Reviews for Toshiba TheaterWide 56HM195 56" Projection TV

Congrats PADAVE. Glad you did well. Since I watch mostly SD programming, I went with the Mits WD-52628. I've posted a review.

I'm glad to see that it worked for you. The "slight video noise on some sources" in my opinion is the TV's capability on 480i signals, something DEEPAK has discussed above and something I have seen first hand on three demos at two stores. I decided not to purchase based on percentage of my viewing on 480i channels. I have not tried the Toshiba DVD player. I have a DVD collection at about 400 titles. It is encouraging to know that the TV does well for DVD players at 1080i. I will still delay my outlay of $3000 until more stations broadcast in 480p, 720p, or higher.

can You please tell me if this TV takes a 1080p input?
Thanx,

Isn't it true that this TV doesn't accept a 1080p input? From my understanding the only way for it to receive a 1080p signal is over the air. The HDMI inputs will accept a 1080i/720p at most.

Has anyone tested this TV for possible video game lag?

I went through the manual and the spec sheet.. it didnt adrress this aspect at all. So I called up Toshiba and they confirmed that the TV will accept a 1080p signal if one is available. There is a Samsung DVD player out there which provides a 1080p signal.. I expect there to be more out in the market sometime soon.

thx,
deepak

Deepak, what about any fan noise? Some sets have complaints about fans that cool the bulbs. Do you hear it all?

And about the input labelling, could you create a easy shortcut to go right to the HDMI inputs? Or do you have to do some multiple button presses?

Hi,

I know about the fan noise problem in DLP televisions, however this TV is amazingly quiet. The only time I can hear the fan noise is when I go next to the TV (mostly when I am doing something with the wiring for which I work on the rear of the TV). For an appropriate viewing distance (like 100 inches), there is no sound heard.

With respect to shortcut to the HDMI input, there appears to be none. However, the path to the input you want to select is not long. On the remote control, you press the "Input" button which will list all the inputs on the screen with a number. Press the corresponding number will immediately take you to the desired input. So it's just a 2 step (or 2 button) process.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

thx,
deepak

Hi Deepak,

Do you play video games on this TV. If so did you notice any kind of gaming lag?

Did you compare this one to the 52HMX85 (52HMX95 for the USA)? I'm trying to decide if I should wait for the 56HM195 or just go with the 52HMX85.

And did you ever try to plug in a PC on your 56HM195?

Hi,

Unfortunately, I am not into video games and have not tested this aspect. Also, I did not try to compare this TV with any other Toshibas, because this was the first and only 1080p TV available - so there was no point in comparing this one to the rest which were 720p at best. wrt to PC, Toshiba specifically recommends not plugging in PC into this TV (for reasons I dont understand). However, Toshiba offers 56MX195 for PC usage. Hope this helped.

thx,
deepak

Thanks for the info Deepak. I've tried more times than i care to recall, connecting my computer to my 61" (old 4:3) tosh. Never worked right. Couldnt get the screen to fit well no matter what res. (ie-1080 x 720) i tried. Using a Svid connection, worked great. I'm going with the MX (Cinema) series. Those of you who dont think you'll ever be hooking up the ol computer, save yourself a few hundred and go with the H (theater) series.

Hi Franco: As far as I know, the primary difference between the two is the type of inputs they can take. The MX model has an Ethernet port as well as a PC-Input (15-Pin D-sub) jack, which are not available in the HM model. I believe that the MX also has Virtual Dolby Surround Sound feature, which HM does not have. I found these differences to be really subtle, and were not motivating enough for me to spend few hundred dollars more for an MX. However, if you do plan on connecting a PC/laptop to the TV then you would want to go for an MX. Hope this helped.

deepak

I've had the 56hm195 for a few weeks. First one's lamp fan was noisy, got another set and second one isn't quite as bad but frankly, I shouldn't have to hear it all. And since I don't use cable, wish I could turn the 24hr cablecard fan off. No need to waste the power or hear it when you walk by the set with tv off.

There are some Con's. Channel changing can be sluggish at times. If you are watching a 720p channel then switch to a 1080i, it takes about 1-2 secs for picture to appear. So whenever you go from one incoming resolution to a different one, this occurs.
Also when switching between HDMI and antenna input, about a 2 second delay after the enter button is pressed or the Input shortcut is entered.

But if you switch from 720p to 720p or 1080i to 1080i or analog to analog, its quick.

