# Toshiba HD CRT TV Owners: Problems, Fixes, Solutions, Services....Discuss Them Here!!



## waltchan

.


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## 187

Ok first waltchan can you edit your first post and write down the method to get into the service menu,designer mode, and the reset mode. I have ultralink component cables for the 26hf85 and the other toshiba dlp. They are very good (thick cables no spaghetti) and I paid 50$ canadian. If you're considering Monster cables you can't go wrong but they are very $$$$.


Here's the link for the Ultralink cables: http://www.ultralinkcables.com/


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## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> Just wondering, if I am going to purchase the Toshiba 26HF15 at Costco for $500, I wonder which component video cable is best for the TV? Is Monster Cable a good choice? Also, what is a good cheap calibration disc out there?



why? you claim they are junk everyday now you are buying one

~seems ironic

*but monster cable is nothing more than overpriced, the company is scum of the earth

and their business practices of "We will sue you out of business" should not be supported*


walter you have been around here long enough to know what and where to get cables (and if you do not)

Ramelectronics and bluejeancables

both are sponsors I believe and there is a powerbuy for Ramelectronics cables


for DVD calibration discs

DVE is cheap on Amazon at 18 dollars

add another 7 dollar item and shipping is free


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## kny3twalker

here's the powerbuy
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=532289 


their main site
http://www.ramelectronics.net/index.html 


and blue jean cables
www.bluejeancables.com/ 


site appears to be down now though


also I like the Belkin Pure AV cables which can be purchased cheap at Amazon but they are not part of the free shipping promotion


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## Jedi_Master_One

So does the HDMI help eliminate the white glow and what does the design sevice menu actually do?


I have been fortunate to not have the problem as I extreme as I have seen in this forum. Mine has it, but not bad. I just want to get it under control and was wondering whether the HDMI cable actually eliminates it -- as I already have ordered one.


Thanks to all. I have been keeping up with this problem for a while and have been keeping up with this forum for some time. Have a good one all.


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## azmodien

Another thing I was wondering about, is there a way to adjust the border gap between the outer plastic trim and the viewable screen (the black 1cm gap that goes along the entire edge of the screen).


Is this physically fixed in place? or is there a way to adjust it? The overscan adjustment in the service menu only controls the underlying picture image. But, on my computer monitor for instance, you can move the image all the way to the edge of the screen, so that there are no gaps.


If this can be done, it might also help with the white glow issue.


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## Nonnie




> Quote:
> To go into the service menu (this only applies to Orion-made Toshiba TVs as well as all the other Orion's off-brand TVs):
> 
> 
> Turn the volume all the way down to 0. Press and hold the TV's front panel volume down button, and then press and hold the remote's "9" button for about a second. The service mode will appear. Change item with the chanel button up and down. Change value for an item with the volume button up and down. Press "6" instead of "9" for the designer mode. Press "1" instead of "9" to reset the TV settings, but not the service settings. Make sure you copy down all the original service settings in a separate paper before you change the values.



I wouldn't recommend playing around with "designer mode" This key combination is used to give a confirmation of hours used. It also puts you into *Data Set mode and allows you to modify the address settings for the Memory IC. (EEprom) .* Service manual has an extensive table listing the correct values, I don't think any of these should be changed.


Playing with this can result in a dead tv real fast.


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## Jedi_Master_One

Tomorrow I am going to exchange my "old" Toshiba 30hf85 for a new one at Sears -- thank goodness for Sears' easy return policy. I had it for a month and had the white bar at the top -- though not as bad as some I have seen. However, it was not until after I discovered a greenish spot on my set that would not go away that I decided it was time for a new one. So maybe by exchanging the thing, this time it will be the tv I hoped it would be and save me another crazy trip with that heavy tv. So pray for me. Anyway, will post my results!


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## CrocHunter

Walter, why not consider Samsungs 26" sets, to me they looked to have better PQ and a better value if you get the one with a built in HD tuner.


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## Keith_R90210

I guess I'll chime in here, haven't posted for a while though. I own a 30HF85 which I purchased back in May. Overall I like the Tv and it is the only one I could fit in the space I have. Unfortunately, as of today though, my Tv is in the shop.










The Tv worked fine when I first got it and I was pleased to finally be able to watch DVD in widescreen and progressive scan, in fact, aside from a slight geometry problem which I noticed on the very top left and right all seemed to be good.


