OK. I went to a local Bestbuy today to test 42HL196 in the hopes of I can get at least 1366x768 resolution on my laptop.

I used powerstrip to enable 1366x768 @ 60Hz and no luck, I also tried 1920x1080 @ 60Hz and again no luck.

All it shows is 1024x768 and there are 2 black bars (almost 40% each) on both sides. I did not have access to the remote but I used its menu to expand 1024x768 to fill the screen and the text etc was crappy.

Kinda disappointed and now looking at a 40" LCD with 1366x768
KDL40S2010 or KV40S200A which are on sale this weekend.

1024x768 to fill the screen and the text etc was crappy.


I don't know why Toshiba and JVC chose to implement their VGA inputs that way. It turns out to be more of a negative than anything.

Does anyone know the primary differences between the newer 32HL66, and the older 32HL95? It appears that both are still available, as they are both listed on Toshiba's web site. Price difference is pretty substantial between the two; don't know if this is because of feature changes, or just natural drop in technology prices.

Once thing I did notice is that the 32HL66 does not have a CableCard slot. This seems a bit odd, since the CableCard is one thing I really love about my 32HL95.
And TV Guide screen that can be found in 32HL95.

I purchased an open box Toshiba 42HL196 without the owners manual thinking I could get the manual off the web, which I discovered is impossible. Toshiba customer support was unable to provide me with an Owners Manual. Are any of you 42HL196 owners able to send me a soft copy?
Thank's
Allan

Hi,

I just purchased the 47LX196. Overall I am satisfied with the units except for some of the little things e.g. VGA input can only display a max of 1024X768, contrast ratio is 8000:1 (would that really make such a visible difference?) ... But at least this unit is at least $1000 cheaper than the Sony or Sharp (which I was also looking at but settle on the Toshiba since it seems to be of good value ...allow me to convince myself that i have made the right decision :p ). I am not sure if any of the owners agree to me on that . but being a new around here I do have the following questions though:

- I guess it is now confirmed that the max. resolution via VGA input is 1024 X 768. Is there other means of displaying higher resolution e.g. 1080i from the laptop with this unit? I am not a current subscriber of any HD channels or nor do I have a upconverting DVD player (YET), so the max resolution source is basically my progressive DVD player @480p or so (so I am looking to test it out with my laptop)

- Anyone have a good set of settings for reference (I have seen the one in the other postings)


- On hindsight maybe I should wait for the LZ series Do anyone of you think the newly released LZ series (with the additional features) is worth the extra $?

Thanks

I don't know why Toshiba and JVC chose to implement their VGA inputs that way. It turns out to be more of a negative than anything.


I say it is deceptive since the units have stickers all over claiming 1920x1080.

Hi,

I just purchased the 47LX196. Overall I am satisfied with the units except for some of the little things e.g. VGA input can only display a max of 1024X768, contrast ratio is 8000:1 (would that really make such a visible difference?) ... But at least this unit is at least $1000 cheaper than the Sony or Sharp (which I was also looking at but settle on the Toshiba since it seems to be of good value ...allow me to convince myself that i have made the right decision :p ). I am not sure if any of the owners agree to me on that . but being a new around here I do have the following questions though:

- I guess it is now confirmed that the max. resolution via VGA input is 1024 X 768. Is there other means of displaying higher resolution e.g. 1080i from the laptop with this unit? I am not a current subscriber of any HD channels or nor do I have a upconverting DVD player (YET), so the max resolution source is basically my progressive DVD player @480p or so (so I am looking to test it out with my laptop)

- Anyone have a good set of settings for reference (I have seen the one in the other postings)


- On hindsight maybe I should wait for the LZ series Do anyone of you think the newly released LZ series (with the additional features) is worth the extra $?

Thanks


I've got the 47LX and so far am very happy with it. I've had it a week and have been playing around with the settings. I was using my old Panny dvd player (non progressive) and finally bought a Sony upconvert last night (DVP-NS75H model) . It made a world of difference. Night and day over the old Panny DVD-RV32.
I've got regular cable now and it doesn't look grat, but acceptable for now.
Playing with the settings still. Backlight control is still a mystery as I am not sure what it does and if I notice any differece when adjusting it. Not using this TV for a computer monitor, so no comment there.
Like I said, so far so good...now need to upgrade mysurround reciever and speakers.

Backlight control is still a mystery as I am not sure what it does and if I notice any differece when adjusting it.

It adjusts the brightness of the backlight.

As an added bonus :rolleyes: on Toshiba LCD's, you will hear a light buzzing sound from inside the TV when you adjust the backlight to anything but 100 %.

As an added bonus :rolleyes: on Toshiba LCD's, you will hear a light buzzing sound from inside the TV when you adjust the backlight to anything but 100 %.

That statement is simply not true. I haven't heard any buzzing since I initially reported it here, which makes it quite possible that it was a problem with the source signal. I've adjusted the backlight numerous times to all possible values, and there is absolutely no buzzing related to the blacklight. Do you own this model TV? Because nobody here that does has reported this problem.

I have contacted Toshiba for an explanation regarding the 1024x768 PC input limitation. I'll report back when I hear something. In the meantime if you are looking for a TV that will work for HTPC applications, hold off on the 196 line.

-MDR

I have not heard any buzzing except when I've had a few beers...

OK, yeah it adjusts the backlight, but is the backlight the control for the overall brightness of the TV???

First - the only buzz my 42HL196 gets is when friends come over and see the crystal clear image.

Has anyone determined if "Native" or "Natural" produces a better image on HD broadcasts? My untrained eyes prefer "Native".

Also has anyone calibrated their set yet?

native is for 1080 signals, and eliminates overscan, giving you 3-5% more viewing area and no scaling...it should be the best for HD or HD DVD

Crosby,

I'm at work right now so I don't have access to the settings. I haven't calibrated it with a DVD (yet, maybe next weekend?) but the settings you listed are not dramatically different than mine. I can tell my colors are still off a tiny bit (my wife thinks I'm crazy), but I've given up trying to improve it without using a calibration disc and some filters.

My analog cable channels look pretty crappy, too, but I think it is because my coax is garbage. The digital channels all look great, even the ones broadcasting SD. Analog SD channels from my $30 RCA indoor antenna look similar to my old set (fuzzy due to poor reception). OTA HD digital channels look amazing, way better than I was expecting and at least as good as the cable. I have no reason to suspect that the analog tuner in the Toshiba is lousy, I just think I'm feeding it a bad signal.

Haven't heard any buzzing since Tuesday, maybe it was source related.

Atye wrote:
"This banding occurs when theres fast action horizontally across the screen.
Like a punt or kickoff in football or a long outfield play in baseball."

I think it is happening anyway, it is just only noticible when there is somewhat uniform color being displayed. When the camera is fixed over a patch of grass, you can't see the banding because it is indistinguishable from natural variations in light over the field. But when it pans, the banding is more obvious because the band doesn't move with the camera. If you put a true solid color it is easier to see. Someone mentioned using an old VCR that displays blue, I used my computer to display a uniform dark green. My band is only on the right side, about 2" away from the edge. Again, it is very subtle, and I wonder if I'd have noticed it at all if I hadn't read about DoobyDolby's problem. I've contacted Toshiba about it, I'll report their response when I hear from them.
recently picked up the HL196 and noticed the same thing. It's weird because once you notice it, it becomes a real distraction. ive tried a million different settings and nothing ive done seems to work. overall, im pretty happy with this tv and love the picture when im not seeing that ghost bar. anyone heard anything yet as to what this may be and how to get rid of it?

Using 1080i output from my cable box and setting the set to "Native" I don't see the lines/bars you are describing. However last night I was watching ABC and noticed an improvment in picture quality by allowing 720p output on the cable box.

So what I have now is the cable box outputting 480i, 480p, 1080i or 720p - then the Tosh set to Auto Aspect Ratio - "ON". This seems to produce the best results.

when viewing high def channels in native mode, there is fine white line across the very bottom of the screen as well as a white bar at the top right and a black bar at the top left of the screen (both are about 1.5 inches long). all of them disappear if i change to natural, theaterwide 1,2, or 3.

i actually returned the first set i bought because of this, thinking it was a defective panel. since this is the second one and i have the same problem, i'm thinking there's something else going on. the channels are definitely HD (discovery HD, inHD, HBOHD).

it doesn't happen with dvd's (i assume because they're not HD).

any thoughts on this? i contacted toshiba already; they have no clue.


Since the Native mode eliminates overscan, It would appear that your incoming signal is not "perfect" which would be the situation where native mode would be used. Since your edges are compromised, I'd stick with Natural for you HD signals, and use Native for HDDVD, etc.

I just got off the phone with Toshiba support. The guy I spoke with claimed the 1024 x 768 limitation on the PC input is there because the panel can't handle larger resolutions at high refresh rates that computers can output. A PC outputting 1920 x 1080 at 100 Hz, for instance, could "blow" the TV (his phrasing). Since it is a hardware-related limitation, there will never be updated firmware that will allow it to accept larger resolutions.

There is a line in the manual that states "Never connect a PC to the HDMI port." I asked him about that and he said again, the refresh rate output by the PC could be too high for the TV to handle. I asked what the maximum safe refresh rate for the panel is at 1920 x 1080 and he said 60 Hz. So setting the PC to 1920 x 1080 @60Hz and hooking it up via the HDMI should be OK, right? He told me that was unsupported and it could still damage the TV, and that such damage would not be covered under warranty.

I asked him if he thought it was misleading for a widescreen TV to be advertised as capable of accepting a PC input without explicitly stating that it only accepts non-widescreen resolutions. He wouldn't bite, giving me a stock answer that it is only advertised as accepting PC input, which it does.

But back to the HDMI thing: HDMI is a standard, so if I set the output at a resolution that the TV is documented to accept, why would it matter what the source is? I couldn't get the support guy to comment on this one way or another, beyond "It isn't supported and may damage your TV". Does anyone have any thoughts on that? I don't have the technical understanding to know if that is just cover-your-butt talk or a serious warning.

Is there a special hidden menu for 42HL196 that can access advance TV adjustment/checking features? I read about such menus in other TVs. Most importantly for me is how to find how many hours this TV was ON.

Thanks

I've looked all over for this answer and can't seem to get how to do it.
Is there a way in the service menu to adjust overscan on component
inputs? Do you access the service menu the same way as other Toshiba sets?
(I also own a Tosh RP CRT set)

BTW, I have backlight set to zero on all inputs.
Looks fine to me!

HDMI CABLE

Contrast 79
Backlight 100
Brightness 53
Color 50
Tint 0
Sharpness 50

My review:

Background: No previous HDTV experience, had Sony 35'' CRT TV, just analog cable, no cable box, antenna for HD OTA - still working on that, watching TV from about 8 feet.

Remote: looks big, solid and heavy but in my hands feels good. I like button setup. You can use it without looking at it, so that is very good. I would not even mention, this but few weeks ago I bought Toshiba DVD-HDD recorder and Remote on that unit is just miserable. So you do not know how important it is till you get something bad.

PQ: HDD - absolutely amazing. I had Sharp 37D40 TV for few days and would say that this TV looks better. Just my opinion.

PQ QAM: I am getting about 20 free channels. They all digital 480i, but quality very much is different between them. Some of them I swear look like HD, even input info says 480i.

PQ NTSC: depends on channel and probably on my cable. Very high numbers are very good, I would say much better than expected. Channels 2-6 are quite bad. I know there is a problem with my cable, so for you it will depend.

TV Guide: very good implementation. It is not Tivo, but for analog cable is very good. Guide responds well, location of information is very reasonable laid out. Again, TV Guide on same Toshiba DVD-HDD records is much much worse - slow response time, awkward layout.

Good things comparing to Shard 37D40U I had for a few days:
1 Bigger by 5 inces and it is very noticable.
2. It has two antenna input: one for cable and another for OTA antenna. Big big advantage.
3. Has TV Guide
5. My OTA channels came in stronger on this TV for some reason (same location, same antenna).


Now I am not an expert, but I absolutelly like this TV. Right now I am watching mostly SD channels and they are good enough for me.

Enjoy



TV 42HL196,

My review:

Background: No previous HDTV experience, had Sony 35'' CRT TV, just analog cable, no cable box, antenna for HD OTA - still working on that, watching TV from about 8 feet.

Remote: looks big, solid and heavy but in my hands feels good. I like button setup. You can use it without looking at it, so that is very good. I would not even mention, this but few weeks ago I bought Toshiba DVD-HDD recorder and Remote on that unit is just miserable. So you do not know how important it is till you get something bad.

PQ: HDD - absolutely amazing. I had Sharp 37D40 TV for few days and would say that this TV looks better. Just my opinion.

PQ QAM: I am getting about 20 free channels. They all digital 480i, but quality very much is different between them. Some of them I swear look like HD, even input info says 480i.

PQ NTSC: depends on channel and probably on my cable. Very high numbers are very good, I would say much better than expected. Channels 2-6 are quite bad. I know there is a problem with my cable, so for you it will depend.

TV Guide: very good implementation. It is not Tivo, but for analog cable is very good. Guide responds well, location of information is very reasonable laid out. Again, TV Guide on same Toshiba DVD-HDD records is much much worse - slow response time, awkward layout.

Good things comparing to Shard 37D40U I had for a few days:
1 Bigger by 5 inces and it is very noticable.
2. It has two antenna input: one for cable and another for OTA antenna. Big big advantage.
3. Has TV Guide
5. My OTA channels came in stronger on this TV for some reason (same location, same antenna).


Now I am not an expert, but I absolutelly like this TV. Right now I am watching mostly SD channels and they are good enough for me.

Enjoy



TV 42HL196,

Did you hook it up to a PC?

Did you hook it up to a PC?

No, I am not planning to use it for PC. For me it is just TV, and I would say very good TV :-).

I've looked all over for this answer and can't seem to get how to do it.
Is there a way in the service menu to adjust overscan on component
inputs? Do you access the service menu the same way as other Toshiba sets?
(I also own a Tosh RP CRT set)

BTW, I have backlight set to zero on all inputs.
Looks fine to me!Any takers on this?

Had this TV going on 2 weeks now. Overall I am pretty happy with it (so far) except for some weirdness this set is having at certain times.
I'll try to explain best I can.

When I first got this TV, I hooked it up to my old DVD player (Panny R32...non progressive) with some component cables.
I noticed then when playing DVDs, the actors faces (medium to close-up shots) were looking strange. When they moved their heads from side to side or up and down their faces would "contort" or "distort". Looked like the panel couldn't handle that slight movement. Eventhough action scenes are OK and motion in general is very good (ie) car chase scene etc.

I decided to get an Upconverting DVD (Sony DVPNS75H) combined with a HDMI cable, thinking this would solve that motion distortion of faces. After hooking it up, it seemed to get rid of the face distortion, but I started noticing again after awhile.
It's really strange, actions scenes are fine, but when there is a face shot and the actor face moves from side to side or up and down, the face distorts and almost looks like jello moving around (for lack of a better description).
I guess what I want to find out if anyone here has noticed this and is this common to LCD flat panel displays?
I am sure it's the display itself, as it has done it on 2 different dvd players.

Thx

Looks great and i love how fast the channels lock in on both Stand and HD signals. Two questions, one does this unit have variable sound output and if so how do you set up and two i cant seem to get any detail on dark scenes. I have tried all different setting. Has anyone had luck with this?

Had this TV going on 2 weeks now. Overall I am pretty happy with it (so far) except for some weirdness this set is having at certain times.
I'll try to explain best I can.

When I first got this TV, I hooked it up to my old DVD player (Panny R32...non progressive) with some component cables.
I noticed then when playing DVDs, the actors faces (medium to close-up shots) were looking strange. When they moved their heads from side to side or up and down their faces would "contort" or "distort". Looked like the panel couldn't handle that slight movement. Eventhough action scenes are OK and motion in general is very good (ie) car chase scene etc.
Thx


On Theater 1 setting, when you watch 4:3 movie picture size is kept in original size in the center of the screen and it is expanded on both sides. So you would see that gelly effect. Is that possible the case for you? Change picture to normal and check for this behaviour.

For those of us who are running cable straight to the unit and/or no HDMI (yet) for box or DVD.