One major negative is the remote. Overall a good comprehensive remote with TV Guide on screen. BUT the volume and channel up/down positions are reversed from most others on the market. In other words, 95% of all remotes have volume on left, channel on right. Toshiba has this reversed. So if you have multiple TV's or remotes, it will drive you nuts for a week or two.

On the positive side, picture is extroadinary in HD and many SD pictures such as local news or good network programs in SD only are rendered quite well. About best I've seen vs. other 1080p sets. And the size, they've managed to fit the largest diagonal screen in the smallest width. That was most important to me given the limited space.

Also the terrestial ntsc and atsc tuners are very good.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it an 8. Biggest negative is the backwards vol and channel buttons on the remote vs. Sony, Sharp, Samsung, Directv. But for size and price, a decent buy.

Hi all,

I have not yet seen this in the stores. Given that I've seen the new "black" levels of the Samsung 1080p, I'm concerned that Toshiba has gone too black as well. The Samsungs have gone to a level that no longer prvides real color in my opinion. So, how is the brightness and color realism of the Toshiba 1080p compared to the 720p? Again, I have ruled out the Samsungs because they went too far. You can't see real reds or browns any longer. I did a side by side of the Samsung and the Mitsubishi during a sunset scene with a kid on the beach and concluded that the Mits had better color but more artifacs. The Samsung was smoother but the kid was siloetted out in the scene. Tried all the color adjustments I could and didn't bring the kid into clear view. The Mits did. How will the Toshiba do in this situation I wonder.

Hi,

Good observations there..I havent noticed the Toshiba compromising on the other colors due to stress on the Black. The good part in this model is that they have provided a Black Level setting that one can change from a scale of 1-100. Therefore, if you feel that it is going too far, then perhaps reducing the Black levels will give the picture you want. Hope this helped.

thx,
deepak

A black level setting would be a great tool. Not available on the Samsung or Mitsubishi...only the contrast level was available. The Mits had more individual colors that were changeable than did the Samsung in the 'custom' settings menu.

Forgot to ask about game consoles. Anyone hook up an Xbox or Nintendo Game Cube to this yet? Any lag there?

Never tried before since I am not into video games. But as far as you're using the right inputs (HDMI, Component, etc) I think it should be just fine.. the Video Game console should just be a DVD player in that regard. I think a 1080p TV will rock with a Video Console, because the progressive should help the fast changing display of a video game.

thx,
deepak

Deepak - I do not understand your comment regarding your critisim about "the Dish" relay signal. Are you saying that HD programming via DISH N does notlook all that great? Because of DISH technology? Asking becasue I just got thr Dish and am buying a TV shortly.

OK, I'm not impressed with this model. Went to a local brick and mortar and saw it side by side with the old WEGA, Samsung 1080, and Mitsu 1080. Could not get it to be as bright as the others even on bright bulb. Could not dial down the black. Had the black at setting 1 of 3 (there is no 1-100 for black). Took the contrast down from 100 to 50. Still could not get real browns and the dark scenes in Blade II brought out the lack of definition of skin and clothing compared to the other sets. Signal was from Direct TV. Yes it was split, but so were the other TVs inputs. Also, could not get the set to show 4:3 without stretch (I can't stand stretched scenes). And, I saw the age old screen door effect during action scenes. So, what the heck, over? Are you guys watching the same model as I am? Sorry, but I'm quite dissappointed after reading these reviews.

Forgot to mention I saw the 56HM195 not the 56MX195, so there were no custom colors other than those darned COOL and WARM settings. I would want to set my own, thank you.

With Respect to PADAVE's question: I am not commenting on HD programming from Dish since I do not have an HD receiver yet. Most channels do not have an HD equivalent anyway. I felt that I could not enjoy the regular programming from Dish since it is believed to be lower resolution transmission than, say, local digital cable. Thats nothing to do with the TV though.

With respect to Pavelow's comments : I have observed that the Black as well as other colors look much better when I am playing a DVD on my progressive scan DVD player. As soon as I switch to my Dish Network, the fun evaporates. It has now been about 6 weeks since I own the TV - and I have come to believe that the TV's chief strength can become it's own undoing and here is why : Since the TV tries to convert everything to it's native resolution of 1080p, the upconversion it has to perform on a lower level signal like 480i distorts the picture since it is upconverting to the magnitude of 4x. The TV displays much better picture as you feed a higher resolution signal to it which reduces the upconversion required by the TV. My progressive scan DVD player feeds a 525p signal - which reduces the upconversion performed by the TV to approx 2x and TV is able to do a marvelous job.

