Anyone get one of the 94 series sets home yet? the 52HM94 is the #1 set on my list right now and I can't wait to hear some reviews...especially of the tuner and Symbio DVR functions.

ctac,

See the DVD player area on this forum. Many (most?) members will tell you to stay away from the Samsung 841.

krc,

Are you sure the 62HM94 has two HDMI inputs?

My HDMI picture is very dark too, I tried to bring up the THX video adjustment screen from one of my movies and couldn't even get it to display the faint "THX" letters in the middle of the screen. Another problem i am having now is the picture turns to snow after about 20 minutes of watching a movie. I had the snow problem with my VOOM receiver and have since switched it to component. I called Toshiba and they have no record of people complaining about the HDMI ports, they did offer to send out a service technician, but I'm wondering if that would do any good. I like the TV, and the component picture is pretty good, but I really want use of my HDMI input, and the quality of it so far is far from acceptable. Later today I am going back to the store where I purchased it with a DVI -> HDMI cable and testing some other units.

krc, Nice job with the features matrix. You have the 62hm94 showing two HDMI inputs but I believe it only has one. I think the Toshiba website actually states it having two, but according to their reps on the phone and other online retailers, it only has one. I was told "the two inputs are for the HMX series, the website is not correct, sorry" . Maybe someone that owns one can verify this.

You have the 62hm94 showing two HDMI inputs but I believe it only has one. I think the Toshiba website actually states it having two, but according to their reps on the phone and other online retailers, it only has one. I was told "the two inputs are for the HMX series, the website is not correct, sorry" . Maybe someone that owns one can verify this.

Thanks bfdtv and Saloooon for picking that up.

Silly me! I got that spec from the Toshiba web site. I just checked OneCall and TVAuthority sites and they show "HDMI Digital Input". No quantity specified.

I'll edit the table and change the quantity to 1? until we get hard confirmation - like someone actually seeing the input panel.

Ken

Originally posted by bfdtv
ctac,

See the DVD player area on this forum. Many (most?) members will tell you to stay away from the Samsung 841.

Thank you bfdtv,

I've been waiting for LGDVB418, but decided to try whatever BestBuy had with DVI/HDMI outputs. Hopefully the darkness problem is due to the Sammy 841...

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post and i am/was the proud owner of a Toshiba 52HM84. The reason i used "was" is because i am no longer happy. It seems to me like i got a bad lamp and have been having troubles with the video dropping in and out. Ive had the tv for about three weeks and it was excellent for the first two but recently has been giving me issues. I called Toshiba and there are sending over a service unit tomorrow. If he starts to give me flak, i am just going to return the tv and get another one, on the real this tv cost way to much for it to be stressin me out.

Also i am having issues with the POP and the 12 screen preview options. Ive read through the manual but im having issues discerning some of the info and maybe someone here can help me out. With the POP i cant seem to get 2 HD signals to work at the same time. For example in the beginning i could have my xbox on and be watching tv all at the same time. But recently i changed the options in the xbox to HD and running it into the tv through components, my cable is also component and it wont let me watch any HD channels while playing a games. Is this normal? or do i need to fiddle with the settings.

Also does the favorite channel preview only work with analog cable/ antanee? do i need to run another coax cable line into the tv to get it to work? All i get now is fuzz. Point less giving you an option when you cant really use it or maybe in my case dont really understand it.

Thanks for any help in advance, I will be here for a while and hope to share my experiences with others. I got a ton of questions on HT systems that im looking to add on? any takers

El

1) You can't show 2 HD signals on POP at the same time per the manual. That is what I read....

2) The "fuzz" from the 12 favorites is worthless with the HM series....

If you have digital cable or satellite the only signal going to the TV is ONE channel (TV is tuned to channel 3). If you are getting basic cable you would get every channel being sucked into the TV at once. The Tuner would be the TV whereas with cable or satellite boxes the Tuner is in the cable box or satellite box. The HMX84 and 94 have built in tuners. Not sure if they are HD tuners ( I believe so) but they still won't work with Direct TV. The HMX94 has a great function called cable card ready......If you want digital cable from your local provider you would plug in an access card from your local provider and you would be able to get 12 channels playing at once via that function........To my knowledge that doesn't work with Direct TV as of now.

Maybe someone will smarten up and realize the dream situation for a great deal of fans is to make their home a sportsbar. If I could get 12 NFL football game playing at once I would be in HEAVEN! That is football nirvana. I could sit around with my buddies watching our fantasy picks work or not work.

Thanks,

Dan

Thanks but i still have a ton of questions.

If i were to split my cable some where else and hook that into one of the other coaxial inputs could i get the 12 preview station option to work?

Also what are some of the owner toshiba owners using for a HT system and dvd player. Ive been reading up on the HDMI players but is it worth the money when you cant find a reciever at a decent price that utilizes the technology?

thanks again.

PS...Anyone who isnt using a modded xbox with thier HD, just doesnt know what they are missing.

El

As soon as it gets delivered (Wednesday) I'm going to be using the Sony DVP-NS975V upscaling HDMI DVD player with my 52HMX84. I'm interested to see how it performs being that it's both HDMI and scaling to 720p/1080i.

I'll try and post some impressions once I have it hooked up and tuned.

Thanks Varkus,
I'm now looking at that DVD player also, for my 46HM94 (supposed to get this week). I'd like to know how the HDMI port performs on the toshibas with this DVD player.

Elhandro,
Looks like for DVD players with HDMI there are a couple that you can look at. The new Sony (above), and the soon to be released Panny S 97. Both are MSRP $299.

Can someone quickly review the differences between the HM84, HMX84, HM94, and the HMX94? I am confusing the hell out of myself. Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by Lodey
Can someone quickly review the differences between the HM84, HMX84, HM94, and the HMX94? I am confusing the hell out of myself. Thanks in advance.

Click back in this thread like one page.

DC

Thanks.. just read the entire thread again (I read it all a month ago) and found it - thanks much!

Any headache/eye strain/rainbow effect problems with these units vs. others? Or does the "+" chip help a lot with these things?

FYI, I got eyestrain the first couple of weeks....maybe sitting too close and watching too long...but everything is fine now. I can see rainbows if I want to but mind over matter.

Viewing angle on this thing is crazy. I can still watch TV on low power mode at over 80 deg from perpendicular.

Agreed on the viewing angle - don't know the specifics, but I had the TV on for a football game this past weekend at a party and even on low power you could easily see the picture wheter sitting or standing, from all around the room (which was brightly lit with a large picture window, and two sets of french doors).

Having read quite a few of complaint about the HDMI inputs (DVD and VOOM). Have anyone actually seen better picture qualility with HDMI input than component? What is the equipment?

Have anyone seen the xxx94 model yet? I am considering to replace my HM84 with HMX94 so that I don't have to think about HDMI for HD cable anymore.

I'm a little concerned about the HDMI input. The Toshiba HDMI DVD player looked awful and that didn't worry me as I've heard bad things about it. I also connected a Samsung OTA HD tuner via a DVI->HDMI connector and it's much darker and not nearly as crisp as component. I also do not believe that the 'ghosting' is an HDMI issue. I didn't notice it at first but after looking closely if you have a black background and white text on the screen, you'll get a faint ghost right next to your text. I noticed this mostly on Xbox games and I got the same issue on a Bug's life via a Toshiba 3950 DVD player connected directly to component 1.

I'll do some testing soon and probably go back to where I bought it and have them test on a demo unit before I call Toshiba. Sounds like a lot of people don't have the Toshiba on this forum (or just don't speak up) so it's hard to tell how widespread this issue is. The component issue is minor but I'd really like to use the HDMI. I plan on trying out the Sony 975 HDMI player when it hits stores near me.

Any ISF techs calibrate one of the Toshiba's yet?

Originally posted by xb1032
I'm a little concerned about the HDMI input. The Toshiba HDMI DVD player looked awful and that didn't worry me as I've heard bad things about it. I also connected a Samsung OTA HD tuner via a DVI->HDMI connector and it's much darker and not nearly as crisp as component. I also do not believe that the 'ghosting' is an HDMI issue. I didn't notice it at first but after looking closely if you have a black background and white text on the screen, you'll get a faint ghost right next to your text. I noticed this mostly on Xbox games and I got the same issue on a Bug's life via a Toshiba 3950 DVD player connected directly to component 1.

Any ISF techs calibrate one of the Toshiba's yet?

xb1032, do you mean clay-face effect when you say ghosting ???

Today I picked up a Toshiba 62HM84. I used to own the Hitachi 60" LCD RPTV but brought It back due to SD looking way too bad.

Here is my feelings on the 62HM84, the SD looks much better on the Toshiba than on the Hitachi. But I feel DVDs looked much brighter/clearer and less artifacted on the Hitatchi. I am actually pretty disappointed in the picture Quality of the Toshiba. I have the toshiba set to standard mode/full screen and I'm watching DVDs on a Samsung DVD player going through component out with Progressive scanning on. There are too many noticable artifacts when watching DVDs (not as much as SD though) and when I see artifacts I start watching for them instead of watching the movie.

It seems like for all this money we are spending that they would step the game up a bit and make a better looking set. I thought that going from LCD RPTV to DLP RPTV would give me a better picture but going from the 60" Hitachi to the 62" Toshiba seemed like I downgraded considerably. Don't get me wrong, the set is a nice design and is very quiet (Fan Noise) but DVDs look too dark set in standard mode & blown out when I go to a brighter preset.

I also dont like the fact you cant change the grey bars on the side to black like you could with the Hitachi. I also dont think you can manually adjust the colors/brightness/tint etc on this set. I tried finding that option for an hour. The manual tells you how to do it but when I select "Picture Settings" it defaults back to exit.

I will hold on to the set until Thursday if I cant get the settings straight I will return it and buy a $2000.00 65" Mitsu Medallion CRT and live with that until I see a much better set.

Any Settings anyone recommends me to try?

Thanks

Originally posted by SandmanX
I also dont think you can manually adjust the colors/brightness/tint etc on this set. I tried finding that option for an hour. The manual tells you how to do it but when I select "Picture Settings" it defaults back to exit.



When you are in the menu , use the "enter" button on the remote to access the color, brightness, tint, contrast and sharpness. also, don't forget to use the enter button again to "save" your settings. it should say "done" when you are finished.

What samsung player are you using? I am returning my set due to the horrible DVD playback using the HDMI port.

Does anyone know when the 52/62HMX94 series will be on the shelves? Also what MSRP is supposed to be? I am hoping it will drop price to be competitive with the Sony 60XS955 TVs.

Also, has anyone gotten good video through Toshibas HDMI ports?

On the ghosting comment, it sounds like an analog reflection... I've seen it before on cheap component cables (YPbPr or RGBHV) or improper termination on circuit boards but am not sure why it would be seen when using an HDMI input. Does Toshiba keep the HDMI inputs digital throughout the entire path from input to display?

I Tried hitting the Enter Button (the big round button in the Middle of the four arrows) many times and do not get another Menu to adjust colors. Maybe the set is in the wrong Mode or something.

Another Note I see a thin white line at the bottom edge of the top Matt bar (Black Bars on top and bottom of screen).

My wife thinks I'm insane to keep buying these big TVs and return them. But I feel my hard earned money needs to be accounted for and based on the Picture Quality I'm getting with this set its worth about $1500 - $2000 at most.

My 400lb. 36" Sony Wega Picture Tube hasn't let me down yet. Maybe they will come out with a 60" Picture Tube Set that weighs 800 lbs. :)

By The way I'm using the Samsung DVD Player that has the DVI output on it Samsung DVD-HD931 I paid like $235.00 for it 8 months ago.

Originally posted by SandmanX
I Tried hitting the Enter Button (the big round button in the Middle of the four arrows) many times and do not get another Menu to adjust colors. Maybe the set is in the wrong Mode or something.

Another Note I see a thin white line at the bottom edge of the top Matt bar (Black Bars on top and bottom of screen).

My wife thinks I'm insane to keep buying these big TVs and return them. But I feel my hard earned money needs to be accounted for and based on the Picture Quality I'm getting with this set its worth about $1500 - $2000 at most.

My 400lb. 36" Sony Wega Picture Tube hasn't let me down yet. Maybe they will come out with a 60" Picture Tube Set that weighs 800 lbs. :)

By The way I'm using the Samsung DVD Player that has the DVI output on it Samsung DVD-HD931 I paid like $235.00 for it 8 months ago.
_________________________________________________
The enter key locates on the left lower side of the arrow keys.
I shall return my 52hm84 tomorrow.

Originally posted by SandmanX
I Tried hitting the Enter Button (the big round button in the Middle of the four arrows) many times and do not get another Menu to adjust colors. Maybe the set is in the wrong Mode or something.


By The way I'm using the Samsung DVD Player that has the DVI output on it Samsung DVD-HD931 I paid like $235.00 for it 8 months ago.

Use the "enter" button located lower left of the big middle button, its one of the arrow keys.

I also have a 931 that worked perfect on my old Samsung HLN but is terrible on the tosh. That DVD player will have a major difference in picture quality when using component vs DVI. I think I read that the Faroudja processing is only used when connected thru DVI.

The Samsung 841 has poor picture quality on the Toshiba. I'm using a Denon 1910 and it looks pretty good.

Originally posted by SandmanX
I Tried hitting the Enter Button (the big round button in the Middle of the four arrows) many times and do not get another Menu to adjust colors. Maybe the set is in the wrong Mode or something.



The "Enter" button IS NOT the big round button in the Middle of the four arrows... Look closely at your remote, it is located in the lower left of ther four arrows.

And there has been other cases of pour pq with the samsung DVD player through DVI.

I am using the LG7832 / Zenith DVB-318 through component, upscaled to 1080i and believe me, the picture is very very good !

Originally posted by GSOgymrat
The Samsung 841 has poor picture quality on the Toshiba. I'm using a Denon 1910 and it looks pretty good.

Do you use HDMI/DVI input?

Comments:
1. Read the manual and learn how to use remote
2. Make adjustments and then comment on PQ
3. This TV shines in HD...if you bought it solely for DVD, I'd recommend CRT RP or some other lower tech. The high resolution of this TV is bittersweet...great HD but exposes poor sources also.

Originally posted by SandmanX
But I feel DVDs looked much brighter/clearer and less artifacted on the Hitatchi. I am actually pretty disappointed in the picture Quality of the Toshiba. I have the toshiba set to standard mode/full screen and I'm watching DVDs on a Samsung DVD player going through component out with Progressive scanning on. There are too many noticable artifacts when watching DVDs (not as much as SD though) and when I see artifacts I start watching for them instead of watching the movie.

I'm surprised you said this. I've seen the Hitachi too. My first impressions would be that if the Toshiba was set on High Bright, that it'd be as bright or brighter than the Hitachi. To get maximum brightness, adjust the settings in the user menu for Contrast, brightness, and set the lamp to Hi power. I personally set mine to low power. Colors should definitely be more rich and blacks are definitely darker on the Toshiba. To get the best black levels out of the Hitachi you have to turn black enhancement on it to maximum. It does help but you lose a lot of details in the picture when you do this.

To improve your picture quality on the Toshiba, make sure that you TURN OFF the progressive scan on the DVD player. Using component on my Toshiba DVD player and leaving progressice scan on cause a little flicker and a few extra artifacts on my Toshiba 62HM84 (this also occured on my old Samsung HLN617W too).

Originally posted by kriore
xb1032, do you mean clay-face effect when you say ghosting ???

No. It's kind of like an outline. Basically if the letter "I' was white on a black background you see a faint "shadow" to the right of it. It's not major but it is noticable depending on what's on the screen. In fact most situations you may not notice it if you didn't look for it.

Ok,

I guess I really did jump the gun and I deeply apologize. I saw the other enter button and I did some color adjustments and the set is looking much better now. I watched Dawn of the Dead on the Set last night and didn't see any artifacts except a couple once or twice through the entire movie. Like I said before I have the Samsung DVD going through Component set to Progressive scan. I didn't try the DVI output yet cause I need to get an adapter to hook up to the set. But when I used DVI on the Hitachi the picture didn't look as clean as component so I'm gonna figure the same for this set after reading all the posts here.

I also wanted to add, The Blacks are incredibly nice on this set unlike the Hitachi and the brightness is greater than the Hitachi as well. I have this set in our family room which has lots of walls of glass (lots of light) and the picture is still bright as ever unlike the Hitachi, I couldn't really watch the Hitachi in the same spot during the day.

I think I'm gonna keep this Set, I noticed that allot of SD channels look real good on it as well as DVDs with my Samsung.

In everyones opinion here, what would be the absolute Best DVD player to buy for this Set?

