Toshiba 46HM84 46-Inch TheaterWide HD-Ready Rear-Projection DLP TV
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 at
12:11 pm
Toshiba 46HM84 46-Inch TheaterWide HD-Ready Rear-Projection DLP TV
 |  List Price: $2,999.99 Sale Price: Too low to display. Availability: unspecified  |
Product Description
2/8/200615-19-32...
Details
- 46-inch 16:9 HD-ready rear-projection DLP TV with native 720p resolution; 53.1 x 31.8 x 15.3 inches (W x H x D)
- 3D Y/C (4 MB, 10-bit) digital comb filter with Vertical Contour Correction helps eliminate dot crawl and color bleed
- Cinema Mode 3:2 pulldown corrects frame rate for distortion-free movie viewing; CableClear DNR+ digital noise reduction for cleaner pictures from analog sources
- 6 A/V jacks, including dual ColorStream HD high-resolution component video inputs and HDMI input
- 20-watt-per-channel stereo speakers with support for MTS, SAP with dbk, SRS WOW, and StableSound volume leveler
Toshiba 46HM84 46-Inch TheaterWide HD-Ready Rear-Projection DLP TV 3.0 out of 5 based on 72 ratings. 14941 user reviews
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Rating
We are very happy with our television. It was wonderful to have it delivered to us in only 3 days. The tv plus the delivery charge was less expensive than if we had bought it locally.
We will definitely buy from Amazon.com again.
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I got this TV at a deep discount on a factory return, there were problems with the bulbs going out on these sets, but now Toshiba gives 2 year warranties on newly redesigned bulbs. Toshiba seems like a company commited to standing behind its products. Unless you really want to hang your TV on the wall, DLP is the way to go and gives you the best quality for your money.
Rating
I have a 56HMX94 DLP Toshiba, circa 2004.
It’s used an average of 30-40 hours a week since new. Still original lamp, used on low power and it’s never rapidly switched on/off and a/c power is pulled when bad weather is around.
I have had some intermittent issues with having to reboot the tv when it once in a while shows half a picture or a pixellated picture.
Picture quality is excellent on 720 and 1080, wish it had newer tvs ability to upconvert.
Overall I’ve been very happy with it.
Rating
I am just an average guy looking for the best picture on the biggest screen for the cheapest price. Aren’t we all? This TV is a perfect fit. I have had the 62HM84 for about 7 months now. Absolutely flawless! No problems or issues – NONE! Picture quality is absolutely astounding in HD! Very, very impressed. I did a *lot* of research and finally narrowed it to DLP (cost, quality, no burnin issues, picture quality does not degrade – ever, weight, size – did I say quality?
I then narrowed the search to Toshiba and Mitsubishi, primarily because of reputation and the beautiful HD2+ chip (not the sub-par HD3 chip which has individual mirrors pulling double pixel duty – half as many flipping twice as fast – which adds a subtle smearing effect to the picture). The Mistu seemed to have more problems and it has an awful glare issue, even on the newer ‘re-engineered’ version. So Toshiba it was and I never looked back! (one of my friends came over for a demo and was sufficiently impressed that he immediately purchased his own!)
Now, you must understand that conventional low-res pictures blown up to 62″ will appear less than perfect. That is just the way it is. Eventually these signals will disappear from being broadcast and you will still be left with a perfect picture (because DLPs do not degrade over time). So common analog low-res looks poor to OK sometimes (expected, and will be no different on any 62″ TV), digital low-res channels look very good and digital HD is UNBELIEVABLE! I mean EYE-POPPINGLY GOOD!
I rent an HD DVR from the cable company and to be able to “Tivo” in HD is just fantastic. DVD’s on my progressive scan Toshiba player look very, very good also. I use the HDMI interface for the DVD’s but the component video is comparable as well. Plenty of inputs (including HDMI) on the TV make it easy. In a few years the Blue Ray DVD’s will allow HD off DVDs and this TV is extremely capable NOW!
