On the SA 8300, upconvert 1 upconverts to 1080i, and upconvert 2 upconverts to 720p. On another forum (a local San diego HD forum), users say that passthru will give you a better picture on the SD channels - but causes delay in flipping channels, and that upconvert 1 or 2 results in faster flipping, but a poorer picture. I have my 8300 feeding into an analog set right now (until I pull the trigger on the Tosh) - so I can't say from experience.

Well, after playing with it last night, I think the best results were allowing the box to output 1080i or 720p, but not 480i or 480p (each is selectable, so if you just select 1080i, everything is upconverted to that, if just 720p, everything converted to that, but if 1080i and 720p, those two formats are passed in their native format and the SD signals are upconverted). The box seems to upconvert all SD signals to 720p when I leave this as the setup, and the TV seems to appreciate that :). With the Motorola box there is a separate setting for 4:3 programming. You can select 480i or 480p, stretch mode, or off which outputs black bars on each side of a SD broadcast to match the HD resolution. If you have an option for SD programming I would think you want it at 480i or 480p and use the display's strectch mode if you want to fill the screen. If the STB adds the black bars you will be unable to use any of the stretch modes. The Theaterwide I does a good job of leaving the central part of the image intact and slightly stretching the left and right sides of the image.

With the Motorola box there is a separate setting for 4:3 programming. You can select 480i or 480p, stretch mode, or off which outputs black bars on each side of a SD broadcast to match the HD resolution. If you have an option for SD programming I would think you want it at 480i or 480p and use the display's strectch mode if you want to fill the screen. If the STB adds the black bars you will be unable to use any of the stretch modes. The Theaterwide I does a good job of leaving the central part of the image intact and slightly stretching the left and right sides of the image.

MY STB can fill the screen if/when I want to (it has it's own picture size formating, so verticle bars are not necessary) but I usually watch with the bars (nice advantage of no screen burn in)---I don't mind the bars and at least nothing gets stretched or any more distorted than need be. However, I will have to check out the stretch feature on the Toshiba itself to see if I agree that it does a better job of stretching the image than the STB does by itself.

Aaron

While tuning component HD input using INHD tune up from Moto 6412 DVR on 52HM94 I noticed something odd. When contrast setting passes from 49 to 50, the overall light output of the screen image gets notably dimmer and some greys take on a barely preceptable redish tint. Continuing to higher levels toward 100 brings this overall percieved brightness back somewhat. There is no way to see all eleven rings even with contrast pegged at 100. Tried adjusting brightness (black level) to see if I could bring in 11th ring to no avail.

Any thoughts on 49/50 contrast transition or obtaining 11 visible rings?

I also went back to the Avia disc for DVD component input and found that I could put contrast at 100 and still discern both white lines moving. Black lines lose definition with brightness at 38. I set all other parameters with the contrast pegged and actually got more accurate color rendition than with lower contrast setting. Exposing the weakness of the DVD player/cables or flawed method of adjusting set? Using Tosh 4960 with generic component cables.

I have the Tosh 62 HM and the Dish (E*) 942 HD-DVR. I also ge the best picture with the HDMI connection and the DVR set to 1080i. This is true even for ESPN, which I think is 720p. This observation is purely subjective (e.g., watching HD sports, HDnet shows, etc.).

Anthony

I have the 52HM84 and a Dish (E*) 811 HD Receiver and have definitely determined that 1080i gives the best results. My theory is that the Dish HD receivers were designed to work at 1080i. They do provide a 720p mode, but that is there for completeness only. I think that 720p sources are converted to 1080i and then (poorly) converted back to 720p. This would explain why 720p sources look better at 1080i that at their native resolution comming out of a Dish HD receiver Needless to say 1080i sources look best at the 1080i setting.

I spent my first week with my receiver set to 720p thinking this was made the most sense. But I was really underwhelmed by the quality of the HD channels. Made me question what other people were raving about. Then I decided to change to 1080i and the results were stunning.

Anyway, all this goes to show you that some equipment might be designed to work at a specific resolution and, even though setting up the overall system at what would seem to be the optimal pass-thru resolution ends up not being a pass-thru situation at all.

Hello everyone, I have been reading this forum for the last several months and I have decided to buy a Toshiba DLP. Unfortunitely, I have learned from Toshiba's website and from other posts in this forum that my room is too small for a 52'' screen. I see Toshiba has a 46HM84 and 94 but no HMX's. Has anyone seen or own one of these sets that they can give me their opinion on? Is the PQ as good as the 52's?

I've had a 46HM94 since February and I love it!

Chetty

I'm uncertain about whether I should expect the same PQ from the 52HM84 and the 52HM94. Is the difference mostly the tuner and some connectivity features? I'm interested the 52HM84 because of the lower price, but I'm trying to figure out how much I'm sacrificing if I get that model.

The sets I'm primarily considering are:

Toshiba 52HM84
Samsung 5067W
Samsung 5085W
Sony KDF-50WE655
Panasonic 50DL54

The Toshiba appeals to me because it's the cheapest set with a HD2+ chip (which he Samsung doesn't have), it reportedly has better PQ than the Sony, and it's a lot cheaper than the Panny. I like the Samsung "Kirk" model, and last year's version has gone down a lot in price. But I'm on the fence about whether the pedestal style is practical for me. Plus, as a bonus, the Toshiba has 2 diagonal inches on the other sets. :D Still haven't made up my mind though.

Where's the D-ILA?

Where's the D-ILA?

Actually, I was at Best Buy today to check out a few options and mess around with the menus and stuff, and I liked the D-ILA quite a bit. Assuming it's in the same price range online (haven't researched that yet), it's an option for me. I'm still leaning toward toward the Toshiba though.

I have had an interesting couple of days with my 62HM94. I have been using a cable card which I have previously experienced no trouble, except for the TV Guide not working and some occasional voice sync problems. On Thursday my TV Guide finally started working. About the same time all my digital channel started dropping out, the analog work fine. If I reset the TV, I will get the digital stations.

I spoke to Charter and Toshiba. Charter is sending someone out later this week and Toshiba has the new firmware upgrade coming that they think will solve the problem.

Has anyone else seen this problem? Have an idea what is the cause?

I have had an interesting couple of days with my 62HM94. I have been using a cable card which I have previously experienced no trouble, except for the TV Guide not working and some occasional voice sync problems. On Thursday my TV Guide finally started working. About the same time all my digital channel started dropping out, the analog work fine. If I reset the TV, I will get the digital stations.

I spoke to Charter and Toshiba. Charter is sending someone out later this week and Toshiba has the new firmware upgrade coming that they think will solve the problem.

Has anyone else seen this problem? Have an idea what is the cause?There were two main problems with the cable cards from what I understand. One, the problem with the cable card acquiring channels. This was mainly with Comcast and the problem I have. Two, the problem with Charter and other cable companies and the dropping or inability to get digital channels. Both of these issues are supposed to be corrected with the 1.5 firmware. Mine should be arriving tomorrow or Wednesday so I will post back with results. There were a few other issues addressed with the firmware and one of them relates to the TVGOS listings resetting periodically due to corrupted packets being stored. I can't validate this until I get the firmware installed but that is also a problem I have right now.

I was just wondering how it could happen after running fine for several months and all of a sudden start dropping channels. Is this something that has been going on?

asacks

I have a 52HM84 with a SA 3250 HD box. And the best settings for me where to set it at "PassThrough". ?

I too have the SA 3250 but when I set it to "PassThrough" i lose my black bars on SD stuff.

Okay, I made my decision, and I ordered the 52HM84. I've realized that no set is going to be completely without drawbacks, and there seems to be a lot to like about this one. Plus it doesn't hurt that I got an extremely good deal from authorized dealer. Now I just hope it arrives safely and not DOA.

I've been reading through the thread, and can't seem to find it... which model has the Game Mode? The 62HMX94's? or do the 62HMX84's have it?

After months of reading the forums, looking at sets at BB, Ken Crane's, etc. I think I've finally decided on a Tosh DLP (seeing as I can't find the Panny 60" dlp set anywhere) to replace my horrid Sony 60xbr800.

Most of the use will be PS2 and Xbox (component), Dish 811 (I guess DVI->HDMI) and a new DVD player to replace the Bravo D1 and Denon 1910 we have. (I think we'll get the Panny S97, seems to be a good unit, no?)

Oh and does anyone know how the SD stuff looks compared to the Sony lcd set with the Dish 811 set to upscale to 1080i?

Thanks!
Dave

only x94 units will have the game mode, earlier in this thread is a summary about the differences between the sets.

S97 is a good unit but what is wrong with your D1? Isn't that an upconverting player as well? That should work just fine for you as well.

I've been reading through the thread, and can't seem to find it... which model has the Game Mode? The 62HMX94's? or do the 62HMX84's have it?

Most of the use will be PS2 and Xbox (component), Dish 811 (I guess DVI->HDMI) and a new DVD player to replace the Bravo D1 and Denon 1910 we have. (I think we'll get the Panny S97, seems to be a good unit, no?)


Dave

Hello all I am new to the forums and I was hoping you guys could help me out.

I am looking at getting the Costco version of the 62hm84(ie 62hm14 I believe) which to my understanding is the same unit just with a stand included.

This set will be used for mainly DVD's and watching TV. Are there any known problems with these sets?

Thak you,
Chris

only x94 units will have the game mode, earlier in this thread is a summary about the differences between the sets.

S97 is a good unit but what is wrong with your D1? Isn't that an upconverting player as well? That should work just fine for you as well.

Thanks for the info on the game mode. So now it's time to shop around and commit to the 62HMX94!

The D1 has been much better since the Vinc service people did something to it. Something to do with pixie dust, a magic wand, and voodoo I think. Would it be worth keeping and using a DVI->HDMI cable vs getting a new S97 or other player with HDMI?


Dave

Motion oriented color banding? Is this possible? I've not read of it previously and seem to be experiencing it on my 52HM94 currently. It's happening on cable through moto 6412 STB with component input. Was working flawlessly unitl about two days ago. An example of what I'm seeing; HD baseball game with close-up of players face. While still, the flesh tones are accurate, reflection/shine from oils on the skin are accurate and everything looks normal. Player turns his head slightly and all of a sudden the shiny/reflective portion of skin goes to white miniscule grainy look with color banding rings gradually fading toward fleshtone around it. The fleshtones go to what could best be described as "clayface", though they appear to me more like grains of sand. There is some motion smearing of the shiny portion of the image during movement. As soon as the head stops turning, all goes normal again. It appears on all of my HD channels and is most obvious on any fleshtones.

In addition, the overall look of the screen image has become slightly more grainy and less liquid/lifelike. I have not changed the user adjustable settings.

Thanks for the info on the game mode. So now it's time to shop around and commit to the 62HMX94!

The D1 has been much better since the Vinc service people did something to it. Something to do with pixie dust, a magic wand, and voodoo I think. Would it be worth keeping and using a DVI->HDMI cable vs getting a new S97 or other player with HDMI?


Dave

Dave,

I have tested game mode and it works great. That was one of the selling points for me with the 52HMX94. The best way to test is to put in a PS2 or GameCube football game (or any game with a kicking meter type action) running at 480i. That is when you will notice it working the most. Most people, if you have read other threads about game lag, have complained the most about the kicking meters and other meters (golf swings) that require split second timing.

This is what the manual says about Game Mode:

You can use the Game Mode feature for shorter frame delays when playing a video game requiring split-second timing between the on-screen display and input from the controller (such as music creation and high-action games).

Cheers,
Shane

Ok, I was about to purchase the 52HM84 and then found out about Game Mode from Dave69 (yo, guess who fool lol) on the other models. Does the 52HM84 have horrible video game performance? The game mode models are easily $500+ more. Just curious...I may have to rethink DLP's if you can't play video games without lag. Any gamers with the 52HM84 out there can give me the scoup? Thanks!

I don't have a console, but a friend brought their xbox over and we played Halo2 and such for a weekend..I didn't notice lag on my 62HM84, but that's just me. Maybe a B&M would let you bring a game system in sometime to try before you buy?

James90401

What console are you playing right now ?

You will not see any lag with 480p, 720p or 1080i games. 95% of Xbox games with the HD video pack support one of those resolutions.

But, if you have a PS2 or GameCube, then those are 95% 480i games and you will notice lag when playing. And it can get pretty anoying on games that require precision timing.

So, if you have an xbox, don't bother about the 94 series. But if you have a PS2, i'd rethink the 52HM84 choice for a 94 series.

Chris - I bought a 62 hm14 from Costco a little over a month ago. So far so good for HD and DVDs. SD is hit or miss with a lot of miss. I'm totally hooked on HD, so not a real issue for me.

Anthony

James90401

What console are you playing right now ?

You will not see any lag with 480p, 720p or 1080i games. 95% of Xbox games with the HD video pack support one of those resolutions.

But, if you have a PS2 or GameCube, then those are 95% 480i games and you will notice lag when playing. And it can get pretty anoying on games that require precision timing.

So, if you have an xbox, don't bother about the 94 series. But if you have a PS2, i'd rethink the 52HM84 choice for a 94 series.
I am using a PS2 now and want to take into account future systems....like PS3 or XBox 2. Toshiba is telling me I won't have lag, but I don't believe them because they fully can't explain why there's even a game mode on the higher end models. I don't need a tuner, cable card, etc. and I found a good price on the 52HM84 that is about $600 total cheaper than any model with Game Mode. Hmmm maybe it's not time for a DLP.....reasearching 6+ months now is making me not want a HDTV because everything out there have one problem or another...not like the good old CRTs. Argh!

The good old CRT's can burn in. That is an issue to me.

Someone already explained this but I'll try as well. You will only have "lag" on games that run in 480i. Even then on some of the games you can't even notice it. For example, I was playing Metroid Prime through s-video (480i) and I did NOT notice the lag. But I did notice it when playing Madden and trying to kick.

You will not have any lag at all when the games are running at 480p, 720p or 1080i.

It has something to do with the 480i feed being upconverted to the native display of the TV which is 720p but I don't know exactly what the problem is. All I can speak on is what I have tested, which I have done a lot because I wanted to make sure I didn't have this lag on any games.

If you buy a hm84 you will be fine with games running in 480p and above but the PS2 doesn't have many games that run in 480p. Anything running in 480i could lag especially those that require split second timing.

Another option is to wait a few months or however long it takes to save up that extra money and pop for the model with game mode.

I hope this helps.

After reading nearly every page in this monster post, I've seen a few people who seemed like hardcore gamers deny that the 52HM84 lags on anything, including 480i material. Of course, it would be best to tell for yourself with a floor model, but chances are everyone here is happy for a reason ;

After reading nearly every page in this monster post, I've seen a few people who seemed like hardcore gamers deny that the 52HM84 lags on anything, including 480i material. Of course, it would be best to tell for yourself with a floor model, but chances are everyone here is happy for a reason ;

That was my first test. I took my Xbox to the store and hooked it up to a 52hm84. :)

Motion oriented color banding? Is this possible? I've not read of it previously and seem to be experiencing it on my 52HM94 currently. It's happening on cable through moto 6412 STB with component input. Was working flawlessly unitl about two days ago. An example of what I'm seeing; HD baseball game with close-up of players face. While still, the flesh tones are accurate, reflection/shine from oils on the skin are accurate and everything looks normal. Player turns his head slightly and all of a sudden the shiny/reflective portion of skin goes to white miniscule grainy look with color banding rings gradually fading toward fleshtone around it. The fleshtones go to what could best be described as "clayface", though they appear to me more like grains of sand. There is some motion smearing of the shiny portion of the image during movement. As soon as the head stops turning, all goes normal again. It appears on all of my HD channels and is most obvious on any fleshtones.