Flash forward to this past couple of weeks and my geometry has gotten all screwed up, the right side is wavy and the top left and right are still whacked out. Convergence also appears to have gone south and becomes a real problem for DVD. On top of that, the Tv just looks really blurry and it appears really grainy (though some of this could be attributed to a bad DVD it looked like it was everywhere on all sources), friends are even commenting on the bluriness. I calibrated with Avia but just couldn't get rid of this graininess and actually ended back with my original settings.


The HDMI port on my Tv was also weird, and had problems with 1080i. I can't confirm if this was the Tv or the upconverting DVD player I had but I switched to a standard progressive scan player hooked up through component and haven't had a problem since.


I called Toshiba tech support (who were kind of rude and flakey) and they directed me to the service center which, lucky for me, is located right where I live. The service guys came today to pick up my Tv and they will have it for at least two weeks, lucky there are a couple Tv's in the house







. The work will be covered under the warranty which is good but it is kind of frusturating. I going to have them address the problems I've mentioned above and even gave them a nice little note covering my problems and concerns, mainly with the geometry and convergence.


Anyone else have a similar story? I'm not really angry but I'm a little frusturated. Hopefully the Tv will come back in a couple weeks good as new and ready to go.


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## Gecko85

Someone in another thread asked for specific examples of the Orion-built Toshibas having problems. I'm copying my response here, as it's relevant to this thread:




The only "evidence" I have is my own, which is hardly a statistical sample


However, I had problems with my Toshiba/Orion 34HF85. The tube was so far out of alignment when I first got it, even with the tilt adjustment all the way to the right, it was still a full inch higher on one side. A tech came out, openend the back, and adjusted it from there. Problem solved.


Then I tried to calibrate the set using Digital Video Essentials (after close to 50 hours of use.) I couldn't get the colors calibrated. I could get the blues pretty close, but the reds and greens would be way to hot. If I turned down the color so the reds and greens were close, the blues would be way undersaturated. I settled for a middle of the road setting, with all three colors off a bit. Also, the whites were way too bright at the proper brightness setting (using the pluge pattern.) Whether I was viewing a DVD or SD or HD satellite, the whites were overly bright and glowing around the edges. If I turned down the brightness, the blacks became too black, and I'd lose detail in dark scenes.


Finally, I had the well documented "white glow" at the top of the screen when viewing HD content at 1080i.


All of this was enough for me to upgrade the set (after 3 weeks of giving it my best effort) to a Sony 34XBR960. I must say, the difference in picture quality is very real and very noticeable.


So, there's one person's experience with Orion-built Toshiba CRTs. I'm not in any way saying I had problems *because* the set was built by Orion, just saying that I did have problems, though.


One thing that put me over the top when deciding to bite the bullet and spend the money on the Sony: I spend a couple days reading through both the official Toshiba 34HF85 and the Sony XBR960 threads. The number of people reporting problems or otherwise bitching about the Toshiba was quite large. Conversely, the number of people complaining about the Sony was relatively few. Also, there were *many* post where people said the Sony was the best CRT they've every seen/owned. No such posts for Toshiba. The positive posts in the Toshiba thread are mostly that "it works fine", or "I found a workaround for the glow issue." Well, I'm not going to drop $1000 bucks for something that requires a workaround in order to compensate for a design defect.


Edit: note that I wasn't refering to THIS thread in the paragraph above, I was refering to the older Toshiba CRT thread (can't recall the exact thread title, but it has the word "Official" in it...)


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## oilfan

I just got it and i'm having some issues. I have had a toshiba 57hx93 in the basemant and have loved it since the day I bought it about 2-3 years ago but the newer and smaller Toshiba just doesn't seem to have the same PQ that i'm used to seeing...the HD channels are soooo dark and it just doesn't seem to be as clear...the 57" is a cinema series and that could be the difference, can I get a 30" that has the cinema series? anybody else have this experience?


One thing I can't figure out is how to move the picture. I'm talking about the black bars for example...there is a thicker black bar on the right then the left, and some of my guide is cut off too. Looking through the manual it says to hit the pic size button....but everytime I do it tells me "info not available" what gives!?


Edit...now I just noticed that I've got a yellow spot in the bottom right corner of the screen!!! It's not beside a speaker or anything really, except my sat. receiver. What the heck is that from?


THANX!!!