I also purchased the matching stand which gave the whole thing a sleek, integrated appearance. Keep in mind that the light weight (99 lbs.) allows you to easily get it into tight basement entries as well.
One last thing – the sound system on this TV rivals and surpasses some of the separate surround systems. This is the best built-in sound from any TV I have ever heard. With loads of adjustments and tweaks including simulated surround sound.
Did I say I *love* this TV?
Rating
THE TV WAS SHIPPED VERY FAST AND OFFERES OUTSTANDING PICTURE QUALITY. TV DOES NOT HAVE THE HDTV TUNER. SO I ENDED UP BUYING A HDTV TUNER (SAMSUNG) FROM EBAY TO GET THE FREE AIR HDTV. I USED COMPONENT CABLES THAT CAME WITH THE TUNER. PICTURE IS JUST MAGNIFICIENT.
(…)
Rating
Our family has enjoyed the 62HM95 model for a little over a year now & have had no problems @ all. I have a friend who has had their 46″ model for just under a year and has already had to replace the bulb twice @ no charge. He was however told that the warranty starts all over again because of the bulb replacement. Not sure if he got that in writing as the bulbs are around $149 a pop.
Love the clarity & crispness of the colors on High Def. Love this HDTV but must have cinema audio from receiver even when watching Sat TV. Big Sound & Bigger Picture.
Rating
Consumer Reports recently ranked Toshiba projection TV pretty highly, up there with Sony and Hitachi. I’ve seen a similar model in my local store and was impressed by the image quality. I think a lot of technies over-rate DLP; if you watch standard TV and DVDs I doubt you’ll notice any difference between DLP and LCD-based RPTVs. LCD RPTVs from Sony and Hitachi are also getting better each day. Is DLP worth the extra bucks? It’s hard to say, although I cannot deny that like plasma, DLP just sounds so “cutting-edge” these days.
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after alot of home work and comparson shopping this tv is the best dlp on the market hd tv never looked so good.i have it hooked up to dish network with an 811hd reciver with a toshiba 9750 up scaling dvd together they produce an almost perfict picture at this price you can’t go wrong
Rating
I received my Toshiba 2 weeks ago and can’t be happier. Hook it up to an Xbox and have friends over for an unbeatable Halo tournament. Very cool
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Outstanding quality and picture. Great TV for me. My lamp bulb is still good especially after I watch average of 4+ hours/day, and I have heard of lamp bulbs burning out before they reached their life 2000 hours vs (6000-8000 hours). However, I also heard if you don’t have your TV plugged into a surge protector/battery backup unit, for some reason, the life of your bulb will decrease significantly in life. For the power surges it’s understandable, but why a battery backup I have no clue, maybe there’s a reason the fan remains on for a 10-20 seconds after you turn off the TV, to ensure the lamp does not overheat (guess the high heat may attribute to reduced life cycle). Anyway, I did buy a battery backup/surge protector in the very beginning and happy to say my TV has lasted over 3 years without lamp replacement. And yes I had the lamp mode to low-power so that can help as well. By the way I think my next purchase is definently going to be a 40-50″ LCD HDTV. That way I don’t have to worry about lamp replacement. Cheers!
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Let me state this upfront. I am a gadget freak. I’m always the guy who seeks out the hottest PCs, audio and video equipment, etc. I’ve been on the TIVO bandwagon since the beginning (although I just was forced to dump DirectTV due to a move and I’m using a cable DVR..ugh). Anyway, the point is, that despite my lust for great technology I never really found a convincing reason to upgrade to big screen HDTV. There wasn’t enough content and the pictures would look terrible for standard TV.
Not anymore.
I considered all the major technologies (plasma, LCD, etc) and spend a long time trying to right the right TV for me. I came very close to plasma, thinking I’d just throw a ton of money at the problem and be sure to have a best picture. I’m glad I didn’t. This TV is amazing. It displays beautiful colors and sharp detail. If anyone tells you there is a “rainbow effect” on DLPs, they are talking about older models or those big, bulky rear projection boxes.
