Magnavox 19MD350B

For those with limited kitchen or bedroom space, the Magnavox 19MD350B deserves a look. Users say this TV-DVD combo is easy to set up and delivers great picture quality. While it's not packed with frills, it does include a slot-loading DVD player and can stream Dolby Digital surround sound to your home-theater system. Connectivity is good for a TV in this screen size, including two HDMI inputs. It also has a PC input so it can pull double-duty as a computer monitor -- a nice feature for a cramped dorm room or kid's room. On the downside, there's essentially no support for computer file formats -- not even JPEG or MP3 files -- and a few users complain about low TV volume.

Another choice in this category is the Toshiba 19SLV411 (*Est. $250). It is too new to have received much feedback at the time of this update, but its predecessor, the Toshiba 19CV100U (*Est. $245), was pretty well liked. The chief difference between the TVs is that the 19SLV411 uses an edge-lit LED backlight for better energy efficiency and a thinner profile, though this type of backlight is also more prone to uneven uniformity (some areas of the screen are brighter than others) than CCFL backlights like the ones used in the 19CV100U.

Professional coverage of TV-DVD combos is scarce, but owners do chime in. The most helpful places to read user reviews of the Magnavox 19MD350B are at retail sites such as Amazon.com and Target.com.