Question for the people that own the 42HL196.When viewing the screen on either side of this tv looking at the picture does the picture lighten up or wash out any.

Thanks

No big problems since I last posted here. But I wanted to know if anyone who has a 42LZ196 and has had any HDMI handshake problems with other equipment or any other HDMI probs.

I bought a Panasonic S53 DVD player that upconverts to 1080p and I've had a few hiccups to say the least. My post on it is here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10345097&&#post10345097

Anybody?

Question for the people that own the 42HL196.When viewing the screen on either side of this tv looking at the picture does the picture lighten up or wash out any.

Thanks

Yes, it does. The supposed viewing angle is way overstated. This is, unfortunately, something rather common to LCDs as the backlight leaks through between the pixels which is also the reason for relatively poor black levels.

Does anyone know where the 42lz196 may be available? I am trying to pick one up for a decent price but am having a little trouble.

Does anyone know where the 42lz196 may be available? I am trying to pick one up for a decent price but am having a little trouble.

I got one a few weeks ago at Video here on the west coast. The price was great. Very happy with the set.

dimme can you pm me with their info thanks

Does anyone know where the 42lz196 may be available? I am trying to pick one up for a decent price but am having a little trouble.

Try the CANEX at any CF base. That's where I got mine.

three days and no posts, thanks for the help guys I picked up the 42LZ196 should be here next friday.

three days and no posts, thanks for the help guys I picked up the 42LZ196 should be here next friday.


Although mine has ghosting, Its not distracting enough right now for me to hate the tv...I live mine in fact...HD broadcasts look terrific, and my 480p DVD looks pretty slick. Once I decide who to go with, I will have many more options....Good luck to you, it is a pretty great tv!

Glad you found one. When you get you will love it. I have no problems with my set!

I have a Toshiba 42lx196. I really like the picture quality in both HD and SD. But, I do notice some motion artifacts. Or what others call ghosting. It really appear to be more an issue of the signal. What I mean by that, is this. I first thought that it was worse on 1080i signals. Meaning the sets electronics were not doing well when upconverting to 1080p. The 720p signals, appear to upconverter better. But some stations, even in 1080i look ok and better than other stations broadcasting in 1080i. So, I'm not sure what to think. All in all, I really like this set, and think that the audio is also pretty good. What do others think of their Toshiba 42XX196 sets?

What do others think of their Toshiba 42XX196 sets?

Mine's awesome and I have an October 06 build. Nothing bad yet. The worse thing I've found with my TV is thin, multiple vertical banding when the screen fades to black or there is a dark scene. I figured out though that this is the output from my Bell PVR. So it really isn't a TV thing. :p So I go back to my TV being awesome.

What do others think of their Toshiba 42XX196 sets?

I have a 42LX196 and really like most things about it. I previously went through three 42HL196s and one 42LZ196 each of which had what earlier pages referred to as "ghost bars" or what I think is more correctly referred to as backlight uniformity issues. Toshiba finally traded me this unit for my third 42HL196 which I feel was very good customer service on their part.

On the good side, I think the picture quality and colors on this set are great. Planet Earth on Discovery HD is my current favorite show and it is breathtaking. I am also much more impressed with the contrast on the LX model than I was with the HL. I credit this to what appears to be a filter of some sort that is fixed on the front of the LCD which seems to enhance contrast, seems to make the blacks much darker. I also think the sound is substantially better on the LX than the HL.

On the down side, I still have a little bit of a uniformity issue but after trying many LCDs this is prevalent in the industry. I only really notice it when watching a fast panning broadcast such as hockey or golf. I hope someday that LED backlighting will fix this issue. I also have three stuck pixels and one dead pixel. I have tried various pixel fixing programs but with no success. They really are not that visible from more than about 6 feet away so it is more of an issue of just being bothered knowing they are there. The third complaint is the limited horizontal viewing angle. I only have to go out about 30 degrees on either side before the picture starts to wash out. This limits the prime seating locations in my family room and makes viewing while doing other things on the sides of the room less enjoyable (my wife likes to iron on one side for example). Again, many LCDs suffer from this so the REGZA line is not alone. Lastly, I wish this set came with an ability to adjust the audio lag. I have almost continuous issues with the HD channels being out of sync (drives me crazy to see the lips not match up with the sound). Seems to be primarily an issue with the cable company as I get my STB reset and it seems to help somewhat. But it seems to go out of sync quickly. The ability to adjust the sync through the TV would be a nice feature. I guess HDMI 1.3 will fix this once both ends have 1.3 and are connected through a certified 1.3 cable.

I have toyed around with selling the set and buying a 2007 model such as the Samsung 4661 or the LG 42LB5D but I am not yet convinced they are enough better to justify the change.

Hope this helps.

gameling and macloclen, thanks for the replies. I checked, my 42lx196 has a Sept 06 build date. I can honestly say that I don't see the ghost bars. If I select an input without a signal, I get just a plain black screen. Not very dark black, but at least even, without any noticable banding. I also have used Avia to adjust the black level and constrast. So maybe that has helped. I agree, the audio from the LX is quite good. The only thing that I notice, and from what I've been reading is somewhat common with lcd, is the motion blurring. But it's not bad enough to make me want to get rid of the set. All in all, I'd say that I'm very happy with my lx196. Although, I'd really like to see the new lx177 sets coming out. They sound very promising.

Glenn

chromedog, gosawx is exactly right. You're probably watching your TV in Natural mode rather than Native mode. Hit the Pic Size button on your remote, and select Native. I hope all of this is correct for the HL since I have an LZ model.

Also, I'm fairly certain that the HL series doesn't accept 1080p signals. Only the LZ series and maybe the newer 2007 models that are coming out can accept 1080p. But I refuse to get into the whole 1080i vs 1080p debate.

thanks gosawx and dildano, you had it right, setting the screen to native mode restored the missing overscan area. annoyingly the TV would revert to natural mode whenever i changed input or turned it off, but you can specify the setting for each input in the menu.

fwiw my 42HL196 is version 2.2.62.0 Aug 17, 2006 fw: 37.

Nausea inducing green at that...

So with some info from these forums I thought I'd try my hand at connecting my PPC mini to my Toshiba 32HLC56. First thing I wanted to do was have some connection options so I found a male/male HD15 cable to connect to the PC port on the TV as I already have a DVI->HDMI adaptor and HDMI cable for the STB.

The PC connection worked, but only in the SVGA sense, I wasn't able to coax any other display configurations/output from the thing to get the widescreen holy grail ( I am probably overlooking something and I most certainly a n00b with all of this...). I tried on both ends to get the screen to stretch with little results either way. So I decided to hook it up DVI style. The usual happened with overscan/underscan but with underscan the black borders and any blacks within content ( I ran a DVD) are a peculiar shade of warm, pukey green. I tried some things to see if I could get rid of it, but to no avail. Immediately I gave up on spending any more time on it until I did some looking and asked some questions. The PQ is fine in normal use with any other signal (DVD/VCR/STB...)

So what am I overlooking perhaps with regards to the VGA setup and more so the green borders on the DVI/HDMI setup? I searched the forums on the green borders issue and wasn't able to find anything that pertained.

Thanks for any assistance-

popeye

popeye_cahn
Have you tried to calibrate the screen using the Systems preferences - displays - color on the mini?

popeye_cahn
Have you tried to calibrate the screen using the Systems preferences - displays - color on the mini?

Yes and created a profile, but to no avail.

The effect is weird, like an incomplete development with E6 (film, anyone remember that stuff?;) ), were all the shadows are undeveloped and have a greenish blocked up look to them, but all the highlights and midtones are acceptable.

popeye....sounds like either bad connection, or your driver needs to be updated/reinstalled.
What video card are you running?

It has the ATI 9200 iirc. I plan on trying this again and I'll probably boot up from a cleaner install of Tiger I have to test that possibility as well as making sure the connections are tight.

One other question for anyone who might know, does it matter what type of DVI->HDMI adapter one uses? In other words do I need all those pins on the DVI side or are some of those redundant/unused for HDMI?

No word yet from J&R about next batch of 37HL67. They only mention that its on its way and should be in the store soon. :(

Anyone out there already have the 37HL67. Any comments you would like to share with the rest of us.

YESSS!!!!! After almost a month of waiting I finally got my 37HL67. Build April 2007. My wife and I also notice that its a little heavier then the previous build March 2007 which died on us. Hmm..I guess Toshiba must have updated some internal components or something like that...

I am a little tied up right now..but will post an initial review in the next couple of days. Looking forward to sharing my thoughts with the rest of you guys..

thanks gosawx and dildano, you had it right, setting the screen to native mode restored the missing overscan area. annoyingly the TV would revert to natural mode whenever i changed input or turned it off, but you can specify the setting for each input in the menu.
You can also turn off the "Auto Aspect Ratio" feature from either the Picture or Advanced Picture menu (can't remember which). The TV will keep the screen size setting for whatever it was previously on that input.

YESSS!!!!! After almost a month of waiting I finally got my 37HL67. Build April 2007. My wife and I also notice that its a little heavier then the previous build March 2007 which died on us. Hmm..I guess Toshiba must have updated some internal components or something like that...

I am a little tied up right now..but will post an initial review in the next couple of days. Looking forward to sharing my thoughts with the rest of you guys..

Great! Perhaps you should be posting info on the HL67 in this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=835924&page=1&pp=30

I understand that there currently are no XBOX360 games out in 1080p, however I don't seem to be able to get my XBOX to display it. When I select it on my 360 - I just get a black picture. Is the HD AV cable able to produce 1080p through that input?

I have yet to see anything in 1080p yet - why did I spend the extra cake? :cool:

Hello I just received my new 42lz196 and I am happy so far, but I have a question. I just had a cable card installed yesterday and i am noticing that after the tv has been off for a long period of time the cable card does not work, it says something like acquiring channel info. I must remove the card and reinstall to get it working again.

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Right this very moment for the next 24hrs a popular cable/satellite TV shopping channel is selling the Toshiba 47" 1080P TVs substantially cheaper than in stores.
They don't say if it is an LZ or LX, but it is 1080P. They DO say it is the Cinema series... that would imply an LZ wouldn't it? So I guess now we know what Toshiba has done with all the sets sent back with "ghost bar" backlight uniformity issues. If you look back several months ago I lived with the ghost bar problem for almost a month before taking it back to my retailer for a Mitsubishi 46" LCD 1080P which has performed superbly.
I think it's a disgrace on Toshiba's part to deny , for the most part, any backlight uniformity problems. And then, to sell them on a TV "special" at blow out prices is a slap in the face to those of us who paid full retail only a little while ago.
I'll think long and hard about giving my money to Toshiba.

Right this very moment for the next 24hrs a popular cable/satellite TV shopping channel is selling the Toshiba 47" 1080P TVs substantially cheaper than in stores.
They don't say if it is an LZ or LX, but it is 1080P. They DO say it is the Cinema series... that would imply an LZ wouldn't it? So I guess now we know what Toshiba has done with all the sets sent back with "ghost bar" backlight uniformity issues. If you look back several months ago I lived with the ghost bar problem for almost a month before taking it back to my retailer for a Mitsubishi 46" LCD 1080P which has performed superbly.
I think it's a disgrace on Toshiba's part to deny , for the most part, any backlight uniformity problems. And then, to sell them on a TV "special" at blow out prices is a slap in the face to those of us who paid full retail only a little while ago.
I'll think long and hard about giving my money to Toshiba.

which network?

EDIT: nevermind. it's shopnbc.

I think it's a disgrace on Toshiba's part to deny , for the most part, any backlight uniformity problems. And then, to sell them on a TV "special" at blow out prices is a slap in the face to those of us who paid full retail only a little while ago.


Early adopters always pay "Top Price" If Toshiba wants to give these away so what? LOL :D

Check the site online. It's the 47lz196 (Cinema Pro). Being cleared out to make way for 46lx177 (120hz). Does anyone have any idea why Toshiba would be switching from 47" to 46" panels? Source change?

Toshiba is still selling 47" panels, the 47HL167 is due out in June.

CD

Toshiba is still selling 47" panels, the 47HL167 is due out in June.

CD

Probably. But it's not Cinema Series. Look at Crutchfield site/summer catalog. The CS will be 46". Toshiba drives me crazy with model changes.

So I guess now we know what Toshiba has done with all the sets sent back with "ghost bar" backlight uniformity issues.

You don't really think that they are selling the tvs that have been sent back with problems? I am really thinking hard about buying one. It is by far the best price i have seen on this unit. The only thing that concerns me is buying something like this online. If i have a problem with it i have to pay to ship it back for refund or replacement.

Probably. But it's not Cinema Series. Look at Crutchfield site/summer catalog. The CS will be 46". Toshiba drives me crazy with model changes.

Actually the 47HL167 looks to be the same set as the 47lz196 but with a new housing and added features such as dynamic back.light.

Cd

You don't really think that they are selling the tvs that have been sent back with problems? I am really thinking hard about buying one. It is by far the best price i have seen on this unit. The only thing that concerns me is buying something like this online. If i have a problem with it i have to pay to ship it back for refund or replacement.

MGN if you buy from a reputable seller there is really no worry. By the way the above Toshiba is sold out.

CD

just bought the lz47, should i be warned about this tv and cancel, or is it a good set?

I just bought the 42lz196 and so far so good.

Has anyone used the email function on the tv with Gmail?

just bought the lz47, should i be warned about this tv and cancel, or is it a good set?