A great bonus for me: This model has tons of inputs… enough to support my kid’s gamecube, DVD player, Cable, media server, and more. I haven’t seen many TVs offer multiple HDMI ports like this one. Also, I like the way the TV auto adjusts the screen size to offer you the best picture, but you have total control to quickly and easily select your own screen settings. Also, the sound this TV puts out is excellent, the stereo sound is great and I know many people will use the standard speakers right out of the box and never add external home theater speakers. This CAN NOT be said for most other TVs…truly the sound from this model is great.
A fair review offers cons and the only con I can think is that I had trouble getting the TV Guide stuff to work, but I could care less since my cable DVR box offers it’s own guide. Personally, I think too many devices offer guides. It’s enough already! The other con is true for most big screen TVs: be sure to select an appropriate size for your room. 46 doesn’t look big in a retail store, but once you get home, it’s pretty large. Be sure to understand how far you will be sitting from the TV to truly appreciate the picture BEFORE YOU BUY. I don’t think I’ll ever want anything bigger than 50″, but who knows..I guess thats determined by your preference and room size. For this TV, I’d suggest you sit no closer than 6-8 feet.
Look, inputs and price are very important, but the biggest reason to spend big money on a HDTV is for a great picture. If you can receive HD from your cable company, DirectTV, etc….go for it…BUY THIS TV. I do not use an over the air antenna like some but I’m sure that looks great too. Oh, and did I mention the remote is pretty darn good, too!
Enjoy!!
Rating
Just had my 52″ Toshiba delivered this past Saturday. Researched the whole DLP thing for about nine months before making the purchase decision. I made mutiple trips to Circuit City, Best Buy and at least one trip to Sears to do comparison shopping on prices and various brands available. Read reviews on these types of tv’s ,but had not read the Amazon.com consumer reviews. Some of the Amazon reviews have me a bit worried; especially the ones about the bulbs burning out or failing prematurely. So I did buy the extended warranty/service plan for a reason.
My experience so far has been good. The basic cable picture varies from good to very fuzzy, but hopefully that will be corrected this weekend with the installation of a digital HD cable box with DVR. Seems to be too much lag in tv channel changing mode with the remote compared to the channel changer on my old cable box. I bought the matching stand and the tv fit like a glove as the delivery guys set it in place. It complements the tv very well. I assembled the stand myself and it took me about three hours on and off just taking my time and trying to figure out some of the confusing directions. Unfortunately for the price, the stand seems cheap in construction.
The first night of ownership i left the set on all night to let it burn in; in a manner of speaking. Not sure if this will make a difference down the road. So far the on screen menu and the component hookups i.e. vcr , PSII , and surround stero system have been easy to figure out without much reference to the manual.
Overall I am somewhat pleased with my purchase. I had to wait for a Best Buy drop in price sale and even then on a purchase of this size im not sure ive gotten my money’s worth. Maybe that will be better determined after six months use.
Rating
Had this TV for over a year now…just fantastic…no problems and what a picture…I have had two Toshiba TV’s and haven’t spent a penny on either one. One is over 15 years old and this 52″ model is great. The M94 model has a tune but if you have cable it isn’t needed…highly recommend.
Rating
I bought 52hm84. Amazon sent me the TV within a week. The TV is fantastic. With HDTV connection, the TV delivers the best picture. I can now save money on going to Theator + Popcorn + Drinks.
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I purchased my Toshiba DLP in May of 2005. I really have no complaints. Picture has been flawless and the built is speakers work great for everyday viewing.
However the lamp did just go out so I guess anyone looking at this t.v. if the lamp goes out each year, thats two hundreds each year for the replacement.
I should be getting the lamp today.
(also note I never used the bright function only the lower wattage option) Also There is a feature to let the lamp cool down before it turns off. Toshiba says this helps maintain the life of the lamp but I’m wondering if it really cuts it as the lamp still stays on for a few minutes before powering down.
