Hi Again,

Thanks again for the info. I never did actually reach Toshiba Support on my own. After 10 minutes or so on hold, I finally gave up.

I wonder why on earth Toshiba would have a fan running constantly inside their DLP set? Maybe it just falls into the "strange but true" category. I may well put my own power cutoff switch on there to just turn fan and all off during the day and all night, while the set is not on. At least that would keep from wearing out the fan in a few years. Of course, I would not turn the power off until I was sure that the lamp was cool.

Ron

if you mean in comparrison to a non-upconverting DVD player, then yes, it looks much better...

obviously it's not as good as HD, but if the source material is good, then it's pretty close... :D

So, with a non-upconverting DVD player the TV just widens the pic and not upconverts. Therefore, an upconverting DVD player will reprocess the 480 to 720-1080i before it sends it to the TV. I wonder how much better the picture is with an upconverting DVD player compared to a video processor like DVDO's HD+? Because there is a huge difference in price.

Hi Again,

Thanks again for the info. I never did actually reach Toshiba Support on my own. After 10 minutes or so on hold, I finally gave up.

I wonder why on earth Toshiba would have a fan running constantly inside their DLP set? Maybe it just falls into the "strange but true" category. I may well put my own power cutoff switch on there to just turn fan and all off during the day and all night, while the set is not on. At least that would keep from wearing out the fan in a few years. Of course, I would not turn the power off until I was sure that the lamp was cool.

Ron

Do you really think the design engineers at Toshiba went through all that trouble to put the fan in and wire it to run 24/7 if it wasn't needed? Just a thought.

Just remember that the panny uses the faroudja chip... you might notice some macroblocking...

Others have said the same thing about the Oppo. I've played at least 15 dvd's now and haven't seen any macroblocking at all.


Ken

[QUOTE=sufan]After chronic problems with my cable card losing its channels and trying various fixes, Toshiba is replacing my TV through the retailer I purchased it from.

I have the 52HMX95.


Tonight I connected a 56MX195 that replaced the above model. Now I am not getting all of my high def channels. I get ESPN, TNT, Discovery and the networks. The other channels are either blank or a frozen picture with no sound.

Is it really too much to ask that when you spend this kind of money on a TV and the monthly cable bill that it should work?? TW warner and Toshiba advertise how great HDTV is but its misleading. There is no excuse for this - I have been dealing with this since November 1st. And then there is the whole bulb issue and crappy TV Guide that is never right.

I am using a cable card and its turned into a full time job to try and get this to work. I applied a software update and now I am on the phone with Time Warner. I have asked that the call be escalated to a manager. This has been going on since November 1st and I simply keep getting bounced back and forth between Toshiba and Time Warner. I feel like I should be re-imbursed for my time and cable bill.

I apologize for venting but its gone beyond ridiculous.

Ok I just spoke with Toshiba rep about replacing the lamp. They are out of stock.....figures. It will be the end of the week and then 2-day shipping. I hope he is right! He blamed the quick failure on transportation of the tv from warehous to warehouse until final delivery to me. What a crock! I'll let you know how long it really takes to get the lamp.

I have a Toshiba 49HM95 Purchased in September and it seems that the HD Tuner went out.
I was able to get local channels off air, but now I just get Audio while Signal bars show full signal.
Anyone else see this ??? Or hear of like problems ?

I just ordered a back up bulb from ercservice for $199+shipping. Not bad. I hope I will not need it for a while but I will be kicking myself if my bulb blows before the SuperBowl!

http://www.ercservice.com/lamps/toshibalamps/23587201.html

I have a Toshiba 49HM95 Purchased in September and it seems that the HD Tuner went out.
I was able to get local channels off air, but now I just get Audio while Signal bars show full signal.
Anyone else see this ??? Or hear of like problems ?Do you use a cable card? I had that happen to me one time with the cable card and I ended up doing a complete reset of the TV and it took care of it. It hasn't happened again. If you do the reset make sure you copy down all of your picture settings as those are lost with the system reset and will have to be entered back in.

No Cable card, I have Direct TV and was just getting local channels off the air, Fox, ABC, NBC, PBS, WPIX, CBS.
Now only receive them on analog ...

Do you use a cable card? I had that happen to me one time with the cable card and I ended up doing a complete reset of the TV and it took care of it. It hasn't happened again. If you do the reset make sure you copy down all of your picture settings as those are lost with the system reset and will have to be entered back in.

What adjustments did you make to the picture ?

I'm new to this world of HDTV, old unit died and I could not see buying an analog set.

The cable box is hooked it up with composite cables from the component out to the ColorStream HD High-resolution Component Video Input 2 on the TV. Works fine, picture is great, no problems. I have another connection from the cable box to the TV on the RF input as ANT1, since that was needed for the On Screen Guide.

TVGOSG works, but all of the stations are assigned to ANT 1, not Colorstream HD 2. This causes a couple of problems. If I am watching TV on Input 5 (Colorstream HD2) sometimes when I change stations, using the TV Guide, the input switches to ANT 1 all by itself.

Is this a TV Guide Problem? Should I have split the cable line when it came in from outside rather than after the cable box? Something else?It's not a problem as far as TVGOS is concerned as if you are using a cable box you shouldn't need the guide to begin with. :confused: The purpose of TVGOS is for OTA and direct cable connections with or without a cable card. It expects that if you were using the guide it would naturally be on one of the ANT inputs or the Video 1 input. If you had a cable box with a coax output (i.e. like the older analog STB's) you could connect the output of the cable box to the ANT input and use the G-Link cable which could control the IR of the cable box to change the channels. If you have a digital or HD box and want to use the component or DVI/HDMI outputs then why not use the STB's guide?

If you want to have both then splitting the cable before the STB and connecting one to the box and the other to the ANT1 input will give you the TVGOS. You could view the program listings using TVGOS but to make sure the TV doesn't try to tune to the other input you need to left arrow into the channel column and press MENU and "lock" the video in the channel editor window to the left of the guide. This keeps the TVGOS from tuning to the different channels when you are searching through the guide.

The hm95 series will only accept PCM 2 channel audio through the HDMI port. Check the audio output setting on the DVR. I have the same problem with my dvd player.I don't know if that is correct as I can set my DVD player to output DD 5.1 via HDMI but the TV probably does downconvert the audio to 2 channel PCM as it only has two speakers. I only guess that is the case as I only get PCM from the digital output when using the DVD player. I do get 5.1 output when using the cable input (i.e ANT) when the station is broadcasting in 5.1. It's really no big deal to have the extra digital audio cable from the DVD player to the receiver as I wouldn't want to watch a movie without my receiver anyway.

[QUOTE=sufan]After chronic problems with my cable card losing its channels and trying various fixes, Toshiba is replacing my TV through the retailer I purchased it from.

I have the 52HMX95.


Tonight I connected a 56MX195 that replaced the above model. Now I am not getting all of my high def channels. I get ESPN, TNT, Discovery and the networks. The other channels are either blank or a frozen picture with no sound.

Is it really too much to ask that when you spend this kind of money on a TV and the monthly cable bill that it should work?? TW warner and Toshiba advertise how great HDTV is but its misleading. There is no excuse for this - I have been dealing with this since November 1st. And then there is the whole bulb issue and crappy TV Guide that is never right.

I am using a cable card and its turned into a full time job to try and get this to work. I applied a software update and now I am on the phone with Time Warner. I have asked that the call be escalated to a manager. This has been going on since November 1st and I simply keep getting bounced back and forth between Toshiba and Time Warner. I feel like I should be re-imbursed for my time and cable bill.

I apologize for venting but its gone beyond ridiculous. Have you tried any of the various threads in this forum concerning CC and cable co. issues?There are many that might give some needed knowledge.Good luck

Ok I just spoke with Toshiba rep about replacing the lamp. They are out of stock.....figures. It will be the end of the week and then 2-day shipping. I hope he is right! He blamed the quick failure on transportation of the tv from warehous to warehouse until final delivery to me. What a crock! I'll let you know how long it really takes to get the lamp.Actually,many early failures,be it lamp,light engine problems,sound,are the result of shipping.Holiday sales are a big part of the entire years sales.Many sets are purchased online now.Having had a shipment related problem(previous post) and by talking to numerous people,I have no reason to doubt your CSRep.Whatever the case,your more likely to get a positive result if you remain calm with Tosh CS.They are evidently replacing units now,even upgrading some,(see above post)for what clearly sounds like CC issues with various Cable Companys.This is of course a joint responsibility of Mfgs. and cable cos. together.Tosh has been releasing firmware updates as fast as possible as issues arise and this effort is a bit onesided.STB - CC issues are varied and many and cable companies are not geared for the onslaught of new HDTV customers.They all feel they have no responsibility to inform of any current issues with each product.Tosh has an outstanding reputation for customer satisfaction and product reliability.But,as my grandaughter likes to say "**** Happens". :) Really try to cope and keep us all up on your progress or lack thereof. Good luck

I cannot receive audio for digital stations (thru the 56HM195 internal speakers) using a direct cable feed on ANT1 or antenna on ANT2. The analog audio comes out fine but when I tune to a digital station, there is no audio.

I have tried switching from stereo to sap under the MTS setting, and tried some closed captioning settings. Closed captioning works, but still no audio.

Audio feeds from the color stream ports and video ports do work through the internal speakers.

Toshiba advised me to call a local repair center but I am thinking that is has to be a setting somewhere that got dorked up.

Any ideas?

Could you be more specific about what is connected to the antenna input? Is this from a cable box or some tuner from a roof top? Why is it not connected to the HDMI? I am trying to think this out but need some details.

I cannot receive audio for digital stations (thru the 56HM195 internal speakers) using a direct cable feed on ANT1 or antenna on ANT2. The analog audio comes out fine but when I tune to a digital station, there is no audio.

I have tried switching from stereo to sap under the MTS setting, and tried some closed captioning settings. Closed captioning works, but still no audio.

Audio feeds from the color stream ports and video ports do work through the internal speakers.

Toshiba advised me to call a local repair center but I am thinking that is has to be a setting somewhere that got dorked up.

Any ideas?There shouldn't be anything special to configure in the audio settings. Mine is set to Stereo with the internal speakers set to ON and I receive audio on both digital and analog stations. I also have a cable card but that shouldn't make a difference unless the cable provider is encrypting the audio on digital broadcasts which shouldn't be the case. If you run the optical out from your TV to your receiver and set the output to Dolby Digital do you get audio there? If not, try turning off the internal speakers and see if you get audio.

Could you be more specific about what is connected to the antenna input? Is this from a cable box or some tuner from a roof top? Why is it not connected to the HDMI? I am trying to think this out but need some details.

ANT1 Input: Direct cable, no box.
ANT2 Input: UHF Antenna

HDMI1 Input: From Cable Box (DVI to HDMI) to TV HDMI1 Input w/ Audio to Pioneer Audio Receiver.
Video1 Input: From TiVo w/ S-Video & LR Audio.

I don't recall if I have anything connected to the Audio Out's on the TV.

My plan is to run everthing through my audio receiver once my optical cables arrive from monoprices but wanted to check out the ANT1 input in anticipation of ordering a Cable Card from TW. I've only had the set for 3-days and wanted to test all the built-in features, plus I though it would be easier for the kids to only have to control the TV tuner & built-in speakers instead of worrying about the audio receiver settings. I won't let them touch my Harmony 880.

There shouldn't be anything special to configure in the audio settings. Mine is set to Stereo with the internal speakers set to ON and I receive audio on both digital and analog stations. I also have a cable card but that shouldn't make a difference unless the cable provider is encrypting the audio on digital broadcasts which shouldn't be the case. If you run the optical out from your TV to your receiver and set the output to Dolby Digital do you get audio there? If not, try turning off the internal speakers and see if you get audio.

I have an optical cable on order from monoprices arriving later this week to test the Dolby Digital output. What is really troublesome is that my UHF antenna on ANT2 will not produce audio on a digital channel either. Although I cannot rule out that the cable providers digital audio is encrypted, it seems to point back to the TV having an issue outputing digital audio through the internal speakers.

I am not sure if this has anything to do with the problem but when a digital channel is tuned, under the Applications menu -- Digital CC/Audio Selector item, the Audio Service found is AC3. It is the only selection available besides Closed Captioning items. I was thinking that perhaps the 56HM195 will not decode AC3 for use with the TV speakers, but I get the same thing with the OTA UHF antenna feed on ANT2. With analog channels, which the TV will produce audio for, this selection is greyed out under the Applications menu. This doesn't seem likely since a user that has only an OTA antennal would be required to have a DD reciever to listen to programming.

Darkstar,

for what is worth, I was using my 62hm15 with an OTA antenna on ANT2. No cable (box or card), sat or STB at all. I initally had no problems with analog or digital audio through the sets speakers. I eventually lost both audio and video on the digital side - analog continued to be fine. My point being that I believe your premise is correct in that the TV should be to decode at least stereo digital audio and play it through the onboard speakers... at least mine did for a time.

Although I cannot rule out that the cable providers digital audio is encrypted, it seems to point back to the TV having an issue outputing digital audio through the internal speakers.

I am not sure if this has anything to do with the problem but when a digital channel is tuned, under the Applications menu -- Digital CC/Audio Selector item, the Audio Service found is AC3. It is the only selection available besides Closed Captioning items. I was thinking that perhaps the 56HM195 will not decode AC3 for use with the TV speakers, but I get the same thing with the OTA UHF antenna feed on ANT2. With analog channels, which the TV will produce audio for, this selection is greyed out under the Applications menu. This doesn't seem likely since a user that has only an OTA antennal would be required to have a DD reciever to listen to programming.Mine is also AC3 so it's not a problem with the TV being able to decode the proper signal. Even before I had the cable card I was able to get audio from the cable feed on ANT1 on digital stations. You either have a problem with the TV or the incoming signal but if your OTA connection is giving the same result it would seem to point to the TV. The only suggestion I can make is to try a complete reset of your TV but make sure you copy down all of your menu settings (i.e. picture, etc) as you will need to modify them again once you do the reset. I have had periodic issues such as garbled audio on channels and losing the video but receiving audio and in both instances a complete reset took care of the problem. I don't have line conditioner or anything so it's possible voltage or current fluctuations may be inducing these problems. It doesn't take long to reset the TV so it may be worth a shot to you. Let us know how and when you get resolution.

I too have the 46hm95 and when I first setup the ant., I got my local HD channels fine and clear. After connecting my cable box from Cox, I get only audio from the channels but the signal meter shows full strength. I just figured the box was overriding something. The only HD channel I can't get on the box is Fox, so it isn't a huge problem, but a problem none-the-less.

I know there has been much discussion in this particular forum re: picture quality, noise, pixelation, etc. plus 1080P software availability discussions. In Wednesday's edition of Consumer Electronics Daily, A Warren Publication, dated August 24, Mark Cuban is quoted as follows:

"TV set makers are without question, the most abused, beaten up, and taken advantage of industry and it's time they stood up to program distributors who would degrade HD picture quality by multicasting, HDNet Chairman Mark Cuban told the DisplaySearch HDTV Conference in Beverly Hills on Tuesday"

Cuban said the government sits idly by as broadcasters refuse to turn back the analog spectrum, but responds to the DTV impasse by slapping set makers with a DTV tuner mandate. Cuban said set makers have been the losers in many of the "death wars" they have been involved in. The time has come for set makers to "dish it out" against program distributors and content owners that want to squeeze more channels into available bandwidth.

"That's a real problem for you guys", Cuban told set makers in the conference audience. "Hardly anyone" is talking about using MPEG codecs to enhance picture quality, Cuban said. "That means that all the work you're putting into improving picture quality is wasted. It's meaningless." Failure to "stand up" to content interests means set makers will continue to be the "red-headed stepchildren who'll be pushed around," Cuban said.

Multicast-related MPEG compression artifacts of the type Cuban described are most visible on the larger screen flat panel displays and mircodisplay rear projection TV's that are most popular at retail today,said Peter Putnam, president of Roam Consulting, Doylestown, PA. Common artifacts include "mosquito noise," usually seen around fast moving objects, such as cheerleaders on the sidelines on an NFL broadcast, he said. "Some of these artifacts are intrinsic to the display technology being used," Putnam said. "Combined with compression artifacts, they make for a pretty nasty big-screen image."

The rebuttal came from CBS vp-engineering and advanced technology, Robert Seidel. "CBS is fanatical about preserving picture quality." "From the start," Seidel said, "we have insisted that everything be acquired in 1920X1080." At the CBS film lot in Hollywood, Seidel said, 23 of the sound stages are equipped for 1920X1080P/24. Moreover, all new cameras installed at CBS's Television City facility are 1920X180P/60, he said. "Our goal is to preserve the quality from the very first frame," he said."We have refused to lower our data rate," Seidel said, conceding that it has become a "contentious issue" with CBS program distributors. "We don't want to take it down to 14 megabits or 12 megabits. We don't believe that's quality."

Cliff notes - Cuban said something that makes sense and was not a senseless rant. Kudos to CBS 1080P for future thinking.

Can anyone give me a quick simple anwser as to how these sets work with an HTPC? I've been looking at the 52hmx84 and the 62hm195, obviously quite different sets, but they seem to be pretty good. I don't really care about 1:1 mapping, but i would like to be able to send a 1280x720 or 1920x1080 signal from my HTPC through HDMI and have it fit nice and squarely on the screen. I don't want to fiddle with all sorts of powerstrip features and skew the picture. So is this possible, or will i end up with a picture that kind of fits but has gaps and non-straight lines like a CRT HTPC set-up? I'm spoiled by my LCD flat panel, it's just not big enough, though, and i'd like to find something bigger that i can use with my HTPC.

Try this thread.May be a lot more posts on this. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=624229

Mine is also AC3 so it's not a problem with the TV being able to decode the proper signal. Even before I had the cable card I was able to get audio from the cable feed on ANT1 on digital stations. You either have a problem with the TV or the incoming signal but if your OTA connection is giving the same result it would seem to point to the TV. The only suggestion I can make is to try a complete reset of your TV but make sure you copy down all of your menu settings (i.e. picture, etc) as you will need to modify them again once you do the reset. I have had periodic issues such as garbled audio on channels and losing the video but receiving audio and in both instances a complete reset took care of the problem. I don't have line conditioner or anything so it's possible voltage or current fluctuations may be inducing these problems. It doesn't take long to reset the TV so it may be worth a shot to you. Let us know how and when you get resolution.

After pulling the plug on the unit and allowing it to reboot.....IT WORKS!! Later, while searching through the QAM channels trying to figure out how they map to the cable channels the audio died again, specifically, after hitting dozens of encrypted channels. Rebooted the TV and audio is back. The audio decoder must be getting confused by the blank/encrypted channels.

Thanks for everybodys help. I love this set (56HM195) and the thought of a service call in the first week was dissapointing.

After pulling the plug on the unit and allowing it to reboot.....IT WORKS!! Later, while searching through the QAM channels trying to figure out how they map to the cable channels the audio died again, specifically, after hitting dozens of encrypted channels. Rebooted the TV and audio is back. The audio decoder must be getting confused by the blank/encrypted channels.

Thanks for everybodys help. I love this set (56HM195) and the thought of a service call in the first week was dissapointing.The reset of the TV is not the cold reset of removing power but the one that is in the MENU of the TV (i.e. restore factory defaults). You have to go to Setup, Installation, System Status, System Information and right arrow to the factory defaults and enter 0000 and Yes. This does set all menu entries you modifed back to the defaults so you should copy down any you have changed from default. This may or may not resolve your issue but it only takes a few moments and if you have to wait for service anyway it might be worth a shot.

Actually,many early failures,be it lamp,light engine problems,sound,are the result of shipping.But,as my grandaughter likes to say "**** Happens". :) Really try to cope and keep us all up on your progress or lack thereof. Good luck

With all due respect enmoco....arent all of these sets shipped, either from the factory to your local dealer and then to you or from the internet dealers warehouse to you?? It would seem that if the bulb prematurely failed due to shipping, the bulb should be kept seperate until installation..or some other solution....just my two cents (again)..lol

My thoughts - I think the Toshiba DLP's are great products overall. While I'm ticked that they are continuously back ordered on the lamps (and other critical parts), this is really not just a Toshiba problem. This is pretty much a common issue with all the lamp based RPTV's. In my opinion, this issue will spell the end of DLP/LCD rear projection TV unless they find a way to correct it.

