I decided to get a TV for my bedroom, and after a lot of research between all the 32” TVs with either built-in Fire or Roku, I decided on this one and am so happy I did.
I’m a woman of a certain age - old - and am technologically challenged, but setup of this TV was a breeze, starting with clear instructions on how to take it out of the box. (The screen came in a plastic bag with two handles, and it just slid out of the box.) The picture and sound quality are fantastic.
There were a lot of questions in the Q&A section about Bluetooth. I got the 2020 version of this TV, and you CAN connect things with Bluetooth. It’s an option in Settings. I connected AirPods, and they work perfectly. Once connected, the speakers on the TV cut off, the remote’s volume control works on the AirPods, and they stayed paired with the TV so I don’t have to go through the process of pairing every time I turn on the TV. Now when I turn the TV on, the TV’s speakers come on until/unless I take my AirPods out of their charging case; if I put them back in while watching, the TV’s speakers automatically kick in. Couldn’t ask for it to work more smoothly!
I have a Mohu Leaf Indoor Antenna on order; it was actually supposed to come today, but when I checked my Amazon orders for today’s deliveries, it’d been changed to next Saturday. No biggie; I know the antenna will work because I already bought one for another TV - picked up 147 channels.
I added Roku to get Peacock TV which isn’t available on Fire right now. This is where I made a mistake. After doing what I thought was pretty thorough research, I got the Roku Express. Turns out it doesn’t connect to 5GHz, only 2.4 GHz. It seems to be working okay, but I’ve ordered the Roku Streaming Stick+ which will connect to 5GHz. (Those numbers really don’t mean anything to me. I just know 5GHz = good, 2.4GHz = not so good.)
The remote for the TV isn’t exactly as pictured; it has a Disney+ dedicated button instead of HBO Max; okay with me. I wish the remote had lighted keys - that’s my only VERY minor complaint. Other than that, the remote is fantastic - so much so that I ordered the 3rd Generation Fire Stick which has the exact same remote to replace my old Fire Stick (and remote) on the living room TV.
I started this journey because I got sick of paying $100 a month to Dish when all I basically did was watch local and network news (and Prime TV). I got the Mohu antenna ($40) for my living room TV which took care of the news. This Toshiba TV is just icing on the cake. I was just THINKING about getting it, but when the price dropped by $50 (to $150), I decided to take the plunge. I ended up getting Hulu (no ads) for $12/mo and Peacock TV (no ads) for $10/mo. After the initial cost of all the hardware I bought, I’ll be saving ~$80 a month, so I’ll be coming out ahead in no time. I’ll probably add more channels/apps in the future, but for now I have plenty of new stuff to watch.
I wish I had done this long ago, but I didn’t even know it was possible. Dish was going to raise my rates again (by $25/mo) and I’d just had it, so I started checking into things. To give you an idea of how long I’ve been overpaying, my Dish equipment was so old they didn’t even want it back. I feel so much better now that I’m not paying $100 a month to watch the nightly news AND I have an awesome new TV in my bedroom!
Update: I’ve had these TVs (I bought two) for two months. Peacock+ is now available on Fire TV, so no need for the Roku stick anymore. My Mohu Leaf antenna is connected, and is working very well; I can change to the antenna output by choosing the option onscreen. I’m still very happy with my purchases.
| Brand Name | TOSHIBA |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 10.4 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 28.8 x 19 inches |
| Item model number | 32LF221U21 |
| Batteries | 2 AAA batteries required. |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | Flat |