Rating
I spent over two years looking at high definition televisions before settling on the Toshiba. The features that sold me were the outstanding picture quality, both brightness and clarity, as well as the very reasonable price for the size and features of the set. I spent several months watching the prices in the retail stores, but never found the price dipping much below the $3000 that every retail store seems to want to sell it for.
I have never purchased an item as large as this from Amazon, and I was a bit reluctant to do so. Given the reviews to date and comments regarding reliability, I was concerned about buying from a company that did not have a good extended warranty option available. While Amazon does sell third party contracts, I did not find them to be particularly well known. I was leaning toward buying the unit from Sears, where the extended warranty is supported by a very large service organization, and the organization is staffed by full time Sears employees who have always been very professional with other items I have needed service on. The down side was a $700 difference in price between Sears and Amazon.
What finally convinced me to choose Amazon over the local retailers was that I was able to double the warranty by charging it on my American Express card. My only other hesitation was that I needed the unit carried up a flight of stairs, and while I knew that the local Sears delivery person would carry it up, I was not sure what to expect from a trucking company contracted by Amazon.
My set was delivered yesterday by Eagle Freight. They scheduled my delivery between noon and 5:00 pm, and they showed up at 4:00 pm, after first calling to let me know they were on their way. The drivers were very friendly and professional, and they gladly carried the set up to the second floor and waited while I confirmed it was working properly. They even took away the empty packaging. Since I am familiar with electronics equipment, I knew how to quickly set it up without their help. I’m not sure they would have known how to set up an HDTV had I needed assistance, but fortunately this was not an issue for me.
The TV was up and running within 3 minutes, and the quality is absolutely breathtaking. After much trepidation about purchasing such a large item over the internet, I am quite pleased that I chose to do so. I’m still debating whether to add an extended warranty or just take a chance on it with the American Express warranty doubler as a backup. The extended warranties do not generally cover the replacement bulb, which cost approximately $300. Since this is the most likely part to fail, I suspect that I would be better off taking my chances and skipping the extended warranty option. However, it’s nice to know this option exists if I need it.
For those of you thinking about purchasing this item from Amazon, I would recommend you give it a try, as long as your credit card will double the warranty, and you do not need much help in hooking up the set. I will update this review after having a few weeks to get more familiar with the TV.
3/5/2005
After having this set for a few months, I am still thoroughly impressed with it. The quality is outstanding, and I have had no issues to date with reliability. I did purchase a 4 year Warrantech warranty for around $200. This extends the warranty beyond the one year Toshiba warranty for a total of 5 years of coverage. Hopefully I will never need it, but for $200 it seemed well worth the price.
Rating
I bought my toshiba 52 over three years ago and am still on the original lamp. We use it approx 5 hrs every day on low setting. I am going to buy a replacement bulb now just to have it on hand since my one year manufacturers and 2 year extended warranties have ended. Is it possible
all these people who are having to replace their lamps so often are switching from low to high setting alot causing the lamps to weaken? I don’t know, but it seems odd that there would be such a difference in my tv and theirs. Someone also mentioned that they were having their mirrors polished or cleaned. It seemed like the sales person at best buy had told me that the mirrors were sealed in an air type environment and wouldn’t need cleaning. Does anyone know about this?
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I researched televisions before buying the 52HM84. I compared DLP, LCD and Plasma. I decided on the DLP due to its size and picture quality. I had narrowed my research down to the Mitsubishi and the Toshiba – since these both us the HD2+ DLP chip. The Mitsubishi had a glare on the screen and the Toshiba didn’t. The quality of the picture is outstanding. The technology to clean up messy analog signals is outstanding. I could not be happier with this purchase. I highly recommend a buyer to purchase the matching Toshiba ST5284 stand for the set. Together – the set is perfect! GOOD WORK TOSHIBA!
Rating
I shopped for several years ( yes, years! lol ) for a big screen hdtv. Well, long story short, plasmas are incredibly stunning and all the rage, but, for less than half the money, I got a tv with picture quality as good, or better, and no worry about burn in, ultimately having to throw it away when it darkens gradually, heat,and noisy fans. When the bulb burns out on this baby, you just replace yourself for about $250 and keep on truckin. Also, LCDs can’t match the performance for the price, old style projections are too bulky and both can suffer from burn in.