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## Jedi_Master_One

Well I took back my Toshiba 30HF85 to Sears and got another one. After one day, I was fed up with the new piece of junk I received. It also had the whitening at the top, but it was actually worse than the one I returned. I tried using an HDMI/DVI cable to solve this problem (as I heard others had done). Despite losing the infamous whitening, on 1080i channels there was noticible color bandings that made my stomach churn. It was ugly! One of the main reasons I bought the tv was because it had an HDMI input. But if I cannot use it, what's the use?!


So today, after one evening with the replacement set, I lugged it back to Sears and exchanged it for the Sony 30HS420. I am very happy with the new set -- as it has a sharper picture, no more overly black blacks, and none of the problems that plagued my Toshiba. Please note: I am definitely not a Sony fanboy (I actually loathe Sony fanboys) nor do I hate Toshiba and the whole fiasco concerning the outsource of the televisions to Orion -- if Orion made a great, reliable product, I would not care who made the Toshibas. I just must say that the Sony is a much _superior_ piece of machinery compared to the Toshiba, and if Toshiba does not correct the problems infecting its tvs anytime soon, Toshiba will lose the one thing that has made it such a popular name -- its product reliability at an affordable price!


Oh well. I hope you all make due with your set. I hope all goes well and that you all are able to overcome the television's shortcomings and find a balance that makes you happy. I admire all of your attempts to make the thing work. But after readig all of the problems with this model and my own experiences, I had to go elsewhere. Take care all.


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## oilfan

Thanx for the reply...In the menu, there is a "set up" menu and when I go down to picture size and picture scroll it skips over it...this is the only thing I can find that might have something close to moving the picture around, but I can't access it! I changedthe aspect on/off, 540p to 1080i.....none of it helped me access the option...i'm lost.


I've definitely got very black blacks also, i've got the contrast and brightness up to 41, what exactly is color banding?


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## Jedi_Master_One




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba can't correct the problems nor can't they solve the bad picture quality. Orion design all the technical specs in the TVs. Orion design and produce the circuit boards. Orion set the picture quality in the TVs for Toshiba. Toshiba only ask the specs they want in their TVs, then Orion produce them, and then Toshiba buy them from Orion and ship them to stores.



Yeah they could. In the contract between Toshiba and Orion, I am pretty sure there are standards that must be met. If these standsards are not met, I am pretty sure Toshiba could say something or even break the contract.


Furthermore, if the Toshiba name is on it, it is still a Toshiba! Hey, Corona beers are made in Chicago and Honda cars are made in the U.S. So does that mean it is still not a Corona beer or a Honda? You put your name on something it becomes your product. So I do not care if Orion is producing them or if they are made in Willy Wonka's factory. It is up to Toshiba to ensure that the quality they have provided for years continues in the outsourced sets. Similar to how Honda tries to ensure that the cars produced in the U.S. still retain the same quality as the ones produced in Japan. Please do not shift blame soley to Orion. It is a mutual contract and Toshiba has to live up to its end.


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## asdf123

Anyone have a url for the pdf of the owner's manual for the HFX85.


Tosh appears to have stopped updating owners manuals available online in 2004.


Is that when Tosh started outsourcing to Orion?


I wrote Toshiba and asked they send me the pdf and they replied:


"If your model is not listed, hard copies of our manuals are available through a parts distributor. "


Not very supportive support.


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## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by oilfan
> 
> Thanx for the reply...In the menu, there is a "set up" menu and when I go down to picture size and picture scroll it skips over it...this is the only thing I can find that might have something close to moving the picture around, but I can't access it! I changedthe aspect on/off, 540p to 1080i.....none of it helped me access the option...i'm lost.



The adjustment in the menu you are referring to will only scroll the picture when the picture size is in Theaterwide 2 and Theaterwide 3 mode. It is will allow you to nudge the picture vertically.


I think you were complaining about the width of the pillarbox in 4:3 mode not being equal. My settop box (Samsung SIR-TS160) has a raster control that allows centering of the screen when using the DVI output. See if your box has something similar.


If it bothers you that much you will probably have to set the overscan in the service menu. If you are comfortable doing this yourself, you can pick up a copy of the 30HF85 service manual on Ebay for about $10. It details how to correctly set the horizontal and vertical positioning, it takes about 10 minutes. I have to tell you though, I can't get my pillarboxes perfectly even on my 30HF84 without throwing my oversan off. The tech that adjusted my set on the assmbly line fudged mine to get it to look good. I improved it a bit, but each set behaves differently. Besides, I watch everything in 16:9 anyway.