In addition, the overall look of the screen image has become slightly more grainy and less liquid/lifelike. I have not changed the user adjustable settings.

I seem to have found the answer to this question after much reading. DITHER. I didn't notice it for the past few weeks, but notice it now. Will post in RPTV forum with follow-up as it's not specific to this make/ model.

Toenail,
I think I get the same thing. I also get some kind of banding rings on background light. When I first got my 52hm94 back in February I was blown away by the picture, better than what I saw in the stores. The very next day the set would cut off. It took Toshiba a month to send a replacement light engine. During that month the tv was watchable but bright movies or cartoons would cause it to shut off. But the pic was outstanding. When they replaced the light engine I became aware of a list of at least 400 different speed settings for the color wheel. My picture is not nearly the quality it was. Its not awful but I wouldnt buy it again if I knew it was this kind of picture. Grainier (like a Mits) more rainbows, clay face, light bands and color bands upon movement and panning. Now the speed adjustment helped but its still there. Its my opion that if these color wheels have that many possible adjustment speeds then the product is coming out pretty inconsistant. In other words you could put three next to each other and they would all have different levels of quality or artifacts. Its a crap shoot with these sets. I'm trying to work with the Tech to get Tosh to send me another light engine but it aint working. I'd even take the old light engine back and reset the tv every couple of hours if I had to. I'll live with it for a few years (if it even lasts that long) and buy another brand of TV. Please let me know what you find out about what your seeing. I may be able to convince Tosh with a better description.

Ok, I was about to purchase the 52HM84 and then found out about Game Mode from Dave69 (yo, guess who fool lol) on the other models. Does the 52HM84 have horrible video game performance? The game mode models are easily $500+ more. Just curious...I may have to rethink DLP's if you can't play video games without lag. Any gamers with the 52HM84 out there can give me the scoup? Thanks!

My 52HM84 will be arriving on Wednesday, and I got it mostly for gaming. I don't have it yet, so I obviously can't comment first hand, but from my research you won't have any problems with games that are at least 480p (all Xbox games, plus all future generation games).

I have decided (~95%) to pick up the 62HM(X)84 and have two quick/dumb questions:

1. Is there a big difference between the HM and the HMX? A salesguy told me the HM is not progressive, but the specs say it is. I know the HMX has a black border which some folks find less distracting than the silver and might be more aesthetically pleasing??

2. What is the ideal viewing distance from your collective experiences? The room I am setting up in is 11.5x22' long and while I was thinking about setting up bowling-alley style, someone (blackdeuce??) in the speaker group suggested that the sound might be better if I set up on the long wall which, given the depth of the tv and the couch, would probably put my head at about 9' from the screen.


Your thoughts greatly appreciated!!!

Ok, new one here.

46HM94 with Pioneer DV-563A progressive scan DVD attached through component inputs. No matter how I set the DVD's preferences I get widescreen in a LETTERBOX format! It's wide, it's clear, it has grey bars on the sides and black bars on the top & bottom! Some DVD's I have "Full" available some I don't, but it is always the same thing, LETTERBOX!

Any ideas?

I have decided (~95%) to pick up the 62HM(X)84 and have two quick/dumb questions:

1. Is there a big difference between the HM and the HMX? A salesguy told me the HM is not progressive, but the specs say it is. I know the HMX has a black border which some folks find less distracting than the silver and might be more aesthetically pleasing??

2. What is the ideal viewing distance from your collective experiences? The room I am setting up in is 11.5x22' long and while I was thinking about setting up bowling-alley style, someone (blackdeuce??) in the speaker group suggested that the sound might be better if I set up on the long wall which, given the depth of the tv and the couch, would probably put my head at about 9' from the screen.


Your thoughts greatly appreciated!!!

Unless your one of those that sit in the front row my recommendation is to go with the bowling alley set up. It will allow you to place the rear speaker behind you for better effect and keep the "movie theater" experience. From an acoustic perspective it just makes more sense. Also, I have a 46HM94 and I'm only about 9-10 feet away and SD looks like a four letter word I'm not going to use here.

Hello everyone, I have been reading this forum for the last several months and I have decided to buy a Toshiba DLP. Unfortunitely, I have learned from Toshiba's website and from other posts in this forum that my room is too small for a 52'' screen. I see Toshiba has a 46HM84 and 94 but no HMX's. Has anyone seen or own one of these sets that they can give me their opinion on? Is the PQ as good as the 52's?


How big is your room? I'm obsessed with the 62HM(X)84 and my room measures 11.5x22' with a 6'10" ceiling...........although I share the same concern. Personally, bigger is better, but I also read that my surround will sound better if I set up on the longer wall.....which means that I will be ~9' from the screen. Too close? I don't know, but I am seeking any/all feedback and opinion.



Cheers!!

Unless your one of those that sit in the front row my recommendation is to go with the bowling alley set up. It will allow you to place the rear speaker behind you for better effect and keep the "movie theater" experience. From an acoustic perspective it just makes more sense. Also, I have a 46HM94 and I'm only about 9-10 feet away and SD looks like a four letter word I'm not going to use here.

Thanks Chetty, I am leaning this way and given that fact, am probably looking to rationalize my choice. Worst case, I can move the hardware around and experiment until I find what I like. Having said that, I will probably not set up for another few weeks and really do appreciate the discussion.

Cheers!!!!

Hey Greg,

I' had too many years in audio. There's a reason sound halls (and theaters) are long, not wide. With the length of your room you will also be able to take advantage of a larger screen which will make movies even better! However the bottom line is to try for yourself and see what you like. My last living room was 28x16 and I never would have not taken advantage of the length. My new one is much smaller so we're a lot closer to the screen. However the bottom line is to try for yourself and see what you like. Your's is the only opinion that matters.

DCS

How big is your room? I'm obsessed with the 62HM(X)84 and my room measures 11.5x22' with a 6'10" ceiling...........although I share the same concern. Personally, bigger is better, but I also read that my surround will sound better if I set up on the longer wall.....which means that I will be ~9' from the screen. Too close? I don't know, but I am seeking any/all feedback and opinion.



Cheers!! I have the 62" and have viewing areas that range from 8' to 13'. For HD viewing either distance is fine and SD is tolerable at 8' but is better at the farther distance. I would think that any viewing area at or over 9' would be good for a 62" display especially if you watch a lot of DVD's or HD programming.

Is 7 Feet an okay distance for the 52" models? It's the biggest size and best priced, that's why I'm considering the 52hm84 model.

I sent my TV in for "repair" on Monday because of the smudges at the top left of the screen. Thinking this wouldn't be a huge repair and I might get the TV back by the end of the week. Was I ever wrong.

Evidently the optical block where the tech THINKS the dust settled is very hard to get at. It takes a while to get it all apart then repair, he also thinks he might have to order a new optical block if for some reason this one can not be fixed.

This all means that I'm a fool and should have waited till the NBA finals were over so I could be watching the Pistons in HiDef. Feel free to smack me about.... :(

Hey SD444, Big is great
I am about 10 ft from my 62HM94 but often at night I use my front projector on a 9 ft diagonal screen which pulls down in front of my Toshiba. if 9 ft screen works, the 5 ft(62" tosh is more than distant enough. Had Tosh offered a 7 ft version of the HM94 it might have been big enough that I would not bother with the front projector......Maybe.

Chris - I bought a 62 hm14 from Costco a little over a month ago. So far so good for HD and DVDs. SD is hit or miss with a lot of miss. I'm totally hooked on HD, so not a real issue for me.

Anthony


What are you using for your SD source? Direct? Dish? OTA?

James,

I sit about 8 1/2 feet from my 52HM84 which I bought two weeks ago for the very same reason you're considering it---best price/performance/size deal. I was originally going to get the 46HM84 but when i found I could get the 52" Tosh for about $60 more at the site I was buying on, I struggled for about a day---worried it would be too big, but after discussing here with a couple people, the consensus seemed to be, if you think it'll be okay, it'll be okay, as you'll adjust quickly to the large size.

I have to say that they were right. The first night I got it home and setup I was a little concerned that maybe this was too big. However, as I've had it for two weeks now I have absolutely no doubt that the 52" is not too big, you really do get used to it and my TV really doesn't seem as big as it used to. That said, 7' is closer than 8 1/2', so only you can really make this decision. My recommendation---go to a brick and morter store of your choice with a tape measure---sit and watch a TV of this size (it need not necessarily be a 52HM84) for about 15-20 minutes from 7' away. If you're still undecided, go big---if you feel an onset of nausea or headache, you may consider going for the 46".

Good Luck, both the 46 and 52" sets are outstanding, so you can't really go wrong.

Aaron

Dave69
I'm using Dish. SD looks great on my SD TVs.

Anthony

Is 7 Feet an okay distance for the 52" models? It's the biggest size and best priced, that's why I'm considering the 52hm84 model.

I've got the 52", and I don't find it too comfortable to sit only 7 feet from it. I like at least 12. The only time I sit around 7 feet is for video gaming.

Well I just want to clear something up, I am getting the 52HMX94 and I know some Toshiba models don't have black bars, only gray. Now I think I have read some Toshiba sets offer both black and gray bars. So can I get the bars on the 52HMX94 to be black or will they only be in gray?

Well I just want to clear something up, I am getting the 52HMX94 and I know some Toshiba models don't have black bars, only gray. Now I think I have read some Toshiba sets offer both black and gray bars. So can I get the bars on the 52HMX94 to be black or will they only be in gray?

These sets all display gray bars...not black. However, if you set up your STB (either cable or satellite) accordingly, you can get the TV to display 4:3 material with black bars. But that is only because the set top box is generating the bars, not the TV set. To date, no one has been successful in finding a setting in the TV's service menu to change the gray bars to black.

What have you found to be the best Cleaner for the front of your Screen?

What have you found to be the best Cleaner for the front of your Screen?

Just a microfibre towel. Toshiba told me that you shouldn't put any type of cleaner on the screen.

They did say you could make the towel damp if needed but I found that just wiping off every couple days is enough.... just to get the dust off.

After reading nearly every page in this monster post, I've seen a few people who seemed like hardcore gamers deny that the 52HM84 lags on anything, including 480i material. Of course, it would be best to tell for yourself with a floor model, but chances are everyone here is happy for a reason ;

I have a 62HMX94. My daughter plays Dance Dance Revolution. She says she gets much better scores with the game mode on. I'm not sure how the 84 series would work with the game.

Dave

Heard back from the repair shop today. My TV is cleaned and they sealed up the optical block better. I guess all Toshiba tells them to do is use tape, whatever works. Though the guy said that he thinks the problem was from a vent that lets the heat escape and that they couldn't seal that so it may happen again. I just hope it was the other areas that they sealed better.

Anyway, if anyone else has this problem please post about it in the future.

Thanks

Checked out the TV when I got it home. Looks good, the "smudges" are gone. Hopefully not to return.

Shaner1 - I posted earlier that I think I have a smudge similar to what you were describing. How did you go about getting it fixed? I assume it was warranteed? Did you have to take the TV to a service center or did they come get it? I probably could do a no-question return to Costco, but I love the set and they no longer have the Toshibas here in Salt Lake.

Any info you have would be appreciated.

Anthony

Hi Guys:
Luv this model in 62" at Costco. I'm considering replacing my plasma with it, but I'm concerned with the vertical viewing angle-- My shelf is almost 55" off the floor. Although I'm 15ft back, I would expect appreciable brightness degredation, anyone have input on this?
Thanx,
Joel

I called Toshiba and they gave me the names of 2 service centers in my area that are certified with the Toshiba TV's. I picked a place and called, they sent out a tech that said it was probably dust on the optical block. He scheduled a time for them to come pick it up and take it to their shop to fix (clean) it.

The shop had a dust free room that he did the work in, they usually try to do repairs in the home but since it was related to dust contamination he wanted to take it in. They picked it up and were going to deliver it back (all at no charge to me, Toshiba is paying the bill since it is still under warranty, plus I bought an extra 5 year plan) but I picked it up instead. I didn't want to wait till Friday to get it since the NBA finals are on.

Hope this helps.

Dave,
I have 52hm94 and cant find any mode setting for game. What are you guys refering too?

Thanks

Hi Guys:
Luv this model in 62" at Costco. I'm considering replacing my plasma with it, but I'm concerned with the vertical viewing angle-- My shelf is almost 55" off the floor. Although I'm 15ft back, I would expect appreciable brightness degredation, anyone have input on this?
Thanx,
Joel

Well, while I am very pleased w/ how well pix looks from various angles, 55" off the floor sounds very high. I know you are pretty far away - 15 ft - but would it even be comfortable to look at the screen that high up? I have the 46hm84 and am about 9 feet away and off the floor around 22" so I cannot say for sure.

Shaner1 - Thanks for the info. I guess I'll be calling Toshiba to find out about local service techs.

Joel - I'd go to Costco and try to view while lying on the floor if you can. 15 feet back is pretty far and you'll probably be ok, but the view is definately best from straigt on. Can you tilt the set toward the viewing area?

Anthony

Dave,
I have 52hm94 and cant find any mode setting for game. What are you guys refering too?

Thanks

For the 52HMX94 and 62HMX94 tvs the setting can be found in the Preferences menu. It is after Input Labeling and before Menu Language.

Dave

My 52HM84 arrived today! I've spent a few hours with it. Time for some impressions.

First - this thing is HUGE. It's just gigantic. It's a monster. I've never owned a TV bigger than 27", so this thing is just...insane. When people come over, it's going to be like "welcome to my TV." It actually so big it's kind of embarrasing. ;)

Okay, so, here's what I've tested on it so far:

Video games:

-Halo 2 (480p) - The flaws in the cut-scenes seem even more prenounced than on my old CRT, but the in-game action is very pretty and sharp looking. Multiplayer on Xbox Live looks fantastic on this set. The first level of the campaign looked nice, but some of the darker corridors seemed a bit too dark (I didn't have that impression while testing other games or other media, so I'm not sure whether I should try to tweak anything to fix that). The second level, in Old Mombassa, looked great.

- Soul Calibur 2 (720p) - this game looks simply stunning on this set. Just awesome. So bright and sharp! I guess that makes sense, since it's running in 720p, which is what the set was designed for. Seeing this game in high res makes me even more excited about the Xbox 360, since every single game will be at least this beautiful!

- Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (480p) - One of my favorite Xbox games, although I haven't played it in a long time. Looked decent on this set, but the graphics for this game are honestly a little dated now, so I wasn't too impressed. But Elder Scrolls 4 is coming out this year for Xbox 360, so I'll be good to go. I love this series.

-Ninja Gaiden (480p) - looked fantastic. Part of that is simply the fact that Itagaki makes great-looking games regardless of what TV you have, but it looked especially good on this set. Very sharp, bright and smooth. The TV didn't have any problems scaling this to 720p. Looked great. No artifacts or anything that I could see.