I compared it to DLPs and LCDs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Hitachi and JVC and I thought it had the best picture. You might disagree, but I would recommend using your eyes to judge, not the specs on any particular set.
The only real problem is common to all big screen HDTVs: the rather poor picture quality of analog channels on cable. Also, as a minor criticism, I wish there was more than one customer preference setting. I use it for analog channels, but it would be nice to have several more.
The sound is great, although I use my Bose LS 28 when watching movies and some HD programming.
It has plenty of input/output jacks, including an HDMI port.
If you want a big picture HDTV and don’t want to spring for super bucks and extreme anxiety for a plasma, the Toshiba DLP 52HM84 is hard to beat. It was rated the best DLP by Home Theater, too, for what that’s worth.
Have a happy holiday season!
Zguy in Tucson.
Rating
I have had this set for almost 3 years and a house move without a single problem. Yes, there is a light spot in the center of the screen that is visible when it’s not on.. It has not impacted the picture quality that I can decern. Recently, the bulb went. I remembered buying an extend bulb replacement policy. I was told when I purchased the set that the bulbs would need to be replaced. What I did not figure was it would take 3 years for the first bulb to expire and my policy expired in two years.. We have watch at least three hours a day for three years = 3000 hours. not bad.. the extended warrentees was a waste as they tend to be… great technology.. better than my 42″ Panasonic the LCD
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Have had it for 2 months…Came down to Samsung vs. this Toshiba. Hung out at avsforum dot com (where people ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TAKING ABOUT!)
This is a beautiful TV, aesthetically and functionally. Final cost, $1820 with white glove delivery. Delivery was fantastic.
PICTURE QUALITY–
Over the Air: Decent (as expected)
Normal Cable: Good (as expected)
Digital Cable: Great
Hi Def Cable, Charter: Outstanding!
DVD @ 480p Component: Outstanding!
DVD via HDMI: Next On The List!
DVD @ 720p upconvert: Next On The List!
Xbox with Composite: Great
Xbox with Component via Monster Attachment: Outstanding!
VIEWING ANGLE–
As expected…A little less forgiving than plasma, but i knew this going into it. You start losing pic quality at about 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock.
SOUND–
Internal speakers are ok. I wish they were detachable. You need to jack the bass up all the way though, to 100. Get a surround system, see below.
USABILITY–
Great. Folks, the factory settings are torched. You really need to calibrate this bad boy to get the best pic quality. Get a professional to do it ($200) or if you dare, do it yourself in the Service Menu along with DVD Essentials. Read up before you do this!
REMOTE–
Ok
INPUTS/OUTPUTS–
As expected, perfectly fine. On the “to do” list is hooking up the DVD via HDMI with the Toshiba 720p upconvert DVD player. Can’t Wait!
–
I’ve got this connected to a JVC RX-DV31SL 5.1 DVD/Receiver combo. Very Happy! Onkyo 7.1 speaker system (only running 5.1 though). Very Happy!
Once everything was set up, TV calibrated, popped in Chapter 6 of Indiana Jones Temple of Doom. Incredible! Was really blown away at the pic quality for all DVD’s. For the Surround test, TWISTER. Thundering bass. Also, Incredible!
In short, very, very satisfied with this purchase–TV, DVD/Reciever, Onkyo Surround. I don’t plan on going to a movie theater ever again.
For you guys out there, a chick was over, we left the condo, she stepped out first, when i followed her out…
ME: mmmmm….baby you are sexy…gorgeous…MMMMMM.
HER: you’re embarassing me.
ME: uh…i was talking to my TV!
Enough said. go to avsforum dot com and see what people in-the-know are saying.