Thanks Guys

I'm experiencing the same problem as you. I have the 52HM84. I only see it when I have my Dish Network HD box hooked up via HDMI. It is most noticable when I go to the Dish Menu to check programming. White text on royal blue background. What do you plan on doing about it?

Used the DVI output on the 841. The problem is black crush. You lose details in dark scenes and there is not way to adjust the TV to compensate.

xb1032 and DJMoore22,

Please, please.. keep us updated on the ghosting problem. I am glad to see I am not the only person noticing this and I'm not insane. Digital connection = ghosting?? HOW!!

-A

I forgot to mention that the Tosh speakers are superb! I'm not an audiophile by any means but their range seems extraordinary for a RP tv or any tv for that matter. Can anyone care to elaborate...particularly those with home theatre sound systems? The bass is awesome and the simulated surround has tricked me a few times...I read somewhere that the side speaker construction is not common to most RP, thus providing superior sound.

I've been lurking on this thread (and others) for awhile now trying to decide what set to buy. It was down to a Toshiba or the Mitsubishi. Thanks to all....the posts on this thread helped convince me this is the machine for my family.

Today I ordered a 62 HMX94 that should be delivered in mid November. I'm paying $3699 (plus tax, free shipping), and getting all the bells and whistles.

This a local store in the Phoenix metro area. Feel free to drop me an email if you would like the name of the store that I purchased it from (I don't know if I am allowed to post that here).

Am still comtemplating adding a four year extended warranty for $400 (includes one bulb replacement) and would appreciate hearing others opinions on this decision.

Thanks again,


jt-kline@cox.net

Originally posted by jt-kline
I've been lurking on this thread (and others) for awhile now trying to decide what set to buy. It was down to a Toshiba or the Mitsubishi. Thanks to all....the posts on this thread helped convince me this is the machine for my family.

Today I ordered a 62 HMX94 that should be delivered in mid November. I'm paying $3699 (plus tax, free shipping), and getting all the bells and whistles.

This a local store in the Phoenix metro area. Feel free to drop me an email if you would like the name of the store that I purchased it from (I don't know if I am allowed to post that here).

Am still comtemplating adding a four year extended warranty for $400 (includes one bulb replacement) and would appreciate hearing others opinions on this decision.

Thanks again,


jt-kline@cox.net

JT that is a very good price I must say. Good job. Don't get the warranty until right before the 1-yr anniversary of your purchase date, cuz you can still get it then for the same price, and the clock will start ticking then. Makes sense right, since the manufacturer 1yr warranty will cover you anyway for year 1. That's what I'm gonna do.

Hi ya all! im officially a member of this thread now...took the plunge, will be getting my 52HMX84 this saturday...got it for C$3470 + delivery of C$59.00, which translates to roughly US$2800.00 @ current conversion rate which is pretty good deal i believe...

anyone here got the new toshiba rd-xs52 dvd recorder with upconversion and HDMI? was wondering if all the bugs have been ironed out with regards to the HDMI issue on the 5970. read news that the PQ on the 5970 was awful and toshiba recalled it...any feedback on the rd-xs52 compared to 5970?

thanks!

Originally posted by 71intheworks
Also, has anyone gotten good video through Toshibas HDMI ports?




I'm using both HMDI ports.....One more reason why I chose this set. One is for my Dish Network 811 and the other for my Toshiba DVD player. Perfect video on both with no complaints.

i received my 62hmx84 yesterday and only had limited time last night to play with it. got one obvious problem - please see below. only had my dvd player (hdmi), gamecube (component), and xbox (component) connected to it. i'll be hooking my my directv hd tivo (hr10-250) via the other hdmi port tonight.

first impressions are mixed. i'm sitting pretty darn close to it now (10 feet) and i may back that up to 12 feet. there are 3 picture modes (standard, sports, film) plus a preference mode where you can make your own configuration settings. i briefly went through the basic test patterns in avia although it was hard to discern what to set the settings on. dvd looked good however.

gamecube looked glorious. i started a couple of games in progressive mode (windwaker, metroid prime). the colors were beautiful. the graphics were good although heavily aliased. not really anything you can do about aliasing when blowing up a game to that size picture though i guess. gray bars on the sides of 4:3 games.

xbox...looked rancid. this is my problem. it looks as if there's no (or very little) green. the greens look almost blue or "sea foam." tried several games and it was the same all around. the xbox dashboard looks blue-green, not the green that i'm familiar with. the games don't look vibrant in the least. i'm connected via the monster component cables. anyone have any suggestions here? i plugged the gamecube into the same input on the back of the television and it looked wonderful - very vibrant. plugged the xbox back into that input and it just looked VERY dull. looks like there's something wrong with it. suggestions?

Originally posted by Sc0rp10n
i received my 62hmx84 yesterday and only had limited time last night to play with it. got one obvious problem - please see below. only had my dvd player (hdmi), gamecube (component), and xbox (component) connected to it. i'll be hooking my my directv hd tivo (hr10-250) via the other hdmi port tonight.

xbox...looked rancid. this is my problem. it looks as if there's no (or very little) green. the greens look almost blue or "sea foam." tried several games and it was the same all around. the xbox dashboard looks blue-green, not the green that i'm familiar with. the games don't look vibrant in the least. i'm connected via the monster component cables. anyone have any suggestions here? i plugged the gamecube into the same input on the back of the television and it looked wonderful - very vibrant. plugged the xbox back into that input and it just looked VERY dull. looks like there's something wrong with it. suggestions?

Whoa. You got an issue perhaps with your connectors. make sure they are all tightly connected. On BOTH ends.

I have the 52HMX84, trust me man, these sets are AWESOME. You need to calibrate your system with AVIA or DVE. This is a must. Don't rely on those pre-sets that come with the set: Use custom settings for all your inputs, for color/tint/brightness/etc. Search backwards in this thread to find my (and others') postings on their own settings.

Ok, so what's the lowdown on this: Anyone honed in on any reason whatsoever as to why these DLP's should not be used as PC displays?

Also, to get it working just right (eg. 1:1 mapping), are these lines (HM and HMX) by Toshiba any less/more difficult to get that set up compared to other DLPs? If so, then can you share with us why?

I have not tried this yet. Probably won't until I get a new PC in ~Feb. Just trying to learn before-hand. :cool:

Originally posted by ndahbar
Whoa. You got an issue perhaps with your connectors. make sure they are all tightly connected. On BOTH ends.

I have the 52HMX84, trust me man, these sets are AWESOME. You need to calibrate your system with AVIA or DVE. This is a must. Don't rely on those pre-sets that come with the set: Use custom settings for all your inputs, for color/tint/brightness/etc. Search backwards in this thread to find my (and others') postings on their own settings.


at least i know it's not the input for the tv since i tested the gamecube on both ports and it looked good. the monster cable component connectors did feel weird when connecting them to the set. they're so freakin' tight it's hard to push them on there. would i even be able to get a signal (view game video) on the set if all 3 (RGB) weren't seated properly?

Yes, you'll still get a signal, just one that's screwed up color wise.

Originally posted by Sc0rp10n
at least i know it's not the input for the tv since i tested the gamecube on both ports and it looked good. the monster cable component connectors did feel weird when connecting them to the set. they're so freakin' tight it's hard to push them on there. would i even be able to get a signal (view game video) on the set if all 3 (RGB) weren't seated properly?

Dumb question, but are you sure you hooked up the component connections right? The monster cable has two green connectros. One is video and the other is audio. Maybe you are only hooking up the red and blue connections for video and using the green audio connector for video. Also reconnect the monster connection on the xbox itself.

i'm fairly certain i connected it correctly but those monster cables (there are 5) aren't labeled very good. i'm going to play with it again tonight. after seeing how beautiful the gamecube was, there has to be something weird going on here.

GHOSTING
-------------

I bought a monster DVI->HDMI cable at lunch from BB. I am going to try it and see if maybe my Acoustic Research 6ft HDMI cable along with the Acoustic Research DVI->HDMI adapter could be the issue. In the past I've seen ghosting issues on PCs when using a VGA extension. I'll post my results tomorrow. I'll test on the PC and the Samsung DVI OTA tuner. If the issue is on both I'll just give Toshiba a call and state my issue with the Samsung tuner only as I know I'll get nowhere with the PC connection.

drmarengo,

Did your contact find out any info regarding the ghosting?

Saloooon and any other with the ghosting issue. Did you find any help regarding the ghosting problem?

As far as the HDMI connecton being too dark I think it's probably a SM setting. With my PC hooked up I brought up a picture of my family room. In the family room is a burgundy leather couch. When I opened the picture the couch was very dark with very little detail as far as the wrinkles and so forth goes. The ATI video card had video settings and I raised the Gamma from 0.5 to 1.25 as well as slightly raising the brightness and I can see details in the couch and it no longer looks like a dark room. The blacks do diminish a little though. I'd guess that if someone with the issue were to venture into the SM and copy down the proper setting for component and apply them to the HDMI input that the darkness issue would be resolved. Hopefully we can work through the issues as I think the Toshiba's have a lot of potential with the proper tweaking.

Samsung users have received some good support as some users had their TVs ISF'ed and some experienced folks helped out. If only we had someone like UMR helping us out we could probably work through these issues.

Originally posted by Sc0rp10n
i'm fairly certain i connected it correctly but those monster cables (there are 5) aren't labeled very good. i'm going to play with it again tonight. after seeing how beautiful the gamecube was, there has to be something weird going on here.

I suggested this because I tried out the monster cables just a few days ago and I did just what I told you to check because of how they were labelled. I checked my connections again when the color were off and realized what I had done at that point. As a side note, I tried comparing the Monster cables ($60) vs. the Microsoft HD Pack ($20) and I couldn't tell a difference. The monster cables are going back.

i've got to use the monster ones b/c i'm using an optical audio connection to my 7.1 receiver. i'll post my results after experimenting tonight.

Originally posted by xb1032
...Samsung users have received some good support as some users had their TVs ISF'ed and some experienced folks helped out. If only we had someone like UMR helping us out we could probably work through these issues.

What do you want help with?

it was the monster cables. they were busted. got some new ones and they work fine and look great. bring on halo 2.

Originally posted by ndahbar
[I have the 52HMX84, trust me man, these sets are AWESOME. You need to calibrate your system with AVIA or DVE. This is a must. [/B]

OK, I'm new so I can ask this......

How do I get AVIA or DVE? Not sure what they are or how they work, but I want to try this on my set. Can someone please explain this to a newbee?

Originally posted by moman19
OK, I'm new so I can ask this......

How do I get AVIA or DVE? Not sure what they are or how they work, but I want to try this on my set. Can someone please explain this to a newbee?

Amazon.com

Just do a search for AVIA. It's like 30 bucks.

Originally posted by moman19
OK, I'm new so I can ask this......

How do I get AVIA or DVE? Not sure what they are or how they work, but I want to try this on my set. Can someone please explain this to a newbee?

They don't "do" anything other than provide test patterns and instructions on how you should adjust your TV settings to provide the best picture. They don't automatically adjust anything for you, but they give you all the tools you'll need to get the best image you can from your different sources.

Your Not gonna Beleive this,

The place I bought my 62HM84 from the other day has a clearance center as well. Well today, I went in there looking for a Range for my house and I started seeing quite a few open Box DLPs and LCDs. So I'm browsing around then BAMMMM!!!! there's an open Box 62HM84 so I as Im walking over to ask the manager the price BAMMM AGAIN!!! theres an open box of the Bello avs-4210s stand I've been dreaming about for the new Set I just bought. The AVS-4210s Stand goes for like $700.00 where I live and I just paid $3,500.00 (Tax included) for my Set. So If I bought the Stand I wanted too it would bring the whole Setup to $4,250.00 for the TV and Bello Stand with tax.

So I finally get to talk to the Busy manager and I take a shot in the dark and tell him I will give him $3,000 even for the Set and Stand. I knew he would give me the song and Dance and obviously say Hell No but I said its worth a try. So after a big song and dance from the manager, finally said he would do it for $3k even. The set comes with the Full warranty and everything like new along with a 30 day money back. It was not used as a display and all the original packing plastic and Tape to hold the door closed is on it.

So I put a down payment hold them to Friday (Today) so I can rent a truck. I'm planning on bringing back the Set I just Paid $3,500.00 for and get this open box set up.

What do you think? Any precautions I should be aware besides the obvious?

Varkus,

Get your Sony DVP-NS975V hooked up via HDMI yet? if so, how does it look? It's getting some pretty good reviews over in the DVD section.... I placed an order for this to come along with my 46HM94, which I'm supposed to get on the 5th.

By The way, what do you guys recommend for calibrating this set, Avia or DVE? I heard DVE is better in general but Avia comes with more Bells and whistles.

Thanx

So, does anyone here had successful change the "Gray Bars" on 4x3 to "Black Bars". I follow the information from the last post but it didn't work. Please anyone have more information or has success on change to black bars. Thanks.

XB1032,

I have been working with toshiba direct out of tennessee and basically, they are going to send me a new set, if that one has the same issue, they will refund my money and I will purchase a different line.

As far as ghosting is concerned, I will post a picture, tonight of what specifically I am talking about.

PS- anyone used DVE to set up set yet, man green and red way off. It was just funny how sound and visions simpler disc made it perfect. One thing I like about the Mitsubishi sets-can adjust all colors in color decoder.

I'm fairly new to high end video, but have been into high end 2ch audio for years. There's probably very little technical info here, but just wanted to post my experiences with the 52HM84 so far. Please forgive any noob fauxpas.

Last week I finally pulled the trigger on a 52hm84. Short story, took a little adjusting and upgrading sources, but I'm finally very happy!!!

Long story: After tons of research here on AVS and other forums and visiting more B&M stores than I care to remember, I narrowed my search down to DLP. LCD was out for the lack of black detail, CRT was out for the size, weight and burn-in and LCD/plasma were out for cost and burn-in. There were lots of sets I didn't like (won't mention those) and I'm sure there were some I didn't get to see, but it came down to 4 DLP sets regarding picture quality, the mitsubishi 57525 (?), the Panasonic PT-50DL54 the Samsung Kirk, and the Toshiba.

I eliminated the Mitubishi for the price and glare screen, the Kirk for the silly pedistal (plus the price). That left the head to head battle of the Panasonic and the Toshiba. Their picture quality as far as I could tell was very similar and with the source material I could get stores to display it was a toss up between either one. Not surprising as they both use the same H2+ chip. They look very similar (size, shape, color), have very similar sets of inputs, have similar remotes and similar prices. I wound up choosing the Toshiba because I got what I think is a good deal, one technical issue I read about the Panasonic regarding excessive fan noise and I gave the Toshiba the nod for better sound (though that wasn't that important to me).

The deal: I picked up the set at SEARS for a good price. I went in there with some printouts from on-line retailers that had some rediculously low pricing (don't even think they were authorized dealers). Asked the salesman what the best price he could give me on the set to which he responded "Well, we'll price match any competitor". Without providing any documentation or proof, I mentioned the price that I could get it (not mentioning it was from an on-line retailer) to which he said "we can match that, plus and additional 10% of the difference". I kinda second guessed myself when he accepted my first offer (doesn't that always happen), but it was a good deal, plus he threw in free shipping. Wound up getting it delivered to my home within 3 days for well under $3K (including tax) with full SEARS support and 30 day no questions asked return policy.

Setup: Got it delivered real early Sunday morning and mounted it on a make shift stand of milk crates and plywood (more on that later). It's set too low at around 15-16", but it's acceptable for now when seated/lying on the couch. My couches put you at about 11' and 13' away which is just about perfect for this set. Vertical viewing angle is kinda limited (gets very dark when higher than seated level), but the horizontal viewing angle is just outstanding. I could easilly watch it at 70 degrees off center from either side.

Picture quality: At the time I only had my standard digital cable via S-video and an older non progressive Panasonic DVD via component. I had already placed my order for HDTV (comcast) so while I waited for that, thought I'd check out what I had so far using the out of the box picture settings.

- SD is very good on some channels, acceptable on most and horrible on a few. I don't know all the technical terms to describe the poor channels' picture, but it was a general grainyness blurry picture with untrue color renderings and bad black detail. Overall watchable. My cable box allows you to change the color of the pillar box bars on 4:3 material, so the light gray bar aren't an issue for me. If I had to keep the gray bars, I think I'd get used to it.

- HDTV, once the cable guy came and installed the new box, I got a taste of what the TV could do. While I only have a handfull of HD channels (and no HD Discovery which really bugs me), their picture quality is awesome. Clear, crisp details, accurate colors and a real 3-D look to it. I'd love to give you more details, but the cable box crapped out within 24 hours (giving me a error and not even powering up). Cable guy is coming this weekend to replace it.

