I now have a Sony RDR HX750 HDD DVD recorder (SD) attached to the HDMI input of the 30HF86C. The picture actually looks great, much better than component or coaxial on DVDs, SD channels and connected SD VCR which are all upscaled to 1080i. No more moire effects but with very occasional dark lines across bright scenes.

The key problem now is that this Toshiba does not let you adjust picture size on its HDMI input. So some DVD movies and HD channels appear with black bars at top and bottom of the screen (which we were able to adjust for on component input). This loses much of the advantage of the widescreen effect.

Is there any way to adjust it or is it inevitable with a) HD broadcasts via SD channels and b) DVD movies in certain widescreen aspect ratios other than the TVs 1:85? Sony has no answers so far.

Thank you for your help.

True widescreen movies are still wider than HDTVs. Any movie that it 2.35:1 or 2.40:1 will have black bars on top and bottom. If you adjust the screen to get rid of them, you are just strecthing the picture and distorting the movie.

Thanks for your reply. Even if you lose resolution, can it be stretched in any way using this TV? our only other choice seems to be to revert to a DVD connection via S-video which would lose much of the 1080i advantage anyway.

PS has anyone had problems with audio clarity over HDMI? We had some blaring sounds as if the speakers were damaged, but it does not occur on our other inputs? Also why would closed captioning not work via HDMI?

Thanks again for charing your knowledge and advice.

Hi everybody !

I am not sure if I am posting in the right section , but I have a problem with my Toshiba TV . I am not sure if this can be corrected or not .

I own a 34hfx83 Toshiba HD model , manufactured 2004 . The TV works fine except that when there is a light coloured background in the picture . The screen seems to have what it looks like dirt on the screen . I really notice it alot more when the action moves onscreen .

It just looks like there is dirt on the screen , but I have cleaned the screen and the problem is still there .

I have done a search and I have not found much except for one thread . The thread was from , I believe 2004 . The thread seemed to just end and there was no solution to fix the problem . One person mentioned something about the Invar shadow mask ? , or something like that .

Here is the link , I hope I do this right . I do not use a computer much .
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=398696

Anybody have any suggestions as to how I can fix this , or do I have to live with it ? .

It is a shame , this TV in high def is great , except that wierd dirty effect .

It would be nice if it was just the glass screen that needs to be cleaned on the inside , but I don't think I would be that lucky . Would it probably be right inside the picture tube itself ? .


Any suggestions out there that could help me ?


Thanks all !!

I have a htpc connected to a 34HD82 and the radeon video card has option of 30, 60 and 72hz refresh rate. It's at 60 after installing drivers, but will 72hz do anything?

i'm not sure if i'm in the right forum or not, but i have either a 32hf72 or 36hf72 toshiba tv. my child got ahold of the remote and somehow ended up on a white/grey screen. the first line was "16:9" and the last line said "restore factory settings" or something like that. one of the options was closed captioning which ended up getting switched on. i now have closed captioning on everything and can't figure out how to get it off. the regular menu settings for the tv show the closed captioning as off, but it's still there. any ideas? it's driving me crazy!

saintsaints,

I can't answer your Q, but I have one that you may be able to answer. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to try to use an hd crt like this one to play pc games on.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889253019

Do you use a DVI to HDMI connection? What resolutions can the tv accept from a pc? And what resolution will it output? Will it always output 1080i? Are there any other important things I should know? Does anyone have any experience playing pc games on these monitors?

i'm not sure if i'm in the right forum or not, but i have either a 32hf72 or 36hf72 toshiba tv. my child got ahold of the remote and somehow ended up on a white/grey screen. the first line was "16:9" and the last line said "restore factory settings" or something like that. one of the options was closed captioning which ended up getting switched on. i now have closed captioning on everything and can't figure out how to get it off. the regular menu settings for the tv show the closed captioning as off, but it's still there. any ideas? it's driving me crazy!

That's not your TV, that's your cable box. Turn it off and then press "menu" to get that screen and change things back.

Anyone know how to turn off Digital Noise Reduction?

I have a Toshiba 30HF85 30" Flat CRT HDTV.

Hello all, I've got a 34hd82 which I've had for about 4 years. Ever since I've owned it, it has had a 1" vertical white ghost line down the center of the screen. Anyone familiar with this and is there possibly some way to fix it? It is most visible when there is a light colored background.

Thanks

dpd347,

That stripe is a well-known problem with these sets. Everyone has it. I could tell you about another problem, but then you'd start noticing it as well.

I have the 34hdx82, and other than the minor screen defects, it's been a good set. Too good: it won't die so I can get a 50" plasma...

Recently my Toshiba 30HF85 has developed a distortion across the top of the screen. I'm not sure if it's related but for the past month I've had all the rear ports filled with game systems (xbox, xbox360, and Wii). I've had multiple systems on at the same time. Again, not sure if this has anything to do with it though. I've attached some reference pictures.

Any help with identifying the issue and thoughts on typical repair cost would be greatly appreciated.