Rating
I bought an 52HM 84 in June 2005. I am satisfied with the quality of the tv set, but one of the things that anyone interested in buying a HD tv shd. consider is buying good audio and video accessories. My Toshiba tv wd. display a greenish/yellowish color whenever I wd. play a movie. I even thought of taking it back to where I bought it, but the purchase of some Monster Cable video and audio connections solved the problem. I wd. recommend this tv to anyone and is also reasonable for the money.
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I have had this tv for almost 2 years and afer about 15 months…I had to buy a new lamp, as well. I just bought a new philips lcd 42″ and love it. I moved the toshiba upstairs to the den and will use it as a backup tv and for video games. I love the tv…but I’m nervous about the lamp issue. The philips has some great features and I am a big fan of the ambiliht technology, so far.
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This is a good product for the money. Although it isn’t as clear as other TV’s (because it is the older generation DLP), you get what you pay for. This product is $1000 cheaper than equivalent newer generation models. If you want a solid big screen TV, but don’t want to spend $2800, considier buying the previous generation TV’s. They change every year. I am very satisfied with the overall quality.
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I have upgraded from a high def Toshiba 4:3 projection TV. I ordered this TV from BuyDig as they gave you 10 days in home in case something was wrong with the TV. Currently their price is the same here but with threshold free shipping and $99 White Glove service. Amazon will have you deal directly with the manufacturer in the event there is something wrong with the TV upon delivery. At first, I was a bit disappointed with the picture until the cable company came to bring a second HD box for the 4:3 TV thatI had moved to the bedroom from where the new TV was going. The cable Tech set the HD box to normal with 1080i and the picture was amazing. As good as any picture I had seen in the stores. Whether it was DLP or plasma. I am not using the DVI hookup rather I am using the High end composite cables. The unit is also hooked up to a home theater. I have the TV set up in the basement which has always been the TV room in the house. Im glad thats where it is as I was able to move the sofa back to a viewing distance of between 11 to 12 feet. Too close and its overwelming. If the TV had been in a normal size room I would have selected the 52″ monitor. I had selected the Toshiba over the competition due to the higher end chip and my previous experience with Toshiba. In addition, in relation to the other DLP models it was less expensive with in my opinion a better picture. Finally, I purchased the matching stand from ABT electonics as they asked $289 which included $20 shipping. The matching stand is a must if you are spending the money on this TV. The only thing I will continue to reseach is getting a replacement lamp so when the day comes when that goes I can change it as the instructions to change it appear simple. Enjoy this set!
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TV arrived early and works perfect. As we are upgradeing from Toshiba 42H81 and do not have a DVD player with 1080i have not seen alot more improvement over the 42H81. We are thinking about the Toshiba 5970, but the 5980 is due out in June. May order the 5970 today. Have not heard any noise or seen rainbows as mentioned in other reviews. Very satified and looking forward to seeing the picture in 1080i.
Jess
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I purchased my 52hmx84 in april. I am connected to COX CABLE and subscribe to the high definition package as well as the digital cable package. The quality of the digital cable picture varies, channel to channel. Good to very good. The quality of the picture on the high def channels is freakin’ outstanding!! I would compare it to any plasma tv, period!! My problem with this tv is, every once in a while, the bulb shuts down. I must turn the set off for about 15 minutes and then turn the set back on. At that point, I have a picture. One time, I turned the set on and I saw vertical bars two to three inches wide, spaced about two to three inches apart. I powered the set down for about fifteen minutes and turned the set back on and the bars had disapeared. I have not had that particular problem reoccur. I am in the process of negotiating a replacement for this set with the retailer (BERNIES) that I purchased it from. I will insist they give me the same model. Like I said, when it works, it’s fantasmic. I read where all the manufacturers are having similar problems with their dlp’s and lcd’s, so I don’t feel alone. Do not buy either a dlp, lcd or plasma on line. If their is any kind of problem, you have to chase around and find a reputable repair agency at your expense.
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I got this TV refurbed and I am very happy with it. The picture quality is great. Everybody keeps complaining about the lamp, but most of them probably didn’t read the manual. There are certain things that shorten the life of the lamp. They probably did all of those. Because I got it refurbed, I also got a lifetime warranty (which includes lamp replacements.) It’s a good T.V., you just have to know how to treat it.