LOL AYFKM

:D

CD

the tv came, and its broken!! I am going to return it maybe get the same one. Should I pay more and get the new LG47 inch?

why don't you consider the 47hl167? :)

Returned a 42lz196. Had no issues with ghost bars, etc. that I could see, but never could get a half decent 1080 PC signal over hdmi. Got the 42hl167 in exchange which does support 1080 hdmi pc. Don't know if it's my imagination, but PQ on the HL 167 doesn't seem as good as on the lz. Has anyone else experienced this? Is this the case, and why? [I realize one is called "Cinema Pro", and the other referred to as "champagne on beer budget", but spec-wise seems like should be as good.]
Thanks.

I just bought the 42lz196 and so far so good.

Has anyone used the email function on the tv with Gmail?

I have and couldn't get it to work, something about the TV not sending authenticated SMTP. Has anyone else been able to get it to work with Gmail?

I understand that there currently are no XBOX360 games out in 1080p, however I don't seem to be able to get my XBOX to display it. When I select it on my 360 - I just get a black picture. Is the HD AV cable able to produce 1080p through that input?

I have yet to see anything in 1080p yet - why did I spend the extra cake? :cool:

Little more research and you would have found out that the extra cake you shelled out won't get you anything since it doesn't support 1080p through component, only HDMI. You'll have to get the new 360 Elite which has the HDMI connection to get 1080p on Tosh.

Actually the 47HL167 looks to be the same set as the 47lz196 but with a new housing and added features such as dynamic back.light.


The 'HL167 looses features like Cablecard and TV Guide, no? :(

since this is a damn long thread with no summary info, I've got some questions about the Toshiba 47LX196 I hope someone can answer...

Does the HDMI accept 1080p signals? I plan on hooking up my MythTV machine and BlueRay/HD-DVD player.

Does this have discrete remote control commands for the various inputs and on and off?


Whats the general consensus on the picture quality? I've found what I believe to be a good deal on a refurb with a 3 or 5 year in-home warranty and I'm trying to decide if I should make the purchase.

thanks!

Does anyone know the bolt size for the 42hl167?

I have a 42lh196 that i have had for about 6 months and twice now my TV stopped receiving digital signals on both antenna inputs until i pulled the power and plugged in agian. Then it was fine also my PIP froze. Has anyone had same problems ? Is this a Issue?

I have and couldn't get it to work, something about the TV not sending authenticated SMTP. Has anyone else been able to get it to work with Gmail?

The problem seems to be that the on screen keyboard for entering the ACCOUNT name does not include the "@" character. gmail, bluebottle, and many other emails systems use your FULL email address as the account name.
So if you can't enter the dang "@" symbol, you won't get logged in. Why in the world Toshiba decided to have two different soft keyboard layouts is beyond me.
What doofus software requirements writer decided that? And what idiot programmer implemented it?! :mad:

Unfortunately, the latest firmware update (dated Mar 23, 2007) from Toshiba did NOT fix this over sight.

However, the software update DID fix the problem of the Orange screen with a blue bar when you turned off the TV if it was playing an MP3 file and then turned it back on.
So I'm a little happier with the TV.
But, for me, the email function is still as functional as a pet rock.

Did the firmware update anything worth while?

And where did you get the updte from?

I saw a thread about firmware upgrades, so I thought I'd check for new firmware, and sure enough, there was new firmware for the 42LZ196.

Just thought I'd mention that. It's installing now. I'll let everyone know what's new with the firmware.

- UPDATED
It installed successfully. After installed, it reboot the TV, the red light blinks three times pretty quickly and then it powers up. The TVGOS data remains, but it has to re-sync the Cable Card, and it has to search for the time signal from the cable company. The new version is 2.3.68.0 with a date of March 28, 2007 and is FW38.

I only tested one feature which was the email. One problem I noted before was when there was no email to donwload, it would not clear our the email listing on the screen, however now it does which is great. I'm also hoping that they added channel to the on/off timer so that instead of just turning on at a specific time and tuning into the last channel, it would allow us to select the actual channel.

Where did you get the firmware?
I could not find any on Toshiba's updates section.

Where did you get the firmware?
I could not find any on Toshiba's updates section.

You don't find the firmware, the TV does it itself.

Click MENU on the rebote
Select SETUP (the last icon on the right side)
Select NETWORK (the second one from the left)
Select SOFTWARE UPGRADE
Select INTERNET
Select OK

It'll download it into it's memory first, then install it automatically and finally reboot the LCD. Your red light at the bottom right of the LCD will flash three or four times, and then it will display channel "3" and if you have a CableCard it will try to establish a connect to your head end (a process that normally takes about 30 to 45 seconds) then you're ready to begin browsing.

Hope that helps.

I've had my HL (42") since Late Aug of last year. My set started out great with no issues at all. Gradually I started to get ghost bars (one in the middle and a bigger on off to the right. :eek:

Needless to say I was very disappointed. :mad:

Since I knew I had some time left before the warranty expired I decided to mess around with it to see if I could figure anything out. I've been playing around with my set for about 2 months now and the bars are all gone.

Let me first mention that I had my tv's theater settings on "native" all the time since I brought the set home.

The first thing I did to correct the issue was to take it OFF "native". I've been rotating it between Natural and theater wide 1. I now have it set at Natural all the time (for about a month) and the bars haven't returned.

My theory is with the set on native, SD would bring in the tv to 4:3 causing the black bars on both sides. I noticed that my one bar on the right lined up exactly where the black bar started in SD. I think that this in turn caused some kind of temporary burn in. This I found very weird as the reason I bought an LCD is that I thought they couldn't get burn in. I can't explain why the othe bar was showing up in the middle of the screen

My problem may not be the same as others with the ghost bars but if you don't have any warranty left on your unit it may be worth a try. Like I said before, it took a couple of months before they were all gone, but you could see them dissipating slowly over the term.

If you try this potential solution please post if it worked or not as it may help other posters / readers.

I just had service out to look at my ghost bars on my 42hl196. I have tried to live with them, but once noticed it is hard to live with. The tech thought burn in, until I changed to a SD channel and the bars did not align with the ghost bars on both sides of my screen. He diagnosed it with a bad panel.

He tried to call Toshiba, but the computer said all techs were in training and no one was available. He said he would call for authorization to replace the panel later and give me a call with the results..

What should I be buying? This is for my bedroom and I'd(wife) like the built in DVD player.




Toshiba 37LX96 37" Cinema Series 16:9 HD LCD/DVD TV
Toshiba REGZA 37HL67 37" 720p LCD HDTV
Toshiba REGZA 37HLV66 37" LCD HDTV with DVD Player
Toshiba REGZA 32LV67 32" 720p LCD HDTV

can i plz have some calibration settings for the 42 inch 720p? plz???

I have owned a 32HL67 for 2 months. I am extremely happy with the set. I use digital signals over-the-air. I also bought a HD-DVD player.

Only one gripe: recently a digital channel no longer worked -- it was automatically removed. When I tried to add it back manually I could not; I had to rescan channels to add it back. This process removed all my custom labels and custom channel selections (I remove all analog channels). OK, no big deal I suppose ... until it happened again, this time with another station.

Apparently there is a "feature" called "Auto No Signal Off" which I presume removes a channel when there is no signal. In both cases the stations had temporary outages. My only remedy was to rescan all the channels (and lose my customizations).

Is this typical of HDTVs? I wish I could disable this "feature" ... or at least be able to add a digital channel manually.

But hey ... small gripe. I seriously LOVE the TV, esp. with HD-DVDs. Outstanding picture.

The first thing I did to correct the issue was to take it OFF "native". I've been rotating it between Natural and theater wide 1. I now have it set at Natural all the time (for about a month) and the bars haven't returned.

Oddly, after I read your post, I tried it on mine and it works? I'm totally surprised. I put mine back on native resolution, though, but setting it to the other resolutions for awhile got rid of (or at least minimized) the ghost bars. Unless I'm imagining things...

52HL167 are in stock at Crutchfield.

Curious to see reviews/feedback, as this is the one I have my eye on.

I have a quick question. I own a 42HL196 and had recently unplugged it(storm). I turned it on this morning, and i get nothing. the red led flashes once in a while. Ive tried rebooting, unplugging and plugging back in. nothing. HELP!?!?! if i have to replace it, ill be pissed.

It better not be lamp or whatever usually needs replacing on an LCD. Ive only had it since May.

Not sure how many still check this thread, but I have been trying to get my "ghost" bars fixed for about 6 weeks now.

My service center would give me no information on the status of a replacement panel.
I contacted Toshiba and they have called me every week with an update. Seems they were to get 30-40 replacement panels in on 7/20, I was told they would expedite one out to my repair center the day they came in.

I received a message on 7/20 that they did not have a replacement panel for me and she was forwarding my case to another department. She stated Toshiba will contact me by 7/25 to discuss how they are going to resolve me issue.

I am just wondering what to expect? I am assuming the 42hl167 would be this years replacement for my model? I appreciate any input anyone can give me.

I have a quick question. I own a 42HL196 and had recently unplugged it(storm). I turned it on this morning, and i get nothing. the red led flashes once in a while. Ive tried rebooting, unplugging and plugging back in. nothing. HELP!?!?! if i have to replace it, ill be pissed.

It better not be lamp or whatever usually needs replacing on an LCD. Ive only had it since May.


Call Toshiba, customer service has been very nice to me. Be prepared to provide them with model, serial number , and where and when you purchased it. The service center needed a copy of the purchase receipt and I also had to email or fax a copy to Toshiba also. Hope everything works out for you!

I have a toshiba 42hl196- I have a problem: I noticed a black vertical line appears in the middle of the screen? .

What will be the problem.
Sorry my bad English

I have a toshiba 42hl196- I have a problem: I noticed a black vertical line appears in the middle of the screen? .

What will be the problem.
Sorry my bad English

Sounds like what many of us had. We call them ghost bars or shadow bars. We have noticed them on different parts of the screen. Mine only appeared with light backgrounds, ice hockey, some racing with light colored tracks, seemed it stood out with any outdoor shot that included the skyline.

Calle Toshiba, setup a service call, at this time most likely you will get it replaced as long as it's within warranty.

I've had my toshiba regza 42" for a while, but beside preset settings for the picture what do u guys think is the best settings for sports?
ex. tint, sharpness etc

thanks

Ugh, I tried to read through the entire thread again, searching for vga/hdmi support as a PC monitor, and I think I missed the specific post I was remembering.

Anyway, I finally got around to hooking my 42HL196 up to my nVidia 7950GT (512MB DDR3) via DVI -> HDMI. I ramped the rez up to 1680x1050 (the native for my Dell monitor), and it looked great on the Regza, but like the lower resolutions, I was getting enough overscan that my windows task bar was partially cut off, as were some of my icons and basicly all of the edges of my entire desktop.

I was too tired to remember to adjust the picture size, and I was looking for the post about that setting relating to overscan when used as a PC monitor. Maybe it's just that easy that I just need to set Native or Natural, though I thought Natural was the default for new connectors (first time I have used HDMI #2 on the set).

I know this thread is just about dead as people move onto the latest and greatest, but hopefully someone sees this and can help.

PS - Battlefield 2 & Company of Heroes look amazing on a 42" display @ high res. You just cannot beat the immersion factor compared to my so-called widescreen 20" Dell LCD. Having my HT speakers wired in aslo helps. :cool:

...Anyway, I finally got around to hooking my 42HL196 up to my nVidia 7950GT (512MB DDR3) via DVI -> HDMI. I ramped the rez up to 1680x1050 (the native for my Dell monitor), and it looked great on the Regza, but like the lower resolutions, I was getting enough overscan that my windows task bar was partially cut off, as were some of my icons and basicly all of the edges of my entire desktop.

Native is the mode that doesn't overscan. Natural will cut off a few pixels on each edge. The native res of the panel is 1920x1080, so if your nVidia was really outputting 1680x1050, I would expect you'd be underscanning, if the TV even accepts that as input. What does the TV say for the input resolution?

I have the same model TV with a mac hooked up via DVI->HDMI. The mac is set to output 1080i with the TV set to Native, and it looks perfect (no overscan or underscan, 1:1 pixel mapping, etc). The mac is running OS X (obviously) and has an integrated intel graphics chip, so your mileage may vary.

The TV will display a surprising (to me, anyway) number of resolutions through HDMI. If in Native mode, they are displayed 1:1 pixel mapped, centered. For some reason, my PC with ATI Mobility 9000 is not clear at resolutions over approx 1200x600. But I use the Theater modes to stretch the picture, so I can watch Netflix on the PC using the home theater setup. From 8 feet it looks great but the geek in me still wants to get a 1080 picture to work.

On a different note...

Does anybody else use the TV Guide on their set? My guide has been dead for over a week.

I can help on the gfx card side of things. There is no way your Mobility can support high res with shared system memory. It's not a high end part and 1920x1080 is very high res for computers. What's the default res on your latop display? I'm guessing it's 1280x720 or less, and that's probably the max the graphics processor can handle. You need more horsepower for 1:1.

I'll try native tonight. Thanks for the tip.

And for anyone who is wondering, the higher display resolutions do look fantastic on the Toshiba. I was worried text would be blurry but it isnt.

You don't find the firmware, the TV does it itself.

Click MENU on the remote
Select SETUP (the last icon on the right side)
Select NETWORK (the second one from the left)
Select SOFTWARE UPGRADE
Select INTERNET
Select OK

It'll download it into it's memory first, then install it automatically and finally reboot the LCD. Your red light at the bottom right of the LCD will flash three or four times, and then it will display channel "3" and if you have a CableCard it will try to establish a connect to your head end (a process that normally takes about 30 to 45 seconds) then you're ready to begin browsing.