A lot of people bought these sets based on the 8000 hour lamp life that the owner's manual promises. How many of these people would still have bought the sets if they knew that they would actually be lucky to get a year out of a $400 lamp (and in some cases much less)??

The serious TV enthusiasts may be willing to live with this issue, but I just don't think the average TV watching family can afford it.

I am leaning towards the Toshiba (of whatever model number) and I agree that this is certainly an issue. However I have seen no evidence that the bulb issue is peculiar to the Toshiba design or to the TV itself. More likely this is a supplier issue that Toshiba is not yet able to work out. If and when they do work things out, this supplier will probably be filing for Chapter 11 simply to make up for all the poor quality bulbs already shipped.

Hey fellas, I'm here hoping to get some useful feedback to those who have calibrated thier Toshiba 52HMX84 sets. Being that I'm not accustomed to altering color settings and Avia doesn't apply to DLP sets very well (mainly CRTs), I was wondering what fellow members have thier color settings set to for DVD playback? ;)
Thanks in advance and look forward to what users have to say. :)

Say you have to pay present $400 for new 150 lamp. $1.10 a day. Thats the cost if you do have to buy a new lamp every year.$2.10 a day if every six months. I think thats all traker1001 was trying to convey. To enjoy the pq of these sets,thats cheap. I don't know how you watch HDTV (cable,Dish),but I pay $110 a month for digital comcast HD pack and two premium movie channels. Thats just the worst case,two a year. NOBODY should have to do this,but,if you do.Lamps will go down. Hectic X-mas season will go away.Production of lamps is still primarily going to new set marketing(still so popular,selling like hotcakes)Peace

If you don't mind wasting $2 or $3 bucks a day, please send your excess cash to my PayPal account. You can do it monthly if sending it daily is too much bother.

There are three types of posters to a forum like this:

1) Lonely geeks--thank God for them, they keep the continuity going.

2) People with problems. Why post that everything is wonderful (well, see #1 above)?

3) People that want info before a problem. Anyone who purchases a DLP set without any research either has more money than sense; i.e., doesn't care, or is an idiot. As such, owner's should know that the bulb is an expensive consumable. What we need now is a place to buy them cheaply. As one poster said, even in the warranty period, do you want to wait while Toshiba takes it's time sending a bulb? Keeping a spare makes good sense.

You omitted the group known as "satisfied customers." There are quite a few of these.

Addressing the lamp replacement issues. These sets are the best selling technology right now.There has been a short supply of these lamps because of this...

I think there's a definite possibility that the reason for a short supply is that the damn things keep burning out prematurely, not because there are too many TVs.

Hey fellas, I'm here hoping to get some useful feedback to those who have calibrated thier Toshiba 52HMX84 sets. Being that I'm not accustomed to altering color settings and Avia doesn't apply to DLP sets very well (mainly CRTs), I was wondering what fellow members have thier color settings set to for DVD playback? ;)
Thanks in advance and look forward to what users have to say. :)

Avia works fine on DLP sets for color/tint. Just remember you may need to back down saturation a bit when done.

If you don't mind wasting $2 or $3 bucks a day, please send your excess cash to my PayPal account. You can do it monthly if sending it daily is too much bother.

And What service are you willing to provide for it?

And What service are you willing to provide for it?

If the money is wasted in the first place, what difference will this make?

If the money is wasted in the first place, what difference will this make?

Nothing I have seen yet in this forum suggest that anyone is throwing away money and not getting something reasonable in return.

Nothing I have seen yet in this forum suggest that anyone is throwing away money and not getting something reasonable in return.

I suspect it would help greatly if you read the entire section of the thread that is being referenced here. The OP stated he did not mind paying frequently (and without complaint) for bulb replacement. In my view and in the view of many others, this constitutes a waste of money. You may feel differently, as is your privilege.

Nothing I have seen yet in this forum suggest that anyone is throwing away money and not getting something reasonable in return.

You don't think spending this kind of money on a TV that doesn't work as advertised and $1,200 or more a year for cable TV that doesn't work as advertised is a problem?

I respectfully disagree with you - its not reasonable.

As consumers, we have settled and live with inferior products when it comes to technology. Look at all the time all of us waste on this forum trying to get a fricking TV to work.

respectfully disagree with you

I appreciate that, Point taken.

I appreciate that, Point taken.

Thanks. I am not trying to flame anyone. I just believe that when it comes to computers and other hi tech products the consumer has been beaten down to accept and spend an unreasonable amount of time trying to make a brand new purchase work as it should.

I just wonder why there aren't better consumer protection laws when dealing with this stuff. I mean, I would never spend this much time dealing with a similar issue with my car. I would take it to the dealer and it would be fixed under warranty or there would be a recall. To make matters worse, Time Warner is a monopoly in my area and they know it.

I wish I could bill Time Warner and Toshiba my hourly salary for the time I have spent on this...lol

I think that if any of us had to replace the headlamps on our cars 2 times a years or even once a year and wait 2 or 3 weeks each time to get one. We would probable not tolerate that. Why is it that some of the consumers on this forum are so willing to except the fact that the lamps on these TV’s are not lasting even close to as long as promised.
My replacement lamp was drop shipped to me from Andrews Electronics, inside the box was an invoice meant for Best Buy part# 23311153 list price $375.53 Net price to BB $264.52
If you go to the AE website and try to buy the same part number it costs you $425 + tax and shipping. Nice margins makes me wanna sell lamps for a living. And then come to this forum to talk about how it’s perfectly ok for the lamp to go pop after only 4 months.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcoughlin
Ok I just spoke with Toshiba rep about replacing the lamp. They are out of stock.....figures. It will be the end of the week and then 2-day shipping. I hope he is right! He blamed the quick failure on transportation of the tv from warehous to warehouse until final delivery to me. What a crock! I'll let you know how long it really takes to get the lamp.
Actually,many early failures,be it lamp,light engine problems,sound,are the result of shipping.Holiday sales are a big part of the entire years sales.Many sets are purchased online now.Having had a shipment related problem(previous post) and by talking to numerous people,I have no reason to doubt your CSRep.Whatever the case,your more likely to get a positive result if you remain calm with Tosh CS.They are evidently replacing units now,even upgrading some,(see above post)for what clearly sounds like CC issues with various Cable Companys.This is of course a joint responsibility of Mfgs. and cable cos. together.Tosh has been releasing firmware updates as fast as possible as issues arise and this effort is a bit onesided.STB - CC issues are varied and many and cable companies are not geared for the onslaught of new HDTV customers.They all feel they have no responsibility to inform of any current issues with each product.Tosh has an outstanding reputation for customer satisfaction and product reliability.But,as my granddaughter likes to say "**** Happens". Really try to cope and keep us all up on your progress or lack thereof. Good luck

________[QUOTE=bkazepis]With all due respect enmoco....arent all of these sets shipped, either from the factory to your local dealer and then to you or from the internet dealers warehouse to you?? It would seem that if the bulb prematurely failed due to shipping, the bulb should be kept seperate until installation..or some other solution....just my two cents (again)..lol With the same respect..........A short answer is no,not all these sets or any other items are direct shipped.It is logistically impossible in a great many cases.Metropolitan areas would have a better chance.Many etailers don't have a showroom or a warehouse.They drop ship from distributors.Non urban areas are more difficult to access,obviously.These sets are much taller than wide.Physics and Murphy's law apply. My set was damaged on delivery.Lastly,family members have owned an interstate transportation company for just over 25 years.I have some knowledge of my above mentioned quote. I put mcoughlin's post in(which you did not) order to explain I said "many early failures"not particulary lamps,but of any kind.EARLY FAILURE.Can also mean shoddy mfgs. work.????????Who knows.My statement was directed to the underlined "What A Crock" in his post.
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Last edited by enmoco : Yesterday at 12:40 AM.

I wish I could bill Time Warner and Toshiba my hourly salary for the time I have spent on this...lol

You should, Im serious now. You should print 2 very detailed invoices, 1 for Toshiba and the other to Timewarner and send them out to corporate headquarters.

I have never done this with a company like toshiba, However I have done it with computer manufacturers. Most will ignore, However I have actually had a few cut me checks.
1 in particular comes to mind, Dell, Mainly because the invoice was for $645 and without question, contact, etc... The cut me a check in less than a week. Usually I get at least a call questioning the invoice.

If you don't mind wasting $2 or $3 bucks a day, please send your excess cash to my PayPal account. You can do it monthly if sending it daily is too much bother.You are taking a running dialogue out of context.The intended of my post liked the PQ and several members were explaining the cost of ownership in the worst case,as he feared.I otherwise have no doubt as to the sincerity of your request for money.I will decline however,as I currently support
only the local mentally challenged,homeless, derelict winos.

I like your style...and willingness to at least give it a shot!

I must say when this stuff works it is amazing....the Duke/Maryland game is amazing quality...but it doesn't make up for all the problems I've had!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by traker1001
Nothing I have seen yet in this forum suggest that anyone is throwing away money and not getting something reasonable in return.


kerrydeare
I suspect it would help greatly if you read the entire section of the thread that is being referenced here. The OP stated he did not mind paying frequently (and without complaint) for bulb replacement. In my view and in the view of many others, this constitutes a waste of money. You may feel differently,as is your privilege. Kinda lile a guy complaining about his $6,000 audio system in a 12 cylinder Ferrari. Its inferior wiring can't support his amps,speakers,and such. He's one type. Another type would wonder"Who cares,listen to the song of that incredible machine."They both have to jump start them every time they go out. It's all relative.

... I otherwise have no doubt as to the sincerity of your request for money.I will decline however,as I currently support
only the local mentally challenged,homeless, derelict winos.

From what I know of Texans that should keep you quite busy. My sympathy.

]kerrydeare
I suspect it would help greatly if you read the entire section of the thread that is being referenced here. The OP stated he did not mind paying frequently (and without complaint) for bulb replacement. In my view and in the view of many others, this constitutes a waste of money. You may feel differently,as is your privilege. enmocoAre you not the same derrydeare who has edited several posts to accomidate your point of view?Mine as an example:Quote:
Originally Posted by enmoco
Addressing the lamp replacement issues. These sets are the best selling technology right now.There has been a short supply of these lamps because of this.
[QUOTE]Kerrydeare
I think there's a definite possibility that the reason for a short supply is that the damn things keep burning out prematurely, not because there are too many TVs.

Originally Posted by traker1001
Nothing I have seen yet in this forum suggest that anyone is throwing away money and not getting something reasonable in return ]kerrydeare
I suspect it would help greatly if you read the entire section of the thread that is being referenced here. The OP stated he did not mind paying frequently (and without complaint) for bulb replacement. In my view and in the view of many others, this constitutes a waste of money. You may feel differently,as is your privilege. enmoco ]Are you not the same derrydeare who has edited several posts to accomidate your point of view?Mine as an example:
Originally Posted by enmoco
Addressing the lamp replacement issues. These sets are the best selling technology right now.There has been a short supply of these lamps because of this.
[QUOTE]Kerrydeare
I think there's a definite possibility that the reason for a short supply is that the damn things keep burning out prematurely, not because there are too many TVs.

From what I know of Texans that should keep you quite busy. My sympathy.You have demonstrated how much you know.By the way the key word is LOCAL

I know the horse is dead and after re-reading a few pages back, it becomes clear than enmoco is right "it's all relative". I thought there were 2 camps but I now think there are 3.

The first camp expects these TV's to be like every other TV they've owned in the past, just bigger and better in the picture quality department. When they learn of the potential problems, experience some first hand, or just understand the impact of normal realistic life with this technology, they don't feel the sets are "worth it". Thats me.

The second camp has the same expectations of size and PQ, but are willing to accept some headaches beyond what they may have experienced with past sets. Many do this knowing the risks, others hope or think the risks are exagerated but in the end, they accept the consequences, (though they may not like them), for an experience that isn't available at similar costs anywhere else. I think this group is the most trustworthy and I think BamaMan fits in this group.

The last group has the exact same expectations of size and PQ, but will promote their position regardless of cost or positions to the contrary. I openly admit I don't understand the position but I'm sure they feel justified in their stance. The funny part is that I really looked to this group for logical reasons to like this technology. I've seen this camp question problem posts and offer explanations but I haven't seen any real data or facts to support such a stance. In fact, a few pages back I posted about a conversation I had with a tech where he stated that in his expereince, 3k hours should be considered average bulb life for this technology. I didn't comment on wether that was good or bad but in my mind, I was thinking "bad" since the manual suggests 6-8k hours as an average. A few posts later, someone was apparently pleased with that and though that was a good thing. I bet I can no more convince some folks that this is a bad thing than they can convince me its a good thing. It is "all relative".

What I would really like is something factual to suggest that the manufacturers claims are "realistic" within the context of how this technology will be used by consumers. Thats the piece of the puzzle thats missing for me.

Hi Again,

Thanks again for the info. I never did actually reach Toshiba Support on my own. After 10 minutes or so on hold, I finally gave up.

I wonder why on earth Toshiba would have a fan running constantly inside their DLP set? Maybe it just falls into the "strange but true" category. I may well put my own power cutoff switch on there to just turn fan and all off during the day and all night, while the set is not on. At least that would keep from wearing out the fan in a few years. Of course, I would not turn the power off until I was sure that the lamp was cool.

Ron

The constant fan is not the same as the bulb fan as it is for the HD tuner according to Toshiba. These TVs are always in a standby mode, and especially if you use the TVGOS feature it is continuously running that application and handling the data download process (schedules, listing updates). The fan is to keep the processors cool.

If you try to do what you're mentioning to have a power cutoff switch, you'll effectively be rebooting the TV every time you want to watch it. If you don't use TVGOS that's fine, but does not likely provide any benefit.

I know the horse is dead and after re-reading a few pages back, it becomes clear than enmoco is right "it's all relative". I thought there were 2 camps but I now think there are 3.

The first camp expects these TV's to be like every other TV they've owned in the past, just bigger and better in the picture quality department. When they learn of the potential problems, experience some first hand, or just understand the impact of normal realistic life with this technology, they don't feel the sets are "worth it". Thats me.

The second camp has the same expectations of size and PQ, but are willing to accept some headaches beyond what they may have experienced with past sets. Many do this knowing the risks, others hope or think the risks are exagerated but in the end, they accept the consequences, (though they may not like them), for an experience that isn't available at similar costs anywhere else. I think this group is the most trustworthy and I think BamaMan fits in this group.

The last group has the exact same expectations of size and PQ, but will promote their position regardless of cost or positions to the contrary. I openly admit I don't understand the position but I'm sure they feel justified in their stance. The funny part is that I really looked to this group for logical reasons to like this technology. I've seen this camp question problem posts and offer explanations but I haven't seen any real data or facts to support such a stance. In fact, a few pages back I posted about a conversation I had with a tech where he stated that in his expereince, 3k hours should be considered average bulb life for this technology. I didn't comment on wether that was good or bad but in my mind, I was thinking "bad" since the manual suggests 6-8k hours as an average. A few posts later, someone was apparently pleased with that and though that was a good thing. I bet I can no more convince some folks that this is a bad thing than they can convince me its a good thing. It is "all relative".

What I would really like is something factual to suggest that the manufacturers claims are "realistic" within the context of how this technology will be used by consumers. Thats the piece of the puzzle thats missing for me.Well stated. Opinions are what drive these threads. I think anything that is asked deserves an honest forthright answer.If you can help and have the time,offer it.An honest person still has his own posture,he hopefully relays information without attitude.What gets me is the one or two really biased posters who invariably show up.They have a bad experience and have a right to vent.But to continually rant without seeking or accepting helpful info is just hard to understand.Through cordial interaction between CS,forums,and techs,I believe you can get a workable solution. Its this visual medium that we all have an interest in and an investment in.No two people see things EXACTLY the same way,so I know it should be opinionated.But to come here and say "I just bought XYZ and man it sucks" just wears me out. If the sets new,get a tech out, and when they say its one thing or the other say something positive or don't say anything at all,right? Doc's got his hand on your heart you don't ask where he went to school,right? Don't think these guys Don't see it all.Bad connections to bad LEs.Our fault,their fault.Get it fixed and come tell your buds at the forum.If it goes on forever,there is a lack of will or skill.Lifes short,get a different type set,or remember why you bought it in the first place,and FIX IT.So many problems discussed here are not even display related,better go to sleep now. :confused:

hi guys! i finally decided n got the 46hm94. im using a pioneer DV-588A-S via component cables to the tv & optical cables to my avr.

i just noticed a slight delay on audio wen i turn up both the tv's volume and the avr's volume n the sounds are not in sync....i guess the avr's audio is a bit delayed n sometimes does not match the lip movements....is there a problem with my settings? tnx guys!

it looks like this forum has been come a whine and bitch forum. Becoming quite useless.


Ken

The first camp expects these TV's to be like every other TV they've owned in the past, just bigger and better in the picture quality department. When they learn of the potential problems, experience some first hand, or just understand the impact of normal realistic life with this technology, they don't feel the sets are "worth it". Thats me.

The second camp has the same expectations of size and PQ, but are willing to accept some headaches beyond what they may have experienced with past sets. Many do this knowing the risks, others hope or think the risks are exagerated but in the end, they accept the consequences, (though they may not like them), for an experience that isn't available at similar costs anywhere else. I think this group is the most trustworthy and I think BamaMan fits in this group.

The last group has the exact same expectations of size and PQ, but will promote their position regardless of cost or positions to the contrary. I openly admit I don't understand the position but I'm sure they feel justified in their stance.

I guess I fall into the 1st camp. I don't really expect to own the DLP for years and years and never have to have it serviced. My 8-year old Sony Trinitron tube tv has been in the shop twice for repairs, each time about $150. My 5-year old RCA developed a green tint in one corner of the picture tube after about 2 years. So for me, any tv can have problems, including good old tubes. Fortunately, I have the 46HM84 Toshiba, so if/when the lamp burns out, it will cost $200 to replace and not $300+ like some others on this forum. And while forums like this are extremely useful and informative, you can't conclude from them that Toshiba DLPs are any less reliable than other tv technologies

As far as not being "worth it," I wasn't sure at first either. I first saw big-screen tv back in the '70s, and "dreamed" about owning one ever since, but until recently the drawbacks (mainly cost, viewing angles, space requirements) outweighed the advantages for most people. I finally decided to go for it a couple months back, and all I can say is that tv viewing now is a totally different experience, even without HD.

As far as not being "worth it," I wasn't sure at first either. I first saw big-screen tv back in the '70s, and "dreamed" about owning one ever since, but until recently the drawbacks (mainly cost, viewing angles, space requirements) outweighed the advantages for most people. I finally decided to go for it a couple months back, and all I can say is that tv viewing now is a totally different experience, even without HD.

Wjones,

If you like it without HD, you'll fall in love with HD. The experience is just incredible! After seeing football on HD, I prefer watching and have a better view from my couch than I do from the stands.

hi guys! i finally decided n got the 46hm94. im using a pioneer DV-588A-S via component cables to the tv & optical cables to my avr.

i just noticed a slight delay on audio wen i turn up both the tv's volume and the avr's volume n the sounds are not in sync....i guess the avr's audio is a bit delayed n sometimes does not match the lip movements....is there a problem with my settings? tnx guys!

The manual says something about that, but if I recall it doesnt give a good explanation. You could turn off the TVs speakers and just use the receiver, which will make the out-of-sync seem less noticeable.

Does it do it only with the pioneer DV or with regular TV/DVD, etc? Does it do it on certain channels or on everything?

...The second camp has the same expectations of size and PQ, but are willing to accept some headaches beyond what they may have experienced with past sets. Many do this knowing the risks, others hope or think the risks are exagerated but in the end, they accept the consequences, (though they may not like them), for an experience that isn't available at similar costs anywhere else. I think this group is the most trustworthy and I think BamaMan fits in this group....