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After many months of searching the varied world of rear projection TV’s I finally bought the 62HM84 from Toshiba. Other models that I looked at were comparable TV’s from Samsung, Mitsubishi, and Sony. I compared all four models in my local electronics store and found the Toshiba to be noticeably brighter and clearer than the other three models. The HD2+ chip is truly light years ahead of the HD2 and HD3 chips found in other models that I looked at.
I ordered the TV and it arrived in 5 days from Eagle Logistics shipping. They delivered the TV up three flights of stairs and took away all packaging. I also ordered the matching stand for the Toshiba and it was well worth the money. It really compliments that set nicely.
I was a little hesitant ordering online but my experience has been very good thus far. I saved hundreds of dollars over my local electronics store and I am still under warranty from Toshiba for 1 year. Obviously you run the risk of getting a defective product and having to deal directly with Toshiba but I believe that it is worth the cost savings.
The TV has some of the most beautiful images I have ever seen at 720p and 1080i. DVD’s look excellent at 480p and conventional TV broadcast at 480i on digital Cable is certainly very watchable. I just got done watching the first round of the playoff football games on CBS HD and they were simply amazing.
You will definitely want to tweak the picture settings that are factory presets. The lamp setting at low is also a great feature and there is no noticeable depreciation in quality. I would highly recommend this TV and I would also recommend purchasing from Amazon. I believe that the advantages of DLP in contrast to LCD and Plasma sets make it the clear front runner in both value and features in the current television market.
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Bought this Toshiba about a week ago after researching many other brands including LCD models. I like this one because of the size 52 inch, the matching stand (not too pricey) and of course the ease to work and quality of pic. This TV has the DLP2 chip while Samsung has introduced their DLP 3rd generation chip. Not much difference is all I can say. Style wise Toshiba wins over Samsung but the Panasonic comes close (stand way too expensive). Haven’t utilized the HMDI yet or HD. I have seen HD on this set and it is perfect, satellite feed is great if the signal is great. Just like any other DLP or LCD the picture quality depends on the signal. The networks need to catch up with TV technology. DVD fantastic….and viewing angles wide enough for most too see about 160 degrees. Some complain about an underlying greenish hue in the pic….just manually adjust the factory settings. The low glare screen is great as well as the lamp saving power mode. Can hardly notice a difference in the brightness of the picture. Fan is not too loud as I have read and the quick start takes your TV only about 20 secs to brighten up after turning it on. Buy this TV if you want to spend the bucks. Oh yeah, PS 2 and game cube with surround 5.1 makes for a rainy day at home!
UPDATE: Got rid of this TV months ago (August 2007) after replacing 4 lamps! Don’t be tempted to buy a rear projection because of the price. Buy PLASMA!!
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Just dumped my Toshiba 42HP83 plasma due to failure within 10 months (see my review there) and was looking for a replacement, preferably non plasma this time. After extensive searching in my local stores and testing the DLP units, I’m convinced the only reason that you’d want a plama now is 1) you want to brag about having a plasma, and 2) need/want a flat panel to wall mount and can’t afford an LCD unit yet. GET A DLP!
I narrowed my selection down to Samsung (50″), Toshiba (52″), and Mitsubishi (52″). Despite its great reviews, the Mitsu was REALLY BAD compared to the other two. Virtually every place I visited said that it was the ‘Reps fault’ and that they made the settings wrong. Don’t believe it! Make sure you see these units with the same HD signal and you’ll agree that the Mitsu is inadequate.