I also have a question regarding my 30hf85 tv. I'm planning on buying a PS3 for myself and was wondering if anybody here has had any problems with the combination (ie. overscaning, resoultion problem). If you have had some problems with the two together, how do you solve them? Thanks in advance

I also have a question regarding my 30hf85 tv. I'm planning on buying a PS3 for myself and was wondering if anybody here has had any problems with the combination (ie. overscaning, resoultion problem). If you have had some problems with the two together, how do you solve them? Thanks in advance

You're probably going to have problems with HDMI, so use component@1080i for your PS3.

Hi everybody !

I am not sure if I am posting in the right section , but I have a problem with my Toshiba TV . I am not sure if this can be corrected or not .

I own a 34hfx83 Toshiba HD model , manufactured 2004 . The TV works fine except that when there is a light coloured background in the picture . The screen seems to have what it looks like dirt on the screen . I really notice it alot more when the action moves onscreen .

It just looks like there is dirt on the screen , but I have cleaned the screen and the problem is still there .

I have done a search and I have not found much except for one thread . The thread was from , I believe 2004 . The thread seemed to just end and there was no solution to fix the problem . One person mentioned something about the Invar shadow mask ? , or something like that .

Here is the link , I hope I do this right . I do not use a computer much .
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=398696

Anybody have any suggestions as to how I can fix this , or do I have to live with it ? .

It is a shame , this TV in high def is great , except that wierd dirty effect .

It would be nice if it was just the glass screen that needs to be cleaned on the inside , but I don't think I would be that lucky . Would it probably be right inside the picture tube itself ? .


Any suggestions out there that could help me ?


Thanks all !!

I am one of the original forum posters regarding this "dirty" issue with the 34hfx83. I have lived with this issue since December of 2003 with no real solution. I love the TV except for this what I call defect with early HDTV models from Toshiba. This experience has changed the way that I purchase all of my electronics. Do your research first!

Does anyone else have any solution to fixing this "dirty" screen problem with Toshiba CRT's?

-Andy

Hi,
I was wondering if anybody would know what the problem is. I have a 36" Toshiba HD CRT, and while watching HD cable (Comcast), when text pops up on the screen the picture flickers like crazy. It is most noticeable while watching Jericho, when the girl signs they put the text on the bottom of the screen. It flickers like crazy until the text it gone. It does it quite a bit on commercials too.

Any ideas?
I have just replaced all my interior cable with Belden 1694A, but that did not fix anything. I have it hooked up via component.

Thanks,
Jamie

I have hte Tpshiba 34 HFX84 HDTV and I will probably be using the Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player with it in my upstairs system. Is it worth it to connect this analog CRT with HDMI or should I use components, or does it matter?

I have the 34HF84 and there is a lot of shadow banding/flickering via HDMI through my HD STB & my (now sold) HD-A2. So...I'd personally stick with Component for any HD use.

I have the 34HF84 and there is a lot of shadow banding/flickering via HDMI through my HD STB & my (now sold) HD-A2. So...I'd personally stick with Component for any HD use.

Thanks, I've always wondered what the advantage could be to using a digital connection with an analog TV. I would imagine that the video D/A conversion in the HD_DVD player would be better than in the TV, so components are probably the way to go. I guess?

I'm thinking of buying the 30" MD30H82....the one with a built in DVD player.....
I planned on mainly using this T.V. for my PS3 games as well as BluRay movies.... so I would use HDMI...but I keep reading that these Toshiba's have promblems with their HDMI outputs.... should I pass on this T.V.

These 30" Toshibas fit perfectly in my cabinet... (I had a 26" Panny crt before) .... so I want a larger T.V...... but I also what to stick with a crt... anyone have any advice...... there are no other 30" crt that would fit this cabinet.....

I planned on mainly using this T.V. for my PS3 games as well as BluRay movies.... so I would use HDMI...but I keep reading that these Toshiba's have promblems with their HDMI outputs.... should I pass on this T.V.

Just get it and use Component inputs. It will look great after some calibration.

I have a Toshiba 30HF66 build date of May 2006 and assembled in the USA which has no issues over HDMI with my Toshiba HD-A3 hd-dvd player. Very happy with this tv.

I have a 26HF66 that just started making loud static sounds and the picture goes away. Then it comes back (after 15 seconds or so) and is fine for another few minutes, then it goes out again. It's 18 months old, and even with the credit card extending the warranty, that's only 6 months labor.

I wrote asking Toshiba to fix it under warranty. It costs $70 or so just to have someone come over and look at it. If Toshiba won't fix a $550 TV that dies after 18 months, I'm unlikely to buy another Toshiba product. I carry a grudge.

I posted about this in a new thread but then found this one. I guess it belongs here.

Any guesses as to the problem would be greatly appreciated.

I have a 26HF66 that just started making loud static sounds and the picture goes away. Then it comes back (after 15 seconds or so) and is fine for another few minutes, then it goes out again. It's 18 months old, and even with the credit card extending the warranty, that's only 6 months labor.

I wrote asking Toshiba to fix it under warranty. It costs $70 or so just to have someone come over and look at it. If Toshiba won't fix a $550 TV that dies after 18 months, I'm unlikely to buy another Toshiba product. I carry a grudge.

I posted about this in a new thread but then found this one. I guess it belongs here.

Any guesses as to the problem would be greatly appreciated.