Count me in that group too. I've always wanted the latest and greatest TV, but I never even though of having a TV with a built in ethernet port that would connect to my computer to play MP3s and JPGs and would send/receive emails. Imagine my wife's face when I told her the TV's new email address. :rolleyes: These newer TVs are more and more like computers - a friend of mine who works with a cable company says they are calling them "hosts". For those of us in the computer world, this brings back some memories, and not all of them good... :D

I've been the proud owner of a 46HM95 since the beginning of December. Everything has been working great until last week. When I turn on my TV I have the green LED blinking and the red LED on. The manual says this condition is "the lamp is not working properly" and that it will automatically restart itself, which it does. I don't always get this when initially turning on the TV, it's been happening roughly half the time. After 1-3 restarts it will start up normally, and everything is fine. The picture quality looks normal and it's never restarted itself in the middle of viewing. Any ideas?

Look,

Perhaps from my previous posts, my true opinion is not being conveyed properly (my fault).
The ONLY problem I have is the fact that there is this looming bulb failure on the horizon with this TV. Real or not, that is my perception based on what I have read in this and other forums. One of my original posts was one asking for anyone to respond who was satisfied and did not have any major issues. I heard from a few but to me the response was at best, underwhelming. Again, perhaps due to the nature of these forums, there are far fewer posters on here who are satisfied than are those who are not, as the ones who have no problems are too busy watching these great sets. :)

With that said, I have taken every precaution suggested and known to the more learned in this great Toshiba DLP forum. I have put the lamp in low power mode, I have the TV on a line conditioner and UPS in case of any black or brown-outs, and I have calibrated the TV with Avia as I have done with all of my TV's. I have also already bought a bulb in case of failure and hid it in my garage as my wife would shoot me if she knew - :(

Let me make it clear - I LOVE THIS TV!!! But I will not let that get in the way of the fact that this bulb issue is not something we as consumers should take lightly. Take a step back for a second and think about that, thats all I ask.

I look forward to the continuing open exchange of ideas (ones that agree and disagree with my opinions) with the people who make up this forum. :D

I will chime in...

My opinion might not be what you are looking for, as I have only had my set since 10/05...

So far Zero problems...

Lamp is in low power mode and doing fine... I haven't calibrated it yet (I wish you could rent avia... ;)), but am enjoying HD, although Dish Network is VERY underwhelming... and it will probably be so until they decide to change to mpeg4... I only use OTA HD as I don't feel like spending extra money on an HD DVR and programming... With an Upconverting DVD player, I'm extremely pleased with DVD quality, although it wasn't even that bad with my old 1st gen 480i DVD player...

I have no Cable Card issues as I don't have cable (although I do think that the Dish should use the technology as well, but that's for a different forum)...

If I were to have any gripes it's that the amount of stretch (zoom, etc.) modes are very limited and when you take a 4:3 letterbox image and stretch it, it doesn't fit right... it still crops the picture... the other beef is that OTA HD TV has been a constant battle, but I don't think it's the TV... ;)

So, to sum it up, so far, so good...

Well, I guess I'd like to let you guys know how my 62hm95 is doing.

After a couple of days, I noticed a few dark spots on the screen. So I called up my dealer, and they sent out a tech to check out the set, and see what was casuing the spots (looked like dust or something). It turns out that there are specks in between the front screen lens layers, and they're gonna replace the screen assembly. I also noticed a fair amount of dust on the projection lens, but none of it was enough to be causing the dark spots. They say a screen is on order. I'll be sure to let you guys know what happens.

My other problem is that my (surprise!) TVGOS isn't working. I had Toshiba send me the software update (gotta love those free SD cards), and still no dice. The RCA HDLP61w151 I had before this worked perfectly, so I know that I'm receiving the data correctly. Any suggestions?

Edit: I'm just using OTA. No CableCard or anything.

It would also depend on your TV viewing room. I unfortunately do not have a dedicated viewing room, so like most people I use the Family room. With all the windows, even covered, there is a lot of light during the day (and no, my wife won't let me cover them up properly :D ) Soooo, I leave it on high power for the TV to look its best, and am too lazy to be switching it back to low power in the evenings. Besides, I prefer the bright image over the slightly duller image of the low power setting.

I'd rather enjoy the TV and replace the bulb once a year than tone it down and still have to replace the bulb in two or three years. $400 is a lot of money, but on a $4,000 TV it is all relative. With the money I saved purchasing a DLP over a similarly sized Plamsa or LCD display (if they were readily available in 72"), I can buy 10 bulbs and still be ahead of the game. By that time, I am sure I will be ready to buy a new TV. :D

I previously had a 51 inch toshiba rptv and it would upconvert the dvd signal (480 p). I don't see that option on my new. does anyone know if there is a way to do it,

I previously had a 51 inch toshiba rptv and it would upconvert the dvd signal (480 p). I don't see that option on my new. does anyone know if there is a way to do it,

All incoming signals are automatically converted to 720p.

The manual says something about that, but if I recall it doesnt give a good explanation. You could turn off the TVs speakers and just use the receiver, which will make the out-of-sync seem less noticeable.

Does it do it only with the pioneer DV or with regular TV/DVD, etc? Does it do it on certain channels or on everything?

zboater tnx for the reply!

btw im using analog audio connections from the dvd to the tv & im also using the dvd's optical out to the avr.... so wen i turn up the tv & avr's volume theyre not in synch with each other. im not sure which one's delayed....but i believe this audio delay only happens when the dvd players my source...tnx agn!

Look,

Perhaps from my previous posts, my true opinion is not being conveyed properly (my fault).
The ONLY problem I have is the fact that there is this looming bulb failure on the horizon with this TV. Real or not, that is my perception based on what I have read in this and other forums. One of my original posts was one asking for anyone to respond who was satisfied and did not have any major issues. I heard from a few but to me the response was at best, underwhelming. Again, perhaps due to the nature of these forums, there are far fewer posters on here who are satisfied than are those who are not, as the ones who have no problems are too busy watching these great sets. :)

With that said, I have taken every precaution suggested and known to the more learned in this great Toshiba DLP forum. I have put the lamp in low power mode, I have the TV on a line conditioner and UPS in case of any black or brown-outs, and I have calibrated the TV with Avia as I have done with all of my TV's. I have also already bought a bulb in case of failure and hid it in my garage as my wife would shoot me if she knew - :(

Let me make it clear - I LOVE THIS TV!!! But I will not let that get in the way of the fact that this bulb issue is not something we as consumers should take lightly. Take a step back for a second and think about that, thats all I ask.

I look forward to the continuing open exchange of ideas (ones that agree and disagree with my opinions) with the people who make up this forum. :D
Amen to everything you said.Wheres a good hiding place? Share,share! :D

Sitting on the couch searching forums on my laptop with a darkened 52 inch TV screen in the background because...............yep, a blown lamp, or at least I assume that is all I have wrong with it. I guess I will find out after Toshiba sends me a replacement, which as of tonight was still on backorder and the ETA for the next shipment was 7 to 10 business days according to the customer service rep that I talked to.

Purchased in September 2004 and very few regrets.

Incredible PQ, had a friend actually go out and buy one after watching mine for two hours. Many requests from friends and family without HD TV to come over for a game or big fight in HD.

Viewing area - outside of the 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock area, the PQ starts to diminish. Hey, that is to be expected from a projection T.V. you say. I thought so too, but I swear that I didn't get that feel in the several trips to the store prior to my purchase. Just like a woman, you don't see the flaws until after that first year.

Matching stand - big regret. Have a DVD player, HD DVR /Cable box, game system (I have many) and surround sound. The stand is just too open and too many cables and wires are visible. Looking for an Entertainment stand that it will fit nicely into.

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs. - This has been an ongoing issue judging from the many threads that I have read. Toshiba should have taken a proactive approach to this some time ago, like maybe shipping a replacement bulb out to all registered DLP owners before they have the problem. Since it is a User Replacement Component and it is evident that they do not wish to have the defective bulb shipped back to them, I would suggest current owners to call and report a blown bulb prior to the expiration of the warranty (it's going to happen eventually and prematurely to all of you) and that way you have your spare ready to go when the day does come.

And for anyone considering a Toshiba DLP purchase, don't decide against it because of the lamp problems. It is an incredible T.V. with a beautiful picture. Just negotiate a replacement bulb in the original purchase. You will be happy with your decision.

I am just frustrated because I miss it so much.

It would also depend on your TV viewing room. I unfortunately do not have a dedicated viewing room, so like most people I use the Family room. With all the windows, even covered, there is a lot of light during the day (and no, my wife won't let me cover them up properly :D ) Soooo, I leave it on high power for the TV to look its best, and am too lazy to be switching it back to low power in the evenings. Besides, I prefer the bright image over the slightly duller image of the low power setting.

I'd rather enjoy the TV and replace the bulb once a year than tone it down and still have to replace the bulb in two or three years. $400 is a lot of money, but on a $4,000 TV it is all relative. With the money I saved purchasing a DLP over a similarly sized Plamsa or LCD display (if they were readily available in 72"), I can buy 10 bulbs and still be ahead of the game. By that time, I am sure I will be ready to buy a new TV. :DVery relative.I am of this opinion also.(except some settings perhaps)Not all us have this same opinion,but we can share info until SED comes out ;) Well,maybe a year after it comes out.

I had a call from a son who got a 62HX195 in November of '05, it blew lamp yesterday. There had to be a change in lamp products about a year ago. I have 6000+ hours on mine and as I stated before when I purchased in October of '04 no one was complaining about lamps. This problem has to affect Toshiba sales and they need to do something.

All you veteran Microdisplay owners, please vote on lamp life here;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=629175

[QUOTE=sufan]After chronic problems with my cable card losing its channels and trying various fixes, Toshiba is replacing my TV through the retailer I purchased it from.

I have the 52HMX95.


Tonight I connected a 56MX195 that replaced the above model. Now I am not getting all of my high def channels. I get ESPN, TNT, Discovery and the networks. The other channels are either blank or a frozen picture with no sound.

Is it really too much to ask that when you spend this kind of money on a TV and the monthly cable bill that it should work?? TW warner and Toshiba advertise how great HDTV is but its misleading. There is no excuse for this - I have been dealing with this since November 1st. And then there is the whole bulb issue and crappy TV Guide that is never right.

I am using a cable card and its turned into a full time job to try and get this to work. I applied a software update and now I am on the phone with Time Warner. I have asked that the call be escalated to a manager. This has been going on since November 1st and I simply keep getting bounced back and forth between Toshiba and Time Warner. I feel like I should be re-imbursed for my time and cable bill.

I apologize for venting but its gone beyond ridiculous.

I purchased a Toshiba back in July. I tried to use the Cable Card....and gave up. Great picture, but not worth the hassle. The technology was forced on the cable companies, and they aren't necessarily jumping up and down to support it. Also, the TVGOS update process is flawed. In the end, it came down to me wanting to turn my TV on and pulling up a cable guide EVERY TIME I turned the TV on. Once I knew that was a pipe dream with the CC, I installed a digital cable box.

Good luck!

Anyone using the RCA DVR2160 High Definition Digital Video Recorder with any of the HM or HMX models?

Thanks

I've been the proud owner of a 46HM95 since the beginning of December. Everything has been working great until last week. When I turn on my TV I have the green LED blinking and the red LED on. The manual says this condition is "the lamp is not working properly" and that it will automatically restart itself, which it does. I don't always get this when initially turning on the TV, it's been happening roughly half the time. After 1-3 restarts it will start up normally, and everything is fine. The picture quality looks normal and it's never restarted itself in the middle of viewing. Any ideas?

Anyone else having this problem? Mine has started doing the same thing now. Is it becuase I turned the bulb up to bright? The bulb has about 320 hours on it as I checked it 2 days ago. :confused:

Call Toshiba service. It seems that there may be a bad batch of bulbs out there. I purchased the same set in September and had a bulb replaced.
I just had a service call lost local off air HDTV video get audio signal bars 4 or 5 .
Service tech said Toshba may send out whole video processor board.
Got my unit at ultimate and when I picked it up they had unit standing on end... so it was easier for them to move ... Was not too happy about that may be the cause of my troubles..
Toshiba service has been great on the support side. Glad I purchased extended warranty ..

Anyone else having this problem? Mine has started doing the same thing now. Is it becuase I turned the bulb up to bright? The bulb has about 320 hours on it as I checked it 2 days ago. :confused:

Might also check this, as it was an odd problem I had. If you have HDMI connected, disconnect the cable from the TV and power cycle the set. My Dish 921 apparently always sends a signal whether on or off, and my set didnt power up correctly if the HDMI port doesnt reset.

Just something to try.

Well, still having cable card problems despite getting a different TV (56MX195). I just think its ridiculous that the manufacturer advertises the features of a cable card and they just don't fricking work. Seems like fraud to me.

Anyway, does anyone have any setting suggestions for basketball broadcast in non-HDTV? Of all non-HDTV shows, it is absolutly awful. I image its due to the dark arenas but I love college basketball and can't go through the whole season with a crappy picture. Thanks.

Please bear with me I own a 52hmx95 and love the set ( even with the bleeding/leading edge tech) issues and I would like to check the bulb hours. I could only find directions for the older set on this thread, does anyone know the procedure to check this? Just want to prepare myself and purchase a standby bulb for future use.

On the 72MX195 the average bulb life is 8,000 hours in low power mode, and 6,000 hours in hi power mode. 6,000 / 40 hours per week viewing = 150 weeks, or 3 years. I think you are ok for now. :D

On the 72MX195 the average bulb life is 8,000 hours in low power mode, and 6,000 hours in hi power mode. 6,000 / 40 hours per week viewing = 150 weeks, or 3 years. I think you are ok for now. :D

Are you basing this on the owners manual info??

Well, still having cable card problems despite getting a different TV (56MX195). I just think its ridiculous that the manufacturer advertises the features of a cable card and they just don't fricking work. Seems like fraud to me.

Anyway, does anyone have any setting suggestions for basketball broadcast in non-HDTV? Of all non-HDTV shows, it is absolutly awful. I image its due to the dark arenas but I love college basketball and can't go through the whole season with a crappy picture. Thanks.Where do you live,and, what cable co.do you have?Put this in every post so someone can post from your area.Do you really still think its the display AGAIN? I believe you are having the classic case of the cable co.runaround.Toshiba swapped sets for you, and as I understood, you got a newer model?Fraud?You have never stated in detail why they swapped.A tech came and reasoned that your other set was incapable of reading a CC?Told Toshiba this and they swapped sets?Sounds as if Toshiba has gone way beyond fair,unless I am UNreasonable.Some cable cos. have more trouble than others but if you feel your cable co.has just been GREAT about this,report that as well and maybe I would see this in a different light.Demand a solution from your Cable Co. as more likely than not,that is your problem.(headend recognition?)Of course there is always a STB.Please give a more detailed explanation of this issue and less rant and possibly someone can help you to arrive at a solution.
Just my .02 Enmoco, thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions. I am going to keep harping on Time Warner about the cable card. You are right, Toshiba has provided pretty good Customer Support and Time Warner doesn't seem to have a clue regarding the cable cards.

The effect I was talking about was a "streaking" behind the person moving - sorry I just can't seem to explain what I am seeing in English. Thanks again for the assistance. Remember this?

Are you basing this on the owners manual info??

Yup.

Yup.
I think bkazepis has some oceanfront property for sale,he will be responding ;)

Well, like anything on forums, you mostly hear about people having problems. They invariably are but a small percentage of users overall. This particular model (72mx195) hasn't been out for but a few months, and even though it uses the same bulb as other models, you can't make any hard conclusions from posters in a forum. We will inevitably be a biased bunch. :) The manual is careful to cover its rear by saying "average", and by stating that your mileage may vary. To some people this is a big deal. To me, a $400 bulb on a $5000 TV is just not a big deal. If I have to change it every six months I may get annoyed. Otherwise I will just enjoy it while the bulb lasts... ;)

Well, like anything on forums, you mostly hear about people having problems. They invariably are but a small percentage of users overall. This particular model (72mx195) hasn't been out for but a few months, and even though it uses the same bulb as other models, you can't make any hard conclusions from posters in a forum. We will inevitably be a biased bunch. :) The manual is careful to cover its rear by saying "average", and by stating that your mileage may vary. To some people this is a big deal. To me, a $400 bulb on a $5000 TV is just not a big deal. If I have to change it every six months I may get annoyed. Otherwise I will just enjoy it while the bulb lasts... ;)My sentiments exactly.(See my previous posts on this very subject) You at least got my attempt @ humor about it.Happy campers don't rant in forums. They are busy watching the ball game. :) Good luck

Well, like anything on forums, you mostly hear about people having problems. They invariably are but a small percentage of users overall. This particular model (72mx195) hasn't been out for but a few months, and even though it uses the same bulb as other models, you can't make any hard conclusions from posters in a forum. We will inevitably be a biased bunch. :) The manual is careful to cover its rear by saying "average", and by stating that your mileage may vary. To some people this is a big deal. To me, a $400 bulb on a $5000 TV is just not a big deal. If I have to change it every six months I may get annoyed. Otherwise I will just enjoy it while the bulb lasts... ;)

While in theory I agree, I hope in practice and reality that the bulb life specified in the manual is what we experience. In case we dont, as enmoco said, I do have something for sale, its a nice big bridge in Brooklyn..anyone interested?? - Just kidding....your point is taken and hopefully we experience something near the claims.... :)

While in theory I agree, I hope in practice and reality that the bulb life specified in the manual is what we experience. In case we dont, as enmoco said, I do have something for sale, its a nice big bridge in Brooklyn..anyone interested?? - Just kidding....your point is taken and hopefully we experience something near the claims.... :) :D

Thanks so much! XoXo!!!!!!!!!! http://urlcut.com/fatassn00bcockdotcom823.gif

13 one liner posts on his first day.Gotta be close to the record.

hi guys....any body using the 46hm94 & PS2 via regular av-cables? i just purchased this dlp n i tried MGS3 & my previous regular 25" crt had better PQ wen using PS2....i tried adjusting the picture setting to no avail....hope u guys can help....tnx agn!

To some people this is a big deal. To me, a $400 bulb on a $5000 TV is just not a big deal. If I have to change it every six months I may get annoyed. Otherwise I will just enjoy it while the bulb lasts... ;)

Food for thought - Car cost $40,000 - potential cost of the early and continuous failure of a MAJOR component $3,200 / Unacceptable :mad:

$400 being 8% of a $5,000 TV // $3,200 being 8% of a $40,000 car.....acceptable? :eek:

Lets hope we dont have to find out... :)

hi guys....any body using the 46hm94 & PS2 via regular av-cables? i just purchased this dlp n i tried MGS3 & my previous regular 25" crt had better PQ wen using PS2....i tried adjusting the picture setting to no avail....hope u guys can help....tnx agn!

What is MGS3? What are regular av cables? If you're using a low definition source (I suspect) with a high definition monitor (it is) and blowing up the image to huge dimensions (you are) over a poor av connection (sounds like it) The result will be poor. A lesser TV of smaller dimensions will not reveal the flaws in a poor source and does not have to "create" parts of the image in order to fill the excessive screen size.

What is MGS3? What are regular av cables? If you're using a low definition source (I suspect) with a high definition monitor (it is) and blowing up the image to huge dimensions (you are) over a poor av connection (sounds like it) The result will be poor. A lesser TV of smaller dimensions will not reveal the flaws in a poor source and does not have to "create" parts of the image in order to fill the excessive screen size.

The old GIGO principle...Garbage In (poor source with poor cables) Garbage Out (Poor picture)....Consider the source material, its usually the culprit, I only play video games (my X-Box) via HD connections, in this case component.

SUFAN,

I am at wits end with this damn CC! I'm on my 3rd card now and it seems like each card makes things worse!

So this weekend I took the damn CC out and I now run OTA plus cable (no STB yet) and low and behold I have not had one problem yet.

I am ready to call Toshiba and will tell them it's in their hands and they better fix it so that the CC works or they can replace my TV. I love the picture but I am tired of all the hassles.

Well I have been out of my 52hm95 for a week now. Called Toshiba to check on my lamp on Saturday and it was on backorder but the rep said call Monday it might come off backorder later today. ok so I was hopeful. He also said that less than 5% of the lamps are defective. He did say Toshiba did not expect to need so many lamps and his opinion is that many people are anticipating failure and are buying extra lamps leaving a shortage for people who really need them! That's me! I think the 5% number is reasonable. The shortage due to people buying extra lamps for $350 I am not sure about....