By my eye, not a calibration disc:

Contrast: 100 - LCDs can handle a very high setting, this unit handles 100% without washing out whites or lighter colors
Backlight: 15 - Only way to deepen the blacks, some set this down to 0
Brightness: 60 - To compensate a bit for the backlight without compromising blacks
Color: 60 - Again, due to the low backlight, gives a little "pop" without overdoing it, especially in darker scenes
Tint: 0 - Fine by me eye
Sharpness: still messing around with this but I've tried everything between 40-100 and don't see a discernable difference...any suggestions/comments? This control appears pretty much useless per my setup

Anyone else?

On Theater 1 setting, when you watch 4:3 movie picture size is kept in original size in the center of the screen and it is expanded on both sides. So you would see that gelly effect. Is that possible the case for you? Change picture to normal and check for this behaviour.

Thanks Vim for the thought , but it does this while playing 1080i via HDMI cablefrom the Sony upconverting DVD player.
Maybe the panel is defective? Hope someone has an idea or have witness this.

Sporky11 - I have not noticed what you describe on my 42HL196. One thing I do notice on occasion with the 42" with facial close ups is camera focus - for example last night watching the Office you could see the camera focusing on the faces (while background would go slightly out of focus) - if the face moved (and went out of focus) there would be a slight fuzzing. Remember The Office is filmed kind of like a home movie. Whenever the camera shot is wide - everything stays in focus and is crystal clear.

Looks great and i love how fast the channels lock in on both Stand and HD signals. Two questions, one does this unit have variable sound output and if so how do you set up and two i cant seem to get any detail on dark scenes. I have tried all different setting. Has anyone had luck with this?


On advanced picture settings, try turning off the Dynamic contrast

Toshiba 26HL66

i was reading somewhere the qualitys close to an aquos

is that true?

Sporky11 - I have not noticed what you describe on my 42HL196. One thing I do notice on occasion with the 42" with facial close ups is camera focus - for example last night watching the Office you could see the camera focusing on the faces (while background would go slightly out of focus) - if the face moved (and went out of focus) there would be a slight fuzzing. Remember The Office is filmed kind of like a home movie. Whenever the camera shot is wide - everything stays in focus and is crystal clear.

Thx Visman for your input. This happens on all DVDs. It's not a matter of our of focus or the way the movie was shot. I think it's the panel and how it's handling movement, but only noticeable on actors faces when they move their heads from side to side or up and down. It's very noticeable (esp if you're looking for it) and if you havn't seen it, maybe it's a flaw in the set I have?? I watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last night with Val Kimar and it was really apparent as there are lots of close face shots in the movie.

sorry, the first line should read: " press mute twice on the REMOTE". sorry for any confusion.

also, just so it's said: "MAKING ANY CHANGES IN TO THE TELEVISION WHILE IN SERVICE MODE CAN CAUSE IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO YOUR TELEVISION THAT MAY CAUSE IT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CHANGES ARE MADE AT YOUR OWN RISK".

Thanks for this info. I went into this menu, but because it did not look very user frendly and because I did not understand much, I just turned off TV. As I said I just wanted to check how many hours this TV was ON. I know that some Plasma TV lets you do that. But probably to go through that menu you have to know some stuff about TV, so I just backed out.

I watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang last night with Val Kimar and it was really apparent as there are lots of close face shots in the movie.

It's a well known bug with Val Kilmar's face and has been reported in numerous threads. :D

It's a well known bug with Val Kilmar's face and has been reported in numerous threads. :D

That's funny, and considering you live in Ottawa, even more so.
:)

Now do you know what this MOTION problem could be FROM??

I have this set, and I think that the problem with motion is a defect in the TV. It is noticable to me when watching football. To me, this is a dealbreaker since I watch a lot of sports on the set. I think that I will return it to BB for a plasma (which should be a lot better with handling motion).

Other than the motion problem, this is a solid TV.

i think maybe you're all smokin' something funny. these sets have a refresh rate of 8ms, which i would think would eliminate all blurring and motion artifact to the human eye.

i've had my set for about 2 months, and i just don't see the issue you guys are talking about.

maybe you have defective panels and you should exchange it for a different set?

also, i haven't seen any 1080p plasma panels out yet.

I wish I was smokin something, but I'm not...I set the backlight to 0 a few days ago and it seemed to help a bit (not sure why). I notice it mostly in faces, and it's not exactly blurring, it's the panels inability to keep up with the movement and getting a jelly like wabble in the face
. Sometimes its bad enough where one half of the face will go up and the other down. Strange. Maybe a bad panel. Should I get a tech to come see it? Its a hassle to retuen such a large set. Everything else is fine...so far...

Well I just bought 32HL86 last week and my settings are as follows.

Backlight 100 - don't notice much of a difference between 1-100, though it seems way too dark at 0

Contrast 80

Brightness 40

the rest (color, tint, sharpness) I left as per factory setting...as I don't notice anything worthy of changing, to my eye anyway

Am currently satisfied with above calibration.



Am wondering if calibration changes if connecting HDMI for instance?

So far am happy with the set, at $1,099 CDN, a good deal - though it seems LCD prices are gonna hit below 1K in 12-15 months.

Good stuff, my first LCD and I feel totally reborn from watching a 24inch CRT the last 25 years. Watching DVD in widescreen 16X9 is just amazing.

Cheers

i think maybe you're all smokin' something funny. these sets have a refresh rate of 8ms, which i would think would eliminate all blurring and motion artifact to the human eye.

It's common knowledge that manufacturers sometimes distort the performance measures of their tvs, like contrast ratios. Perhaps these Toshibas do not have a true refresh rate of 8ms?

I don't think that I want to take the chance with another panel, especially since other users seem to be having this problem as well.

It's common knowledge that manufacturers sometimes distort the performance measures of their tvs, like contrast ratios. Perhaps these Toshibas do not have a true refresh rate of 8ms?

I don't think that I want to take the chance with another panel, especially since other users seem to be having this problem as well.


Before returning your TV make sure your problem is not with DVD player or other source. I did noticed very bad ghosting on PBS channel, and it looked like it was TV problem, but then I found large thread in the forum, were everybody who watched PBS from Buffalo had same problem. It was aftermath of change that PBS put in place.
I have this TV, and can say that it is just perfect. I put TV antenna in my attic and now can receive 11 HD channels just from the air! And the picture is just amazing.

If crosby1's excellent suggestions don't make an improvement DON'T bother with a service call or you will waste months going through service calls and dealing with Toshiba's god-awful customer service (they aren't even Toshiba employees) and still not have a resolution to your problem. Instead, exchange or return the unit where you purchased it before it's too late to do so. Believe me, I've been through it all before and it's worth lugging it back to the store and be done with it.

I recently picked up the 32HL86 up here in Canada. It's basically the 32HL66 without the ATSC tuner. I was close to buying the Sammy 3251D but decided to save the $700CDN difference. The Sammy has deeper blacks but the Toshiba has better shadow detail and a slider adjustment for the backlight.

I was surprised to read in the owner's manual that the 32HL86 has a cold cathode fluorescent lamp. CCF backlighting has been a much hyped feature of the new Sony XBR's and Sammy 3292.

How to remove table stand on 32HLV66?

Before returning your TV make sure your problem is not with DVD player or other source.
I agree. What's being described sounds like classic cable or sattellite compression artifacts. During fast motion the compression tends to seriously degrade the resolution of the moving objects (football players in this case). You'll see the effect to varying degrees on any decent TV, but the higher resolution (i.e. the 1920 x 1080 Toshiba), the more noticeable the effect.

I'm almost 100% positive that's what you're seeing. I'd suggest watching a few movies with fast motion from DVD and look for the same thing. While DVD is also compressed and the resolution drops during motion, it's not near as bad as cable and sattellite.

Basically, the higher the resolution of your TV, and the bigger the screen, the more problems with the video signal stand out. That's why standard def generally looks so bad on a big HD hi-res screen. It's like blowing up a tiny 640 x 480 photo to fill your computer monitor.

With the cable comapnies giving less and less support for cablecards, you'll see it less and less on TVs in years to come
I hope that doesn't prove to be true? I know the FCC REQUIRES the cable companies to support CableCard. Unless the cable companies are convincing TV manufactures to not include the slot, I don't know why we're not seeing MORE of them?

But I agree they're missing from lots of new models--including the brand new Sony 1080p LCDs, most of the Sharps (you don't get a CableCard slot in a new Sharp until you spend about $8000) and almost all of the "second tier" brands (i.e. Syntax, Vizio, etc.).

CableCard slots make lots of sense. They're the modern day version of a "cable ready tuner" which became commonplace in the 80's. They eliminate the ugly (and often beat up) cable box, they potentially eliminate lots of signal processing/scaling/conversion (improving picture quality), they allow using a single user friendly TV remote (vs the cable company's cheapie), and they simplify operation of the TV.

Does anyone know if there has been software updates for the 42HL196. I have this weird issue where the captions turn on by themselves. Plus maybe the software upgrade would make the slide show feature better.

thanks in advance

Just an update on my situation, since I haven't chimed in for a few days:

-I've never seen any kind of distortion or deformity in faces or anything else on this set.

-I've been busy so I haven't scheduled warranty service to deal with the vertical banding yet, and I'm not going to calibrate until I get that straightened out (soon, I hope).

-Speaker buzz: definitely not a signal problem, I think it is a physical problem with ONE of the speakers with certain low frequency tones. I can almost elliminate it by turning down the bass. I'm going to deal with that when I get the banding taken care of.

I'm still sticking with my original assessment that the PQ on this set is great and it is priced nicely. The 1024x768 VGA input limitation may be an annoyance for some people, and a minority of owners have experienced banding problems (that were apparent right away, they did not appear out of no where). If you can live with the VGA issue and you can buy from a store with a good return policy, I definitely recommend this TV.

Does anyone know if there has been software updates for the 42HL196. I have this weird issue where the captions turn on by themselves. Plus maybe the software upgrade would make the slide show feature better.

Not that I know of. Try calling Toshiba's customer support, the number is in the manual. Some people have complained that their phone support is not very good, but the one time I called the guy I spoke with was very knowledgeable. Don't bother filling out a support request online, you'll probably just get an automated response telling you to call them.

How come no ones posted pics of their set ups? Not a pic of a regza in the pictures forum.

I hope that doesn't prove to be true? I know the FCC REQUIRES the cable companies to support CableCard. Unless the cable companies are convincing TV manufactures to not include the slot, I don't know why we're not seeing MORE of them?

But I agree they're missing from lots of new models--including the brand new Sony 1080p LCDs, most of the Sharps (you don't get a CableCard slot in a new Sharp until you spend about $8000) and almost all of the "second tier" brands (i.e. Syntax, Vizio, etc.).

CableCard slots make lots of sense. They're the modern day version of a "cable ready tuner" which became commonplace in the 80's. They eliminate the ugly (and often beat up) cable box, they potentially eliminate lots of signal processing/scaling/conversion (improving picture quality), they allow using a single user friendly TV remote (vs the cable company's cheapie), and they simplify operation of the TV.

"support" is very tough to find. When the cable companies have very little revenue to receive from these cards, surprisingly they are very hard to get, at least up here in the Northeast

Haha, oops. That's a really good clean set up, i like the ALL BLACK styling on these toshibas

I'm going insane because the closed captions keep turning on by themselves, someone please help. My cable is directly connected to my 42HL196. P.S. does anyone know how to work the service menu?

I got new Mac Mini (Intel Core Duo 1.66) last night and decided to take a risk. I hooked it up using a DVI-to-HDMI cable and it worked with no problems at all! There is a limited selection of resolutions to choose from in the Display properties menu, but it includes 1920x1080 interlaced @ 60Hz. There is a small amount of overscan using the TV's Normal mode, but if I select Native it fills the screen 100%, no over or underscan. Absolutely perfect! No extra software like DisplayConfigX or SwitchRes was needed, and I didn't have to tweak anything.

I can understand that Toshiba doesn't want to deal with support calls for people's computers, but do they really have to be so scary with the "it may damage your TV" talk? Whatever, I'm psyched.

I have also hooked up my computer (Aopen MP945-X running XP Pro) to my 42HL196 through HDMI. The settings are 1920x1080 @ 60Hz. I don't see anywhere on the computer that it is interlaced, but the TV display shows 1080i. As stated above it works perfectly on the native selection.

To the experts,

I need to buy a new TV and don't know what I'm doing. By chance I saw the Toshiba 42lx196 at Sears. The sales guy was nice enough to switch the feed to a ESPN HD baseball broadcast through Direct TV. It looked great.

I told him that since I mainly watch fast action sports (football, basketball and hockey) that I was concerned with the "motion" (probably wrong terminology) problems of earlier LCD sets - it really bugged me. He said the new refresh rates (8ms and less) have eliminated that problem. Before I bought one I read most of this thread which I found helpful although I don't understand most of it.

So, I am seeking your help: Was the sales guy right? Will this set eliminate most, if not all of the "motion, blurring" issues when watching fast moving events?

Thanks in advance!!

Keith

To the experts,

I need to buy a new TV and don't know what I'm doing. By chance I saw the Toshiba 42lx196 at Sears. The sales guy was nice enough to switch the feed to a ESPN HD baseball broadcast through Direct TV. It looked great.

I told him that since I mainly watch fast action sports (football, basketball and hockey) that I was concerned with the "motion" (probably wrong terminology) problems of earlier LCD sets - it really bugged me. He said the new refresh rates (8ms and less) have eliminated that problem. Before I bought one I read most of this thread which I found helpful although I don't understand most of it.

So, I am seeking your help: Was the sales guy right? Will this set eliminate most, if not all of the "motion, blurring" issues when watching fast moving events?

Thanks in advance!!

Keith



I've had the set about a month and haven't noticed any of the break up during fast action senes. It does happen when the cable signal is crappy, that digital break up.

I got new Mac Mini (Intel Core Duo 1.66) last night and decided to take a risk. I hooked it up using a DVI-to-HDMI cable and it worked with no problems at all! There is a limited selection of resolutions to choose from in the Display properties menu, but it includes 1920x1080 interlaced @ 60Hz. There is a small amount of overscan using the TV's Normal mode, but if I select Native it fills the screen 100%, no over or underscan. Absolutely perfect! No extra software like DisplayConfigX or SwitchRes was needed, and I didn't have to tweak anything.

I can understand that Toshiba doesn't want to deal with support calls for people's computers, but do they really have to be so scary with the "it may damage your TV" talk? Whatever, I'm psyched.


Could you take a picture if possible. Is it dot by dot 1920x1080?
Many thanks

To the experts,

I need to buy a new TV and don't know what I'm doing. By chance I saw the Toshiba 42lx196 at Sears. The sales guy was nice enough to switch the feed to a ESPN HD baseball broadcast through Direct TV. It looked great.

I told him that since I mainly watch fast action sports (football, basketball and hockey) that I was concerned with the "motion" (probably wrong terminology) problems of earlier LCD sets - it really bugged me. He said the new refresh rates (8ms and less) have eliminated that problem. Before I bought one I read most of this thread which I found helpful although I don't understand most of it.

So, I am seeking your help: Was the sales guy right? Will this set eliminate most, if not all of the "motion, blurring" issues when watching fast moving events?

Thanks in advance!!

Keith

I second that. Newer LCDs have all but eliminated the blurring seen in older sets. plus you're looking at a 1080p display, which is about twice the resolution of any 720p display you've seen in th past. I say go for it!!

Has anyone seen the 42LZ196 in stores yet? Also, any chance they will put out a 50" version?

Will take more. The first batch didn't turn out.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2711144220081017975TpxFdI

I second that. Newer LCDs have all but eliminated the blurring seen in older sets. plus you're looking at a 1080p display, which is about twice the resolution of any 720p display you've seen in th past. I say go for it!!


Thanks you guys for the quick replys. Looks like I'll be asking for assistance on the settings once I get the set. Any other comments from others about my concerns about "breakdown/bluriness" when watching sports is appreciated. For those who didn't read my original post, I'm about to buy the Toshiba 42lx196.

Keith

Again, I'm a neophyte to this DTV stuff and have a couple questions for you experts. Since the 42 lz196 is coming out this month, I did some searching and found a description about it on Crutchfield and have copied the following:

"The right inputs for today ... and tomorrow
Toshiba has other LCD models that display 1080p video, but the 42LZ196 is their only 42" model that also accepts 1080p signals — an important distinction, especially if you're considering one of the new high-definition disc formats. Feed a 1080p signal from Toshiba's new HD-XA2 HD DVD player (coming soon), and select the TV's Native Mode to see a pixel-perfect 1080p picture with no unnecessary processing. That's as good as it gets."