Hope that helps.

If I read the question correctly, the former inquiry isn't where does the TV locate the firmware file on a local PC shared directory, but rather where do you obtain the firmware file from Toshiba to place on your local PC for the TV to locate? I have my LX196 setup on my local LAN (via a wireless ethernet bridge BTW) with internet access and it locates my shared directory for the software upgrade option, but I have nothing to place in the directory for the TV to use as an upgrade file. I would like to know too, where to download the firmware file off the internet. Maybe I don't have my network settings setup correctly to give me an option to obtain the firmware directly from the internet as stated above. Could you provide the optimal settings so that the INTERNET option appears when you choose software update?

My LX196 is running a version of firmware dated 3/x/2007, is there something newer?

I'm still trying to figure out the email configuration and what benefit it affords me to set it up with Hotmail, if it's possible.

CH49, my Mobility 9000 has 32mb dedicated RAM and does advertise to support this resolution. In fact, by day I run double-headed displays off the one Mobility adaptor. That's over 3.4 MPixel at 32 bits color depth. 1920x1080 is only about 2 megapixels. Regardless, I tried lowering the color depth when hooked to the Toshiba, but that didn't help.

Now, I wouldn't be surprised if this 3-year-old PC and adaptor didn't have enough horsepower to run Hi Def movies or games at that resolution, but I can't even get a clear desktop display.

I have the 26HL66 and would it be possible for someone to post their picture settings.
Thanks

the 37hl66 is going to be very cheap this week (i assume that im not allowed to post the price or any other details -_-), and im wondering how it compares to olevia 5XXH, westinghouse ltv, etc. in contrast, sd scaling, and anything else.

I have the 26HL66 and would it be possible for someone to post their picture settings.
Thanks

I have this same set in a den where it's fairly dark most of the time and my usual viewing is at night. I get my signal via Comcast thru their non-DVR HD box (6200?). My settings are:

Preference Mode
Contrast = 30
BackLight = 73
Bright = 62
Color = 45
Tint = +10
Sharpness = 25

Dynamic Contrast = On
DNR = Auto
MPEG NR = Low
Color Temp = Warm
Game Mode = Off

These are my own choices for my eyes - no AVIA or anything since I don't have a DVD hooked up to it. YMMV.

BTW, I love the pictures this set provides,. even most SD programming is beautiful.

Thank you ridgefamus, it seems that the biggest difference between our settings is that my settings for contrast and sharpness are twice as high but I agree that this set provides beautiful pictures.

Well, after trying everything I could to fix the ghost bars on my 42HL196 (which, by the way, are so bad my description wouldn't do it justice :mad: - they are observable from the surface of the moon), I threw in the towel and called Best Buy to schedule service under my extended warranty plan (thank goodness for that purchasing decision!). Technician came out on 7/3 and told me "I've never seen this before in my life. Its not the backlight, its your screen. I'm ordering a replacement screen." Well, its now been over a month and the screen is still on backorder. Thankfully, BB told me that if it isn't fixed in 45 days from scheduled service, they'll replace the TV. I only hope its not for the same model. Great luck for all who bought late in the model run and didn't have the problem, but I sure as heck want to be rid of this ghost in the machine.

Anyone have BB replace their TV under a similar situation? Did they give you a refurbished model? This year's model? A credit towards purchase of a completely different model?

I haven't had to have mine replaced, but when I bought mine with the warranty they told me they would replace it with the same set or another 42" 1080P set If they didn't have either of those they would go up to the next size 1080P set they had.
Never a smaller set.

And BB doesn't sell refurbs. ;) :rolleyes:

I just had mine replaced through the original 1 year warranty. Toshiba claims they have new panels coming in, but after two missed shipment dates they gave me an RA # at Ultimate.

The problem is that this years 42HL167 was deamed to be a suitable replacement. Although it was missing 3/4 features from last years 42hl196. If you use a cable card forget it. We finally agreed that we would split the extra cost between the HL167 and the 42LX177. The added feature on this years models that I appreciate the most is the IR passthrough. :) I am really impressed with the picture from my new unit. I have that feeling when you first see a good HD picture for the first time every time I watch it. :p

Sounds like what many of us had. We call them ghost bars or shadow bars. We have noticed them on different parts of the screen. Mine only appeared with light backgrounds, ice hockey, some racing with light colored tracks, seemed it stood out with any outdoor shot that included the skyline.

Calle Toshiba, setup a service call, at this time most likely you will get it replaced as long as it's within warranty.

Has Toshiba ever figured out what these bars are and what causes them? I figured after 9 months of not having them I was one of the lucky ones, but now they are there.

Little more research and you would have found out that the extra cake you shelled out won't get you anything since it doesn't support 1080p through component, only HDMI. You'll have to get the new 360 Elite which has the HDMI connection to get 1080p on Tosh.

Actually, I believe you can run 1080p into the VGA port.

Has Toshiba ever figured out what these bars are and what causes them? I figured after 9 months of not having them I was one of the lucky ones, but now they are there.

The only thing I was told was that the whole display panel would need replaced.

Has any one posted pictures of these bars?

Has any one posted pictures of these bars?

Post #737

Can some of you 42HL167 owners please post your picture settings?

I'm most concerned with minimizing motion blur (scrolling text, fast motion as in sports), and elminating the ghosting effect (backgrounds such as fenses are constantly 'swimming' in the background whenever the camera moves, grass gets very fuzzy when camera moves) as much as possible.

Minimizing the green tint effect is secondary to these issues as I don't see it as much as some of you. This could probably be due to the fact that I don't watch much SD on this TV.

I tried ADR's settings at the begining of this thread, but found them to be a tad dark and they didn't take care of the aboce issues. They did minimize the green effect on SD feeds though. So I reset to the factory settings but there are so many combinations possible that I'm having trouble

I posted this in the "The OFFICIAL Toshiba REGZA 'Ghost Bar' Thread " But I don't think Any one reads that thread. It is a freeze screen of a wall when the show was panning between actors. I found that to be the best way for me to take a pictures of the three lines that are almost aways visible. Are they they infamous Ghost Bars? Toshiba had me unplug the set for more than 3 minutes to reset it. When I plugged it back in a 1/2 hour later they were gone but came back after 3 hours.

http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0908.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0909.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0910.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0911.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0912.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0913.jpg

Post #737


I wasn't sure of what I was looking at in those pictures.

**************Update*****************

Well, after waiting for nearly 2 months after my initial service call and two promised - then missed - shipments of a panel replacement:mad:, BB finally agreed to call it a loss and gate me a replacement authorization number. I took it into the store and they gave me credit for the full purchase price of the television!! No crappy, refurbished replacement for me!! Got the new Sony KDL-V3000 for two hundy more than I paid for the Toshiba a year ago (I overpaid for my Toshiba to say the least:o).

I haven't lost all faith in Toshiba, but didn't care for the 2007 Regza model line, so I, for one, am glad I get my pick of the litter. :)

Well the repair technician just left my house. He was here 10 minutes at most saying that he was ordering a new panel.

Well the repair technician just left my house. He was here 10 minutes at most saying that he was ordering a new panel.

Stay in touch with the repair center. Most likely after a month or two you will get approval for a new tv.

Stay in touch with the repair center. Most likely after a month or two you will get approval for a new tv.

I'm planning om it.

Wow. Ridiculous price drop on the 42HL167. Look a couple listings down on Ben's Bargains.

I asked this question in another thread with no response: So here it is in a more concise manner:

Does the 32LV67's internal DVD player upconvert to 720p? If so, how come I can't choose "Native" screen mode (it's grayed out)?

Well, I've had my Toshiba 32HL66 for about 11 months now, a few months back I noticed parts of screen where brighter than the other, usually in the form of vertical bars, this was most noticeable when playing my Xbox 360, however I only notice them when the screen is panning from one side to the other. Lately I've noticed this when watching anything as long as there is something panning across the screen, so I did a handful of google searches using appropriate terms and that lead me here. So what I'd like to know is if these are the dreaded Ghost Bars the members in this thread have been speaking of, since I have only a month left on my warranty I'd like to deal with it sooner rather than later so I don't get stuck with a faulty T.V~Thanks for the Help.

Well, I hate to bump this thread, but I would really appreciate it if someone could confirm if what I'm seeing are ghost bars so I know what to say when I call Toshiba, refer to my post above for details.

Well, I hate to bump this thread, but I would really appreciate it if someone could confirm if what I'm seeing are ghost bars so I know what to say when I call Toshiba, refer to my post above for details.

Do they look like this?


http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0908.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0909.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0910.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0911.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0912.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0913.jpg

hello everyone, great forum. i just purchaes my 42HL167 SET LAST WEEK. SO FAR I ENJOY IT. ONE QUESTION. CAN'T SEEM TO GET RID OF THE CLOSE CAPTION ON THE SET. HAVE FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, UNLESS I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT. THANKS.

Here is an update on my set. Toshiba has not shipped the New Panel. It should have been in the end of last week. The service center they had my contact (Elwin TV Electronics) is trying to get a hold of Toshiba to find out why.

Do they look like this?


http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0908.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0909.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0910.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0911.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0912.jpg
http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0913.jpg

Yes, but much fainter, more like the one on the far left of your picture, and I can't really notice them unless a bright image is panning across the screen, that's what worries me, if I take it in for service and they just say, "I can't see what you're talking about" and then I'll have driven 400km for nothing since there are no authorized service centers in my area.

Toxic, what you are describing certainly sounds like the ghost bars to me. I had them on my set, and when I took it to a service center, the bars weren't visible on any of their test patterns. I'm not sure if it was the viewing angle, the test screens, or something about the environment that caused the bars to go away, but in the shop they didn't show up. When I got it home, they were back. That was some time ago, and now my warranty is almost up, so I'm trying to decide what to do. Now that football season has started again, the bars are bugging me again.

So from my experience, I'd be very hesitant to drive 400km just to have it checked out, but what else are you going to do?? I would try to set something up between the service center and Toshiba customer support ahead of time, where you know they are going to take care of you before making the trip. (Good luck with that one, but it is worth the time given the distance you have to travel.) When I was dealing with Tosh support, the problem was relatively new, maybe by now there's some standard policy in place for this issue. I wouldn't count on it, though.

you should make a recording to DVD of a test that definitely shows the bars. take that with you.

As recommended if you have a way of recording something that shows the problem do that. The best programming I found for showing them was hockey. I would also notice them in Nascar, along with some outdoor scenes with a clear blue sky. Don't back off, they know about this problem, but will tell you they have never heard of it before.

Well thanks for all your advice everyone, but my plan has been botched, the ride I was catching down is no longer going, and with only 7 days left on my warranty I'm not left with many options. I suppose I could call up Toshiba one last time and see if I can speak with someone who can actually help me out, but I've never been impressed with their customer service department, the first time I contacted them was when I first got my T.V and wanted to find out the response time was, the guy who answered the phone said exactly this "What's a response time". Anyway thanks again for your help everyone.

Well Toshiba called us today and after 3 weeks of the new panel being on back order they are sending us a new set. They are sending us a 42HL167 because they no longer make the 42HL196

I recently bought a Toshiba regza 42lx177 and have it on the 'native' setting as I find the picture to my liking on this setting (no overscan). The only problem with this setting is that I get a 1" black bar at the top of the screen and at both ends of the tv there is a slight bit of distorion. Is this normal? does anyone else have this issue?

I recently bought a Toshiba regza 42lx177 and have it on the 'native' setting as I find the picture to my liking on this setting (no overscan). The only problem with this setting is that I get a 1" black bar at the top of the screen and at both ends of the tv there is a slight bit of distorion. Is this normal? does anyone else have this issue?

Widescreen HD programming will fill the entire screen on Native. It sounds like you are watching letterboxed SD content. The TV will display the input type (480i, 720p, etc), which could give you a hint, although it can be misleading, since you might be watching an HD signal that is carrying SD programming. But if it says 480i, there's a good chance you aren't watching widescreen content.

If you still have questions, let us know as much info as possible about your input (cable, DVD player, antenna, etc).

Widescreen HD programming will fill the entire screen on Native. It sounds like you are watching letterboxed SD content. The TV will display the input type (480i, 720p, etc), which could give you a hint, although it can be misleading, since you might be watching an HD signal that is carrying SD programming. But if it says 480i, there's a good chance you aren't watching widescreen content.

If you still have questions, let us know as much info as possible about your input (cable, DVD player, antenna, etc).



The HD programming are displaying 1080i and the quality of the picture is a 10..I checked out the same sets at Futureshop during lunch and they pretty much did the same thing except only the left side of the panel was distorted and the info there was 720i. I called Toshiba after I got back from Future shop and I was quickly told to call their service centre so a tech could come out and check it...no explanation was given, so i'm thinking maybe they are used to this and I am not the only one with this issue. thanks mdr25 for the quick response.

IC the new Regza 46RF350U is now available online. Has anyone seen this unit ion a store yet? http://www.electronics-depot.com/Toshiba_46RF350U.html Price $1999,

IC the new Regza 46RF350U is now available online. Has anyone seen this unit ion a store yet? http://www.electronics-depot.com/Toshiba_46RF350U.html Price $1999,


Awww... no 120Hz technology. For that price there are many competitors. The only drawing point I can see is the small bezel. Pfft.. no big deal.

I can't seem to find it here, but forgive me if it's already been posted.

My Regza accepts 1080p24 (and 1080p60) inputs, but it's a 60 Hz LCD.