You can always take the set back (you just got it) and try another one.


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## 0brf4n0

I've spent all day in the service menu of my 26HF15 tweaking all the geometry settings to come up pretty happy. In 4:3 mode there are still slight bends, but overall it's something I think I can deal with. It's a much welcome tradeoff with the progressive scan I get with my Playstation 2 games (especially this new one, Tekken 5, looks absolutely gorgeous on it). I really think there should be some plastic mechanism that folds down like a transformer to cover the silver bars on the sides though. The tube doesn't exactly cut it perfectly when drawing straight lines down the side.


I am experiancing a bit of this glow from the white bars when viewing a black 4:3 screen though. It's a little annoying, but how often are you going to be watching a solid black screen? Still it would be nice to know how to fix it.


Also, how would one go about calibrating the Red, Green and Blue colors perfectly? I know you can do this via the service menu, but having a color wheel or something handy would be nice. Is there an "official" color calibration device type thing?


When viewing regular TV, is it normal for it to look a little blocky when stretching the image? I don't really understand why that happens...are these the artifacts everyone talks about?


Thanks


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## TheAmann

I just recently purchased a 34HF85 and I am very disappointed with the quality of the HD picture. My provider is Cablevision and I have a HD cable box. The signal is routed via a HDMI / DVI cable. When watching sports (football or tennis), I get very noticeable flickering and shadow lines. It is almost better to watch it in SD. This can't be normal. Am I missing something? Thanks


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## lennsx

Yes. As I stated before, the HDMI picture is HORRIBLE. There's flickering EVERYWHERE where there is movement. It's far worse than the glow thru 1080i component. As I stated before, I'm saving my HDMI for the PS3 when it comes out. Hope that helped!


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## 0brf4n0

Will your box allow a component connection?


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## lennsx

Yes, both component & HDMI. And just to give a heads up, I'm using a THX certified Monster 6' component cable (IE - not some dollar store cable) and it did nothing to deter the white glow, so it's not the connection that's causing it. Good luck!


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## 0brf4n0

I really hope that doesn't happen with my 26HF15. Right now the only thing wrong with it is the rainbow strip that *sometimes* appears on the upper left corner (but that is very very rare). I won't have an HD Tuner for a while to test the white glow you're talking about either. I do however experiance some white glow moreso on a 4:3 aspect screen while it is black with the grey bars "leaking" over. I also noticed while watching DVDs that a very very very faint white strip appears at the top of the tube where the black bar is...is there any way to get rid of that? I can hardly ever notice it but I definately don't want it to get worse.


Has anyone in here tuned their 26HF15 or similar Toshiba with an Avia (or equivalent) calibration disc? I ordered one on ebay to help me tune my TV as the colors are sometimes too vivid (and I'm hesitant to mess with the colors via the service menu...there are just too many options I don't want to change without the proper color strip). If anyone could give me their impressions using such a disc that would be great...it's like, even though I view progressive scan pictures with great resolution, the color is way off and makes the image (in that sense) a little worse than my old TV.


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## TheAmann

Lennsx thanks for the advice.


I made the switch to component last night and it as a solid improvement in HD sports picture quality. I watched the Yankees game last night and the picture was great. I did come across another issue. I get an intermittent flicker or static when watching a DVD. It also happened when I connected my Xbox. It appears to be focused on the top part of the screen. Maybe I am going crazy or over critically regarding this TV. Does anyone else seem to have this issue and a possible work around?


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## xfletch

Here is a list of my possible problems and solutions with this set.

1- Flicker - possible fix, use component cables, not hdmi.

2- White glow- possible fix, turn off 1080i on stb and let the set upconvert the signal to

1080i. It worked for me.

3- Black level - I am still trying to find a fix for this. If I had any idea what all those settings are in the service menu, I am sure we can find an answer. I cant find a 34hf85 service manual on the net. I can get a 30hf85 service manual, but will it help me figure out what the settings are with the 34hf85?

Also, someone posted something about a "Black Level Expander" in another thread, it could be in the service menu.


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## CrocHunter

With all the problems with crt sets lately, for example: Geometry, convergance,bulk, weight,etc.


I would rather recommend you get a flat panel display which has perfect geometry,sharpness,convergance,and are very light.Prices have come down a lot lately and i myself am looking to upgrade to a flat panel display due to weight and space issue with my sony 34" HDTV, i want to free up more room in my bedroom and am looking for a flat panel display.