Thus, I have come to understand that the TV is really nice, but needs some tolerance from viewers when we feed it a lower signal. I am confident that the view on the TV will be unbeatable if one provides a 1080p signal which we will start seeing soon. The DVD players for that are already out.

thx,
deepak

I agree with your technical explanation. However, since 80 percent of my viewing will be from either Direct TV or from digital cable (have not decided, yet), this model falls well short of the mark for PQ compared to other manufacturers. Granted, I have only about one-hour of experience with the set in a store. But I also have the same experience time with the other sets. I have found that ALL DLPs do better with a proper HDMI input from a high end DVD player.

With respect to the 4:3 problem, the reason why it was stretched and you couldn't reduce it was most likely due to the signal coming in. For example, if the Directv receiver was set to 16:9 always, the TV won't shrink it. But if the Directv receiver was in natural/native mode, then it would be 4:3 by default on a SD channel.

Also I will admit the Mitsubishi pictures are slightly better. But Mits does not offer a 56" screen. With Mits I would have to settle for a smaller screen since 62" wont fit and pay more. So the Tosh turns into a better overall value.

And Samsung.. based upon their history and overall low consumer satisfaction across the consumer electronics line (and a crap remote), with high prices, I wouldn't even consider it.

NR4P,

Very logical. I considered that the 4:3 issue was due to the receiver setting. I believe that is true, especially since the 4:3 option was greyed out.

I too, do not like the 52 inch option. Just got off the phone talking to my wife about this very issue. She liked the Mits at two different stores because of PQ and color. I didn't like the Mits because it was only 52" and took up more room than a 56" Sammy or Tosh. I want 56" with the speakers below, not on the side. I even am considering the overpriced Sony SXRD 50" because of the great PQ. But, again, only 50" with too much space taken by those rediculous 15 watt speakers on the side. I was hoping the 56HM195 would be my final answer. The Tosh PQ was a deal breaker for me.

Pavelow - your comments bring me back to square one as I was just about to pull the trigger on this guy. I too want a 1080p 50-something TV. If the PQ on this leaves something to be desired, and Samsung is unreliable [never realized this] and the SONY is either too big or small [and they have those goofy side speakers] what am I to do? At least the Toshiba has a good price advantage versus the other guys. What is your plan? Go with a 720p and really save some bucks or bite the bullet and go plasma?

If you have room and unlimited funds, get a 62" Mitsubishi 1080p.

If you can't fit the 62", get the 56" Toshiba and save $1000. You won't be sorry with the PQ. And I think that the Toshiba renders SD 480i on digital and analog channels better than ANY set, including Mits. That's important when 90% of all programming is SD. See if you can get the retailer to put on a set of rabbit ears and try it for yourself on all the sets in the store (Sears did it for me).

For a SONY, you will pay alot of money and end up with only 720p. That's ridiculous.

Just like buying a car. We all want the super duper fast or luxury model but make he trade off based upon style, performance, cost and reliability.
Good luck

PADAVE, that is exactly what I'm considering...going with the 720p Toshiba 52HM95 or maybe the huge space killer Mits 52 1080p. No way on Plasma, not with 20,000-hour lifetimes (I know Sammy claims 50,000 hour now). What ever you do, DO NOT pull the trigger without seeing the Toshiba 56HM195 in the store on an SD signal. I went to a second Sears store and the salesman was a lot more knowledgable than the other store. This guy claims to have been selling TVs and electronics for 18 years. The Toshiba here looked worse than the other store. Said he tried everything to get the picture to come through...no go on the SD feed across the coaxial. So, he had to set up the picture with the component cables off the main feed receiver. Looks like crap but better than the coax (BTW I'll be using coax until I can get an HDMI SD receiver. The JVC 720p next to it was on the coax splitter and was absolutely stunning. I was going to by it except it did not have built in over the air or cable HD tuner. All the TVs in the store were working off the SD feed through splitters except the Sony 50" SXRD. The SXRD was on a HDMI DVD player with "Robots" featured. The SXRD had black verticle dashes that shadowed all the characters and scenery. Even says in the manual that this can occur with a poor HDMI signal. Please define poor through HDMI!!! The player was highend putting out over 520 lines of resolution! But, sorry, I'm off topic. I've decided finally that neither the Toshiba 1080p or the Sony SXRD will fill my needs. Deal is broken. Back to square one.