Wait, it's still under warranty and Toshiba won't fix it? That sucks, but don't base your view of Toshiba quality on the 26HF series TV. They are poorly made(decent components though) by an outsource company named Orion.

Or maybe it's because there's three 6s in the model number...

Wait, it's still under warranty and Toshiba won't fix it? That sucks, but don't base your view of Toshiba quality on the 26HF series TV. They are poorly made(decent components though) by an outsource company named Orion.

Or maybe it's because there's three 6s in the model number...

No, the only thing under warranty is the picture tube and I've been assured by a service center that the picture tube is not the problem. What sucks is that Toshiba has a warranty of 3 months (labor) for a product that sold for $540. That does not indicate much confidence in their product. I base my opinion of their quality on their willingness to stand behind their products. That appears to be non-existent.

In fairness to Toshiba, at least one other company (Sharp) has an identical warranty. What I think we need to do is to force companies to issue longer warranties. What might be reasonable? Any product that has a suggested retail price over $300 must have at least a two year parts and labor warranty?

No, the only thing under warranty is the picture tube and I've been assured by a service center that the picture tube is not the problem. What sucks is that Toshiba has a warranty of 3 months (labor) for a product that sold for $540. That does not indicate much confidence in their product. I base my opinion of their quality on their willingness to stand behind their products. That appears to be non-existent.

In fairness to Toshiba, at least one other company (Sharp) has an identical warranty. What I think we need to do is to force companies to issue longer warranties. What might be reasonable? Any product that has a suggested retail price over $300 must have at least a two year parts and labor warranty?
That TV has a full 1 year parts and labor warranty. It states very clearly at the back of the owner's manual. Manufacturers are required by law to honor them. Try calling Toshiba's customer support again with a different rep. If it does not work, then try calling Orion's customer support at orionsalesinc.com and mention to the rep that the TV set was made by Orion, and you would like to find an authorized repair center that works both Orion and Toshiba TVs. If it still does not work, you are allowed to open a small claim against Toshiba with the court. Good luck.

Is your TV less than 12 months old or more than 12 months old? Your previous post said 18 months.

I have a Tosh 30HF66 and just recently noticed some small purple splotches at the 2 bottom corners which are really only noticeable when the display is showing a very light shade such as white. The one on the left side is slightly larger. They seem to have gotten smaller from turning the tv on and off a few times (the internal degaussing circuit) but haven't completely gone away. I recently ordered a handheld degaussing wand and was wondering if it's ok to degauss these sets and if there is any risk that degaussing would mess anything up? Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?

I have a Tosh 30HF66 and just recently noticed some small purple splotches at the 2 bottom corners which are really only noticeable when the display is showing a very light shade such as white. The one on the left side is slightly larger. They seem to have gotten smaller from turning the tv on and off a few times (the internal degaussing circuit) but haven't completely gone away. I recently ordered a handheld degaussing wand and was wondering if it's ok to degauss these sets and if there is any risk that degaussing would mess anything up? Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?

I wouldn't say it's a common thing, but you can definitely damage your TV with a degaussing wand. Be careful and do it right.

Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?

If it's old and hasn't been used in a while, yeah. They still may clear up after some more power cycles.

I wouldn't say it's a common thing, but you can definitely damage your TV with a degaussing wand. Be careful and do it right.

What would being careful and doing it right consist of? I may just leave it be rather than risk messing it up...

I have the 34HF85 and run all my stuff (both anoalog and digital) through my Denon AVR 2807 and then run one single HDMI cable to my monitor.

I have not had any HDMI issues so this may be a solution for those that are having problems.

My Toshiba 30hf66 emits a very high pitch sound. The really unfortunate aspect is that it happens very sporadically and only for minute or so before disappearing for awhile only to come back sporadically again. I have been unable to induce it but it seems to happen more often when scenes are extremely red.

The TV is still under warranty but the first repair place I brought it to claims there is nothing wrong and that they did not hear any sounds from the television. They replaced "a part" and sent it back to me. Now a new repair place is going to drive to my house to look at the TV again. My worry is that they will be at my house for such a short time that they will not hear the sound.

Any ideas on how to isolate or reproduce the sound or record the sound to play back for the technician would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Justin

How old is the set? That sort of high pitched whine is common with CRT sets and has something to do with the high voltage output but i'm not exactly sure what causes it and what you can do to fix it. Hopefully someone else here knows more about this type of problem. I do have the same set as you do the 30hf66 so i'm curious as to how long you've had it as mine is trouble free so far.

I bought the set in July 2006, The problems started in before April 2007. I have been trying to get Toshiba to fix it since then. I am becoming more and more frustrated by them. They have twice called me and said that it was no longer their problem and I have had to fight with them for weeks to get them to pay for this next repair company to come out and diagnosis the problem and repair it.

Thats why I am so worried that they will come out, not hear anything and will leave saying nothing is wrong and I'll be back at square one.