Only question now is LCD or Plasma?


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## lennsx

Damn, sorry to hear that. Every DVD I throw at this TV plays perfectly. I watch them via my newer PS2 (the slim one), using the basic Sony brand PS2 component cables, with Progressive Scan on and the display at 540p (NOT 1080i, although when I do switch back and forth I honestly see no difference, so why not just keep it at 540p, no?) Sin City looked fantastic - going to rent Episode II to REALLY see this TV crank!


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## 0brf4n0

I'm unfortunate enough to have an older model PS2, so I'm going to have to buy another DVD player to get progressive scan going. At least Costco has reliable ones for $60.


If anyone has info on where a service menu manual can be found, please post it. I'd be very grateful.


I don't know about your XBox game flicker issue, but with playing PS2 games w/ component cables and in progressive mode, there is no flicker. Who knows what it could be for you. The only problem I have with PS2 games and my set is the glow some colors have...they end up overlapping onto other parts because they are so bright...it's probably something that can be fixed via the service menu.


Is it normal for cable TV (not digital) to look kind of...weird? Like it's being processed by a TV card or something. Sure, when I'm 9 feet away it looks fine, but up close it looks almost blocky. And does switching to digital fix this?


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## weekendtoy

Just thought I'd chime in.


I've connected both my Denon2900 DVD player and OTA tuner via signalcable component cables. I've set the tuner to 720p and let the TV either upconvert to 1080i or down to 540(?).


No glow, no other issues. I'm very pleased with this TV and the picture looks great.


Just wanted to post a positive response. Perhaps Orion is having trouble maintaining consistant quality control.


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## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Get the Costco's $50 Toshiba SD-K750 DVD player for your 26HF15. It's made by Orion also and will look great with your TV.



Yah my mom's had one for a year now and it works great.


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## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by 0brf4n0
> 
> If anyone has info on where a service menu manual can be found, please post it. I'd be very grateful.



I think I have mentioned this about 5 times already. Service manuals for the 26hf85 and 30hf85 are on Ebay for $10. Just do a search on the model numbers.I believe the 26hf15 is the same as the 26hf85.


It will give you all the correct procedures for adjusting overscan, geometry, bias, etc. It will also let you know what settings *should not be touched* and what the default values are. It's been an invaluable aid to me for my 30hf84. I have made quite a few adjustments via the service menu, and also had the back off the set to correct a shorted a/v board. I will probably do a slight converegnce adjustment in the future.


Definitely a good investment.


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## xfletch

lennsx, did you get rid of your glow problem by turning off 1080i on your stb? Are you getting the glow when playing dvd's? I'm not. I really do love this set for playing dvd's and Sin City does look amazing on it. I just want to tone down the black level a bit when i am watching tv and playing my xbox. I just do not feel comfortable keeping the brightness level up to high.

Thanks Walter, I think I will get the service manual for the 30hf85 on ebay. If I make any changes, I will make sure I write my original settings down 1st.


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## 0brf4n0

Has anyone achieved perfect geometry? I have a couple of problems:


1) I acheive perfect geometry in natural pic size, but that distorts the geometry in full pic size.


2) I don't know which settings to tweak first.


I'm not sure how to retain straight up and down lines in natural mode while keeping full mode stable. And should I tweak certain settings before others? It seems like there are settings (such as the corner ones) which are extremely sensitive. And what do you have on your screen when you adjust your geometry? Should I wait on the geometry until I get the color down first?


I don't have the money to have a professional calibrate my set so the best I'm gonna get is from my own two hands with the help of the service manual and the Avia calibration system. I should be getting both tomorrow.


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## azmodien




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Has anyone achieved perfect geometry? I have a couple of problems:
> 
> 
> 1) I acheive perfect geometry in natural pic size, but that distorts the geometry in full pic size.
> 
> 
> 2) I don't know which settings to tweak first.
> 
> 
> I'm not sure how to retain straight up and down lines in natural mode while keeping full mode stable. And should I tweak certain settings before others? It seems like there are settings (such as the corner ones) which are extremely sensitive. And what do you have on your screen when you adjust your geometry? Should I wait on the geometry until I get the color down first?
> 
> 
> I don't have the money to have a professional calibrate my set so the best I'm gonna get is from my own two hands with the help of the service manual and the Avia calibration system. I should be getting both tomorrow.