NR4P, that 4:3 issue reared its uggly head again only in the form of 16:9. This time I confirmed that the Tosh at the second Sears store was receiving the same signal as the JVC next to it. The JVC was able to display the 16:9 SD without stretch. The sales guy and I could NOT get the Tosh to show the same 16:9 without stretch. We tried "Natural", "Theaterwide 1, 2, 3" and whatever else was available. Still, a good 3 inches of scene on either side was 'overscreened'. Go figure.

In the original post Deepak said, "The picture did not impress when viewing a satellite relay program (I have Dish Network whose signal is 480i).....It performs wondeful with what is available today..." After seeing the Tosh 56HM195 I totally agree with the first statement. I can't resolve to agree with the second. I would love to be able to see the Toshiba 1080p performing someone's (maybe DEPAK's) home. I want to be wrong.

Hi everyone,
I just pulled a trigger on Tosh 52HMX85 and will be getting it tomorrow. Some of the comments here concerned me but I am not backing out. I too noticed that the picture was darker than the Hitachi and Sony 3 LCD models right next to it. However, I found the colors overall more realistic and the resolution actually better. I guess by Sunday morning (after a hockey game and a movie or two) I will know if I made the right choice.

The 52HMX85 is not what we've been talking about.

I hit submit too soon. Isn't the 52HM85 a 720p? I think you'll be OK with this one. I've enjoyed the PQ on the 52HM95 in several stores on several different feeds...SatDig, CabDig, HDMI DVDplayer, closed loop demos on splitter, but not on over the air. Good luck and post back with your results.

Pavelow: Don't know why you had the problem with the 4:3 and 16:9? I don't have it at my home and I frequently leave the SD "digital" channels in 4:3 to make the wife happy and at times, I flip into Theaterwide 1 when I want the widescreen. I use the OTA internal ATSC tuner with roof ant. for local HD and DTV for satellite (no local programming on sat.)
With Sears you have a full refund 30day moneyback guarantee. Go with whatever you desire, try it at home, then decide. Worst case you lose a delivery fee. Sears is great for such as trial. And they even changed mine out cuz I thought the first fan was too loud. Oh, and you can get them to discount the 5year warranty which INCLUDES lamp replacements. Push on that, don't take the $749 price. You can get at least 30% off that with alittle nudging. Good luck.

After comparing the Toshiba 56HM195 with 1080p of Samsung & Mitsubishi, I felt that Toshiba stood out in all respects. Samsung isnt able to display the deep black and I couldnt identify with Mitsu's colors. I want to reiterate that a 1080p TV requires a lot of upconversion which can distort a picture of low original resolution. However, this is not a good reason to fall back on 720p. Most HD signals use 1080i, a trend which is likely to continue. As of today, only ESPN uses 720p. A 1080p TV is best suited to handle both. What's more is that you dont go out and buy these TVs everyday - you buy one for the next 5 years or more and with the way things are going, 1080p has become the TV of choice. Toshiba is the best in the lot of 1080p, and I am happy with the decision I have made.

Copy that. The beauty of capitalism is choice. I hope that Ultimate Electronics will show the Tosh in a better setup. So far, I can't justify taking the chance on what I've seen. The 720's blew away the Tosh 1080 in the two Sears stores. Time for a larger sample size.

It appears I am joining a party already in progress. I am seriously considering purchasing either the 56HM195 or the 62.. I have gone back and forth to several stores and for the money (on-line), I feel it is the best value. Can anyone tell me, with the still limited availability of HD programing, am I better off getting cable or DirecTV? And if the cable is not that good for the non-HD channels, would a signal booster help? I am not much of a technophile, so any advise would be of help to me.

pfred, where in Florida are you located? That will help answer your HD question.

I am in Bradenton (Tampa Bay area). We have Brighthouse Cable, and I can get either Dish Network or DirecTV. When I heard people talking about the satellite having "compressed signals" vs. even the over the air HD or SD, it made me wonder which way would be best. I like the options for satellite, but I want what will be the better picture. I have 3 other TV's in the house and do not wish to rely on over the air broadcasts. Do you have any suggestions?

Pavelow, I have been reading your comments. I don't know if you have yet to see the Tosh on display with a better set-up or not, but I wanted to pass this on to you. I finally decided on the Tosh 62HM195 and called to place the order with 6th Ave Electronics..price was $2719.06 including shipping. After I turned down all the "extras" the rep says the TV was out of stock. I thought here we go.. I don't buy, so the item is gone. NOT SO, instead of backordering, he upgraded me to the 62MX195 for the same price. That is a deal!! Hope you find the TV you are searching for.

pfred, congratulations on your deal/purchase. Hope you get it quickly and its not another low price and wait game.