- DVD via my old Panisonic was very dissapointing. I got an overall dark picture with horrible black detail, lots of wierd artifacts in high contrast areas (white or bright colors against a black background) and poor detail. I saw rainbows on almost every dark scene that had an area of high contrast, especially on action scenes.

I was really bumed and regretting my DLP choice, but was determined to see if a different DVD source would cure the problem. After even more research here on AVS and a bit of hunting for a place that had them in stock, I picked up a Zenith DVB318 which upconverts over component. Now this is what I was expecting!!! The picture over 720P or 1080i (pretty close to each other in my eyes) is just incredible. Equal to the little bit of HDTV that I was able to see. This player does have a bit of white crush with minor artifacts in pure white picture, but the detail, color and depth are amazing. Rainbows were also greatly reduced. I'm also very happy with the black detail and glad I decided to go with the DLP.

Sound - While not autophile quality, I gotta say that the speakers are quite good for a stock TV. Totally acceptable for normal viewing and will tide me over till I get a 5.1 system (now that's gonna be tough for me to decide on when compared to my 2ch system).

Interface/adjustments - The remote and menu system is a little funky, but I got used to it and was able to adjust the PQ to my liking. Have an avia disk on order so I do officicial adjustments later. The 'buttons' on the front of the set are very cool, basically a buttonless touch panel, but the labels are difficult to read in the dark.

So far, I'm now a happy camper with my high quality DVD picture. Will be even happier when HDTV is up and running. Initially, I was questioning my purchase and considering returning the set, but with an upgrade to the source and tweaking of the settings, I'm keeping it for sure.

Now I'm just looking for a wide, furniture like stand (with doors to cover the components) that's about 22-24" high. Looking at one particular Bush stand, but haven't seen it in person. Anybody got any suggestions?

Michael

PS gotta give props to my girlfriend for coming with me to countless video stores end endulging all of my comments on each set. She was really interested throughout the process (or at least did a good job pretending), gave me her opinions on each set and didn't give me and grief about spending the too much money on a TV. I think she was happy I was including her in the decision process. She's a keeper!!!

Originally posted by drmarengo
XB1032,

I
PS- anyone used DVE to set up set yet, man green and red way off. It was just funny how sound and visions simpler disc made it perfect. One thing I like about the Mitsubishi sets-can adjust all colors in color decoder.

To my knowledge, the Toshibas do NOT let you adjust colors at the decoder level. So how are you able to adjust Red & Greaan other than via the ordinary Color/TInt controls? Is there a back door?

Originally posted by drmarengo
XB1032,

I have been working with toshiba direct out of tennessee and basically, they are going to send me a new set, if that one has the same issue, they will refund my money and I will purchase a different line.

Did they say it was an isolated issue? I tried again last night with a different DVI-HDMI cable. I have the Same issue. I used the Samsung OTA receiver and I get ghosting which is moslty display just by bringing up the menu. For instance, if the letter U(white text) was displayed on the menu and the background is blue, you'll see an outline of the letter U both to the left of the letter and to the right of the letter. Not to mention, the DVI input is much darker. Also, there was a show on last night in HD with a dark scene and the black area had a greenish tint to it. I switched over to component and the greenish tint was gone, the picture wasn't dark anymore, and no ghosting. I was hoping there's a fix. I'm not sure how that would affect my warranty from HH Gregg for $500.

Originally posted by mpauly
PS gotta give props to my girlfriend for coming with me to countless video stores end endulging all of my comments on each set. She was really interested throughout the process (or at least did a good job pretending), gave me her opinions on each set and didn't give me and grief about spending the too much money on a TV. I think she was happy I was including her in the decision process. She's a keeper!!!

Sounds like she's a keeper...the TV too!

I'm on the fence between the Mits and the Tosh so this was very helpful to me.

DC

Originally posted by umr
What do you want help with?

So far there's not been any advanced users that own the Toshiba that have posted SM tweaks for items such as color adjustments, tweaks to improve shadow details, how to change the bars from gray to black (someone posted how they thought would change it but I'd feel better with an experienced tech that has done it before first). Several people are having ghosting issues and darkness via HDMI. Just not getting the kind of support on this forum that was available for the Samsung and I know you provided a lot of useful information for people on the Sony LCDs and other LCDs. I'll probably call Toshiba about the HDMI issue as it could be an isolated issue but tweaks are always helpful.

Mitsubishi doesn't have an all-digital-path with the one HDMI input, it concerts from D-A-D. I assume the Toshiba's 1 and 2 on the HMX HDMI inputs are all digital.

Originally posted by mpauly
Now I'm just looking for a wide, furniture like stand (with doors to cover the components) that's about 22-24" high. Looking at one particular Bush stand, but haven't seen it in person. Anybody got any suggestions?

Michael

Welcome to the club Michael!! I got mine a few months ago and despite
a few quirks I remain a happy camper...as I feel we have gotten the best price
to performance out there today. It has a few small skeletons but none of
them keep me from enjoying the glorious hidef programming. BTW the
discoveryHD IS really really worth it. Your local PBS channel will also be a
source of superb hidef programming. If at all possible consider going to
directv satellite then you can get the hidef Tivo which is another MUST HAVE.

As far as stands....I ordered this one:
http://www.furniturebuzz.com/detail.asp?model=SUL20545

Not a heirloom...It's particle board construction and requires assembly...but is
looks very very nice with this tv. and the best part it is VERY cost effective.
Lots of room for equipment and you can order extra shelves if needed. If
you get this or one like it and it dosent have wheels...take the time to attach
some as it seems there is always a new reason to get back there.

Originally posted by xb1032
So far there's not been any advanced users that own the Toshiba that have posted SM tweaks for items such as color adjustments, tweaks to improve shadow details, how to change the bars from gray to black (someone posted how they thought would change it but I'd feel better with an experienced tech that has done it before first). Several people are having ghosting issues and darkness via HDMI. Just not getting the kind of support on this forum that was available for the Samsung and I know you provided a lot of useful information for people on the Sony LCDs and other LCDs. I'll probably call Toshiba about the HDMI issue as it could be an isolated issue but tweaks are always helpful.

I agree not much tweaking. I have been enjoying it so much out of the box
that I dont see a need for significant tweaking. I have played with the
service menu (look early in this thread) and there are some entries that
look like RGB gain and offset adjustments. So it should be possible. I think
there was so much tweaking with the HD2 and HD3 displays because they
simply had not reached acceptable levels of performance. I think the three or
four HD2+ models currently available have reached that level...but YMMV.

It's a matter of expectations. I paid $3500 for a 38" VGA monitor five years
ago that had great picture. I replaced it with a 52" display for about $2800
that still puts me in bliss every time I watch PBS or DSC-HD. I didnt expect
this early technology to be perfect and yes I have noticed a little ghosting
and a few problems when using a PC with HDMI but all in all I think I got
a TERRIFIC deal. I expect in five more years to be blown away even more.

I would be willing to take a look at one if someone in the Sugar Land area PM's me.

Originally posted by umr
I would be willing to take a look at one if someone in the Sugar Land area PM's me.

That's a good offer to anyone willing. UMR has been a very valuable resource specifically for Sony LCD owners so anyone willing would benefit from UMRs knowledge. I'd offer but I'm thousands of miles from Texas :rolleyes: (Ohio).

Hey Mpauly,

You said "Rainbows were also greatly reduced" using the Zenith 318.

I have the same TV and I see the rainbows all the time....for DVD I'm still using the cheap Cyberhome 300 Component output....

I see rainbows not just in DVD, but if I can reduce them on DVDs will be great !

Do you think just replacing my DVD for a better one can help reduce the rainbows ??

Thanks !!!

Originally posted by TheGrub
Ok, i tried taking pictures again... here is what i could get... it was pretty hard to take nice pictures that realy shows what's going on.... But here it is.

It was easy to reproduce while playing an xbox racing game. Turning around and around and around was doing it.

1st shot is a shot of the car going straight. Check out the trees, grass and road. Remeber that the car is moving forward pretty fast. So IMO the definition of the trees and everything is pretty good.

http://www.creationspapillonbleu.com/52HM84/straight.jpg

2nd picture is at the same spot but i was doing circles so the whole screen is panning to the right. Look at the trees and grass and road again, it look all grainy.

http://www.creationspapillonbleu.com/52HM84/pan.jpg


i think it's dithering but i could be wrong. If it is then this tv seems to have dithering problems when the camera is panning alot.

Is this what i think ???

I will try taking better pictures.. but these are a start.

I wondering if what you're talking about is the same thing I happened to see when I was on one of my TV exploration trips. I was looking at all the different HDTV displays out there and notice that when a few, just a handful , played a scene that panned real fast it blurred, the best way to describe (because I didn't spend much time in front of any set that did that) it was for those who play the Tom Clancey games when you walk through an area that's been gassed and don't have a gas mask everything gets blurry and it's almost like frames are being dropped. It's REALLY noticeable when you're looking at a wall of about 20 or so sets and 3 of them do it. Not cool at all. I was in CompUSA when I saw this. TheGrub does that kinda describe what you're seeing?

Hello All, It looks like there is starting to quite a few owners of this HDTVs.
I have an issue I need to see if I am the only one or a common issue. During a letterbox movie, I see a bowing in of the picture on the top and bottom, also if I watch a 4X3 shoe I can see bowing on left and right sides. It is kinda like a pincushion effect.
I will be testing the HDMI input soon attached to a COX stb and I will post my results.

Originally posted by mpauly

Now I'm just looking for a wide, furniture like stand (with doors to cover the components) that's about 22-24" high. Looking at one particular Bush stand, but haven't seen it in person. Anybody got any suggestions?

Michael

PS gotta give props to my girlfriend for coming with me to countless video stores end endulging all of my comments on each set. She was really interested throughout the process (or at least did a good job pretending), gave me her opinions on each set and didn't give me and grief about spending the too much money on a TV. I think she was happy I was including her in the decision process. She's a keeper!!! [/B]


Thanks for the post. I just ordered mine and am waiting for it to arrive. We ordered our base from Stanley furniture. Here's a link

http://www.stanleyfurniture.com/Browse.do?nav2=SHOMEHOME&nav3=SHOMHOME02&sku=388-27-37&nav1=SHOMEENTE

We chose a rubbed black finish (you can opt only for the base and forgo the cabinet). The door panels can be replaced with glass and you can order extra shelves if you have a lot of components.

Originally posted by mecl
Hey Mpauly,

You said "Rainbows were also greatly reduced" using the Zenith 318.

I have the same TV and I see the rainbows all the time....for DVD I'm still using the cheap Cyberhome 300 Component output....

I see rainbows not just in DVD, but if I can reduce them on DVDs will be great !

Do you think just replacing my DVD for a better one can help reduce the rainbows ??

Thanks !!!

Mecl,

Rainbows were reduced, that is for sure. I'm not sure why, perhaps because the picture with my old panny DVD was so dark with poor black detail that any lighter color created high contrast areas (the source of rainbows)? I don't know, maybe someone with more technical expertice can explain it. Either way, the Zenith upconverting DVD really is awesome. I can't say if upgrading your DVD player will do anything for rainbows, but it did for me.

Sorry I can't be of more help here.

Michael

Can the 52HMX84 have separate video settings (tint, color, brightness, etc.) for each input source?

Michael

Originally posted by Michael Mohrmann
Can the 52HMX84 have separate video settings (tint, color, brightness, etc.) for each input source?

Michael

YES

So far, I've only seen a message or two here from people who say they're using their 52HM84 as an HTPC. Victor Nowic, the initiator of this thread, was one of them. Basically, I'm a new 52HM84 owner and a noob to this whole HTPC thing. So, is it possible for any experts in here to offer some advice on using this TV with an HTPC? Anything such as Powerstrip settings, etc. would be appreciated. I already have the DVI to HDMI cable. (I purchased it through PCCables.com for a nice $25 price. That sure beats BB's whopping $100+ pricetag!)

Thanks,
NathanE

Originally posted by totalownership
I wondering if what you're talking about is the same thing I happened to see when I was on one of my TV exploration trips. I was looking at all the different HDTV displays out there and notice that when a few, just a handful , played a scene that panned real fast it blurred, the best way to describe (because I didn't spend much time in front of any set that did that) it was for those who play the Tom Clancey games when you walk through an area that's been gassed and don't have a gas mask everything gets blurry and it's almost like frames are being dropped. It's REALLY noticeable when you're looking at a wall of about 20 or so sets and 3 of them do it. Not cool at all. I was in CompUSA when I saw this. TheGrub does that kinda describe what you're seeing?

Well, not blury but on fast camera pans, if you keep your eyes on the same objects, espessialy on Gray or yellow objects, you see color breakup and it gets all pixelated.

In Ebay u can get DVI to HDMI cable for $15-20 shipped. Last week I got gold plated component cable for 15$ shipped.

Originally posted by NathanE
So far, I've only seen a message or two here from people who say they're using their 52HM84 as an HTPC. Victor Nowic, the initiator of this thread, was one of them. Basically, I'm a new 52HM84 owner and a noob to this whole HTPC thing. So, is it possible for any experts in here to offer some advice on using this TV with an HTPC? Anything such as Powerstrip settings, etc. would be appreciated. I already have the DVI to HDMI cable. (I purchased it through PCCables.com for a nice $25 price. That sure beats BB's whopping $100+ pricetag!)

Thanks,
NathanE

Hi Nathan....It dose not offer perfect 1:1 pixel mapping but I find it
quite useable....but I am not as picky as some....it works better for
images than text....read this whole thread for details...in a nutshell:

1. get a DVI to HDMI cable and a supported (check drivers) card
2. use the nvidia 66.0 "pirate drivers" to fix overscan.
3. turn down sharpness and brightness for best text.
4. get a MyHD w DVI daughter card...almost unbeatable on
DVD and over the air or playback HD transport streams from Tivo

Still in love with my display

Victor
===============

By the specs, I really like the upcoming 62HMX94 TVs, but will wait to see one in person (hopefully soon). I only have one major issue at this point with it, Grey Bars. Does anyone have a work-around or know if when viewing TV using the cable card there will be a way to get black insteat of grey?

I just received my 52HM84 yesterday. I connected up my digital cable conection and the picture was terrible. I had my old Panasonic RPTV tweaked extensively. Some major changes to the user settings and the picture is acceptable. My Panny had the option to turn off the upscaling to 480P. I preferred the scanlines to the softer picture. There doesn't appear to be the option on the Tosh. I sometimes find the scaling artifacts disturbing, but I'll get used to them. The blacks are very good, the whites are lacking in detail (this may make it go back if I can't correct it). Looks like the gamma is prety far off. HDTV looks great. Unfortunately I only have a few OTA channels available and there isn't a lot of programming worth watching. To bad I don't watch football <g>. I haven't watched a DVD yet because I primarily us my X1 for movies. I was wrestling between this unit and the Mits. The Mits had an integrated tuner (which I don't need) a glare screen I would remove right away and netcommand (which looks interesting). The Tosh was a grand cheaper and 50 lbs lighter and has the integrated guide if I can get a cablecard. I may have to look at the Mits again if I can't resolve the whites issue.

Hi every body.
I'm waiting to hear that my 52HM94 is in, and last night our APEX DVD player broke. The guy at the shop has been trying to sell me a Toshiba sd-5970 since I ordered the set. Is this the way to go? Remember I thought the APEX was good. The fire wire on the 52HM94 that hooks to what Toshiba calls Symbo(hard drive recorder) is that the same as the I-link on a Sony DVD R? Thanks for all the tips and tweaks. Ernie

PS the sony is Model: RDRGX7/B

Has anyone actually tried this on the 62HM or 62HMX series? Does it work?

Also, does anyone have the width and depth of the bottom of the base for one of these sets? I need to see if it will sit on the table I have. And is the base flat or is the support only around the outer edges of the base?

Thanks!

Tom


Originally posted by Quill
I have a HMX on order, and the grey bars issue is one of the few drawbacks this TV has. Has anyone tried the tweaks that worked on standard Toshiba RPTVs on their DLP?

I doubt the procedure is identical, but the name of the parameter may be, as well as the concept of controlling the brightness of the sidebars...

1. First, you need a One For All remote. This is the only way I have found so far which allows access to the ADDR mode, which is even more 'powerful' than the design mode. You will find little about the design mode in the service manual and nothing about the ADDR mode.

I used the OneForAll Cinema 7. ($24.99 at Best Buy) Per the remote's instruction manual, set it for Toshiba code 0156. Try turning the TV on and off with the remote now to see if you did it properly.