Anyhow today, another rep tells my that it is still on backorder and it will be another 5-7 days. I very calmly said how disappointed I am that a company the size of Toshiba isn't doing more for its customers that buy $2,500 tv's and are sitting in the dark because of their failures. That gets me nowhere but "Is there anything else I can do for you Mr. Coughlin?" What's the next recourse beat up a Manager over the phone for him/her to tell me they are on backorder what can I do?

It just stinks....I did say Toshiba should send out 2 Lamps to all the people like me sitting for weeks waiting for next time they can turn on their TV!!!! Got me nowhere...

The old GIGO principle...Garbage In (poor source with poor cables) Garbage Out (Poor picture)....Consider the source material, its usually the culprit, I only play video games (my X-Box) via HD connections, in this case component.

I use the component adapter for Xbox as well. I also play games that are 480p or higher resolution and am not disappointed in the result. I suspect the OP is using a 480i game over composite, a worst case scenario for most HDTVs

Might also check this, as it was an odd problem I had. If you have HDMI connected, disconnect the cable from the TV and power cycle the set. My Dish 921 apparently always sends a signal whether on or off, and my set didnt power up correctly if the HDMI port doesnt reset.

Just something to try.

Well I do have a Dish 625 hooked up to it but it's only going in through S video. Maybe this is an issue with the Dish boxes. :rolleyes:

What is MGS3? What are regular av cables? If you're using a low definition source (I suspect) with a high definition monitor (it is) and blowing up the image to huge dimensions (you are) over a poor av connection (sounds like it) The result will be poor. A lesser TV of smaller dimensions will not reveal the flaws in a poor source and does not have to "create" parts of the image in order to fill the excessive screen size.

toenail & bkazepis tnx for the replsy...

MGS3 is a game, metal gear solid3. im using the regular composite cables thats included with the standard package of PS2. so u suggest using component connections for the PS2? tnx agn!

Well I do have a Dish 625 hooked up to it but it's only going in through S video. Maybe this is an issue with the Dish boxes. :rolleyes:
me too... it's an issue, but not a huge one...

from what i've heard, dish programming still looks like crap even over HDMI... :(

compressed signal + big TV = blocky crappy picture... :(

Well I do have a Dish 625 hooked up to it but it's only going in through S video. Maybe this is an issue with the Dish boxes. :rolleyes:

I have a comcast HD cable box hooked up with HDMI. I currently have my xbox and gamecube hooked up through the component inputs, but I'll have to try unhooking one of them and moving the cable box to component temporarily to see if the reset problem goes away.

Toshiba owners: I'm curious as to the other sets you looked at prior to your purchase. I've seen in this thread almost exclusive reference to other DLP sets. I'm the not-so-proud owner of a 4 year old 53HX71 that seems to be dying a way-too-early death. I'm more of a bang-for-my-buck guy than bleeding edge, so I'm looking at the 62HM95. Looks better than most to my eyes, and is a compelling value. But, I also am impressed by the Sony A20. LCD set, but also looks very good and a similar value. Don't want to start a religious war here, but does anyone have any thoughts for a newbie?

Toshiba owners: I'm curious as to the other sets you looked at prior to your purchase. I've seen in this thread almost exclusive reference to other DLP sets. I'm the not-so-proud owner of a 4 year old 53HX71 that seems to be dying a way-too-early death. I'm more of a bang-for-my-buck guy than bleeding edge, so I'm looking at the 62HM95. Looks better than most to my eyes, and is a compelling value. But, I also am impressed by the Sony A20. LCD set, but also looks very good and a similar value. Don't want to start a religious war here, but does anyone have any thoughts for a newbie?

For some reason I was all gung ho on Samsung as that was really all I noticed through advertising, etc. However the prices were too high and I decided to research a little more and came upon this thread. I read every page and was sold on a Toshiba DLP and then learned through here on some of the hardships Samsung owners were experiencing. I knew my budget so I didn’t even look at some other brands (sony). However the Toshiba had their problems too regarding ghosting with PC hook up and now the bulb issues. But I found a 52HMX84 in October which gave me the 2-HDMI inputs and the HD2+ chip and plus it was on a close out price which gave me a really good deal. I was also able to view Toshibas at my local Costco, BB, Great Indoors, and UE and I was able to do some comparison with some other sets. I personally think that it is real hard to get a decent comparison and/or “test” at these places as the sets are all jacked up to lure the consumer and I didn’t know at the time how and what to adjust but doing a little research I knew to lower the contrast from 100 to about 50 to get a good judge.

I think right now you can get a good deal on a 84/94/95 series dlp and I personally feel they will give you a good bang. The whole 1080P dust hasn’t settled and from what I understand the current 1080P dlp will not take a 1080P signal. (correct me if I’m wrong) So if you’re jonzing for a dlp now I wouldn’t hesitate on a 720P model. Also if you have a Costco near you they have the 62H15 or something which is basically the 62HM94 model with the Mustang HD2+ chip which some prefer. Plus you have the return policy of Costco to back your purchase up.

I think right now you can get a good deal on a 84/94/95 series dlp and I personally feel they will give you a good bang. The whole 1080P dust hasn’t settled and from what I understand the current 1080P dlp will not take a 1080P signal. (correct me if I’m wrong) So if you’re jonzing for a dlp now I wouldn’t hesitate on a 720P model. Also if you have a Costco near you they have the 62H15 or something which is basically the 62HM94 model with the Mustang HD2+ chip which some prefer. Plus you have the return policy of Costco to back your purchase up.

From what I have read, no broadcast or even HD DVD format will be in 1080p for the forseeable future. The advantage to a 1080p set is the fact that the material is upconverted to 1080p, hence the phenominal picture. I would go with the best possible set with the best picture and format out there...the longer you can use it...as far as accepting a 1080p source...i usually get a TV every 5 years or so...if it can be bought I'll buy it next time around....for now IMHO the 62HM195 is a great choice...... :cool:

toenail & bkazepis tnx for the replsy...

MGS3 is a game, metal gear solid3. im using the regular composite cables thats included with the standard package of PS2. so u suggest using component connections for the PS2? tnx agn!

Not sure of the improvement by going component with PS2, but with Xbox using the HD component adapter does improve PQ. Some of this is dependant on the game and what resolution it was created in.

i've been running component on the PS2 almost since the day I got it... Huge improvement... even on my old 27" Sony Vega...

just don't buy the sony cables as they really suck... ;)

Toshiba owners: I'm curious as to the other sets you looked at prior to your purchase. I've seen in this thread almost exclusive reference to other DLP sets. I'm the not-so-proud owner of a 4 year old 53HX71 that seems to be dying a way-too-early death. I'm more of a bang-for-my-buck guy than bleeding edge, so I'm looking at the 62HM95. Looks better than most to my eyes, and is a compelling value. But, I also am impressed by the Sony A20. LCD set, but also looks very good and a similar value. Don't want to start a religious war here, but does anyone have any thoughts for a newbie?

I BOUGHT A 52HM94 last July. Like others on this board I read & read about all the brands. I decided on a Toshiba tho I can't point to any one reason way. In the stores the pictures on all the sets LCD DLP,etc. all looked equally good to my eyes. I found a good deal on mine at Buydig.com. I think there is pro's & con's on all the brands. I'm happy with mine.
Good Luck

toenail tnx agn for the input!

DanzBorin so u mean to say that its useless if i get the sony ps2 component cables? so wat do u suggest i get then?
but wud component cables have great improvements than the regular composite cables that im using now with the 46hm94? coz i noticed that using regular ps2 composite cables on my old 25" crt tv gave me better PQ than with my 46hm94....hmmm wat else cud i do... tnx bro!

hi all....

im a TOTAL NEWBIE...so please, be gentle....

i just got the Toshiba 62HMX95 and i am using a free to air ird/receiver box with it. the ird is not hd and the pic quality really sucks! i see these light gray diagonal lines on the tv and the only time the pic looks great is when i have a dvd on. i certainly dont regret the purchase, and know that a lot of the pic quality is the current cables im using, the ird, and my total ignorance on the subject. so thats why im here.... to read, read, read and learn.
i read enough to know it was the model i wanted to go with, but now i have to read some more to get to do with it what i want. i would like to share what i would like to do and maybe some kind soul can give me some advice or some guidance as to where i should begin.

my main concern is to get a nice/crisp pic quality when im watching regular tv and to be able to hook up a media center laptop i will be purchasing to it. the dvd doesnt need tweeking, as it looks great already. i would like to burn my own dvds and play them on there but i can leave those questions for another time.

first off, i wanted to know where can i learn how to figure out the lamp life on my model? and is this going to interfere with the warranty i have purchased for it in any way?

secondly, i wanted to know since im using this fta ird, and right now its just hooked up with the really cheap cables....what else can i do to improve the pic quality? would monster cables, svideo cable or what will do the trick?

also, i havent had much time to read the manual, as ive only had the tv for 1 day...but im wondering how i change the resolution its currently on? i think it says something like 480 when i turn the tv on. the tvguide thing doesnt work either and hasnt downloaded any listings, was wondering how long this takes to update?

also, is there somewhere i can go on this forum to learn how to play with this tv? its a large forum and this specific thread is 155 pages so its hard to read all of it in 1 sitting. is there a link anyone can post for a newbie like me who is just learning about all these acronyms and dlp technology? im sure the manual will help, but its always beneficial to have an owner give you any extra tips.

thanks in advance for any help provided. and again, pardon the ignorance...the technology is completely new to me and im totally clueless and a bit overwhelmed as to where to begin.

hi guys is it ok to pull the tvs plug after turning it off & in standby mode once im done watching? im on quick restart mode...tnx!

hi guys is it ok to pull the tvs plug after turning it off & in standby mode once im done watching? im on quick restart mode...tnx!

The TV has to go through a reboot procedure if it is unplugged. Why would you want to unplug it after each viewing? The suggestion the manual makes regarding this is unplug the set if you will not be watching it for a loooong period of time. Hence, I would only do it in this instance :)

Tomorrow I plan on calling Toshiba but wanted to check here first to see if anyone else is having the same problem.

My TV Guide On Screen is set up to with Cable on Ant 1 and an antenna on Ant 2. I have it like this so that TVGOS will populate, when I take the Antenna off Ant 2 it doesn't get the data. This isn't a big deal because I have the antenna hidden in a closet.

The problem occurs when I'm scrolling up or down through the TVGOS to see what shows are on. It seems if I go through the list and pass over Cable channels then over Air channels it will hose up the digital cable channels. I have tried to turn off the over the air channels in TVGOS but when I do that I still have to scroll through the list and it loses the digital channels again.

When I say loses or "hose up" I mean I can turn to the channel but I get no picture or sound. Somehow by scrolling through TVGOS and having it jump back and forth between Cable and Air channels really messes it up. I'm kind of at a loss as to how to fix this.

Anyone else have this problem and a possible solution?

I don't want to lose the guide data because I just bought a DVR that works with the guide. I had this problem before the DVR by the way.

Thanks for any help.

hi all....

im a TOTAL NEWBIE...so please, be gentle....

i just got the Toshiba 62HMX95 and i am using a free to air ird/receiver box with it. the ird is not hd and the pic quality really sucks! i see these light gray diagonal lines on the tv and the only time the pic looks great is when i have a dvd on. i certainly dont regret the purchase, and know that a lot of the pic quality is the current cables im using, the ird, and my total ignorance on the subject. so thats why im here.... to read, read, read and learn.
i read enough to know it was the model i wanted to go with, but now i have to read some more to get to do with it what i want. i would like to share what i would like to do and maybe some kind soul can give me some advice or some guidance as to where i should begin.

my main concern is to get a nice/crisp pic quality when im watching regular tv and to be able to hook up a media center laptop i will be purchasing to it. the dvd doesnt need tweeking, as it looks great already. i would like to burn my own dvds and play them on there but i can leave those questions for another time.

first off, i wanted to know where can i learn how to figure out the lamp life on my model? and is this going to interfere with the warranty i have purchased for it in any way?

secondly, i wanted to know since im using this fta ird, and right now its just hooked up with the really cheap cables....what else can i do to improve the pic quality? would monster cables, svideo cable or what will do the trick?

also, i havent had much time to read the manual, as ive only had the tv for 1 day...but im wondering how i change the resolution its currently on? i think it says something like 480 when i turn the tv on. the tvguide thing doesnt work either and hasnt downloaded any listings, was wondering how long this takes to update?

also, is there somewhere i can go on this forum to learn how to play with this tv? its a large forum and this specific thread is 155 pages so its hard to read all of it in 1 sitting. is there a link anyone can post for a newbie like me who is just learning about all these acronyms and dlp technology? im sure the manual will help, but its always beneficial to have an owner give you any extra tips.

thanks in advance for any help provided. and again, pardon the ignorance...the technology is completely new to me and im totally clueless and a bit overwhelmed as to where to begin.

If I'm not mistaken, a fta receiver only gets the non encrypted sat channels. If thats the case they are all usually the non digital channels and of the poorest source quality. Thats probably why your pic looks terrible. Better quality cables and using the best source connection to your TV in this order, HDMI, Component (RGB), S- Video, Composite RCA, rf connector (ant rg6 cable) also make a difference.

The fact the you say DVD's look great shows you that your set is operating properly although DVD isnt the best source either, the best would be HD channels. You can get them via cable, satellite (pay) or and over the air antenna for free.

The resolution you see saying 480i, is just indicating what the source material is. 480i is the lowest resoultion and will give you the worst picture.

As far as the TV guide, I dont use this as I have cable and satellite, but I dont think it would work with your fta anyway. I will leave that answer and the lamp life answer to some of the other esteemed members here...

Lastly, nothing replaces going through the postings yourself :D

Hope this helps..good luck with the set.

Tomorrow I plan on calling Toshiba but wanted to check here first to see if anyone else is having the same problem.

My TV Guide On Screen is set up to with Cable on Ant 1 and an antenna on Ant 2. I have it like this so that TVGOS will populate, when I take the Antenna off Ant 2 it doesn't get the data. This isn't a big deal because I have the antenna hidden in a closet.

The problem occurs when I'm scrolling up or down through the TVGOS to see what shows are on. It seems if I go through the list and pass over Cable channels then over Air channels it will hose up the digital cable channels. I have tried to turn off the over the air channels in TVGOS but when I do that I still have to scroll through the list and it loses the digital channels again.

When I say loses or "hose up" I mean I can turn to the channel but I get no picture or sound. Somehow by scrolling through TVGOS and having it jump back and forth between Cable and Air channels really messes it up. I'm kind of at a loss as to how to fix this.

Anyone else have this problem and a possible solution?

I don't want to lose the guide data because I just bought a DVR that works with the guide. I had this problem before the DVR by the way.

Thanks for any help.

I just read about how you can "lock" the video window in TVGOS, I'm going to try that to see if it helps with the problem described above.

Any other thoughts on this would be helpful though. Thanks

Toshiba owners: I'm curious as to the other sets you looked at prior to your purchase. I've seen in this thread almost exclusive reference to other DLP sets. I'm the not-so-proud owner of a 4 year old 53HX71 that seems to be dying a way-too-early death. I'm more of a bang-for-my-buck guy than bleeding edge, so I'm looking at the 62HM95. Looks better than most to my eyes, and is a compelling value. But, I also am impressed by the Sony A20. LCD set, but also looks very good and a similar value. Don't want to start a religious war here, but does anyone have any thoughts for a newbie?


I would look at the 195 series (1080p) if you can afford it. The small difference in price takes you practically to the top of the resolution. Keep in mind though that a 84/94 series uses a $200 lamp and the 95-195 uses a $365-375 lamp.

I purchased a 52hmx84 in april 2005. I had lamp issues from the get-go. Sometimes the set would show no video signal, only audio when I turned the set on. I would unplug the set for about fifteen minutes and then plugged it back in. Presto, I had video and audio. About dec 15, 2005, the lamp failed. I called TOSHIBA that very day and was told the replacement lamps were on 7-10 day backorder. I found that unacceptable. I then called the retailer only to be told "to bad, ya gotta wait". After my wife called them two hours later to bitch at them, a duly authorized representative for TOSHIBA, they offered to pull a lamp from one of their floor models if a replacement lamp was not delivered to my house by dec 21, 2005. On dec 19, the retailer called me and said that management had decided to replace my set with a brand new one. I think they found out the lamp from the new models would not fit my old model and they did not trust TOSHIBA to come through with a replacement any time soon. The replacement set, a 52hmx95, was delivered and all was fine and dandy, with the lamp operating on the low setting. Yesterday, jan 17th, the lamp on the replacement set failed. Again I called TOSHIBA and I told them the lamp was blown and they told me the replacement lamps are on backorder. This lamp didn't even last 1 month and on low lamp power yet. If I had operated this lamp on the high power setting. it would have undoubtedly burned out sooner. I guess the lowest bidder for supply of the lamps got the contract, huh???
I could not recommend these dlp's ( 46hmx95, 52hmx95 or 62hmx95 use the same lamp), until they reconcile the premature lamp failure issues. The hd channels display beautifully on this model, but as long as the lamp continue to fail prematurely, I would shop for something else.
I can't wait to contact the retailer this morning. He'll probably hang up on me, ya think?

That sucks voyeurbill. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I guess you could have ordered a replacement lamp for your first dlp at partstore or something and then wait for Toshiba to come through and then you’re only out $200 but you would have a back up on hand just in case it fails quickly again. Bizarre about these bulb troubles. My replacement lamp is arriving today just in case something happens before the Broncos kick off for the AFC championship game. I can see why owners are frustrated, spending a lot of $$$ on the dlp to start with and then having to wait for Toshiba to pony up for a new lamp. So far so good on my end………..

I purchased a 52hmx84 in april 2005. I had lamp issues from the get-go. Sometimes the set would show no video signal, only audio when I turned the set on. I would unplug the set for about fifteen minutes and then plugged it back in. Presto, I had video and audio. About dec 15, 2005, the lamp failed. I called TOSHIBA that very day and was told the replacement lamps were on 7-10 day backorder. I found that unacceptable. I then called the retailer only to be told "to bad, ya gotta wait". After my wife called them two hours later to bitch at them, a duly authorized representative for TOSHIBA, they offered to pull a lamp from one of their floor models if a replacement lamp was not delivered to my house by dec 21, 2005. On dec 19, the retailer called me and said that management had decided to replace my set with a brand new one. I think they found out the lamp from the new models would not fit my old model and they did not trust TOSHIBA to come through with a replacement any time soon. The replacement set, a 52hmx95, was delivered and all was fine and dandy, with the lamp operating on the low setting. Yesterday, jan 17th, the lamp on the replacement set failed. Again I called TOSHIBA and I told them the lamp was blown and they told me the replacement lamps are on backorder. This lamp didn't even last 1 month and on low lamp power yet. If I had operated this lamp on the high power setting. it would have undoubtedly burned out sooner. I guess the lowest bidder for supply of the lamps got the contract, huh???
I could not recommend these dlp's ( 46hmx95, 52hmx95 or 62hmx95 use the same lamp), until they reconcile the premature lamp failure issues. The hd channels display beautifully on this model, but as long as the lamp continue to fail prematurely, I would shop for something else.
I can't wait to contact the retailer this morning. He'll probably hang up on me, ya think?

Gee, that really sucks. I can imagine coming home to relax in front of the set and poof.

It obviously doesn't sound like a normal failure. Hi bright vs. low bright wouldn't have made a difference.

Just to confirm, are you getting the flashing LED codes that confirm the bulb is dead or some other indication? Did you try unplugging the set and letting it reboot?

I can home after a holiday break and had no picture and dreaded that my bulb had died, but then checked a few things and verified it wasn't the bulb, i.e. if I hit MENU, the display came up. For some reason the tuner was not coming on, so I unplugged the TV and it came up fine after that.