Is there any point in having 1080p24 support if it can't display 72 Hz or 120 Hz?

Does feeding a 60 Hz LCD a p24 signal reduce the potential glitches compared to feeding it a 1080i signal?

Question for any one who got a direct replacement set from Toshiba. Did you have to have the old set ready to be shipped back the day your new set arrived? My replacement will be here tomorrow and I'm reading on the Toshiba green push thread, it's a instant swap out. I guess CS for got to tell me.

Anybody with this Tv and the HD-A2?

I just picked up the A2. I used to have a JVC dvd player set up to work with the TV's remote.
I'm trying to get the remote for the TV to control the A2 now and I'm having no luck.
I've tried all the codes listed in the manual and tried the code search function as well. No luck.

Any body using the TV remote to control the DVD remember what code you used?

Thanks

Hello All..this forum has been really helpful and I hope someone can help with another question I have. I bought this tv 42HL196 about 5 months ago but it has the firmware from early 2006. Should I be concerned? I tried updating but I couldn't. I only have wireless internet and so I tried using my laptop with the internet chord stretching from my laptop to the tv but to no avail. I don't understand why it is not possible to update the tv in this manner. Can someone please help? Is there another way to update without hardwiring to a router? And what is updated in the firmware? Appreciate any positive feedback!

I haven't heard anything about a firmware update. I don't think Toshiba has ever issued one.

And even if there was...

Your laptop's network jack will not automatically act like a router, so just plugging one end of an ethernet cable into the laptop one into the TV isn't going to work, through no fault of the TV. The easiest solution would be to temporarily plug your cable modem (or DSL modem, or whatever) directly into the TV. If you have a cable modem this will be really easy, since you probably have a cable drop in the vicinity of the TV anyway.

If you don't have long enough cables or are, ahem, borrowing wifi, you will have to set up your laptop to act as a router. If you are using Windows, enable ICS (internet connection sharing) as described here (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306126). Macs have a similar option, I'm sure.

Again, though, I don't think there's any firmware update to be found.

I read in an earlier post that someone mentioned his firmware showed a later version. Also, I am, ahem. "borrowing" wifi :) and I actually tried doing what your link references before but it gives me an error that says I can't do it for some reason. I'm at work now and do not remember. I think it had something to do with "...being used by another connection" or something or rather?? And I don't know how to get around this?? Thanks for your help - If you can help me with getting around this issue I would be grateful. I also was thinking about buying a "linksys game router" and plugging that into the tv but thats expensive, however, I may be able to return it after the firmware upgrade if there was one. I don't even know if that will work. Certainly there would be a firmware release after 4/2006..

I'd sure like to know if there were a firmware release. I don't think there is one.
If they could update it I'd love it if they added HD-pillarbox mode so I can watch my TV DVDs with upscaling.

Currently my only hope for this is if my set goes bad and gets replaced with the 197 model.
(Sure is strange to HOPE that your new TV dies).

I read in an earlier post that someone mentioned his firmware showed a later version. Also, I am, ahem. "borrowing" wifi :) and I actually tried doing what your link references before but it gives me an error that says I can't do it for some reason. I'm at work now and do not remember. I think it had something to do with "...being used by another connection" or something or rather??

You need to keep the wireless network adapter acting the way it currently is, and set up ICS on the ethernet adapter. I've never used this feature of windows, so I can't help you with that any further. Maybe try a Windows networking forum, or just google the error message? Good luck.

I remember seeing something for 42lz196..I think it was dated march!~

Don't let Toshiba bully you into a lesser model - Cinema 196 versus Cinema 177!
I have a 42LZ196 - had it 3 months and the screen started to go bad. Toshiba repair center said call repair shop - they came out, said panel was bad, told them to call me when it was in, they never called. Called Toshiba again - 2 months later - was referred to another shop - they took the set - did the Toshiba routine (repalce control panel before declaring it's the screen) - screen still bad and Toshiba has NO screens to replace the defective one!
Toshiba KNOWS the lx196 and lz196 models have a defective LCD panel and they're being jerks.
The service/repair shops are trying to order LCD panels - but Toshiba tells them the screens are not available - so the set cannot be fixed.
Instead of authorizing the repair centers to return sets to the customer until a screen is available - Toshiba insists the TV must remain at the shop - right now mine has been in the shop two months.
Toshiba will offer a replacement set - the 2007 model - LX177 - which is significantly less than the purchase price of the 2006 Cinema models.
It also lacks ALL of the Cinema features that made the set originally $1,500 more than the LX177!
Features like: 6 speakers instead of 2. Dolby Digital Virtual Surround/SRS Tru Surround 5.1 Digital decoder; IR cable and TV On Screen Guide; Cable card slot; 2 coax RF inputs for cable input AND house antenna input; HDMI 2 channel and Dolby Digital Input vs. HDMI 2 channel input; no composite video out; etc.
Toshiba says there is a AC3 Dolby Digital Audio - NO FOOLING! All audio digital uses the AC3 - and have been since the early part of the decade!
3 HDMI's on the 177 - but they might not all work if the source doesn't support the Toshiba technology (reference: LX177 User Guide)
Toshiba 'options' for warranty: either accept a lesser featured tv or let your tv remain in the repair shop - because we will not authorize it to be returned until a working screen is available! We will not refund money nor will we pay the difference on the exchange Cinema 196 series with a cheap piece of junk - the Cinema LX177! And, they won't even try to make up the price difference with a larger set! - Size for size. Toshiba MSRP for the 42LZ196 was $3,399.99, the MSRP for the 42LX177 is $2,099.99.!!!!!!!!
In the meantime the clock is ticking on the warranty -

wrong thread. moderator delete post please

Had my Toshiba regza 47LX196 for about 1 year now,,and it has developed a problem.. The screen keeps going off,,but the power led on front stays on,,,It started about a week ago and has gotten progressively worse. At first I thought there was something wrong with the source signal,,but the screen goes black even when you have the tv menu displayed. I have to power off than power on to get picture,,but it only lasts a minute or less,,than goes black.
Anyone else having this problem?

Sounds like a bad backlight.

been awhile since my last visit. i have a 42HL196 and a sony upconverting dvd player. my question is, if i were to get a toshiba hd-a2 or hd-a3 hd-dvd player, would i be able to player hd-dvd's?
would it be down converted to 1080i?

in other words, would i benefit by going to an hd-dvd player with this tv?

I believe that this set displays 1080i as a 1080p picture by scan doubling. It is doubtful you could tell the difference.

i know about the 1080i input limitation. i guess i can answer my own question. the hd-dvd set top boxes are 1080p sources when an hd-dvd disc is used in conjunction and will not work.

My 42lx196 has developed a vertical line of dead pixels. The tv's been flawless since purhase in Feb 07. The problem started after I hooked my pc up to the TV. My wife watched several days of a web cast. The tv/pc worked great, and looked good. But after, I noticed this line of dead pixels, and they just so happened to be right where the right side of the pc picture ended. I called service, and the service person contacted Toshiba, and was given the authorization to replaced the LCD panel. So after that call, he contacts the Toshiba distribution center. They told him, they were out of the panel, and that it was listed as NLA (no longer available) if not in stock. So, now what. The service guy put in the request for the panel, and suggested that I contact Toshiba directly. I did that, and now waiting to see if either they can find a panel, or replace the tv. The only problem with replacing is that I purchased this tv specifically because it had Cable Card access. Toshiba's new tv's don't. So I'm screwed because the company didn't have enough inventory of these panels. What to do? I'm waiting to see what Toshiba does. I would prefer to have them just buy the tv back from me and let me purchase something that does have Cable Card. Just not sure what manufacturer does include CC. Any suggestions what to do?
Thanks.

i know about the 1080i input limitation. i guess i can answer my own question. the hd-dvd set top boxes are 1080p sources when an hd-dvd disc is used in conjunction and will not work.

An HD DVD player should output 1080i. The TV will display it as 1080p. The TV will not accept a 1080p signal. But like I said, I defy anyone to tell the difference since they are both displayed as 1080p on the screen.

My first post.
I purchased a Toshiba 42" Cinema Series Pro 42LZ196 back in November of 2006. Good holiday deal including financing from local Ken Crane retailer. Set was exactly what I wanted as far as specifications and I am a long time Toshiba owner - 2 laptops, 2 TV's, several dvd players and recently a 2nd gen HDDVD player. I 've always liked the performance of their units so I felt very comfortable shelling out the money for my first LCD under the Toshiba brand name.
So by July of 2007 I developed a case of the ghost bars of death. Not that the TV died, just that I now wanted to kill the set. That's when I stumbled across the AVS forum posts regarding said toshiba issues. I was shocked to hear that Toshiba had such a rampant problem enough to warrant repeated posts. I got the contact info for a local authorized service center, they picked up the set and the fun began.
Toshiba has separate customer service (for me) and tech support (for authorized serivce center) which is a wonderful time consuming way string things along since according to them they can't contact each other on their end either. First they requested a laundry list of pictures and technical measurements. Then they were mulling over the info. Then they narrowed it down to either replacing the circuit board or the panel.....duh? Then they decided to replace the panel. But guess what, no panel available at this time. Then they were going through other options. Ultimately, Toshiba was ready to replace the set, but there were none available as this time. Then since they no longer make the LZ anymore, it was either as 42LX or 47LX (unfortunately the bigger wouldn't fit< damn!), but at least the LX added the Clearframe technology and added a 3rd HDMI ( I lose the Cable card and the on-screen tv guide). All this crap took about a dozen calls to Toshiba and another dozen to the tech service center and total of about 2 months to get a replacement in the same spot as the original set.
Now instead of 2 vertical lines screwing up my viewing pleasure, its just one...right down the center. So the adventure begins again and I am being substantially less accepting about the standard replies that Toshiba customer service churns out. I let the rep have it and said it was unacceptable to go through the same motions as I did previously. I am now supposed to wait for a few days as it has been forwarded to another department to be "expidited".
Ultimately, I paid for a top of the line High Def set to display all the things technology promised, and while I can accept some things not working as promised, it shoudln't be that readily visible, dead center while watching those high def images.
As an aside, the current problem I have certainly isn't as noticeable as the previous set and, at this point, can be more pronounced or less depending on the background, but typically if it looks like its gone, I switch through inputs to one without a signal source. A grey bar that says 'no video signal' pops up and I can clearly see one side lighter than the other. So if they send out a rep and it doesn't show clearly on the TV with signal, that usually has it no matter what. I'll post again to relay what comes next.
As I have stated, I've historically been a big Toshiba supporter with lots of purchases, but if it isn't a new set with a year long warranty or a refund, you can bet I'll hold it against them in the future.

Gee Cee,
I'm just starting this same experience with Toshiba. I have the 42lx196 which has developed a vertical line of dead pixels. I also got a "No Longer Available" on the panel when the service rep called to place an order for the panel. I called Toshiba and wanted to know what they were going to do since the panel was NLA. They called me back and said that it was available, and was on back order. So now I'm in a waiting game. And same as you, if they replace the set, I loose Cable Card, which was one of my criteria for a tv when I purchased this one. I'll let everyone know what happens. Funny thing, is that this set has a 2006 build date, and never had or developed the dreaded white bars. Up this point, I've been very happy with the set. Funny thing about lcd, is if you look on these and other sites, just about every company had some type of issues.

I'm planning to buy myself a Blu-ray 1080p player for Christmas to add to my Regza 42" LCD. I originally was going to go with one of the Toshiba HD players (especially since the price is a lot less then a comparable Blu-ray), but have read in various placed that the battle is over and Blu-Ray has won.

Anyway, I was wondering if someone can suggest a Blu-ray player that they feel works well with the Regza Toshiba line??

It's still premature to say that Blu-Ray has won. The only winner so far is the players that play both formats. Currently with either format you will miss some titles. The only reason Blu-Ray has sold more is due to the ill-conceived Playstation 3. Which isn't selling well. Watch to see how HD-DVD players sell this christmas.

Unless we see ratical price drops in Blu-ray players, I think we can safely assume that the bottom (and the future) is dropping out of the HD DVD player market!

Circuit City has the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD Player (2nd Generation), which can output high definition HD DVD movies in 720p/1080i via HDMI, for a low $197.99. Free Shipping. Tax in most areas. $249.99@Staples

5 FREE HD DVDs w/ HD-A2 or HD-A20 purchase. Exp 2/28/08

BestBuy has the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD High-Definition DVD Player IN STORE ONLY for $99.99. Order online for in-store pickup. Tax in most states.

Getting WAY off topic here. Sorry.

So are you saying Blu-Ray is winning or HDDVD?

Tormorrow morning at Walmart the HD-A2 is selling for $100 until stock runs out. I'm going to try to get one at 8AM. You get the 5 rebate HD titles too, although I looked at the list and it's nearly all crap titles.

I bought my set in April from amazon its the 42hl67 model. I didn't use it until August due to moving issues. I noticed right away that the Tv clicked very loud when turning it on and off, it did not click just once like a normal Tv but it would Click every 30 seconds or so for about 5 to 10 mins after turning it on and off. It also clicks when switching from SD to HD programing. it sometimes clicks while your watching Tv. I called toshiba and they had me send it to a tv tech shop, they told me that it was copper plates on the inside heating up and expanding,causing them to click against the casing, this didn't sound right but whatever, they said they put some spacers in, but yet the tv still clicks just like before. I dunno if this is normal, if anyone else's set seems unusually noisy please let me know, i don't know if i want to send it back again or not. Sounds like dealing with toshiba is more of a joke. the sound does not effect the picture what so ever, other then the sound i see none of the other problems posted in this thread. Should i worry about this?