Standard Definition analog cable:

After hearing all the bad things about SD analog cable picture quality on a high def set, I hooked my my analog cable box via composite cable with some trepidation - but to my surprise the picture quality was just fine. My first reaction was - "huh...what was all that fuss about." To me, it looked just as good as basic cable looked on my old CRT, which was a very pleasant surprise. Maybe there's a little more noise in the image, but it makes up for that by being twice as big :D. Looks fine to me. Very pleased with this aspect of the set.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3 DVD: This is the only DVD I've tested so far, and it looked respectable. Probably not the best thing to test on this set, since DVD's of television program are pretty lo-grade source material, technically speaking (not low-grade in terms of content, of course - Buffy rules!). Anyhow, it looked good. One cool this is that my Malata DVD player sends the signal with black bars for the windowboxing, so you can watch DVD's of 4:3 material with black bars instead of grey bars. By the way, I wasn't being too picky about the picture quality in this test - I just had my fingers crossed that these DVD's would look decent, because Buffy is an important part of my life :p - and it looked fine, so I'm satisfied with that.

My first reactions are quite positive. Everything looked at least good, and some things looked awesome. None of the things I was worried about ended up being issues - the set handles 480p video games fine, awesome picture on 720p games, works fine with the particular DVD's I was unsure of, and even does a good job with the basic cable signal.

My only significant gripe is that the grey bars the set uses to windowbox 4:3 material are uglier than the black bars most sets use. The bars also seem slightly narrower at the bottom of the screen (so the 4:3 picture is just a slight bit wider at the bottom). But the borders are at least sharp and clean, which helps. I can live with the windowboxing gripe. As problems go, it's not too serious. Plus, as I said, my DVD player (and presumably other devices like cable boxes), can send black bars as part of the signal to replace the grey.

I hope nothings happens now to make me come back and post lots of problems I didn't notice during my first run-through. Happy so far. :)

New to this forum, but if anyone is going to be able to help me, it's going to be someone here.

I just purchased a 46HM94, TV not more than 1 hour old when the video (but not the audio) from a DVD just blacks out. The only way to get the picture back is to unplug the TV and plug it back in to the outlet. This has happened with both the s-video input as well as a component input. It's also happened with multiple DVDs. Any ideas? A toshiba tech is coming to take a look, but I'm worried that I won't be able to duplicate the defect when he's here.

thanks in advance.

I just purchased a 46HM94, TV not more than 1 hour old when the video (but not the audio) from a DVD just blacks out. The only way to get the picture back is to unplug the TV and plug it back in to the outlet. This has happened with both the s-video input as well as a component input. It's also happened with multiple DVDs. Any ideas? A toshiba tech is coming to take a look, but I'm worried that I won't be able to duplicate the defect when he's here.

thanks in advance.Perhaps it's the DVD player if it doesn't happen with your other inputs. I've never experienced the problem you mention with my Sony DV-NS975V connected via HDMI

Two questions regarding these sets. I've searched this thread endlessly and not found definitive answers yet.

1) Is there a benefit to making user adjustments in Movie mode (disable SVM if it exsists on these sets) or does this only apply to older CRT's?

2) Is it possible to affect sharpness in the service menu? With mine set to "0" there still seems to be some false outline around edges. The lower the resolution of the source material, the worse it is. On HD it is almost mon-exsistent, DVD isn't too bad on close-ups, but smaller on-screen images suffer more from it. On SD it's pretty obvious.

Hi Guys:
Luv this model in 62" at Costco. I'm considering replacing my plasma with it, but I'm concerned with the vertical viewing angle-- My shelf is almost 55" off the floor. Although I'm 15ft back, I would expect appreciable brightness degredation, anyone have input on this?
Thanx,
Joel


I have the 52HM94 set up about 20" off the floor. It's perfect for sitting on my couch to watch TV. But when I stand up (I'm 5'9"), the picture degrades very noticably, so vertical viewing angle is pretty narrow on this model. Your set-up at 55" off the floor would seem to be way too much for this set, even viewed from 15' away. I'd recommend checking it out at a B&M store, or seeing if there is some way to angle your shelf downward so that you're viewing the set at a more favorable angle. Of course if you angle your shelf downward, PLEASE be sure to adequately secure the TV to the shelf or the wall, as you wouldn't want it falling off of the shelf and onto the floor or - God forbid - onto you or someone else!!

I hope this hasn't been asked yet, there is a lot to read here and I went through most of it. I just bought the 46hm84 and I love the tv except for one problem which I hope can be fixed. I like the pic size set on the first theater mode and when I turn the set of and then turn it back on it is back on to the normal mode. My question is, is it posible to have the set stay on the first theater mode even after the tv is turned off?

I hope this hasn't been asked yet, there is a lot to read here and I went through most of it. I just bought the 46hm84 and I love the tv except for one problem which I hope can be fixed. I like the pic size set on the first theater mode and when I turn the set of and then turn it back on it is back on to the normal mode. My question is, is it posible to have the set stay on the first theater mode even after the tv is turned off?

I've got this model, and it does not do what you're describing. If you select TheaterWide 1, the set remains in that mode even if you turn it off. However, if the power is cut entirely to the TV (as happens during a power outage or when you remove the plug from the wall receptacle), it defaults to the 4:3 mode.

My 52HM84 arrived today! I've spent a few hours with it. Time for some impressions.

First - this thing is HUGE. It's just gigantic. It's a monster. I've never owned a TV bigger than 27", so this thing is just...insane. When people come over, it's going to be like "welcome to my TV." It actually so big it's kind of embarrasing. ;)

Okay, so, here's what I've tested on it so far:

Video games:



You seem to be an avid, intellegent video game player. What is your opinion on the proported lag for this set (since you played Soul Calibur II on it, you should have definately sensed it if the lag was present)?

I've got this model, and it does not do what you're describing. If you select TheaterWide 1, the set remains in that mode even if you turn it off. However, if the power is cut entirely to the TV (as happens during a power outage or when you remove the plug from the wall receptacle), it defaults to the 4:3 mode.

Set it under video in the menu and it should default to Theaterwide 1

I have a question about my 46hm94. Particularly about scene shifting in sd. When there is a scene switch in a commercial or regular programming the picture brightness will go from brighter to dimmer, almost like your changing the bulb setting from high to low. This occurs on both bulb settings. It only apears to happen on sd sources.

Has anybody else experienced this problem?

You seem to be an avid, intellegent video game player. What is your opinion on the proported lag for this set (since you played Soul Calibur II on it, you should have definately sensed it if the lag was present)?

Yeah, I am an avid gamer, and it was my main motivation for buying this TV. As for being an "intelligent gamer" - well, it's hard to say. :p

I got the TV on Wednesday, and I've put in a lot of gaming hours since then. I haven't noticed any lag on any of the 5 or 6 games I've tested. Soul Calibur II certainly felt perfect to me - and it should be, since it's a 720p game, so no scaling or de-interlacing is necessary for a 720p-native set like this one.

I've played a lot of Halo 2 online, and I haven't noticed any problems there either. I haven't been doing very well online, but I usually suck at the game anyhow, so I doubt that has anything to do with any potential lag (and as I said, I haven't seen any). Plus in the two games I played today, my kill ratios were 15-10 and 4-3, so, I think it's fine. I suppose, since the game is 480p and the TV has to scale it to 720p, there might be some imperceptible lag, but I honestly haven't noticed any.

I don't have any of those sports games with a kick meter or a swing meter, so I can't test any of that.

After 3 days, I'm very please with the TV. To me, it looks excellent for games, and looks decent for standard definition cable, which I'm happy about, since I don't want to pay for upgrading that right now. There is more visible noise in the picture on standard definition cable than I was getting on my old 640:480 tv, but it's a lot better than I was expecting.

If you have any lag at all it will be on 480i games. Even then on some you won't notice it, only those that require split second timing. Like the kicking meters, golf swings, free throw meters and such.

This has been talked about quite a bit in the forums search around and I'm sure you will find more info.

Xbox is fairly safe from lag but PS2 and Gamecube are not since not alot of their games are in 480p or above. The key thing to remember is that 480p and above is fine, no lag. Not any that I have come across or heard others talk of. A few of us have tested this alot.

I have a question about my 46hm94. Particularly about scene shifting in sd. When there is a scene switch in a commercial or regular programming the picture brightness will go from brighter to dimmer, almost like your changing the bulb setting from high to low. This occurs on both bulb settings. It only apears to happen on sd sources.

Has anybody else experienced this problem?

I've noticed it... maybe once or twice a week it happens on my 46hm94, but I haven't paid close attention to what type of programming its happened on or if there's a pattern. Its not too noticable on mine, I wouldn't say its as drastic as going from the high to low bulb setting, but I definitely have seen it. Not sure what could be done about it, if anything.

Hi Guys:
Luv this model in 62" at Costco. I'm considering replacing my plasma with it, but I'm concerned with the vertical viewing angle-- My shelf is almost 55" off the floor. Although I'm 15ft back, I would expect appreciable brightness degredation, anyone have input on this?
Thanx,
Joel

Probably, 55" is too high for rear projection, you really want your eyes looking directly into the bottom 1/3 of the screen. Brightness and contrast will drop off otherwise.

I've noticed it... maybe once or twice a week it happens on my 46hm94, but I haven't paid close attention to what type of programming its happened on or if there's a pattern. Its not too noticable on mine, I wouldn't say its as drastic as going from the high to low bulb setting, but I definitely have seen it. Not sure what could be done about it, if anything.

Ya, not sure if anything can be done. I'll mention it to Tosh when I call about the TVGOS problems.

Thanks

ANybody have a handle on what to do with massive volume changes when commercials come on in non dolby. Sometimes it goes down but sometimes it goes up at least 10+ dB. Note I do have the control on for volume limiting whatever it is called in the audio menu

Does anyone have the firmware upgrade for this model that I could borrow to flash mine? I am at 1.20 and need 1.45 or later. Thanks!

Tom

This has been talked about quite a bit in the forums search around and I'm sure you will find more info.


Believe me, I've been looking into this DLP problem for months. I just didn't want to believe EVERY DLP had the same 100% unacceptable shortcomming (most broadcasting is still 480i). I for one am EXTREMELY sensitive to even minute audio-video sync problems. Why DLP makers think such a think is acceptable and DON'T tell their customers about it is beyond me. I wonder why HDTV LCDs, Plasmas, and CRTs don't have the same lag problems?

Does anyone have the firmware upgrade for this model that I could borrow to flash mine? I am at 1.20 and need 1.45 or later. Thanks!

Tom

If you are having troubles with your TV just call Toshiba and request the update, they send them out for free on a SD memory card. It's 64 megs so if you have a camera you can use it in that after the update. :)

has anyone had their tosh isf calibrated, what i hear they is some big pq improvements

I've been doing some reading around the forums and found this in a Samsung HLR thread:
You must at least subscribe to basic cable so that the cable feed to your home is enabled. With the basic cable feed and a QAM-capable tuner in your TV you can get your unencrypted (clear) HD channels (typically locals) but you won't be able to get inHD1&2, Discovery-HD, ESPN-HD, TNT-HD, etc. For those you'll need to get the cable company's digital + HD package and a cable box and/or cable card. Also, bear in mind that when you get unencrypted (clear) HD channels without a cable box or cable card the channels won't have the same channel numbers as with a cable box or cable card. They will typically be on sub-channels such as 110-2 so you'll need to hunt them out.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=536582
So, if you have a tuner and cable service you can get their local HD channels free? Is the Toshiba 52HM94 capable of this? I've found an attractive price for this set, and if I can get the locals through cable I'll probably get one tonight or tomorrow.

Believe me, I've been looking into this DLP problem for months. I just didn't want to believe EVERY DLP had the same 100% unacceptable shortcomming (most broadcasting is still 480i). I for one am EXTREMELY sensitive to even minute audio-video sync problems. Why DLP makers think such a think is acceptable and DON'T tell their customers about it is beyond me. I wonder why HDTV LCDs, Plasmas, and CRTs don't have the same lag problems?


Lip sync issues are a byproduct of the enormous amount of processing all HDTV displays have to perform on 480i signals....it isn't limited to just DLP TV's. I've seen it on my RP-CRT, and I've seen it on direct view LCDs. The more processing involved, the more likely it is that the problem will be very noticeable. Present chip technology limits the number of calculations per second involved the processing of a 480i signal; eventually, with faster, more powerful chips, the problem should (theoretically) disappear. I've read that such chips already exist but are far too expensive for use in consumer-level displays of any kind.

I've been doing some reading around the forums and found this in a Samsung HLR thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=536582
So, if you have a tuner and cable service you can get their local HD channels free? Is the Toshiba 52HM94 capable of this? I've found an attractive price for this set, and if I can get the locals through cable I'll probably get one tonight or tomorrow.Yes it's true but you will be limited to the basic unencrypted HD channels. They vary by cable provider but would probably only be (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and possibly ESPN-HD). I could never get ABC with the ANT connection so I only received CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN-HD. None of these stations with the exception show all HD programming and typically it might only be one or two programs on a given night. Personally, i would get the basic digital package that would inlclude stations like INHD1, INHD2, TNT-HD, and Discovery HD.

Thanks for the reply, kdog044. The reason I'm interested is to have the excuse that we can watch HD out of the box, without having an additional monthly expense to the cable bill (wife factor), but as we get hooked to HD we'll probably upgrade our service.

Thanks for the reply, kdog044. The reason I'm interested is to have the excuse that we can watch HD out of the box, without having an additional monthly expense to the cable bill (wife factor), but as we get hooked to HD we'll probably upgrade our service.It will give you an idea of what to expect with HD as there is no comparison. I watch as little as I can of non HD programming and completely avoid analog stations with the exception of FSN to watch the Tigers. I also am spoiled with the dual tuner DVR and even though I finally got my cable card working I will probably keep the DVR and I think it's worth the $9.95 a month. I never have to worry about missing any of my favorite shows like Lost and 24 and there are actually times when I will be recording two shows simultaneously and watching a third on the cable card input.

Hi All,

I am hoping somebody here can help. I have recieved no useful help from Toshiba and contradictory information from other sources.

Please only respond if you actually have one of these units. At this point I don't trust documentation, specs and manuals. I am looking for information on the 62HM94, NOT the 62HMX94.

I am trying to find out if the 62HM94 has Game Mode setting. If present it would likely be under the main menu then under the preferences menu. It would be labeled "Game Mode" and could be set to On or Off. So does the 62HM94 have this mode?

A couple of responses would be great.

Thanks,

Chris Lopeman :)

I am trying to find out if the 62HM94 has Game Mode setting.

Chris Lopeman :)

Yes, the 62HM94 has the game mode option. This is the TV I have.

dsr

I just got my 46hm84 and had a few questions in setting up my HT. I also have Time Warner with an SA8300HD DVR. I also have a Koss KS5192 for the surround sound reciever and a phillips DVDR75/17 dvd recorder in my current setup. I currently only have the component cables from Time Warner and switch them to watch TV.

I mostly watch a mixture of HDTV and SDTV(I watch whatever shows I can get in HD and I am stuck for SDTV for the rest of the channels). I will also be watching alot of DVDs as soon as I subscribe to one of those unlimited movies package from blockbuster online.