2. Next, set the macro button on the remote (per the instructions) so that the macro sequence is: setup button, (labelled on some Oneforalls as the 'magic' button) then 0, 1, 4.

3. Remove all inputs from the TV (don't know if this matters, but I did it just in case) I then put my TV in Video 1 input and put it in standard mode so I could see the gray bars.

4. Pressing the macro button once should now put your TV in the ADDR mode. You will see the letters ADDR in the upper left corner and some letters and numbers.

5. Now, pressing the VOLUME button will change parameters, so don't press it unless you feel like experimenting. Simply press the CHANNEL up and down and you will cycle through parameters without making any changes. Stop when you reach the following parameter: (I had to scroll up for a WHILE)

2B7H - this controls the brightness of the sidebars and will probably show you a value of 07.

6. Now - simply press the volume down until that value reaches 00. (you will see the side bars turn black) TURN YOUR SET OFF TO EXIT ADDR MODE.

YOU'RE DONE. Hook your video inputs back up and turn your set on. You will now enjoy black sidebars on all material while in standard mode.

tcimpidis,

I try with just pushing 0, 1, 4, but it didn't work. Can't seem to get into ADDR. Maybe I need a One For All remote. Anyone has this remote please try it and let us know if this work or not. Thanks.

Here is another information regarting Gary bars. It is for HX, not HM, but it may work if you can get in ADDR mode.

http://www.bus.ucf.edu/cwhite/theater/GaryBarsBlack.htm

Wish someone has a solution. Thanks.

Great thread guys...

I have been looking at DLP TV's for over a year now and have narrowed my choices down to this TV. Unless newer models from other companies come out during the 1st quarter of next year (when I plan to buy).

My only concern is with the dithering during videogame use. To those that have a XBOX, Gamecube or PS2... how bad is the dithering? Does it make the games un-playable?

I read through this entire thread and looked at the pictures someone took. I wanted to get opinions from those that play the faster paced games to see how often this happens and how bad it is. For example, during first person shooters, does this happen often or just once in a while? Also, is it the entire screen or just sections?

Thanks

Originally posted by KevinSDiego
Varkus,

Get your Sony DVP-NS975V hooked up via HDMI yet? if so, how does it look? It's getting some pretty good reviews over in the DVD section.... I placed an order for this to come along with my 46HM94, which I'm supposed to get on the 5th.

Not sure if I've posted this here or not...but so far the NS975 via HDMI (upscaling to 720p) looks pretty damn good. I tweaked it very, very quickly with Avia and I think the picture looks pretty good. I probably need to tweak the black level a bit (especially after reading the thread in the DVD area)...but I have no complaints about image quality so far and haven't seen any macroblocking from the player (yet).

That said, I haven't run a lot of DVDs through it yet, and none of them have really been good 'reference' DVDs (like LOTR:TTT) which are supposed to really test blacks/motion etc.

Varkus,
What brand of HDMI cable are you using? Need to pick one up.

just wondering if any1 has the new toshiba dvd recorder rd-xs52 and how it performs on the HM/HMX. read some articles that the previous HDMI efforts of toshiba sucked (dvd player 5970). was hoping this new model has the bugs worked out, especially the HDMI PQ / performance.

thanks!

Anyone know when the 52HMX94 is available?

Crutchfield says Nov. 12th
here (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-1flwz90fCzC/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=05252HMX94&cc=01&search=52HMx94)

Surely by now, somebody must know why some of us have the audio MTS setting greyed out and on mono.

If your not on one of the ANT inputs and using just the red/white analog cables then there is no slection to choose MTS. You just automatically get stereo.

Ok,

How do we get the sides of the 4x3 picture on these DLP sets to be straight? Mine are always bent concave. Not enough to distort the picture annoyingly, but enough to notice it.

Anyone seen this?

Originally posted by staggarlee
Surely by now, somebody must know why some of us have the audio MTS setting greyed out and on mono.

I believe it's grayed out because you're not decoding anything. MTS only applies when you're receiving an analog signal that contains stereo audio. Go to source 0 and tune in a network channel. I'll bet you'll see MTS and Stereo.

Originally posted by ndahbar
Ok,

How do we get the sides of the 4x3 picture on these DLP sets to be straight? Mine are always bent concave. Not enough to distort the picture annoyingly, but enough to notice it.

Anyone seen this?

I wish I knew. It would really be nice if we were able to get access to these setting. A cheap PC display lets you adjust the geometry of the screen. If we could get in to these settings, we might even be able to blank out those damn gray pillars.

Lodey and Kevin.

It seems the HMX94 models are being pushed back a bit. I've had my eye on the 62HMX94 expected arrival date at Crutchfield, and I'm dismayed to see that the expected arrival has just been pushed back from 11/5 to 11/19. Well, I guess good things come to those who wait...

Originally posted by ndahbar
Ok,

How do we get the sides of the 4x3 picture on these DLP sets to be straight? Mine are always bent concave. Not enough to distort the picture annoyingly, but enough to notice it.

Anyone seen this?

Yes, I see this as well. I'd guess it's about a 1/8" bow inward, though I've not actually measured it. It is slightly annoying if I look for it, but not enough that it's distracting. With my bars set to 'dark' on my cable box, the bowing is much less noticable than when it's the default light gray.

If you figure out how to adjust I'd love to hear about it though.

Michael

Could you Private Message me on where you got that deal on your 52HMX84 -- seems almost to good to be true?

Re: Geometry

This slight bowing is noticeable on my 52. After a month now, I have decided that I am not gonna let it bother me. I don't believe one can, at this time, buy perfection for $3.5k. Thus, the fantastic picture on all good HD source material more than offsets any minor periphial negatives such as gray bars or bowing (that I no longer even notice ..... maybe because I watch 80% HD). Just another .02.

I've found that the best solution for the grey side bars and the bowing is to use Theatrewide 1 mode.

End of story.

Originally posted by martin45
Re: Geometry

This slight bowing is noticeable on my 52. After a month now, I have decided that I am not gonna let it bother me. I don't believe one can, at this time, buy perfection for $3.5k. Thus, the fantastic picture on all good HD source material more than offsets any minor periphial negatives such as gray bars or bowing (that I no longer even notice ..... maybe because I watch 80% HD). Just another .02.

When i first got my Toshiba I thought it was defective. So I went to the store and closely inspected the other DLP TV's at Best Buy with a Straight Edge for a guide.

All the DLP's exibited this on 4:3 material. In fact the Toshiba has the least "bow" of them all.

I think this is an artifact of DLP? Can someone confirm?

Thanks

Originally posted by KevinSDiego
Varkus,
What brand of HDMI cable are you using? Need to pick one up.

I just picked up an HDMI cable from Magnolia Hi-Fi becuase I was deperate.

I don't even know the brand, off hand, but I'm sure it's well over-priced and you could probably pick up something cheaper online with the same results (all I know is that it looks like a thick, blue, bungie cord).

Originally posted by DLP Type R
I've found that the best solution for the grey side bars and the bowing is to use Theatrewide 1 mode.

End of story.

I gotta agree with DLP Type R on this one - I went with standard letterbox 4:3 for a while, and they gray bars really didn't bother me...but stretching everything to Theaterwide 1 is the setting I eventually settled on. I honestly don't feel it affects the image quality of SD material that badly, and the distortion is tolerable and minimal. If I have a larger set - why not use the whole screen.

I'm sure image purists will disagree...but SD sucks anyway. :p

hi, just got my 52HMX84 delivered, as soon as i turned it on, i hear a razor-like, saw-like buzzing sound, it seems to be coming from the fan, the noise varies / undulates like when you're sawing through something and there's resistance. it constantly buzzes. This is especially evident right after the unit is turned off, with its quick start feature enabled meaning the fan still runs for a few minutes. i believe the fan noise isnt supposed to be this kind of noise, i expected and would understand if it sounds like a fan spinning, but not a razor-like buzzing sound.

since we have hardwood flooring and no carpets at all, i can hear the sound quite loudly, but when the volume of the tv is set somewhere around the 28 level..i dont hear it.

any1 in this thread has the same experience? is this normal? pls comment! im worried i might have gotten a defective unit.

I asked Toshiba about the MTS greyed out and here is their reply. I means that it is always on if you are going through HDMI. No need to change it.


"Thanks for writing.

The reason that MTS is grayed out is because the DVI input is considered Video Input. The MTS Stereo will only work with a cable or antenna signal connected directly to one of the antenna jacks on the back of the TV.

The DVI jack is a stereo input. The only time it would output in mono is if the signal being sent is mono. Other than that the DVI input is always in stereo. All you need to do is make sure your satellite box is set to output a stereo signal and that is what our unit will allow you to hear."

Zeicht, that is definitely not normal. Get it looked at ASAP. Seems like fan blade is hitting some obstruction. The Toshes are known for its low fan noise.

Originally posted by mpauly
Yes, I see this as well. I'd guess it's about a 1/8" bow inward, though I've not actually measured it. It is slightly annoying if I look for it, but not enough that it's distracting. With my bars set to 'dark' on my cable box, the bowing is much less noticable than when it's the default light gray.

If you figure out how to adjust I'd love to hear about it though.

Michael

I just called the local store where i bought my TV from, they are gonna make a coupla calls to Toshiba on my behalf and try to find out how to do this! Keep ur fingers crossed...

I posted about this some time ago.....I have now owned my 52HM84 for a little over a month and for the most part I love it.....but......there are, at times, very severe lip synch issues. Does anyone else have this same experience? How would I fix this issue?

Thanks,
Chris

Originally posted by cjm
I posted about this some time ago.....I have now owned my 52HM84 for a little over a month and for the most part I love it.....but......there are, at times, very severe lip synch issues. Does anyone else have this same experience? How would I fix this issue?

Thanks,
Chris

No synch issues here with my 52HMX. Not at all. Not with satellite, not with console gaming, not with DVD playback, not with cable.

Originally posted by ndahbar
I just called the local store where i bought my TV from, they are gonna make a coupla calls to Toshiba on my behalf and try to find out how to do this! Keep ur fingers crossed...

While you're at it, ask how we can darken the gray bars to black on SD.

Good Luck!

Don't know if this has been covered inside this thread - but can someone confirm that the 2 HDMI (or 1 HDMI on the HM) inputs are true-digital paths, and they do not convert from digital to analog back to digital?? I was strong on the Mitsubishi xx725 until I found out their 1 HDMI input does this. Anyone confirm on the HMX84 or HMX94 that the HDMI is true all digital path? Thanks!

guys, i notice bowing on 4x3 screens, is this just normal?

got my 52hmx84 today, noticed a buzzing sound coming from the back, most likely from the fan, it's like a saw-like, electric razor-like sound. gonna call for service tomorrow and replacement if cant be fixed.

but what's dissapoiting most is the HD PQ, i expected too much i guess...to me it's just like a very good SD feed to an CRT tv. nothing spectacular...of course SD feed is much worse...i dunno, probably im getting bad feed...im from canada and i got expressvu, uses the same hardware as dishnetwork in the states.

i hope there's a remedy to the PQ, hope theres something that can be done.

Hi Everyone,

I as you may already know, I recently purchased a 62" Toshiba DLP (62HM84) and currently have a Samsung HD814 DVD that I want to upgrade due to bad dark picture quality. I been doing lots of reading here in the DVD forums and can't come to a decision on which DVD player to go with.

My Budget is $200.00 - $500.00 and I would like a DVD player that has an HDMI output on it that looks good on my Toshiba DLP. From what I've been reading, everyone seems to like the component output over HDMI. I also want a Player that does 720/1080i Upscaling. I don't care if the DVD player is Universal or not.

From what I'm reading in this thread, My considerations are...

Zenith DVB-318
Denon DVD-1910 or 2910
Sony DVP-NS975V

Any thoughts?
I also posted this in the AVS DVD forums and haven't gotten any responses.

Thanx

Originally posted by zeicht
hi, just got my 52HMX84 delivered, as soon as i turned it on, i hear a razor-like, saw-like buzzing sound, it seems to be coming from the fan, the noise varies / undulates like when you're sawing through something and there's resistance. it constantly buzzes. This is especially evident right after the unit is turned off, with its quick start feature enabled meaning the fan still runs for a few minutes. i believe the fan noise isnt supposed to be this kind of noise, i expected and would understand if it sounds like a fan spinning, but not a razor-like buzzing sound.

since we have hardwood flooring and no carpets at all, i can hear the sound quite loudly, but when the volume of the tv is set somewhere around the 28 level..i dont hear it.

any1 in this thread has the same experience? is this normal? pls comment! im worried i might have gotten a defective unit.

I too hear the fan, though it sound like....well....a fan. Definitely not a razor like sound, nor does it fluctuate or change in pitch. I only notice it on very quiet scenes when there is no other noise in my apt. For reference, my Dell PC's fan is much louder than this TV's fan.

Sounds like you have a problem and should have it checked out.

Originally posted by SandmanX

From what I'm reading in this thread, My considerations are...

Zenith DVB-318
Denon DVD-1910 or 2910
Sony DVP-NS975V



I can't comment on the Denon or the Sony, but I picked up a Zenith DVB318 and the picture is amzing. It's one of the few players that will upconvert over component. As I understand it the newer version (manufacture date after July 2004 or so) will only convert over dvi, but you can download the firmware for the older version to upconvert over component.

Like you I had read about so many issues regarding the HDMI ports, that I searched out the Zenith so I could use component. If you can find one, you won't be dissappointed, especially for the price.

Anyone see a 52HM94 yet? OneCall has a very good deal going on the pre-order but I was hoping to wait another month to spend the cash...just wondering how long It will be before they start shipping.

Originally posted by mpauly
I can't comment on the Denon or the Sony, but I picked up a Zenith DVB318 and the picture is amzing. It's one of the few players that will upconvert over component. As I understand it the newer version (manufacture date after July 2004 or so) will only convert over dvi, but you can download the firmware for the older version to upconvert over component.

Like you I had read about so many issues regarding the HDMI ports, that I searched out the Zenith so I could use component. If you can find one, you won't be dissappointed, especially for the price.

mpauly (and everyone else)

What am I doing wrong? I tried the old DVB318 firmware with component AND the new firmware with DVI on my 46HM84 and I get ridiculous amounts of artifacts, or that's what I think they are called. Basically, the picture looks grainy, not high-resolution, but made up of little squares, especially during colorful action scenes. I hope that is not normal. Please help!

Stas

FYI, sears recently dropped their pricing on these sets and additionally right now has a 10% off coupon and free shipping. Makes it an attractive, no haggle price (though I was able to get a lower price by haggling).

ctac, I don't know what to tell you, I don't get any odd digital artifacts or blocking with my dvb318. What resolution do you have it sending to the TV? What TV settings are you using?

Just a question, do you notice any difference in the component vs DVI/HDMI?

I tried all - 480p, 720p, and 1080i. I dont see any difference bw Component and HDMI. What TV settings are you talking about?

Originally posted by mpauly
I too hear the fan, though it sound like....well....a fan. Definitely not a razor like sound, nor does it fluctuate or change in pitch. I only notice it on very quiet scenes when there is no other noise in my apt. For reference, my Dell PC's fan is much louder than this TV's fan.

Sounds like you have a problem and should have it checked out.

Sorry to hear my fellow 52HMX84 owners are facing this issue. I never had it on mine. When i power up, I hear the fan spinning up very easily as it is quite rapid, but then after 2 seconds, extremely quiet. Even when you get right by the TV. A faint distant fan noise. It's volume or pitch leaves me with absolutely NOTHING to complain about.

Perhaps I am missing something here but I see no advantage to having the player upconvert to 1080I (or whatever) rather than letting the set do it, assuming that you output 480 progressive from the player to the set. I doubt that the upconverter in the player is any better than what is in the set (scaler) and there is definitely nothing beyond 480P coded on the disk, so that is not a consideration...

Tom


Originally posted by mpauly
I can't comment on the Denon or the Sony, but I picked up a Zenith DVB318 and the picture is amzing. It's one of the few players that will upconvert over component. As I understand it the newer version (manufacture date after July 2004 or so) will only convert over dvi, but you can download the firmware for the older version to upconvert over component..

Originally posted by tcimpidis
Perhaps I am missing something here but I see no advantage to having the player upconvert to 1080I (or whatever) rather than letting the set do it, assuming that you output 480 progressive from the player to the set. I doubt that the upconverter in the player is any better than what is in the set (scaler) and there is definitely nothing beyond 480P coded on the disk, so that is not a consideration...

Tom

While your reasoning is valid, it is not the case in the real-world. Case-in-point: My Denon upconverting to 720p or 1080i. The pic is very noticably more sharp than outputting at 480p.