My first question is: Are there any 1080p DVD's being made and if not, will there be in the future? I assume so since they are coming out with this new DVD player.

Secondly, they say:

"Two kinds of built-in HD reception
The 42LZ196 has two built-in HDTV tuners — one for over-the-air broadcasts, and one for cable TV signals. To get the most from this "Digital Cable Ready" set, ask your local cable service provider about a CableCARD. This "smart card" actually fits into a rear-panel slot on the TV and replaces your set-top box. You'll get a slightly cleaner picture, and you won't miss your cable box's on-screen program guide because Toshiba includes TV Guide On Screen, a subscription-free guide that requires no phone hookup."

Since I subscribe to Direct TV for their sports packages, does anyone know if Direct TV has a "CableCARD" that will work on this set? Do you need cable service to take advantage of this feature?

Thanks for your help,

Keith

Congrats on pulling the trigger on your brand-new REZGA 1080p LCD. You did know before buying it that this LCD can display 1080p resolution but not accept it as an input, right? Please post a detailed review and pictures for those of us curious about how these Tosh LCD's perform under regular home conditions.


Dumb question,b ut does this mean that the set will display 1080p if it is an over the air source, but not from any external source like a cable box, hd-dvd, ps3, etc?

There is no 1080p over-the-air source; and as of now, none planned!

Anything you feed the TV (cable, videogames, antenna, HD-DVD/Blue-Ray, etc.) up to 1080i will be transformed by the TV set into 1920x1080 resolution, or 1080p. It just happens that your Tosh LCD, when fed a 1080p signal directly (like, say, 'Ridge Racer 6' from PS3), will display nothing because the set cannot accept 1080p (only 1080i maximum). Visually the difference should be minimal to non-existent between 1080p and 1080i, but I digress!

Anything you feed the TV (cable, videogames, antenna, HD-DVD/Blue-Ray, etc.) up to 1080i will be transformed by the TV set into 1920x1080 resolution, or 1080p. It just happens that your Tosh LCD, when fed a 1080p signal directly (like, say, 'Ridge Racer 6' from PS3), will display nothing because the set cannot accept 1080p (only 1080i maximum). Visually the difference should be minimal to non-existent between 1080p and 1080i, but I digress!


Then WTH is the difference visually with other sets?

1. set 1 accepts 1080p input and displays in 1080p

2. set 2 (toshiba) accepts up to 1080i and converts to 1080p.

Then WTH is the difference visually with other sets?

1. set 1 accepts 1080p input and displays in 1080p

2. set 2 (toshiba) accepts up to 1080i and converts to 1080p.

Theoretically #1 achieves the utmost, highest, sharpest and most flicker-free image possible with current HDTV standards. #2 is close behind but the interlaced (as opposed to progressive) 1080 signal is slightly less sharp than progressive 1080 signal. To the naked eye the differences are minute and non-existent, to the AVS Forum hardcore the 1080p is an orgasm while 1080i is just pleasant stress-relieving sex. Got that? ;)

Theoretically #1 achieves the utmost, highest, sharpest and most flicker-free image possible with current HDTV standards. #2 is close behind but the interlaced (as opposed to progressive) 1080 signal is slightly less sharp than progressive 1080 signal. To the naked eye the differences are minute and non-existent, to the AVS Forum hardcore the 1080p is an orgasm while 1080i is just pleasant stress-relieving sex. Got that? ;)


While I like the analogy :rolleyes: Not sure I could use that among my colleagues :D

Therese

so has anyone seen this LCD on display anywhere? I can't wait to see it.... Right now I have a Hitachi 50v500 LCD projection TV and I am thinking about selling it and buying the 47" Toshiba (47LZ196) It will be nice because the 47" flat panel is more portable, but I would be losing 3". Do you think it would be that noticeable?

I am considering the Toshiba HL66 but compared to Samsung and other brands why is the contrast ratio only 800:1 vs say 3000:1 or 4000:1 on the Samsungs. How important is contrast ratio for overall PQ?

BTW when I compared the Toshiba to the more expensive Samsung LNS3241D I thought the Toshiba was close but I am no expert. Any comments would be appreciated?

Thanks!

I went to BB last night to check out the 42HL196. One thing that bugs me is that picture seems not as sharp as comparing to other LCD's they have. I played with settings and I couldn't fix it. Does anybody sees this or is it just me being picky?

I just got off the phone with Toshiba support. The guy I spoke with claimed the 1024 x 768 limitation on the PC input is there because the panel can't handle larger resolutions at high refresh rates that computers can output. A PC outputting 1920 x 1080 at 100 Hz, for instance, could "blow" the TV (his phrasing). Since it is a hardware-related limitation, there will never be updated firmware that will allow it to accept larger resolutions.

There is a line in the manual that states "Never connect a PC to the HDMI port." I asked him about that and he said again, the refresh rate output by the PC could be too high for the TV to handle. I asked what the maximum safe refresh rate for the panel is at 1920 x 1080 and he said 60 Hz. So setting the PC to 1920 x 1080 @60Hz and hooking it up via the HDMI should be OK, right? He told me that was unsupported and it could still damage the TV, and that such damage would not be covered under warranty.

I asked him if he thought it was misleading for a widescreen TV to be advertised as capable of accepting a PC input without explicitly stating that it only accepts non-widescreen resolutions. He wouldn't bite, giving me a stock answer that it is only advertised as accepting PC input, which it does.

But back to the HDMI thing: HDMI is a standard, so if I set the output at a resolution that the TV is documented to accept, why would it matter what the source is? I couldn't get the support guy to comment on this one way or another, beyond "It isn't supported and may damage your TV". Does anyone have any thoughts on that? I don't have the technical understanding to know if that is just cover-your-butt talk or a serious warning.


I am also very very interested by an answer to this. Can anyone confirm that they've successfully output 1920x1080i from their PC via DVI->HDMI? Pixel perfect 1920 resolution, right?

And also what video card are you using?

Is the interlaced signal very visible on the TV?

Cheers.

This TV kicks butt!!! :D

I bought it over the weekend at BB, but I couldn't pick it up until today. After the purchase, I came across this sight and I must say I was beginning to wonder if I made a wise choice.

Well I put my worries aside. I must say that I am impressed as can be. I have none of the issues or problems that have been described on this site. The set has only been on 4 hours and I love it. The model is a 42HL196 w/ a shaw HD terminal. The set is still on default settings and I'm still impressed. Discovery HD, CSI, Lost … WOW.

The SD analog signals look like crap! Oh surprise ... surprise.
The SD digital signals looks pretty good.
And the HD channels are unreal.

I may actually switch to satellite as half of shaws stations are analog, but you can pay for the digital equivalent for more moola :mad: Bell is all digital for less so I may be returning my cable box shortly.

The sound isn't even half bad on this box.

When I compared this set in the store I was looking at the Toshiba and the new Sony XBR. The Sony did seem to have a slightly better picture but who knows which of the sets were calibrated or if the source was equivalent. I picked up the Toshiba for much less than half the price of the Sony. So I decided to take a chance with the math … glad I did.

My only complaint so far is just regarding DVD play back, it's not as I had hoped but I'm sure it's the source. I am using an older (2yrs) NO upconvertion DVD player. Since this set is suppose to up convert all signals to 1080p, would there be any benefit in buying an up converting DVD player for this set?

Crosby, would you mind sharing the setting you ended up with from the calibration? TIA

First, a quick comment: I've noticed dramatically improved black detail when I turn the Dynamic Contrast OFF in the Advanced Picture Settings menu. I noticed this when I was watching a program that had someone wearing a black T-shirt. When I turned the DC off, I could see that the shirt had a breast pocket and was very wrinkled. Before it just looked solid black.

Can anyone confirm that they've successfully output 1920x1080i from their PC via DVI->HDMI? Pixel perfect 1920 resolution, right?

And also what video card are you using?

Is the interlaced signal very visible on the TV?


I assume you mean anyone besides me, right? I've attached a pic to this post (I hope, its my first time posting an image). Ignore all the wires, I haven't put them in the wall yet :)

OS X offers me the following resolutions over HDMI:
640 x 480
640 x 480 (stretched)
720 x 480 (interlaced)
800 x 600
1024 x 576
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080 (interlaced)

The video card is just the integrated graphics card on the new Mac Mini Intel Core Duo 1.66 mHz computers. It is pretty basic, and it shares video ram with the rest of the computer. Right now I only have 512 MB in there but I'm going to bump it to 2 GB this weekend. I have seen NO interlacing issues.

Since I got my Mac hooked up, I'm happier than ever with this TV.

I have had my 42hl196 for about 2 weeks I already have a blown pixel. Is there anyway to fix this. What do you guys think I should do?

I have had my 42hl196 for about 2 weeks I already have a blown pixel. Is there anyway to fix this. What do you guys think I should do?

First, make sure it is really dead. Check out this link (http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html) and see if rubbing it helps. If it is dead, your best bet is to try to return it since it is only a couple of weeks old. You can try calling Toshiba, but most manufacturers consider one or two dead pixels to be "acceptable" and won't replace the set. (Which is a crappy policy, IMHO.

First, make sure it is really dead. Check out this link (http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html) and see if rubbing it helps. If it is dead, your best bet is to try to return it since it is only a couple of weeks old. You can try calling Toshiba, but most manufacturers consider one or two dead pixels to be "acceptable" and won't replace the set. (Which is a crappy policy, IMHO.


If you bought it at BB just return the unit they should take it back no questions asked, say you are unsatisfied with the unit. Then go to another BB and buy another one.

One thing that I ran up against today in regards to networking this tv to my home network.

When I tried to complete the autosetup I ran into an error, but I quickly figured out why. Part of my home network security has my router authentication of Mac address and Wep key incryption.

1. Does anyone know the Mac address of the unit?
2. Can a Wep key be entered into the tv somewhere?

hi does anyone have more information for the service mode ?

have some information regarding the normal service mode by accesing it via mute on the remote and menu on the tv set.
i also have access to the the extended menu set

while in the service mode press and hold menu on the remote and then menu on the tv set now it's possibe to scroll through 0000h to 3FFFh adresses of register information.

i looking for the overscan and geometry settings for the display.

i found this on the european model wl58P but i think this will work on all new toshibas

thxns in advance

since you're hardwiring the tv to the router, you shouldn't need to enter either of these 2. in fact, you can't enter them anywhere. all you need is the ip address of the router itself.

the only time you'd need those 2 numbers would be if you're setting up a wireless connection.


If you enabled mac address filter on the router, you will need to go around it even for wired connection. Suggestion: First disable mac filter. Then connect TV, after that go to router mac address filter screen and check all connected mac addresses. One of them will be your TVs. Each network card has unique mac address, so nobody here knows what is mac address for your TV. To be honest most likely you should see mac address that is rejected by router in same router screen where you can enter mac addresses.

since you're hardwiring the tv to the router, you shouldn't need to enter either of these 2. in fact, you can't enter them anywhere. all you need is the ip address of the router itself.

the only time you'd need those 2 numbers would be if you're setting up a wireless connection.

***if you're having trouble getting the tv to connect to the pc, try this (assuming you're running winxp):

start -> run
type "services.msc" without the quotation marks
under services -> local, find the "computer browser" entry.
right-click it and click "properties"
go to the "general" tab -- under start-up type, select "automatic"
under service status, click "start" if it isn't already.
click "ok" and then x out of the services menu.
reboot your computer.

check to see if you can connect the tv to the network now.

post back with more info (error messages, etc.) if you need more help.

Thanks for the info Crosby,

The router that I am using is a wireless Dlink Di-624. I am however hardwiring the TV directly to the router. I don't know if this is a function only of Dlink, but it requires me to register all of the MAC address on the router otherwise it will filter them out, hardwired or wireless (for both computers and TV's). I also set up a number of wireless routers for friends (Dlink) and it all seemed to be the same tale ... at least I recall it being that way for sure on the MAC address filtering. Can't be certain on the Wep Key.

Just to confirm this is my issue I turned of MAC address filtering on my router and there was no issue connecting after that.

Heyas folks it seems every time I'm about to pull the preverbal trigger on a TV some ugly dealbreaker of a problem rears it's ugly head. Anyways is there anything I should know about the HL66 series, especially the 32" model? Also how's the PQ on SD?

I bought 42HL196 and brought it home to compare with my vizio42 LCD. Toshiba has great options and after setting MPEG noise reduction to OFF picture is sharp. But unfortunately, viewing angle is really limited. Colors are washed and brightness jumps up when you watching it at an angle. Vizio looks much better at an angle.
Does anybody experience it as well?

But unfortunately, viewing angle is really limited. Colors are washed and brightness jumps up when you watching it at an angle. Vizio looks much better at an angle.
Does anybody experience it as well?

Yes, my set does this too. If I move more than 45 degrees off-center the picture is still sharp and clear, but the color saturation and brightness changes. It isn't dramatic but it is noticable. It doesn't bother me unless I'm moving around while watching. Most LCDs that I've seen do this to some extent, I don't think the Toshiba is worse than the others (although I haven't done many side-by-side comparisons). Unlike older LCDs, the tint does NOT change as you move off-axis, and the picture is still watchable to almost a full 90 degrees off center.

Turning the backlight down may make this effect less pronounced.

Hi all. I new here and had to join the discussion of the 42LX196 which I just bought. I am very happy with the picture quality and the sound is average. The only problem I was worrying about is when I bought it I didn't realize it will not accept 1080p signals. It's not a problem yet but it will be if I buy PS3.

My question is: Is there a way I can convert the PS3's 1080p signal to 1080i so that my TV can read it and convert it back to 1080p? Maybe some kind of adapter?

Sorry I'm a bit of a computer nerd but don’t know too much about TV's. Thanks!

Thanks for the info Crosby,

The router that I am using is a wireless Dlink Di-624. I am however hardwiring the TV directly to the router. I don't know if this is a function only of Dlink, but it requires me to register all of the MAC address on the router otherwise it will filter them out, hardwired or wireless (for both computers and TV's). I also set up a number of wireless routers for friends (Dlink) and it all seemed to be the same tale ... at least I recall it being that way for sure on the MAC address filtering. Can't be certain on the Wep Key.

Just to confirm this is my issue I turned of MAC address filtering on my router and there was no issue connecting after that.


Crosby,

Just a quick update. I don't know what I was thinking about before re: the Wep key ... anyway the Wep isn't the issue as you eluded to prior.

The MAC address still is an issue as my router will filter MAC address. It's not the end of the world as all I need to do is turn off MAC address filtering and everything works just fine. I kind of like having a couple of different layers of security but if I must turn off filtering ... so be it. You would think that Toshiba would have thought of providing this TV with a MAC address if they were going to connect it. Oh well not a big deal. If anyone comes across a MAC Address for this TV please post.

Thanks again for your post Crosby.

Crosby,

Just a quick update. I don't know what I was thinking about before re: the Wep key ... anyway the Wep isn't the issue as you eluded to prior.

The MAC address still is an issue as my router will filter MAC address. It's not the end of the world as all I need to do is turn off MAC address filtering and everything works just fine. I kind of like having a couple of different layers of security but if I must turn off filtering ... so be it. You would think that Toshiba would have thought of providing this TV with a MAC address if they were going to connect it. Oh well not a big deal. If anyone comes across a MAC Address for this TV please post.

Thanks again for your post Crosby.

MAC address is unique to each network card, so each TV has unique mac address. To find mac address of your TV on DI-624 router try this:
Go to DI-624 admin page where you enable/disable mac filter (Advanced->Filters->Select Mac Filters) then you will see combo box DHCP Clients. This shows all mac addresses.
Another way: go to DI-624 admin home page, then select DHCP button on left bottom side. In the "Dynamic DHCP Client List " you will see table with IP addresses and mac addresses of all clients connected to your router. I am assuming that you do not have static IP address for your TV, so you will see MAC address of your TV.

MAC address is unique to each network card, so each TV has unique mac address. To find mac address of your TV on DI-624 router try this:
Go to DI-624 admin page where you enable/disable mac filter (Advanced->Filters->Select Mac Filters) then you will see combo box DHCP Clients. This shows all mac addresses.
Another way: go to DI-624 admin home page, then select DHCP button on left bottom side. In the "Dynamic DHCP Client List " you will see table with IP addresses and mac addresses of all clients connected to your router. I am assuming that you do not have static IP address for your TV, so you will see MAC address of your TV.