Well I love my Toshiba for the most part. It seems alot bigger at home then in the store. The HD channels look great and the programming is amazing. For SDTV some of the shows look great while others look like crap. I saw Teminator 3 on cinemax and it looked almost HD. I then saw spiderman 2 and it looked pixelating and blocky. I have gotten use to is for the most part but some shows seem really bad. I was watching Buffy on FX and certain scenes looked like crap. Alot of the whites on SDTV looked like rainbows. I could see the different colors that make them up. It also seemed like alot of ghosting and noise. I figured this might be part of the enviorment. Any Advice on how to clear this up. Could it be the component cables. Would a HDMI improve the pictures. Also with the SA8300HD should I have the cable box upconvert the picture or should I let the TV process it.

I also watched one DVD, "Bubble Boy" since I don't have a huge collection. I watched on KS5192 and the picture looked alight. It wasn't crappy but nothing spectacular. The colors seemed sligtly faded. I was wondering with this TV would a upconvert DVD player make the picture look HD or close to it. I didn't want to invest in one if the quality would be almost the same. If I do get one does anyone have any recommendations of players that would go good with the toshiba. I saw the samsung 841 refurbished for a good price but heard mixed reviews.

If I get upconvert DVD should I use DVI out into my hdmi port and component for the cable box or hdmi with the cable and component with a hack for the dvd. Or would it be worth it to invest in a switch. If I do stick with component are there any cheap brands that still carry a good signal?

One Last thing is I started to notice some rainbows after they were mentioned in here. At first just turing my head and in crappy SDTV scenes but yesterday I notice some in some of the darker HDTV scenes like the begining of Law and Order. Is there anything I can do to reduce seeing this effect with the settings. If not what should my settings be at for the best PQ

Casey

I just got my 46hm84 and had a few questions in setting up my HT. The HD channels look great and the programming is amazing. For SDTV some of the shows look great while others look like crap. I saw Teminator 3 on cinemax and it looked almost HD. I then saw spiderman 2 and it looked pixelating and blocky. I have gotten use to is for the most part but some shows seem really bad. I was watching Buffy on FX and certain scenes looked like crap. Alot of the whites on SDTV looked like rainbows. I could see the different colors that make them up. It also seemed like alot of ghosting and noise. I figured this might be part of the enviorment. Any Advice on how to clear this up. Could it be the component cables. Would a HDMI improve the pictures. Also with the SA8300HD should I have the cable box upconvert the picture or should I let the TV process it.

I also watched one DVD, "Bubble Boy" since I don't have a huge collection. I watched on KS5192 and the picture looked alight. It wasn't crappy but nothing spectacular. The colors seemed sligtly faded. I was wondering with this TV would a upconvert DVD player make the picture look HD or close to it. I didn't want to invest in one if the quality would be almost the same. If I do get one does anyone have any recommendations of players that would go good with the toshiba. I saw the samsung 841 refurbished for a good price but heard mixed reviews.

If I get upconvert DVD should I use DVI out into my hdmi port and component for the cable box or hdmi with the cable and component with a hack for the dvd. Or would it be worth it to invest in a switch. If I do stick with component are there any cheap brands that still carry a good signal?

One Last thing is I started to notice some rainbows after they were mentioned in here. At first just turing my head and in crappy SDTV scenes but yesterday I notice some in some of the darker HDTV scenes like the begining of Law and Order. Is there anything I can do to reduce seeing this effect with the settings. If not what should my settings be at for the best PQ

CaseyCasey, the first thing you need to do is get Avia or DVE and calibrate your display. Secondly, I believe the SA STB has a pass-through setting for HD and if so that is what you should use and let the display do any necessary conversions. As far as DVI vs. component on the STB you probably won't notice much difference in PQ between the two. You would be better served by saving your one HDMI input for a decent upconverting player like the Panasonic S-97 or the Sony DVP-NS975V. You won't get HD quality but there can be noticable PQ improvement over a standard progressive player. Lastly, for SD channels if the SA box is anything like the Motorola then the analog tuners leave much to be desired. Unfortunately since your TV doesn't have the intregrated tuners you don't have the choice of splitting the signal and using the display's tuners. I do believe that once you calibrate your display a lot of your PQ issues will go away. Good luck with your set but if you continue to see rainbows you may need to look at other technologies. I've never seen one in the three months I've had my set.

kdog, thanks for the advice.

About the rainbows they aren't common enough to think about getting rid of this tv. I'm not even sure what I am seeing is rainbows or SDTV noise half the time. I see a rainbow maybe once in hdtv. They don't bother me that much and I don't think i would of noticed them if I didn't go looking for them in the first place.

Could you elbarate on what you mean by splitting the signal. My cable box has dual tuners and I also have a splitter. If I feed the analog channels directly into the TV would that help since most of the issues with the SDTV are the analog shows.

Where can I get a Avia or DVE?

Also would getting different component cables help. I don't want to get monster but any other recommendations would help

Could you elbarate on what you mean by splitting the signal. My cable box has dual tuners and I also have a splitter. If I feed the analog channels directly into the TV would that help since most of the issues with the SDTV are the analog shows.

Where can I get a Avia or DVE?

Also would getting different component cables help. I don't want to get monster but any other recommendations would help
Casey, the dual tuners doesn't really help as there is no way to feed both of them to the TV from the STB. What you need to do is split the cable before the STB and run one to the ANT connection on the TV. You will be limited to the SD channels as the TV doesn't have a QAM (cable) tuner. Avia or DVE can be purchased from Amazon. DVE can also be ordered through Circuit City's web site. As far as component cables the Acoustic Research brand are pretty decent for around $20 at Best Buy or you can look at online reatailers such as RAM Electronics, Pacific Cable or Blue Jeans cable. I wouldn't spend more than $20-$30 for a good quality cable.

Hey people: Notice something weird while updating the picture settings on my 52HM84. When the contrast setting goes from 49 to 50, it actually turns a notch darker and then continues.

In the end it didn't matter, my final setting is 25, but it was surprising to see that behaviour.

Hello all - first of all I'd like to thank everyone who has posted in the last 5 months - It's really helped me out recently in getting my settings set up right. I've owned a 52HM84 since this March and I love it. What I don't love is my DVD player - hopefully will be getting the LG hd tuner/dvd player soon enough. I got a Samsung HD841 for free from BB when I ordered our display. Well, now I know why they were giving them away for free - It is aweful. I run component bc I couldn't get the dvi to even come close to looking nice and that was comparing it to my older pioneer player (non progressive) via S-video. Anyway - I have found settings from this forum that now make the display work the way it should - Just looks great even with the Sammy.

I have noticed now that my "backup" movies have a darker look to them vs. the store bought type dvd. I did my settings based on the store bought dvds and kept it there obviously. I was just curious if anyone noticed the same thing - or when I get a new player will the back up dvds look better and the store bought ones look even better? - if that's possible. thanks for any info -

It is aweful. I run component bc I couldn't get the dvi to even come close to looking nice and that was comparing it to my older pioneer player (non progressive) via S-video

I own a LG 5832NXC upscaling DVD player and a SA 3250 HD set top box and both could be connected via HDMI with a DVI to HDMI cable. The component hookup is way better than the HDMI hookup with this TV with both device. The HDMI input is definitly wrong on the 52HM84.

I have noticed now that my "backup" movies have a darker look to them vs. the store bought type dvd.

90% my dvd collection is "backups" and they are all as nice as the original. It probably depends how you "backup" them. The compression %, the software etc...

I cannot get close captioning to appear on my 46HM84 over component cables. It works fine for the coxaial input but not over the component. I am using a SA8300HD. Anyone else have this problem?

Casey

Try putting on Cartoons from broadcast or cable. If it still does it then you have a chip overheating and the light engine needs replacing. You'll find that problem on a few threads. If you bought it from a big store see if they have a return policy and return it. Otherwise your taking your chances on a new light engine. PM me if it goes out on cartoons.

Hey people: Notice something weird while updating the picture settings on my 52HM84. When the contrast setting goes from 49 to 50, it actually turns a notch darker and then continues.

In the end it didn't matter, my final setting is 25, but it was surprising to see that behaviour.

I noticed the 49/50 contrast issue when tuning with avia. I though I perceived a slight color change as well, more towards red overall when stepping from 49 to 50, while 49 and below seemed a bit cooler/bluish. With your contrast at 25/100 I'm guessing your set was calibrated differently then mine at the factory. Is this the threshold of crushing whites on your set or did you obtain this setting by some other method?

...Is this the threshold of crushing whites on your set or did you obtain this setting by some other method?

Hey Toenail: Yeah, I use AVIA for general video settings and audio balance, also use the Sound & Vision DVD to check for red push (easier) and 6.1 DTS sound. The receivers LFE test is perfect, but I still have to find an equivalent tone to record on CD and be able to set LFE on other systems; when I have a DVD recorder, I'll probably record the receivers tone...if it comes out the other outputs.

OK, with AVIA's contrast check I'm unable to produce any of the negative effects described; the twin moving bars can be seen always, even at maximum setting. So, I just turn down the level until dark gray and turn up until it "looks" white. That's OK with me ...'till something "negative" happens.

OK, with AVIA's contrast check I'm unable to produce any of the negative effects described; the twin moving bars can be seen always, even at maximum setting. So, I just turn down the level until dark gray and turn up until it "looks" white. That's OK with me ...'till something "negative" happens.

I too can max the contrast to 100/100 and still see both moving bars with no distortion effects. As soon as you watch actual material it becomes quite obvious that whites are blinding and crushed though. I worked downard until all source material no longer exhibited this symptom and wound up at around 50.

Yes, the 62HM94 has the game mode option. This is the TV I have.

dsr
dsr15,

Thanks for the reply. You are the only person that responded, so I put my faith in you and orderd the 62hm94.

Thanks Again,

Chris Lopeman

Just wondering if anyone has heard any news on the new models coming out in July? The HM95's are 720p and the HM195's are 1080p.

Here is the press release...
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/news/newsarticle.asp?newsid=84

I wanted to buy a 52hm84 or 52hmx84 this Christmas but will wait to see what the 95's look like. According to the press release the new Talen X engine will display a "sharper more vibrant image".

Can't wait to see em'

dsr15,

Thanks for the reply. You are the only person that responded, so I put my faith in you and orderd the 62hm94.

Thanks Again,

Chris Lopeman

No problem. I have an XBox and it works great. It's a great TV, I am very happy with it. (Well, except for the TV Guide On Screen, but that's another story...)

dsr

Just wondering if anyone has heard any news on the new models coming out in July? The HM95's are 720p and the HM195's are 1080p.

Here is the press release...
http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/news/newsarticle.asp?newsid=84

I like the fact that they are putting the speakers on the bottom on the MX195's. This gives a user more choices for TV stands. The current models don't look right with anything but the Toshiba stand IMHO.

http://news.designtechnica.com/featured_article25.html

kdog..thanks for the article I didn't see that one. I agree about the speakers on the bottom. Although the set now looks like everybody else..ie..Mitsu, Samsung, etc...

I worked downard until all source material no longer exhibited this symptom and wound up at around 50.

Hmmm, I rechecked and I actually have 30 set for contrast. Well, I usually watch TV with low lights or curtains semi-close during the day, and that's how I set parameters, maybe that's why I have a lower setting than you.

The set is still months old, so maybe it doesn't need to be that high. Usually, for cable, I need to play a bit after setup, because of the different source and connection...which is S-Video. But it's usually not much and not for a few days.

What I did set very low was sharpness, I don't remember now, but with the AVIA pattern, even at the lowest setting, the last left-center line showed a thin "ghost" line. So, I took reference on the next left-center which clears the "ghost" line; I think I ended up with like 17. That sounds like an issue, but I don't want anyone to "operate" on the unit yet.

Mine is at 65. I really couldn't tell any difference with either Avia or DVE and I suspect the tests don't really have an affect on DLP's. Brightness, on the other hand is around 47 right now, color is at 44, sharpness is at 0 and so is the tint. This is on low lamp mode and with color temperature medium. I would recommend recalibrating your display after you've had it for three weeks or so as the settings will most likely change.

WOW man, 65! You people like your sets really bright; I've had my set since December 2004 and had to recheck on parameters about 3 or 4 times.

I think you'all setting that too high, I mean...100 is the max, and you're just shy of it, given that the Toshiba has such fine tuning.

Why don't you try...just try...like I do. Use the contrast pattern and watch the big white bar. Take the parameter down to 0, it should look gray, and then slowly take it back to white; not bright white, just white. You'll have to readjust brightness (black level) as this two relate.

Then check on your usual material, you'll probably find the picture more pleasant to look at.

WOW man, 65! You people like your sets really bright; I've had my set since December 2004 and had to recheck on parameters about 3 or 4 times.

I think you'all setting that too high, I mean...100 is the max, and you're just shy of it, given that the Toshiba has such fine tuning.
Given that it's 65% of maximum I don't see how that's just shy of it. it's not like you need to worry about burn in. In DLP review's testing of the 52HM84 they had the same contrast.

http://www.dlptvreview.com/dlptvreviews/toshibadlptv.html

I found that with the 50ish setting whites that are intended to be bright are, without blooming. Lesser whites and darker shaded areas of white seem natural and accurate. To me, as long as the picture doesn't exhibit any distracting qualities in it's reproduction of whites I'm comfortable with it's settings. I'm able to detect various intensities of white level in a given image without crush and without the overall picture appearing too dark or light. Seems like a happy medium. As reference I use something I'm familiar with in person and try to recreate the image accurately on the television. Fortunately we have a local network, NESN, who does a very good job with their HD broadcast of all Boston Red Sox home games. As I've attnded many a game at Fenway park I'm pretty familiar with what looks accurate and what doesn't in a reproduced image from the venue. The differences between the white chalk baselines vs the white in the player uniforms vs white lettering on the outfield scoreboard are all things I observe during a game. I try to recreate that image at home with the TV as best I can and find that the set does an very good job. It's also a method I've used to get the color right on this set.

WOW man, 65! You people like your sets really bright; I've had my set since December 2004 and had to recheck on parameters about 3 or 4 times.

I think you'all setting that too high, I mean...100 is the max, and you're just shy of it, given that the Toshiba has such fine tuning.

Why don't you try...just try...like I do. Use the contrast pattern and watch the big white bar. Take the parameter down to 0, it should look gray, and then slowly take it back to white; not bright white, just white. You'll have to readjust brightness (black level) as this two relate.

Then check on your usual material, you'll probably find the picture more pleasant to look at.

I heard mention of the fact that the user adjustables are indeed very fine in incremental steps with the Tosh DLP tv's. The probelm is, "fine" to one person and "fine" to another may be totally different things. The difference between 65/100 and 50/100 for contrast is quite drastic on my set. Likewise, going from 50/100 down to 30/100 makes a huge difference in perceived overall light output and white level. At that low of a setting the image no longer looks natural, but more like it's being viewed through a filter. Keep in mind that 50/100 on my TV and 30/100 on yours may be the exact same setting, given the production tolerances during initial assembly.

I've used Avia and found that what works for DVD input isn't 100% accurate when transfered to STB input. Specifically white and black level are way off. The DVD input requires higher white and black level settings to achieve a similar result to HD STB input. This is probably a function of the DVD player not handling those two apsects of image quality as well as they could.

Have a request for anyone who owns the Toshiba 44NHM84 (Or the LG model that is supposedly the same , RU-44sz51d I think it is).

We just got this T.V. recently but won't be able to get a Avia or DVE disc for a while. Wondering if anyone has this T.V. and has set it up with either disc and would be able to post what their contrast/brightness etc settings are to get a basic idea that I could then tweak from until we get a disc ourselves.