I bought the tv 42 hl 196 in early jan 2007. I feel fortunate I havent gotten the bars yet that others have gotten.

My problem is a little different.

When I got the tv, everything was perfect except I coudlnt get Channel 13. Just put that off to bad reception of that channel and ignored it. A month ago I noticed that channel 2 stopped coming in. I kept trying it and just couldnt get it. Then i unplubbed the dv and plugged it back in again. Low and behold channel 2 is working. Then I started getting 13, but Channel 50 isnt working. So i did a channel search and channel 50 couldnt come in. Then I unplugged it and I got neither 13 or 50. I then changed it from antenna 1 to 2, and now I get 50 but i dont get 13 again (I liked 13). Anyway, I did a reset and now I get 50 but i dont get 29 and 13. When it goes on 13, I get a full green antenna pictuer for a second, and then it goes red. Any ideas how to fix this?

Im thinking of leaving it alone as I dont want to lose what I got.

George

I doubt it is the TV, though it could be.

I have this same trouble and it is also with every other HD tuner.
The problem is a poor antenna. either the antenna or the positioning. I ended up putting two antennas together (which is not supposed to work). I can get all the channels now. Check to see if your antenna has moved or is loose. Try moving it slightly higher or lower and see what channels work/don't work. It can be tricky to get them all working as I can attest.

I've had a 47LX196 for nearly 1 year (warranty expires in a couple weeks). In the last month an off-contrast dark vertical line has appeared near the right side of the screen. The line is about 3/4" wide, 6" from the right side of the screen, and runs from top to bottom. The colors under this line are much darker than surrounding colors, especially with greens or blues. It's not so obvious on a white or dark background. The line is obvious with any widescreen source, HD TV, DVD, etc.

So a tech service guy from the small shop it was purchased at came and looked at it today. His first comment was it's burn in! (and of course that he'd never seen a problem like this on a Toshiba LCD before). We tend to watch SD channels on the natural setting with black bars on the edges, and he claimed that you must use one of the 'theaterwide' settings which I don't like to use because of the edge distortion. He also claimed we would be much better off using the 720p input setting from our DCT6412 HD Cable box instead of the 1080i setting that we were using.

So are either of these valid points or does the tech not have a clue? I didn't think there was any risk of burn in on these sets? Besides, the vertical line is only on the right side of the screen, and it's not directly over the edge of the SD border but slightly inside. The set also has the typical vertical ghost bars that weren't distracting enough on their own to be concerned with, but combined with the dark vertical stripe I think is probably good reason for repair or more likely replacement. The tech wasn't very optimistic and told us that if Toshiba determines the stripe is from 'burn in' then we'll just have to live with it.

I've had a 47LX196 for nearly 1 year (warranty expires in a couple weeks). In the last month an off-contrast dark vertical line has appeared near the right side of the screen. The line is about 3/4" wide, 6" from the right side of the screen, and runs from top to bottom. The colors under this line are much darker than surrounding colors, especially with greens or blues. It's not so obvious on a white or dark background. The line is obvious with any widescreen source, HD TV, DVD, etc.

So a tech service guy from the small shop it was purchased at came and looked at it today. His first comment was it's burn in! (and of course that he'd never seen a problem like this on a Toshiba LCD before). We tend to watch SD channels on the natural setting with black bars on the edges, and he claimed that you must use one of the 'theaterwide' settings which I don't like to use because of the edge distortion. He also claimed we would be much better off using the 720p input setting from our DCT6412 HD Cable box instead of the 1080i setting that we were using.

So are either of these valid points or does the tech not have a clue? I didn't think there was any risk of burn in on these sets? Besides, the vertical line is only on the right side of the screen, and it's not directly over the edge of the SD border but slightly inside. The set also has the typical vertical ghost bars that weren't distracting enough on their own to be concerned with, but combined with the dark vertical stripe I think is probably good reason for repair or more likely replacement. The tech wasn't very optimistic and told us that if Toshiba determines the stripe is from 'burn in' then we'll just have to live with it.

When dealing with the ghostbar issue the first tech that looked at my 42lx196 immediately said I had burn-in. I laughed at him. I sent him on his way, called the company back and told them to send out a real tech. Your TV is not suffering from burn-in.

When dealing with the ghostbar issue the first tech that looked at my 42lx196 immediately said I had burn-in. I laughed at him. I sent him on his way, called the company back and told them to send out a real tech. Your TV is not suffering from burn-in.

Thanks for the reassurance. I suppose there may be a little more reason for the tech to suspect burn-in as the thin vertical line is not the same as the ghostbar issue and it is near the edge of the border from a 4:3 SD source, but I'm still pretty sure it's not burn-in.

MXMike, guys, please read this thread. One of the users has even posted a few pics of the problem for us to compare to. In my case, it's the exact same issue. http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0908.jpg
A dark vertical line on the right side of the set. Now another is starting in the center, and a lighter line is starting on the left side of the set. Check out this thread.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=808051

I'm now in the hell knows as "back order". Toshiba is saying that the lcd panel is on back order, but they cannot and will not give any eta on the panel. Others have experienced the same thing. There really doesn't appear to be any panels available. They are hoping that you just forget about it. Or, if you call and really complain, they will replace the set. You might be a new set, or you might get a refurb. In my case, I'd prefer to get mine fixed as I use and want cable card. Just about all sets now have dropped this feature.

MXMike, guys, please read this thread. One of the users has even posted a few pics of the problem for us to compare to. In my case, it's the exact same issue. http://members.cox.net/rgare2/Bars/Img_0908.jpg
A dark vertical line on the right side of the set. Now another is starting in the center, and a lighter line is starting on the left side of the set. Check out this thread.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=808051

Thanks a lot for the photo and the link. That is the exact issue I am having, however I just have the one dark line on the right side. Still haven't heard anything back from the repair shop. Meanwhile, we are suffering with the 27" loaner CRT they gave us.

MXMike, that's how mine started, with just the dark line on the right. I now have another very light thinner line down the middle, and can see the lighter bar on the left. It's a very slow progression, but they are there. Most others watching can only see the right most line. And then it really only shows up under lighter scenes. My tech cam out to my home to look at it, and called about right away while he was here to order the lcd panel after he was given the ok to replace it. He wouldn't take the tv until the panel came in. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it's going to happen. Toshiba is going to call me back as they now have moved my clain to their "alternate" solutions group. I can live with the way it is now, if it doesn't get any worse. What I'd like to do, is wait as long as I possibly can, while still having an option to replace the tv. I'm hoping that they will come out with a new set that again has cable card, and I can get a replacement with that tv. Looks like this is a very common problem and is showing up at about the same time. Mine started 8 months after purchase.

When dealing with the ghostbar issue the first tech that looked at my 42lx196 immediately said I had burn-in. I laughed at him. I sent him on his way, called the company back and told them to send out a real tech. Your TV is not suffering from burn-in.

heya hot sauce, i havnt read any of the previous posts and what not, and i just floated in here on a mushroom.

but LCDs do/can have "image persistance" problems. I have never seen it on a large lcd but i had this happen on a 20". I just put up a complely white screen for about 30 mins to an hour or so and it resolved the problem. It was the hot bar from an MMO, the edges kinda stuck around... like stuck pixels or plasma "burn in" might look.

just a suggestion dont shoot if you have already tried this.

Update: Heard back from the shop yesterday. They said Toshiba was aware of this issue and they will replace the TV with a new one! I'm happy.

Just got a call from Toshiba, and they also are offering to exchange my
42lx196 with a 42lx177. I'm not really happy as I loose cable card and on screen TV Guide. I have until my warranty expires, which is Feb 2008, to accept the offer. So I think what I'm going to do, is wait until then. At least then the warranty clock will start again in Feb 08. As long as this thing doesn't get any worse, I can live with what I have at least for another two months.

Well Toshiba called us today and after 3 weeks of the new panel being on back order they are sending us a new set. They are sending us a 42HL167 because they no longer make the 42HL196

I have the 42HL196 with ghost bars that's under warranty. How easy is it nowadays to get the TV replaced with the newer 42HL167 model? This is sort of what I've been waiting on. I've always had the ghost bars but was waiting until newer models were out in the hopes that they would just exchange the TV (with the new model since they don't have the old model anymore) instead of trying to repair it.

I have the 42HL196 with ghost bars that's under warranty. How easy is it nowadays to get the TV replaced with the newer 42HL167 model? This is sort of what I've been waiting on. I've always had the ghost bars but was waiting until newer models were out in the hopes that they would just exchange the TV (with the new model since they don't have the old model anymore) instead of trying to repair it.

Same here, I've actually had the ghost bars since I got the TV, it's one big one on the right side, which in actuality doesn't really bother me that much, but my 1 year is approaching pretty quickly, if I call about it, would I possibly lose the use of the HDTV for awhile, that is my biggest concern, that if they wanted to repair it, that they would take it out.

Can anyone tell me if the 37HLV66's DVD player is upconverting like the 32HLV66?

I purchased the Toshiba 47HL167 as a door buster at my local Fry's Electronics a few weeks ago for $1250

I was excited that it did 1080p and had HDMI inputs and a TOSlink digital output. However, when I connected my DVD player to the HDMI interface and my 7.1 receiver to the TOSlink output on the TV I only get PCM audio. I can't seem to get digital audio. I even tried configuring the TV to send digital only on the TOSlink interface, and I configured the DVD player for digital only. Nothing seems to help. I only ever get PCM audio in Stereo or Pro Logic at best.

Is this TV unable to pass the digital audio from HDMI to the TOSlink output? Are there firmware upgrades available that will resolve this problem? I have tried several different source devices via HDMI and I always get PCM audio.

I've gone over the manual several times and there aren't too many options in the way of the digital audio output on this TV.

Please advise

- Jason

Over the weekend I, at last, had a chance to view my 42HL167 connected to my new Toshiba A3-HD. Picture and sound were great. However, viewing the two movies that came with the HD-DVD, 300 and Bourne Identity, I was supprised that the picture did not fill the entire screen. Even at the wide theather setting I still had black bars at the top and bottom. The set confirmed I was viewing 1080i and, to be fair, I did not play around a lot. But I was supprised that I was not getting a full screen.

Any suggestions as to setting on either the Regza or the A3?

this might help ..

http://hometheater.about.com/od/televisionbasics/a/aahdtvfaqs6a.htm

check the source (dvd) format.

Yes, that does help (ease my mind). Is this pretty common when viewing HD (or Blu-ray) DVD's that were originally wide screen films? I was hoping that once I went 16:9 the bars would be history.......

Actually they don't bother me that much, but my wife hates them.

I agree with the artical referenced above: It is more important to see all of the film and not have anything cut off!

just a guess, but think maybe some films are filmed for much larger screens (viewing audiences .. movie theatre) and when transposed to DVD, remain in the original format.

Unfortunately, that doesn't help the home movie consumer; maybe they'll remake films to the proper scale for home videofiles (like us) ... don't forget the Orville's!!

What are we going to do when all the films and all the theathers are Imax? (I think I need a bigger family room!!).

Is this TV unable to pass the digital audio from HDMI to the TOSlink output? Are there firmware upgrades available that will resolve this problem? I have tried several different source devices via HDMI and I always get PCM audio.
- Jason


this tv will not pass 5.1 through the toslink output from an hdmi connection. i went through the same issue earlier in this thread.

it will output 5.1 from ota transmissions through the toslink. but will not act as a 5.1 hub for your hdmi connections.

i find this to be a waste of the toslink connection.

Same here, I've actually had the ghost bars since I got the TV, it's one big one on the right side, which in actuality doesn't really bother me that much, but my 1 year is approaching pretty quickly, if I call about it, would I possibly lose the use of the HDTV for awhile, that is my biggest concern, that if they wanted to repair it, that they would take it out.

Silvergun and Rebkell, call and get a service tech to come out. That's the first step. After that, you'll most likely get the same story that the rest of us has had. The tech will get autorization to replace the panel. But, when they check, the panel will be out of stock and on back order. At that point, the tech is done. You'll have to call Toshiba and complain if you don't hear from them in a resonable amount of time. In most cases, after about three weeks to a month, if you call and press, they will move your issue to a resolution group. They will be the ones to call you and offer a replacement. But, they can replace it with what they feel is the equivalent set. I don't know how much you'll have to say. I asked them about refunds. They said not as long as they feel they have something to replace it with. Good luck. I'm going to hold off until after the new year. My warranty is up in Feb. So since I opened this issue, and they have now offered to replace the set, I have until my warranty expires to get the replacement (as long as they still have one to replace it with).

this tv will not pass 5.1 through the toslink output from an hdmi connection. i went through the same issue earlier in this thread.

it will output 5.1 from ota transmissions through the toslink. but will not act as a 5.1 hub for your hdmi connections.

i find this to be a waste of the toslink connection.


Lame! This means I need to buy a new receiver with at least 3 HDMI inputs for all of my gear. Can anyone recommend a decent receiver for under $400?

Lame! This means I need to buy a new receiver with at least 3 HDMI inputs for all of my gear. Can anyone recommend a decent receiver for under $400?