Thanks Vim,

That was exactly what I was looking for. Everything works perfectly now.

On a side note, did anyone figure out if Toshiba put out an firmware upgrade to allow more than 200 MP3 files, playlists, and shuffle. Just wondering as I remember seeing the comments prior on this thread.

My question is: Is there a way I can convert the PS3's 1080p signal to 1080i so that my TV can read it and convert it back to 1080p? Maybe some kind of adapter?


This isn't really the right forum for that question, but a quick look at the PS3 specs (http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/specs.html) reveals that it supports 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. It would be foolish of Sony, or any other company for that matter, to support ONLY 1080p, since so few current TVs accept this as an input.

Hi,

I am from Canada and noticed that Future Shop who is owned by Best Buy in the USA sells a 32HL86 which I thought is the equivalent of the USA 32HL66.

The salesman said the 32HL66 which is now exclusive to future shop has the 12 bit processing whereas the 32HL86 doesn't. I did compare the two side by side and the 32HL66 did look a bit more rich in colour, brighter and sharper but I forgot to check if the picture settings where the same.

Does anyone know for sure if indeed these two models use the same 12 bit pure pixel video processing. The Canadian price for the 32HL66 is $1399 and the 32HL86 is right now $1199. Funny thing is, on the Future shop website both describe them having the 12 bit processing but the Toshiba Canada website mentions nothing about the 32HL86 having this feature and only mentions it regarding the 32HLV66 with built video player which lists for $1599.

BTW I don't see why Toshiba would manufacture a different model (HL86) for Canada. More likey its just a name change. What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Yes, my set does this too. If I move more than 45 degrees off-center the picture is still sharp and clear, but the color saturation and brightness changes. It isn't dramatic but it is noticable. It doesn't bother me unless I'm moving around while watching. Most LCDs that I've seen do this to some extent, I don't think the Toshiba is worse than the others (although I haven't done many side-by-side comparisons). Unlike older LCDs, the tint does NOT change as you move off-axis, and the picture is still watchable to almost a full 90 degrees off center.

Turning the backlight down may make this effect less pronounced.

I spent last 3 evenings to adjust the setting and I am not happy with the color. Especially, with skin tone. I tried all possible almost options and still something is not right. Are you happy with your settings? Maybe I have just faulty set. I am wondering why Toshiba have 42lx196 model with 3D color management difference from 42hl196. I my just return HL and get LX.

you MUST have the set calibrated properly. there is absolutely NO WAY around this!!!!! there are 2 ways to do this: one is to purchase a calibration dvd (the best one is the avia guide to home theater). the other way is to pay an ISF technician to come to your house and calibrate the set for you.

What about something like the ColorVision Spyder calibration tool?

Thanks,

-john

Hey Guys. After a long 5 months of begging, my parents finally agreed with me to get a flat panel TV. I've tried, over the least 3 months, to understand the new lingo that goes with this new generation of TV, and I know a little bit. That alone is significantly more than my parents. Without me inspecting it, or anything, my parents just ordered the 47XL196, and it will be here within the week.

My question is, are there any common defects with this model? If so, how are they commonly fixed? And is there anything I should be wary of while trying to set it up?

I've scanned over this thread, and not much has been mentioned about it, with the exception of a picture that someone posted a few posts back. :(

I'm really proud of my parents. They're updating to HD cable service, thinking of surround sound speakers, and also entertaining the idea of an HD DVD player. They've come a long way from the days of "How much is it, what brand, and what screen size?" ^_^

How's the Standard Def on the HL66 series? And does anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the manual online?

try the toshiba website for a manual; some of the newer models aren't listed yet.

Unfortunatly Toshiba only has a vague spec sheet online at this time. One last question hopefully.

Found a picture of the HL66 remote and judging by how it doesn't have the official TV Guide logo like the Hl95, it probalbly doesn't have it. But, does the HL66 series have any generic built in tv listing guide when you run a RF feed into it??

no, you need to go to the 42" 1080p set for that, which also includes cablecard

We have just returned our second Toshiba 42 lx 196 both my son and I were very sad about it. For the most part this TV is awesome! But we saw a flaw we could not live with. The picture screen had grey almost ghost bars on it. It was not the letter boxing from the TV channels. They were about 1-2 inches in from the side on each side the right sided bars being more prevalent. We noticed it on the first set and we thought it was damaged and then got another TV and it had it too. We went and looked at other stores Toshibas and they had it also. What are these bars? Toshiba could not tell us they thought the tvs were damaged too. But these bars show up when watching DVDs, when you stretch the picture, HD and especially can be seen on green and blue back grounds. Again we are sad to have to give this TV back it has some great things about it. Help me if you can We tried component video hook up and s video all did it. We adjusted the back light, the contrast everything the bars were still there.

What's the big difference between the Cinema series Pro, and the regular Cinema Series? I read the features of each TV online (47LX196 vs 47LZ196... or whatever)... there were no differences between the two that I could read...

Neon Genesis : I believe that the main difference between these two models is that the recently introduced 47LZ196 does accept a native 1080P input via HDMI whereas the 47LX196 accepts inputs up to 1080i.....

Thanks for getting back to me. The bars were vertically along the edges, 2 inches from each side full length ( top to bottom). The lines were about an inch wide. Visible mainly when solid backgrounds were present. These lines are difficult to see you have to look for them. Really visible when camera (background) was moving. They looked like a type of distortion. Visible on all sources ( inputs), cable, air waves. digital cable, hd, s video, DVD's, component and etc. Not sure signal strength has much to do with it. But I am not sure I will not allow our cable people in our house because I do not trust them. It stinks to do business with a company you do not trust or like. We have a dlp projector downstairs and that does not have any problem with the signal. It seemed to us that the Toshiba was having trouble processing the edges. We tried the edge enhancer and that did not help either.

Neon Genesis : I believe that the main difference between these two models is that the recently introduced 47LZ196 does accept a native 1080P input via HDMI whereas the 47LX196 accepts inputs up to 1080i.....

And I think the LZ does 1:1 pixel.

-john

Heyas folks it seems every time I'm about to pull the preverbal trigger on a TV some ugly dealbreaker of a problem rears it's ugly head. Anyways is there anything I should know about the HL66 series, especially the 32" model?


I'm also in the same boat as Suma on this one, seems every time I find the perfect TV some unsightly blemish shows up. Is there something I'm missing or is this pefect the mid-low range LCD I was looking for?

All right. I got 42lx and returned 42hl. Picture on both looks the same but I figured out what was bothering me in PQ. Red color is off. It’s kinda pinkish or raspberry like. For instance red HD letters on ENPSHD were like that. Well I used THX optimizer and less scientific method (my eyes) and set the red in the color management to 8, 10, -6. Wow, what a difference. Of course, PQ is always subjective but I am happy now.
I was looking for “the bars” that Tech no mentioned but I couldn’t find anything similar. Instead, I found 6 stuck pixels. With full 1080 resolution they are small and not easy to see. I will replace the TV since I still can.

Neon Genesis : I believe that the main difference between these two models is that the recently introduced 47LZ196 does accept a native 1080P input via HDMI whereas the 47LX196 accepts inputs up to 1080i.....

Somethings telling me I should have waited for the LZ. :(

I am looking at the 32HL66 for my office. My cable provider (Adelphia, now Time Warner) is using channels over 104 for the unscrambled HD feed. Unfortunately, I've found that many of the QAM equiped units only go to channel 99. Does anyone out there have a 32HL66 and can access QAM HD Channels over 100? Thanks very much for your help (I have to order the unit unseen).

I own the 26HL66 and the QAM tuner goes beyond channel 99.

I'm very pleased with this set for my bedroom.

47LZ196 does accept a native 1080P input via HDMI whereas the 47LX196 accepts inputs up to 1080i.....

Hmm...... someone please take pity on a poor newb and explain this, please. Because the regular Cinema Series advertises that it can display 1080p, but how can it if the inputs only accept 1080i?

Or is it one of those deals where it upconverts the 1080i signal from its input?

I'm desperate to know because my folks pulled the trigger on the regular 47LX196. Does this mean we can't get the HD DVD players that play up to 1080p?

1080i is a 1920 x 1080 signal that has been "broken apart" into two halves. A set that accepts 1080i but displays 1080p takes the incoming "interlaced" signal, and "reassembles it" dispclaying it as 1080p...no difference. Others may chime in about frame rates, which really do not apply to this technology at this point in tim

I need a good 32 in lcd for the small bedroom and wondering how Toshiba owners are liking theirs. I also would like to hook up a pc to it. Also play regular xbox as well

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Tas

Does this mean I do not have to buy a up converting DVD player to get 1080I or 1080p on the 42hl196?

Greetings,

Forgive these wildly newbie questions. Perhaps you could direct to a source to read.

Just recently purchased a 42LX196 and picked up a HD DVR cable box at the cable company today. Think I have all connected properly. I understand I can set each input to suit my tastes and have tried. However the difference is prevalent from channel to channel. HD channel ABC is very red compared to HD channel CBS and NBC. Is this normal? Or something I can adjust on the LX or should I call the cable company?

How does the calibration DVD, you folks have spoken of recently, work??

Thanks for your patience,

Buk

Buk

Congrats on a nice purchase. While there will be some deviation from channel to channel, I would (and did) call the cable company to have a tech come and verify the signal strengh of the line.

Second, calibration discs allow the user to adjust he picture using a series of patterns for contrast, brightness, etc. The picture out of the box is usually in "torch mode", or wicked bright for obvious resons of standing out on the sales floor. o test the waters, see if you have any "THX certified" DVDs at your house. On there is a good "THX optimizer" that would be a nice start to see if you like doing this sort of thing

Does this mean I do not have to buy a up converting DVD player to get 1080I or 1080p on the 42hl196?

A 1080p panel such as the 42hl196 ALWAYS displays in 1080p. The question is how does it construct the 1080p image. If you are feeding it a 1080i source, it will simply de-interlace the signal. If you feed it a 480i, 480p (used by progressive scan DVD players), or 720p the TV automatically upscales the signal to 1080 and then display it.

An upconverting DVD player can't magically put information back into the signal. It just interpolates between existing pixels to guess at what would be there if the content was a higher resolution. Which is pretty much what the TV's internal scaler does.

The only reason to get an upconverting DVD player is if you are unhappy with the performance of the TV's scaler. I own a 42HL196 and I think my fairly cheap progressive scan player at 480p looks great, but I haven't done any side-by-side comparisons with an upscaling player. You just have to decide if it is worth it to you.

Thanks for the info!

I'm seriously thinking about getting the 42HL196. Most sets in this price range have some negatives and it seems I can live with the lack of 1080p input, but ONLY if it de-interlaces correctly.

I know Home Theatre Mag had that article where they showed that many 1080p sets do not perform the deinterlace correctly.

Has anyone here verified that the 42HL196 does deinterlace a 1080i signal correctly?

Does anyone know if there really is channel labeling available for the Toshiba 32HLV66 lcd/dvd combo tv? It is listed as one of its key features/benefits on toshiba's site (http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=32hlv66)
However, I can not find it in the tv's system menus nor is it listed in the user manual. I did find input/video source labeling, but that is a different feature. The feature appears to have been removed since I noticed that the add/remove channel submenu has a column that seems reserved for channel labeling, but I'm unable to access/modify that column.

Thanks in advance for any tips or help.

I have the 26HL66 and channel labeling is also listed as a feature - and it's not available.

I can label inputs, but not channels.

Once again, a manufacturer is in error. Part of rushing to market.

But I love the set.

Figured that was the case... I like my set for the most part too. The hd picture quality is excellent. I just wish the channel labeling feature was available as I just recently switched cable companies and I'm getting the channels #s all mixed up since I'm used to the previous cable co.'s channel numbering scheme. Another gripe is the arrangement of the on-screen channel info. It would have been better to group all the channel info in one corner of the screen rather than spread them out over three corners of the screen. Aside from those annoyances, the set is great.

I have the 26HL66 and channel labeling is also listed as a feature - and it's not available.

I can label inputs, but not channels.

Once again, a manufacturer is in error. Part of rushing to market.

But I love the set.

Buk

Congrats on a nice purchase. While there will be some deviation from channel to channel, I would (and did) call the cable company to have a tech come and verify the signal strengh of the line.

Second, calibration discs allow the user to adjust he picture using a series of patterns for contrast, brightness, etc. The picture out of the box is usually in "torch mode", or wicked bright for obvious resons of standing out on the sales floor. o test the waters, see if you have any "THX certified" DVDs at your house. On there is a good "THX optimizer" that would be a nice start to see if you like doing this sort of thing

Thanks a very helpful hint. I grabbed a Star Wars DVD and found the menu you referred to. I can see where this can be a time consuming and perhaps difficult task. I also see that it would be difficult to calibrate to the cable service unless they send some sort of test pattern/signal for you to calibrate to your tastes.

Buk

I'm sure you all have had this happen already, but I wasn't ready for this. I was running a DVD doing a calibration and I stopped the DVD and went to switch inputs on the TV, but no picture. Okay, I'm new to this. Perhaps I picked the wrong input. So I switched inputs and no picture. Switched, no picture, switched, no picture. I get text okay, no picture. I get the TV guide okay, no picture.

What the heck have I done. Is there like a mute for video?

I grabbed the manual. Troubleshooting guide says if TV doesn't respond to controls, hold the Power button for 5 seconds.

Okay, I do that and the picture comes back.

How often does this happen? Heck it's only a few hours old and it's going black already.

Panic Attack,

Buk

I am new to LCD TV's, and would really love some help because I am having a lot of trouble with the quality of picture.

Currently, I have my TV hooked up to analog cable with a monster co-axial cord.
The picture is horrible with every channel. It is particularily bad when I am watching hockey. It looks like I am watching an old VHS recording!

How do I fix this problem? If I get normal digital cable, will this help? The tech at the tv company said the signal should be the same between analog and digital cable, since most of our channels here in Canada are not digital.
If this is the case, am I stuck with a horrible picture?


Also, I have a fairly cheap dvd setup to the tv with component video cables. I dont think the dvd player has progressive scan. The dvd picture can be quite lacking at times, but not as bad as my cable tv picture. I want to upgrade dvd players, but I dont want to go too overboard with prices. What are the most important features to acquire with a new dvd player?

Thank you very very much!!!! :)

Tim,

See my previous post (#395) about upconverting DVD players. You can find them for less than $100, and really good ones for less than $200. If you are going to get a new one anyway, you might want to spring for upconverting since they aren't that much more expensive. For any HDTV progressive scan is a must. Dig around the other forums and you'll find lots of opinions on which models are worth how much money.

Just a thought: If your current DVD player has component outs, there is a chance that it already supports progressive scan. You might have to put it into progressive mode, either by pressing a button on the unit or through the player's on-screen menu.

As far as your image problems go, I've found that analog cable just looks bad on larger HDTVs. Imperfections that you'd barely notice on a 30" SDTV make the show nearly unwatchable on a 42" HDTV. I'd expect switching to digital will improve things quite a bit, definitely give it a shot. You might have another option if you can you get over-the-air digital. Even if you get lousy aerial reception for analog channels, you might get decent digital reception.

From what I have been told at the local AV store is that the 32hlv95 has been discontinued and replaced with the 32hlv66 with one major difference -- the lack of a cable-card. The cable-card and built in DVD player were two major attributes that attracted me to the 32hlx95. I could have just one cable to the TV and be able to watch HDTV or a DVD. I could get rid of the cable box and dvd player all at once!

Now, my questions. Does anyone know the rationale behind the deletion of the cable-card? Second, is there a current model with a built-in DVD and cable-card?

Thanks for your help.

Has anyone seen banding issues with the 42 or 47" sets? I believe Toshiba gets there panels from CMO, which are also used in Westinghouse and the Sharp (LC42D62U) model. Members are reporting banding problems with those.

From what I have been told at the local AV store is that the 32hlv95 has been discontinued and replaced with the 32hlv66 with one major difference -- the lack of a cable-card. The cable-card and built in DVD player were two major attributes that attracted me to the 32hlx95. I could have just one cable to the TV and be able to watch HDTV or a DVD. I could get rid of the cable box and dvd player all at once!