[QUOTE=kdog044]Given that it's 65% of maximum I don't see how that's just shy of it. it's not like you need to worry about burn in. In DLP review's testing of the 52HM84 they had the same contrast. [QUOTE]

Yeah, I know burn-in is not an issue, that's one of the reasons I bought this TV. But bulb life may be; this is a $200-$300 thingy you know, it's not meant to substitute your room lamp.

But hey, I don't mean for anyone to sacrifice the quality of their viewing, but if it's not necessary to be so bright, then why the high setting.

As always, it's more of a taste issue, if that's what you need, then cool. And toenail, nice way of setting the whites with real references, I still don't have HD so I don't know yet :-(

new guy on the block and I don't know Squat.. any pros/cons on the toshiba 62hmx84 vs 62hm84. your advise will be greatly appreciated. thanks!!

i finally finish browsing with this thread. im just wondering if the cable amplifier improves sd, digital, and hidef. i have the sa 8300hd. hdmi/hdmi thanks

new guy on the block and I don't know Squat.. any pros/cons on the toshiba 62hmx84 vs 62hm84. your advise will be greatly appreciated. thanks!!

I am fairly new but have had a 62HM94 for several months. The picture is outstanding and the reason I went with this set. Most of the problems I have had, have been with the cable card and TVGOS. The problems with the cable card seem to be taken care of with the latest firmware update and TV Guide has gotten TVGOS to start working. These are problems you shouldn't have with the 84.

The only thing I am not happy about is at times I have DVD's that have voice sync issues. I doesn't happen all the time but it does happen. I am upconverting to 720 but it can happen on 480. I don't know if it is a DVD player issue (I am on my 3rd Toshiba, two 5970's now a 5980) or if the DLP takes longer to process. Otherwise, I am totally pleased.

Thanks George, I Have Been Speaking To The Local Techs And They All Agree That The 62hmx84 Is Worth The Extra $$. Seems That The "x" Model Stands For "cinima" And Has More Up Grades And Better Parts (so They Tell Me), Also Comes With An Internal Surround Sound. So...looks Like Now I Going Shopping For One. A Lot Of The Local Stores Like Best But, Etc. Don't Even Stook Them And Don't Really Want To Help With Ordering One Either. I May Be Trying The Internet And Had Been Reading To Be Carefull Of The "gray Market" Stuff. Sticking With A Reputable Company Seems To Be Key.

The only thing I am not happy about is at times I have DVD's that have voice sync issues. I doesn't happen all the time but it does happen. I am upconverting to 720 but it can happen on 480. I don't know if it is a DVD player issue (I am on my 3rd Toshiba, two 5970's now a 5980) or if the DLP takes longer to process. Otherwise, I am totally pleased.George, I would have to say it is a DVD player issue or an isolated prblem with your display as I have not had any similar problems with my Sony DVP-NS975V using HDMI>HDMI and 720p.

I also watched one DVD, "Bubble Boy" since I don't have a huge collection. I watched on KS5192 and the picture looked alight. It wasn't crappy but nothing spectacular. The colors seemed sligtly faded. I was wondering with this TV would a upconvert DVD player make the picture look HD or close to it. I didn't want to invest in one if the quality would be almost the same. If I do get one does anyone have any recommendations of players that would go good with the toshiba. I saw the samsung 841 refurbished for a good price but heard mixed reviews.

If I get upconvert DVD should I use DVI out into my hdmi port and component for the cable box or hdmi with the cable and component with a hack for the dvd. Or would it be worth it to invest in a switch. If I do stick with component are there any cheap brands that still carry a good signal?


I have the SD-5970 and it works great with my 46HM84 via HDMI. It is very cheap online, and will hold me over until HD-DVD. Also, some DVDs will look better than others with this player... the movie Shark Tale looked incredible with upconversion. You can really see the difference when you are at the DVD menu and you click through the upconversions. I highly recommend the straight HDMI for the DVD player rather than going DVI to HDMI for DVD... because i have heard about audio sync problems. (thought I also connect my Apple Powerbook via DVI to HDMI and it looks great...)

I cannot get close captioning to appear on my 46HM84 over component cables. It works fine for the coxaial input but not over the component. I am using a SA8300HD. Anyone else have this problem?

Casey

For HD channels you need to turn it on via the STB. The TV will not do it, unless it has a built in ATSC tuner. On your STB remote press - settings, scroll to CC, turn on/off, I think. TVs without the ATSC tuner will only do CC on the SD channels.

I have the SD-5970 and it works great with my 46HM84 via HDMI. It is very cheap online, and will hold me over until HD-DVD. Also, some DVDs will look better than others with this player... the movie Shark Tale looked incredible with upconversion. You can really see the difference when you are at the DVD menu and you click through the upconversions. I highly recommend the straight HDMI for the DVD player rather than going DVI to HDMI for DVD... because i have heard about audio sync problems. (thought I also connect my Apple Powerbook via DVI to HDMI and it looks great...)

thanks for the advice. I am still deciding which dvd player to get. my question about the hdmi was greared more towards hdmi vs component and which I should use for the dvd and cable box.

Hi fellow owners, I've been following this thread off and on since the Tosh first arrived. I have a 52hm84 delivered last Sept and love it.

I've been having a problem with the TV not powering up, particularly in warmer weather and less than 2-3 hrs since it was last turned off. The TV cycles off and on trying to light the bulb but there is no picture, only sound.

When I wait an hour, I am able to start up again. Lately, I've tried using a fan to cool the back of the unit and this has worked after a few minutes.

Anyway, should I see my dealer and potentially get a service call? Anyone else see this 'heat' startup issue?

Thanks

Hi fellow owners, I've been following this thread off and on since the Tosh first arrived. I have a 52hm84 delivered last Sept and love it.

I've been having a problem with the TV not powering up, particularly in warmer weather and less than 2-3 hrs since it was last turned off. The TV cycles off and on trying to light the bulb but there is no picture, only sound.

When I wait an hour, I am able to start up again. Lately, I've tried using a fan to cool the back of the unit and this has worked after a few minutes.

Anyway, should I see my dealer and potentially get a service call? Anyone else see this 'heat' startup issue?

Thanks

Sounds like you do need a service call. I would first try TV on a different circuit in your house to rule out a power issue.

George, I would have to say it is a DVD player issue or an isolated prblem with your display as I have not had any similar problems with my Sony DVP-NS975V using HDMI>HDMI and 720p.

I agree, I think it is the player and if I had to do it over would stay away from the Toshiba DVD players

I have the SD-5970 and it works great with my 46HM84 via HDMI. It is very cheap online, and will hold me over until HD-DVD. Also, some DVDs will look better than others with this player... the movie Shark Tale looked incredible with upconversion. You can really see the difference when you are at the DVD menu and you click through the upconversions. I highly recommend the straight HDMI for the DVD player rather than going DVI to HDMI for DVD... because i have heard about audio sync problems. (thought I also connect my Apple Powerbook via DVI to HDMI and it looks great...)

FWIW, I had a Tosh 5970 and hated it. PQ was fine but the remote control was horrible to use (all buttons the same size) and amazingly suggish. I often had to push buttons many times to pause, eject, etc. Very frustrating.

I complained to Tosh, they sent a replacement, no change. After enough complaining and 6 months past warranty, Tosh kindly swaped my 5970 for a 5980. Although almost identical in looks, the remote was completely redesigned with intuitive glow-in-dark buttons and the sluggish response is gone. In addition, I can now plug my camera's memory card into a slot and view pictures on the TV. Cool!

In short, the 5970 is cheap online because it's being dumped. Stay away at all costs!!! It's a recall.

I heard mention of the fact that the user adjustables are indeed very fine in incremental steps with the Tosh DLP tv's. The probelm is, "fine" to one person and "fine" to another may be totally different things. The difference between 65/100 and 50/100 for contrast is quite drastic on my set. Likewise, going from 50/100 down to 30/100 makes a huge difference in perceived overall light output and white level. At that low of a setting the image no longer looks natural, but more like it's being viewed through a filter. Keep in mind that 50/100 on my TV and 30/100 on yours may be the exact same setting, given the production tolerances during initial assembly.

I've used Avia and found that what works for DVD input isn't 100% accurate when transfered to STB input. Specifically white and black level are way off. The DVD input requires higher white and black level settings to achieve a similar result to HD STB input. This is probably a function of the DVD player not handling those two apsects of image quality as well as they could.

Boy is that backwards from my set! My DVD looks geat but my STB is way dark and grainy at the same settings.

Boy is that backwards from my set! My DVD looks geat but my STB is way dark and grainy at the same settings.

A perfect illustration of why sharing settings with others may not always be a benefit.

Just wanted to say what a fantastic TV these Toshiba DLPs are. I bought one back in March and was forever lurking on these boards before makign my decision. I also did tons of watching of these sets in the store. All I can say is the Toshiba is clearly an excellent product! Thanks for all the input you guys put in here. Also anyone here using an Oppo with this TV...Just curious how you like it? I have one coming on July 7th!

Just wanted to say what a fantastic TV these Toshiba DLPs are. I bought one back in March and was forever lurking on these boards before makign my decision. I also did tons of watching of these sets in the store. All I can say is the Toshiba is clearly an excellent product! Thanks for all the input you guys put in here. Also anyone here using an Oppo with this TV...Just curious how you like it? I have one coming on July 7th!

I have the Oppo and will have the 52HM84 on Tuesday (sending back the 52" JVC D-ILA). I'll let you know how it looks, but I will probably be returning the Oppo due to lip-sync issues.

What is a good extended warranty to buy for the Toshiba? I have read horror stories on the net about how Toshiba TVs remain out of commission for 6 months because of problems. Is there a warranty which ensures that if they cannot fix it they will replace the TV with another?

If you can make some specific warranty suggestions and perhaps where I can buy it from that would be great.

I just bought a Toshiba 52HM84 because of how much people love these sets. At teh same time, there are others who hate them because they broke and can't be fixed.

dponeill,

There is a new firmware update just released.

http://oppodigital.com/opdv971h_support.html

Guys I 've been reading this thread for quite a while now and i think you rock.

Just wanted to share some experience in playing with my new Tosh 62HMX84.

I have the set connected to my HTPC through DVI -> Component adapter (ATI AIW 8500). New catalyst driver does the trick with overscan and you can get a pretty good picture if use the right cables.

Since I am in Canada I don't have a lot of HDTV content available and I decided to try the regular Sat SD signal (DP301 receiver). The quality wasn't that great even after I picked up Monster S-video as suggested earlier in this thread. IN Fact it wasn't any different from composite at all but'

when I ran it through HTPC (ATI Media center) and it rocked. It is not HD quality but a lot better that what I got from direct connection.

I can't explain it unfortunately cause I am not a tech guy but may be someone here can. Would be interesting to hear.

I asked Toshiba about the manual warning that connecting a DLP to a pc can damage the TV. They replied that the high refresh rate of a PC can damage the DLP when connected with HDMI/DVI. Does anyone have the technical knowledge to comment on this?

I know some have successfully used their Toshibas with PC, I am wondering if there is a concern about the refresh rate.

New question, I have a Motorola signal booster that I was using. When I upgraded to HDTV the service tech from the cable company found a problem with my incoming cable line and removed the booster. I have a great picture on all my TV's.

My question, does it hurt to hook this up even if I have a good picture or should I sell it on eBay?

New question, I have a Motorola signal booster that I was using. When I upgraded to HDTV the service tech from the cable company found a problem with my incoming cable line and removed the booster. I have a great picture on all my TV's.

My question, does it hurt to hook this up even if I have a good picture or should I sell it on eBay?George, from what I have heard having too strong of a signal can be just as bad as one that is too weak. If your picture is good without it then I would think there would be no use for it unless your signal changes. Comcast is my provider and they added an amplifier on my line when it was needed so I would leave it up to your provider to add one if necessary.

I was enjoying an HD show on my 46HM84 and i thought i noticed the lamp drop in brightness. I have owned this set since April. Do the bulbs gradually become dimmer? When do i switch to high-bright setting to compensate?

has anyone gotten their tosh isp calibrated

has anyone gotten their tosh isp calibrated

I would like to know too...

I know Michael TLV here is an ISF calibrator and said a couple times that it's pretty useless on the Tosh DLP.

I think he said that the Tosh was a good out of the box TV and was at about 75% in PQ but could not realy be tweeked to go higher than 75% even with an ISF calibration.

I have been wondering for a long time if i should do it or not. So some reports of already calibrated tosh dlp would be pretty helpfull.

hi folks
i've been on AVS for many years (but just mainly lurking/replying in the replayTV section) but now i am inj the market for a RP HDTV. i want to spend between $18-2200, and the toshiba 52HM84 ($1900 shipped) and the toshiba 52HM94 ($2200 shipped) are candiates.
first of all, i read a lot of these posts, saw a lot of positives, but also read other reviews on highdefforum and epinions and people complain about the lamp. so i have 2 questions: number 1, would you recommend the toshiba DLP, and is it reliable set (for you)? and number 2, is $300 worth it to get the HM94 vs the hM 84?
thanks!

Your lamp is still under warranty I would call Tosh and report the problem. See what they have to say.

has anyone gotten their tosh isp calibrated

I tried to calibrate my Toshiba (46HM84) using DVE and AVIA but could never get the colors right. I gave in and had it ISF Calibrated.

The tech used the DVE DVD with my Denon 1910 DVD player to calibrate my HDMI input. Then calibrated the component input using a HD signal generator. He didn’t know enough about this set to mess with the service menu. :(

Then he used a Color Analyzer and dropped the gray scale color temp to about half.

It moves from white to black (12 IRE Windows) and the average is now 6,400 degrees Kelvin. The factory setting was around 13,000 degrees Kelvin. Way too high for true gray.

The picture is not as bright but is much sharper.

I was really frustrated I couldn’t calibrate this set myself but everything I did made the picture look even worse. I went back to the factory settings and setup an appointment to have it ISF Calibrated.

Was it worth the money? Yes, for me it was.

As a graphic designer i used my trained eye to tweak my display.. and i have to say it looks pretty good...

hi folks
i've been on AVS for many years (but just mainly lurking/replying in the replayTV section) but now i am inj the market for a RP HDTV. i want to spend between $18-2200, and the toshiba 52HM84 ($1900 shipped) and the toshiba 52HM94 ($2200 shipped) are candiates.
first of all, i read a lot of these posts, saw a lot of positives, but also read other reviews on highdefforum and epinions and people complain about the lamp. so i have 2 questions: number 1, would you recommend the toshiba DLP, and is it reliable set (for you)? and number 2, is $300 worth it to get the HM94 vs the hM 84?
thanks!
The prices are going to fall even further as new toshiba lineup come in. If you can wait for 2 more months u can save some good money.........what ever model u decide, remember to buy an extended warranty. HM94 gives u a builtin HDTV Tuner, so its basically ur call to select the model....

talking of extended warranty, would folks here recommend any particular extended warranty for the Toshiba 52HM84? or for that matter extended warranty in general?

Well I've been lurking hear awhile and was thinking of a Samsung, but ended up purchasing the 52hm84 instead and have loved it. Glad to hear there is no X-Box lag! I bought an extended warranty because it has been recommended from most on the Samsung threads for bulb life.

I was wondering if anyone on this thread has any info on the Toshiba 62HM15? I saw it today at a local Costco and am wondering if it's a re-badged 62HM94? It's a somewhat newer model from the looks of it. Features include:

CableCard input
HDMI input
Built in ATSC digital tuner

Any info on this DLP would be helpful.