Onyko 605 or 705, I think the 705 has 3 inputs and 1 out, not sure about the 605.

hey guys. i'vd had my 42hl167 for a few months now and ive been very happy with it. recently while watching and hd dvd copy of the planet earth series i noticed some static in the black areas. and i know the difference between grain and static. i'm talking about all out static. to make matters worse the static seemed to pulse. i have since then watched some of my previously viewed hd content such as movies and games and i have noticed nothing out of the ordinary just wondering if anyone has had such a problem and now of any causes or remedies. i also just noticed today that i have a stuck pixel and have found it difficult to find information on the internet about toshibas policy on such a problem. suggestions??!!!??!!??!!?? HELP

Lame! This means I need to buy a new receiver with at least 3 HDMI inputs for all of my gear. Can anyone recommend a decent receiver for under $400?

lol. good luck with that. u are going to have to double that just to get at decent entry level receiver, imo.

Lame! This means I need to buy a new receiver with at least 3 HDMI inputs for all of my gear. Can anyone recommend a decent receiver for under $400?

Amazon has the 605 on sale with free shipping for $369 : 2 HDMI

Lame! This means I need to buy a new receiver with at least 3 HDMI inputs for all of my gear. Can anyone recommend a decent receiver for under $400?

You can get a simple 3 => 1 HDMI switcher pretty cheap, i cant post links but there was one i saw recently on sale for under $30 that was reviewed pretty well and had its own remote.

I just purchased a new toshiba regza 42 in tv. I plugged it in and their are visible lines on the tv, and a thick green vertical line across the screen. Is this a problem with my set-up, or is the tv damaged? Thanks.

Hi all,

I recently bought a Regza 32C3500PG which is sold in the eastern european market afaik.

I wasn't happy with the skin tones (sunburned fellas everywhere) and the green push and I changed the settings in the service menu according to a description I found on the net somewhere but after I turned off/on the TV the screen got blank (black). The audio is okay and the TV responds to the remote controller. I know I lost the warranty and now I know I'd have to write the values down. Bad for me.

The question is is it possible to reset the set somehow? Or if I can't do it by myself is the service aware of any solution to bring the telly back to life?

Thanks in advance,
Zoli

I have a 47LX196 REGZA just over a year old that suddenly stopped showing one HDTV over-the-air digital broadcast. :eek:

It shows the signal strength as 97-100, and the signal as locked, but no audio and a blank screen. The standard TV simulcast of the same station comes in fine.

The transmitting station said they had received no other complaints. The same station transmits another HDTV channel and it comes in fine.

It seems strange that only one broadcast would not work.

Any ideas or suggestions? :o

Hi I bougth Toshiba Regza 42HL196 TV in September 2006. Few weeks ago I noticed thin dark vertical line in the center of TV. I read through this blog and many others reported this problem here and pictures I saw are exactly like my problem. But - my TV is out of warranty. Do you guys know what is wrong with this TV - is that a pannel or board or anything else? I am in Canada, and technicians here say they never saw this problem before!

Hi I bougth Toshiba Regza 42HL196 TV in September 2006. Few weeks ago I noticed thin dark vertical line in the center of TV. I read through this blog and many others reported this problem here and pictures I saw are exactly like my problem. But - my TV is out of warranty. Do you guys know what is wrong with this TV - is that a pannel or board or anything else? I am in Canada, and technicians here say they never saw this problem before!


Call Toshiba anyway, have your receipt and serial number ready. They told me it was the panel, it was on back order so they sent me a new set. I was into my 11 month when I made the call. Two months out when they sent me the new set.

I bought the 42LX196 about 13 months ago and have now just noticed the "ghost bar" issue on the right and left side of the screen where the 4:3 bars start. Most prevelantly on the upper right area (as noted in other threads/posts).

I've sold HDTV's part time for a bit over 3 years now, and made the decision to buy this set after lots of hands-on experience. Now I'm dissapointed.

I've sent an explanation of the problem via Toshiba's website yesterday. In it, I explained my sales position, and really laid it on thick for them, hoping it would carry some weight. I'll wait another six days for their response and if nothing, I'm going to call. I'll let you know what becomes of it.

Seems like it's prudent to pay for the extended warranty for these sets. I'm feeling better about having done so after reading all the ghost bar posts.
Haven't seen them yet, but I've got something like 4 more years on the ext. warranty just in case.

Is this HDTV worth the trouble at 1200$?

Is this HDTV worth the trouble at 1200$?

Not sure specifically which model you are looking at, but my guess is "yes", provided that you get it from some place with a hassle-free return policy, just in case.

I have had the 42lz196 for almost a year...I can tell you spent waaaay more than $1200 on it then and the only thing that bugs me a bit are those damn ghost bars....and its not all the time...depends on viewing angle, brightness, etc, etc....I mad the decision NOT to call Toshiba because I did get an extended warranty and felt I might better served by the company it is thru...anyhow....two things....my set DOES pass thru DD 5.1...I don't know it thats just the lz line or what...

the others are questions.
1. anyone have theirs hooked up to their wireless network? and if so, what "bridge" etc are you using to do it?
2. anyone have any problems with HDMI cables not fitting because of the size of the connector?

anyone have any problems with HDMI cables not fitting because of the size of the connector?

I use the el-cheapo monoprice HDMI cables and have never had any problems with them (I've got the 42HL196, not the LZ, so YMMV).

I use the el-cheapo monoprice HDMI cables and have never had any problems with them (I've got the 42HL196, not the LZ, so YMMV).

Yeah, I use those as well, but when I went to plug it in, the little rounded part at the bottom of the connector pushes it out just enough so that the connector cant sit in the TV at the right angle.

does the lx196, support a 1080p input or not? heard different things

does the lx196, support a 1080p input or not? heard different things

Mine doesn't.

I'm gonna try and cross-post to all the other toshiba lcd forums since it cuts across a couple of model years since my story starts in late '06 and will hoepfully be resolved with satisfaction in early '08.

I'll recap the story. Nov '06 bought Toshiba 42LZ196 developing dreaded ghost bars several months later. In to service center. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Panel backordered. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. No longer making LZ how 'bout LX. Tired of waiting, fine. Took almost 2 months total to get a set back on my console.

Nov '07 guess what? Replacement set has panel problems too (center vertical line and haywire tint on left quarter of the screen). Back to same service center (my sincerest apologies to the guys at Videotech). And so.....Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. Panel backordered (I had to tell them that). Call Toshiba. Call Toshiba. I will find out something new in 2008. It'll be a hell of a new year.

Things I know for sure....

1. Toshiba has separate customer service and technical service, which means I talk to someone different then my service center. And, believe me, those 2 at Toshiba do not talk to each other at all.

2. I'll be damned if I'm not getting another year's worth of warranty on the new replacement set. New set, new problems right?

3. Replacement LCD panels are only available on February 29th between the minutes of 11:59pm and midnight.

I'm guessing, out there somewhere, there is a Toshiba LCD tv that is actually working to the owners satisfaction. And there are those who are living with the quirks (lines, bars, etc), but I didn't pay $2500 for a high definition TV only to over look the annoyances I didn't have to put up with with my, now long gone, CRT based friend (RIP).

I'll let everyone know how this little hell of a saga ends at the beginning of the new year.

Happy New Year everyone.....except you customer service!

how do they get away with calling it a 1080p tv then?

Mine doesn't.

how do they get away with calling it a 1080p tv then?


Because it can accept a 1080p input then convert it to 720p.

how do they get away with calling it a 1080p tv then?

I figure its because it displays a 1080p image. It's already been identified as sneaky at best.

Horizontal Scrolling Bars on Regza 46LX177

I’ve had the Regza for about a month now, but am noticing scrolling bars moving from the bottom to the top of the screen. They’re a shade darker than the rest of the screen, and are most noticeable during darker scenes of playback but not perceptible during brighter scenes.

The screen is connected via hdmi to a PC, AV receiver (Onkyo 875), and HD Cable box (Comcast Motorola.) The symptom appears on all three, so I know it is the screen and not the connection. All of the connections are digital, so I don’t see how any interference could cause this.

Has anybody else experienced this? I’m within a 30 day return period, so I’m considering an exchange if this is a known problem.

Regards!

how do they get away with calling it a 1080p tv then?

Because this display does not display things interlaced no matter what mode you throw at it.
If you input a 1080i signal it is internally scan doubled to 1080p.
The display IS 1080p in that case.
Fanboys and purists get all in a wad over this, but there is no noticable difference. It is just a "my #$#$ is bigger than your @#$" argument really.

Horizontal Scrolling Bars on Regza 46LX177

I’ve had the Regza for about a month now, but am noticing scrolling bars moving from the bottom to the top of the screen. They’re a shade darker than the rest of the screen, and are most noticeable during darker scenes of playback but not perceptible during brighter scenes.

The screen is connected via hdmi to a PC, AV receiver (Onkyo 875), and HD Cable box (Comcast Motorola.) The symptom appears on all three, so I know it is the screen and not the connection. All of the connections are digital, so I don’t see how any interference could cause this.

Has anybody else experienced this? I’m within a 30 day return period, so I’m considering an exchange if this is a known problem.

Regards!


This sounds an awful lot like a ground loop. In other words one of your components has a ground level that is not the same as the TV. Try connecting only ONE comonent at a time (even if the others aren't used, don't connect them) and see if the problem goes away. If it does you should see the problem on the component that is causing the problem.

Also make sure you are powering your devices from the SAME outlet. Sometimes different outlets are on different halves of the transformer and that may cause problems.

Wondering if anyone can help me out with a small problem with my picture size on SD channels. I will try to describe the problem as quick and short as I can.

I have HD Cable via HDMI to the TV. When I switch channels after I first turn the TV on I will have the black bars on the side of the Picture. I will then use the remote and select the picture size to full. When I switch to an HD channel it is fine. When I turn the TV off, then back I will have the same issue.

Is there a way these setting will save into the TV?

When I first got the TV, I used component. I just switched to a Monoprice HDMI cable. When I used component I did not have this problem.

Anyone know what I am doing wrong, or does this happen to anyone else?

Thanks.


Matt

When I switch channels after I first turn the TV on I will have the black bars on the side of the Picture. I will then use the remote and select the picture size to full. When I switch to an HD channel it is fine. When I turn the TV off, then back I will have the same issue.

Is there a way these setting will save into the TV?




What do you have the "auto aspect ratio" option set to, in the setup?

BTW, why do you use "full" for stretching 4x3 images instead of "theaterwide 2 (TW2)" ??

Wondering if anyone can help me out with a small problem with my picture size on SD channels. I will try to describe the problem as quick and short as I can.

I have HD Cable via HDMI to the TV. When I switch channels after I first turn the TV on I will have the black bars on the side of the Picture. I will then use the remote and select the picture size to full. When I switch to an HD channel it is fine. When I turn the TV off, then back I will have the same issue.

Is there a way these setting will save into the TV?

When I first got the TV, I used component. I just switched to a Monoprice HDMI cable. When I used component I did not have this problem.

Anyone know what I am doing wrong, or does this happen to anyone else?

Thanks.


Matt

Who's your cable provider? I you by chance have AT&T's uverse, I believe this is a known issue when connecting the motorola STB's via HDMI.

What do you have the "auto aspect ratio" option set to, in the setup?

BTW, why do you use "full" for stretching 4x3 images instead of "theaterwide 2 (TW2)" ??

Thanks. It was set to on, under Theater settings. I now have it set to off and to full.

I sue full because in TW2 I lose some of the top and bottom of the picture. It easy to tell when stations have their channel ID in the bottom right. It seems like I lose about half of it.

Again I appreciate your input.

Thanks Hasty. I'll have to try that. They are all on the same power strip (APC brand for entertainment centers), but that strip is connected to the same outlet as several PC's and a lot of other electronics. Also, the wiring in my house is over 100 years old.

Will update once I have troubleshooted.

what does the "u" from the 42hl67u denote? Is it updated somehow?

what does the "u" from the 42hl67u denote? Is it updated somehow?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=835924&page=27

Post #810 seems to answer this.

Hey guys, I just bought a used 32HLV16 from someone for pretty cheap and the video and audio work fine from my computer using the HDMI port but for some reason, when I try to watch a DVD there is absolutely no video at all and watching TV gives a fuzzy terrible picture. I believe there is something wrong with the set. Anyone know how to fix it?

Hey guys, I just bought a used 32HLV16 from someone for pretty cheap and the video and audio work fine from my computer using the HDMI port but for some reason, when I try to watch a DVD there is absolutely no video at all and watching TV gives a fuzzy terrible picture. I believe there is something wrong with the set. Anyone know how to fix it?

Sounds like you are saying that your HDMI inputs appear to work fine, but your other inputs are giving you trouble.

You should try to make sure it isn't the source of the signal by trying input with sources that you know are working properly.

You should be able to narrow down which inputs are problematic. If in fact there is a problem with the set you should contact who you bought it from and see if they will take it back. This is doubtful. You really should have tested the set before giving up the money.

I have tested and it seems that all the hd over the air channels seems to work perfectly but all the analog channels don't work at all and I tried connecting the to the composite inputs and none work at all. Sound works but not the video. Going to try the Component inputs tomorrow to see if they work. What seems odd to me though is that VGA works, but VGA is analog which would appear to be the only analog input that works right now.


Also, the TV that I bought used didn't come with the stand and was wondering if there was a universal stand or something that I can attach to it as I don't want to wall mount the TV. Anyone know where I can get something like that and the cheapest possible?

Is there any way to display anything higher than 1024x768 through the VGA input on the 32HLV16 ?

Is there any way to display anything higher than 1024x768 through the VGA input on the 32HLV16 ?
Doubtful.
My 42HL196 limits me to the same via VGA.