Now, my questions. Does anyone know the rationale behind the deletion of the cable-card? Second, is there a current model with a built-in DVD and cable-card?

Thanks for your help.

Toshiba did the same thing with their 42" plasma. Got rid of the cable card and the TVGOS. They are not the only ones, however, as I believe Panasonic's current 42" plasma, not sure about their LCDs, doesn't have the CC any longer either. We're starting to see set manufacturers cut out these conveniences unless you go to their highest priced models. Their excuse is that the CC is not catching on as they thought it would. Sounds to me like they are simply baiting consumers to spend a good deal more for what started to become rather standard features.

Toshiba did the same thing with their 42" plasma. Got rid of the cable card and the TVGOS. They are not the only ones, however, as I believe Panasonic's current 42" plasma, not sure about their LCDs, doesn't have the CC any longer either. We're starting to see set manufacturers cut out these conveniences unless you go to their highest priced models. Their excuse is that the CC is not catching on as they thought it would. Sounds to me like they are simply baiting consumers to spend a good deal more for what started to become rather standard features.


Sharp and LG have dropped Cable Card and TV guide support on thier 06' models. too.

Back on topic, I really wish Toshiba would post the manuals for the HL66 series online. Don't suppose I can con someone into scaning thier manuals and uploading them could I? Particually the 32HL66 model.

I jut got HD hooked up to my 42lx196 and watched the Devils game on MSGHD last night. The picture was great bu the sound was awful (crackling when they talked). When I swiched the game to regular MSG the sound was OK but of course I lost the better picture. Anyone else have problems with the sound on the LX196?

Hey guys. first let me say this is an awsome forum good response times and technical people. Here is my question. I have my 42HL196 hooked up directly to the cable jack. When I watch analog channels and a commercial comes on that has a lot of white in it like some guy talking with a white backdrop, I start to hear buzzing through the speakers. I was wondering if there was anything I could do to clean up the signal before it gets to my TV or maybe there is some other resolution to this issue.

thanks in advance

I just saw a 42lx196 at a store that was a "repaired" return. It had all of the accessories with it and 1 year warranty. The price was $1222! An extended warranty for about $150 is available.

The distance from our sectional to the TV screen is between 15 and 18 feet. Is this too small a TV to get? Maybe I should put it in the bedroom, it has 10 feet for a viewing distance.

What do you all think?

I just saw a 42lx196 at a store that was a "repaired" return. It had all of the accessories with it and 1 year warranty. The price was $1222! An extended warranty for about $150 is available.

The distance from our sectional to the TV screen is between 15 and 18 feet. Is this too small a TV to get? Maybe I should put it in the bedroom, it has 10 feet for a viewing distance.

What do you all think?

The minimum viewing distance for a 1080p panel is 1.5X the horizontal. That's only about 5.25 ft. I would say that it is better suited for your bedroom. It is to small for a viewing distance of 15 ft. I am using a Toshiba 37HL95 in my bedroom (viewing distance 10ft) and I may change it to a 42 soon as I find it a bit small.

Hi,

I recently bought this Toshiba LCD, and I am having trouble with the picture size on my HD channels. I have digital cable with HD, and the picture doesn't seem to fit the screen properly. Primarily, I cannot see the score when it is shown on the top of most games. It cuts off the top. I have tried changing my settings using "Pic Size" from the menu. The following are the options I have:

Natural, Theater Wide 1, Theater Wide 2, Theater Wide 3, Full, and Native

The closest size seems to be "Native", but it still cuts off the top of the screen.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

have you checked to see if you've hit the "zoom" button on the Cable box remote? What box are you using?

Brilliant!! That was it. My cable guy came and installed while I was at work, and my wife didn't ask enough questions. I "unzoomed" and the picture looks perfect now. Thanks for the quick reply.

how wide are the bars and where exactly on the screen are they? i have a similar issue with the 42HL196, and thinking it was the set, i returned it for another. same problem, so it's not the set itself. there are 2 bars, one on the top left and one on the top right. the one on the left is black and the one on the right is white. they are about 2 inches long and about an eighth of an inch wide. i only see them on HD channels in native mode.

here's the issue (at least for me): it turns out that the HD signal from comcast is not a "pure" HD signal (surprise, surprise) and therefore the bars are visible when viewing HD content in native mode. if i change to natural mode, the bars disappear. not a huge deal, but still kind of an annoyance. i have all other channels set to "theaterwide 1" and have no issues with bars.

i'm going to take a wild guess here and say you also have a signal problem. strange that you see them on dvd's also...i don't. is your dvd player HD? how is it connected?

maybe have your cable/satellite company come out and check signal strength.
i posted earlier about this same problem. i have the 42hl196 i have yet to figure out what exactly is going on or how to fix it. its not the cable signal as i get the vertical bars on both over the air hd and dvd. you can only see them when there is a solid color on screen, ie a football field. im not sure what to do now as the 30 day best buy return policy has expired and i still have the tv and the problem. it looks as im not the only one out there who sees these bars. is this a widespread issue?

Just got the 42HL196 and love it so far, I hooked up my PS2 to it and its extremly blurry and just doesnt look good. Is there anyway to make my PS2 look decent on this TV or do I just need to upgrade to a next gen console (Xbox360)

how are you connected? analog cable, component, hdmi, dvi/hdmi, etc. what are your audio inputs and outputs (digital, analog)? does this only happen on MSG or does it happen on other channels?

please post back with more info so we can try help. the more info, the better the chance that someone will have an answer for you.

So fare it seems only on MSG. I am connected through a HDMI cable to my Cablevision HDDVR box. I will try it again tonight and see if it's still happining.

just got a Toshiba 26HLC56, the question is, I can't find any info on the bit rate processing for this set.
Regza states "NEW" 12 bit rate, but what is the 26HLC56 using?
What is Regza speed ( 8ms or 5ms?)

anybody with these answers

The 26HLC56 is not a REGZA, and does not have 12 bit video processing. Toshiba rates their panels in this size at "8 ms or less"

Is the 800:1 contrast ratio on the 42HL196 model an issue?

Hey again. For those of you who've read my previous posts on how I was having "motion problems" with this set, I think I have finally(?) figured out why.
Seems there is a little thing called "HDCP" (definition below from another site)

" HDCP...It is an ageement between the movie studios and the dvd makers that trys to protect the digital output of a dvd player and the digital input of a display unit from the ability to scale any copy protected dvd to a resolution higher than 720 x 480p which is standard. Since the digital path of DVI and the soon to be popular HDMI is so pure if you were able to scale it to 1080i or p or 720p you would basically be watching the quality of the Movie Studio's negative, (which is as pure as it comes). If you were able to make a copy of it at that resolution (its basically for crooks that want to distribute master copies on a large scale. "

So store bought discs will not "upconvert" properly (via my Sony DVP-NS75H) and thus this annoying motion distortion.
I know cause I played the same movie..1 store bought, one not and voiola, the non store bought played just great, whereas the store bought one had the motion BS.
Eventhough on both it says its playing at 1080i, the store bought DVD played worse.

BS to say the least. Amazing the Studios won't even let you make your store bought copy of your movie look better. Talk about big brother. :mad:

Any input on this topic would be appreciated. I heard there were codes to disable the HDCP in your DVD player??

Shouldn't I be able to get 1080i via the component cables on this set? I tried but could only get 480p. Is there a setting to get 1080i or is 480p max.?

Thx

can you explain a little more about your source/set, please?

I posted this in a different thread as well, but realized this may be a better place for it. Has anyone been able to test the VGA input on the 42 or 47LZ196 to see if it accepts 1080p?

The 26HLC56 is not a REGZA, and does not have 12 bit video processing. Toshiba rates their panels in this size at "8 ms or less"


The question still remains, what does the 26HLC56 have if it does not have 12 bit video?

We have just returned our second Toshiba 42 lx 196 both my son and I were very sad about it. For the most part this TV is awesome! But we saw a flaw we could not live with. The picture screen had grey almost ghost bars on it. It was not the letter boxing from the TV channels. They were about 1-2 inches in from the side on each side the right sided bars being more prevalent. We noticed it on the first set and we thought it was damaged and then got another TV and it had it too. We went and looked at other stores Toshibas and they had it also. What are these bars? Toshiba could not tell us they thought the tvs were damaged too. But these bars show up when watching DVDs, when you stretch the picture, HD and especially can be seen on green and blue back grounds. Again we are sad to have to give this TV back it has some great things about it. Help me if you can We tried component video hook up and s video all did it. We adjusted the back light, the contrast everything the bars were still there.
i actually posted this same gripe about the hl196 last night. crosby1, it seems that your problem is completely different than the one that tech no and i are having. does nobody else see these "ghost bars" on their sets?

The question still remains, what does the 26HLC56 have if it does not have 12 bit video?


8 bit

what set are you talking about?

Crosby, I have the 47LX196

In the manual it says the component can handle everything up to 1080i, but it only gives me 480p?

can you explain a little more about your source/set, please?

TV is 47LX196, DVD is a Sony DVP-NS75H upconverting. HDMI cable from DVD to TV.

furthermore, I am thinking that when a movie is duped, it gets rid of the HDCP encoding on the disc enabling the DVD to upcovert to 1080i.

TV is 47LX196, DVD is a Sony DVP-NS75H upconverting. HDMI cable from DVD to TV.

look @ page 63 of the book...make sure HDMI resolution is set to 1920 x 1080

look @ page 63 of the book...make sure HDMI resolution is set to 1920 x 1080

I think as Crosby stated, its the DVD player not the TV. TV's component accepts 480i-1080i. Couldn't find the component specs in my Sony manual.

And yes, I have the res. set right...1920 x 1080

Hey all, new to the forums as I just got a 37HLV66. I am curious what the internal connection from the DVD player to the panel is? Component? HDMI?

Thanks for your help .

i actually posted this same gripe about the hl196 last night. crosby1, it seems that your problem is completely different than the one that tech no and i are having. does nobody else see these "ghost bars" on their sets?
ghostboy88 I am sorry to read that you are seeing the same bars I was mentioning in a previous entry. Even though I have returned the Toshiba I still want to find out what the heck those bars are. I have been reading this forum and you are the only one other than Crosby to see anything close to what I am talking about. I did read about the calibration after I returned the TV, I would have tried that if I had known.. I would also be calling Toshiba( we called them and they were of no help, they told us it was damaged) , maybe they might help you out. Best Buy has techs maybe have them come out since you are kinda stuck with the TV. Once you get rid of the bars you have an awesome TV but we experienced a total lack of help regarding these bars so we ditched the TV as fast as we could.


I read a entry earlier today and now I can't find it but the entry mentioned banning problems with Toshibas. What is a banning problem?

ghostboy88 I am sorry to read that you are seeing the same bars I was mentioning in a previous entry. Even though I have returned the Toshiba I still want to find out what the heck those bars are. I have been reading this forum and you are the only one other than Crosby to see anything close to what I am talking about. I did read about the calibration after I returned the TV, I would have tried that if I had known.. I would also be calling Toshiba( we called them and they were of no help, they told us it was damaged) , maybe they might help you out. Best Buy has techs maybe have them come out since you are kinda stuck with the TV. Once you get rid of the bars you have an awesome TV but we experienced a total lack of help regarding these bars so we ditched the TV as fast as we could.


I read a entry earlier today and now I can't find it but the entry mentioned banning problems with Toshibas. What is a banning problem?

I believe what you are referrring to is a "banding" problem. I'm no expert but from what I have read and understand, this is caused by a manufacturing defect in LCD panels. A while back Dell had a bad batch of 27" monitors with this problem. If I am correct, there is nothing you can do but return it if it's not too late or go through the hassle of having an authorized repair tech come out three times before Toshiba will either replace the unit or offer a refund. Anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong here.

I believe what you are referrring to is a "banding" problem. I'm no expert but from what I have read and understand, this is caused by a manufacturing defect in LCD panels. A while back Dell had a bad batch of 27" monitors with this problem. If I am correct, there is nothing you can do but return it if it's not too late or go through the hassle of having an authorized repair tech come out three times before Toshiba will either replace the unit or offer a refund. Anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong here.

I had banding problems with my HL196 as well...not visible at first, but became noticable when panning over light surfaces (ie. hockey). Once you notice it you'll see it on everything. I returned my set to BB with no problems after 7 days & pointed out the issue on the display model they had in the store. The sales person said it was a backlight setting issue which wasn't the case for me...I must have tried 100 different setting combinations & it wouldn't go away. I think I'll try the AQUOS next, arriving in Canada this week & apparently no banding issues with the 42" model.

ghostboy88 I am sorry to read that you are seeing the same bars I was mentioning in a previous entry. Even though I have returned the Toshiba I still want to find out what the heck those bars are. I have been reading this forum and you are the only one other than Crosby to see anything close to what I am talking about. I did read about the calibration after I returned the TV, I would have tried that if I had known.. I would also be calling Toshiba( we called them and they were of no help, they told us it was damaged) , maybe they might help you out. Best Buy has techs maybe have them come out since you are kinda stuck with the TV. Once you get rid of the bars you have an awesome TV but we experienced a total lack of help regarding these bars so we ditched the TV as fast as we could.

I'm curious what you mean by Toshiba being "no help" with this issue. You're saying they agreed the TV was damaged and then just hung up? There is a warranty is there not? Did they refuse to replace it?

I have the same "ghost bands" on the right and left hand sides on my 47LX196 that you, DoobyDolby, mdr25 and ghostboy88 have all mentioned. I've been watching the TV off and on for over a week and have been pretty impressed by the overall quality of the picture. Then yesterday I watched a show on Discovery HD that had lots of underwater scenes with a fairly uniform blue across the screen. My eyes were drawn to the slightly lighter bands on the sides about the same size as pillar bars on 4:3 material. Now that I've seen them I can't "unsee" them and they're driving me nuts. I haven't called Toshiba yet but I'd better get satisfaction from them.

I'm curious what you mean by Toshiba being "no help" with this issue. You're saying they agreed the TV was damaged and then just hung up? There is a warranty is there not? Did they refuse to replace it?

I have the same "ghost bands" on the right and left hand sides on my 47LX196 that you, DoobyDolby, mdr25 and ghostboy88 have all mentioned. I've been watching the TV off and on for over a week and have been pretty impressed by the overall quality of the picture. Then yesterday I watched a show on Discovery HD that had lots of underwater scenes with a fairly uniform blue across the screen. My eyes were drawn to the slightly lighter bands on the sides about the same size as pillar bars on 4:3 material. Now that I've seen them I can't "unsee" them and they're driving me nuts. I haven't called Toshiba yet but I'd better get satisfaction from them.

Toshiba wasn't horrible they just felt that our TV was damaged and really didn't want to go any further. My husband wanted some more detailed information and they just kept saying its damaged. By the time we got the second TV (from the store we purchased it from, Toshiba felt the store damaged it and it was not up to them to replace or handle it) and went and looked at other stores displays we were convinced that the TV had some manufacturing flaw and just gave up and returned that one too. So we never pursued calling Toshiba again we were too frustrated. Please if you get some answers from Toshiba please share them.

Toshiba wasn't horrible they just felt that our TV was damaged and really didn't want to go any further. My husband wanted some more detailed information and they just kept saying its damaged. By the time we got the second TV (from the store we purchased it from, Toshiba felt the store damaged it and it was not up to them to replace or handle it) and went and looked at other stores displays we were convinced that the TV had some manufacturing flaw and just gave up and returned that one too. So we never pursued calling Toshiba again we were too frustrated. Please if you get some answers from Toshiba please share them.
i actually just got off the phone with a rep from toshiba and although the guy was very nice, he want very helpful. he wasnt aware of any banding issues on these models and after putting me on hold and "researching" the issue, told me to check me connections and that it may be a signal issue. i told him that i was getting it from all inputs (directv, dvd, over air hd). he than refered me to a toshiba service center. i guess ill make the call and let you all know what happens after that. this really sucks...

i actually just got off the phone with a rep from toshiba and although the guy was very nice, he want very helpful. he wasnt aware of any banding issues on these models and after putting me on hold and "researching" the issue, told me to check me connections and that it may be a signal issue. i told him that i was getting it from all inputs (directv, dvd, over air hd). he than refered me to a toshiba service center. i guess ill make the call and let you all know what happens after that. this really sucks...