Hi all, my 62hmx84 was delivered last week and I got everything hooked up:
Panasonic s97, Harmon Kardon receiver, and polk speakers.

I'm wondering if anyone notices what I'm noticing in the picture. My best description of what I'm seeing is when there are areas of the picture that is very bright, it appears I'm looking through a piece of plexiglass that is textured on one side.

I hope it's not just me. I have calibrated the picture with digital video essentials dvd and that defect is anywhere on the screen where there is a bright area. The defect is also there no matter whether the setting is on "preference, standard, sports, or movie".

Thanks

I think what you are seeing is what is called SSE (Silk Screen Effect).

In realy bright areas of the picture, you can see the actual screen of the TV and it shines with multiple little dots of pinkish / blueish color.

All non reflective screens like the one on the toshiba have this effect to some degrees.

I saw it at first, but don't worry, you won't notice it after a while.

how do I tell if the signal comming in is 480i, 720p, or 1080i. I am trying to see if my upscaling dvd player is working and was wondering what option I use to see the input signal resolution. Also has anyone used this tv with an oppo player. I was watching "Bring it on" and the picture looked like crap.

Casey

how do I tell if the signal comming in is 480i, 720p, or 1080i.
Casey

There is no Real way to show the incoming signal resolution, BUT , if you hit the picture size button:

480i / 480p : All modes will be available
720p: Yellow message saying "Not available"
1080i: 4 - FULL will be disabled

that's how i figure it out !

Hope it helps

...Also has anyone used this tv with an oppo player. I was watching "Bring it on" and the picture looked like crap. Casey

Just got an Oppo last night and did some quick calbrations. Does make a difference on the DVE resolution tests compared to my RP82 - more detail and a clean picture. I've scanned thru EP2 and it looks good, but have yet to sit thru a whole film. WIll report back soon w/more feedback as I can.

Hi all, my 62hmx84 was delivered last week and I got everything hooked up:
Panasonic s97, Harmon Kardon receiver, and polk speakers.

I'm wondering if anyone notices what I'm noticing in the picture. My best description of what I'm seeing is when there are areas of the picture that is very bright, it appears I'm looking through a piece of plexiglass that is textured on one side.

I hope it's not just me. I have calibrated the picture with digital video essentials dvd and that defect is anywhere on the screen where there is a bright area. The defect is also there no matter whether the setting is on "preference, standard, sports, or movie".

Thanks

That is the phyisical structure of the screen material that is only visible when viewing bright whites. Almost looks like left over glass cleaner residue or fluid on the front of a CRT direct view screen. Nothing you can do about it.

I'm a prospective buyer who's a little confused. I recently purchased a Sony DVD player (DVP-NS575P). It's a progressive scan DVD player. Unforunately, I purchased the DVD player before I knew I was going to get a DLP, thus I didn't take the DLP into consideration.

If I were to hook the DVD player up to the 46HM94, what would the quality look like? I.e., would this DVD player suffice? I hate to think I have to go out and buy a new one.

Picture will be great! I have the Sony DVD jukebox progressive scan and its great. I'm waitimg to check out the new jukebox with HDMI, but yours will be fine. The only way it could get better is to get an upconverting DVD player and I think Toshiba just came out with a new model.

That is the phyisical structure of the screen material that is only visible when viewing bright whites. Almost looks like left over glass cleaner residue or fluid on the front of a CRT direct view screen. Nothing you can do about it.

Thx for the responses, glad it wasn't just me. Does anyone know if this effect is present in other DLP's LCD's?

Here's my Toshiba 46HM84 connected to my Powerbook via DVI to HDMI playing Quake 3 at 1280 x 720 - (720p)

with more to come... (i don't want to over load the thread...)

http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power2.jpg

That's a thing of beauty ...

Picture will be great! I have the Sony DVD jukebox progressive scan and its great. I'm waitimg to check out the new jukebox with HDMI, but yours will be fine. The only way it could get better is to get an upconverting DVD player and I think Toshiba just came out with a new model.

Thanks for the heads up!

I'm very new to this, so please be kind!

After viewing at several stores, I've decided to go with the Toshiba. HOWEVER, I cannot decide which model to get! 52HMX84 or 52HM94??? What in the world are the differences? I'm not techie when it comes to these things, so a brief explaination would be greatly appreciated!

I also noticed that I can get the 62" screen for a mere $500 more, which seems like a no brainer!

Basically, I will only use the tv for DVD's, my PS2/XBox, Sporting events, and nightly drama's on the major tv networks

Can anyone direct me to the right fit???

Thanks! :)

I'm very new to this, so please be kind!

After viewing at several stores, I've decided to go with the Toshiba. HOWEVER, I cannot decide which model to get! 52HMX84 or 52HM94??? What in the world are the differences? I'm not techie when it comes to these things, so a brief explaination would be greatly appreciated!

I also noticed that I can get the 62" screen for a mere $500 more, which seems like a no brainer!

Basically, I will only use the tv for DVD's, my PS2/XBox, Sporting events, and nightly drama's on the major tv networks

Can anyone direct me to the right fit???

Thanks! :)The difference between HM and HMX models is mainly the second HDMI input and the black bezel. The difference between the 84 and 94 is mainly the integrated tuner which allows you to connect a cable card or direct antenna without needing a separate satellite or cable box. There are also a few other features on the 94 like the card reader for compact flash or SD cards for viewing photos from a digital camera. Another benefit of the reader is Toshiba uses SD cards to update the firmware and you can easily get the latest version on the set. Check out krc's post at the link below for the complete differences between the models.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=438276&perpage=20&pagenumber=25

Hello all, just purchased a 46HM84 from savinglots (took a chance, was a refurb direct from Toshiba and cost $1449 inc shipping) and i love it!

I have a question about film/video mode though. My Pioneer Dv588 player does the 3:2 pulldown inside the player i believe so is there any need to set the TV to film mode too? DVDs look great on the TV btw :)

The difference between HM and HMX models is mainly the second HDMI input and the black bezel. The difference between the 84 and 94 is mainly the integrated tuner which allows you to connect a cable card or direct antenna without needing a separate satellite or cable box. There are also a few other features on the 94 like the card reader for compact flash or SD cards for viewing photos from a digital camera. Another benefit of the reader is Toshiba uses SD cards to update the firmware and you can easily get the latest version on the set. Check out krc's post at the link below for the complete differences between the models.

...



Where I can get the firmware update from? I checked the Toshiba website but I couldn't find any firmware download for TV. BTW, I have a 52HM94.

Thanks.

Is the trouble with the HDMI connection (dark picture, ghosting(?), not as good as component) limited to the 84's, or is it bad with the 94's as well? I'd really like to use it for my STB, freeing up a component input.
Also, I plan on watching 4:3 material non-stretched. I read here that the windowboxing is a little wider at the bottom than at the top. Is it really bad? I tried to get someone at BB to show me an analog feed, but he said he couldn't - not very helpful!

Thanks!

Is the trouble with the HDMI connection (dark picture, ghosting(?), not as good as component) limited to the 84's, or is it bad with the 94's as well? I'd really like to use it for my STB, freeing up a component input.
Also, I plan on watching 4:3 material non-stretched. I read here that the windowboxing is a little wider at the bottom than at the top. Is it really bad? I tried to get someone at BB to show me an analog feed, but he said he couldn't - not very helpful!

Thanks!

I have an 84, and i only see ghosting on HDMI when going DVI to HDMI. A straight HDMI device there is no ghosting. I only notice minimal ghosting regardless on DVI to HDMI. Also, i notice the 4:3 bowing, but it's really hard to notice and it does not bother me at all. Also my STB makes the bars black
:)

Thanks Fudgebrown, good info. I'll be getting a 52hm94, hopefully in a couple weeks. My SA 8300HD has an HDMI output, so I'll give it a try. I can choose grey or black bars - definitely going with black. On my current TV, the sides have a slight s-curve to them, and it drives me crazy!

Long time reader… first time poster :)

This form has the answer to every question, so I never had to post before. But alas, I finally have a question. I’m highly interested in the 46HM84 model. It has everything I’m looking for and at the right price. Except one problem, I’m a HTPC enthusiast. After reading this long thread, there seems to be mixed opinions on whether you can get a good feed from an HTPC. I’m going to be using my HTPC as a Tivo / DVD upscaler so good video quality is important to me.

So my question is to all the XXHM84 owners out there with a HTPC. Do your experiences w/ your HTPC cause you to not recommend the XXHM84 model? I can handle not having 1:1 pixel mapping, but I can’t handle color distortion, ghosting, or motion blur.

Thanks ahead of time for your responses.

Long time reader… first time poster :)


So my question is to all the XXHM84 owners out there with a HTPC. Do your experiences w/ your HTPC cause you to not recommend the XXHM84 model? I can handle not having 1:1 pixel mapping, but I can’t handle color distortion, ghosting, or motion blur.

Thanks ahead of time for your responses.

It caused me to return mine, could not stand the PC display. Too bad as its a fine set otherwise. Its just an issue with desktop use, internet etc, for games or video from the PC it looks fine.

The Panasonic DLP has perfect 1:1 pixel mapping, once you see that its the only game in town.

Do the new models have the same issue ?

I am wondering if the reason some people aren’t having problems and some people are having problems is because of the video settings of their HTPC.

JackLT, did you make sure your video settings weren’t higher than 1280 x 720 @ 60Hz? Did you try Powerstrip? The Panny looks nice, but it’s almost $1000 more than the 46HM84 and really hard to find.

fudgebrown

Since you're in Austin, I'm curious: where did you pick up your 46HM84? I'll likely be purchasing a 52HM84/94 within a month, and I wonder if you got it from a local store (A&B?), or if you ordered over the internet.

Thanks.

Do the Toshiba DLP's have the macroblocking issue with the panny s97/s77 or other farouja(spelling?) based dvd players over hdmi?

fudgebrown

Since you're in Austin, I'm curious: where did you pick up your 46HM84? I'll likely be purchasing a 52HM84/94 within a month, and I wonder if you got it from a local store (A&B?), or if you ordered over the internet.

Thanks.

Actually I ordered mine from buydig.com since they had the best price plus free shipping for a new unit. No local store carried the unit. Actually I would recommend just going for the 52" version if size is not an issue since most stores carry it. Also check at Sears because i heard they can price match internet prices, just bring in your printout to the Sears store. I was overall happy with my experience with buydig.com - and i see now that the price has gone down even more for the 46HM84.

Do the Toshiba DLP's have the macroblocking issue with the panny s97/s77 or other farouja(spelling?) based dvd players over hdmi?

Don't take this as a definitive answer, but I have the 62HM84 with a Panny RP82 and Oppo 971, and I have not noticed macroblocking.

As promised - more pics of my Powerbook connected to my 46HM84. I should actually turn FSAA on in QUake to remove the jaggies :)

http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power3.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power4.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power5.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/johnnymcclung/dlp_power6.jpg

Just my observations on 52HM84:

I just received my 52HM84 purchased from Amazon. Got a good proce. Delivery of the product was somewhat complicated and not the best experience. But then I paid a good price and was not expecting everything to be smooth.

The important part is that I absolutely love the picture quality. I am not expert, not caliberated in HDTVs and therefore my opinion is purely my own and of friends who have seen the TV.

I have not connected anything to the HDMI connector. MY DVD and Digital (HDTV) Satellite feed is routed via my receiver to a component video connector of the TV. The picture quality of HD is just gorgeous. SD picture quality is no worse than my earlier projection HD.

Actually I ordered mine from buydig.com since they had the best price plus free shipping for a new unit. No local store carried the unit. Actually I would recommend just going for the 52" version if size is not an issue since most stores carry it. Also check at Sears because i heard they can price match internet prices, just bring in your printout to the Sears store. I was overall happy with my experience with buydig.com - and i see now that the price has gone down even more for the 46HM84.

Did you just buy on a hunch or recommendations from AVS/elsewhere? Or were you able to see the set beforehand. I'm curious because I'm wondering if there are any local retailers that sell the Toshibas.

Just checked buydig.com, and those are indeed good prices. Thanks for the link!

How can I update the firmware on my 62HMX84? Is this something that requires a service tech or can an owner? Where can I find what firmware my set is currently running and where can I find the latest version?

I haven't seen how much or where people have received this tv. I have been searching online from amazon to price comparison sites like price grabber and do not know where to buy this tv. Do I take a chance and go cheapo and get a refurb for $1900 with 90 day warranty and buy an extended warranty, find the cheapest prices on pricescan, froogle, bizrate sites which have 10-30% bad feedback, but cheap prices people say these units take forever to repair.... Where did you buy this TV? and how much? Thanks for your time!

what a bargain!
paid $xxxx in Feb, in TPE, TW. :(

I haven't seen how much or where people have received this tv. I have been searching online from amazon to price comparison sites like price grabber and do not know where to buy this tv. Do I take a chance and go cheapo and get a refurb for $1900 with 90 day warranty and buy an extended warranty, find the cheapest prices on pricescan, froogle, bizrate sites which have 10-30% bad feedback, but cheap prices from $2,300-$2800, or bestbuy com for $3200 + tax? I know to check the return policy, but people say these units take forever to repair.... Where did you buy this TV? and how much? Thanks for your time!

Originally Posted by snakeyes1022
Do the Toshiba DLP's have the macroblocking issue with the panny s97/s77 or other farouja(spelling?) based dvd players over hdmi?



Don't take this as a definitive answer, but I have the 62HM84 with a Panny RP82 and Oppo 971, and I have not noticed macroblocking.

Thanks anyone else?

I have the 52HM84 and a Panny S97. Macroblocking was absolutely horrible when I first purchased the Panny. I went and tried out both the Toshiba 5980 & the Samsung 850. While I was trying those, I learned about the 540 firmware for the S97. That greatly reduced the MB for me, so I returned the other 2 players. It would have been a deal breaker for me before the new firmware. I probably would have gone with the Samsung if it hadn't had several bizarre annoyances that really turned me off.

I do still see macroblocking from time to time, but usually only when I'm looking for it. I no longer switch back and forth between 480 & 720 every time I see it to try and figure whether it's the disk (macroblocking) or the player (macroblocking enhance). Anyway, my unprofessional opinion is that the display is susceptible to it, but with the latest firmware it's a really minor issue now. If you're just "watching the movie" rather than continually analyzing the picture quality (which is hard to do when you hang out on these boards :) ), you probably won't notice it much.

I'm sure this has been answered is this thread, but how are Toshiba DLP's with gaming like XBox, etc. I have heard that Samsung DLP's have a lag problem of some sort. Thanks!

Ive been having a problem with my toshiba hx dlp not displaying non-commercial video streams... I have a denon 2910 and when I play burned dvds or vds in it the unit plays just fine but under no connection (hdmi, component, composit) will it display video from those disks... After much troubleshooting with denon people I am sure it is not the player. Is there some setting I am missing that causes the picture and audio be blanked? Normal disks, cds, sacds, burned cds etc all work fine...

I'm a newbie and have read about 20 pages of this forum and am confused. I have Dish Network HD connected via DVI - HDMI cable and OPPO 971 HD Upscaling DVD connected via DVI-HDMI. Would I get better picture quality with the component connections? I do have to admit I have been very dissappointed with my PQ so far. Experienced owners please help advise.