I was thinking I'd record the TV with my camcorder, but I do not think the pitch will come through on the recording since it is such a High frequency. Any ideas on how to do this would be appreciated since I want to have recording in hand to show the techs when they show up.

hey guys, i think i have a problem with overscan with my Toshiba set - 34hfx83 and GTA4 on xbox 360 - i know there are many people with other tvs with this problem but the writing on both sides of the screen is cut off a bit and its annoying. Is there any setting on the tv to get the text better centred? anything i can do before (hopefully) rockstar releases a patch? thanks. I am using 720p on the xbox and the componet cables in the back of the tv.

a friend of mine is looking for reference settings for the 30hf85 without using the service menu.

can anyone help? thanks!

a friend of mine is looking for reference settings for the 30hf85 without using the service menu.

can anyone help? thanks!

What do you mean reference settings? Do you mean to calibrate the picture quality? If so, it's impossible to get good results without using the service menu. Tell him not to worry about going into the service menu, it's not THAT scary and then search for other threads made by me. You will find one with all of my service menu settings for a properly calibrated picture.

I believe I am having the same flicker/banding/glow issue with my 30HFX85 unit as well, but wasn't evident until I started using a Comcast HD box w/ my tv. As stated previously in this thread it seems to be something wrong internally w/ the Television trying to auto color correct/brighten the picture. Something interesting is the problem only seems to occur when the source video is HD.

For example, watching LOST last night in HD, colors were going haywire, but during commercials that were sourced from standard def no problems occured. Obviously the commercial has been upconverted back at the Comcast office or through ABC somewhere along the line, so it's in 1080i. So the problem does seem to be with the TV. Which also may explain why my upconverting DVD player didn't cause the television to have errors (through both compontent and hdmi).

Another thing to mention is that I'm experiencing these problems over component, where as a lot of the problems here seem to be w/ HDMI.

My main question is, do the ISF settings that Fugiot posted correct these problems? Or were those just posted to correct more minor picture complaints?

Okay...strange issue here. I have a 30hf66 and yesterday I unplugged it from the wall and unplugged the coaxial cable so I could install a new entertainment system. When I plugged it back in and did the channel set up I only got the HD Channels! None of my regular analog cable channels. It's almost as if it's not recognizing the analog signal. Is there a setting or a reset that I can do? If I miss Adult Swim again I'm going to start breaking stuff...starting with the new entertainment center thinggy.

Thanks,

jrsu37

Check for a switch from "antenna" to "cable".

Hi, I own the Toshiba 26HF66. It overscans while I play the ps3. I was wondering how to fix it. I'm reading from previous posts that you have to alter the settings, but I cant seem to get to the service menu. Can someone help me? Thanks in advanced.

Is it better to set pc games at 1280 720 and have the tv upscale to 1080i or set games at 1920 by 1080.
Toshiba 34HD82 and Nvidia 9800 GTX.

Is it better to set pc games at 1280 720 and have the tv upscale to 1080i or set games at 1920 by 1080.
Toshiba 34HD82 and Nvidia 9800 GTX.

Depends on the game. You'll get more detail at 1920x1080, although the graphics card won't perform as well at the higher resolution. Not that you have many performance concerns with that card.

You may actually find the fuzzier look of 720 more realistic, especially if it improves frame rate or lets you turn up AA/AF settings. Or you may prefer the greater detail at 1080, you should try both.

BTW, I have the 34HDX82, and although I don't play games, I use my laptop to watch Blu-ray movies on it. Calibrating the DVI input with Avia was essential to resolving as much detail as the tube is capable of. See if you can make out 8 point text at 1920x1080.

Hello,

I am looking at grabbing a used Toshiba 34HF81 to use for a while for watching dvd's. Does this set have SVM and can I disable it without any fancy footwork? I can't find it in the downloadable owners manual. Also, is this a decent set? Just want to use this instead of a 27" or 32" 4:3 TV for a while. Front projector home theatre is on hold for a while.

I don't own the 34HF81 (I have a 34HDX82), but I'm pretty sure all you have to do is put it in movie mode to disable SVM. That's how my set works. Keep in mind the 34HF81 doesn't have DVI.

Here's a review of the 34HF81:

http://www.avguide.com/file-download?review=787

My Tosh is too good, it simply refuses to die so I can get a 50" plasma...

I don't own the 34HF81 (I have a 34HDX82), but I'm pretty sure all you have to do is put it in movie mode to disable SVM. That's how my set works. Keep in mind the 34HF81 doesn't have DVI.

Here's a review of the 34HF81:

http://www.avguide.com/file-download?review=787

My Tosh is too good, it simply refuses to die so I can get a 50" plasma...

Yeah, lack of DVI does kinda suck, but it's not the end of the world. As a temporary fix, for around $300, I think the set has potential for DVD watching. I may be able to use a DVI to component adapter for 480p and 1080i...but I'm not sure it'll be in the right format. I think it needs to be transcoded to component Y-PB-PR to work with the set. I'm trying to see if my DVDO VP50 can output Y-PB-PR via the BNC outputs (which I'll adapt to RCA connectors).

I have a Toshiba 26hf84 and i screwed with the system menu settings and I would like to get the picture back to what it is set at when it's at default. Can anyone please list all of the factory settings for the system menu so i can get this thing looking decent again? thanks!!!

ps - to access the system menu, hold the volume button on the tv until it reaches zero and then press and hold the number 9 on the remote while still holding volume down on the remote.

thanks again!