Remember, the warrenty states that you receive IN-HOME SERVICE for this set. When you call the service center they'll probably ask you to bring the TV to their shop. If you remind them that your warrenty entitles you to in-home service, they'll send a tech out to your home.

Unfortunately, when I called to schedule my appointment they didn't have many times that would work for me, so now I'm waiting until November 6th for my service. We'll see what happens from there.

I keep stressing this, but for newcomers to this thread: The PQ on this set is great, but BUY FROM A PLACE WITH A GOOD RETURN POLICY. It seems like a a small but significant percentage of these sets have this defect, and it's much, much easier just to take it back to the store than deal with the manufacturer and service centers.

Settings or calibration recommendatoins from someone on a Cinema 42LX196? I just hooked mine up and with HD cable content I'm noticing motion blur and audio sync problems...ugh. Not sure that calibration would fix this...

no bands, no ghosting. nothing but a superbly perfect picture. i'm amazed at all the problems people seem to be having with these panels. maybe i just lucked out and got a good one.

I'm glad yours looks great! Hopefully I'll be right there with you in a few weeks.

Naturally the people that are having difficulties would be more inclined to speak up about them. Clearly the whole line isn't defective, which bodes well for those of us who have issues. I would guess that either there was a bad batch of panels or that something about the manufacturing process results in a small percentage of sets with banding issues. It seems like those of us having problems are in the minority, which is why I still would recommend this TV, even though my personal experience has been less than perfect.

video calibration will fix neither of these problems. how is your audio connected (digital or analog)?

It's just cable coming in from the wall. This will be my second set I return. First Sharp (loved the set, just wanted a bit bigger than 37) now the Toshiba. I think I'll end up with the Sony 40 inch 2010

It's just cable coming in from the wall. This will be my second set I return. First Sharp (loved the set, just wanted a bit bigger than 37) now the Toshiba. I think I'll end up with the Sony 40 inch 2010


why drop down to a 720p set?

Are you only noticing it on HD cable channels, have you tried Over the air?
I'd have someone come check the signal strength of the line before returning it...your sympton seems to be rather unique. How is the picture on DVD?

Also, double check the Advanced Picture Settings and turn off all of the extra processing, NR etc. to ensure the cleanest picture

ghostboy please keep me informed about your progress I am anxiously waiting for an answer to solve this problem. I still feel this is an awesome Tv and I agree with those who do not have this problem that its a batch of Tvs that has this problem. I wonder how we can narrow this down. I live in Omaha Ne, USA and purchased the Tv in late September if that helps. I really want Toshiba to recognize the problem and help us solve it so I can buy one that does not have this problem.

Hey, I just ordered the 42LX196 online with shipping and a 3 year extended warranty for [EDIT]. I was waiting till Christmas to buy but I could not pass up the deal. However, after looking over this forum for the past 2 days Im not so sure about it. What bums me out is the limitation Im reading of 1024x768 using the vga input. Heres what I dont understand, I have an xbox 360 which I assume I will be able to hook to my tv at 1080i and it will run fine. However, this tv's hardware for some reason cannot support a pc running at 1920x1080? My xbox is basically a gaming pc! What is so much different about displaying a mac or pc at this resolution?

Anyone care to share any new thoughts about the HL66/HLV66 line?

Hey slowbiscuit, we did get a sweet deal I think. Mine is on backorder as well but I didn't mind because that just gives me more time to shop for a possible better deal. It actually wouldn't hurt my feelings if the tv didn't ship until after black Friday. I went to BB today and was tempted by a 50" Toshiba plasma floor model for [EDIT]. Our BB here in Huntsville, AL just remodeled and they have been selling most of their older floor models at 50% off. However, 50" is too big for the room Im shopping for :(

Even though it seems people are able to display their pc's and mac's using the hdmi port is it considered safe? Or do the company's say not to do it just so they don't have to support the technical calls? Because a mac mini is next on my list.

Can someone tell me how the THINC feature works ?
How about with a wireless network ?

I just installed my 42hl196. I was wondering if anyone was able to get the IR blaster working for anything other than with the TV Guide for recording? I was hoping I could get it to pass through to my DVD player that is out of site.

I got my set last week and I am very happy with my purchase!

I compared the REGZA 32HL66 with the Samsung 41D, 51D, Sony Bravia, Sharp Aqous 40DU, Panasonic Vierra, JVC 887 and I feel its right up there with the best of them for PQ even though its the least expensive.

The only thing I wish were better black levels, more detail in shadow areas. Individual objects and things like hats, clothing are very black but scenes which require the whole screen to be black or night shots the blacks are more like the screen colour purple/black.

I believe this problem is associated with LCDs in general as I noticed this on the most expensive sets too.

When I read a thread by a senior member who is also a dealer and said REGZAs are one of the best panels out there, I really believe that now.

Thanks!

Anybody have an xbox 360 hooked up to the 42LX196? If so, how is it? Also, anyone watching dvd's using non upconverting players? I was in sears this weekend and they had MIB playing and it looked horrible. Of course they had it playing on another set as well and it looked just as bad. Then I went to Sam's and they had the animated movie "The Wild" playing on a 42" vizio and it looked really good. Both dvd players looked like they were nonupconverting. So I was just wondering if Sears maybe had the tv on a wrong setting or something.

For anybody considering a Toshiba TV for the Toshiba Home Interactive Network Connection (THINC) functionality, you may want to reconsider. I recently purchased a 32HLV66 for our bedroom. Hooked directly up to our Comcast cable feed, it tunes in all of the local HD stations, and then some, so I am extremely happy with it in that regard. Also, its built in DVD player and playback is great.

But, it's THINC capabililty is worthless.

I purchased a Linksys Wireless game adapter, which is basically just an 802.11a,b,g wireless bridge for about $50 at Best Buy and got it configured on my home network. It took a little effort since I use MAC filtering and I had to input both the wireless adapter and the TV's MAC addresses into the MAC table. Once I got it going, the TV recognized the network, saw the different computers on the network and let me choose my Music and Photo shares on my home Windows XP Media Center computer. This is all well and good and worked fine.

However, when using the Photo viewing mode on the TV, it only showed my 2002 and 2003 subfolders (I organize our digital photos by year). And, when using the Audio player mode, it only displayed subfolders up through Alanis Morisette (in the A's). Upon further investigation, it appears that I have run into THINC's maximum file limitations.

The manual says: "Maximum number of files per shared folder: JPEG=1000. All JPEG files over the 1,000th in a shared folder will not display. MP3=200. All MP3 files over 200th in a shared folder will not display"

When I had first read this, I thought I was in good shape since none of my subfolders contain more than those limitations. It turns out that this means your TOTAL JPEG and MP3 files under the root shared folder. This is absolutely asinine in any home networking situation. Of course your average user is going to have more than 200 MP3 files (we have over 6000) and likely over 1000 digital photos. I did a little research on this and it looks like Toshiba adopted the software from some other TV models that had memory card readers built in. They have the exact same limitations.

So, until Toshiba revises the software so it is suitable for a home network and the quantities of digital files most users will have, consider THINC a non-item in your list of desired features.

Even though it seems people are able to display their pc's and mac's using the hdmi port is it considered safe? Or do the company's say not to do it just so they don't have to support the technical calls? Because a mac mini is next on my list.

My guess is they don't want to deal with tech calls from people that all have different computer hardware and settings, so they just say it is unsupported. You've probably seen my previous post on the subject, but I have a mac mini hooked up with a DVI-to-HDMI to my 42HL196 and it looks fantastic.

I haven't tried it, but I wouldn't worry about the XBOX. Over HDMI you should be fine.

For all those looking at, or who already have, the 32HL66, I did some digging today. I am considering it for my den. Looks like AUO makes the 32" panel, not CMO. Don't know if it's good or bad, but I did read a lot of disappoint over the idea that it was a CMO panel.

Here are the links for each panel...

AUO:
http://www.auo.com/auoDEV/products.php?sec=lcdTV&func=info&product_id=59&items_id=8

CMO:
http://www.cmo.com.tw/cmo/english/product/showtv.jsp?flag=20040804203549

Looking at the viewing angle and the contrast ratio of each, and what is listed for the 32HL66, looks like the AUO panel is the one.

I just got off the phone with Toshiba support. The guy I spoke with claimed the 1024 x 768 limitation on the PC input is there because the panel can't handle larger resolutions at high refresh rates that computers can output. A PC outputting 1920 x 1080 at 100 Hz, for instance, could "blow" the TV (his phrasing). Since it is a hardware-related limitation, there will never be updated firmware that will allow it to accept larger resolutions.

That really stinks, however does anyone think its possible that Toshiba could release a firmware update to allow the 42LX196 to recieve 1080p signals from external sources? I just saw today where the xbox 360 firmware upgrade comes out tomorrow to allow it to support 1080p. I guess I dont see why Toshiba couldnt do the same since the tv is native 1080p. Now that I think about it, maybe they could but I guess it might hurt the sales of the 42LZ.

agreed. see my post #367 for info on this same issue. will have to wait for a firmware update from toshiba but my thought is that it's not very high on their priority list!

Here's Toshiba's official response: "That is the limitations of unit. 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." I also called the 800 number, and actually got a person within about a minute, but they had no idea if a new software upgrade was forthcoming or not. I guess the only good thing about getting the TV on my network is that I can actually upgrade the software if I need to as I believe that is the only way to do it.

I guess I'm not optimistic about seeing a software enhancement any time soon, either. I really have to wonder what they were thinking rolling out such a hobbled feature?

Hey all, I just thought I would reply here with my 2bits, as I bought the 42HL196 over a week ago, and couldn't be happier with it. I looked at this, Samsung, and the Sony, and in the end, I couldn't bring myself to spend alot more for the names and 1080p input support.

After calibrating the set with AVIA, my settings are
Contrast : 59
Back Light : 58
Brightness : 30
Color : 44
Tint : -10
Sharpness : 4

I've applied these settings to all of the inputs, but was calibrated on component in from the progressive DVD player. The one observation I have about calibrating this set is, try and find the right backlight level for your room light conditions first, and then calibrate. Obviously (although not to me at first :rolleyes: ) Back Light settings really alter your other calibrated settings, and Contrast and Brightness the most. The other "tweak" I would tell people is to check the quality of your signal. I am using digital cable with the cable card, and couldn't even receive some channels at first. Mediacom came out and replaced some cables, splitters, and all of the ends, and the improvement in all signals is amazing.

Overall I am VERY happy with this set. It does a good job with SD, a great job with DVDs, and in nothing short of stunning on HD. People have asked about the internal scaler this set has (for turning 1080i into 1080p), and I would have to rate the scaler very high as well, with no artifacts, blurring or noise distortion. The only things that I would put in the wishlist catagory are slightly better blacks and black detail, and 1080p input support for PS3. The THINC issues really don't bother me since I don't really use this anyway, and if I wanted to I could have done this through my Tivo already. And I haven't seen any of the "bars" or "bands" that others have on their screens with solids.

If you are looking for a 42" LCD that's 1080p, I would highly recommend you take a long look at this set. I don't think you can beat it for the price!

Hey all, I just thought I would reply here with my 2bits, as I bought the 42HL196 over a week ago, and couldn't be happier with it. I looked at this, Samsung, and the Sony, and in the end, I couldn't bring myself to spend alot more for the names and 1080p input support.

After calibrating the set with AVIA, my settings are
Contrast : 59
Back Light : 58
Brightness : 30
Color : 44
Tint : -10
Sharpness : 4

I've applied these settings to all of the inputs, but was calibrated on component in from the progressive DVD player. The one observation I have about calibrating this set is, try and find the right backlight level for your room light conditions first, and then calibrate. Obviously (although not to me at first :rolleyes: ) Back Light settings really alter your other calibrated settings, and Contrast and Brightness the most. The other "tweak" I would tell people is to check the quality of your signal. I am using digital cable with the cable card, and couldn't even receive some channels at first. Mediacom came out and replaced some cables, splitters, and all of the ends, and the improvement in all signals is amazing.

Overall I am VERY happy with this set. It does a good job with SD, a great job with DVDs, and in nothing short of stunning on HD. People have asked about the internal scaler this set has (for turning 1080i into 1080p), and I would have to rate the scaler very high as well, with no artifacts, blurring or noise distortion. The only things that I would put in the wishlist catagory are slightly better blacks and black detail, and 1080p input support for PS3. The THINC issues really don't bother me since I don't really use this anyway, and if I wanted to I could have done this through my Tivo already. And I haven't seen any of the "bars" or "bands" that others have on their screens with solids.

If you are looking for a 42" LCD that's 1080p, I would highly recommend you take a long look at this set. I don't think you can beat it for the price!


When calibrated, what were your other settings (Dynamic Contast, MPEG Noise Reduction, Cable Clear)?

Thanks.

so...........has anyone actually seen the Toshiba 42LZ196 in a store?

so...........has anyone actually seen the Toshiba 42LZ196 in a store?


I just saw the 42LZ196 at Union Station downtown Chicago where Toshiba had a display of their products. Ten feet away was the 42LX196 and both were hooked up to their own HD DVD players. Honestly, going from one to the other I did not notice a discernable difference but who know, it's all about perception. Both looked great with neither showing any motion blur unlike my 42HL196.

I wonder when it will be available in stores? i haven't seen it anywhere myself.... I wish they were going to make a 50" version (since I have a Hitachi LCD projection TV that I want to sell because it takes up too much space.)

An update to those who have the "ghost bars on their Toshiba's" I have just spoken to Toshiba and they said they are starting to have calls about these bars on the 42lx196. Since most are calling the stores and getting referred to a service tech they have not recieved a reason for the ghost bars yet. So if you are seeing these bars keep pushing Toshiba for answers and maybe this will get resolved. I am also in the process of contacting the store I have purchased this from to see how many have reported this problem to them. I think I am wasting too much time on this I should just buy a different brand, but this is the TV I want. Any suggestions for a great 1080 42 inch lcd?

Well, as expected, the fall dashboard update for the Xbox 360 enabled 1080p output. Too bad this TV doesn't have any mechanism for 1080p input. Just why exactly did they put that "1080p!" sticker on this TV if they're not going to have any methods to get it to ever work? :)

6 A/V inputs, including:
• 2 composite video (1 rear, 1 side)
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts 1080i/720p/480p/480i signals)
• 2 HDMI digital audio/video inputs (accepts signals up to 1080i)

sigh! I was at least hoping it was going to accept it via HDMI, little did I know I should have purchased the LZ, in hindsight =)

I'll stick with 720p over 1080i, personal preference for gaming.

d'oh!

So keep this in mind when you're wondering why 1080p isn't working :)

I was thinking there might have been some trick to it (i suppose there's a chip processing things for us giving the illusion that 1080p is achieved through some frankenstein BS to 1080i) .. bah.. So .. any thoughts on advertising this as 1080p all over the place and then not having any form of 1080p input? Or a way to turn that frankenstein BS on so that when i hit "INFO" it says "1080p" and my super magic eyeballs won't detect the flicker of interlaced television? :)

Much love, please don't flizzame me too hizzard, nucca!

xoxo

ps: 'cause now I know.. :

None of Toshiba's new 1080p sets will accept a 1080p source direct to any input. The only 1920x1080 source they will accept is 1080i.

You would not believe this. According to the latest ratings from Consumer Reports, Toshiba 26HL66 is rated the highest in the 26" LCD TV category and Toshiba 32HL66 is rated the highest in the 32" LCD TV category as well. Both of them received the highest rating in HD picture quality, better than Sharp, Sony, and Panasonic. This is trully unbelievable, especially when the Toshibas don't cost a lot. Toshiba will be selling a lot of these. Here is the ranking order:

26"

1 Toshiba 26HL66
2 Sony KDL-S2000
3 Panasonic TC-26LX600
4 Samsung LN-S2641D
5 RCA L26WD12
6 Sharp LC-26SH20U
7 ViewSonic N2751w

32"

1 Toshiba 32HL66
2 Sony KDL-V32XBR1
3 JVC LT-32X787
3 Philips 32PF7321D
3 Samsung LN-S3292D
3 Sony KDL-32S2000
4 Samsung LN-S3241D
4 Samsung LN-S3251D
5 Maxent ML-32HLT21
6 Magnavox 32MF231D/37
6 RCA L32WD12
7 Panasonic TC-32LX60
7 Sharp LC-32DA5U
8 Panasonic TC-32LX600
9 Vizio L32 HDTV
10 Westinghouse LTV-32W4 HDC
11 LG 32LC2D
12 Sharp LC-32D40U
13 HP LC3260N
14 ViewSonic N3251w

My only concern right now is that this may be the final year Toshiba is making their LCD TVs, and beginning next year, Toshiba may allow Orion (Sansui) to make them, which means that the quality may never be the same anymore. It would be a shame if it ever happen. Just look at the Sharp LC-26SH20U and Sharp LC-32D40U rating. Both are made by Orion and are rated poorly.