I had the Oppo and to be honest I could not get decent picture quality out of it at all. My DVDs did not look very film like and I did not care for the picture at all. I am currently using an Onkyo SP502 over components which I think does an excellent job at creating film like images. I also think there are some issues goind DVI to HDMI on the Tosh. And you would probably do better going HDMI to HDMI

Jimmy I am an avid xbox player and have no lag.

Toshiba 62hmx84 HDMI or Component for DVD Upscaling? What is best

You can only use HDMI to upscale especially with the OPPO it only send a 480i over component.

How can I update the firmware on my 62HMX84? Is this something that requires a service tech or can an owner? Where can I find what firmware my set is currently running and where can I find the latest version?The 94 series has the SD slot for upgrades but I don't know how you would upgrade an 84 series. There has been at least three firmware upgrades to the 94's related to cable cards and TVGOS.

I'm finally getting a HDTV. And I did have my eyes set on the 52hm84, but now that the new 1080P models are coming out im confused. I just want to know what the main differences between the 52hm84 and the 52hm95. Does the 95 have that anti glare shield that I believe to be more annoying than a help? And also is the 52hm195 leaps and bounds above the 52hm95? I know the 195 is the 1080P model, which I don't think we'll see 1080p for awhile, but are the other resolutions better looking on the 195 over the 95? My main concern is my first question: is the 52hm95 going to be that much better than the 52hm84?

I had the Oppo and to be honest I could not get decent picture quality out of it at all. My DVDs did not look very film like and I did not care for the picture at all. I am currently using an Onkyo SP502 over components which I think does an excellent job at creating film like images. I also think there are some issues goind DVI to HDMI on the Tosh. And you would probably do better going HDMI to HDMI

Hmm..thats unfortunate as I have had a different experience. The Oppo for me edges out my RP82 in image reproduction and perceived resolution (I'm connecting the Oppo DVI to HDMI thru a Zektor DVI switcher).

Seems Tosh overall may have a hit-or-miss quality issue with their HDMI ports on these sets, but I see very good results with mine. YMMV of course.

Did you just buy on a hunch or recommendations from AVS/elsewhere? Or were you able to see the set beforehand. I'm curious because I'm wondering if there are any local retailers that sell the Toshibas.

Just checked buydig.com, and those are indeed good prices. Thanks for the link!

After seeing the 52" version at Best Buy i was sold. Best PQ. I did a lot of research on this board and other boards. I read through this thread. I broke it down to what type of DLP chip (HD2+ vs. HD3) and size of DLP chip (.8" vs .55"). Toshiba was the winner in all ways - Price, Performance, hardware. The only flaw i see is the non-PC friendly hookup. Luckily my Powerbook works fine with the Toshiba via DVI to HDMI - my system display software simply underscans the image (in OSX). On the PC side and older version of OSX, it's a lot harder to get the image to work - because of the overscan - so there is no 1:1 pixel mapping like on the Samsungs. Hopefully the newer Toshiba DLPs coming out will have better PC compatibility like a straight DVI port.

I'm finally getting a HDTV. And I did have my eyes set on the 52hm84, but now that the new 1080P models are coming out im confused. I just want to know what the main differences between the 52hm84 and the 52hm95. Does the 95 have that anti glare shield that I believe to be more annoying than a help? And also is the 52hm195 leaps and bounds above the 52hm95? I know the 195 is the 1080P model, which I don't think we'll see 1080p for awhile, but are the other resolutions better looking on the 195 over the 95? My main concern is my first question: is the 52hm95 going to be that much better than the 52hm84?

The main thing to remember is: currently there is no 1080p broadcast material available. Also the 52HM84 uses the HD2+ chip which is 720p (1280x720) so it offers 1:1 pixel mapping of current HD material so I feel they are still going to be top of the line for a while in terms of watching current available HD broadcasts. I would say, for the price you can get the 52HM84 right now (online), it's a clear winner.

After seeing the 52" version at Best Buy i was sold. Best PQ. I did a lot of research on this board and other boards. I read through this thread. I broke it down to what type of DLP chip (HD2+ vs. HD3) and size of DLP chip (.8" vs .55"). Toshiba was the winner in all ways - Price, Performance, hardware. The only flaw i see is the non-PC friendly hookup. Luckily my Powerbook works fine with the Toshiba via DVI to HDMI - my system display software simply underscans the image (in OSX). On the PC side and older version of OSX, it's a lot harder to get the image to work - because of the overscan - so there is no 1:1 pixel mapping like on the Samsungs. Hopefully the newer Toshiba DLPs coming out will have better PC compatibility like a straight DVI port.

Excellent. I'm not too concerned about the PC hookup, as I'm relatively content playing CS and COD on my PC. I may give it a try on the DLP once or twice, but I don't expect it to be a common occurrence - the pain of unplugging everything from my tower (desktop) is enough to keep my lazy ass from moving it around my place.


I suppose my only concern now has to do with DLP in general - playing my PS2. I know that some versions of the Toshs have GAME MODE which helps the lag. Do you, or does anyone, know whether the 94's (52HM94 and 46HM94 specifically) have the GAME MODE? Or is it only available on the HMX's? Thanks in advance.

I have the 52HM94 , it does have game mode and i have not exprience any game lag at all
using xbox,ps1,ps2, and the game cube you won't believe how great they look on the tosh.

Excellent. I'm not too concerned about the PC hookup, as I'm relatively content playing CS and COD on my PC. I may give it a try on the DLP once or twice, but I don't expect it to be a common occurrence - the pain of unplugging everything from my tower (desktop) is enough to keep my lazy ass from moving it around my place.


I suppose my only concern now has to do with DLP in general - playing my PS2. I know that some versions of the Toshs have GAME MODE which helps the lag. Do you, or does anyone, know whether the 94's (52HM94 and 46HM94 specifically) have the GAME MODE? Or is it only available on the HMX's? Thanks in advance.

I have no game lag at all with the HM84. I play XBOX and Gamecube via component and NO LAG AT ALL... i did read in another thread that there may be lag with 480i (standard def) games. All my games are 480p games...

unicorn/fudge - great to hear. I asked because, like you said, almost all PS2 games are 480i. But no lag is great.

Now to take the bar exam in a week, get married, then buy the TV!

unicorn/fudge - great to hear. I asked because, like you said, almost all PS2 games are 480i. But no lag is great.

Now to take the bar exam in a week, get married, then buy the TV!

YOu and I both know you are looking forward to the TV more than the other two!!!

At least I would
:D

Anyone test the new Toshiba DLPs with a PC over HDMI to see if they fixed the blurry display issues, can the new sets do 1:1 pixel mapping?

Just starting to get into all this HD stuff.

Just bought a Toshiba 62HM15 from Costco. The picture from DVI/HDMI HD channels (comcast) look great. So does component DVD. But regular cable channels look like crap. Really grainy. I had a much better picture on the 35" tube via the same connection.

I've talked to some people who say this is normal...something I'll just have to live with. They say that since the picture is so much bigger that the flaws show up, but I think it is more than just an issue of a bigger picture. The picture really is a lower quality.

Is this normal? Are regular channels just not going to look good on an HDTV? Any adjustments I can make?

Thanks

one hdmi input

Just starting to get into all this HD stuff.

Just bought a Toshiba 62HM15 from Costco. The picture from DVI/HDMI HD channels (comcast) look great. So does component DVD. But regular cable channels look like crap. Really grainy. I had a much better picture on the 35" tube via the same connection.

I've talked to some people who say this is normal...something I'll just have to live with. They say that since the picture is so much bigger that the flaws show up, but I think it is more than just an issue of a bigger picture. The picture really is a lower quality.

Is this normal? Are regular channels just not going to look good on an HDTV? Any adjustments I can make?

Thanks



It's all based on resolution - SD (or standard def) is what you are seeing right now. The rez is optimized for tube tvs - Just because we have HD tvs doesn't mean we get HD picture automatically. I have Dish Network (still standard def) and have found that some channels broadcast in higher rez than others - but still not HD quality obviously. I set my settings to pref. for my video input for sat and have found a happy medium for Sat. channels and then I have different setting set up for my DVD viewing.

- so yes - it is normal unless you either get HD cable, SAT, or an antenna with a HD tuner

- adjustments --- tinker with the color settings, contrast, brightness etc. for the video input you are watching cable through - and check to see if the DNR is on ( i think that's what it's called - supposedly it helps make standard signals a little better -- check your manual ---

Thanks for the info. the dnr is on. i'll see if changing settings helps any.

The guy at best buy told me to try regular analog A/V cables from my cable box to the tv. that actually helped a little.

Isn't most everything supposed to be in hd starting next year?... that would solve my problem

Need Advice. What gives the best DVD upscaling on these Toshiba DLP TVs? Componenent or HDMI. I currently have the Oppo, upscaling through DVI-HDMI cable and it looks no better than my cheap progressive scan RCA dvd player. I have heard some say Component looks better, some say DVI-HDMI screws it up. So, I am sending my OPPO back and wonder if I should buy a Samung upscaling through componet or try then Panny HDMI. Please advise with what you all thinks works best. I have the 62HMX84. Thanks!

Hey pfsn..I was also using the oppo but returned it last week. I had horrible sync problems and though the picture was horrible compared to my onkyo 502...which is not supposed to have very good vid quality to begin with. I have a panasonic s77 that should be showing up here sometime tomorrow. I heard the Tos. might have some problems going dvi to hdmi...so hopefully a straight up hdmi connection will provide better vid quality than my onkyo

I have the LG 7832NXC through components and the PQ is amazing IMO. it's the canadian version of the Zenith DVB318. It uses Farudja and has an amazing picture at 1080i through components.

The good thing about this unit is that you can download an older firmware that makes it able to upscale through components.

YOu and I both know you are looking forward to the TV more than the other two!!!

At least I would
:D

Ha. NOT looking forward to the bar. At all. Really looking forward to the wedding and accompanying honeymoon. And, yes, I'm looking forward to the TV.

Though this is the thread for the Toshiba DLP (HX/HMX) series RP I think the PAL version 52JM9UA http://www.castel.com.au/toshiba/ProductDetail.asp?Brand=T&Category=DLP&ProductCode=52JM9UA

is basically the same unit. This from looking at the specs and the pictures.

The PAL version does not have cablecard of course, nor from what I can see firewire but has HDMI and PC (VGA ( input)

Anyway I have one of these and have been experiencing some strange display artifacts on it.

I do most of my watching via composite video output from a cable box or component video from a non-progressive DVD player.

When watching TV especially I am noticing and especially when the picture is moving, strange banding on the image - as if the image is smearing and removing all the detail in the picture. On relatively stationery images, sometimes I can see, especially on faces, rather than a smooth gradation on tone on the face, what appear to be bands of color with marked lines.

Has anybody experiened this with this display and display technology.

Interestingly this effect does not seem to occur with DVD's or videos played on a computer (using PowerDVD or Windows Media Player) going to the VGA input. And I have downloaded a couple of HD sample files (on 720P and one 1080i) and when I play them using WMP the picture is really clear (have no HD in my area so this is the best I can do in presenting the display with a HD picture)

I do have an upscaling DVD player (Samsung) but it's another room so when I get the chance I plan to try that on the display to see if presents the same problems.

Any comments before I talk to the dealer would be very useful

Thanks

Larry

I have just upgraded from a Mitsubishi 46" projection to a Toshiba 52HM84. So far I've been very pleased.

One question: Does anyone know how to see what mode (480p, 720p, 1080i) the tv is currently operating in? I assume it auto-detects the best resolution based on the input, but wanted to verify.

I am using DVI, Component, and S-Video inputs for all of my devices.

One question: Does anyone know how to see what mode (480p, 720p, 1080i) the tv is currently operating in? I assume it auto-detects the best resolution based on the input, but wanted to verify.The TV's native resolution is 720p so it will convert whatever input resolution it receives to 720p. For 480p or 480i signals it will add the grey bars and it will downconvert 1080i signals to 720p.

One question: Does anyone know how to see what mode (480p, 720p, 1080i) the tv is currently operating in? I assume it auto-detects the best resolution based on the input, but wanted to verify.


There is no way to show what signal is comming in. But you can guess by hitting the Picture size button

if 0 to 4 are enabled = 480i or 480p

if Yellow message saying "Not available" = 720p

if 4 - FULL is disabled = 1080i

Hope this helps..

The TV's native resolution is 720p so it will convert whatever input resolution it receives to 720p. For 480p or 480i signals it will add the grey bars and it will downconvert 1080i signals to 720p.

Does anyone know if the latest models still project "grey bars", or did they change them to black this year?

Are the grey bars dark grey or light grey?

Why in God's name Toshiba chose to use grey instead of black, we may never know. :(

Does anyone know if the latest models still project "grey bars", or did they change them to black this year?

Are the grey bars dark grey or light grey?

Why in God's name Toshiba chose to use grey instead of black, we may never know. :(

I have read that they used grey over black because it is less apt to cause burn-in (I know this is not an issue on our DLP's but I guess it was an across the board thing). I do not know what color new sets use.

IchIU7,

Yes, I have the same issue. But only when on Theater Wide One. Do you have it on all modes or just Theaterwide 1? I have an open service ticket on mine and they are replacing the scaler board sometime next week.

Just purchased a 52HM84 from onecall. They had a really low price listed on their website a couple days ago (a $100 lower than it is right now). I asked about it, and they said it was an erroneous listing, but they will give it to me anyway. Sweet. Can only return if it’s defective so I’m a little nervous. However the price was too good to pass.

Just purchased a 52HM84 from onecall. They had a really low price listed on their website a couple days ago (a $100 lower than it is right now). I asked about it, and they said it was an erroneous listing, but they will give it to me anyway. Sweet. Can only return if it’s defective so I’m a little nervous. However the price was too good to pass.

Actually the price i saw there was pretty good! I got a great deal at buydig.com for my 46HM84. I kinda wish i got the 52" though... but 46" was a HUGE change so I'm a happy camper...

fudge -

How long did it take for buydig.com to deliver to you? Since we're both in Austin, I figure I'll have a similar delivery time. I'm asking because I'd love to order it while out of town, so that it'll get there as soon as possible after I return -- but I don't want it to arrive while I'm still gone.

Thanks.

fudge -

How long did it take for buydig.com to deliver to you? Since we're both in Austin, I figure I'll have a similar delivery time. I'm asking because I'd love to order it while out of town, so that it'll get there as soon as possible after I return -- but I don't want it to arrive while I'm still gone.

Thanks.

If i remember correctly, i ordered on a Saturday, and it was delivered on the next monday, so a week or more. It also depends on your arrangements with the shipping company, because in my case, I could have had the TV earlier but the driver called in sick! (which was ironic because I was gonna call in sick to be home for the TV... good thing I called first!!)

Okay. I'll order it 5 days before we return, just to provide a little buffer. Thanks again.

Its a miracle. I got my 52HMX94 in November. I finally called Toshiba about my TV Guide and they sent me a firmware update. I installed it. Nothing....

And then...

Two weeks later, THE TV GUIDE was there, and working.

Finally,

Life is good.

I urge everyone to get the update.

Dan

Ok, this question is for anyone that is using their Tosh for PC display:

I have a Radeon x800 connected via component dongle and am using the latest Catalyst drivers set to a custom resolution: 1152*648. Everything looks great, but I have a couple concerns: my screen seems to be slightly off-center. On the left side, the picture does not go to the edge (which makes the "trapezoidal" effect very noticeable and annoying) and on the right side there seems to be a bit of overscan.