Thus it was down the the Samsung HLP5063W and this Toshiba 52HM84, and quite frankly I don’t thinnk you’ll go wrong with either one. The Samsung uses the 3rd generation of the DLP chip while Toshiba uses the HD2+ ‘second generation’ chip, although in some opinions the HD2+ chip is better. It took a great deal of scruitiny between the two to see any difference, and my preference leaned towards the Toshiba. As I found out, NEWER isn’t always BETTER! Here’s more details on the 52hm84:
Picture: AWESOME!, and this is from someone who had a plasma for almost a year! Striking color saturation (better than Samsung) and as good as my plasma before it started to die. The 2nd gen HD2+ DLP chip does better than the 3rd gen in perceived sharpness (not really sure why). Unlike the 1st generation chip, the 2nd and 3rd have the ‘dimples’ in the mirrors filled in and thus provide a ‘flat’ mirror for each pixel. Having looked at the first generation TVs before, these two were significantly better. When we got it home, we watched a DiscoveryHD program (HDMI) on the Met museum in NY and the clarity was startling, almost too good as the cracks in the paint were very visible.
One feature I liked with this unit is that you have the option of a ‘quick start’ mode where for several minutes after you shut down, you can turn the unit back on and the screen’s back to full intensity almost instantly. Thus, if you turn it off and then turn it back on again, this circuit keeps some power going to the bulb so it’s not coming up from a complete shutdown. During this time there is an eerie glow from the screen as the bulb is still on, and the green standby LED on the front will blink. The instructions say that this will prolong the bulb life (just got the unit so I don’t know about that one yet).
NOTE: Be aware that DLPs require the bulb to warm up before it gets to full intensity, but as my plasma took 1 hour to warm up to see the picture, that’s only a small issue for us
Only takes a few minutes anyway.
Sound: Can’t say much here as I’m running through my sound system and the integrated speakers are off.
Inputs: Large assortment of inputs available here. HDMI works great (I’m running a DISH 811 HD with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter). If you’re looking for CableCARD or direct input from cameras, etc., this one doesn’t have it, but the 52HM94 model does (same light engine).
Remote/Controls: adequate but I wish they’d used the one I had for my plasma (pushbutton component selection vs a slide switch on this one). However, as I was replacing one Toshiba for another all the programmed functions in my universal remote still work fine. Menu controls are a little quirky (be careful to follow the on-screen instructions to see what you’re supposed to do to get from one menu to another). However, very minor detraction from an otherwise outstanding performance.
Rating
spend 6 weeks and 3 trips to best buy & circuit city before buying this model. it was worth the wait. great picture-great sound. the only promblem is there is not very many hd channels. directv advertises lots of great hd channels but in reality there are only about 5 to 8.don’t waste the money on plasma. dlp is the ticket.
Rating
I took 6 months to research everything that was out there. DLP, LCD, Plasma, etc. I viewed every model from 40″ to 72″. The winner – my 62 inch Toshiba. The picture is so clear that it is truly breath taking. Watching sports is a real trip, but even TV shows have a different quality. Be sure to sign up for HD stations because this will really take advantage of your set’s qualities.
Another good feature of this TV is the fact that you can take the flash memory chip out of your digital camera and play slide shows on your TV.
The only questionable feature of this TV is that the sound system does not match the picture quality. Of course, I didn’t find any sound system with the other models which were really outstanding either.
By the way, I see prices of $2300 for this model and $2900 for the HD model. But if you shop around you can do much better. I’ve seen this model for $1800 and the HD model for $2100.
Rating
I have been researching HD tvs for weeks. I can’t justify a large screen plasma or lcd, although they are cool looking
The DLP has great looking technology. The only thing to be care of is which chip is being used. TI is the only one that makes the chips, so it is just a question of which generation is being used. The latest is the HD2+ with 3000:1 contrast and one micromirror per pixel. Beware of older chips that are still being pushed.
The consensus had seemed to be that Samsung was at the top, and I was almost ready to take the plunge. Then I saw the Toshiba. I could hardly find anything about it on the web as it was brand new. What I did find was very complimentary.
I saw the tv today and was very impressed. I was given a demonstration in HD, SD and dvd. The picture was excellent for all of them.
The only thing that put me off was the size. 62″ is just too big for my room. I wish that they had a 56″ like the Samsung, but given the choice of 52″ or 62″, I am going to have to go for the 52″.