Forget about what the "natural" setting looks like. You have to calibrate it for fullsize and work backwards. It takes a while but eventually you will achieve good settings. Try every SM setting and see which ones affect geometry so you are not missing out on any controls. You will get the feel for it in no time.


I hooked up my DCT6412 with a DVI-HDMI cable and the glow has disappeared. The picture looks MUCH better. Now if I can get a handle on the black level issue, I'll be set. Right now with the glow gone, the picture is definitely tolerable with brightness at 35 and contrast at 31, but no matter how high you increase the settings, you cant get rid of that "dark" quality to the picture.


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## lennsx

If you read the original thread there is someone on it that's having an ISF calibration done tmrw. on his set. If it tone downs the blacks, etc. then I'm going to have my cranky baby calibrated as well. Looking forward to NFL Kickoff tonight!!!!


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## jmain




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Has anyone achieved perfect geometry? I have a couple of problems:
> 
> 
> 1) I acheive perfect geometry in natural pic size, but that distorts the geometry in full pic size.
> 
> 
> 2) I don't know which settings to tweak first.
> 
> 
> I'm not sure how to retain straight up and down lines in natural mode while keeping full mode stable. And should I tweak certain settings before others? It seems like there are settings (such as the corner ones) which are extremely sensitive. And what do you have on your screen when you adjust your geometry? Should I wait on the geometry until I get the color down first?
> 
> 
> I don't have the money to have a professional calibrate my set so the best I'm gonna get is from my own two hands with the help of the service manual and the Avia calibration system. I should be getting both tomorrow.



What settings in the Service Menu are you modifying? I have some Geometry issues I would like to adjust but do not know what settings to change. Here are my geometry issues:


In a 4:3 image with Grey bars on the side the top 2-3 Inches are curved in. This happens more with certain darker colours like Blue.


In 4:3 image with Grey bars the Virtical line between the Grey bar and the picture will curve when bright or white images are close to the edge. This is most likely caused by blooming or something since the Brightness is at 35.


I do not notice geometry issues when in full screen as much. This is most likely caused by the image filling up the screen and my eyes not noticing the distortion. However when viewing High Def signals that broadcast commercials in 4:3 format (Edges are black) There is geometry issues that can be seen but not as noticible when the sides are grey.


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## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jmain* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What settings in the Service Menu are you modifying? I have some Geometry issues I would like to adjust but do not know what settings to change. Here are my geometry issues:
> 
> 
> In a 4:3 image with Grey bars on the side the top 2-3 Inches are curved in. This happens more with certain darker colours like Blue.
> 
> 
> In 4:3 image with Grey bars the Virtical line between the Grey bar and the picture will curve when bright or white images are close to the edge. This is most likely caused by blooming or something since the Brightness is at 35.
> 
> 
> I do not notice geometry issues when in full screen as much. This is most likely caused by the image filling up the screen and my eyes not noticing the distortion. However when viewing High Def signals that broadcast commercials in 4:3 format (Edges are black) There is geometry issues that can be seen but not as noticible when the sides are grey.



Turn SVM off first. That will blur the edges and reduce a lot of tiny geometry inconsistency. Plus it's what everyone on the web recommends for other reason, like keeping your tube from dying early. Then you have to spend a lot of time playing around with the settings yourself...even though I haven't recieved mine yet, I recommend getting a calibration disc like Avia which will display geometry lines so you can figure out exactly what you need to tune. Unless there is a way to display those lines without a disc....I heard some other Toshiba's can access them just by pressing TV/Video while in Service Mode.


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## mypepper

Possible problem with my 30HF85


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Within the past 3 1/2 weeks my 30HF85 displayed the following problem twice while turning on this TV set. When powering up the TV, the picture screen displayed two double pictures and then the picture will roll at the same time.


If I turn off my set and power it up again, the picture is normal and the problem goes away. So far, this has only happened on my HDMI feed through my Dish Network 811 tuner.


I'am not sure if this is a TV problem or my satellite receiver.


Since my 30 day return policy expired on 8/23/2005, should I ask for a new placement 30HF85 or have a technician look at my TV.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated,


Thanks,

Randy

Millbrae, Ca

Report Post


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## Nonnie

These are the same symptoms I was experiencing with my set on component with 480i and 480p input. My a/v board was beginning to short to the chassis, I finally inserted strips of rubber tape under the mounting points and it seems to have done the trick.



The a/v board with the hdmi board mounts to the back of the set for support. Try tapping on the plastic around the inputs or pressing on it. You might also rock the group of cables a bit. Watch to see if the picture begins to flicker or jump.