Hence, the TV is incapable of converting to 720p (native) as good as the DVD player can (Faroudja chip).

My rule of thumb: If the output signal is of higher rez than your native, then you will tell the difference. If it is lower, the TV will kinda convert it to help, but you are better off sending as high of a rez a signal as u can anyway cuz it WILL help (in my observations).

Originally posted by ndahbar
While your reasoning is valid, it is not the case in the real-world. Case-in-point: My Denon upconverting to 720p or 1080i. The pic is very noticably more sharp than outputting at 480p.

Hence, the TV is incapable of converting to 720p (native) as good as the DVD player can (Faroudja chip).

My rule of thumb: If the output signal is of higher rez than your native, then you will tell the difference. If it is lower, the TV will kinda convert it to help, but you are better off sending as high of a rez a signal as u can anyway cuz it WILL help (in my observations).

Well said. While the set will convert all inputs to 720p, the faroudja chip in the Zenith player seems to do a better job of it. Evident by the noticably better picture.

I am in my brothers... I wanted to get the 52hmx84 but settled for the 52hm84 because of the huge price break. Lets just say I made onecall and I can't believe the deal. Got the matching stand as well. Should be here in 5 days... just in time for HALO 2 !!! I will post up and let you know how SD looks with dish network... looking at getting an OTA HDTV reciever, too -- any suggestions now that I am broke? Hee hee hee.

Anyone get a Symbio yet . . . do they actually exist?

Received my 62hmx84 today, set manufactured October 2004. Overall no surprises or disappointments.

Connected Zenith DVB 318 via component (for now, don't want to change firmware yet to fix the DVI white crush). Picture looks good (using the 1080 upscale output).
Connected HD Tivo using HDMI but port seams to be bad (goes between color map bad to all black with sound only (just a noise kind of sound, even after putting unit into standby sound stays). Nothing new as many seam to have that issue. Does anyone use his HD Tivo with the hm or hmx via HDMI? Connected it via component and picture in SD looks ok, HD picture of Showtime HD and ESPN HD is fantastic. Seams like 720 looks a little bit better than the 1080 output. Black bars for SD output (set from Tivo).
Used Video Essentials to get some basic settings right but still need to fine tune it.
Sound over the TV speaker is pretty good after turning on most of the settings to on.
I can post pics if someone is interested.

Originally posted by SuperGoop
I just had a thought... if the 52" and 62" both have the same light bulb (I *think* it is 120W), wouldn't the 62" be less bright, less vibrant colour, etc.

I was planning to buy the 62", but haven't had a chance to see one on display yet. I will wait to see the 62" before committing. I am satisfied with the 52", but that doesn't mean that the 62" will be just as good.

I hope there is more to the 62" than simply changing the focal length of the lens to make the image larger (and therefore weaker). Starc, congrats on your new purchase. the 62"HMX is the same model I am waiting for in Canada, but was told they won't be available until mid-end November. I have re-quoted my own post (see page 16) with my concerns with the 62", in hopes that someone may now have some experience with it and comments. Do you find it dimmer then the 52" models?

Does anyone know what the color wheel is like in this unit? Is it a 7 or 8 segment wheel? What rotational speed?

forkball,

It has been ask many time here in AVS Forum, but never got any answer. It seem like Toshiba is hidden this information from the public.

Thanks for the info tomcc.

7, 8, 9, 10 makes no difference if you don't like the PQ. Common sense dictates that you should not buy a TV based on specs, rather real world viewing experience.

My $0.02 Canadian and rising.

Originally posted by emptywallet6
Should be here in 5 days... just in time for HALO 2 !!! I will post up and let you know how SD looks with dish network... looking at getting an OTA HDTV reciever, too -- any suggestions now that I am broke? Hee hee hee.


It doesn't matter that you're broke...you've got Halo 2 coming - you won't have any free time for watching "TV" for the next few months anyway. ;)

(and, hopefully, neither will I)

I don't think they are available yet. They are designed to work with the 94 series sets so until the HM94/HMX94 hit the streets there is no reason to put out the Symbio. But that's exactly what I'm planning to get though...52HM94 and Symbio...bye bye Tivo, bye bye cable STB...HELLO HD DVR and cable card!

Originally posted by Lodey
Anyone get a Symbio yet . . . do they actually exist?

TH3 - the 94's should be hitting the streets in the next 2 weeks I believe. I too am also looking at the CC and Symbio - and sold the wife on it last night... which I didn't think I could do.

Big questions - does the Symbio record anything on your TV or just TV programming? i.e. can it record video game play, or a DVD being played?

Also - can you watch one thing while recording another, or record two shows at once?

The 62 and 46HM94's are in ND I seen the boxes my self, just not the 52 that I have on order. I'm about to pull the trigger on a new DVD player and it sounds like the Sony DVP-975V is the way to go with an HDMI cable. Thanks for all the tips and info. Ernie

Just subscribing to this thread. I'm moving on 11/22 and having my 62HM84 delivered on the 23rd...kinda excited and learning quite a bit from this thread. I really havent found any other active threads around the net dealing with the HM/HMX line right now.

(Blahblah mode OFF..sorry).

Just got back from Best Buy in Emeryville, CA - new store, looks like the commerical with stuff looking so neat. The Toshiba 52HMX84 was there and it really popped... I was very impressed with the really black blacks, and the picture was extremely clear and really impressed me. This TV is looking better and better!

Is anyone familiar with what the TV Guide On Screen guide will allow us to do? Are there similarities to TIVO? Will we be able to set recording to the Symbio days in advance? If someone could point me to a site or thread that discussed this I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

I would LOVE to learn more myself... especially if it will record while you are watching something else or record two programs at once.

Just heard that my 62HM94 is on the truck to be delivered. Finally near the end of a lonnnnng wait !

dsr

connected my HD receiver and the zenith 318 via HDMI, and the picture becomes dark...on some HD channels it was too dark the black scenes/objects has green tinting on them (green push?) also, i notice that the toshiba set has a bit of green push...the picture tend to be predominantly greenish..like when it's supposed to be yellowish in color, the set instead casts a green hue. any1 shares the same sentiment?

Does anyone know if the Comcast cable card will address both tuners in the 52HM94? In other words, can one card enable POP? Also, are there any known issues with using the card as opposed to the box? I realize that the cards are 'one way'.

I am on the verge of purchasing a DLP. I like the Tosh the best, but, I'm scared of all the problems with the HDMI ports. I am looking at the 52HMX, my question is, has anyone talked to Tosh and gottten an answer of what's wrong? Will they fix it? It would be a deal breaker for me if they don't work. Also, how prevelant is the problem? It seems a lot of people in this thread have the problem, but, this is the place to voice issues. I must say that after looking at all the other DLP threads, this one seems to have the greatest general satisfaction with their sets, and I trust that more than any one person. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

A friend of mine is about to take the plunge on the 51hm84 - any idea what a replacement lamp would run $$ wise in the future? I am assuming that it is a DIY project?

thanks

jim

Originally posted by jim tressler
A friend of mine is about to take the plunge on the 51hm84 - any idea what a replacement lamp would run $$ wise in the future? I am assuming that it is a DIY project?

thanks

jim

I took a look at the Sears replacement parts site before I purchased the set and I'm pretty sure it was around $230-250.

No idea what replacing it yourself would entail.

I just got my 46HM84 yesterday, and it is almost perfect. There is a small (2.5" wide, 1/3" high") area of discoloration/darkening in the bottom right corner. It's almost like you would expect from a tube/unshielded speaker.
Has anybody seen this before, or have any ideas?

Thanks

Originally posted by jefho
I am on the verge of purchasing a DLP. I like the Tosh the best, but, I'm scared of all the problems with the HDMI ports. I am looking at the 52HMX, my question is, has anyone talked to Tosh and gottten an answer of what's wrong? Will they fix it? It would be a deal breaker for me if they don't work. Also, how prevelant is the problem? It seems a lot of people in this thread have the problem, but, this is the place to voice issues. I must say that after looking at all the other DLP threads, this one seems to have the greatest general satisfaction with their sets, and I trust that more than any one person. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

If I only relied on reading the posts from this forum for my tv purchase decision, I would have concluded no tv is worth buying because they all have serious problems and that even if I were lucky enough to get one without major problems, a better version is only a couple months away.

My 52hm84 is being delivered today. I'll let you know if I have any problems with the HDMI ports.

"Does anyone know if the Comcast cable card will address both tuners in the 52HM94? In other words, can one card enable POP? Also, are there any known issues with using the card as opposed to the box? I realize that the cards are 'one way'."

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW TOO....

Email Toshiba customer service, they might be able to track the answer down.
Toshiba Customer Service [customer_support@tacp.com]

Originally posted by Lodey
Just got back from Best Buy in Emeryville, CA - new store, looks like the commerical with stuff looking so neat. The Toshiba 52HMX84 was there and it really popped... I was very impressed with the really black blacks, and the picture was extremely clear and really impressed me. This TV is looking better and better!

Pretty sure that Best Buys (and at least the one in Emeryville) only carry the "HM" models, not the "HMX". I think the HMX, being in the 'Cinema Series' line, are limited to smaller, Toshiba-authorized retailers.

The features differ...but picture-wise they're the same (AFAIK).

Anyone know any tweaks to get rid of noise on the hdmi signal? Every time I watch a DVD any movies with long shots with large areas of uniform color I dont get a solid color, I get alot of strange noise... I talked to some people from toshiba to see if its some flaw, they said its not, and I should tweak my set... I already used avia on it, so its not a normal calibration issue... Ive got a 2910 sending 720p over hdmi.....


BTW... for you guys in the bay area... I got my HMX at a place called video only for $500 cheaper than best buys, and $400 less than frys WITH the stand and a 5 year that covers 2 bulbs....

Originally posted by jefho
I am on the verge of purchasing a DLP. I like the Tosh the best, but, I'm scared of all the problems with the HDMI ports. I am looking at the 52HMX, my question is, has anyone talked to Tosh and gottten an answer of what's wrong? Will they fix it? It would be a deal breaker for me if they don't work. Also, how prevelant is the problem? It seems a lot of people in this thread have the problem, but, this is the place to voice issues. I must say that after looking at all the other DLP threads, this one seems to have the greatest general satisfaction with their sets, and I trust that more than any one person. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Hi - I have the 52HMX84 model(Cinema Series w/2 HDMI's). My HDMI port #1 is working fine. I have had the TV for about 30 days now and decided to check HDMI port#2. I shut down the HD cable box (MotorolaDCT6200) and shut down the TV - as the Tosh instructions say. I switched the DVI-HDMI cable to HDMI#2. Powered up the TV, then the HD box - as the Tosh instructions say and -- no picture, just black screen. I went through the process again and re-connected back to HDMI#1 -- it worked fine and then went through the process again and re-hooked back up to HDMI#2 and this time it worked fine on #2. However, this morning, power on tv, then cable box and -- No picture again. I fiddled around with powering down the tv while leaving box on, switiching input selections back and forth to HDMI#2 and some sequence (sorry cannot remember) brought the picture back up.

I will be calling the store where I purchased the TV from today to see what they think. Sounds like some kind of reset problem with port#2.

Overall - I am thrilled with this TV. HD picture is awesome as well as DVD 480P through component. I am waiting to get a upconverting DVD with HDMI, but need port #2 fixed!!! Blacks are incredible. This is with no calibration, just adjusted to suit my picture quality taste. DVE is on order. The only nit I have, and not sure if it is TV or noise/artifact from feed, but on dark/black areas, if you get close to the screen, you can see little grayish dancing pixels. Just the purist in me - not a big deal as from 12 feet back they are not noticeable, just want to get the optimum picture. I have all the components and cable going through a Panamax 5100 line/power conditioner. Any thoughts from other owners on this is appreciated.

Hope this helps.......

Originally posted by Starc
Received my 62hmx84 today, set manufactured October 2004. Overall no surprises or disappointments.

Connected Zenith DVB 318 via component (for now, don't want to change firmware yet to fix the DVI white crush). Picture looks good (using the 1080 upscale output).
Connected HD Tivo using HDMI but port seams to be bad (goes between color map bad to all black with sound only (just a noise kind of sound, even after putting unit into standby sound stays). Nothing new as many seam to have that issue. Does anyone use his HD Tivo with the hm or hmx via HDMI? Connected it via component and picture in SD looks ok, HD picture of Showtime HD and ESPN HD is fantastic. Seams like 720 looks a little bit better than the 1080 output. Black bars for SD output (set from Tivo).
Used Video Essentials to get some basic settings right but still need to fine tune it.
Sound over the TV speaker is pretty good after turning on most of the settings to on.
I can post pics if someone is interested.

Hello all, first post here, been reading a long time tho,
I'v had my 52HM84 for about 8 wks, working great. Was on E* for years but just switched to D* for the HD Tivo. Have had it hooked up via HDMI for 4 wks now, working great. Still need to do some video essentials tweaking I think. some greens appears bright green to me. Not sure what the technical term for that would be. One thing did scare me at first, when I hooked up the HD Tivo and turned on the Tosh the pic appeared pinkish weird looking. I had thought this might have been the feared HDMI port issue known on the HD Tivo. I used the "window" button on the top left of the HD Tivo remote which just switches from "panel" to "full" view. This seems to clear the issue or reset the port somehow. No idea why. No other problems whatsoever. Overall very happy and pic is amazing.

Originally posted by ricknish
Hi - I have the 52HMX84 model(Cinema Series w/2 HDMI's). My HDMI port #1 is working fine. I have had the TV for about 30 days now and decided to check HDMI port#2. I shut down the HD cable box (MotorolaDCT6200) and shut down the TV - as the Tosh instructions say. I switched the DVI-HDMI cable to HDMI#2. Powered up the TV, then the HD box - as the Tosh instructions say and -- no picture, just black screen. I went through the process again and re-connected back to HDMI#1 -- it worked fine and then went through the process again and re-hooked back up to HDMI#2 and this time it worked fine on #2. However, this morning, power on tv, then cable box and -- No picture again. I fiddled around with powering down the tv while leaving box on, switiching input selections back and forth to HDMI#2 and some sequence (sorry cannot remember) brought the picture back up.

I will be calling the store where I purchased the TV from today to see what they think. Sounds like some kind of reset problem with port#2.

Overall - I am thrilled with this TV. HD picture is awesome as well as DVD 480P through component. I am waiting to get a upconverting DVD with HDMI, but need port #2 fixed!!! Blacks are incredible. This is with no calibration, just adjusted to suit my picture quality taste. DVE is on order. The only nit I have, and not sure if it is TV or noise/artifact from feed, but on dark/black areas, if you get close to the screen, you can see little grayish dancing pixels. Just the purist in me - not a big deal as from 12 feet back they are not noticeable, just want to get the optimum picture. I have all the components and cable going through a Panamax 5100 line/power conditioner. Any thoughts from other owners on this is appreciated.

Hope this helps.......

Odd. WOrks fine for me, both of them. You sound like you know what you are doing, but check and re-check!

Originally posted by dtarking
Hello all, first post here, been reading a long time tho,
I'v had my 52HM84 for about 8 wks, working great. Was on E* for years but just switched to D* for the HD Tivo. Have had it hooked up via HDMI for 4 wks now, working great. Still need to do some video essentials tweaking I think. some greens appears bright green to me. Not sure what the technical term for that would be. One thing did scare me at first, when I hooked up the HD Tivo and turned on the Tosh the pic appeared pinkish weird looking. I had thought this might have been the feared HDMI port issue known on the HD Tivo. I used the "window" button on the top left of the HD Tivo remote which just switches from "panel" to "full" view. This seems to clear the issue or reset the port somehow. No idea why. No other problems whatsoever. Overall very happy and pic is amazing.

I don't believe it .. .you made my day .. using the "Ratio" button (panel-> full view) does fix the picture with HDMI for the Tivo! Right now it is good and I can switch from panel to full without it going worse.
Somehow the audio over HDMI has more volume.
Who is to blame? Tivo or TV? I suspect it is the Tivo (everything else I plugged into the HDMI port worked right away even without following the exact procedure).
One more note, if I switch to a different input and back to the Tivo the Tivo picture is messed up again ... But true enough the ratio button fixes it again. Interesting enough the up button (changing from 720p to 1080i does not fix it).

Baahhhhh gone again ... didn't last for more than 3 minutes, this time the Ratio button does not sync it back (just looks like colormap is all messed up and sync is missing).
Picture in component is just fine.

you have the dreaded HDMI failure problem. i'm on my 4th HR10-250. please see http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=183203

A few pages back, a member suggested a possible method to dareken the gray bars when in SD mode. Did anyone have any success with this? I tried to reason with Toshiba Support, but the grunt on the other end merely said that the bar "color" cannot be altered.