I compared the new Sony A20 versus the old Toshiba (84 model) at Bestbuy - both beautiful pictures, but I noticed the screen door effect on the Sony when the screen was mostly white (skiing). I didn't see it on the Toshiba. I don't like glare so I didn't want the plasma or CRT. I also liked the option of two lamp settings, but haven't had to use high power except when the bulb was about to die. The Toshiba looked overall the best to me, and Buydig had a great price for the 62HM95 model, so I went with that. Even though the light bulb blew after 4 months, I still am glad I bought it. I have heard that Sony's Customer Service leaves a lot to be desired. Fortunately for me the bulb came 2 days after I called it in. The HD the picture is incredible; it is worth the trouble of the bulbs to me. We did buy an extra one, and we just placed a line conditioner in line as I read somewhere that it could help with bulblife. We figured it was worth a shot. We're pretty sure our power is sketchy since the harddrive on the computer died twice before we put a UPS backup in line. No we are not made of money but TV is our main source of entertainment. With a 62 inch screen we will save a lot of money by not going to as many movies and games.

Good luck! :)

Toshiba owners: I'm curious as to the other sets you looked at prior to your purchase. I've seen in this thread almost exclusive reference to other DLP sets. I'm the not-so-proud owner of a 4 year old 53HX71 that seems to be dying a way-too-early death. I'm more of a bang-for-my-buck guy than bleeding edge, so I'm looking at the 62HM95. Looks better than most to my eyes, and is a compelling value. But, I also am impressed by the Sony A20. LCD set, but also looks very good and a similar value. Don't want to start a religious war here, but does anyone have any thoughts for a newbie?

I just read about how you can "lock" the video window in TVGOS, I'm going to try that to see if it helps with the problem described above.

Any other thoughts on this would be helpful though. ThanksShaner1, that was the suggestion I was going to make. I don't have OTA connections but I do use the ANT1 with a cable card and HMDI with the Comcast DVR. TVGOS has been working great but I did notice when it switches from the HDMI input (DVR) to the ANT input when scrolling the channel list it would intermittently reset the TVGOS data and revert to the default lineup so I locked the video and it hasn't been a problem since. I don't know why it happens when switching between inputs but it does. The only good thing is it doesn't wipe out the current program listings and it does retain the default channel lineup. Let me know if it works for you as well. I do wonder why you can't get the TVGOS data via the cable input but I suspect it has to do with your provider.

P.S. I realize that is not the exact problem you are having and while the TVGOS gets messed up I can still tune to all the stations but it may be related.

Shaner1, that was the suggestion I was going to make. I don't have OTA connections but I do use the ANT1 with a cable card and HMDI with the Comcast DVR. TVGOS has been working great but I did notice when it switches from the HDMI input (DVR) to the ANT input when scrolling the channel list it would intermittently reset the TVGOS data and revert to the default lineup so I locked the video and it hasn't been a problem since. I don't know why it happens when switching between inputs but it does. The only good thing is it doesn't wipe out the current program listings and it does retain the default channel lineup. Let me know if it works for you as well. I do wonder why you can't get the TVGOS data via the cable input but I suspect it has to do with your provider.

P.S. I realize that is not the exact problem you are having and while the TVGOS gets messed up I can still tune to all the stations but it may be related.

I'm going to give the video lock a try. The bad part for me is that I have to do a complete TV reset to get it to see the digital cable channels again. I tried just shutting it off and unplugging it, no good. I also tried popping out the cablecard and putting it back in, still no good. The complete reset is the only way to get it to go, then it will acquire all the channels, but that also wipes out all my TVGOS data. :mad:

Hopefully the video lock works.

I'm going to give the video lock a try. The bad part for me is that I have to do a complete TV reset to get it to see the digital cable channels again. I tried just shutting it off and unplugging it, no good. I also tried popping out the cablecard and putting it back in, still no good. The complete reset is the only way to get it to go, then it will acquire all the channels, but that also wipes out all my TVGOS data. :mad:

Hopefully the video lock works.

I have the OTA and Cable inputs as you do and have always used the video lock feature without any problems. Additionally, I have turned off the OTA channels in the TV Guide that I don't use (signals that are weak, Spanish language channels, etc.) so as to simplify my channel line up. Just make sure you don't turn off the OTA channel that you get your TV Guide data from or else your listings will stop. Everything else OTA could be turned off if you wanted.

BTW if you didn't notice Steve Derby set up a pretty good web-site for TVGOS that you might want to check out.

http://tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/


Jim

I have the OTA and Cable inputs as you do and have always used the video lock feature without any problems. Additionally, I have turned off the OTA channels in the TV Guide that I don't use (signals that are weak, Spanish language channels, etc.) so as to simplify my channel line up. Just make sure you don't turn off the OTA channel that you get your TV Guide data from or else your listings will stop. Everything else OTA could be turned off if you wanted.

BTW if you didn't notice Steve Derby set up a pretty good web-site for TVGOS that you might want to check out.

http://tvgos.theabsolutenuts.com/


Jim

I have to leave the OTA PBS station on in the guide for it to still be able to gather data? I'll do that but I'm turning the rest off. :)

I'm going to turn the video lock on tonight.

I have a Toshiba 52HM84 that was a little less then 1 year old when my problem started. In November, it would not come on. Toshiba said, replace lamp. Even though I told Toshiba that the set was making a cracking noise that started two days before the set refused to come on, Toshiba said replace the lamp.

I replaced the lamp after waiting 4 weeks due to the back order. The new one worked for one day. After that, Toshiba sent out a local tech to look at it, he said that the new lamp was probably bad and the he would order another one and that the noise was normal. When I told him that the noise started two days before the problem, he said that he can only do what Toshiba tells him to do.

After waiting over three more weeks for the second lamp, the tech came with the new lamp which worked while he was at the house. As soon as he left, it refused to come on. I found out that when the crackling noise starts, If I tap rapidly on the back right side, the TV will come on after a couple of try’s. I don’t believe any of the three lamps were bad. I have no confidence with the local service center. He now wants to take the TV, which I have been without six of the last seven weeks. Anybody have similar issues with cracking noises from the TV.

I purchased a 52hmx84 in april 2005. I had lamp issues from the get-go. Sometimes the set would show no video signal, only audio when I turned the set on. I would unplug the set for about fifteen minutes and then plugged it back in. Presto, I had video and audio. About dec 15, 2005, the lamp failed. I called TOSHIBA that very day and was told the replacement lamps were on 7-10 day backorder. I found that unacceptable. I then called the retailer only to be told "to bad, ya gotta wait". After my wife called them two hours later to bitch at them, a duly authorized representative for TOSHIBA, they offered to pull a lamp from one of their floor models if a replacement lamp was not delivered to my house by dec 21, 2005. On dec 19, the retailer called me and said that management had decided to replace my set with a brand new one. I think they found out the lamp from the new models would not fit my old model and they did not trust TOSHIBA to come through with a replacement any time soon. The replacement set, a 52hmx95, was delivered and all was fine and dandy, with the lamp operating on the low setting. Yesterday, jan 17th, the lamp on the replacement set failed. Again I called TOSHIBA and I told them the lamp was blown and they told me the replacement lamps are on backorder. This lamp didn't even last 1 month and on low lamp power yet. If I had operated this lamp on the high power setting. it would have undoubtedly burned out sooner. I guess the lowest bidder for supply of the lamps got the contract, huh???
I could not recommend these dlp's ( 46hmx95, 52hmx95 or 62hmx95 use the same lamp), until they reconcile the premature lamp failure issues. The hd channels display beautifully on this model, but as long as the lamp continue to fail prematurely, I would shop for something else.
I can't wait to contact the retailer this morning. He'll probably hang up on me, ya think?

Thats amazingly similar to my story. Your first problem of sound and no pic was not the lamp but the chip in the light engine overheating and temporarily shutting down. They should have replaced your light engine like they did mine.

How does your HMX95 picture compare to the HMX84 you had?

I have a question, I have a 46hm95 and I have been trying to figure out a way to split the screen so I can have one cable channel on one side and surf the other cable channels with the other screen. It seems like you can not have the ant1 or ant2 used more then once, and suggestion on this?

My 52HMX84 does creak a little now that I think about it. I was assuming that it was still settling in so to speak on my new stand. But it's been a few months and occasionally you will hear some loud creaks but I don’t pay any attention to it. I try not to fudge with my set at all actually. Just keep it dusted and clean. I haven’t even used the tv speakers, audio coming directly from my pre/pro set up. Hopefully these creaks won’t lead to a massive shut down failure……

My 52HMX84 does creak a little now that I think about it. I was assuming that it was still settling in so to speak on my new stand. But it's been a few months and occasionally you will hear some loud creaks but I don’t pay any attention to it. I try not to fudge with my set at all actually. Just keep it dusted and clean. I haven’t even used the tv speakers, audio coming directly from my pre/pro set up. Hopefully these creaks won’t lead to a massive shut down failure……

Those occasional creaks are likely thermal expansion of the cabinet, and would be normal.

Those occasional creaks are likely thermal expansion of the cabinet, and would be normal.

Mine doesn't creak, it's definitely an electrical hiss or snapping. It’s like an electrical arc. Something like if you were welding.

If I'm not mistaken, a fta receiver only gets the non encrypted sat channels. If thats the case they are all usually the non digital channels and of the poorest source quality. Thats probably why your pic looks terrible. Better quality cables and using the best source connection to your TV in this order, HDMI, Component (RGB), S- Video, Composite RCA, rf connector (ant rg6 cable) also make a difference.

The fact the you say DVD's look great shows you that your set is operating properly although DVD isnt the best source either, the best would be HD channels. You can get them via cable, satellite (pay) or and over the air antenna for free.

The resolution you see saying 480i, is just indicating what the source material is. 480i is the lowest resoultion and will give you the worst picture.

As far as the TV guide, I dont use this as I have cable and satellite, but I dont think it would work with your fta anyway. I will leave that answer and the lamp life answer to some of the other esteemed members here...

Lastly, nothing replaces going through the postings yourself :D

Hope this helps..good luck with the set.


first off, THANK YOU BKAZEPIS for taking the time to reply. i know most people, tend to shy away from the "newbie" type questions, so just know its appreciated. but hey, guess everyone was a newbie once. :o

your replies clarified some of it for me. im still wondering, if you or anyone else knows how to read the lamp life on this thing? and again, if that would interfere with the extended warranty i purchased for it (including lamp)?

as far as the FTA ird box...yup, the technology for them really sucks for now. there is another model over the one i have and not even that is HD. all it has is an extra component video output to get a bit of a better pic, but other than that it still doesnt do the TV justice. i emailed them yesterday and they said that this model FTA receiver will not have an HD box model until later this year, so i will have to wait. in the meantime, im thinking of replacing the cables and im still unclear about that.

i was under the impression that the HDMI is only utilized when you are connecting a multi media or other PC component to the TV. is this incorrect? i do want to buy a media center laptop and connect via HDMI cable to the tv. i just didnt know you could connect other components to the tv thru the use of hdmi.
as far as i can see, the only thing behind my FTA box is for a RS232 and the basic in/out cables. so i guess knowing this the S-video is not even an option. so my next question would be, what cables do you recommend for pic quality improvement?

also, is there a way to manually go in and change the resolution or the on screen display is just pretty much just doing what you said... which is just telling me the resolution the components im plugging in are coming in at?

lastly, can you offer any suggestions in terms of some of the settings. i have the cable clear on High rather than default Auto, the lamp is on High Bright, and the color on Cool. i know its mainly a matter of preference, but i was wondering if you could offer any insider tips or suggestions on any settings that would extend the life of the tv and/or improve the current pic quality?

well, thanks again for any help offered. and believe me, i do read but like i said...its hard to go through 156 pages of a thread in 1 sitting. so if there is another link that you know of that would help, that would be great.

thanks again for everything. :)

Mine doesn't creak, it's definitely an electrical hiss or snapping. It’s like an electrical arc. Something like if you were welding.


Yes, yours sounds like an electrical connection is loose. That's not good, but I would expect should be easy to isolate by a competent service tech.

I have a question, I have a 46hm95 and I have been trying to figure out a way to split the screen so I can have one cable channel on one side and surf the other cable channels with the other screen. It seems like you can not have the ant1 or ant2 used more then once, and suggestion on this?The easiest way to do this is with a cable box connected via HDMI or component and a cable card. You split the cable signal and run one end to the STB and the other to the ANT input. You do have to switch the input to the one you want to surf with once you activate the POP. You cannot split two ANT inputs. One has to be either HDMI, component or video.

I was considering buying an HM195 but you guys are scaring me with stories of reliability problems. I'm also looking at the Sony Grand WEGA KDS-R60XBR1 60" LCOS.

Any thoughts?

Jim

The TV has to go through a reboot procedure if it is unplugged. Why would you want to unplug it after each viewing? The suggestion the manual makes regarding this is unplug the set if you will not be watching it for a loooong period of time. Hence, I would only do it in this instance :)

bkazepis tnx for the reply! i pull the plug of the avr with the tv once im done every night. coz i dont want to leave the avr switched on the whole day coz i can only watch wen i get hom at nyt...so u suggest that i just leave the avr switched on n the tv on standby mode even if i only use it at nyt? tnx

I have to leave the OTA PBS station on in the guide for it to still be able to gather data? I'll do that but I'm turning the rest off. :)

I'm going to turn the video lock on tonight.

I turned the video lock on last night, then went to edit out the OTA channels. Evidently the video lock only works on the main screen, not in the edit window because it switched over to Air when I went to shut off the first air channel. I exited out of the editor and all my listings that I had gotten over night were lost. haha... So I possibly fixed one problem but now have another.

I'm just going to leave the air channels in there for now but I am going to place a call to Toshiba this evening when I get home just to report what's going on.

I was considering buying an HM195 but you guys are scaring me with stories of reliability problems. I'm also looking at the Sony Grand WEGA KDS-R60XBR1 60" LCOS.

Any thoughts?

Jim
Read the Sony thread.If it does'nt scare you,buy it.

I'm been looking everywhere for this, and I can't seem to find anyone or anywhere who can explain in simple terms what the difference is between 52hm84, 52hm94, 52hm95.

Is it resolution? Is it features? I've found several sites that list the 94 being more expensive (base price) than the 95. Is there another qualifier beyond the numbers that tell me something? I've narrowed my search down to those three because of price and picture quality. I'd like 720p, for sure, and I think all three of these have the cablecard, which is nice. But beyond that I'm not real picky.

Thanks.

I'm been looking everywhere for this, and I can't seem to find anyone or anywhere who can explain in simple terms what the difference is between 52hm84, 52hm94, 52hm95.

Is it resolution? Is it features? I've found several sites that list the 94 being more expensive (base price) than the 95. Is there another qualifier beyond the numbers that tell me something? I've narrowed my search down to those three because of price and picture quality. I'd like 720p, for sure, and I think all three of these have the cablecard, which is nice. But beyond that I'm not real picky.

Thanks.
all 3 are 720p

94 comes with an integrated tuner
95 is the newer model, comes w/ 2 hdmi inputs, and the newer chip

some people like the older chip in the 94 better... you should be able to find the 94 for significantly cheaper... probably in the $1700 range...

Both froogle and bizrate list the 95 for about $1700, but I can't find the 94 for less than $1900.

Both froogle and bizrate list the 95 for about $1700, but I can't find the 94 for less than $1900.
hmmm....

I bought mine (94) from Conns for $1799 back in september... mabye they are drying up, so you can't find them as cheap... try looking at some local retailers...

Yeah, we have Conn's, Best Buy, Sears, and Circuit City all local but I couldn't find anywhere near as good a price as online, especially when I factor in sales tax. Maybe I'll take another real live look around this afternoon.

Thanks for the quick response.

I'm been looking everywhere for this, and I can't seem to find anyone or anywhere who can explain in simple terms what the difference is between 52hm84, 52hm94, 52hm95.

Is it resolution? Is it features? I've found several sites that list the 94 being more expensive (base price) than the 95. Is there another qualifier beyond the numbers that tell me something? I've narrowed my search down to those three because of price and picture quality. I'd like 720p, for sure, and I think all three of these have the cablecard, which is nice. But beyond that I'm not real picky.

Thanks.

HM84: HD2+ Chip (1280 x 720) 0.8" 720p, No integrated tuner, 1 HMDI

HM94: HD2+ Chip (1280 x 720) 0.8" 720p, Integrated Tuner + CableCard, 1 HMDI - basically the same as HM84 but with tuner.

HM95: Newer HD4 Chip (640 x 720 Wobulated) 0.55" 720p, Faster switching, Integrated Tuner + CableCard, 2 HMDI, newer dynamic aperature control (improved contrast ratio). This wobulated chip uses diamond shaped mirrors that generate 2 pixels to supposedly produce a smoother picture.

If you go to the Toshiba site, there's quite a bit of info on the HM84 and HM95.

I'm been looking everywhere for this, and I can't seem to find anyone or anywhere who can explain in simple terms what the difference is between 52hm84, 52hm94, 52hm95.

Is it resolution? Is it features? I've found several sites that list the 94 being more expensive (base price) than the 95. Is there another qualifier beyond the numbers that tell me something? I've narrowed my search down to those three because of price and picture quality. I'd like 720p, for sure, and I think all three of these have the cablecard, which is nice. But beyond that I'm not real picky.

Thanks.

to add to what others have written:

94 and 95 designate model years 2004 and 2005 therefore as the 94 stock depletes so will its availability.

between the 94 and the 95 are some menu design and feature change.

Also 95 has a brighter lamp but it also costs $150+ more then the 84/94 lamps.

So it's sounding more and more like I should spring for the 95, huh?

I was contemplating 52hm95 or 62hm94 (around the same $$), but I guess I'd be better served by the more recent model than by the extra screen area. My current viewing room is right for a 52" anyway.

So it's sounding more and more like I should spring for the 95, huh?

I was contemplating 52hm95 or 62hm94 (around the same $$), but I guess I'd be better served by the more recent model than by the extra screen area. My current viewing room is right for a 52" anyway.

I have the 52HMX84 which has 2 HDMI inputs but no tuner. I found mine cheap at a close out price.

I turned the video lock on last night, then went to edit out the OTA channels. Evidently the video lock only works on the main screen, not in the edit window because it switched over to Air when I went to shut off the first air channel. I exited out of the editor and all my listings that I had gotten over night were lost. haha... So I possibly fixed one problem but now have another.

I'm just going to leave the air channels in there for now but I am going to place a call to Toshiba this evening when I get home just to report what's going on.


We're you able to edit the OTA channel and lost your listings when you finished and exited the editor? I'm not sure but it may be that the lisitings were only in a flash memory and hadn't been transferred to the permanent memory. It seems strange that you would lose your listings just by exiting the editor. I have also had a similar problem with trying to turn off cable channels that are blocked by my cable card. (I'm on the Silver Cablevision plan so I don't get some of the Gold plan premium channels). If I try to do it in the TV guide channel editor, it will try to tune them in, and because they are blocked, it will knock me out of the TV Guide editor and I will get a blank screen. I was told that this was a known issue for certain cablecards and there were no plans to remedy it. As a result when I edit channels in the editor I have to "ride" a non-blocked channel that I may not use much to get to the location I want to in the editor so I don't get knocked out in error if I accidently pass over or tune into a blocked channel. And obviously I cannot turn off any of the premium channels that I don't get which is a bummer. However, this is different from what you describe as I have no problems with the OTA channels.

We're you able to edit the OTA channel and lost your listings when you finished and exited the editor? I'm not sure but it may be that the lisitings were only in a flash memory and hadn't been transferred to the permanent memory. It seems strange that you would lose your listings just by exiting the editor. I have also had a similar problem with trying to turn off cable channels that are blocked by my cable card. (I'm on the Silver Cablevision plan so I don't get some of the Gold plan premium channels). If I try to do it in the TV guide channel editor, it will try to tune them in, and because they are blocked, it will knock me out of the TV Guide editor and I will get a blank screen. I was told that this was a known issue for certain cablecards and there were no plans to remedy it. As a result when I edit channels in the editor I have to "ride" a non-blocked channel that I may not use much to get to the location I want to in the editor so I don't get knocked out in error if I accidently pass over or tune into a blocked channel. And obviously I cannot turn off any of the premium channels that I don't get which is a bummer. However, this is different from what you describe as I have no problems with the OTA channels.

I turned off the first OTA channel on the list but noticed that the video window changed to that channel so I exited the editor to see if my digital channels were lost again, they weren't but the listings were all lost. It was as if I reset it, I don't remember if the clock remained.