Alex

Help please. I have a Toshiba 30 HD85, and the remote sensor has stopped working. Any idea how to get to the inputs WITHOUT a remote control? My tv is stuck on the ANT input, and my cable box is on HDMI.

bump

please help me out, it's driving me crazy!!! (two messages up!!) ^^^^

thanks again!

-a

Alex, unfortunately there are no system defaults, settings are unique to individual sets, determined at the factory during calibration. That's the nature of analog CRTs, and why you're warned to write down settings before changing them.

In practice, settings are probably very similar between sets. Maybe someone with a 26hf84 will help you out. I have a 34hdx82, I doubt that would help.

Your other option is to learn a lot more about calibration and fix it yourself. This site is very helpful, although some information is specific to rear projections sets:

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brandspecific/toshiba/toshiba_tips.html
http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brandspecific/toshiba/servicemenu/servicemenu.html

Toshiba came out with a new upconverting dvd player XD-E500 that has 1080p/24fps 24p support. Will this make dvd look better on crts?

Yes it should given that my dvds upconverted on my Toshiba HD-A3 to 1080i look better than they do normally played at 480p or allowed to upscale to 1080i through the tv upscaling. Granted you won't be able to take advantage of the 1080p or 24 fps at all but even at 1080i the difference should be pretty clear.

I bought a Toshiba 30HFX85 a couple years back and it has been perfroming quite well in non hd formats. However I recently bought an Xbox 360 and have never been to successfully use it in HD with this TV. I try using the 1080i output from the Xbox to a Colorstream HD In with 1080i selected in the display format settings, annd I end up with large areas of the outer screen being clipped and cut off. I have tried countless tests of other modes on my Xbox an TV but have not had any luck. I was really hoping not to have to buy a new LCD but after reading past posts in this thread I am beginning to hope there is a solution, be it in my TV's calibration or Xbox settings.

I would very much appreciate any help as I would very much like to save $1000 in buying a new TV, and I'd also like to finally be able to play my Xbox 360 in HD.

I just bought a 30HF66 and almost all of the inputs do not work. The only thing that works is the video 3 "video" input (the "audio" inputs for video 3 does not work). Ive also tried component 1, component 2, video 1, video 2 and these do not give any signal. I have not been able to try S-Video or HDMI yet.

Anyone have a clue what the heck is going on?

Hey fugiot do you have an updated version of your service menu settings since your last post of them, I was just wondering what your current settings look like. Thanks in advance

Fugiot,
What calbration equipment and software did you use for your Toshiba ?
I have been working with ione Pro and Calman 3.1.
Also how do I turn off "Cable Clear" ? when in HDMI
Joe

yeah, i screwed up - i didn't write down anything before changing my service menu... can someone send me their default settings for their 26HF84 and i will just use that as a guideline because as of now, it's all messed up. very frustrating!!

thanks everyone...

I bought a Toshiba 30HFX85 a couple years back and it has been perfroming quite well in non hd formats. However I recently bought an Xbox 360 and have never been to successfully use it in HD with this TV. I try using the 1080i output from the Xbox to a Colorstream HD In with 1080i selected in the display format settings, annd I end up with large areas of the outer screen being clipped and cut off. I have tried countless tests of other modes on my Xbox an TV but have not had any luck. I was really hoping not to have to buy a new LCD but after reading past posts in this thread I am beginning to hope there is a solution, be it in my TV's calibration or Xbox settings.

I would very much appreciate any help as I would very much like to save $1000 in buying a new TV, and I'd also like to finally be able to play my Xbox 360 in HD.

I have nearly the exact same problem. I also have a 30HFX85, and all was fine until I got an XBox and tried playing games in 1080i. I changed the setting in the TV's menu to 1080i, but I get dark horizontal banding. The same happens whether the XBox uses component cables or an HDMI connection to the TV. Is there a setting somewhere I need to change? Is there a problem with the TV that I can get repaired? I'm really unhappy that my nice new TV can't display the HD images I was sold on.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

-Ren

Here is an older review from my electronicsme (http://www.electronicsme.com)site...

"The Toshiba 30HF85 comes from a good family. After the success of last year’s success in the 26, 30 and 34 inch HDTVs, Toshiba is ready for another great year.

Simply put, this is a very good television. Fully loaded with features, the 30HF85 is under-priced and ready to perform. It has selectable display resolution and a great sound system to give all the best you deserve in home entertainment.

When compared to other HDTVs, the Toshiba holds its own. Although the colors were not as rich as some of the other televisions, the crispness of the picture was excellent. The black levels were outstanding and provide superb contrast without loss to the brightness of the picture."

Read more of this Toshiba 30HF85 review (http://www.electronicsme.com/product_review.php?pid=2324)?

Hello,

My 30HF85 is just over a year old and it was working fine (except banding). Unfortunately, tonight it started stretching the picture. I'm connecting XBOX360 and Motorola DCT6400 to Onkyo 605 and then to Tosh, all via HDMI. Same thing is happening when receiver is bypassed. (Of course, when 30HF85 input is HDMI, picture size cannot be controlled.)

Is there something I can do, or is it time to activate extended warranty?