Now about reception. There is nothing better than live, over the air reception for local channels. No compression or any filtering. I have 3 TV's fed from a roof antenna and get about 30 channels between two service areas with analog and digital. No cable provider will do that.

Now for non-local stuff, I strongly recommend Directv. Absolutely the best cust. service and of the two providers, a superior system. When you get Directv and subscribe to local channels for a few $$ a month, you get the local analogs via satellite and since they don't put the local HD stuff on satellite, they install an outside antenna at no add'l charge. So you get the best of both worlds for one price. Your HD set top box will get more channels than you knew existed. While I don't live in Tampa, I'm confident you will get multiple sub-channels from a number of stations. Stuff you didn't realize existed. Depending on the antenna, you may get Orlando channels too. Now that you are investing alot of money in HDTV, invest a couple of hundred in HD Satellite system--you won't be sorry. (and assuming you own your own walls and roof, no-one can legally prevent you from putting in a TV antenna. only if it's common elements in a condo would you have a problem). GOOD LUCK!

NR4P, thanks for your info. Yeh, I too hope that my deal is not "too good to be true." I got my confirmation email right away, so for the time being, I am optimistic. As to the satellite issue, I was leaning in the direction of DirecTV. Are you saying that I can request that they give me an antennae to get local HD and SD broadcasts or is it something that they will just do? It sounds like a good solution. Have you heard anything about signal boosters? A guy at Circuit City told me they use it for their instore displays. Do you know if they will work for satellite and would it make any difference? Thanks again for your input.

When you sign up for Directv with HD and local channels, they will install the dish and outside antenna together. They will ensure you receive the major networks in your area via satellite in SD and over the air in HD. They also give you HD at half price for six months just for asking.

When they do this, you will have a good signal on your TV's. Signal boosters sold by Circuit City and Best Buy are usually a waste of money. Once Directv installs the equipment, and it works, your done. With digital signals like satellite and HD, it's either there or it's not. Not like analog where you worry about snow on weak signals. Good luck.

pfred, good luck on your 62HM195. Yes, I did get to see the 62HM195 at Ultimate Electronics on Sunday. It had a DirectTV feed of a HD channel on splitter. The picture was slightly better than at Sears (probably because, but there was no dark movie playing to make an equal assessment. Pixilation was extreme during action and scene changes, however. Compared to other 1080p's on the same signal, I confirmed a non-purchase for me.

I meant to type (probably because it was HD not SD signal over satellite).

Deepak Just had our 22 year old front projection mits die.
Whate are the criertia you used for making you decision to by the Toshiba. I have heard good things about their sound system.

Correction, he said that there are a couple DVD players that claim 1080p upconversion, Denon and NeuNeo. A simple google search reveals several in the $250-300 range.

deepak - I bit the bullet and ordered the 56hm195 and am experimenting with the many picture controls. You referred to a "Black Level" adjuster [1-100]. Are you really talking about the "brightness level adjuster"? I have also read postings that speak to being able to adjust the black level yet the guide makes no specific mention of this? Thoughts?

I purchased a 52" Mitsubishi 1080p on Saturday. Ultimate Electronics could not get the 62" Toshiba 1080p to display a good picture on any of their hookups. I'll write a review of the Mits in a few days. For now, I'm happy with the purchase.

Pavelow, Which Mitsubishi did you get?...waiting on review.

tgallegos, I posted a review of the Mits WD-52628 and should appear in a couple days on this site.

Pavelow, thanks for the update.

Deepak, PDAVE, NR4P, Pavelow & all , Help me, I am confused. What is the bottom line? Is 56HM195 a great choice ? The top ones in my list is 56HM195, 52HMX95, Sony 50" XSRD, Sony 55" KDFE55A20 and Samsung HLR5667W. In Circuit City , Sony 55" KDFE55A20 & Samsung HLR5667W looks same quality. The pics of 56HM195 & 52HMX95 looks similar to me. Sony 50 XBR looks good too. I wanted to buy 56HM195 since its the cheapest 1080 res TV. But some reviews put me down. Please give your final experiences, in making the decision to buy 56HM195. 70% viewing would be Dishnet's international channels, 20% Local news , CBS, NBC etc Any inputs appreciated RAJU.