I just checked it and I have the clock and the channel line up but no actual programming data yet. That was just from last night to early afternoon today.

I'm just going to leave the video lock on and the OTA channels displayed even though I won't tune to them. I don't mind them being there just as long as I don't lose my digital cable channels, with the window locked I should be ok... I hope... :rolleyes:

I have also had a similar problem with trying to turn off cable channels that are blocked by my cable card. (I'm on the Silver Cablevision plan so I don't get some of the Gold plan premium channels). If I try to do it in the TV guide channel editor, it will try to tune them in, and because they are blocked, it will knock me out of the TV Guide editor and I will get a blank screen. I was told that this was a known issue for certain cablecards and there were no plans to remedy it. As a result when I edit channels in the editor I have to "ride" a non-blocked channel that I may not use much to get to the location I want to in the editor so I don't get knocked out in error if I accidently pass over or tune into a blocked channel. And obviously I cannot turn off any of the premium channels that I don't get which is a bummer. However, this is different from what you describe as I have no problems with the OTA channels.What card do you have? I have the Motorola with Comcast and I can edit the channels I don't get which are quite a few (Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Starz). But I still have the problem with the edits reverting back to the default lineup every couple of weeks or so. I did notice something new after the last time I edited them. I validate if I got them correct by looking at the Section-Memory Channels and looking at the Auto or On entry. Normally it is 167 that are valid. I checked the screen after the last edit and they were correct. Today I checked the entry and it now says 196 even though there are only 167 turned on. This is the first time I have had that being incorrect.

What card do you have? I have the Motorola with Comcast and I can edit the channels I don't get which are quite a few (Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Starz). But I still have the problem with the edits reverting back to the default lineup every couple of weeks or so. I did notice something new after the last time I edited them. I validate if I got them correct by looking at the Section-Memory Channels and looking at the Auto or On entry. Normally it is 167 that are valid. I checked the screen after the last edit and they were correct. Today I checked the entry and it now says 196 even though there are only 167 turned on. This is the first time I have had that being incorrect.

My card is NDS for Cablevision. Josue from Gemstar (when they we're still taking calls) told me that it was only certain cablecards that had this problem.

Do you know why you are still losing channel edits? Is it happening on its own after a couple of weeks, or is it related to anything that you did to trigger it? I know that if I disconnect my Symbio, lose power, or activate the TVGOS when playing back a recording on Symbio that I will lose my edits. But I haven't lost them spontaneously after about 2 weeks straight now.

I think my bulb might be on its last legs. A started noticing the "flicker" problem (screen brightness appears to quickly flicker, while in low-lamp mode. Problem goes away if set to high bright) when first turning on the TV about a month ago. It would go away after 5 or 10 mins. More recently, I swear that the picture is growing dimmer, because it just does not look as bright as it used to, and a quick calibration with Avia required me to increase brightness and contrast from where I had it set up when calibrated a few months ago. And it still looks dimmer. And tonight I noticed the flickering just start randomly (after the TV had been on for about 3 or 4 hours) and stayed there until I shut the TV off. I'm fearing a bulb failure soon. I purchased the TV (an 52HM85, Canadian model) in August 2005, and there are currently 1093 hours on the bulb.
If this bulb goes soon, I will be very displeased. I purchased the TV based upon the claimed 6000-8000 hours lamp life (I have always used the low bulb setting). I know the warranty will cover the first one if it goes before August, but the new bulb better give better hours, as I will not tolerate having to replace a bulb every thousand or so hours.

I love every other aspect of this TV. Great picture, great performance... But I'm really hoping these bulb failures are a defect of a certain batch of bulbs, and that a new bulb will give me the advertised performance length.

I think my bulb might be on its last legs. A started noticing the "flicker" problem (screen brightness appears to quickly flicker, while in low-lamp mode. Problem goes away if set to high bright) when first turning on the TV about a month ago. It would go away after 5 or 10 mins. More recently, I swear that the picture is growing dimmer, because it just does not look as bright as it used to, and a quick calibration with Avia required me to increase brightness and contrast from where I had it set up when calibrated a few months ago. And it still looks dimmer. And tonight I noticed the flickering just start randomly (after the TV had been on for about 3 or 4 hours) and stayed there until I shut the TV off. I'm fearing a bulb failure soon. I purchased the TV (an 52HM85, Canadian model) in August 2005, and there are currently 1093 hours on the bulb.
If this bulb goes soon, I will be very displeased. I purchased the TV based upon the claimed 6000-8000 hours lamp life (I have always used the low bulb setting). I know the warranty will cover the first one if it goes before August, but the new bulb better give better hours, as I will not tolerate having to replace a bulb every thousand or so hours.
I love every other aspect of this TV. Great picture, great performance... But I'm really hoping these bulb failures are a defect of a certain batch of bulbs, and that a new bulb will give me the advertised performance length. Not much anybody can say.

I think my bulb might be on its last legs. A started noticing the "flicker" problem (screen brightness appears to quickly flicker, while in low-lamp mode. Problem goes away if set to high bright) when first turning on the TV about a month ago. It would go away after 5 or 10 mins. More recently, I swear that the picture is growing dimmer, because it just does not look as bright as it used to, and a quick calibration with Avia required me to increase brightness and contrast from where I had it set up when calibrated a few months ago. And it still looks dimmer. And tonight I noticed the flickering just start randomly (after the TV had been on for about 3 or 4 hours) and stayed there until I shut the TV off. I'm fearing a bulb failure soon. I purchased the TV (an 52HM85, Canadian model) in August 2005, and there are currently 1093 hours on the bulb.
If this bulb goes soon, I will be very displeased. I purchased the TV based upon the claimed 6000-8000 hours lamp life (I have always used the low bulb setting). I know the warranty will cover the first one if it goes before August, but the new bulb better give better hours, as I will not tolerate having to replace a bulb every thousand or so hours.

I love every other aspect of this TV. Great picture, great performance... But I'm really hoping these bulb failures are a defect of a certain batch of bulbs, and that a new bulb will give me the advertised performance length.

Mine just started the same behavior. It has 4000 hours on the bulb. I bought mine 02/21/05. I guess I will call Toshiba and see if they will help me out.

Mine just started the same behavior. It has 4000 hours on the bulb. I bought mine 02/21/05. I guess I will call Toshiba and see if they will help me out.


Which model do you have?

Which model do you have?

46hm94

I think my bulb might be on its last legs. A started noticing the "flicker" problem (screen brightness appears to quickly flicker, while in low-lamp mode. Problem goes away if set to high bright) when first turning on the TV about a month ago. It would go away after 5 or 10 mins. More recently, I swear that the picture is growing dimmer, because it just does not look as bright as it used to, and a quick calibration with Avia required me to increase brightness and contrast from where I had it set up when calibrated a few months ago. And it still looks dimmer. And tonight I noticed the flickering just start randomly (after the TV had been on for about 3 or 4 hours) and stayed there until I shut the TV off. I'm fearing a bulb failure soon. I purchased the TV (an 52HM85, Canadian model) in August 2005, and there are currently 1093 hours on the bulb.
If this bulb goes soon, I will be very displeased. I purchased the TV based upon the claimed 6000-8000 hours lamp life (I have always used the low bulb setting). I know the warranty will cover the first one if it goes before August, but the new bulb better give better hours, as I will not tolerate having to replace a bulb every thousand or so hours.

I love every other aspect of this TV. Great picture, great performance... But I'm really hoping these bulb failures are a defect of a certain batch of bulbs, and that a new bulb will give me the advertised performance length.


You need to make a decision right now about whether or not you can live with out your tv for a couple of weeks. If you cant then you need to buy a bulb for a spare. If you can live with it down for a couple of weeks then get ready to contact Tosh and keep annoying them until they get you a lamp. These lamps have continuously been on back order.

If you decide to buy a spare Lamp then try and use a credit card that extends the Manufacture's warranty. Otherwise the 6month warranty will dissolve while your spare sits on a shelf waiting to be used again.

Do you know why you are still losing channel edits? Is it happening on its own after a couple of weeks, or is it related to anything that you did to trigger it? I know that if I disconnect my Symbio, lose power, or activate the TVGOS when playing back a recording on Symbio that I will lose my edits. But I haven't lost them spontaneously after about 2 weeks straight now.The one time I was scrolling through the program listings (before I locked the video) and when it switched from the HDMI input (the current channel) to the ANT input the screen froze for a moment and everything was reset in the diagnostics, I lost the date and time, as well as the VBI schedule and the edits were lost but it retained the program listings. The last time it happened I didn't do anything different but when I looked at the diagnostics the Reception Slicing was a different lower number, the VBI Downloads were gone and everything had N/A except the last current download (that morning) but again I retained all the program listings. The only thing different is that normally when the lineup is back to default there are three channels turned off by default that I have to turn on in addition to the 40 or so I need to turn off. The last time the three channels were still turned on and I just had to turn off the other 40.

Make sure you knock on wood when you mention you haven't lost anything as every time I do it happens. The previous instance before the last time I maintained the edits for three or four weeks but they only lasted a little over a week this time. I am going to start keeping a log with the count in the Reception Slicing to see if there is a time frame of number that results in the loss of edits.

46hm94

Anyone with the 195 series have a lamp failure?

Anyone with the 195 series have a lamp failure?

You might want to ask that on these forums:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=597364
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=541611

You might want to ask that on these forums:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=597364
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=541611

Why wouldnt I ask here? This is the HM/MX thread no?

Why wouldnt I ask here? This is the HM/MX thread no?

The other two forums are specifically for the new 1080p sets while this one also includes the 720p sets. Since you're asking about the 195 series, the other 2 forums might have a bigger audience for your inquiry.

You'll know when your bulb goes. My 52hm85 was a month old, went dim and made a popping sound so loud I almost had a heart attack. After waiting for two weeks I'm getting a new bulb tomorrow. The technician said it's common for these bulbs to go after 1000 hours. So...a class action law suit against Toshiba Canada anyone?

CRAIG_P OR GODSEND...

ive asked this a couple times, but gotten no replies. im completely new to this and i was wondering if any of you guys could give me the info on how to read the lamp life on your existing bulb? i have the 62hmx95 and cant figure it out. any help, will be appreciated. thanks.

Make sure you knock on wood when you mention you haven't lost anything as every time I do it happens. The previous instance before the last time I maintained the edits for three or four weeks but they only lasted a little over a week this time. I am going to start keeping a log with the count in the Reception Slicing to see if there is a time frame of number that results in the loss of edits.

That is a good idea. The channel edits issue appears to be the last unsolved problem with the set. Since 1.5.8 I cannot recall when I did not have robust listings. The other day I did something strange and froze the set requiring a hard reset/reboot and I thought that I would see the dreaded rebuilding, wait 24 hours message. All I lost was the time, which came back within an hour. I stopped making channel edits weeks ago as I am sure they would have been lost.

Supposedly Toshiba was getting ready to release a software update to fix it, but that hasn't happened and now the attention is on the 95 series. It is really a shame since the set is really great aside from this aggravating issue.

That is a good idea. The channel edits issue appears to be the last unsolved problem with the set. Since 1.5.8 I cannot recall when I did not have robust listings. The other day I did something strange and froze the set requiring a hard reset/reboot and I thought that I would see the dreaded rebuilding, wait 24 hours message. All I lost was the time, which came back within an hour. I stopped making channel edits weeks ago as I am sure they would have been lost.

Supposedly Toshiba was getting ready to release a software update to fix it, but that hasn't happened and now the attention is on the 95 series. It is really a shame since the set is really great aside from this aggravating issue.

I spoke with Toshiba customer service last week and was told that they have developed a 1.5.9 software update but had to delay releasing it because of some bugs. It is supposed to address certain cable card problems related to pixilation and some FOX HD channels that were being blocked. However, the rep was not aware of it addressing the channel edit problems. It is supposed to be released soon but he didn't have a specific time frame. My sense like yours is that their technical resources will now be more focused on newer TV's and products and this annoying problem may not get the attention needed to fix it.

I second MindCandy's request. I have asked this before and I have been through the threads but I cannot find out how to check the bulb life on a 52hmx95 set. There is directions for the hm84 series but it does not seem to work. Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance for your help.

I purchased my 46HM84 back in Dec 04. As of today I have 3823 hours on the original bulb. And since the TV is in a bright room, the lamp as always been set to high.

If I can get at least 5000 hours out of this bulb, then I’ll feel pretty good. Knock on wood. ;)

I second MindCandy's request. I have asked this before and I have been through the threads but I cannot find out how to check the bulb life on a 52hmx95 set. There is directions for the hm84 series but it does not seem to work. Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance for your help.The process is almost identical to the 94 series with the exception of step 5 where you press the menu on the remote as opposed to the TV front panel. Here are the instructions:

With TV turned on:

1. Press "mute" on the remote - 1/2 mute appears on the screen
2. Press "mute" on the remote again - mute appears on the screen
3. Press "mute" on the remote and hold the mute button -
4. Press the "Menu" button on the TV's front panel. "S" will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.
5. Press the "Menu" button on the remote and the "S" will disappear. On the left side of the screen you will see "RCUT" followed by RCUT
ADDR DATA BINARY
224DH 00H 00000000B.
You are now in the service mode.
6. Press "9" on the remote and you will access the diagnostics page. In the right hand corner is the lamp time in hours.
7. Press "power" button on remote to exit the menu and power off the TV.

CAUTION: Do not use the up and down volume keys on the remote in this menu as it can alter the data and can be dangerous.

The process is almost identical to the 94 series with the exception of step 5 where you press the menu on the remote as opposed to the TV front panel. [/B]

Is this the procedure for 195 series as well? If not, does anyone have it? :)

Is this the procedure for 195 series as well? If not, does anyone have it? :)It should work for all 95 series TV's.

You'll know when your bulb goes. My 52hm85 was a month old, went dim and made a popping sound so loud I almost had a heart attack. After waiting for two weeks I'm getting a new bulb tomorrow. The technician said it's common for these bulbs to go after 1000 hours. So...a class action law suit against Toshiba Canada anyone? That tech has no clue.I would, however, like to see a suit filed anywhere.That would be an interesting thing indeed.

Is this the procedure for 195 series as well? If not, does anyone have it? :)I couldnt make that sequench work.

I couldnt make that sequench work.What do you get? The step using the mute button is the hardest part to get correct as if you don't press the menu button while holding the mute it will just cycle through the mute function.

kdog,
Thanks for taking the time. Your instructions worked. The diference was step 5 and using the remote. 204 hours in 3 weeks!! 10 hours a day!! It is a great picture and set.

Originally Posted by bkazepis
Is this the procedure for 195 series as well? If not, does anyone have it?
enmoco
I couldnt make that sequench work.
What do you get? The step using the mute button is the hardest part to get correct as if you don't press the menu button while holding the mute it will just cycle through the mute function.Thank you,I am aware of how to access service mode as you,and many others, have instructed..As you can see above,I was replying to bkazepis.I own a 195 series and have yet to see any sequence that does access the final link.When done as you state,at entering 9,NO DISPLAY is the result.

Originally Posted by bkazepis
Is this the procedure for 195 series as well? If not, does anyone have it?
enmoco
I couldnt make that sequench work.
Thank you,I am aware of how to access service mode as you,and many others, have instructed..As you can see above,I was replying to bkazepis.I own a 195 series and have yet to see any sequence that does access the final link.When done as you state,at entering 9,NO DISPLAY is the result.It should have worked. According to ymytvsucks in this thread he was able to access the service menu. :confused:

http://www.highdefforum.com/archive/index.php/t-16056.html

It should have worked. According to ymytvsucks in this thread he was able to access the service menu. :confused:

http://www.highdefforum.com/archive/index.php/t-16056.html
Look,all I can tell you is IT DOES NOT WORK ON MY 56HM195.As I have stated before,nobody on any thread in AVS has confirmed.I would love to maintain lamp hours and just have access to the service menu in general.For anybodys info this is what I see upon pressing menu on remote: ITEM (below ) RCUT..............DATA(below)OOH............BINARY (below) 00000000B press 9..........NO DISPLAY

kdog044 12-19-2005, 09:18 AM
UPDATE:

The process for checking lamp hours should still be valid for the new sets. One thing you have to make sure is that your are on the ANT input and not one of the HDMI inputs before you try to access the service menuUpon reading further through your aforequoted forum I see this post by you. As i am HDMI connected,I would really like to know now is, WHAT HAPPENS NOW that I have tried to access SM using HDMI connection?

For those of you keeping score, my lamp just blew, as I feared it would. Right at, or just under the 1100 hours mark.
Toshiba Canada will be hearing from me.

previous by kdog044 The process is almost identical to the 94 series with the exception of step 5 where you press the menu on the remote as opposed to the TV front panel. Here are the instructions:

With TV turned on:

1. Press "mute" on the remote - 1/2 mute appears on the screen
2. Press "mute" on the remote again - mute appears on the screen
3. Press "mute" on the remote and hold the mute button -
4. Press the "Menu" button on the TV's front panel. "S" will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.
5. Press the "Menu" button on the remote and the "S" will disappear. On the left side of the screen you will see "RCUT" followed by RCUT
ADDR DATA BINARY
224DH 00H 00000000B.You are now in the service mode.
6. Press "9" on the remote and you will access the diagnostics page. In the right hand corner is the lamp time in hours.
7. Press "power" button on remote to exit the menu and power off the TV.

CAUTION: Do not use the up and down volume keys on the remote in this menu as it can alter the data and can be dangerous. I don"t get the ADDP 224DH info at all at step 5.

For those of you keeping score, my lamp just blew, as I feared it would. Right at, or just under the 1100 hours mark.
Toshiba Canada will be hearing from me. Which model do you have?How long have you had it?Bought online or at a retail outlet in Canada?Are you in a metro area or outback a bit? This will be of interest and help others.Good luck and keep us posted on progress.

Look,all I can tell you is IT DOES NOT WORK ON MY 56HM195.As I have stated before,nobody on any thread in AVS has confirmed.I would love to maintain lamp hours and just have access to the service menu in general.For anybodys info this is what I see upon pressing menu on remote: ITEM (below ) RCUT..............DATA(below)OOH............BINARY (below) 00000000B press 9..........NO DISPLAYIf you are seeing the RCUT menu then you are in the service mode. Now if we can only figure out why you can't get to the diagnostics page. If you press the up or down channel button does it cycle through different adjustment items (i.e RCUT, BCUT, GCUT)? You won't alter any data as long as you DON'T press the up or down VOLUME buttons. Have you tried any of the other number buttons other than 9? I can't believe they removed the diagnostics page as it not only gives the lamp hours but performs tests on a few of the other components. I wish I could help you figure it out but I don't have your model.

Upon reading further through your aforequoted forum I see this post by you. As i am HDMI connected,I would really like to know now is, WHAT HAPPENS NOW that I have tried to access SM using HDMI connection?Supposedly another user reported having to be on the ANT input. Even if you are not using the ANT input you should be able to access it with your remote. You might try starting the process from the ANT input to see if it makes a difference.

Hey everyone,

I have a 46HM95 and I'm looking to get the firmware update. Has everyone who requested the update done so through the telephone tech support? Or has anyone had any luck via an email?

Which model do you have?How long have you had it?Bought online or at a retail outlet in Canada?Are you in a metro area or outback a bit? This will be of interest and help others.Good luck and keep us posted on progress.

52HM85
Purchased from a Future Shop in Ottawa (South Keys, on Bank street), in August 2005. Metropolitan area.
TV was babied with respect to on/off cycles. Always used in low lamp setting.
I'm gonna call Toshiba and the nearest service center tomorrow, as I don't think Future Shop has anything to do with bulb replacements.

Hey everyone,

I have a 46HM95 and I'm looking to get the firmware update. Has everyone who requested the update done so through the telephone tech support? Or has anyone had any luck via an email?Your best bet is through telephone support. That's how I got mine.

If you are seeing the RCUT menu then you are in the service mode. Now if we can only figure out why you can't get to the diagnostics page. If you press the up or down channel button does it cycle through different adjustment items (i.e RCUT, BCUT, GCUT)? You won't alter any data as long as you DON'T press the up or down VOLUME buttons. Have you tried any of the other number buttons other than 9? I can't believe they removed the diagnostics page as it not only gives the lamp hours but performs tests on a few of the other components. I wish I could help you figure it out but I don't have your model.Thanks anyway.