Hi all, i have a question about my TV. Its a Toshiba 30HF85C, its like 3 years old now but I was thinking of hooking up a HTPC to it but after reading the manual it says "Never connect this TV to a personal computer (PC)". So is my TV not going to work if i connect my computer to it or something worse is going to happen?
oh and i was planing to plug in my computer though the hdmi port if that helps in any way.

this forum is great! i have a 30HF85 and when i hooked my new PS3 up to it right away i noticed that i was getting a lot of the picture chopped off on the sides. it has bothered me for the past couple weeks but decided today to do a search on here. i simply typed in the model number in the search and found some great results. found out how to get into the service menu and un-stretch the picture so now i can get the whole picture! :)

i know this TV is getting pretty outdated now but it works great for me and no sense in upgrading till it dies. i've had it about 3 years now i think, and so far so good other than the picture being stretched to wide the whole time, but the ps3 made me realize it.

...and so far so good other than the picture being stretched to wide the whole time, but the ps3 made me realize it.

GTA IV, right? ;)

GTA IV, right? ;)

nope. i don't have that game. i noticed it first on High Velocity bowling where it was very obviously chopping off a lot of text. i figured it was the PS3 or just the ps3 not getting along with my receiver or tv, until i stumbled upon this thread and messed with some hidden geometry settings.

i also changed some other settings just now(wrote down my default settings first of course for backup). got the picture looking much sharper and cleaner. never noticed the reds being overpowering until it was mentioned here.

she sure looks like an HDTV now especially when playing blu-ray and games. :) :D

i actually do have one more slight problem. not sure what to make of it but here goes:

why does my Toshiba 30HF85 intermittently do this?
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n159/cavalier94sq/IMG_3773.jpg

it's like doubling the picture and it's flashing really fast while doing it. like maybe its interlacing incorrectly or somethings not lining up. i don't know. its flashing so fast that when i tried to take a picture of it i had to use a long shutter speed to even catch it. it doesn't do it all the time. just now and then. does it both on cable tv and on the PS3. never did it until i got the PS3 though, so i don't know what that means. could just be a coincidence.

everything goes through my receiver using component cables (no HDMI anywhere), so i guess it could possibly even be the receiver doing it.

it doesn't really bother me much. cause all i have to do it just change in input signal and then go back and it always fixes it. but if its the TV itself and its on its way out that kinda stinks.

hey i got toshiba 27afx55, i got it over 3 yrs ago so warrenty wont help with my problem
my problem is that i can see my pictures on my tv as in reguler cable images but the colour is all messd up as in something that is one colour is another colour instead its like a tiedie colour thing and its really messing with my gaming and my tv shows
can anybody help me with this problem
plz and thanks

Help me! I bought this TV new from Best Buy about two years ago, and suddenly when I got home yesterday it will not work. I push the power button and it turns on for literally 1/2 a second and turns back off. I have tried unplugging the unit for several hours to do a power reset, and it still isn't working. Does anyone have any advice for me?

I apologize if this issue has finally been resolved earlier in the thread, but after about 25 pages, I just couldn't bear to continue reading.

I've got a 34HFX85 (December 2005 build) that has the oh so incredibly infamous banding issue at 1080i over HDMI. Has anyone found a fix for this yet? Right now I'm using the "set your STB to 720p" workaround.

I've managed to get my PQ to look pretty sexy via a myriad of service and user menu tweaks, so if I can just get this one last bug squared away I can stop feeling like a fool for not having read through the majority of this thread prior to my warranty expiring. :]

Hi folks,
I just picked up a decent 26HF84 for $120.
With a June 2005 build date, the previous owner said he had the tv for 2+ almost 3 years.

For a bedroom tv, it's a nice improvement over the 20" Sears 4:3 crt.

Utilizing a set-top-box atsc tuner and connecting via hdmi, the high definition picture quality is fantastic.
(over-the-air CBC HD, Toronto)

Of course, I owe many thanks to everyone who has posted here.
Based on your opinions, I felt comfortable buying this tv. Thank you.

fugiot,
Your service menu tweaks have been a huge benefit. Thank you, sir.


May I enquire regarding your post #1229, page 41, quoted below?



SUB CONT should be ZERO! Not 15!
This affects the CONRAST which is now 63 across the board
and COLOR which is now 43 across all inputs

...

46. CONT. CENT - 63
47. CONT. MAX - 63
48. CONT. MIN - 31
49. COL. CENT - 43
50. COL. MAX - 43
51. COL. MIN - 43

...

Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.

You mention, "...63 across the board..." however, you list 48. CONT. MIN as 31. Did you mean for CONT. MIN to be 63 also?

Secondly, regarding the "Theater Wide 3" screen setting; do you mean for this "V. SIZE to 50" adjustment to be made on all inputs?


Thanks for taking the time to respond. This tweaking for picture quality is fun and rewarding.

Hi folks,
I just picked up a decent 26HF84 for $120.
With a June 2005 build date, the previous owner said he had the tv for 2+ almost 3 years.

For a bedroom tv, it's a nice improvement over the 20" Sears 4:3 crt.