Anyone care to share their custom settings or a fix for this problem?

defjukie, just got my 52hm84 and just connected it to my HTPC. I have the same X800 as you and I’m using the same 1152x648 as you. Luckily for me, I don’t have much overscan. Very minimal, and nothing worth fixing. If I were you, I would try Powerstrip. I know you could move the display around with it but I’m not sure if you can fix the trapezoid issue.

I am wondering, has Tosh ever dealt with the ghosting via HDMI prob that was so prevalent earlier in this thread? The prices are so good right now, but with the 2 new gaming consoles coming out I really want to be able to use HDMI without issues. I am looking at the 52 or 62 x series.

I am wondering, has Tosh ever dealt with the ghosting via HDMI prob that was so prevalent earlier in this thread? The prices are so good right now, but with the 2 new gaming consoles coming out I really want to be able to use HDMI without issues. I am looking at the 52 or 62 x series. I never had the problem and from what I remember it was mostly users of the 84 series and I think some of the problems were related to the source (i.e. satellite). I haven't heard anyone complain of the problem in the last three months, at least.

I have a 52HM84 and have not had any issues with the HDMI input. I have my Denon DVD-2910 hooked up to it and have had my 8300HD DVR hooked up that way too.

I am wondering, has Tosh ever dealt with the ghosting via HDMI prob that was so prevalent earlier in this thread? The prices are so good right now, but with the 2 new gaming consoles coming out I really want to be able to use HDMI without issues. I am looking at the 52 or 62 x series.

FWIW, I have no such issues. GO for it! Prices are good...

Have been debating on a new TV for a couple weeks now, finally went for it on tuesday, and just got it setup last night, didn't play around with it very long, but from what I saw so far, looks nice.

Its one of the new cinema series, 62HMX85.

Have been debating on a new TV for a couple weeks now, finally went for it on tuesday, and just got it setup last night, didn't play around with it very long, but from what I saw so far, looks nice.

Its one of the new cinema series, 62HMX85.Does it have a PC input or is that only the HMX95's?

Does it have a PC input or is that only the HMX95's?

There is no PC input, only 2 HDMI, 2 Component, and svideo/composite. Manual still indicates that pc connection is not recommended.

Didn't even know the 95's had it, thought the only thing they had over the 85's was the CableCard slot. and the hdtv tuner or something

There is no PC input, only 2 HDMI, 2 Component, and svideo/composite. Manual still indicates that pc connection is not recommended.

Didn't even know the 95's had it, thought the only thing they had over the 85's was the CableCard slot. and the hdtv tuner or something I haven't seen it yet but these are the supposed specs on the 52HMX95.

Features of Toshiba 52HMX95:



Cinema Series HD - 720p HD DLP Projection TV
Talen 720p Light Engine with DEEP(Digitally Enhanced Engine Performance) Picture
Radiance 150 Hi-Bright Lamp, with Quick Restart
TheaterFine DRP Anti-Glare Screen
PixelPure AT (Adaptive Technology)Digital Video Processing
SRS WOW Sound
DoubleWindow POP
Dual HDMI Digital Inputs
Intergrated HD with ATSC & QAM Digital Tuning
Digital Cable Ready with CableCard Slot
TV Guide On Screen
Channel Browser
Omniviewer MultiCard Slot
IEEE1394 (DTVLink) Digital Port for optional Symbio HD Recorder
All Black Cabinet with High Gloss Black Arylic Bezel
Color Optimizer
Virtual Dobly Digital
THINC (toshiba home interactive networking connection) RJ-45 Entertaning Networking
PC Input (15-Pin D-Sub)
IR Input
Illuminated 6-item A/V Universal Remote

I am planning to buy the toshiba 52HM84 tv for tax free weekend here in MA. but before I buy it I wanted to get your opinion. should I go with this tv. I get a great discount on it and I plan on using it with my xbox, gc,ps2, dvd player, hdcable and pc. I also plan on upgrading to HDDVD blu ray dvd and I have pre ordered xbox 360 and I plan on getting nintendo new system and ps3.
is this the dlp for me. ALso I am not worried about 1080p because I will not get a good discount on those and they cost way more.
I will be watching alot of dvds on it and tons of game playing.
I heard in the past about pc issue but is that still going on and how common is that issue? also the picture quality is awsome from what I have seen. should I get this tv over the samsung. since I will be using it for all these purposes? also does it still only have 1 hdmI or did they revise it?
thanks alot
also if anyone has pics of this tv I would love to view them with some type of signal going to it. email to me at cuben@comcast.net

There is one HDMI....Basically if you have shopped around and like the way the tv looks for you....buy it...If you find something else that looks better to you...buy that...I preferred the Tosh over the Samsung and boght that. I also looked at LCD and prefered DLP....Some people do not...Make sure you look around before dropping some large coin based on forum reviews only.

I heard on the ign boards that the toshiba 52HM84 has issues with ps2 games that are not in progressive scan. How is this tv overall for gaming? Is there a lag issue? I will be playing mostly xbox and gc on it until the 360 comes out. Has anyone have had issue with this tv and gameing? also is there a game mode for this tv I know the higher model of this tv does but I was wondering on the hm84 series had a game mode?

i look at all the samsung threads and see all the problems. i really love my tosh. new ones look really good anyone compare the the 84 with the 85 720's

I've got the Australian equivalent Toshiba, 62JM9UA with PC input and 1 HDMI. This unit >does< allow PC input. I've built my htpc using a Gigabyte 6600GT card and have the PC connected via DVI to HDMI. The PC recognises the TV and the Nvidia driver (77.71) is even smart enough to know that it's a TV with overscan and allows me to calibrate it appropriately. The TV handshakes properly and reports the "legal" resolutions it is capable of.
All in all it's wonderful, except that the TV doesn't shutdown and startup properly now that the HDMI cable is connected. If I disconnect the cable and powercycle the TV, it starts up. Then I can connect the cable and turn on the PC, and it all works fine.

But if I then try to turn off the TV, it turns off ok but won't turn on again. The green light flashes like this ... (each X means it's on, each _ means it's off_: __X_X___X_X_X___X_X_X___X_X_X___X_X_X
as it tries (about 6-8 times) to turn on. If then gives up and just flashes once per second after that. The manual doesn't include this pattern.

I then have to disconnect the cable from either end to get the TV to work again. I've tried following the proper sequence of shutting down the PC first, then the TV, but that didn't make any difference. I've even turned off the PC from the mains power but it still doesn't matter. The cable has to be physically disconnected.

It seems to me that the problem is with the HDMI handshaking, and the TV isn't dealing with restarting properly. The TV was bought in May so probably the HDMI firmware is still a little new, and I bet that if I were able to talk to a Toshiba engineer they'd know about this and even possibly have a firmware update or something.

The trouble is that the likelyhood is slim - the normal process is to log a fault with an authorised service center (Joe Blogg TV and HiFi or equivalent!), who will take the TV away and try it and find "NO Fault Found" and return it. Or they'll simply say, "Well, don't connect a PC!" or other useless answer. It won't matter that I can point to the 4 pages in the manual that describe how to connect it to a PC. It won't matter that this is a PC-supported TV.

Any ideas?

Doug

P.S. I've noticed a little spark as I connect th DVI end of the cable to the PC, so I measured the voltage. The DVI connector's ground (the outside) measures about 11.7 to 11.9 volts when grounded. This isn't coming from the PC - I get the measurement from the DVI connector to any ground. Is this normal?

Is a 52HMX84 new in box for less than $1500.00 a no brainer?

Is a 52HMX84 new in box for less than $1500.00 a no brainer?
I would think so. Wish I found my 52hm84 for that price!

Is a 52HMX84 new in box for less than $1500.00 a no brainer?


with the new Toshiba DLP line about to hit, you'll find great clearance deals on all of last year's models.

I'm starting to think that the only way I'm going to resolve my hdmi to PC standby/restart issue is to do a bit of social engineering targeted at Toshiba. It's no good talking to an authorised service center; I need to talk to a repair bench technician who can quickly confirm the problem, a workaround, or possibly a firmware/ hardware update.

I know there are firmware updates for the models with the tuner card capability, but does anyone know if the standard Toshiba rptv is capable of firmware updates? Even if they have to be done on the bench?

Also, if anyone has had any experience trying to talk directly with the "guys in the know", ie. the Toshiba engineers, I'd sure like to hear. Especially the method you used to find them/contact them.

Cheers,

Doug

Cougar75,

Is that price online or local?

whats the difference between the HM94 and the HM95? or is there a difference? I remember back when these TVs were just being announced they called the HM95s....now there site says HM94s??? those in the know...are these 2 different TVs or just the results of changing the model number??

their site shows 84 models and 94 models...nothing ends with a 5?? I'm confused as hell. I was guessing that 84 was last year's model...94 is this years model???

this is giving me hell in trying to get reviews on this TV becuase I dont know if they are different or not

whats the difference between the HM94 and the HM95? or is there a difference? I remember back when these TVs were just being announced they called the HM95s....now there site says HM94s??? those in the know...are these 2 different TVs or just the results of changing the model number??

their site shows 84 models and 94 models...nothing ends with a 5?? I'm confused as hell. I was guessing that 84 was last year's model...94 is this years model???

this is giving me hell in trying to get reviews on this TV becuase I dont know if they are different or not

84 and 94 are this past years models (2004). 85 and 95 are exclusive to this years newest crop of models (2005).

JimmyDaves,

Local B&M here in Atlanta. Only three left according to salesman. I may have to jump on this one.

so have we confirmed if the new HM95's are HD2+ chips?? or are they HD4 wobble chips?

VGA port? one article say its there one doesn't...anyone have this set???

I tried reading through this thread but its going back and forth, I don't see a definitive answer.

Help! Can someone please help. I have a new 62hm95 and cannot get the TV Guide to load. The G-Link is correctly connected per instructions. I have composite connections from cable box to TV composite input. The instructions state you must have input to Video-1 or Ant-1 and I connected both from cable box and verified signal. I left TV off and cable box on for two days per manual instructions and it did not load????
Also, the manual states DO NOT CONNECT PC, but I am tempted to do it anyway. I have a DVI output from my Radion PC Video Card. Why is this not recommended? It is not just a video output? I don't want to screw up my new TV, but can some of you guru's give me some advice?

Thanks in advance, plumdum

Help! Can someone please help. I have a new 62hm95 and cannot get the TV Guide to load. The G-Link is correctly connected per instructions. I have composite connections from cable box to TV composite input. The instructions state you must have input to Video-1 or Ant-1 and I connected both from cable box and verified signal. I left TV off and cable box on for two days per manual instructions and it did not load????
I guess I am confused as to why you need the TVGOS if you have a cable box unless you are recording to the Symbio. Also, I would make sure you only have one connection to the TV (ANT1). There is a way to access the TVGOS diagnostics to see what is happening but I would try the following connection first and then go through the setup again. When using the G-Link did the cable box change to the correct channel? If not, then most likely the IR isn't positioned correctly. If the box changed to the correct channel you can view the diagnostics and see what is happening. If you follow the TVGOS thread you can learn about the diagnostic screens and what they mean. See below.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=510125

Does anyone know the contrast ratio for the 52HMX94?

thx

I just had a new 46HM84 delivered last week. Very happy with the picture quality so far, although I'm just looking at SD programming. Comcast will be installing an HD box tomorrow, and I've ordered an up-converting DVD player. However, I have some alignment questions based on my SD experience so far.

First, there's some slight pincushioning (bowed toward center, wider at bottom) which I understand is common to DLPs generally, and not a big deal. What is a bit more concerning, but more inexplicable, is what seems to be a general shift of the picture rightward.

When I'm viewing SD programming in 'natural' 4:3, the vertical grey bar on the right is about 1/16" smaller than that on the left. However, when I use 'full' or 'theaterwide' to view 4:3 at 16:9, it SOMETIMES seems to be shifted more rightward, although it's hard to measure during live TV. I tested a DVD (Star Wars) in anamorphic widescreen on my Playstation2, and - pausing on the opening logo - measured the picture to be shifted a full 1/2" rightward. I'm not sure why there would be a discrepancy between this shift and the much smaller 4:3 'natural' shift, which is the reason for this post. Given the inconsistency, I'm curious about whether my new DVD player will make a difference. It's a bit frustrating, because it's not a simple matter of saying 'my picture is off-center' - it really is inconsistent. I've compared SD programs viewed at 4:3 'natural,' and it doesn't seem as if any part of the right edge of the natural image is taken off-screen by expanding to 16:9, which I would expect if the projection was just overscanned in that direction.

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

The LG LDA-511 is now available as a special order (may take a couple of weeks more than usual) in:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/371269-REG/LG_Electronics_LDA511_LDA_511_DVD_PLAYER.html

You may order yours for $179.95 + shipping. Cheaper than the other potential sites.

Hello, I've just purchased the Toshiba 62hm15 from Costco and I have some issues and was hoping someone here had some answers or could point me in the right direction. Not new to this game, had a '01 Toshiba 65H84 until yesterday. (actually still have it)

1. I connected a DVI/HDMI cable from my Hughes HD Directv receiver to my tv and the picture was horrible. It made all of the dark areas have a strange shadowing affect and there was a hint of green in the unwanted shadows. The component input looks far better. This is very disappionting to me. Any ideas?

2. Even my HD sources seem grainy... a crisp grainy. I have the sharpness setting at 20.

3. The top corners of my display bend up slightly, is there an adjustment for this? I've been into the service menu but don't know what adjustments to make. Anyone know a source on the web for stuff like this?

Thanks.

As for SD problems with picture etc, anyone who starts getting the digital stations hd or sd will probably never revert to SD analogue signals again. The black rather than gray bars, loss of snow or artifacts int he picture and overall picture quality is fantastic. IF you can't get it on a cable, go to antenna. Great. I use a C band 4dtv for premium stations and OTA for local broadcast and am VERY pleased overall with the tosh picture. Just wish they would get the tosh tv guide fixed completely. Seems to me a year should be enough to have resolved the problem.

Hi:
I have been following this thread for a bit and would appreciate some advice. I purchased a Toshiba 62HM94 in January, am very pleased with the picture. I have it connected both to HD cable, to satellite and a Toshiba DVD player. Even regular def images are fine. The only problem I am having is that the toshiba remote seems to "disconnect" from the set after a number of hours. I will go off to do something and when I return cannot control anything until I unplug/replug the Toshiba. I spoke with the company and they advised leaving the set off for a bit and trying again and otherwise calling in a service call. Anyone else with this problem?

Hi:
The only problem I am having is that the toshiba remote seems to "disconnect" from the set after a number of hours. I will go off to do something and when I return cannot control anything until I unplug/replug the Toshiba. I spoke with the company and they advised leaving the set off for a bit and trying again and otherwise calling in a service call. Anyone else with this problem?The only problem I ever had when I was using their remote was the high pitch squeal but I guess that is present in any LCD based remote. They shipped me a new one (and accidentally a third one) but they all had the problem. I use a Radio Shack JP1 programmable remote and never have any problems with acommands except the TVGOS where occasionally when editing channels I will lose the yellow cursor and have to exit the particular channel edit and go back in. Otherwise, all commands work fine.