As a person who likes to watch TV in the bedroom, I have been on the lookout for a television that would fit my need. My wife and I love to watch television and movies late into the night, but could never find an entertainment viewing system that would be convenient for our bedroom.

A combination TV with DVD player would be the perfect solution to our problem and allow us the option to watch movies in addition to our favorite TV programs into the wee hours.

Our ideal TV would have a clear, concise picture while delivering CD/DVD quality to any program or movie we choose to view. And, for a guy who likes to keep up with the latest technology, flat screen televisions have been on my "must buy" list for quite some time. All I've heard of late is that flat screens are the televisions to purchase. "Once you buy a flatscreen, you won't want to view anything else," is what a sales yahoo pitched to me. But, I did agree. A flat screen television in the bedroom would be the perfect fit.

At first I thought the flat screen hype was a bunch of hooey, but that was before I extensively viewed the Toshiba Combination 20" Flat Color TV with DVD/CD Player. While looking for a TV for our bedroom, my editor told me to take a gander at the new Toshiba. Great, I can get the TV and the DVD player all in one shot, but will quality be sacrificed? How easy would it be for me to control the TV and DVD player? Would additional components be compatible? Will it be expensive? Did France invent french fries? These were the challenges I was facing.

Unique Features - While the design of the Toshiba MD20FMIR probably won't earn many fashion awards, its functionality makes up for the lack of style. The simple gray/silver color scheme of the Toshiba is similar to the theme most newer TVs and electronics seem to go after, but less daunting than a more expensive unit. The design is simple and the smooth lines makes it blend into any cabinet, shelf, or table it would be placed on for viewing.

When I review television products, an important aspect I look for is the ease of integration and compatibility with other systems. Each individual has their own idea of building an entertainment system to fit their wants and needs. Toshiba did a fantastic job making a product that easily integrates with other components, allowing the consumer to build an entertainment system to their own specifications. The universal terminals allow most types of components to be attached to the Toshiba and the remote is compatible with most brands.

In comparison with other TV/DVD combo systems, the Toshiba is on par as far as screen and sound quality. The clarity of the screen is above normal in quality, and the sound emitted from the television speakers, although it lacked a little in bass, had a nice clarity and did not buzz at higher volume. A person would probably want to invest in an additional amplifier and speakers to spruce up sound bass and projection if they were to put the Toshiba in a larger room.

Installation/Setup/Ease Of Use - The Toshiba DVD/CD television is one of the easiest products to install and operate. "Plug and play" is definitely the term that I would use to describe the installation process, which took all of five minutes. The chrome colored control buttons on the front of the product were easy to find and operate. The remote had every command imaginable for both the TV and DVD player, not to mention commands/features for additional components a consumer might use in putting together a bedroom entertainment system.

In the remote's simplicity, all the controls are at your fingertips and easy to interpret. There is no going back and forth from television mode to DVD/CD mode. The commands on the remote can operate any component and allow you to switch back and forth from the TV to the DVD without having to get up and hit a button on the unit (unless you are changing the movie, that still has to be done manually). I found this to be extremely rewarding because you do not have to have the remote in one mode to operate one component. Rather, you can operate any component with their specialized commands without leaving the comfort of your king size bed.

The downside of the remote is that the command/control buttons are not organized in a user-friendly fashion. For example, the volume buttons are small and are located on the upper right hand of the remote, while you can't help but notice the large channel control buttons, located in the middle of the remote with a night indication light. Since I'm constantly adjusting the volume because of my wife's sensitive ears, I find it difficult to locate these buttons while fumbling around in the dark. This might be a little nit picky, but when I'm watching TV at night or in a dark room, it makes it much more difficult to change the volume. Case in point: while reviewing this product, I accidentally hit the volume up button instead of the volume down.
The next thing you know, the police are at our door responding to a noise complaint, I'm banished to the couch for scaring the wits out of my wife (who was half asleep at the time) all because I wasn't able to operate a simple remote. It was wonderful.

Final Take - For the person looking for the perfect combination television and DVD/CD player for the bedroom, the Toshiba MD2OFMIR is definitely worth checking out. The overall quality, ease of installation, integration with other components, and the visual performance suits a small area, such as a bedroom, personal office, or den. It is a perfect fit, whether placed in a cabinet, on a tabletop or atop a dresser. The digital video and audio quality combination is one of the best I've seen in its class.

The convenient features of the Toshiba are very impressive. The fear and difficulty of installation and operation are of no concern. The design of the system easily adapts to any room and the ease installation and use further augments the quality and convenience of the product.

The remote does have some strengths and weaknesses. A strength of the remote is that it has all the commands a consumer would want to control the TV, DVD player and any additional components. A weakness is that these commands are scattered about the remote, some buttons more prominent than others, with no specific order or organization. Still, by having almost every command imaginable on the remote, one doesn't have to look too far to control the TV or the DVD, whatever the preference.

The Verdict: The Toshiba Combination 20" is a nice fit for bedroom viewing. Just don't expect to have window rattling sound or a screen quality adequate for a stadium. For a price of $399, The Toshiba TV/DVD Player is an affordable entertainment system for your secondary location.

Just make sure you know where the volume buttons are located.

Toshiba MD20FMIR
DVD Video
Dolby Digital Processing
DTS Digital Out
Compact Disc Digital Video
Compact Disc Digital Audio
Coaxial Digital Audio Out
CD-R, CD-RW discs playable
22.73" W x 20.25a H x 19" D
56.1 lbs.
2-year warranty
MSRP: $399