Utilizing a set-top-box atsc tuner and connecting via hdmi, the high definition picture quality is fantastic.
(over-the-air CBC HD, Toronto)

Of course, I owe many thanks to everyone who has posted here.
Based on your opinions, I felt comfortable buying this tv. Thank you.

fugiot,
Your service menu tweaks have been a huge benefit. Thank you, sir.


May I enquire regarding your post #1229, page 41, quoted below?


You mention, "...63 across the board..." however, you list 48. CONT. MIN as 31. Did you mean for CONT. MIN to be 63 also?

Secondly, regarding the "Theater Wide 3" screen setting; do you mean for this "V. SIZE to 50" adjustment to be made on all inputs?


Thanks for taking the time to respond. This tweaking for picture quality is fun and rewarding.

Hey, Tim

The Contrast min. should be at 31 so you will still be able to lower the contrast from the main menu. Set only Contrast cent and max at 63. This will mean that the center contrast value on the main menu is the perfect setting and prevents you or anybody else from raising it any higher in the main menu, which will make the picture look worse, shorten life span, use more energy and can even damage the tube. Meaning, even if you raise the contrast above the center level on the main menu, nothing will happen.

Yes, I meant for you to change the V.size to 50 on all inputs but ONLY for the Theater Wide 3 mode. This will help you watch standard def widescreen stuff without the black bars on top and bottom. It will not affect HD stuff at all.

Fugiot: i have a 30hf85 and i tried all those settings you listed and they didn't work to well at all. i wrote down all my original settings 1st thank god, so i just went back to them then messed around myself with stuff.

one of the problems i have is with the black crush everybody has. what does the SUB CONT do exactly? any clue where i should have it set? if i raise the brightness control everything starts to look washed out and then i get the white glow at the top of the set.

the other problem is that i have no idea where to set my contrast. i have an AVIA disc and no matter what i do in the regular menu it never gets bright enough to bloom. i know blooming is not what we want anyway but i just have no idea where my contrast should be set.

on HD stuff like PS3 games, Blu-ray discs and good HD cable programming the picture looks great other than the black crush i sometimes see.

i kinda wish this thing would die so i can get new bigger tv, but i don't want to give away or throw away a perfectly good tv. lol

Fugiot: i have a 30hf85 and i tried all those settings you listed and they didn't work to well at all. i wrote down all my original settings 1st thank god, so i just went back to them then messed around myself with stuff.

one of the problems i have is with the black crush everybody has. what does the SUB CONT do exactly? any clue where i should have it set? if i raise the brightness control everything starts to look washed out and then i get the white glow at the top of the set.

the other problem is that i have no idea where to set my contrast. i have an AVIA disc and no matter what i do in the regular menu it never gets bright enough to bloom. i know blooming is not what we want anyway but i just have no idea where my contrast should be set.

on HD stuff like PS3 games, Blu-ray discs and good HD cable programming the picture looks great other than the black crush i sometimes see.

i kinda wish this thing would die so i can get new bigger tv, but i don't want to give away or throw away a perfectly good tv. lol

Hey,

The settings will not work with all TVs as all TVs come out of the factory a bit differently. And yes, the black crush is a MAJOR problem on these TVs. It's either a bit washed out or a bit crushed, pick your poison.

The sub-contrast is gamma control and is best set at zero. It is closest to the 2.2 standard there.

Contrast can be tricky to set on a CRT, but you're looking more for linearity than blooming. I have an excellent 1080p WMV test pattern that you can view on an X360(maybe PS3?). It will help you dial in contrast, but really, I'm almost positive that the contrast should be at 63 in the service menu. Set cent. and max. contrast settings to 63 in the SM and then set the regualr menu contrast to 50% or higher.

You may not be used to a calibrated picture and need time to adjust your eyes, or it may just not work so well with your particular TV.

Hey,

The settings will not work with all TVs as all TVs come out of the factory a bit differently. And yes, the black crush is a MAJOR problem on these TVs. It's either a bit washed out or a bit crushed, pick your poison.

The sub-contrast is gamma control and is best set at zero. It is closest to the 2.2 standard there.

Contrast can be tricky to set on a CRT, but you're looking more for linearity than blooming. I have an excellent 1080p WMV test pattern that you can view on an X360(maybe PS3?). It will help you dial in contrast, but really, I'm almost positive that the contrast should be at 63 in the service menu. Set cent. and max. contrast settings to 63 in the SM and then set the regualr menu contrast to 50% or higher.

You may not be used to a calibrated picture and need time to adjust your eyes, or it may just not work so well with your particular TV.

alrighty. thanks for your help. :)

I was wondering if anyone can assist me with a problem I've been experiencing with my Toshiba 36HF72 television. I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD cable box/DVR via Time Warner. When I hook the box into either ColorStream HD-1 or HD-2 port, I get a very high pitched humming/whining noise, similar to what you'd experience during a hearing test. The noise seems to be coming from the green (Y) video cable, because it disappears when I pull out the cable. I don't get the hum if I use the Video-1 or Video-2 ports, however. I also do not get the hum if my Toshiba Progressive Scan DVD player is hooked into either ColorStream port. At first, I thought the noise was from the cable box, but when I swapped it out, I still had the same issue. The hum remains, even if I power off the cable box, so I know it's coming from the television and is there about 75 % of the time. The HD picture is excellent, even for this older model TV, but the humming noise drives me crazy, especially at lower volume. It's like torture. Has anyone heard of this problem?!? Thank you.