Does anyone know how to copy or write a firmware to the Regza's? There is the main board which I believe has some damaged chips that does the analog processing and found another board online which has the same board number but the board actually has a few sets of numbers on it, it matches one set and doesn't match the others. With the image they took of the board, it appears that every component on the board is the same and in the same position as the mine and now my only worry would be the firmware. The board that I want to put in will be coming from a 37HL66 and mine is a 32HLV16. I believe they use the same boards but just different firmwares. Can anyone help?

Does anyone know how to copy or write a firmware to the Regza's? There is the main board which I believe has some damaged chips that does the analog processing and found another board online which has the same board number but the board actually has a few sets of numbers on it, it matches one set and doesn't match the others. With the image they took of the board, it appears that every component on the board is the same and in the same position as the mine and now my only worry would be the firmware. The board that I want to put in will be coming from a 37HL66 and mine is a 32HLV16. I believe they use the same boards but just different firmwares. Can anyone help?
I believe that's what the ENET jack on the set is for, but I wouldn't know ehre to go from there. I would imagine that you would have t put it in an accessible directory very much like you do any MP#s or images you want to use the THINC features with.

Which would be a better option for viewing a PC's video output on my 42" Regza LCD, DVI-HDMI cable plugged into the HDMI-3 input on the TV or just using the a VGA cable to go VGA computer out to VGA tv in?? I have a 10' VGA cable on order and also a computer with DVI output and a DVI to HDMI cable available........ I'd rather not hassle with trying both.

Well, I've had my 42HL196 for some time now and love the tv, but have two "issues" that I'm hoping someone can shed some light on:

1.) I have ant2 connected to a pvr unit in another room. If I don't access that input for a while, the tv looses the cable setting and reverts back to antenna. I'm constantly having to enter the menu and change how ant2 is configured.

2.) Any resolution to the 100 file maximum when listenting to mp3? Any way to access a video in the same manner as a music file?

thanks guys

Which would be a better option for viewing a PC's video output on my 42" Regza LCD...

Use the DVI-to-HDMI connection. The Regza's have a pointlessly crippled max resolution of 1024x768 over VGA. Not even widescreen!

Your PC's video card should recognize the TV over HDMI and give you the option to output 1080i, which looks great. Use the TV's "Native" pic size to eliminate the overscan.

Edit: The above is definitely true for my 42HL196. I'm pretty sure it is true for all 1080 Regzas.

Alright, so right now i've got a DLP Sammy which I absolutely love, but the wife is really wanting maybe a flat panel so we can mount it above the fireplace in our new home. So I've been looking around and found a great deal on the Toshiba 42LX196. Was wondering if anyone could provide some insight on comparisons between the HL-S5087W that I have and the aforementioned Toshiba. Thanks for your help.

This is a little off topic but when I use the TV guide option now and lets say I'm watching Seinfeld and want to see what else is on so I go to guide and when I scroll through it changes the channel as I scroll down!! It used to not tune to the channel before I hit the OK button but now it leaves my channel every time! I have looked all over my tv settings to get it back to normal but I have found nothing. One day out of the blue it started doing this. This is a a huge pet peeve..its such a small thing but would really appreciate some help on this.

THANKS

Go to:

Preferences => Channel Browser Setup

then make sure it is on "select mode" and not "browse mode"

maawdawg thanks man...I will try this when I get home. If it works you have made me a happy man!

maawdawg it didn't work :( ugggggggghhhh. this sucks! i switched it back and forth like 6 times and nothing...anyone know a solution? maybe if i reset to factory settings?

now that i reread your post I dont know if you are talking about the same thing. Is the TV guide something from your cable company or is it something internal in the TV? The browse/select options are for the favorites/input/history browser that is at the bottom of the screen. If it is a cablebox thing and you are using a cable remote then I have no idea, it must be in a menu on your box setup.

maawdawg its a tv guide program that came with the tv. Its just like a cable box menu but its "tv guides" version. Thanks for trying though...Does anyone else know??

There is an option in the TV Guide options called "locked/unlocked." Doing this from memory so it's only an approximation: Open the TV guide, go to the setup menu. Go to general options and look for something called that is set to unlocked. Change it to locked.

For oodloveoo ...

I'm sitting in front of the TV now (mine is model 42HL196). Here's what I think you need to do.
Open the Guide
Select Setup
Scroll down to Change Default Options
Select General Defaults
On the left change the setting called "video" to locked.

thanks widescreen...I will try that when I get home tonight and let you know if it works. I know it sounds like a small thing but it drives me crazy

oodloveoo, don't sweat it too much.... it will all stop working in just another 12 months. ;)

Hi, I have a Toshiba 37HL66. We bought an inexpensive LG surround sound unit. It is hooked up correctly using an HDMI cable and sound input/output I believe is correct also. Surround sound works when we have a DVD in the LG player. However, it will not work with the regular TV. I have been told to turn the speakers off on the TV. I can't find where to do this! I have gone thru all the settings. Any ideas?
Thank you!

Hi, I have a Toshiba 37HL66. We bought an inexpensive LG surround sound unit. It is hooked up correctly using an HDMI cable and sound input/output I believe is correct also...

Bummer, my reply from yesterday got lost in the void somewhere. Let's try again:

I can't tell from your post how the TV signal gets to the TV. Do you have a cable box? If so, is it connected to the receiver first and then to the TV? We need this info to help you.

If you have the TV signal connected directly into the TV, you need to connect the TV's digital audio output to the receiver. If you have the TV signal wired through the receiver first, there might be something else amiss.

The cable is plugged directly into the TV. There is no cable box. The HDMI is from TV to surround sound receiver. We connected the audio jacks from output/input as well. I just wondered if anyone knew how to turn the speakers off of the tv? I think if we can't get it soon we will return the surround sound for now. Thank you for your help!

The cable is plugged directly into the TV. There is no cable box. The HDMI is from TV to surround sound receiver. We connected the audio jacks from output/input as well. I just wondered if anyone knew how to turn the speakers off of the tv? I think if we can't get it soon we will return the surround sound for now. Thank you for your help!

I don't believe "turning off" the speakers is possible, nor would it help. When I had my 42HL196 routed through a receiver, I simply turned down the volume level on the TV to zero. It doesn't have an effect on the volume of the receiver.

From what you are describing, the HDMI cable is irrelevant in this discussion. It carries the DVD picture signal from the receiver to the TV. It does not carry any signal from the TV's built in tuner back to the receiver.

There are two audio outputs on the TV that can be used to output the TV audio to a separate receiver. The "Out Fixed Audio" jack uses regular old red/white analog audio cables and carries a stereo signal. The "digital audio output" carries surround audio, using a toslink digital audio cable. To get real surround sound, you want to use the digital jack. Only return your new receiver if it doesn't have digital audio in jack (maybe confusingly called "optical in").

What "audio jacks/from output input" are you referring to? What input on the receiver are they connected to?

Sorry if it sounds like I am asking you to repeat yourself. Imprecise language has derailed many an internet-based troubleshoot. :)

I don't believe "turning off" the speakers is possible, nor would it help. When I had my 42HL196 routed through a receiver, I simply turned down the volume level on the TV to zero. It doesn't have an effect on the volume of the receiver.

From what you are describing, the HDMI cable is irrelevant in this discussion. It carries the DVD picture signal from the receiver to the TV. It does not carry any signal from the TV's built in tuner back to the receiver.

There are two audio outputs on the TV that can be used to output the TV audio to a separate receiver. The "Out Fixed Audio" jack uses regular old red/white analog audio cables and carries a stereo signal. The "digital audio output" carries surround audio, using a toslink digital audio cable. To get real surround sound, you want to use the digital jack. Only return your new receiver if it doesn't have digital audio in jack (maybe confusingly called "optical in").

What "audio jacks/from output input" are you referring to? What input on the receiver are they connected to?

Sorry if it sounds like I am asking you to repeat yourself. Imprecise language has derailed many an internet-based troubleshoot. :)

OK the digital jack or optical ... I think I know what that is. The stores all kept telling us we did NOT need that since we had the HDMI. We were using the "regular old red/white analog cables. I will get the digital jack and try that. I'll let you know! Thank you!

OK the digital jack or optical ... I think I know what that is. The stores all kept telling us we did NOT need that since we had the HDMI. We were using the "regular old red/white analog cables. I will get the digital jack and try that. I'll let you know! Thank you!

In their defense, HDMI can carry an audio signal, but not for cable TV in your specific set up. It was obviously an honest mistake on their part, since AV stores NEVER pass up a chance to sell extra cables!

You'll probably need a cable like this (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022901&p_id=1575&seq=1&format=2), which is just as good as what you'll find at your local big box store for 30-50 bucks. (Monoprice is great, there is a reason everyone here loves them.) Again, just make sure your receiver has a digital audio input first.

Good luck!

BTW, that cable is awesome....got one from my set to my Onkyo receiver..great quality

Does anyone know if a TV stand from the 32LV76U will fit into a 32HLV16? Thanks guys.

Hi guys, I'm a newbie trying to help my in-laws with a picture-size problem on their REGZA, I think the model is a 42HL17 but not certain.

I've experimented with all the Picture Size options in the basic setup menus and the image from their HD cable box is still too large for the most generous setting. I've tried a lot but am stumped, and the problem is not insignificant, I'd estimate the image approximates an overscan of 10-15% . . .

examples -- we watched the Super Bowl and could not view the graphics bar at the top of the screen with all the relevant scoreboard info, and the same problem applies when watching Sky Sports news we cannot view any of the graphic text at the bottom of the screen.

I've been unable to solve this with the basic menu Picture Size options. DVDs play fine, so I'm inclined to think it's a signal problem between the cable box and the tv . . . any advice? Thanks in advance.

does HD cable box have internal settings for 16x9 (& let set scale)?

does HD cable box have internal settings for 16x9 (& let set scale)?

PERFECT, thank you . . . the cable box was set to ZOOM 1, probably by the cable installer to assuage the pillar-box issue . . . thanks so much.

The dreaded grey bars.

I have a 42HL. I know there have been plenty of people complaining about the grey bars forever. My set developed two bars a while back right where the 4:3 (SD) picture feed ended. I managed to slowly get rid of them by changing the theater settings around.

Just recently I started to get a vertical bar right in the middle of the screen. What this means is no matter what theater setting I change it to, the grey bar will not be affected.

I purchased my TV is Sept of 2006 so it's out of warranty. I paid over $2,000 for it so I do expect it to last longer than a year and a half. Anyway, I am writing this to inform everyone what Toshiba's service will be like. I have been a big supporter of the brand name in the past which is why I bought the set I did. I started my journey today by calling Toshiba service. They wanted me to pay for a tech to come out and look at the TV so they would know what’s wrong and what they may do ... if anything. My response, it has a grey bar in the middle of the screen, which is a well known issue. Why would I pay anything before I know what you'll do. Besides all the tech will do is tell you it has a grey bar in the middle of the screen.

I didn't give the guy on the other end of the line too hard a time as he is only able to do so much, and basically follows a script. He was as helpful as I think he could be and forwarded my complaint to Head Office to see what they would do.

Once I hear from HO Big Dogs, I will let the forum know (good / bad / or otherwise).

The only defense the little guy has anymore is via forums like these where we might influence the general masses future purchasing decisions.

Don't get me wrong ... I really do like the Toshiba product. They however, do seem to have an on-going issue with this ghosting. The big question is do they sweep it under the carpet and hope it goes away, or do they step up and deal with it.

I will keep you all apprized.

So Far I'm Impressed!

Received a call from the Head Office 2hrs after the initial call. WOW! I was expecting at least a 1 - 2 weeks.

They said they would send a tech out to have a look (at their expense) as a gesture of good will as it wasn't out of warranty for long.

I will continue to let you know how it goes.

Keep us informed. I've had this happen with a replacement 42lx196. It's still under warranty, but I'm giving up on it and will look for a new model replacement.

Updating from my last post 1666 on page 56...

After a few calls in and a few calls back that all started back in the end of Dec., I got a call that said I'd be able to return my 42LX196 to the store in exchange for the 42LX177. Nice! Just waiting on Toshiba to set it all up with the store.

Too bad they didn't tell me to just dispose of the 196 model. The bars have become hardly noticable after I started stretching everything.

I'm excited to get the new 120mHz in my house now....

After a few calls in and a few calls back that all started back in the end of Dec., I got a call that said I'd be able to return my 42LX196 to the store in exchange for the 42LX177. Nice!

Aren't you loosing features like TVGOS and CableCard?

Aren't you loosing features like TVGOS and CableCard?

I've got TWC, and have never used the on screen guide.

As far as the cable card slot goes, I figured someone would point that out... All I've heard from users in the Milwaukee area is horror stories about using the cable card and any Toshiba TV. My wife puts the HDDVR to good use, so I've no use for a cable card that would work only infrequently.

I'm more stoked about the 120 fps, 3rd HDMI input, swivel base, and the new sleek look of all black cabinetry, personally. Each to his own, I guess.

Any know issues out there with this model?

WaltA, that's the very reason that I chose to accept a refurb'd 42lx196 over the 42lx177. I love cable card over having those unsitely cable boxes with lousy remotes. And we use the OSTV guide quite a bit. What I did do,was make sure that Toshiba gave me a full one year warranty on the refurb. So, after just a few weeks, the refurb is doing the same thing with the lines. These lines as most have commented, are really the effects of poor back lighting. You can see two bands, and the lines appear at the ends of the bands. But now, it looks like I'm going to be forced to move to a tv without CC. And with the green push issue that eveyone noted about last years models, I'm thinking I'll wait until later in the year, so that hopefully Toshiba will offer me one of the new 2008 models as a replacement.