I have had the 47lz196 for a week now and I love it. Once the thing is calibrated, it is one awesome display. I know folks with similar Samsung and Sony units and they do not display as well. Upconversion from DVD and cable is excellent compared to other brands. I played some 1080p clips from my HTPC and the results were WONDERFUL! Some of the 1080p clips on the MS site are quite noisy and do not do this set justice. Digital noise that was not quite as visible on my DLP is visible on this LCD. Beware of your sources.....

Cheers!


so...........has anyone actually seen the Toshiba 42LZ196 in a store?

Well, as expected, the fall dashboard update for the Xbox 360 enabled 1080p output. Too bad this TV doesn't have any mechanism for 1080p input. Just why exactly did they put that "1080p!" sticker on this TV if they're not going to have any methods to get it to ever work? :)

6 A/V inputs, including:
• 2 composite video (1 rear, 1 side)
• 1 S-video
• 2 component video (accepts 1080i/720p/480p/480i signals)
• 2 HDMI digital audio/video inputs (accepts signals up to 1080i)

sigh! I was at least hoping it was going to accept it via HDMI, little did I know I should have purchased the LZ, in hindsight =)

I'll stick with 720p over 1080i, personal preference for gaming.

d'oh!

So keep this in mind when you're wondering why 1080p isn't working :)

I was thinking there might have been some trick to it (i suppose there's a chip processing things for us giving the illusion that 1080p is achieved through some frankenstein BS to 1080i) .. bah.. So .. any thoughts on advertising this as 1080p all over the place and then not having any form of 1080p input? Or a way to turn that frankenstein BS on so that when i hit "INFO" it says "1080p" and my super magic eyeballs won't detect the flicker of interlaced television? :)

Much love, please don't flizzame me too hizzard, nucca!

xoxo

ps: 'cause now I know.. :

None of Toshiba's new 1080p sets will accept a 1080p source direct to any input. The only 1920x1080 source they will accept is 1080i.

Quick question, how many pixels are in a 1920 x 1080 interlaced display? OK now how many pixels are in a 1920 x 1080 progressive display?

Th answer? 2,073,600 in both cases!!! The set takes the 1080i signal (which has to originate as 1080p, which is only a high definition optical disc) and reassembles it progressively!!

previous post ranks as top 5 useless rants in past month...congrats! Nice first post!

Quick question, how many pixels are in a 1920 x 1080 interlaced display? OK now how many pixels are in a 1920 x 1080 progressive display?

Th answer? 2,073,600 in both cases!!! The set takes the 1080i signal (which has to originate as 1080p, which is only a high definition optical disc) and reassembles it progressively!!

previous post ranks as top 5 useless rants in past month...congrats! Nice first post!

Sorry I'm so stupid. But seeing as you can't get rid of me, i'll foul up yet another one of your days with a moronic post! MWAHAHA!!

So in your expertise, with respects to gaming, there's no difference with an interlaced or progressive signal?

Wouldn't the framerate performance differ on a true 1080p signal over an interlaced, reassembled 1080i signal?

And thus "GAME MODE", where 1080i is 1080i, not Toshiba MagiChip 1080p-1080i?

Mhhh.. Toshiba MagiChip...you shouls apply for a patent...that's catchy

1080p --> 1080i --> 1080p = 1080p when done properly, as in Toshiba 1080p sets as has been pointed out countless times on this and other threads.

And Sorry, posts don't foul up my day, only ignorance does

Mhhh.. Toshiba MagiChip...you shouls apply for a patent...that's catchy

1080p --> 1080i --> 1080p = 1080p when done properly, as in Toshiba 1080p sets as has been pointed out countless times on this and other threads.

And Sorry, posts don't foul up my day, only ignorance does

true true.

So then when the MagiChip (which would be trademarked as a brand or perhaps copyrighted as a technology?) is working it will still be displayed as 1080i via the on-screen display? [INFO]

So even though it's 1080p, it doesn't say it is? Knawmeen?

yep, that number shows the incoming signal switch to ESPN-HD It'll say 720p

I have had the 47lz196 for a week now and I love it. Once the thing is calibrated, it is one awesome display. I know folks with similar Samsung and Sony units and they do not display as well. Upconversion from DVD and cable is excellent compared to other brands. I played some 1080p clips from my HTPC and the results were WONDERFUL! Some of the 1080p clips on the MS site are quite noisy and do not do this set justice. Digital noise that was not quite as visible on my DLP is visible on this LCD. Beware of your sources.....

Cheers!

gminich :
Have you used the THINC feature ? Any improvement over other models ?
How about the THINC MAIL ?
Thanks

I noticed the contrast ratio on the LZ196 is only 800:1. Is this important considering the other manufacturing companies seem to have a much higher ratio?

I'm thinking of trading in my Samsung LN-S3241D for a Toshiba 37HL86 (same as the 37HL66 minus the ATSC tuner). Do you guys think this would be a good idea? I love the PQ of the Sammy, but I think I want something a little bigger. My main concern is the black level. The reason I bought the Sammy is because I loved how black it's blacks were. Has anyone directly compared the 2? Help!

I noticed the contrast ratio on the LZ196 is only 800:1. Is this important considering the other manufacturing companies seem to have a much higher ratio?

The contrast ratio value is meaningless, since there is no standard way of measuring it. From Wikipedia: "...with the various methods of measurement for a system or its part, remarkably different values can be measured of the same subject."

Let your eyes be the judge.

hennifer, pipe down. The 1080i vs. 1080p debate has been covered in this thread and many many others. Unless you have actually something useful to add, leave it alone. You are just cluttering an otherwise useful thread. gosawx, don't feed the trolls :)

hennifer, pipe down. The 1080i vs. 1080p debate has been covered in this thread and many many others. Unless you have actually something useful to add, leave it alone. You are just cluttering an otherwise useful thread. gosawx, don't feed the trolls :)

Sure thing gramps, I just had a few questions and dr. elitest over here goes nuts. I never actually saw "why isn't 1080p ever displayed on the set" as some of your so called "been covered" questions. I just asked: if it's an advertised 1080p set, and there's no 1080p inputs, and there's a chip to make 1080i 1080p, why does the INFO only say 1080i? Never 1080p?

Sorry to clutter your contrast ratio thread.

just didn't wrap my head around it that hard (I've got a cold!) ..

but i mean, i could understand if the MagiChip took a 1080i60fps and then the TV displays it at 1080p30fps, that would make COMPLETE SENSE.. but nobody's come and outright said it.

I never actually saw "why isn't 1080p ever displayed on the set" as some of your so called "been covered" questions. I just asked: if it's an advertised 1080p set, and there's no 1080p inputs, and there's a chip to make 1080i 1080p, why does the INFO only say 1080i? Never 1080p?

Fine, I'll bite one more time. The on-screen info displays the resolution of the source, not the output. ALL inputs are upscaled/deinterlaced to 1080p. If that sounds familiar it is because I am repeating myself (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8683339#post8683339). You might also want to check out the article linked to in Post 57 (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8218811&&#post8218811).

Edit: Since you originally brought this up talking about XBox 360, you might want to know that there are no 1080p games planned for XBox 360 (http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/20/tgs-xbox-360-to-add-1080p-support-ps3-to-lose-bullet-point/). When operating in 1080p mode, the XBox will upscale/deinterlace the 720p or 1080i content, exactly the same kind of "Frankenstein BS" performed by the TV.

FWIW, I emailed Toshiba about the possibility of upgrading firmware to support 1080p input support on the 42HL196 for newer technolgies capable of outputting that format (I'm thinking the upcoming PS3). I was expecting the "not planned" type of response, but interestingly they sent this:

"Thanks for writing! Your television is capable of receiving 1080p through the antenna connection only."

Now I'm thinking that if it can already accept a 1080p input in the coax, how hard or labor intensive could it really be to upgrade the HDMI ports? :confused:

It amazes me how many people are hung up on the 1080p input issue.
Now I am not an AV expert but I am smart enough to know this: The HDTV broadcasts that I watch on my Toshiba 42HL196 are SPECTACULAR!!! These spectacular broadcasts are fed into my Tosh as either 1080i or 720p. THe Tosh then converts the signal to 1080p and voila - perfect HD image (and I do mean perfect). When I get the new Play Station with 1080p output - I will simply use the 1080i output (which the PS will provide) into my Tosh - convert it to 1080p and voila a perfect HD gaming image.

Edit: Since you originally brought this up talking about XBox 360, you might want to know that there are no 1080p games planned for XBox 360. When operating in 1080p mode, the XBox will upscale/deinterlace the 720p or 1080i content, exactly the same kind of "Frankenstein BS" performed by the TV.

Sorry for making you repeat yourself. I guess I stopped reading somewhere around post 240 something and search yields such a crazy array of posts..

Thanks for the tidbit about the television always displaying in 1080p and that the INFO screen is all about the source signal, sawx and mdr.

as far as the 360 is concerned, i'm not limiting myself simply to that console, it's just the one i've currently got. And it's not that games will never be made natively for 1080p, it's that nothing out there right now, or on the table to be made is 1080p. They didn't even tell developers ahead of consumer that 1080p was coming. I would expect a lengthy period of time before we see our first 1080p native game..

"While (Shane) Kim expects that some third-party game developers will create 1080p games, he said that 720p will likely remain the norm."

I don't have some boner on for 1080p content, just trying to clear up some things that have been pickin' at me for some time.

You've been more than helpful in clearin' them up. Thanks so much, Sawx and MDR!

One of the things I liked about the marketing of the 32HLV66 was the Stablesound feature to keep commercial volumes from being excessively louder than the programs. It seems, however, that any SD content is much louder than HD content, so if I watch an HD program and a commercial comes on, or I switch to a SD channel, the volume needs to be reduced drastically, from a setting of 45-50 for HD programs, down to 25-35 for SD programs and commercials. Turning on Stablesound gave very minimal improvement in commercial volume, but the difference between SD and HD channels is still very bothersome.

I tried fiddling with the SRS WOW and MTS stereo settings without any difference. Any recommendations, besides just living with it?

One of the things I liked about the marketing of the 32HLV66 was the Stablesound feature to keep commercial volumes from being excessively louder than the programs. It seems, however, that any SD content is much louder than HD content, so if I watch an HD program and a commercial comes on, or I switch to a SD channel, the volume needs to be reduced drastically, from a setting of 45-50 for HD programs, down to 25-35 for SD programs and commercials. Turning on Stablesound gave very minimal improvement in commercial volume, but the difference between SD and HD channels is still very bothersome.

I tried fiddling with the SRS WOW and MTS stereo settings without any difference. Any recommendations, besides just living with it?


are you using a cable box?

I have it wired however I have not tried it as of yet. I really have no use for a remote control form factor keyboard. I have an HTPC sitting just below the LCD that I can use for email if necessary. I tried the firmware update and was told there were none available. Seems to work. I will let you know if I try it perhaps on the weekend.

Cheers!

gminich :
Have you used the THINC feature ? Any improvement over other models ?
How about the THINC MAIL ?
Thanks

I have been following the Sony forums, thinking iIwas going for a Sony but I recently found out that only have one RF connector and so I am considering a Toshiba 42HL196 which has 2 RF inputs. I have always been impressed with thier performance against the competition but was concerned about the 1080P vs 1080I issue.

Anyway I really don't think that matters to me and so my only concern now is the use of 2 RF inputs - I need 2 because I have analogue cable from the wall and then will have a roof antenna for OTA HD broadcasts. How easy is it to swap from wall source to HD antenna source on this TV.

Thanks

I have been following the Sony forums, thinking iIwas going for a Sony but I recently found out that only have one RF connector and so I am considering a Toshiba 42HL196 which has 2 RF inputs. I have always been impressed with thier performance against the competition but was concerned about the 1080P vs 1080I issue.

Anyway I really don't think that matters to me and so my only concern now is the use of 2 RF inputs - I need 2 because I have analogue cable from the wall and then will have a roof antenna for OTA HD broadcasts. How easy is it to swap from wall source to HD antenna source on this TV.

Thanks

I had for very short time Sharp LCD TV that had just one input and it was very hard to switch sources there - you had to rescan all channels every time.
So I know how important this is and really like my Toshiba LCD. You simply have to press imput button on remote and then choose source based on 8 available inputs. My cable is on input 0 and my atenna is on input 8. Very very easy to switch. So you press on remote 'Input','8' or 'Input','0' buttons. Thats is it.
And - I live in Toronto and I am getting 12 HD channels just over the air. It is fantastic quality.

Does anyone here know if the new Playstation3, when playing a Blueray movie, will be as good as quality as buying a dedicated Blueray player like Samsung ($1200 Cdn).
I had heard before that Playstations or Xboxes as DVD players are not as good.
Coments????

I had for very short time Sharp LCD TV that had just one input and it was very hard to switch sources there - you had to rescan all channels every time.
So I know how important this is and really like my Toshiba LCD. You simply have to press imput button on remote and then choose source based on 8 available inputs. My cable is on input 0 and my atenna is on input 8. Very very easy to switch. So you press on remote 'Input','8' or 'Input','0' buttons. Thats is it.
And - I live in Toronto and I am getting 12 HD channels just over the air. It is fantastic quality.

Vim, what kind of antenna do you use and where did you buy. I don't think we get 12 HD station in Vancouver...we do get a tomn of rain though :mad:

Does anyone here know if the new Playstation3, when playing a Blueray movie, will be as good as quality as buying a dedicated Blueray player like Samsung ($1200 Cdn).
I had heard before that Playstations or Xboxes as DVD players are not as good.
Coments????

No, it pobably won't be as good as a stand alone Blu-Ray player, but that is WAY off topic! Check out this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=650544).

I have been following the Sony forums, thinking iIwas going for a Sony but I recently found out that only have one RF connector and so I am considering a Toshiba 42HL196 which has 2 RF inputs. I have always been impressed with thier performance against the competition but was concerned about the 1080P vs 1080I issue.

Anyway I really don't think that matters to me and so my only concern now is the use of 2 RF inputs - I need 2 because I have analogue cable from the wall and then will have a roof antenna for OTA HD broadcasts. How easy is it to swap from wall source to HD antenna source on this TV.

Thanks

It's exceptionally easy, ant 1 is input #1 and ant#2 is input#8, you can scroll through the inputs, deleting those you don't use, or jus hit "input" and the input number you want.

Couldn't be easier

I have it wired however I have not tried it as of yet. I really have no use for a remote control form factor keyboard. I have an HTPC sitting just below the LCD that I can use for email if necessary. I tried the firmware update and was told there were none available. Seems to work. I will let you know if I try it perhaps on the weekend.

Cheers!

gminich :
Thanks for your response. One other feature that I am interested in is the "stable sound" on this LCD. However, a few posts back, someone was complaining about this function not being effective. How about your TV ? Does the stable sound work ?
Finally, the contrast ratio is not up to par with the newer generation of other brands such as Sharp and Samsung. Have you compared this TV with others ?
Thanks

Vim, what kind of antenna do you use and where did you buy. I don't think we get 12 HD station in Vancouver...we do get a tomn of rain though :mad:

I have channel master 4221 antenna. I bought it from local guy.

You can read everyting about OTA in Canada here:
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81
You even will be able to find how many channels you can potentially get in your part of town.

I saw antenna online in Canada here:
http://www.sensuz.com

Ok, new guy here, and more than a little slow.

So, if I were to pick up this tv, and hook up my PS3 and the 360 HD DVD to it, I would get 1080p?

If so, I think I will pick it up, as it is on sale for a pretty sweet price up here in Canada.

Thanks!

One other feature that I am interested in is the "stable sound" on this LCD. However, a few posts back, someone was complaining about this function not being effective. How about your TV ? Does the stable sound work ?