Paski,

Make sure the 8300HD is in HD mode, if it's in SD mode, it outputs composite video on the Y/V (green) connector. That might cause the sound you're hearing.

Bob

That seems to have done the trick! Thanks Bob, I really appreciate it ...!

You're welcome Paski, glad I could help.

Is there anyway in the service menu to adjust the temperature for a circa 2003 Toshiba 27-inch non-digital CRT? There is no owner adjustment and the temperature seems to be hot when I'd like to adjust it to cool.

Thanks so much,

Joe

I recently purchased a Toshiba 36HF71 for a reasonable $29.99 and it was playing a DVD perfectly via a S-Video cable and would paly a VHS tape via the antenna input when I bought it. I brought it home and now it looks like a letterbox format, then jumps to full screen, then back to the two black bars across the top and bottom. I can switch it to either antenna input and the same happens. I can go to either of the RCA red, yellow, white and the same thing happens. I have tried a WII on it via the RCA jacks and it works sometimes and not others. Sometimes the smaller screen is steady, then others the bottom is jittery. I haven't tweaked anything. I haven't tried anything with an S-Video output to see if it changes as the RCA and antenna inputs do the same. I can shut it off and turn it back on, it may or may not be the correct size for the screen. Regardless, it won't stay large or small. I have allowed it to "warm" up thinking that may make a difference, but it hasn't. When the screen is in the "small" mode it appears to be "leaning" backwards a little as the top of the picture is narrower than the bottom. I didn't joust it around or anything, but I can not get the same picture that the resale center had. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. I'm not afraid to try things and pretty elctronically oriented, I'm just not much of a TV troubleshooter.

Thanks,
mhwilson

If you are watching an analog TV channel on cable, some may be letterboxed, and change from letterbox show, to full screen commercials, back and forth. DVDs often are letterboxed. But it sounds like you are just watching a stable full screen input and it changes suddenly. May be poor soldering in the vertical output area of the board or power supply area.

I can turn on the set and just have noise as the input. I still get the letterbox looking display. I don't have to have an input to the TV and get the letterbox looking screen. I hae tried a Xbox 360 on the component input and the screen will change whenever it likes. It may be full screen then go to half screen, or it may be the other way around. Back and forth. It has nothing to do with commercials.

I'm curious if anyone has any information regarding the warnings in the Toshiba manual regarding PC connectivity. I can't figure out what they are warning against: Screen burn-in? Something else?

I never had any problems using it as a HTPC monitor with Mac or PC over a DVI->HDMI cable.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's the response I got from Toshiba customer service regarding connecting a PC to the CRT.

----------
Thanks for writing!

I apologize for the inconvenience.

You may connect your personal computer (PC) to your TV only if the TV has a PC Monitor Input (15 Pin D-Sub Connection).

You may not connect your PC to the TV using the HDMI or DVI connection.

If the Television does not have a PC Monitor Input, then the television was not designed to display images from personal computers (PCs) or similar devices. Toshiba cannot guarantee compatibility with such devices and connecting such devices may cause interference with signal quality and/or cause interference with other devices. In addition, connecting the TV to a PC with a high refresh rate may cause damage to the Toshiba product and void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Any damage or problems that arise from connecting a PC to a Toshiba television without a PC Monitor Input (15 Pin D-Sub Connection), will void the warranty on the product.

For further assistance, I recommend contacting our Customer Solutions Department at 1-800-631-3811. They are available Mon-Fri, 8AM to 7PM Central time.

Brendon

Toshiba Customer Service

Joecapero: I would love to know what settings you used to successfully connect your tv to a mac--i've had no luck!

I have a 36AF42. Lightning struck our telephone wiring (which was connected to our Dish receiver connected to the TV) and now I can not get any picture from any inputs. I can see all TV display items (menus, volume, channel, input selection) but no actual source picture. Is the TV shot at this point or do you think it can be repaired?

My insurance already covered a new TV. Just trying to see if I can salvage this before I trash it. I loved this TV too, great picture :(

Thanks for any help

is it possible to change the inputs on the 30hf85 without the remote. tv is no longer responding to universal or original remote. i will order a new remote receiver and hope it is not something further downstream. there is absolutely no response from remotes, vol, chan, pwr, etc. I can get to the setup menus by holding both volume keys on the front panel but till no input selection.

We got a cheap universal remote with an "input" button to solve our lost remote problem. Four years later and the 30hf85 is still running. Mostly used for SDTV, PS2 games and upscaled DVDs which look the best on it. We have also recently connected our PC through the HDMI to watch YouTube and Hulu. Text from the PC can be hard to read, but video is good.

The back up remote is a GE brand we got from Big Lots for $6.

Our HD reception is find for DVD's, HBO, and most Comcast cable channel broadcasts. However, for some live HD broadcasts, like Celtics or Red Sox, the screen is unwatchable jumpy, as if it has lost horizontal sync.
Also, HD broadcast of the weather during the news causes similar jumpiness. Comcast has been to the house and tested the cable signal and determined that the problem is the TV. Any ideas how to fix it?