Early in this forum someone said you shouldn't or couldn't connect a computer to 56HM195. Wewill be doing a lot of internet viewing. if not thisone which 1080p 56" would anyone suggest. thanks

There are several 1080p DLPs that support a PC hookup. My Mitsubishi WD52628 even supports it as long as you have an HDMI adapter for your PC monitor out. The Sony SXRD supports the PC without an adaptor. If you want a Toshiba with PC support, get the 56HMX95 which is the same TV with extra inputs/outputs and I think an extra tuner.

Toshiba 56HM195. Noisy Noisy Noisy. Just too noisy for a high end Hi Def TV. Humming increases periodically, then levels out- off and on. Dealing with Toshiba and 2 repair facilities with conflicting diagnosis. One says it can't be fixed, the other wants to install light engine.... only 2 months old.

Frankly its one of those problems that you might have to live with. If I had bought it locally instead of best buy plasma- online- I could just return it.

I have that same problem with my 52HMX85. They're going to be replacing the light engine cause it's the color wheel which is causing that noise (Still under warranty. I'm glad I don't have to pay for it cause the guy told me it costs about $1500). Of course I have to wait a bit cause it's on back order, but it should be installed this week or the next. I'll post after it's been installed.

I am getting ready to purchase this television. Can anyone tell me why Toshiba sells it for $3100, but Plasma House can sell it $1500? Is it not a new TV or what?

Reply by member: zoglog
Jul 7, 2006

$3100 is probably the MSRP. Stores don't always sell at MSRP

I am looking to buy the 56HM195 model and I have found that Plasma House is NOT a company ANYONE should EVER deal with. I have a nightmere story too long to post here b/c time restraints and it's stressful. But you will know what I am talking about if you read customer reviews about that site on Shopping.com.


long story short* they charged my credit card - didn't send the product then told me it was on back order... In talkes now for nearly a week with my CC company. I'm not going to get stiffed but it sure has been pain! It's funny when something happens like this and there are tons of stories that are exactly the same. This company has major issues and should be avoided like the black death plague.

I REALLY have to go now. I just saw the words, "Plasma House," and thought, "ohh sh@#$%," and wanted to inform you.

greetings! I am the proud owner of a tosh 56HM195. that's right! a PROUD owner! :o) I love this thing! watching movies on a plain old progressive scan DVD player with component cables is fantastic! when watching a movie like "finding Nemo" the colors are breathtaking! That being said, I was wondering if investing in a blu ray DVD player would be worth it!?! in one of the earliest post's by "Deepak Shah" it was mentioned that TOSHIBA confirmed that the 56HM195 will accept a 1080P signal. it doesn't mention anything about 1080P anywhere in the manual, so I was wondering if anyone has personally tested this out? the blu ray is pretty pricy to just buy one HOPING that the tv can handle the 1080P. any insight would be welcome!

hey all! bought the 56hm195 in march'06 . although i really like the unit,it had a loud noise from the beginning! turns out i needed a new light engine. had that replaced in may. in sept. the bulb went out and toshiba sent me a new, updated(?) bulb to install myself. that was pretty easy. now i'm experiencing something that i can only describe as either "pixelating" or "mosaics" in a dark scene.(variations of gray to black). called toshiba and told them that it happens with both a cable feed and dvd feeds. they said if it continues to call authorized technician. can anybody tell me if they've experienced anything similar and if so, what is it and how do i fix it? thanks

this is an update of my nov. report. as i stated previously, i had to have a new light-engine installed two months after i purchased the set. well, i am in the process of having a third light-engine installed along with a new circuit-board! the set is only a year old! toshiba "customer service" told me not to use the hdmi ports "...because it's a new and developing technology and to use the component hook-ups instead" needless to say, i'm really sorry i bought this set. i should have stayed with a mitsubishi set. had two diamond-vision sets for 20 years and never had a problem. i'm hoping this third light-engine goes bad also so i can try to get my money back from either toshiba or american express, which extends the mfg. warrenty for one year. my first indication of problems should have been when toshiba "archived" this model in 2006! when the set works right, the picture is great, but it's not worth the aggravation .

I don't quite understand what the difference between receiving 1080i and 1080p. Aren't they both the same resolution? The only difference would be interlaced or progressive. Isn't the problem more related to the HDMI connection which doesn't allow a 1080p signal? I'd like to know why the claim is made that it's not a TRUE HD-1080p since I'm looking at buying this set for a Christmas present (for the family):).

Steve