Has anyone been able to remove the gray bars w/o stretching the screen?

I took delivery of my 52HM84 yesterday and it looks fantastic. No HDMI port problems at all. I'm using the AVIA DVD to change my settings and have just started the first step - White Level/Contrast.

I'm not seeing any blooming or distortion based on the steps or needle pulses. Is AVIA incompatible with DLP sets?

Can someone tell me what settings they used for their system?

I was just quoted a price on the 52HMX84, which I think is a decent deal but would like opinions.

This is for the TV, 5 year warranty (with bulb replacement) and a stand.

Am I allowed to post the price or is that against the forum rules?

Thanks,
Shane

My 62HMX94 is supposed to ship on November 23 so, with any luck, I might see it on my door step in early December... After considering the various options, and since I got a good price on it, I elected to get the Toshiba stand...

I had a chance to do an indepth evaluation of the 62HMX84 side by side with the Captain Kirk 56" Sammy, using a variety of inputs -- both SD and HD -- as well as the AVIA DVD, and I was impressed with the PQ of the Toshiba compared to the Sammy. The Toshiba was superior in every respect.

Originally posted by Shaner1
I was just quoted a price on the 52HMX84, which I think is a decent deal but would like opinions.

This is for the TV, 5 year warranty (with bulb replacement) and a stand.

Am I allowed to post the price or is that against the forum rules?

Thanks,
Shane

Only MSRP is allowed. You can PM someone with a different price though. =)

I'm interested in the 52HMX94 and plan on using a CableCard as the source. I am concerned whether the SD 4:3 content will have gray bars or black bars. I understand that when using an external source the bar color is determined by the source but what will the internal digital cable tuner in this model dispay the bars as? Does anyone have one of these yet?

Also, if anyone has this model already, could you review/comment on how the TV Guide on screen guide works?

Thanks,
Jeff

Originally posted by Shaner1
I was just quoted a price on the 52HMX84, which I think is a decent deal but would like opinions.

This is for the TV, 5 year warranty (with bulb replacement) and a stand.

Am I allowed to post the price or is that against the forum rules?

Thanks,
Shane

You can't post price hear, but maybe this will help if you can follow.

A decent price would have no 4's in it. A good price would have no 4's and only one 3 in it. And a really good deal would have no 4's or 2's and still only one 3. These #'s are based on in store prices not internet and don't include tax. Hopefully this helps, if not then follow the advice above and PM somebody.




I'm interested in the 52HMX94 and plan on using a CableCard as the source. I am concerned whether the SD 4:3 content will have gray bars or black bars. --posted by whjeffs

The color of the bars on these channels will be determined by the broadcaster, not an internal or external tuner. Most will be black. The only exception I've seen is ESPN. They have a weird design, mostly gray, with an HD logo written sideways.

Originally posted by zeicht
hi, just got my 52HMX84 delivered, as soon as i turned it on, i hear a razor-like, saw-like buzzing sound, it seems to be coming from the fan, the noise varies / undulates like when you're sawing through something and there's resistance. it constantly buzzes. This is especially evident right after the unit is turned off, with its quick start feature enabled meaning the fan still runs for a few minutes. i believe the fan noise isnt supposed to be this kind of noise, i expected and would understand if it sounds like a fan spinning, but not a razor-like buzzing sound.


Guys, could the noise be coming from the colorwheel? im now thinking that the noise might be coming from the colorwheel....the noise pitches when i change the input selection like from HD colorstream 1 to 2 on so on...and i notice that my set has a green push?...i can see on people's faces green hue/ tinting when it's supposed to be flesh/yellowish in color, thus i suspect my colorwheel might be the culprit...any1 has the same green push problem?

I went to Best Buy yesterday and they let me bring in my xbox to test on the Toshiba 52HM84. I'm planning on getting the HMX but none are on display at the stores I am shopping at so I used the HM to test.

I took 3 games and a movie. NFL 2k5, Ninja Gaiden and Unreal Championship. The movie was Finding Nemo.

I didn't notice any lag on the 3 kicks I attempted in 2k5. The game play was solid and it looked great.

Ninja Gaiden played fine as well and there were no problems.

Unreal Championship: I took this game because it's probably the fastest moving game that I have. I ran my guy all around, into battles and spun him in circles to try to get artifacts to appear. None... No artifacts at all and I was going crazy with the guy. My son took over so I could get a closer look and couldn't see any problems.

I put in Nemo to test the dark scenes, granted this TV isn't calibrated with any AVIA type disc but I wanted to check it out. Some of the dark scenes didn't look that great but I'm hoping this is just because it wasn't calibrated yet.

Can anyone tell me what they think of the picture during dark scenes on DVDs? Thanks.

One of the best buy employee's told me that he has this TV and notices the game lag, but didn't notice it when I tested it so I don't know what to make of that. He even tried it and it was good to go. Odd....

Anyway, I think the 52HMX84 is the set for me. I may be placing an order this week.

Cheers,
Shane

I just purchased the 52HMX84 and got an insane deal on it - too good to pass up, including 5 year warranty and free delivery. Will have it here in 2 days. Too bad it wasn't as easy to get the OPPLI stand... damn IKEA.

Originally posted by Lodey
I just purchased the 52HMX84 and got an insane deal on it - too good to pass up, including 5 year warranty and free delivery. Will have it here in 2 days. Too bad it wasn't as easy to get the OPPLI stand... damn IKEA.

how much did u get it for?

Originally posted by Shaner1
I didn't notice any lag on the 3 kicks I attempted in 2k5. The game play was solid and it looked great.

Ninja Gaiden played fine as well and there were no problems.
[/B/As far as I know, there is no lagging issue with the Toshiba DLPs. I'm not sure why the store clerk says he has an issue with it; perhaps he's routing the xbox through another device that's introducing lag. Or perhaps he's imagining it...

However, some games have dithering issues. To see it in Ninja Gaiden, go to first person mode and push the left thumbstick all the way to the right.

[B]I put in Nemo to test the dark scenes, granted this TV isn't calibrated with any AVIA type disc but I wanted to check it out. Some of the dark scenes didn't look that great but I'm hoping this is just because it wasn't calibrated yet.

Can anyone tell me what they think of the picture during dark scenes on DVDs? Thanks.I don't care for the DVD transfer for Finding Nemo. There are color banding and some black crush issues with it and so I don't consider it a good demo DVD.

I would not recommend buying this TV with the presumption that calibrating will fix some problems. You can make the dark scenes look a bit better, but one of the best things about this TV is just how good it looks without all the effort.

Honestly, the dark scene issue is a tad overblown. I watched a DVD at a friend's house on a Sony 35 inch front view CRT. I saw some black crush similar to what I've seen on my Toshiba (a 62HM84). Also, I just watched Pitch Black on my Toshiba a couple weeks back and found the dark scenes stunning.

--T.

zeicht - have to pm me

Another member mentioned this but I have decided to post the link to help those who are still deciding. It is a review of the 52HM84

http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review1911.html

"Toshiba is using TI’s new 0.8-in. HD DarkChip2 along with its own proprietarily designed light engine – designated TALEN, which stands for Toshiba Advanced Light Engine along with a six-segment color wheel."

I guess that answers that question we've been having.

The DesignTechnica article says all incoming signals are converted to 1080i via Toshiba's IDSC? Is this true?! I'm looking at buying this TV so I'd like to know if anyone can confirm this.

If this is true, I assume signals are then downcoverted to 720p for display? Seems odd to me.

Originally posted by KevinSDiego
"Toshiba is using TI’s new 0.8-in. HD DarkChip2 along with its own proprietarily designed light engine – designated TALEN, which stands for Toshiba Advanced Light Engine along with a six-segment color wheel."

I guess that answers that question we've been having. Maybe, maybe not. The reviewer also says: "HD-2+ optical semiconductor 16:9 chips use in excess of 1,300,000 digital microscopic mirrors (DMD)" [note: DMD actually stands for Digital Micromirror Device]. The HD2+ chip is native 1280X720, which would be 921,000 microscopic mirrors. 1.3 million is the max--as far as I can tell--that a DMD can handle currently.

The review is also a tad "breathless" which would be another reason to take it with a grain of salt...

--T.

im getting my toshiba on wed. i will post pics once i have everything set up, cant wait for the FSU game on espn HD gonna blow my mind

Originally posted by tristanc

The review is also a tad "breathless" which would be another reason to take it with a grain of salt...

--T.

Agree. The guy was just munching too much Toshiba material while writing the review. Although I own this set (and a happy camper at that) I am waiting for some objective reviews to showup.

Want to hear something nasty? I am getting the 52HMX84 tomorrow and I just put in the new "powerbar surge protector" and it shows all the outlets in my living room are not grounded. Ach! Popped open an outlet, and sure enough, no ground wire. I am beside myself.

I also thought all of the 2+ chips deliver a 2500:1 contrast ratio... hearing it is better than 1500:1 was a little weird.

Originally posted by Lodey
Want to hear something nasty? I am getting the 52HMX84 tomorrow and I just put in the new "powerbar surge protector" and it shows all the outlets in my living room are not grounded. Ach! Popped open an outlet, and sure enough, no ground wire. I am beside myself.

Nice...that can't be good. Just glad I did all my re-wiring myself - I *know* every socket in the house is done right. :)

this may be a stupid question,but why do we need a ground wire on the outlet?

From
Handymanusa.com: Adding a ground to your outlets (http://www.handymanusa.com/articles/ground1.html#):

"Your house has old wiring, and your outlets don't have the third slot for the ground prong. What can you do? How do you go about adding a ground wire or ground connection to your outlets?
First, why have a ground? The ground wire was added for personal protection. Appliances that have the third prong for the ground, have a portion of the equipment, or casing connected to that ground prong. Then if there are any wires inside the appliance that get loose, and make contact with the casing, the current will flow through the ground wire, instead of you. Without the ground connection, you may well be the best or only path to ground, and you can receive a shock.

So, for your protection, it is a good thing to have grounded outlets where ever you use anything that comes with the ground prong.

Older wiring didn't have the ground.. as the years went by, standards changed, and while it is not usually required to upgrade your house, it is still a good idea. As with all wiring, make sure you are only working on dead, de-energized circuits. Check with your local building inspector to determine if any permits are required or inspections.

Well, perhaps the best way, if access allows, new wire can be run that has a ground. At the entrance box (where your fuses or breakers are), the ground wire will attach to the grounding bar, which in many cases is the same as, or connected to, the neutral bar. Then, in your outlets, the ground wire can be attached to the green ground screw of the new grounded receptacles.

Some homes without the ground wire, may be wired with BX or armored cable. This is the cable with the flexible metal casing around the wire. If this is the supply to your outlets, and it runs from your metal boxes all the way to your entrance box (where your fuses are), you are in luck. The outer casing of this wire can serve as the ground. For you to use this as the ground, your entrance box should be connected to ground (it usually is) and the BX cable connected to metal receptacle boxes in your walls. You should test this first be verifying that the voltage between the hot lead and the box is 110 V. The new grounded outlets should be wired from the green ground screw to a screw into the metal receptacle box."

Originally posted by Lodey
I also thought all of the 2+ chips deliver a 2500:1 contrast ratio... hearing it is better than 1500:1 was a little weird.

I hope that was a typo on the reviewers part. That might Trump my decision on purchasing this Set. It's ashame it looks great in the store... But 3000$ is alot of Money and I want what the chipset is capable of doing not a little more than half.

I hope this is confirmed a mistake!

I've said it once and I'll say it again. Specs don't matter if you like the PQ. I have mine set on low lamp power mode and contrast is still amazing. The fact is, the reviewer is just guessing and there are no real stat on the ratio.

I'm trying to decide between the 52HMX84 or the 52HMX94. Is there a reason not to go with the 94? The prices I have been quoted are pretty close to one another, in fact one was lower for the 94. I guess it depends on which sales guy you talk to. = \

I know the 94 is HDTV ready and has the cable card, but does it also have all the same inputs that the 84 has?

Thanks!

Received and set-up 62HMX94 yesterday with HD Tivo and Denon 2910. All working and looking very good.

Does it matter whether one uses 720p or 1080i output from the satellite box; I am having some difficulty noticing a difference, which I presume should mean that either one is acceptable.

One minor complication that others might not think of is that when one goes direct from satellite to TV via HDMI (and with Denon to second HDMI), the receiver which was being used in the past is no longer in the loop, thereby losing all switching functions and on-screen control/audio information. One can still use audio through receiver, but adjustment is awkward and when changing to OTA channels one must use a different input. This seems to be true until receivers include HDMI input/output, now limited only to very high end models, and then only having one input.

OK,

I know this has been addressed with the 84 series, but what exactly is the difference between the xxHM94 and the xxHMX94's??

All i'm aware of currently is the black bezel and extra HDMI.

Anyone?

Aceman

Originally posted by henrywh
Does it matter whether one uses 720p or 1080i output from the satellite box; I am having some difficulty noticing a difference, which I presume should mean that either one is acceptable.

I understand this set to be 720p native so set your sat box to 720p output...otherwise the TV will downconvert the 1080i signal to 720p. However, if the TV is doing its job well you may not notice much of a difference either way. YMMV.

UPDATE: I just looked at the .pdf user manual. On p12-13 it says that 1080i will provide the best image quality...so I guess my above assumption is likely incorrect--at least according to Toshiba's recommendation.

Originally posted by --Sclaws
I understand this set to be 720p native so set your sat box to 720p output...otherwise the TV will downconvert the 1080i signal to 720p. However, if the TV is doing its job well you may not notice much of a difference either way. YMMV.

I have a Dishnetwork 811 connected via HDMI. I can clearly see a better picture when it's set to 1080i. Watch the Jay Leno Tonite Show. Notice the skyscraper backdrop behind his desk. The details in the buildings are clearly better when set to 1080i. I have no idea why this is so.

Henry, congrats on being perhaps the first to get their hands on a 62HMX94. I've been waiting for availability at Crutchfield, but the wait continues.

BTW, has anyone noticed that Amazon has the 62HM84 model at an unbelievable price? It makes me wonder how much I really need all of the added features of the hmx94. Perhaps this will put additional competitive pressure on other retailers?

Got my Toshiba 52HMX84 in last night - late delivery, was so anxious and nervous - what to expect? Bowed picture? Bad DVDs? Noise problems? With all the research, reading, and preparation, I really didn't expect it to be just a TV that you hook up, change a few settings and enjoy... I was pleased. Hooked up a Panasonic S97 upconverting DVD player over HDMI, SD Comcast digital cable, and the Xbox via component and optical.

Used some of the settings I read on this thread to get started and popped in a DVD on the new player and movies like Gladiator and Star Wars Episode II looked practically HD. BTW, want to see an example of extreme red crush or macroblocking? Check out SW Episode II, a few minutes into it they are all in a room and there are red walls in the background - they looked horrible. But the chase seen soon thereafter through the city is unbelievable - the most vibrant neon pinks I have ever seen. I realized that quality of the DVD picture depends on quality of the compression and source. Overall, after some tweeks, I was very pleased! I do see a lot of movie-grain in some movies and scenes which I didn't see on my old TV... when people watch DVDs on there Toshiba, do you see grain on shots? Usually see it on mid-range outdoor shots.

Xbox looked great...used someone's recommended settings of Contrast 100. Played Madden 2005 and everything looks really good except the sprites have some jaggies on them when you are at the line of scrimmage, it is a little bit annoying, but not a big deal. Will try ESPN 2005 NBA tonight and see how it looks 720p.

SD looked fine... can't wait to see HD this weekend. Avia disc is coming any day now, and will do additional tweeking, since I am a n00bie.

Fan was pretty quiet and the set was really good overall. I did see lots of rainbows, but realized they don't bother me much... I don't see them when I am watching TV only when I am looking away from the TV and back, which, I won't be doing much if I am watching a movie. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely noticeable a lot.

Can't wait to go home and keep on enjoying it...

Originally posted by WannaBinHD
Henry, congrats on being perhaps the first to get their hands on a 62HMX94. I've been waiting for availability at Crutchfield, but the wait continues.

BTW, has anyone noticed that Amazon has the 62HM84 model at an unbelievable price? It makes me wonder how much I really need all of the added features of the hmx94. Perhaps this will put additional competitive pressure on other retailers?

The pressure WILL work :) If you look at the Toshiba site and checkout prices on their authorized reseller list you will find a price very similar to Amazon. I was able to take that price to a local place and since the online reseller was 'authorized' by toshiba, they pricematched...saved about a grand from what other stores in the area are asking for the 62HM84.

BTW I don't have the set yet...we move into a new house on 11/22 with delivery scheduled for 11/23.