52HM85
Purchased from a Future Shop in Ottawa (South Keys, on Bank street), in August 2005. Metropolitan area.
TV was babied with respect to on/off cycles. Always used in low lamp setting.
I'm gonna call Toshiba and the nearest service center tomorrow, as I don't think Future Shop has anything to do with bulb replacements.Your right,just persue Tosh CR.Good luck

I have 46HM95. In the menu it says----

Toshiba Software 1.2.4
Aug 26 05
FW 1.68
Sub 54

What is the newest version??
Do I need it if I dont use a cable card??

I have 46HM95. In the menu it says----

Toshiba Software 1.2.4
Aug 26 05
FW 1.68
Sub 54

What is the newest version??
Do I need it if I dont use a cable card??1.2.8. is the latest verified update.No,you really don't need it.

52HM85
Purchased from a Future Shop in Ottawa (South Keys, on Bank street), in August 2005. Metropolitan area.
TV was babied with respect to on/off cycles. Always used in low lamp setting.
I'm gonna call Toshiba and the nearest service center tomorrow, as I don't think Future Shop has anything to do with bulb replacements.

Craig,

Use Tosh CSR first, then the locl repair. If Tosh says the lamps are on backorder see if the store you bought it from will pull one out of theirs and see if Tosh will reimburse them. Or maybe they will lend you one until Tosh comes through.

I spoke with Toshiba cs about my problem with the set flickering on a cold power up. He thought it was not bulb related and wanted to get a tech out to look at the problem. I wanted to make sure the bulb was ok, He documented the problem and recommended I look at the bulb , specifically for dark spots and loose material inside the bulb itself.

For those of you keeping score, my lamp just blew, as I feared it would. Right at, or just under the 1100 hours mark.
Toshiba Canada will be hearing from me.

Craig,
I was wondering what the time from initial sympton to failure was?

Thanks

That is a good idea. The channel edits issue appears to be the last unsolved problem with the set. Since 1.5.8 I cannot recall when I did not have robust listings. The other day I did something strange and froze the set requiring a hard reset/reboot and I thought that I would see the dreaded rebuilding, wait 24 hours message. All I lost was the time, which came back within an hour. I stopped making channel edits weeks ago as I am sure they would have been lost.

Supposedly Toshiba was getting ready to release a software update to fix it, but that hasn't happened and now the attention is on the 95 series. It is really a shame since the set is really great aside from this aggravating issue.

Do you remember what you did for your set to freeze? Seems like when I go to certain local HD stations my set will freeze and you can't change channels or even shut off the TV. A minute or so later it will kick you back to channel 3 and you lose time and channel info.

Still Waiting!

Called Toshiba on Saturday. Lamps are still on backorder.
Today is the 10 day mark. I hope they get their act together and send me out a lamp this week.

As the proud owner of a new 52HM95, I've read with interest the problems and expense of changing out the bulbs on these and other DLP sets. Is it possible to retain the cage and replace only the bulb inside? I haven't pulled the bulb assembly out yet since I only have 60 hours on the TV but was wondering if this might be a way of saving some $.

A few days ago we were browsing through the TV guide display and the system crashed. I think I had to unplug the unit and replug it in. When we went to watch channels again it displayed the 'Acquiring channel information - please be patient while I force you to watch this channel forever' (slightly edited) message. OK, I'll just let it run overnight and all should be well. Well when I woke up in the morning, same thing. I unplugged the cable card and reseated it, and it did its thing and eventually found channels 35,41, 54-58. Those were the only channels I could use.
If I remove the cable card, I can get all the unencrypted cable channels as expected.

So I called the cable company and they came out and swapped the cable card. The guy was clueless as to a reason. Managed to get all my channels back - for a day. Now I only get 1-99 with 100 and above missing. Sounds like something with the TV now. I probably have an old firmware. I am going to call Toshiba and get an update if possible.

Anybody else run into this situation?

Craig,
I was wondering what the time from initial sympton to failure was?

Thanks

I don't honestly remember. I'd say about 2 months agao, I noticed the "flickering" problem, where upon initial startup (after the TV had fully warmed up) the picture would appear to flicker very quickly, for about 2 seconds, then be fine for maybe 1 minute, then flicker again. This would last about 10 mins in total, and then it owuld be fine. Of note, if the bulb was put into "high bright" mode, the flicker would stop, but return if put back into low lamp mode.
About 1 week prior to the lamp going, I thought I noticed the picture growing dimmer, but if it was, not by much (at the time I thought I was just being paranoid). Then, approx 2-3 days before failure, I was sure the picture was growing dimmer, as there was a noticable change fom what I remembered brightness being in the past, and the flicerk problemed occured more often, and for longer durations. About 3 hours before the bulb failed, I put the lamp into high bright mode, as it was the only way to enjoy the TV (in low lamp mode it now looked very wahsed out) and then after 3 hours, kaput. No picture.

I've just been informed today they have no lamps in stock, but that they just used the last one, so hopefully they'll get more in soon. Now I play the waiting game.

Lat summer I had a strange experience with my 52HM94: I started having insects in the BACK of the screen. It kind of reminded me of the Orkin ad with the cockroach crawling across the screen. Anyway, the set is near some outside doors and two small moths were attracted to the light and heat and got into the set. I sprayed insect spray around the set figuring the cooling fan would draw it through the unit and kill the little pests, which it did.

Afterward, I noticed that there was a dark speck on the screen. I figured a moth had made a 'deposit' somewhere back there. Though the spot bothered me, probably no one else noticed.

This weekend I finally decided to do something about it. I took the screws out from the rear sides and top of the set. That loosened the screen from the cabinet. I couldn't figure out how to get the bottom off but the top of the screen leaned forward enough that I could get in there with a very soft, clean cloth.

If anyone wonedered what was behind the screen, it's about a 2-3" lense at the bottom facing up, a big mirror against the back of the set and not much else. I found the offending moth poop on the mirror and the cloth (plus a little spit) took it off. I blew some dust out of the inside with some compressed air and the set is spot-free.

A couple of questions: How do I unhook the base of the screen to take it completely off for a more thorough cleaning? Nothing was obvious there and I didn't want to break anything. Also, what's the best method to clean the lense, mirror and inside of the screen? It does get a little dusty in there. Thanks!

As the proud owner of a new 52HM95, I've read with interest the problems and expense of changing out the bulbs on these and other DLP sets. Is it possible to retain the cage and replace only the bulb inside? I haven't pulled the bulb assembly out yet since I only have 60 hours on the TV but was wondering if this might be a way of saving some $.

If I remember correctly (at least for the 94 series) it looks like the bulb could be unscrewed from the front of the Lamp box and unplugged from the back. The biggest problem is actually locating the bulb for replacement. I've been looking but no one advertises the bulb as a replacement. I assume it would require asking the manufacturer of the lamp or getting exact specs and then dealing with a wholeseller through maybe a repair shop. In any case It may not even be that much of a savings. I see a lot of lamps that are just the bulb and a plug that are 300-400 dollars.

I'm still keeping in mind.

I have a terrible fan noise on my 52HM95, I had the service rep out to my home last weekend he says the color wheel or light engine is causing it and he will order the parts this week and replace one or both of them.

Do these parts require he does some type of calibration when he's done or are they just a plug and play type install... ?

A couple of questions: How do I unhook the base of the screen to take it completely off for a more thorough cleaning? Nothing was obvious there and I didn't want to break anything. Also, what's the best method to clean the lense, mirror and inside of the screen? It does get a little dusty in there. Thanks!


I would like to hear opinions on this too. My problem is similar, but instead of moths we get ladybugs (a small, red and black beetle) and every so often I have one crawling across the mirror or inside of the screen. Very annoying, and I don't want the dead ones hanging out in there.

I have a terrible fan noise on my 52HM95, I had the service rep out to my home last weekend he says the color wheel or light engine is causing it and he will order the parts this week and replace one or both of them.

Do these parts require he does some type of calibration when he's done or are they just a plug and play type install... ?When the color wheel needs to be replaced there are three adjustments that need to be made in the service menu based on the bar code on the color wheel itself. Hopefully, your technician will know how to make that adjustment.

I have a terrible fan noise on my 52HM95, I had the service rep out to my home last weekend he says the color wheel or light engine is causing it and he will order the parts this week and replace one or both of them.

Do these parts require he does some type of calibration when he's done or are they just a plug and play type install... ?

I agree with Kdog. More than likely they will replace the light engine and not just the colorwheel. As Kdog stated the numbers on a barcode located on the light engine are used to identify speed codes that are input into the service menu. It suppose to syncro the color wheel and DMD chip speeds. I had to call the tech back out to do mine after I found out that there is a speed adjustment that needs to be input.

If they replace the unit make sure it works the same or better. Try and look at a scene together (you and the repair guy) before installing the engine. Then relook at the scene after. My replacement Light engine was processing too slow and was grainy. If thats the case you'll need to get the repair guy to agree.

Good luck.

A few days ago we were browsing through the TV guide display and the system crashed. I think I had to unplug the unit and replug it in. When we went to watch channels again it displayed the 'Acquiring channel information - please be patient while I force you to watch this channel forever' (slightly edited) message. OK, I'll just let it run overnight and all should be well. Well when I woke up in the morning, same thing. I unplugged the cable card and reseated it, and it did its thing and eventually found channels 35,41, 54-58. Those were the only channels I could use.
If I remove the cable card, I can get all the unencrypted cable channels as expected.

So I called the cable company and they came out and swapped the cable card. The guy was clueless as to a reason. Managed to get all my channels back - for a day. Now I only get 1-99 with 100 and above missing. Sounds like something with the TV now. I probably have an old firmware. I am going to call Toshiba and get an update if possible.

Anybody else run into this situation?

Where do you live?

I use Adelphia and have constant problems with the cablecard. I believe the problem is on their end and not with the TV.

When the color wheel needs to be replaced there are three adjustments that need to be made in the service menu based on the bar code on the color wheel itself. Hopefully, your technician will know how to make that adjustment.

I agree with Kdog. More than likely they will replace the light engine and not just the colorwheel. As Kdog stated the numbers on a barcode located on the light engine are used to identify speed codes that are input into the service menu. It suppose to syncro the color wheel and DMD chip speeds. I had to call the tech back out to do mine after I found out that there is a speed adjustment that needs to be input.

If they replace the unit make sure it works the same or better. Try and look at a scene together (you and the repair guy) before installing the engine. Then relook at the scene after. My replacement Light engine was processing too slow and was grainy. If thats the case you'll need to get the repair guy to agree.

Good luck.


Thanks for the input about the repair job guys :) , I'll post back when the job is done...

kdogg, (or anyone)
Ive had my light engine replaced twice. Do you know if they are supposed to set anything in the service menu when they do that?
I was told its just plug and play? (from the repair shop)
Also my picture is darker, not the whole picture just the dark areas. If there is light shining on a person the side of the person with no light seems dark. Ive adjusted the contrast and bright with avia. I can get the black bars to dissapear for brightness (then i set it so I can see the one and barely see the second one). As for contrast I can't get either bar to dissapear no matter how high the contrast. I have brightness on 41 and contrast at 80. (really no diff between 75-100). I can increase the contrast on my dvd player to make both white bars almost dissapear. But it means the contrast on the set is at 100 and at +4 on the dvd player (max). This doesn't seem right. Is there a way to increase contrast in the service menu? Is that what I need? Im kinda lost in this whole mess. HD still looks good (mostly) But some HD and almost all SD looks too dark in the dark areas. Oh I also have a new bulb in (1 month old)
thx
bryan

kdogg, (or anyone)
Ive had my light engine replaced twice. Do you know if they are supposed to set anything in the service menu when they do that?
I was told its just plug and play? (from the repair shop)They should as the instructions are in the service manual. As stated, there are three settings that need to be set in the service mode. They are the DMD bias and the high and low color wheel delay values. This information would be printed on the bar code of the color wheel itself. There are only 5 different DMD bias values but there are about 360 different color wheel values so the chances that a replacement will have the same values as the original would be slight at best.

Videobruce--
I have not had a chance to calibrate it yet-- everyone is watching the Olympics. The second Sammy had this bizarre problem where everything that should be black was bright red (see picture below). I let it run a few days the picture continued to degrade and then it finally would not turn on. TVA said they were going to have the old one picked up when they delivered the Toshiba. Overnite said they did not have instructions to pick up the old set and even called back to heaquarters to be sure. The Samsung is in it's box in my garage. I didn't pay for shipping on the Toshiba and I have no intention of paying for the Samsung to be returned.

That is a bizarre looking picture! Was it broken out of the box?

When the color wheel needs to be replaced there are three adjustments that need to be made in the service menu based on the bar code on the color wheel itself. Hopefully, your technician will know how to make that adjustment.I would like to know how you are aware of this info.Respectfully, of what variety is your info based?Actually,if Bama Man is reading,I would ask him the same.

I would like to know how you are aware of this info.Respectfully, of what variety is your info based?Actually,if Bama Man is reading,I would ask him the same.It's documented in the service manual for the HMX94 and I imagine the same holds true for the newer sets as well as long as they are still using a color wheel. See below from the manual.

Replacement of Light Engine Unit

When Light Engine Unit is replaced with a new one, the adjustment is required.
Adjusted values are described in the bar code, and the values of the bar code must be converted to the adjusted values for the setup.

Data bar code (CW: color wheel) Ex. A111111B1111

Substrate serial numbers: A111111
DMD bias value : B
CWdelay number: :1111

Adjustment is made by service mode. The adjusting items consist of CWDL, CWDH and DMDB.

If hexadecimal number forms 3 or 4 digits, the latter 2 digits indicate CWDL while the first 2 digits indicate CWDH. (For 3 digits, CWDH=0*)

There is a whole page with the decimal to hex conversion and what the values should be for both CWDH and CWDL.

It's documented in the service manual for the HMX94 and I imagine the same holds true for the newer sets as well as long as they are still using a color wheel. See below from the manual.

Replacement of Light Engine Unit

When Light Engine Unit is replaced with a new one, the adjustment is required.
Adjusted values are described in the bar code, and the values of the bar code must be converted to the adjusted values for the setup.

Data bar code (CW: color wheel) Ex. A111111B1111

Substrate serial numbers: A111111
DMD bias value : B
CWdelay number: :1111

Adjustment is made by service mode. The adjusting items consist of CWDL, CWDH and DMDB.

If hexadecimal number forms 3 or 4 digits, the latter 2 digits indicate CWDL while the first 2 digits indicate CWDH. (For 3 digits, CWDH=0*)

There is a whole page with the decimal to hex conversion and what the values should be for both CWDH and CWDL.Thank you.I thought possibly you were a tech.

we are not that lucky to have a tech on this fourm
kdogg is very knowledgeable though.

When Heels98 posted that he had lady bugs in his set, I was relieved to know that I wasn't the only one!

One of our benevolent members emailed me a service manual and from that I could see that the bottom of the screen (bezel) is held on by four screws that fasten from the front. To get to those, you have to take the front of the base off (4 more screws that come out from behind). After you have the screws out of the front of the base (and this is the part the manual doesn't tell you) you must pull on the base front because it is still held on by several snap fasteners. Don't pull too hard because there are wires attached to that front base panel on the right. They are attached by three small connectors.

Next I had a problem. I took the four screws out of the lower bezel (five actually - there's a center one the manual doesn't mention) along with the 12 shorter screws that hold the sides and top of the bezel on from behind. I expected the bezel would come right off but no luck. It was still fastened at the bottom. When I pulled on it, a couple of snap fasteners popped off near the bottom middle.

Something is still holding the bezel on near each lower corner of the screen. The service manual doesn't help. It just shows a cursory exploded diagram with no disassembly details. I don't think they are snap fasteners because I pulled pretty hard. There are no screws visible in the area.

Anyone have an idea as to what's holding the bezel on? I put it back together again. Bill

I would like to know how you are aware of this info.Respectfully, of what variety is your info based?Actually,if Bama Man is reading,I would ask him the same.

I received a copy of the service manual that had the directions to install and adjust the light engine after replacement about a year ago when I had the problem.

Kdog's info is out of that same instruction sheet.

kdogg, (or anyone)
Ive had my light engine replaced twice. Do you know if they are supposed to set anything in the service menu when they do that?
I was told its just plug and play? (from the repair shop)
Also my picture is darker, not the whole picture just the dark areas. If there is light shining on a person the side of the person with no light seems dark. Ive adjusted the contrast and bright with avia. I can get the black bars to dissapear for brightness (then i set it so I can see the one and barely see the second one). As for contrast I can't get either bar to dissapear no matter how high the contrast. I have brightness on 41 and contrast at 80. (really no diff between 75-100). I can increase the contrast on my dvd player to make both white bars almost dissapear. But it means the contrast on the set is at 100 and at +4 on the dvd player (max). This doesn't seem right. Is there a way to increase contrast in the service menu? Is that what I need? Im kinda lost in this whole mess. HD still looks good (mostly) But some HD and almost all SD looks too dark in the dark areas. Oh I also have a new bulb in (1 month old)
thx
bryan

Hey Bryan,
I'm the guy down in Memphis that worked with you on this site about your light engine.. I had to re-register and changed to Bama Man. I wanted to tell you that I had problems with my second light engine and Tosh replaced the entire TV set.

You can probably also get a new set if they havent fixed your light engine problem yet. To answer your question . .. Yes there is a a change in the settings in your service menu exactly as Kdog has written. If they havent done that then it may solve your problem to call them back out. Actually contact Tosh and have them call the service tech directly. Good Luck

they will be out again. they scratched my bezel the last time it was in. Im getting a new bezel in feburary. Im on the second light engine, with no major problems. I do not like the fact that it doesnt pass the contrast test with avia. and like I said, the dark areas of a scene are just too dark. Do you think its a light engine problem or just a simple service menu fix? Should I be able to make either of the white bars in the contrast test dissapear?
My repair shop seems like they have no clue. I tell them the dark areas or scenes are too dark, they talk to me like Im nuts.
thx again
bryan

More problems with my 52HM95.. seems that the HDMI 2 port doesn't work. Hooked up new Sat reciever today to check out some HD and get nothing on HDMI 2 ... port 1 works fine...

Guess I have to call the service Guy again. He said he would place the order for the light engine or color wheel on Monday to fix my noise issue I'm having... LOL I can hear this thing buzzing...humming away from upstairs...

Whats the odds of them swapping this set out for a new one? I'm really not enjoying it much lately.. I have a bestbuy service agreement too if thats a good thing..

More problems with my 52HM95.. seems that the HDMI 2 port doesn't work. Hooked up new Sat reciever today to check out some HD and get nothing on HDMI 2 ... port 1 works fine...

Guess I have to call the service Guy again. He said he would place the order for the light engine or color wheel on Monday to fix my noise issue I'm having... LOL I can hear this thing buzzing...humming away from upstairs...

Whats the odds of them swapping this set out for a new one? I'm really not enjoying it much lately.. I have a bestbuy service agreement too if thats a good thing..

Your chances are pretty good if the tech finds that the HDMI 2 port is bad. They may ask you to wait on the new light engine before deciding.

If all the repairs work out you may not want a new tv set...and possibly a bunch of new problems.

They replaced mine because I complained about the early loss of the lamp, I was mislead by two CSR's and the replacement light engine was subpar. I've only had the new setfor a month but it is working fine, unfortunately my lamp cost will be almost twice the cost of my first tv.

Hi, newbie question here. Just bought a 56HM195 (got it this past Saturday). The picture from DVD is very grainy and I can't seem to get it any clearer.

My set-up is (with upgraded cables for those of us who feel it makes a difference):

-Pioneer 1015tx 7.1 receiver
-Panasonic S77S upconverting DVD player

Connections:

-audio from Panny to receiver
-video from Panny to TV via HDMI

I've switched the DVD between 720p and 1080i, don't notice any difference between them.
Calibrated with AVIA to the best of my ability (didn't have filters). Didn't look much better afterward.

Questions:

-is 720p the native resolution for this set?
-if I tried component cables could that make a difference?

I've seen this set in Best Buy and thought the picture was terrific. Picture I have now isn't anywhere close.