At first I really liked this feature, but I found that occassionally it seemed to not work correctly. A show would cut to a commercial and the volume would stay level, but after a few seconds it would slowly get louder, as though someone was turning up the volume. It never got louder than it would've been if StableSound was disabled. I'd guess it worked correctly for at least 75% of commercial breaks. Maybe it has something to do with the specific commercial or the signal, I don't know. Ultimately I found the inconsistancy of it annoying so I just turned it off.

The MUTE feature of this TV is a bit unique: Press the button once and the volume cuts in half. Press it again and it completely mutes the speakers. Press it a third time and it goes back to normal. The half-mute works pretty well if you just want to decrease the volume during the commercials.


Finally, the contrast ratio is not up to par with the newer generation of other brands such as Sharp and Samsung. Have you compared this TV with others ?


So, if I were to pick up this tv, and hook up my PS3 and the 360 HD DVD to it, I would get 1080p?

The answers to both of these questions are on the current page (17) of this thread. (Edit: I guess it is the previous page now.) But the short answers are: The contrast ratio is measured differently way by different manufacturers, so advertised values aren't really meaningful. The maximum input of the set is 1080i, but the signal is deinterlaced by the TV and displayed at 1080p. The deinterlacer for the Regza sets is very good and it is unlikely you'd notice ANY difference between this and a set that accepts 1080p directly.

Can we stop asking this question now? :)

are you using a cable box?

Yes, I use Comcast cable, with a Motorola DVR/cablebox. Any other way to try to balance out the volume between the very quiet HD programs and the much louder SD programs and commercials?

Yes, I use Comcast cable, with a Motorola DVR/cablebox. Any other way to try to balance out the volume between the very quiet HD programs and the much louder SD programs and commercials?


Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Stablesound would work at all if you're using a cable box.

Yes, I use Comcast cable, with a Motorola DVR/cablebox. Any other way to try to balance out the volume between the very quiet HD programs and the much louder SD programs and commercials?


Usually in the set up menu of the box there is an "audio range" option. Try to see if it's there...

Does anyone know if the 47LX196 has a fixed or swivel stand? The Toshiba site isn't clear, some of the internet resellers say it does have, but when I stuck my head in my local retailer a few days ago the fellow I talked to said that the 42" has a swivel stand, but the 47" does not. Unfortunately they and my local Best Buy only have the 42" unit on display.

Maybe someone here has this unit and can confirm?

thanks, john a

Does anyone know if the 47LX196 has a fixed or swivel stand? The Toshiba site isn't clear, some of the internet resellers say it does have, but when I stuck my head in my local retailer a few days ago the fellow I talked to said that the 42" has a swivel stand, but the 47" does not. Unfortunately they and my local Best Buy only have the 42" unit on display.

Maybe someone here has this unit and can confirm?

thanks, john a

I have the 47LX...mine swivels...

...mine swivels...

That's great! Thanks for the prompt response, sporky.

I'm buying soon and it looks like it is between the Toshiba 47LX196 and the Sony KDL-46V2500. Both are the right size, and she-who-must-be-obeyed doesn't like the panels with the glossy black bezels (like the 47LZ196, the Sharps, etc).

The two on my shortlist seem very similar, although the Sony has 1080p input, and the Tosh seems to have a nicer remote. I suspect I can live with 1080i input and it will be the Toshiba if today's price difference is still there when the time comes.

john a

That's great! Thanks for the prompt response, sporky.

I'm buying soon and it looks like it is between the Toshiba 47LX196 and the Sony KDL-46V2500. Both are the right size, and she-who-must-be-obeyed doesn't like the panels with the glossy black bezels (like the 47LZ196, the Sharps, etc).

The two on my shortlist seem very similar, although the Sony has 1080p input, and the Tosh seems to have a nicer remote. I suspect I can live with 1080i input and it will be the Toshiba if today's price difference is still there when the time comes.

john a

Hey John, too bad cause the the new Sharps look good too? Inbox me if you want the price I got it for...you're in Edmonton yeah? This site frowns on posting prices (for some strange reason). I have had the 47LX for 1-1/2 months now. It's growing on me. Still have to tweak it with a set up disc one of these days...and still have not sen any real HD on it (just my Sony upconverting). Might have to get a PS3...!

Can anyone recommend a good bracket for wall mounting the 42"? I'd like one that can tilt.

Thanks.

techno,
had a toshiba service guy come out to check out the ghostbar problem. after telling me he that he hasnt seen this issue in any of the sets he's dealt with in the past, he said he didnt know what to do. he left telling me that he was going to contact toshiba and find out what he should do. that was last thursday. i called him back again today and he still had no answer. i had a feeling this was going to happen. i just want a new set. i love this tv but i want that damn bar gone.

Can anyone recommend a good bracket for wall mounting the 42"? I'd like one that can tilt.


I'm using the Sanus VMPL2 mount. It can mount flat or at fixed 5 degrees downward tilt. Changing from tilt to no-tilt requires taking the TV off the wall (which is not difficult if you have 2 people). You'll need to use two studs, but the TV can be offset pretty far to either side, so the studs don't have to be centered on your wall.

This mount is great if you only want a little bit of tilt and are going to keep it fixed. Access to the inputs while the TV is mounted is possible, but a bit of a pain because it so close to the wall. I'd rather have the asthetics than the convience, so I'm really happy with this mount.

I've used these guys for quite a few installs, and they have good product, as well

http://www.omnimount.com/consumer/search.aspx?mpid=20d91511-d991-489e-b4c1-e65566341e20

techno,
had a toshiba service guy come out to check out the ghostbar problem. after telling me he that he hasnt seen this issue in any of the sets he's dealt with in the past, he said he didnt know what to do. he left telling me that he was going to contact toshiba and find out what he should do. that was last thursday. i called him back again today and he still had no answer. i had a feeling this was going to happen. i just want a new set. i love this tv but i want that damn bar gone.
I've got a 47lx196 with what I believe to be "ghostbars" as well. Vertical "shading" lines that are evident in bright sky shots. Very irritating for the upcoming hockey season. Anybody else have vertical barring happening?

Is anybody seeing these ghost bars on the LZ models? Seems very few people have the newer sets.

Is anybody seeing these ghost bars on the LZ models? Seems very few people have the newer sets.

I have one and yes, while watching a hockey game last night I noticed 3 ghost bars. One in the middle and one on each side. My wife didn't notice but than again she can't tell the diffrence between HD and regular TV. I have the feeling the TV was made like this so I'm not sure if we can ever get a fix :mad: .

Also this TV is not good with viewing from angles black looks purple and other colors are diffrent.

The only good thing I can still say about the LZ is that itt makes regular TV look great. If anyone has any update on Toshiba addressing the LZ ghost bar issue please post!

Does anyone know of a way to improve the black level through the service menu? I have a 37hl86 (basically the same as a 37hl66) and the service menu is A LOT less user friendly than my Samsung.

techno,
had a toshiba service guy come out to check out the ghostbar problem. after telling me he that he hasnt seen this issue in any of the sets he's dealt with in the past, he said he didnt know what to do. he left telling me that he was going to contact toshiba and find out what he should do. that was last thursday. i called him back again today and he still had no answer. i had a feeling this was going to happen. i just want a new set. i love this tv but i want that damn bar gone.

Your Toshiba guy's response is typical. No matter the issue, they'll tell you they've never seen that particular problem before and they'll contact Toshiba about it. Then he'll tell you Toshiba has never heard of this problem either. Then you go through at least two more service calls before Tohisba will even consider providing you with a new unit or offer a refund, if they even will make that offer, after your service guy tells you that the panel needs to be replaced but it's on backorder. I know all about this because before I got the 42HL196 I had the 42HP95 plasma with a major pixilation problem and the above was my experience. Funny thing is, that pixilation problem is all over the Toshiba plasma thread. I've come to the conclusion that Toshiba has some major QC issues with their flat panel products, regardless of the technology. If it's not too late, take the unit back to where you purchased it.

Not promising. I've been searching for some time now and was sold on this set.

Is this one of those situations where more units sold means more problems noticed? If you sell a large number of panels you're bound to hear of more people with problems.

Well, I got my 37HL86 yesterday. It’s basically the same as the 37HL66 except it doesn’t have a built in HD tuner. I traded in my Samsung LN-S3241 for this TV for a few reasons: I wanted a larger screen, occasionally it would randomly switch to inputs that I didn’t even have anything plugged in, and it had too much overscan. My review will be based on comparisons to the Samsung.

The 37HL86 is MUCH heavier than the Sammy I had previous to it. In my opinion, it is one of the best looking LCD’s out right now (identical in looks to the 37HL66); I love its simple lines and black frame (not a fan of “Wega” silver). After turning it on and watching HDTV from my cable box through the component inputs, I was thoroughly impressed. I could now see the entire FOX logo on FOX’s HDTV channel (it was cut off on the Samsung due to overscan). Audio was lacking in the deep lows, but was much better than the audio from the Samsung. Changing over to some SD channels I was even more impressed; this TV produces a MUCH nicer image on SD channels than the Samsung ever could. After calibrating the TV (I set the backlight to 0 among many other tweaks), I realized that the blacks are not as good as the Samsung. It’s not very noticeable until the screen goes to full black, but when it does, the screen appears slightly blue and defiantly gives off more light than the Sammy. This is the only aspect I’ve found so far that the Sammy beats the Toshiba at. Overall I’m very satisfied with this TV, and the size is much better for my viewing distance. I recommend it to anyone looking for a solid LCD TV at a good price.

Please let us know if you experience any of the ghostbar issues others are seeing.

Please let us know if you experience any of the ghostbar issues others are seeing.

I looked very closely, but i couldn't see any evidence of it. Is it something that seems to develop over time? Or do they generally come with the problem?

So anyone care to speculate on the likelihood Toshiba will allow an update to this set that would allow:

1) 1080p input (just thinking about 3-5 years down the line)
2) Unlimited picture and music playback instead of the 200 hard limit

Other than that, this set is really sweet.

So anyone care to speculate on the likelihood Toshiba will allow an update to this set that would allow:

1) 1080p input (just thinking about 3-5 years down the line)


Isn't 1080p now? Some PS3 game will output 1080p and also I beleve the Blue Ray DVD player that comes built into the PS3 is 1080p.


About the lines thy are more visible when viweing something that has a lighter background. Hockey games are a perfict way to check.

I looked very closely, but i couldn't see any evidence of it. Is it something that seems to develop over time? Or do they generally come with the problem?

My TV had the problem right out of the box. I haven't read anything here about it happening on a set that didn't have it initially. So my guess is, if you don't see it now, you're OK. Again, it isn't really noticible for most programs, but it is pretty obvious when watching sports, so you might want to double-check.

I had a tech come to my house yesterday and he said that he'd contact Toshiba and get back to me by the end of the week...LWHJR1's tale didn't give me a warm feeling, but we'll see how it goes.

My TV had the problem right out of the box. I haven't read anything here about it happening on a set that didn't have it initially. So my guess is, if you don't see it now, you're OK. Again, it isn't really noticible for most programs, but it is pretty obvious when watching sports, so you might want to double-check.

I had a tech come to my house yesterday and he said that he'd contact Toshiba and get back to me by the end of the week...LWHJR1's tale didn't give me a warm feeling, but we'll see how it goes.

Thanks, I'll do a closer inspection when I get home.

Elias26, it's capable of displaying 1080p but not capable of 1080p input.

Isn't 1080p now? Some PS3 game will output 1080p and also I beleve the Blue Ray DVD player that comes built into the PS3 is 1080p.


About the lines thy are more visible when viweing something that has a lighter background. Hockey games are a perfict way to check.

Well, I am thinking about my future.
No PS3 in it right now, but maybe BluRay or HDDVD in a couple of years.

HTPCs maybe too.

Thanks, I'll do a closer inspection when I get home.

I watched some hockey and checked for ghostbars with various picture settings from very bright to very dark. It appears that my 37HL86 is ghostbar free! :D

ghostboy I totally understand . My husband and I have looked at several other lcd tv's and the 42lx196 was the perfect tv for us. It fit perfectly on our stand, the sound and picture (except the ghost bars) was awesome, the cable card capability was a plus. the look of the tv was simple and clean looking. Toshiba needs to fix this problem!!!! I called Toshiba a couple of weeks ago and the guy (I believe his name was Don) first told me that they had not heard of this problem but then I pressed him and he put me on hold and said reports of the ghost bars have been reported to them but they do not have any answers yet. I have also emailed Toshiba but they have not responded yet.

ghostboy I totally understand . My husband and I have looked at several other lcd tv's and the 42lx196 was the perfect tv for us. It fit perfectly on our stand, the sound and picture (except the ghost bars) was awesome, the cable card capability was a plus. the look of the tv was simple and clean looking. Toshiba needs to fix this problem!!!! I called Toshiba a couple of weeks ago and the guy (I believe his name was Don) first told me that they had not heard of this problem but then I pressed him and he put me on hold and said reports of the ghost bars have been reported to them but they do not have any answers yet. I have also emailed Toshiba but they have not responded yet.

I guess it's time for me to do my duty and start bothering Toshiba about this as well.

This is a bit late, but I came across an online manual (PDF format) at Crutchfield's website for the 26HL66 and the 32HL66. There is a link in the section that describes "what's in the box." It's a pretty large file...almost 20MB.

How's the Standard Def on the HL66 series? And does anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the manual online?

Danny

ive been bugging them about it while also trying to be patient and respectful. i have to say that im running out of both. if im not getting the run around from toshiba customer service, im getting it from their "authorized repair technician." all i want is for the guy to call me back. why is it taking so long? eventhough my 30 day return period at best buy has passed, i may call them and see what they can do for me. i noticed on the service plan that i purchased that they have a no lemon policy. the tv is far from that. however, im having a hard time believing that toshiba is unaware of this problem and their complete lack any sort of prompt resolution is almost as frustrating as the ghostbars.

For those of us with the ghost bars: What repair shop are you working with? If any of us are using the same shop, we might be able to put the screws to them a bit or at least pool some info more effectively.

I'm using Stereo Component Service in Boston. David is the tech that visited my house, on Nov 6th. He told me he hadn't seen this problem before. I'm still waiting for a callback, but he said it would probably be later this week before I heard from him.

The day after I posted on this thread about the side bars on my 47LX196 I placed a call to the dealer that I bought the TV from. Within 20 minutes I got a call from a Toshiba authorized repair shop that they normally deal with and about an hour and a half after that a technician was at my door.

He did the usual thing when he saw the problem. He said he'd never seen anything like it before, the TVs were so new they didn't really know much about them, didn't know what to do and so would contact Toshiba.

A few days later I got a call to let me know that they would replace the TV. Last night they did just that. The replacement has no problems whatsoever. I still had all of the material that was really showing the problem saved on my PVR and I played it back and examined the picture very carefully and it looks perfect.

The original TV and the replacement were both manufactured in September according to the sticker on the back and most likely both even came to the dealer in the same shipment. There are probably just a few duds floating around out there. I suppose if Toshiba gets some of these back and can do a thorough diagnosis they might discover what the problem is, but it doesn't look like anything that could ever be adjusted out. I think the only solution to the problem is likely replacement.

Luckily for me getting it replaced was a simple process. Hopefully the rest of you with this problem will get the same service.

Jack, can you tell us when you first purchased the set? I would like to think that anything purchased today would be of a later build and outside of the problematic period.

I have this TV now for few months and I am very happy with it.
Now I have a question. I have TV Guide on this TV and it shows guide for my analog cable. I do not see any program info for OTA (Atenna 2) digital channels that are seen through ATSC tunner. Most new TV's can show program info on these HD channels, but I cannot find how to do this on 42HL196. Anyone can help me here? Is there any way to setup TV Guide for both Antenna 1 and Antenna 2 inputs?

A few days later I got a call to let me know that they would replace the TV. Last night they did just that. The replacement has no problems whatsoever. I still had all of the material that was really showing the problem saved on my PVR and I played it back and examined the picture very carefully and it looks perfect.



This is interesting thanks for the info. I was almost certian the TV was made this way and it was just that most people didn't or couldn't notice it (like my wife). Maybe their is hope for us.

I just purchased a 42hl196, and can not get video on it. Cox is coming out today, but I was on with the technical people, trying to get the DVD player to show video, but still don't get video through HDMI, S-cable, or component cables. I'm wondering if this box is defective or has anyone else seen this problem.

Jack, can you tell us when you first purchased the set? I would like to think that anything purchased today would be of a later build and outside of the problematic period.

I bought the TV on October 17.