I ordered mine today and it should be delivered tomorrow!

I bought the 52HMX94, a stand, 5 yr warrant, with a Monster surge protector and some component cables thrown in. All for a pretty good price I think.

I can't wait to try it out.

Has anyone tried a game system (xbox, gamecube or ps2) through S-Video or the composite jacks? I am reading that other DLP's have problems with the game systems when it's not in 480P mode. So I'm curious is any of you have tried it?

I tested it with my xbox but each game was in 480P, I didn't know what I wrote above or I would have tested for that.

Thanks

Originally posted by Lodey
Got my Toshiba 52HMX84 in last night...

Congrats Lodey - hopefully you'll really like the set. I've had my 52HMX84 for about a month and a half now, and I love it. No problems thus far.

As far as 'film grain' goes...hard to say what you mean by that. Some DVDs do look better than others (I use the Sony upscaling HDMI NS975 player)...but that seems to have more to do with bad transfers/source than the TV. Do you know if macroblocking issues are inherent in the Panny S97?

Anyway...I hope you continue to like the set - hopfully you'll get the chance to watch some *real* HD on it soon...that's when it really shines.

The technical review mentioned on the last page does seem a bit "breathless", as noted by one member. However, it does address the color wheel question, claiming a six-segment color wheel with greater than 1500 contrast ratio. I believe these two numbers may be consistent, so maybe we shouldn't dismiss them.

Isn't the color wheel described anywhere in the owners' manuals? Could you owners look through your manuals and let the rest of us us know whether it states a six- or seven-segment color wheel or anything about claimed contrast ratio? Thanks.

Are the HMX sets worth $1000 more than the HMs? That sounds like an awfully big differance for the same size set! Amazon.com has the Toshiba HMX sets priced $1000 more than the comparable size in the HMs.

After a couple of months of dedicating more consideration toward buying a TV than any other purchase in recent memory (even my house) I finally pulled the trigger today. It should arrive sometime next week. :-)

I went to the local Fast Foward Audio Video store in Midland and bought the Toshiba 52HMX84. I was pleasently surprised with the deal. Several hundred dollars below MSRP, free matching stand and free delivery and set-up. And because the long term durability of DLPs is still somewhat of an unknown, I opted for the four year extended warrenty, which cost about 2/3rds of what another local store was asking for a two year one.

For HD reception I went to the cable kiosk in the Rogers Video store and picked up a brand new SA Explorer 8300HD PVR. It has an active HDMI port, which I wanted. The manufacture date is 10/28/2004, so it's hot off the Mexican assembily line.

I also ordered a few cables online from Infinite Cables and they should arrive before the TV does.

This is the first big screen TV I've bought. I've been enjoying my trusty 27" Sony Trinitron for the last 15 years and it still looks good.

Lastly I'd like to thank all that took the time to post their experiences and opinions on these and other threads and forums. The hundreds, if not thousands, of post I've read went a long way in helping me make an informed decision.

Gord

Shop around guys... I ended up getting the HMX at a price cheaper then a qoute on the HM model. Then when I kept looking I got the HMX94 (52") for even cheaper with a Monster surge protector and component cables thrown in.

The final price of the TV alone was ALOT lower then MSRP, not to mention the extras... 5 year warranty with bulb coverage, tv stand, and the above items.

PM me for the price, I don't mind sharing it.

i got my toshiba on an accomadation, cause i work for best buy and it is super sweet. i posted up pics in my gallery, wish we would of gotten the hm94 so i could get nbc, i want to see leno in hd, but cbs and espon are stunning, this tv is def better than the mits, which we had to send out for repair 2 times!! within a month because of the bulb going out and the tv locking up and not turning back on, stick to the toshiba, as for upconversion dvd players i bought the toshiba 5790 to try it out not sure how much of a diff it is, im gonna hoook up my panny s35 via component and check out the difference, ill let you guys know after work....ps fsu and ncstate in hd on espn tonight...GO NOLES

jason

Originally posted by --Sclaws
The pressure WILL work :) If you look at the Toshiba site and checkout prices on their authorized reseller list you will find a price very similar to Amazon. I was able to take that price to a local place and since the online reseller was 'authorized' by toshiba, they pricematched...saved about a grand from what other stores in the area are asking for the 62HM84.

BTW I don't have the set yet...we move into a new house on 11/22 with delivery scheduled for 11/23.

Where is the authorized reseller list?? ??? All I can find is the authorized dealers, which are Best Buy and Sears. I am looking at the 52hm84 for $2848 less a 12% coupon I have if I use my Best Buy charge, it would be $2506, which works for me. The 62" is 3500 less the 12% off which is also a good price. I would like the newer HMX but it is 3299 at the only store I can find that has it. THere are no 94's around here (NJ) at least that I know of. For this "old" model Tv I think it is a good price. Good enough to sway me away from the Mits, and the 800 difference from HM to HMX should keep me content with the HM. I mainly watch cable (sitcoms, reality shows and football) with an occasisional DVD no more than once a week.

Still can't decide on the size. I have just enough width for the 62 (1" to spare between the windows). One seat will be 14 1/2 feet away, the other more like 11, and the kids sit at about 8 feet when they are on the floor.

Thanks for all advice.

Has anyone compared the 62HM84 to the JVC 61" HD-ILA?
If so, what were your thoughts?

I'm having second thoughts on wether to keep my 62hm84 or return it for the 61" HD-ILA.

I never heard much about the JVC and haven't ever thought about it. Why are you thinking of returning your 62HM84? I am just about to buy the 52HM84! Does anybody know Best Buy's return policy? WHat if we decide it is too small and want the 62 instead of the 52?

Originally posted by cinders
Where is the authorized reseller list?? ???


I checked the e-tailer list for pricing as well as searching for local dealers. Both links can be found http://www.toshiba.com/tai-new/division.jsp?ID=5

I just finished pretty much a whole day of testing on my new 52HMX94. I'm am very pleased with the TV, great set!

I ran DVD's, basic cable TV, VHS, Xbox, Gamecube, and Dreamcast through the TV.

DVD's looked good but I need a new player, it's a very cheap player and I'm going to save up for a better one. Though the DVD's still looked good, I know they can look better. One thing I found is that Interlace seems to look better to me than progressive scan.

I was surprised at how good my basic cable service looked, I was expecting it to be rough.

I only tried one VHS tape and need more time to test this, the one I tried looked kind of bad but not completely unwatchable.

On to the games... Xbox performed great, no problems at all. I thought I would have problems with the Gamecube and Dreamcast... I was right. There is a slight delay when I go to use the kicking meter in Madden 2003 on the Gamecube. I have read in another thread that 480p and above games have no delay but the rest would. Meaning my Gamecube and Dreamcast through S-video would have the delay.
I started to read the manual and found out about a great feature I didn't know it had, GAME MODE!! This is great! It improved the timing a great deal! I'll need to play with it more to see just how good it is but it's definitely playable.

One thing to note about this, I didn't notice the delay in anything other than sports games that have the kicking meter or free throw meter. Crucial timing situations is when you will notice it. Even at it's worst state it was still playable but GAME MODE helps out a ton! I want to say it's right on the mark but feel I should test it more before I come to that conclusion.

I'm very happy with the TV and am going to have some sore eyes after this weekend!!!

I got my 62HM94 yesterday. So far I have to say that I am totally blown away by the picture. SD looks great. HD is simply amazing. DVDs, even on my crappy PS2 player, look very good.

I have basic cable, and am able to get the HD stations off the QAM tuner. Very nice. The audio is OK, but I'm starting to realize that I really need to get a real audio system.

I setup the TV Guide feature, but it says that it will take up to 24 hours before it populates the info. It's been a little over that, and I still don't see anything there. perhaps tomorrow morning.

OK, what to get next? Symbio? Upconversion DVD player? Real audio system?

Gotta get back to HD now...

dsr

Originally posted by Shaner1
I just finished pretty much a whole day of testing on my new 52HMX94. I'm am very pleased with the TV, great set!

On to the games...

I started to read the manual and found out about a great feature I didn't know it had, GAME MODE!! This is great! It improved the timing a great deal! I'll need to play with it more to see just how good it is but it's definitely playable.

One thing to note about this, I didn't notice the delay in anything other than sports games that have the kicking meter or free throw meter. Crucial timing situations is when you will notice it. Even at it's worst state it was still playable but GAME MODE helps out a ton! I want to say it's right on the mark but feel I should test it more before I come to that conclusion.

I'm very happy with the TV and am going to have some sore eyes after this weekend!!!

:O I just went through the hassle of returning my 46HM84 (had to pay 10 percent restocking fee too) because of the dithering (mosquito effect) and awful polarization issues with medium to fast camera pans on videogames (ps2 was the worst). I wonder if the HMX series lacks these problems due to this game mode you mention. I had no such option on the HM model I'm afraid. This is very frustrating because I loved the quality of the dvds but just couldn't handle the game issues. Now I'm starting to wonder if I could have edited the service mode to reach the "game mode". (assuming the game mode fixes the visual problems) Any thoughts on this guys?

btw.. games I was able to easily see visual problems on:
PS2: ace combat, grand theft auto, metal gear solid
Xbox: ninja gaiden, crimson skies

I played Crimson Skies tonight on the xbox and didn't notice any dithering. I have Ninja Gaiden as well, will try it tomorrow to see.

Game Mode doesn't fix dithering, it's for the issue of lag between a button press on the controller and the action taking place on the screen.

This is what the manual says about Game Mode:

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

It helped the kicking meter in Madden but may still have a slight delay. Not enough to make a difference for me.

............On to the games... Xbox performed great, no problems at all. I thought I would have problems with the Gamecube and Dreamcast... I was right. There is a slight delay when I go to use the kicking meter in Madden 2003 on the Gamecube. I have read in another thread that 480p and above games have no delay but the rest would. Meaning my Gamecube and Dreamcast through S-video would have the delay.
I started to read the manual and found out about a great feature I didn't know it had, GAME MODE!! This is great! It improved the timing a great deal! I'll need to play with it more to see just how good it is but it's definitely playable.

One thing to note about this, I didn't notice the delay in anything other than sports games that have the kicking meter or free throw meter. Crucial timing situations is when you will notice it. Even at it's worst state it was still playable but GAME MODE helps out a ton! I want to say it's right on the mark but feel I should test it more before I come to that conclusion.

I'm very happy with the TV and am going to have some sore eyes after this weekend!!! [/B][/QUOTE]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi - I have a 52HMX84 and believe there is no "Game" mode for this model. Any other owners of HMX84's know about game mode?

My 62HM94 has game mode. It also has only 1 HDMI port, to finally end that issue.

Has anyone had success with the TV Guide option? I've now had my set for 2 days and it has not populated with data.

dsr

Alright. WHAT IS UP WITH THIS!

As wacky as this sounds, it seems that our HM/HMX sets handle 480p signals as 4:3 in natural mode but 1080i as 16:9 naturally.

Dont believe me: Those with upconverting DVD players...set the output to 480p, make sure the TV is set to "natural" in the pic size menu, and you tell me if it's 4x3.

Then try 1080i, again make sure it's "natural" not "Full" and you tell me if it's 16:9 (it will be).

This has caused aggravation for me with the XBOX. As u all know most of the titles are 480p. This means if you do not choose "Full" mode, the image will be 4x3.

WTF! :mad:

Has anyone with a 52/62HM(X)94 experimented with a cable card yet? Will one cable card give access to the two tuners? If so, how do you set it up to do so? I'm really leaning toward a 52HMX94 because of its interaction with Toshiba's new Symbio DVR through the firewire port. But I don't seem to be able to find any info about cable cards and accessing the interactive TV Guide with a cc and Symbio.

i have the hm84 and haven't noticed any problems playing xbox, dvd's are stunning, i returned the upconversion toshiba, it wasnt worth the money, might as well wait for hd-dvd. i can't see this game mode, which section of the menu is it at, anyone know any help full pic settings for video games?

Having mixed emotions on the Toshiba 52HMX. Had it 3 days now, and can't tell if I am happy or sad. HD Comcast comes in tomorrow, which will probably make me happy.

I see tons of rainbows - constantly. This is still a mixed-bag, some times it bothers me and others it doesn't.

Having 3 main issues at this point, and I would appreciate ANY help.

1. When I play an anamorphic DVD like LOTR: Two Towers there are two horitontal lines, not solid, but fuzzy, 1/8th of an inch from the top and from the bottom of the black bars that run the entire lenghth of the picture horizontally. It almost looks like somone took a dull pencil and drew a line across the picture - it is very annoying and noticeable. Sometimes on the bottom you can see a couple more faint lines above the darker line as well. Why it is bothersome, is because there isn't a clean blend between the picture and the black bars. I don't know if I am explaining it correctly, but I have tried every setting on my DVD player and my TV and it doesn't change at all. I am swapping out the DVD player tonight to see if it does it on my old one. Anyone have an idea of what this could be? When I play a regular widescreen DVD like Hellboy, the lines aren't there, or when I watch regular TV, they aren't there. Only when watching anamorphic widescreen do these 2 lines appear, exactly the same distance from the black bar on the top and bottom. I have all the setting correct with pic size and my DVD player - have even tried other settings for the hell of it, and they don't go away. I couldn't contrast them out, or color them out either. Ideas?

2. SD and lots of DVDs look horrible. Tried to watch Pulp Fiction DVD last night and couldn't - the picture could be described as "blurry - pixelated - muddy" to the point where you couldn't focus on anything or anyone. Slow pans make you sick. Tried 480p, tried 720p, tried 1081i DVD input, nothing. What is so mind-blowing is that a movie like Star Wars: Episode II looks HD on the TV - brilliant, beautiful, clear, crisp, and this movie is unwatchable on the same TV. What am I missing?

3. Ran AVIA the other night (don't know what the hell I am really doing, but trying to follow along) and was just going through looking at all the advanced test screens, and I came to the Overscan image, and it was showing that there was no Overscan on the left or right - the "arrow" and 0% were right at the edge, but on the top and bottom it showed 5% overscan on both the top and bottom? Isn't this a big problem?

Thanks everyone for helping me - it is a whole new world made up of new choices and sacrifices.

While waiting for the arrival of my 52HMX84 next week, I'm trying to decide what DVD player to get. On the short list is the Sony NS975 upconverting player.

There is mention in the DVD forum on the "Sony DVP-NS975V FAQ/Brain dump" thread that this player requires a monitor capable of accepting an SD matrix signal. If it is unable to do that there will be a "green depression-20%", which affects the color across the board to some extent.

I want to use one of the HDMI(first choice) or component to connect the DVD player.

So the questions are: 1) Do the Toshiba DLP TVs accept an SD or HD matrix signal? Or both? 2) Is it switchable between SD/HD? 3) Can an SD/HD be selected and saved for individual inputs?

SD = NTSC

HD = ATSC

Originally posted by SandmanX
Has anyone compared the 62HM84 to the JVC 61" HD-ILA?
If so, what were your thoughts?

I'm having second thoughts on wether to keep my 62hm84 or return it for the 61" HD-ILA.

The JVC picture is definitely bright and vibrant but has no details in the blacks (black crush) and the blacks are not as dark when compared to the Toshiba. This is a big issue for me because it give the picture depth. Maybe the JVC can be professionally calibrated to improve the problem but you can't do much with just the contrast/brightness controls. IMO, the only LCD/LCOS RPTV that gives the Toshiba competition is the Hitachi VM810/VX915 and those have a terrible screen glare problem and cost more. If you don't have a problem with rainbows I think this is the best fixed panel RPTV for the money.

Originally posted by mhfnet
The JVC picture is definitely bright and vibrant but has no details in the blacks (black crush) and the blacks are not as dark when compared to the Toshiba. This is a big issue for me because it give the picture depth. Maybe the JVC can be professionally calibrated to improve the problem but you can't do much with just the contrast/brightness controls. IMO, the only LCD/LCOS RPTV that gives the Toshiba competition is the Hitachi VM810/VX915 and those have a terrible screen glare problem and cost more. If you don't have a problem with rainbows I think this is the best fixed panel RPTV for the money.

Thank You, Thats what I needed to hear. I just wanted to be sure that there wasn't a better picture out right now for the same price. I would be kicking myself in the ass knowing I could of got the JVC HD-ILA for the same price with a better picture.

What is all this I'm hearing about the new HD DVD coming out?
I have close to 1,000 DVD's and I hope I don't have to rebuy them all over to get a better picture.

Please comment on this, anyone.

What is all this I'm hearing about the new HD DVD coming out?
I have close to 1,000 DVD's and I hope I don't have to rebuy them all over to get a better picture.


