchase??

First of all, this thing is heavy! Luckily, I summoned my boyfriend and he had no problems getting the TV from the car up to my 3rd floor apartment (w/elevator!), out of the box and onto my entertainment center. Unfortunately, this would not have been possible if I was alone!

Did I mention that I love this remote?? The buttons are large and easy to find...well-organized. However, the best part is that the main buttons glow in the dark for easy viewing at night! This is one of the greatest ideas ever! It also makes it easy for me to find my lost remote in the dark! Yes, small things like this do amuse me greatly! :)

This TV also comes with GuidePlus, a free TVGuide-ish thing that you can program to list the times, info and channels of your local cab,e or satellite provider. Just hit the Guide button on the remote and you can browse through the schedule and still see a small screen of the program on the channel you are currently watching. I like this because I don't have to look up listings in a magazine or on the Internet. Also, if you are paying extra for this feature from your provider, it could save you money.

You can also go through and label the channels so that you can read the names when you are channel surfing. You can also omit channels that you do not want to see when you channel surf. For instance, I do not speak fluent Spanish or Chinese so I omit these channels from the line-up so that I do not have to flip through them. The channel labeling is great too because I have problems memorizing channel numbers and the labels which are sometimes found in the right corner of the screen are too small for me to read.

Additional features:

*"Go Back" button for channel surfing - great for watching 2 shows at once!
*Front and rear Audio/Video Outputs
*DVD plays CDs, CR-Rs and MP3s
*Multi-speed scan and slow on the DVD player
*Sleep and Alarm Timers
*Parental Rating Control
*Trilingual On-Screen Display

Overall, this TV/DVD is wonderful and great for the price. Easier than buying a separate DVD. I am so satisfied with my purchase and money spent! Please let me know if I have left any information out. Thanks!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 349.00