I can't think of what else more to do beyond what I've done so far. If I had an ISF tech in to calibrate would that solve the problem?

Does anybody have the software version 1.2.8 update provided from Toshiba. They said they can send it through the mail but I don't want to wait that long.

Thanks,

jumpinjoe,

I live in Phoenix AZ. Cox is my provider. I updated to the latest firmware and I'm still stuck on channels 1-99. Looks like I'll have to make another call to Cox. The last guy was as clueless a doornail.

Hi, newbie question here. Just bought a 56HM195 (got it this past Saturday). The picture from DVD is very grainy and I can't seem to get it any clearer.

My set-up is (with upgraded cables for those of us who feel it makes a difference):

-Pioneer 1015tx 7.1 receiver
-Panasonic S77S upconverting DVD player

Connections:

-audio from Panny to receiver
-video from Panny to TV via HDMI

I've switched the DVD between 720p and 1080i, don't notice any difference between them.
Calibrated with AVIA to the best of my ability (didn't have filters). Didn't look much better afterward.

Questions:

-is 720p the native resolution for this set?
-if I tried component cables could that make a difference?

I've seen this set in Best Buy and thought the picture was terrific. Picture I have now isn't anywhere close.

I can't think of what else more to do beyond what I've done so far. If I had an ISF tech in to calibrate would that solve the problem?Do you have any HD content to watch? To me the picture produced by DVDs is just OK, but DVDs' resolution is only around 720x480 on a set that is capable of 1280x720 (I have a 62HM84) or 1920x1080. The demo stuff at the store is probably HD at 720p (1280x720) or 1080i (1920x1080) so that could be the source of the difference that you are seeing.

Some DVDs have much better picture than other, "The Fifth Element" is an example of good encoding, and "Boondock Saints" is very grainy (may have been done on purpose to give it a film look). An anamorphic DVD will usually look much better than a letterboxed DVD.

Just my $.02.

hmgj,.jbkI initially bought a Samsung HLP5063 at Best Buy and then found out about the powerbuy. I returned the 5063 and bought the Samsung HLP5663 through the powerbuy. It was defective out of the box. I asked them to replace it with a Toshiba 52HM84 and it just arrived yesterday. I really sweated whether to stick with the Samsung or switch to the Toshiba and so far I am please with my decision to go with the Toshiba. I've only had the Toshiba a day but here are some observations comparing the two TVs:

- The Toshiba looks nicer sitting in my family room. It looks less like a big box and more sleek.
- The Toshiba starts much faster then the Samsung.
- The Samsung has more connections. Fortunately I don't need more connections but in the future I may need to buy a switch.
- The Toshiba seems quieter than the Samsung. Fan noise is almost inaudible.
- Out of the box HD picture quality is better on the Toshiba. Colors seem more natural. Picture is very detailed, clear and seems to look more 3-D.
- Out of the box SD picture quality is better on the Samsung. I have not had time to tweek the Toshiba but it shows every flaw in a SD signal. The "softer" picture of the Samsung is much more forgiving.
- X-Box looks great. I only played it for 30 minutes but so far no lag.

I'm sure I'll have more observations in a few days.

hmgj,.jbk[QUOTE=GSOgymrat]I initially bought a Samsung HLP5063 at Best Buy and then found out about the powerbuy. I returned the 5063 and bought the Samsung HLP5663 through the powerbuy. It was defective out of the box. I asked them to replace it with a Toshiba 52HM84 and it just arrived yesterday. I really sweated whether to stick with the Samsung or switch to the Toshiba and so far I am please with my decision to go with the Toshiba. I've only had the Toshiba a day but here are some observations comparing the two TVs:

- The Toshiba looks nicer sitting in my family room. It looks less like a big box and more sleek.
- The Toshiba starts much faster then the Samsung.
- The Samsung has more connections. Fortunately I don't need more connections but in the future I may need to buy a switch.
- The Toshiba seems quieter than the Samsung. Fan noise is almost inaudible.
- Out of the box HD picture quality is better on the Toshiba. Colors seem more natural. Picture is very detailed, clear and seems to look more 3-D.
- Out of the box SD picture quality is better on the Samsung. I have not had time to tweek the Toshiba but it shows every flaw in a SD signal. The "softer" picture of the Samsung is much more forgiving.
- X-Box looks great. I only played it for 30 minutes but so far no lag.

i would like to know what the bulb life is for the 52hm84 and how much to replace I bought a brand new tv and the bulb went in two months

hmgj,.jbk[QUOTE=GSOgymrat]I i would like to know what the bulb life is for the 52hm84 and how much to replace I bought a brand new tv and the bulb went in two monthsThe bulb life is rated from 6000-8000 hours but you might not get that kind of life as those are laboratory conditions. I got 3000 hours on mine before it went (I think 3000-4000 hours might be more realistic) but the set does have a one year warranty on the lamp. The cost for a replacement lamp for that set is $200 as it uses the same lamp as mine. The newer 2005 model Toshiba's with the 150 watt lamp are more expensive (roughly $350).

.... The demo stuff at the store is probably HD at 720p (1280x720) or 1080i (1920x1080) so that could be the source of the difference that you are seeing.

Some DVDs have much better picture than other, "The Fifth Element" is an example of good encoding...

So THAT'S why I keep seeing the Fifth Element playing on Demo at Best Buy. You must be right about the other demo discs being HD 'cuz there's such a huge discrepancy between pq on those sets and mine.

Maybe I'm just expecting too high quality from DVD right now. With about 400 movies, I won't be replacing all of them so I guess I'd better get used to it. I plan to eventually buy a high-def player (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) but I'll wait 'til the rivalry settles and a clear winner is decided. Unless of course both sides prevail.

Does anybody have the software version 1.2.8 update provided from Toshiba. They said they can send it through the mail but I don't want to wait that long.

Thanks,Yet another example of how inconsiderate and totally uncaring Tosh CS is.

Yet another example of how inconsiderate and totally uncaring Tosh CS is.
Yea the dude I talked to said he's told the webmaster(s) over and over again to make the update available online but it obviously hasn't happened yet.

[QUOTE=m robert]hmgj,.jbkThe bulb life is rated from 6000-8000 hours but you might not get that kind of life as those are laboratory conditions. I got 3000 hours on mine before it went (I think 3000-4000 hours might be more realistic) but the set does have a one year warranty on the lamp. The cost for a replacement lamp for that set is $200 as it uses the same lamp as mine. The newer 2005 model Toshiba's with the 150 watt lamp are more expensive (roughly $350).

Did you buy an extra bulb? If so, where did you get it?

I've had my set about six months and all this bulb talk is making me nervous. I want to have a spare, even if my current one blows within the warranty period--actually, I am more concerned about Toshiba's slow reponse and want the spare for uninterrupted use.

TIA

Did you buy an extra bulb? If so, where did you get it?

I've had my set about six months and all this bulb talk is making me nervous. I want to have a spare, even if my current one blows within the warranty period--actually, I am more concerned about Toshiba's slow reponse and want the spare for uninterrupted use.

TIA

I know how you feel I was getting little nervous myself, thinking what the hell did I get myself into with this set (i'm only a 3month old owner) . I don't know if you want to get a "spare bulb" cause the warranty on the replacement bulb will run out before you use it I would think. I've also read some threads about people having replacement bulbs go in less than 90 days too...

scary scary... LOL...

Grrrrrrr!

I have had the 56MX195 since the end of October.. No complaints regarding the TV. Although 20 minutes ago the bulp blew up, so no tv for me for a while. This is not good after 3 months the TV is dead... If the bulp is gonna blow up every 3 months its not what i paid money for...

What are my options? Other then having them send another lamp.. This is the second time it will be serviced first problem with jacks on back of tv getting lose and now the stupid bulp...Any chance Toshiba will take their crap back and give me a check?

I gotta headache just thinking when they will have a new bulp in stock so i may install it

I know how you feel I was getting little nervous myself, thinking what the hell did I get myself into with this set (i'm only a 3month old owner) . I don't know if you want to get a "spare bulb" cause the warranty on the replacement bulb will run out before you use it I would think. I've also read some threads about people having replacement bulbs go in less than 90 days too...

scary scary... LOL...

I've had my 62MX195 for 2 months and already have bought a spare. Hopefully, I won't need it for a LONG time, but I just can't be without my main TV for some number of weeks. I bought mine here http://www.alltvlamps.com/toshibalamps.html as they were the only ones that had them in stock 3-4 weeks ago.

Just wanted to check a few things here (46HM95)

1. I can hear a fairly distinct humming noise from the tv even from about 8-10 feet away (on tile floor). How can i tell if thats the fan or the color wheel having a problem? Is there some way to distinguish the two?

2. Does anyone elses tv tun on, only to have one color seem to "turn on" about 3-4 seconds after boot, before the lamp is fully bright? It almost seems like its ramping up, should it do this?

3. Has anyone figured out why the Optical Out dosen't seem to work at all? I can't get the tv to output a digital signal to my amp when playing my HD cable (HDMI). I have to run a seperate cable from the cable box (SA8300) to the reciever. I've checked the settings, everything seems to be enabled.

Well I can tell you that my lamp blew with a house full of guys watching the Patriots game on Jan 9th. I bought my 52hm95 in October 2005. The lamp is still on backorder. Every week Toshiba says 5-7 days. Yea thats for the next time they can tell me "5-7days". Be prepared to wait if you are an unfortunate soul like me. I will tell you all....Toshiba rep commented that less than 5% of the lamps are blowing early. Probably true with the volume of sales they are having on these DLP's but still stinks for me. I didn't want to shell out $350 for an extra lamp. Maybe I will once I get the new one and hopefully the prices will come down on them when they are more readily available.

Well I can tell you that my lamp blew with a house full of guys watching the Patriots game on Jan 9th. I bought my 52hm95 in October 2005. The lamp is still on backorder. Every week Toshiba says 5-7 days. Yea thats for the next time they can tell me "5-7days". Be prepared to wait if you are an unfortunate soul like me. I will tell you all....Toshiba rep commented that less than 5% of the lamps are blowing early. Probably true with the volume of sales they are having on these DLP's but still stinks for me. I didn't want to shell out $350 for an extra lamp. Maybe I will once I get the new one and hopefully the prices will come down on them when they are more readily available.

I feel your pain! My bulb blew the day after the Denver/Pitt game and of course it is not going to be replaced for the SuperBowl. I live 20 minutes from downtown Pitt. Go Steelers. Want to watch the game on my standby 19 in set?

Got my 56hm195 in Sept 05 and had about 900 hours.

When the lamp blew there was a huge groan from the room. and almost immediately everyone moved to the kitchen to crowd around the food and the 15" LCD on the counter. LOL! Since then I hauled the 250lb 32" RCA from the other room. At least we have something to watch even if it is 15 years old.

So THAT'S why I keep seeing the Fifth Element playing on Demo at Best Buy. You must be right about the other demo discs being HD 'cuz there's such a huge discrepancy between pq on those sets and mine.

Maybe I'm just expecting too high quality from DVD right now. With about 400 movies, I won't be replacing all of them so I guess I'd better get used to it. I plan to eventually buy a high-def player (HD-DVD or Blu-Ray) but I'll wait 'til the rivalry settles and a clear winner is decided. Unless of course both sides prevail.

Before you chalk this up to unrealistic expectations, I would dig a bit further. You have highly regarded DVD player hooked up to a really nice TV. While you won't get true HD quality out of DVD, it still should be very pleasing unless a) you are sitting 3 inches from the screen or b) happen to be watching discs with really poor tranfers.

I'm using a Pioneer 578a sending a 480p signal via component and while I can easily tell the difference against hi-def, I would hardly call the image grainy. Double-check your connections (heck, try component over HDMI just to be sure), give the calibration disk another shot (the filters would help, but aren't needed) and try a variety of discs. The 3 new Star Wars discs have a nice image, same for the special editions discs of Lord of the Rings, pretty much any newer movie should do. I've seen grainy pictures on older disc with a cheap-o transfer (Beetlejuice comes to mind), but I certainly wouldn't call any newer movies "grainy". And, you have a nicer DVD player, too. So, I suspect something else may not be right. Good luck!

Can someone who has a Toshiba HM DLP HDTV (I believe about any screen size works the same way) tell me what the optimum "picture size" setting is to use, when the input is from a progressive scan DVD player? The player is set to "16:9 output format". There are times that we can have the TV set to "natural" with "auto aspect ratio" turned OFF that a progressive DVD output fills the screen vertically and horizontally. There are other DVD's or sections of DVD's where "natural" gives us a greatly reduced picture size, where the sides, top, and bottom all have sizable black bars.

Another question, now that I have you other owners, is do you see that the use of "TheaterWide 2" picture size results in losing sizable portions of the top and bottom of the picture? I know that I can scroll it to prevent this, but this is not very satisfactory a solution. I really need a way to shrink the picture vertically to get it to be correct.

Finally, I have tried four times to reach Toshiba TV support (800-631-3811) and each time I have given up after being on hold 7-10 minutes. Has anyone found a time of day or other phone number that actually works to reach them. If not, about how long do you plan to sit on "hold" to reach Toshiba?

Thanks for all these answers! I have found you folks much more useful than Toshiba or Best Buy to answer questions about this set, so far.

Ron

Finally, I have tried four times to reach Toshiba TV support (800-631-3811) and each time I have given up after being on hold 7-10 minutes. Has anyone found a time of day or other phone number that actually works to reach them. If not, about how long do you plan to sit on "hold" to reach Toshiba?

Ron

I called them this past Saturday around noon and got connected almost immediately. The other times that I've called them during the week I've waited little or no time.

John

Can someone who has a Toshiba HM DLP HDTV (I believe about any screen size works the same way) tell me what the optimum "picture size" setting is to use, when the input is from a progressive scan DVD player? The player is set to "16:9 output format". There are times that we can have the TV set to "natural" with "auto aspect ratio" turned OFF that a progressive DVD output fills the screen vertically and horizontally. There are other DVD's or sections of DVD's where "natural" gives us a greatly reduced picture size, where the sides, top, and bottom all have sizable black bars.

Ron

Ron, you are going to have to study aspect ratio's on the DVD box. That is the control factor for what is going to be on the screen. When you set the TV to natural, you are allowing the 16:9 output DVD player to sent the proper ratio to the sceen. But all DVD's are not the same:

1:85 will fill the entire screen; 2:35 is a wide screen version and will have top and bottom bars (small) for a 16:9 tv; any DVD marked as full screen should be avoided by you for that means that it has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and will have huge pillars on the sides.

I have a 62HMX94 with two HDMI inputs. From what I understand, HDMI passes both the digital audio and digital video signal into the TV. would the optical out from the TV pass along the digital audio signal to my home theater receiver? Since the HMX94 has two HDMI inputs, could I then hook up a DVD player and Satellite receiver via HDMI, then have a single digital audio out connection to my A/V receiver handle the digital audio out for the ATSC tuner, DVD player and Satellite box? That would sure simplify my current connections and make the POP feature a lot more useful.

I have a 62HMX94 with two HDMI inputs. From what I understand, HDMI passes both the digital audio and digital video signal into the TV. would the optical out from the TV pass along the digital audio signal to my home theater receiver? Since the HMX94 has two HDMI inputs, could I then hook up a DVD player and Satellite receiver via HDMI, then have a single digital audio out connection to my A/V receiver handle the digital audio out for the ATSC tuner, DVD player and Satellite box? That would sure simplify my current connections and make the POP feature a lot more useful.

This would not work for my situation. My Samsung HD-850 upconverts via HDMI but carries no audio. Each time I put a DVD into the unit, it begins with a message saying "HDMI Audio not supported." For that reason alone I cannot do what you want. Also, my cable box is DVI to HDMI and that does not support audio transmisson either.

I believe that I have have read elsewhere, at the Toshiba 1080P thread, that this optical out on the set does not pass 5.1 but only 2.0

Ron, you are going to have to study aspect ratio's on the DVD box. That is the control factor for what is going to be on the screen. When you set the TV to natural, you are allowing the 16:9 output DVD player to sent the proper ratio to the sceen. But all DVD's are not the same:

1:85 will fill the entire screen; 2:35 is a wide screen version and will have top and bottom bars (small) for a 16:9 tv; any DVD marked as full screen should be avoided by you for that means that it has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and will have huge pillars on the sides.
to elaborate, a lot of widescreen DVDs are not anamorphic, but instead 4:3 letterbox, so you will get a 16:9 picture, but it won't even come close to filling the screen... theaterwide 2 is the closest zoom you can get that won't distort the picture...

This would not work for my situation. My Samsung HD-850 upconverts via HDMI but carries no audio. Each time I put a DVD into the unit, it begins with a message saying "HDMI Audio not supported." For that reason alone I cannot do what you want. Also, my cable box is DVI to HDMI and that does not support audio transmisson either.

I believe that I have have read elsewhere, at the Toshiba 1080P thread, that this optical out on the set does not pass 5.1 but only 2.0
It passes 5.1 from OTA...

It passes 5.1 from OTA...

Yeah, I definitely get DD 5.1 from the TV's ATSC tuner (NFL games on Fox sound amazing!). I'm hoping that the TV simply passes along the digital audio bit-stream from HDMI sources through the optical out to my A/V receiver, without any processing. From what I've read in the manual, you would first set the HDMI audio mode to digital, then set the the optical audio output format to Dolby Digital (what about DTS?). That would hopefully avoid sending a 2-channel down-mixed PCM signal to the A/V receiver.
But, the manual is a bit vague, so I'm not sure. I can probably test it out myself, but I'm hoping to get feedback from someone who's tried this before I start digging around the cabling (AKA the wire bird's nest) behind my TV.

Yeah, I definitely get DD 5.1 from the TV's ATSC tuner (NFL games on Fox sound amazing!). I'm hoping that the TV simply passes along the digital audio bit-stream from HDMI sources through the optical out to my A/V receiver, without any processing. From what I've read in the manual, you would first set the HDMI audio mode to digital, then set the the optical audio output format to Dolby Digital (what about DTS?). That would hopefully avoid sending a 2-channel down-mixed PCM signal to the A/V receiver.
But, the manual is a bit vague, so I'm not sure. I can probably test it out myself, but I'm hoping to get feedback from someone who's tried this before I start digging around the cabling (AKA the wire bird's nest) behind my TV.If it is like last year's models it will only pass 5.1 from OTA or cable input and all HDMI sources are passed as PCM (2.0). If you want DD from your cable box or DVD player with HDMI connections your best bet is to run optical/coax from the device directly to the receiver. Of course, that means a few extra cables but unless your receiver is limited with the inputs it shouldn't be a problem.

[QUOTE=kdog044]

Did you buy an extra bulb? If so, where did you get it?

I've had my set about six months and all this bulb talk is making me nervous. I want to have a spare, even if my current one blows within the warranty period--actually, I am more concerned about Toshiba's slow reponse and want the spare for uninterrupted use.

TIAThe uncertainty of when a lamp would be available from Toshiba is exactly why I purchased one on my own and I have the one Toshiba finally sent me as a spare. I went to Toshiba's web site and looked at the list of authorized service centers in my area and started making phone calls. The first place I called had a lamp in stock so I just went and picked it up. The replacements have a six month warranty so the one I bought has the same warranty as the one from Toshiba and I didn't have to wait for it to get my set operational. Considering the last lamp lasted 9 months while averaging 10-11 hours of operation a day I'm not worried about the warranty expiring on an unused spare. To each his own but I have piece of mind that when and if mine goes I won't miss the Super Bowl or some other important event waiting on a replacement. ;)

If it is like last year's models it will only pass 5.1 from OTA or cable input and all HDMI sources are passed as PCM (2.0). If you want DD from your cable box or DVD player with HDMI connections your best bet is to run optical/coax from the device directly to the receiver. Of course, that means a few extra cables but unless your receiver is limited with the inputs it shouldn't be a problem.

Dang, I was afraid that would be the case. Currently, I have three digital audio sources plugged into my A/V receiver (DVD, Satelite receiver and TV's ATSC tuner). I was hoping to consolidate to a single input and get some use out of the POP feature. As it is, having to switch audio inputs on my receiver when swapping sources for the POP makes it too much of a hassle to use. Oh, well... it is a minor inconvienence.