From what I've read, both HD DVD and Blu Ray players should be able to play your old DVDs. Of course whether you would be tempted to replace your favorite movies with the new media to benefit from the improved picture quality is another question.

Originally posted by WannaBinHD
From what I've read, both HD DVD and Blu Ray players should be able to play your old DVDs. Of course whether you would be tempted to replace your favorite movies with the new media to benefit from the improved picture quality is another question.

When are they suppose to be coming out?

Originally posted by Lodey
What is so mind-blowing is that a movie like Star Wars: Episode II looks HD on the TV - brilliant, beautiful, clear, crisp, and this movie is unwatchable on the same TV. What am I missing?


Lodey, I'm not sure what is wrong with your set, but I have the 52HM84 and my son watches Episode II like 3-4 times a week and the picture looks awesome to say the least.

I've never noticed any rainbows and the only complaint I have with the set so far is that I can't get HTPC to work with 1:1 pixel mapping.

When are they suppose to be coming out?

You might want to check out this link from today's CNN website on the upcoming DVD player war.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/11/spark.dvd/index.html

Originally posted by WannaBinHD
You might want to check out this link from today's CNN website on the upcoming DVD player war.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/11/spark.dvd/index.html

Very Nice, Thank You.

quote
__________________________________________________________
2. SD and lots of DVDs look horrible. Tried to watch Pulp Fiction DVD last night and couldn't - the picture could be described as "blurry - pixelated - muddy
__________________________________________________________

Could it be just the DVD's are bad? The movie triple X DVD is louse with that kind of stuff.

OK, maybe I'm a little dense on figuring some of this out. I've had my 62HMX84 for a couple of weeks now. How do you set the resolution that you are watching? Several have talked about the set upconverting. What determines whether you are viewing at 480, 720 or 1080? What if I want to upconvert a 480 source to 720 or 1080?

I just received my Samsung T451 ATSC/QAM receiver and hooked it up first via HDMI. As expected, more ghosting!

Here are links to pictures.. is no one else seeing this?

Ghosting 1 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_1.jpg)
Ghosting 2 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_2.jpg)
Ghosting 3 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_3.jpg)
Ghosting 4 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_4.jpg)

The edges of my screen (when I can see them in 4x3 mode) look equally as bad. I think picture 4 about sums up my frustration.

-A

Originally posted by Neo42
I just received my Samsung T451 ATSC/QAM receiver and hooked it up first via HDMI. As expected, more ghosting!

Here are links to pictures.. is no one else seeing this?

Ghosting 1 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_1.jpg)
Ghosting 2 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_2.jpg)
Ghosting 3 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_3.jpg)
Ghosting 4 (http://adam.dhtns.com/Toshiba/HM84_Ghosting_4.jpg)

The edges of my screen (when I can see them in 4x3 mode) look equally as bad. I think picture 4 about sums up my frustration.

-A

Wow that really Sux, If I had this same issue, you best believe the set would be back at the Store. I see a tiny bit of ghosting here and there but nothing like that.

Originally posted by BJMoose
Has anyone with a 52/62HM(X)94 experimented with a cable card yet? Will one cable card give access to the two tuners? If so, how do you set it up to do so? I'm really leaning toward a 52HMX94 because of its interaction with Toshiba's new Symbio DVR through the firewire port. But I don't seem to be able to find any info about cable cards and accessing the interactive TV Guide with a cc and Symbio.

I'm waiting to buy the 52HMX94 when it arrives at a local dealer. I don't think the Symbio is out yet but I will be interested in this as well. I too plan on using a CableCard but my local cable company (Millennium Digital Media) says that they are completely out of stock of CableCards and HD set top boxes and are expecting the next shipment in January! That really ticks me off that I'll have to wait probably 2 months to get HD once I get the TV. In the meantime I'll probably hook up an off air antenna or if I get bored with the content might see if I can do a trial period of one of the HD satellite companies.

I will report back here once I have the tv and cablecard set up and working.

I think that the 2nd tuner in the TV may be just a regular NTSC tuner. I hadn't read anything that said it had 2 HD digital cable ready tuners. Anyone confirm this?

My main question regarding the Symbio is can it be scheduled to record if the TV is off or will the TV have to be on to access the cablecard? This could really affect bulb life if the TV has to be on every time the Symbio is recording.

Jeff

Originally posted by SandmanX
Wow that really Sux, If I had this same issue, you best believe the set would be back at the Store. I see a tiny bit of ghosting here and there but nothing like that.

Mine was the same for using a DVI to HDMI connection for my PC.

Originally posted by khboli
OK, maybe I'm a little dense on figuring some of this out. I've had my 62HMX84 for a couple of weeks now. How do you set the resolution that you are watching? Several have talked about the set upconverting. What determines whether you are viewing at 480, 720 or 1080? What if I want to upconvert a 480 source to 720 or 1080?

I was wondering this as well. I have the 52HMX94 but can't seem to get it to display any info regarding the resolution.

Is there any way to get it to say on the screen what resolution it's displaying?

Thanks

I am interested in connecting my computer to my 62HM94, to check out computer gaming. I am not interested in other PC facets (recording, DVD, etc) at this time. My computer has an Nvidia 4200 card.

I've read through the old posts and I think this is what I need to do. Any advice would be great:
1) Get the latest Nvidia drivers 66.93s have HDTV support through DVI
2) Pick up a DVI-HDMI cable
3) Get Powerstrip and configure

Anything else? I'm mostly concerned that I don't do anything to damage my new TV. Is that a possibility? Any advice on setting up powerstrip? I'm a noob on this...

tx
dsr

Just got Comcast HD installed over component... what do you guys have your settings on for HD TV over component? Color/sharpness, etc. ?? Thanks for the help!!!

Its been exactly 40 days since I purchased this TV and always thought this TV had no issues to deal with. Well, guess what ?? Its not true anymore.

My 52HM84 freezes in the middle of viewing and displays all kinds of color bars on the screen, green, red, yellow etc. There is no pattern to these bars, some times part of the screen, some times full screen. They don't go away until the TV is "reset" by switching off the mains. Changing inputs only shows up different kinds of bars.

This is like the dreaded blue screen I am too familiar with windows OS except that this time the color varies. Anyone seen this before ?? Any help appreciated.

Just when I thought this was a perfect TV, they pull me right back in :(

I started this item in the thread way in the begininning, about the serious ghosting issures on this set. Neo I have exactly the same issue you have, bvut I think the problem is that not enough people are utilizing this connection with hdtv recievers to see it. I cannot comment through a dvd player or HTPC, but it is definitely an issue on hdtv boxes, and not cable boxes im talking satellite.

So if anyone else is experiencing the same issue please reply so we can naqrrow this down , possibly to batch by serial numbers ,etc.

Here is the problem specifically:
Connecting a HDTV reciever(satellite not cable) via dvi-hdmi, and are seeing ghosting , please reply.

Neo if it makes u feel better as I said earlier, I demonstrated this problem in 2 different retailers floor models, so I doubt it is simply a problem with our sets. I think its just not ebough people with these components have tried the connection, to see it.

please dont reply saying it works through dvd or with my comcast cable box, because I think we really need to see whats going on with this.

Originally posted by Lodey
Just got Comcast HD installed over component... what do you guys have your settings on for HD TV over component? Color/sharpness, etc. ?? Thanks for the help!!!

For HD viewing, I set my contrast at 100, brigtness at 55, color at around 30-35, and sharpness at 50. In my opinion, the picture looks much crisper if you lower the color to around that range. Great looking pic.

Hi all...

Just picked up my 52HM84 at Sears (got a good deal)... fired the unit up last nite and noticed many (over 30) thin, black vertical lines that show up on any bright scenes. This happens whether viewing cable (SD) or DVD (progressive). I cannot seem to rid the screen of these no matter what settings I use. OVerall, the picture is GREAT (especially dark scenes, since there are none of these lines visisble). Sometimes the lines are purple and sometimes they are green.

Do I have a defective unit?

Thanks for any input/help
Marshall

Originally posted by Shaner1
I was wondering this as well. I have the 52HMX94 but can't seem to get it to display any info regarding the resolution.

Is there any way to get it to say on the screen what resolution it's displaying?

Thanks

You are always viewing at 720p. What your source material is and what it's being sent to the TV as is a different story.

DC

Originally posted by drmarengo
...So if anyone else is experiencing the same issue please reply so we can naqrrow this down , possibly to batch by serial numbers ,etc.

Here is the problem specifically:
Connecting a HDTV reciever(satellite not cable) via dvi-hdmi, and are seeing ghosting , please reply.



I definitely have this issue on my 52HMX84. It's connected to a DIsh Network 811 via DVI to HDMI cable. Ghosting to the right very visible on text. Thankfully, much less visible on content, but most definitely there.

Damn.....I wish you wouldn't have pointed this out.

I can't help but woncer What are our chances of Toshiba acknowledging this and offering a fix. Remeber, these folks still believe that gray bars on SD is a good thing.

I may be ordering Dish network this week, if so I'll let you know if I get the ghosting.

drmarengo: WHat type of component do you have? I'm wondering if this is limited to the Dish Network 811 or is it present in other DVI-HDMI setups.

drmarengo: Forget my last question. I did a search and see you have a Sony box. That's good news. Now Toshiba cannot point fingers at a single DVI vendor.

Sorry if this question was already answered and I just missed it. But on the HMX94's, what color are the side bars for 4:3 material? If I am not mistaken, the 84's had gray bars. Did the 94 go to black?

Thanks.

Originally posted by drmarengo
I started this item in the thread way in the begininning, about the serious ghosting issures on this set. Neo I have exactly the same issue you have, bvut I think the problem is that not enough people are utilizing this connection with hdtv recievers to see it. I cannot comment through a dvd player or HTPC, but it is definitely an issue on hdtv boxes, and not cable boxes im talking satellite.

So if anyone else is experiencing the same issue please reply so we can naqrrow this down , possibly to batch by serial numbers ,etc.

Here is the problem specifically:
Connecting a HDTV reciever(satellite not cable) via dvi-hdmi, and are seeing ghosting , please reply.

Neo if it makes u feel better as I said earlier, I demonstrated this problem in 2 different retailers floor models, so I doubt it is simply a problem with our sets. I think its just not ebough people with these components have tried the connection, to see it.

please dont reply saying it works through dvd or with my comcast cable box, because I think we really need to see whats going on with this.

Does anyone want to start a mailing list about this?

Anyone think my chances of getting HHGregg to take this back after like 2 months are > 0.0001%? :( I DO have extended warranty though.

-A

I just replaced my 52HM84 with 62HMX84 last week and I also bought a Sony DVP-NS975V.

When I connected the HDMI-HDMI input from the DVD to the TV, the first I saw was the horrible ghosting on the Sony set up menu. It was very noticeable to the right with red and green lines next to the characters. But the ghosting problem is not noticeable with the DVD content. The picture was actually better than component inputs. The ghosting effect went away when I set the Sony output to 480i/p. I also connected my cable STB DVI output to the TV. It works at 480i/p without ghost but totally noisy/snowy at HD.

I got the same problem as other members in this forum. I called up a local service center and they will arrange a schedule visit on Monday. I was very impatient so I borrowed a 32" Sharp LCD TV from my friend and try it out. We saw the same Sony problem with the Sharp at all different speed. It has the same snowy problem with the cable box. I returned the DVD to GG and we tried it out with a 50" Sony Plasma. Sony to Sony. The same problem exists.

Toshiba should know this issue so that they don't recommend to hook up a PC to their HDMI port. The ghosting effect will be worst with the PC. The HDMI technology is not mature. It might be the D-A-D effect that causes the convergence problem. It might be the higher speed in the link.

I strongly recommend people to buy TV with cable card if you want to use cable service. If you like to use satellite service, we need to wait for a better STB. I bought my TV via mail order, I have to stay with component inputs. It is obvious stupid to replace a model with two HDMI inputs.

Originally posted by kdeleon
Sorry if this question was already answered and I just missed it. But on the HMX94's, what color are the side bars for 4:3 material? If I am not mistaken, the 84's had gray bars. Did the 94 go to black?

Thanks.

My 52HMX94 has gray bars in 4:3. Doesn't bother me though, black or gray is fine.

Originally posted by Neo42
Does anyone want to start a mailing list about this?

Anyone think my chances of getting HHGregg to take this back after like 2 months are > 0.0001%? :( I DO have extended warranty though.

-A

Add me to the list. This is BULL! No way a retailler will take the set back after 2 months with such a "minor" problem.

I pulled out some good cables and connected my Dish set top box via component outs. Now as I A-B from HDMI to ColorStream, the ColorStream video is actually superior....thanks to the complete lack of ghosting.

Toshiba must step up to the plate and offer a remedy. It's clearly not the set top box since various brands produce the same phenomenon.

Originally posted by Shaner1
My 52HMX94 has gray bars in 4:3. Doesn't bother me though, black or gray is fine.

I disagree. The Gray bars bug me and I'm forced to put up with them when I watch my SD Tivo thru S-Video input (the best this old box has). Expanding the screen shows the flaws S-Video. There should be a menu option to blacken those bars.

When HD Tivo prices come down, this may be moot. But I'm not about to pop a Grand for a device that's clearly headed for a major price drop.

Originally posted by moman19
I disagree. The Gray bars bug me and I'm forced to put up with them when I watch my SD Tivo thru S-Video input (the best this old box has). Expanding the screen shows the flaws S-Video. There should be a menu option to blacken those bars.

When HD Tivo prices come down, this may be moot. But I'm not about to pop a Grand for a device that's clearly headed for a major price drop.

I was just saying that personally gray bars don't bother me. :) Not that it was "ok" for Toshiba to do it this way. Just a matter of personal choice.

My DVD player was connected with components for the last 2 months and i just switched to HDMI.

Well.... Ghosting like you guys.

I had no ghosting over component, but ghosting can be seen with the HDMI cable.

:mad:

I think we all feel cheated here in one way or another. It seems like this technology is still being testing and we are the Guinea Pigs. All of us spent hours doing research on getting the best possible set for the money and get it home and find Out its not what we expected.

I bought many sets in the last 2 years and brought them all back due to poor perfomance to my standards. The Sets I had were the Samsung 50" DLP, Hitachi 60" LCD, 65" Mistsubiti Medallion, 36" Sony Wega Direct View and the Toshiba 62HM84. Out of all these sets I brought into my home the Toshiba is the best bang for the Buck (besides the Sony Wega Direct View).

Times seemed much different 5 years ago when you could by just about any CRT RPTV and get a real good picture regardless of HD or SD or DVD.

I currently have the 62HM84 and a Zenith HD-SAT520 Receiver hooked up through Component using very high quality component cables. I didn't Bother Using HDMI or DVI because with every set I purchased that used DVI the picture was always too Digitally looking (snowy), so I stuck with component for the warmer look and after 2 weeks of watching it this is what I notice about the Set...

After calbrations with Avia and DVE and watching this set for 2 weeks, I noticed when watching HD channels, some of the HD channels are real clear and some are real soft (due to broadcast). The real clear HD channels look very vibrant and 3D like when watching sports and colors pop out very well. When watching real nature scenes with rushing water on these clear channels the rushing water looks very Snowy and very pixely. Fast motion on this set looks very pixely at times as well too. Also some pixels seem to get stuck every Now and then on fast motion scenes leaving a slight delay of pixels behind.

The rainbow effect is noticable every now and then, especially in shades of Blacks and dark blues.

The blacks are really not defined well (much better than the Hitachi 60v500 LCD RPTV) but very muddy very often.

The problem with this set is if its not being Fed Pure HD that was shot perfect and color corrected properly the Set is gonna let you know right away by displaying all the faults.

The sound quality of this set is very decent after changing some of the Settings.

I Believe this Technology has another 5 years to go before its perfected so in the meantime we either have to just deal with the imperfections or stick with Picture Tube TVs such as the Sony Wega HD.

The only reason I kept my set so long is because I got an open box deal on a 62HM84 for $2,500 and got The Bello Stand I wanted with it as well at an incredibly low open box price. If I would of Paid full price for this set I would of returned it a week ago and stood with my 36" Sony Wega HD Direct View until the technology gets perfected.

On another note: I recently picked up a Harmony 688 remote which is absolutely incredible. With the push of 1 button (Watch Movie Button) it switches all your inputs and powers on and off components and changes the volume switch to control your receiver and enables the transport buttons on the remote for the DVD player. I never knew anything about this remote until I started reading these forums about it. It's a must have, it eliminates all of your remotes, and sets up very easily online.
If you don't know about this already, look Into It. I had the Sony AV3000/3100 remote before which was a huge nightmare to set up and it never worked properly.