I recently bought this unit from my local CC store. I noticed that the display units had a definite case of the "sparklies." These were not the kind caused by the screen materials, but were similar to screen noise. They were not visible on other brands of DLP TV (such as Sony), but the Toshiba image had such "pop" and sharpness that I bought it. When I got my unit home, I noticed the same sparklies, but they disappeared when I turned off all noise reduction.

I was pleased with the picture, but I noticed a faint, gray donut near the center of the screen. Toshiba support told me that the set needed repair (their warranty offers in-home repair). However, I decided to haul the set back to CC and exchange it.

The new set is nothing short of spectacular. There are no sparklies, even with noise reduction enabled, and it is bang on in terms of color balance and saturation (in film mode). The contrast and image sharpness are outstanding and compare well to my 1080p projector--pretty amazing for a sub-$1000 50 inch TV.

However, it may be that the QC on this set has some variability. Until I exchanged my unit, I didn't know just how good it could be. I though the sparklies were normal for this set, but it seems that is not necessarily the case.

Brian

I bought mine on Saturday from CC, and I have been very pleased with the unit so far. I have a 57" Hitachi CRT that I still really like, but I needed something that could handle a room with sunshine and other bright lights. I can't see any glare on the screen, and the picture quality is excellent.

I am disappointed that the remote control can't handle more than the basic functions of my Comcast remote (no DVR functions at all), but I have a pretty good multi-device remote that I can use.

This is my first DLP, though my parents and my brother both own older Samsung DLPs. So far, the Toshiba 50HM67 seems at least as good as theirs, if not better.

Congrats on your 50, Snowcat. I bought mine for the living room (I use FP in the HT room). I have to admit that I find myself enjoying some material more on the 50 than on my 1080p projector. My BD copy of Planet Earth arrived through the mail today--I can't wait to see what it looks like on the 50.

Brian

I would like to hear some others experiences with/impressions of this set. Anyone have it hooked up to a HD player?

I just ordered this online for my in-laws. It will be delivered this Sat. to their new vacation condo at the beach. The price is really undeliverable. Almost bought a Panny 42 plasma but opted for the larger screen and less glare.

Also had him jump on the CC $200 off any HD DVD player promo (sweet deal). Hope this will be a great set for those "rainy" days at the beach.

I still haven't fooled around with the settings much, but here are some things I have noticed.

I keep it in "bright lamp" mode. It is recommended for rooms with a lot of light anyway. There is a "low lamp" mode that I haven't tried.

To watch widescreen content on my DVD's, I have to switch the Picture Mode to "Full". It seems a little weird to do this, but it works and that is what the manual recommends.

I watch most everything else in "natural" picture mode. There is a cool "4:3 HD" mode that I can use on TNT HD to "un-stretch" their normal content.

There are a few choices for the contrast/brightnesses presets, and I like the "Movie" mode the best. I will probably calibrate it more using Avia sometime later.

So far, I have been using component inputs, but I have some HDMI cables coming in the mail today or tomorrow. I doubt they will make much difference, but I am curious to see the effect. I will feel guilty if I don't take advantage of the 3 HDMI inputs on this TV. ;)

I bought mine on Saturday from CC, and I have been very pleased with the unit so far. I have a 57" Hitachi CRT that I still really like, but I needed something that could handle a room with sunshine and other bright lights. I can't see any glare on the screen, and the picture quality is excellent.


I look forward to any further thoughts you may have on this model.

I currently have a 57H83 (CRT) that I've been very happy with for a few years now. We recently moved, and although the 57H83 was great in my basement, it's a pain in the living room due to the glare.

So, you're initial comments are very encouraging.

I've got a projector in my HT room, so this TV will be for general use in the living room where I have alot of sunlight. I dont really NEED 1080p, since if/when I do upgrade I'd want my 1080p content in the HT room anyway...

So, how does this TV do as a general purpose set? SD, 720p, 1080i ? Since I've never had a DLP TV, any rainbow effect? Is bulb-life a concern?


Thanks in advance...

I look forward to any further thoughts you may have on this model.



So, how does this TV do as a general purpose set? SD, 720p, 1080i ? Since I've never had a DLP TV, any rainbow effect? Is bulb-life a concern?


Thanks in advance...

Sorry to take so long. I just started to look at this thread again.

As a general purpose set, it has worked great this past few weeks. I just switched from cable to Dish, and I am still getting a great picture. I run it in 720p mode via HDMI. I have a cheap progressive scan DVD/VCR combo attached to it via component cables, and DVDs look very good.

I haven't seen any rainbows, though I am not actively looking for them either. I really have no idea how long the bulb life will be, though I assume it will be the standard 2000-8000 hours. I have the CC warrenty just in case.

I still haven't felt a need to fiddle with the settings.

I know this is an old thread, but I found it on Google.

I purchased this TV Toshiba 50HM67 back in late Nov. '07 from Tigerdirect (it was about $800 delivered). I just hooked it up and notice this blur as if a semi transparent film is all over the screen and I am very disappointed. Not only is there this blur, but it kind of looks like very small bright pins of light.

I have standard definition digital cable, regular dvd player, and a PS3.
Connections:
Cable box to TV: S-video
DVD player: component
PS3: HDMI

The PS3 looks best, but not by as much as I have seen on other TV's. The regular dvd player doesn't upconvert to my knowledge. The PS3 with regular DVD's looks slightly better than the DVD player. The PS3 with Blu-ray looks really good, but the blur and light issue ruin it for me.

When playing some PS3 games I noticed the TV took a second to clear up the blur/lighting. Sometimes you wouldn't notice them at all, and other times you would turn your character, and see them all over the sky or solid colors, then they would quickly disappear. Like a slow render or something, but it only does it on this tv and not my crt tv. The blur/lights are present all of the time.

Is what I am describing similar to the "sparklies"?

I'll contact customer service and see what they say.