Has anyone else experienced issues with replacement sets?

I want to ask Toshiba for a replacement, but I am affraid it will just delay the inevitable.
:(

Well guess what?

The local electronics place told me that to fix the problem, they would have to replace the entire LCD panel.

The cost...

$1200 panel
$0300 labor
$0100 diagnosis fee
$0112 tax

$1712 total for repair

Lividly enraged is not a severe enough description.

So my options are to live with the flawed picture, pay to have this unit repaired, or for less, buy another TV of comparable features.

I think you can all guess what brand I am NOT buying. Glad some of you are not going through this.

Sadly, I don't think I will be buying another set of comparable features anytime soon since my TV budget was blown on this model and I planned to keep it for at least 5 years.
:( <--this is me right now

Zoo, I would still contact Toshiba. If you press, you might get a good will repair. Not only that, but from my experience. The same thing. I was told first that they would need to replace the lcd panel. But, the panel was not available. Out of stock, and also likely out of production. It was after waiting about 6 weeks, that Toshiba offered the replacement. Since this replacement is also under warranty, I'll guess that I'll be given the same option this time around, since there are still no panels to fix these sets with.

In order to make sure they took care of me, I used kid gloves when I threatened not to sell anymore of their product.

I work 3 hrs. a week selling Toshiba, JVC, Hitachi, LG, and Samsung HDTV's. I believe it helped. I may just ask them for a 42XZ540 as a replacement instead....

So Far I'm Impressed!

Received a call from the Head Office 2hrs after the initial call. WOW! I was expecting at least a 1 - 2 weeks.

They said they would send a tech out to have a look (at their expense) as a gesture of good will as it wasn't out of warranty for long.

I will continue to let you know how it goes.



All right! I am incredibly impressed with Toshiba. I didn't want to post my progress because things were going "To good to be true", and I was expecting a large let down at some point. Well as it turns out, that saying isn't always correct.:D

Three days from my initial call Toshiba determines it’s a panel issue and they will replace the TV with a brand new 2008 model. They say they've put the order into the warehouse and I should have it within a week. I'm thinking ya right, I'll be lucky to see it in 3 months.

In 7 days I get a call that the TV is in and they will bring it by the next day! Sure enough they show up the next day and I couldn't be happier with my new panel. From start to finish … 10 days!

I've got it looked up to my Blue Ray and the FULL 1080p picture is so clear you could count every wrinkle on Tommy Lee Jones face.

Everyone from Toshiba was extremely professional throughout the entire process and I can't say enough good things about the company. Thanks to Toshiba for my incredible service experience. I need 2nd TV for the basement, and I guarantee it will be a Toshiba.

You've made a life customer out of me! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Hi everyone,

Could someone please help me out =/ I am wondering if anyone is experiencing any grain problems with a Regza 47HL167? I watch blu-ray movies on it with my PS3. I am very pleased with the quality of some movies, i.e pirates trilogy, while others I am not. I just watched Babel, Lord of War, and Resident Evil 3 with highly noticable grain in the picture. I have turned the sharpness to 0, tested all settings in the noise reduction menu and that was no help. Is it my just my tv? Can someone advise me on how to get rid of the grain?

Hi everyone,

Could someone please help me out =/ I am wondering if anyone is experiencing any grain problems with a Regza 47HL167? I watch blu-ray movies on it with my PS3. I am very pleased with the quality of some movies, i.e pirates trilogy, while others I am not. I just watched Babel, Lord of War, and Resident Evil 3 with highly noticable grain in the picture. I have turned the sharpness to 0, tested all settings in the noise reduction menu and that was no help. Is it my just my tv? Can someone advise me on how to get rid of the grain?

You've run into the main problem with HD movies. You get bad grain. Basically the grain in the film isn't visible with SD, but when they go HD you see it all. I'm sure they could fix it in mastering, but they just want to get as much $$$ for the movies and don't care much on quality.

Many newer movies were shot in digital, or had major digital post production. They don't have the grain problem so much.

Animated movies seem to be the best in HD since they are 100% digital anyway.

The point is, it isn't the TV.

Here's a link to a few pics I took of the problem that I'm having with my 42lx196. This is the second TV with the same problem. I called Toshiba, they said I had to have a tech come out and confirm the problem. He did, now I'm waiting to see what Toshiba's response will be. Anyway, I took these pics today during the Masters coverage. The light color of the fairways and greens really showed the problem.
http://picasaweb.google.com/glennstrouse1/ToshibaLCDProblem

Here's a link to a few pics I took of the problem that I'm having with my 42lx196. This is the second TV with the same problem. I called Toshiba, they said I had to have a tech come out and confirm the problem. He did, now I'm waiting to see what Toshiba's response will be. Anyway, I took these pics today during the Masters coverage. The light color of the fairways and greens really showed the problem.
http://picasaweb.google.com/glennstrouse1/ToshibaLCDProblem

Same problem I have.

Hope you get a better response than I did.

Zoo, as noted in my earlier posts. This is the second set that has this exact same issue. And from looking through avsforum.com, I can see that this is a common problem. I was lucky in that this happened under my original warranty, and then got Toshiba to agree to give me another 1 year warranty on the refurb replacement set. They just called me yesterday to tell me that they will try to get a replacement lcd panel. If not, then I'm assuming that they will again offer me a new replacement. I really can't complain about Toshiba's customer service. They have been very good to deal with. I'm still hoping this gets resolved soon.

I think, if I were you, I'd call Toshiba and complain "nicely" and point to these online threads regarding the issue. You have on line proof that this is a known defect in the set and Toshiba, might do the right thing to keep good customer relations. Give it a try, and I hope you have good luck with it. I'll post here when I know more on my situation.
Toshiba customer service 1-800-631-3811 then press option 1 then 2 then 3

Update: Toshiba called today. Said that they are now getting these lcd panels from a new manufacturer and should have some in about 2 weeks. They admitted that the previous manufacturer stopped producing the parts and it took them time to get ramped up with a new supplier. So, hope all goes well. I'm hoping the problem we're all having, is due to bad quality manufacturing, and not a bad design. If it's design related, it will most likely show up again.

Update: Toshiba called and still no new panels. They are now offering me either a brand new 42XV540 or another refurb 42lx196. What to do, what to do. I really don't want to give up cable card or On Screen TV Guide. Plus, without cable card, I'm forced to rent a box for another $10.00 a month more than the rental cost of the card. :(

The 42XV540 sure looks like a better TV. I'd take that offer in a minute. But I do use an off-air antenna for my programming with a Tivo HD for a tuner. So cable card is not an issue for me.

I guess you have to weigh the value of a new TV vs. the cost of the cable box and possiblity of another bad panel down the road. $10/month does add up. You might look into a Tivo HD since it has cable card slots (2 of them actually) and an onscreen guide. You can get 3 years service for $300. which is less than the cable box rental. You do have to buy the Tivo unit. But it is another option.

I'm still hoping my panel will go bad since I've got a replacement warranty from Fry's.
Going on 13 months with no problems yet.

Hastypete, what model do you have? Was it purchased new? Can you tell me what the production date is that's printed on the back of the TV?

Yes, the cost of ownership goes up if you have to rent a box, and then you have the box and where do you put it. Cable Cards are just so sweet. If guess if you're into VOD that's another story, but I'm not. I still haven't decided. This thing is under warranty until Jan 09' so maybe by then, they will have new sets with cable cards again.

I've got the 42HL196. I got a floor demo with ??? hours on it. The price was very good.
I did purchase the 5 year extended warranty due to the unknown hours.
I believe if my memory serves it was manufactured in Oct 2006, purchased around Feb 2007.
I've since seen a 52" LCD tv at Costco that was not much more. Oh the remorse.
But I have been happy so far.
My regret is that the next year model, although lacking cable card slots, is SO much better in terms of picture quality and features. The #$% HL series does not do pillar boxing so I can't use my DVD player's upscaling for 4:3 content.
I wouldn't count on the new sets having card slots. It isn't a requirement and it hasn't looked like Toshiba is doing it anymore. Anyone?

Well, just got off the phone with Toshiba and here's what I've decided to do. I know many here are thinking I'm crazy, but we'll have to wait and see. Toshiba offered me a new 42xv540, or a refurbed 42lx196(set i have) or a refurbed 42lz196. Both of the refurbs still have the cable card slots that I so much want to maintain. So, I've decided to try the refurb 42lz196. I'm hoping, that the lz since it was a model released later in the year than the lx, will not have the same problems that I have had in both lx models. It will still be under warranty until Jan 09' so if it sucks just like these last two lx's did, then I still have some recourse. Here's where I'm coming from on this decision. If I go to a new set and need to rent a cable box, the difference is $10.00 a month in rental fees. Over the years, it adds up. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, just got off the phone with Toshiba and here's what I've decided to do. I know many here are thinking I'm crazy...

I don't think you're crazy. CableCard was an important feature for you, so you're sticking with it. Makes sense to me.

I hope everything works out for you. I'm kicking myself for not making more of a stink about things back when my TV was still under warranty. :o (On the flip side, I hardly ever notice the ghost bars any more. That 120Hz refresh rate sure would nice, though.)

By the looks of the long thread, maybe this question has already been asked. Toshiba is probably the only brand I know of that does not reveal the contrast ratio on their tvs. I e-mailed Toshiba's customer service and asked why they don't list contrast ratios. A representative replied within 2 days and simply said that contrast ratio does NOT necessarily mean you get the best picture. He said it only tells a small percentage of the picture quality that you will be getting from a tv. Does anyone own theToshiba 46XF550 or the older 46RF350U?

Audio5oh, I understand and agree. But the more serious problem with contrast ratio spec's is that their are too many ways to measure the contrast ratio. So when you see published spec's of super high numbers they are likely puffed-up.

I have Toshiba's new 40FX550U next to Sharp's 94SE, Mits LN-40234 and Sony's XBR4. The Toshiba looks the best.

-Robert

I admit it...I am hi def TV clueless. But I can tell something's wrong and I'm hoping one of you can point me in the right direction. I imagine I have something set up wrong...but am just about ready to call for service.

My TV is 4 mos. old. It has developed a kind of horizontal line "flicker" occasionally and when the flicker happens a couple of times the TV loses color. I want to say specifically RED color because I definitely have green, white, blue, grey in the picture. Eventually it will flicker itself back to having color.

Is this a setting issue or a technical/warranty issue?

Thanks, I appreciate your guidance!
Robin (a newbie obviously)

One more thing I would like to know. Is anyone here using a PS3 with the LX line? And if so how does your games look? Reason I ask from all the info I have read for movie and tv shows you will see no diffrence between 1080i and 1080P. So going with the 47LZ196 would not really make any sence. "But" :) I do plan on getting a PS3 someday and would love to know if games from a PS3 would really look "alot" better on the 47LZ196 then the 47LX196? If its just a tad better then I might as well stick with the 47LX196. But if game on PS3 will be "alot" better buy having 1080P inputs then I may have to go with the 47LZ196.

So can anyone chime in on this? :)

And thanks for all your help you guys rock!!!

Hi there I just joined the forum and have been reading all the interesting posts.

I have a 42lx196 using a PS3 to watch blu ray movies and play games. I thought I would respond to anyone thinking of using a similar setup.

I have my PS3 connected to my Regza with an HDMI cable with the PS3 set to send 1080i. The tv de-interlaces and displays 1080p. The tv doesn't accept 1080p from the PS3 but it doesn't matter because it displays it at 1080p. I have ten PS3 games and only two are actually 1080p. Most PS3 games are only 720p. All of my game titles look good and are fun to play. I can't speak for the gameplaying qualities of all titles but they sure look good. So good in fact that my PS3 gameplay using non-HD non-LCD's really suffers. My eyes got used to such great picture quality on my Regza (and any other HD tv for that matter) that I almost can't see important details on non-LCD's. I guess it's like trying to go from high-speed internet back to dial-up...

Thankfully on the backs of PS3 game boxes lists important info and you can browse the games and see which current titles are 1080 or 720. The flagship games that come packaged with PS3's all seem to be 720p and they all look great. Of course that doesn't mean all the games are equally good or fun to play. Gameplaying fun is important to me.

Al

Welcome aphillips14, since you're new here, and you have the 42lx196, what has been your experience with that set? I have had two, both with the banding lines issue (http://picasaweb.google.com/glennstrouse1/ToshibaLCDProblem/photo#5188865921316875202). I'm actually waiting while I write this for another refurbed replacement from Toshiba. This time they are willing to give me a 42lz196 to try. If this doesn't work out, then I'll have no choice but to get a new 42xv540 as a replacement. I'm just wondering how long you've had your lx and if you've had any problems. For the exception of these damn banding lines that show up under certain background and/or camera sweeping conditions, the picture is great. Anyway, welcome to the forum.

Welcome aphillips14, since you're new here, and you have the 42lx196, what has been your experience with that set? I have had two, both with the banding lines issue.

I'm just wondering how long you've had your lx and if you've had any problems. For the exception of these damn banding lines that show up under certain background and/or camera sweeping conditions, the picture is great. Anyway, welcome to the forum.

I got the Regza a couple of months ago but unsure how long it was there. I can see bands only under certain settings I read on here somewhere. However during normal viewing I have never noticed and I never have the tv set at settings like what are described when seeing bands. Everything looks great and I don't consider the bands a problem. If I didn't read about it here I probably would never have seen them. I have enjoyed the tv very much. Thanks for the welcome

Al