You may also have a loose HDMI comnnector. Wiggle the cable to see if you can duplicate what you are describing.


----------



## mypepper

waltchan and Nonnie,


I'll try your suggestions tomorrow. Nonnie, is it possible to take a picture of your tapping procedure around the a/v board?


Thanks for suggestions,

Randy

Millbrae, Ca


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> These are the same symptoms I was experiencing with my set on component with 480i and 480p input. My a/v board was beginning to short to the chassis, I finally inserted strips of rubber tape under the mounting points and it seems to have done the trick.
> 
> 
> 
> The a/v board with the hdmi board mounts to the back of the set for support. Try tapping on the plastic around the inputs or pressing on it. You might also rock the group of cables a bit. Watch to see if the picture begins to flicker or jump.
> 
> 
> You may also have a loose HDMI comnnector. Wiggle the cable to see if you can duplicate what you are describing.




if you have to tap your set to get it working correctly, just return it.


----------



## 0brf4n0

Has anyone been able to correct the whites brightening the black around it? I just calibrated my set using the Avia disc so I don't really want to mess with anything, but if I could just get rid of that problem I'd be set.


Also, Buyer Beware, I would stay clear of getting the service manual off ebay. It doesn't tell you anything a caveman couldn't figure out; plus it leaves out a lot of explanation for certain settings. It only talked about 10-15 settings overall (out of 60) and 75% of the manual was dedicated to schematics of the TV (I'm assuming you're not gonna be taking it apart). Actually, when I think about it, only 3 pages out of the 68 were somewhat useful. The manual is so useless it makes me think the person who recommended it is the person selling it. All you ever need to know to adjust your TV is what's already been said: turn volume down to 0, hold down volume button on the set, and hold down the 9 button on the remote.


I really recommend the Avia calibrating system though. My DVDs look SO much better. I have yet to acheive perfect geometry but that will come with time.


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Damn, sorry to hear that. Every DVD I throw at this TV plays perfectly. I watch them via my newer PS2 (the slim one), using the basic Sony brand PS2 component cables, with Progressive Scan on and the display at 540p (NOT 1080i, although when I do switch back and forth I honestly see no difference, so why not just keep it at 540p, no?) Sin City looked fantastic - going to rent Episode II to REALLY see this TV crank!



I'd invest in the Star Wars Trilogy DVDs to see what your set it made of. Even though they're 30 years old it still beats some of the special effects of late. Plus with DVD quality you can't lose










Episode III comes out in November; *that* should be impressive.


----------



## commsoft




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Has anyone been able to correct the whites brightening the black around it? I just calibrated my set using the Avia disc so I don't really want to mess with anything, but if I could just get rid of that problem I'd be set.



Aside from the glow issue, this was my biggest problem and contributed materially to my decision to return the set. It was most obvious when viewing the guide/menus from my cable box - my provider/box (Comcast using Motorola HD boxes) uses a white font with a black shadow around the letters, and if the brightness was set to anything above 10 or 15, the white from the letters would start to bleed into the black shadow, at high settings making the letters totally blurred rather than appearing sharper as intended.


----------



## TDQuiksilver

Where is the easiest place to find these manuals if they are not on eBay? Can't seem to find one for my 32AF45 (and/or 27AF45)?


----------



## Heian-kyo

Hey guys, I'm having a slight problem with my new 26HF85. I have a Rogers Digital Cable box in one component input and my PS2 in the other. I do notice the white glow that others have mentioned, but only when the cable box is turned off (no picture on screen). When the box is turned on, I can't see the glow, even during the occasional black screens between commercials and whatnot. Anyways, that's not my problem.


My problem is with 480i signals going in the component inputs, because the screen occasionally (anywhere between 2 to 20 times a minute, seems totally random) jumps about a cm upwards and then back into the proper position about 3 times really fast. To put it simply, the screen occasionally shakes. It's really a non-issue for my cable box, as all my SD channels are upscaled to 480p and the HD channels are of course at 1080i. The screen shake never, ever happens at 480p, 540p, 720p or 1080i. It only happens when the signal is 480i.


As you can probably guess, this is a problem for my PS2, as many games (included the OS menu) are run at 480i. I've got a seperate S-Video hooked up, and I switch between it and the component cables as each game requires, so it isn't a big enough deal to have to go through the hassle of calling Toshiba, and I know if I can just hold out for a bit more, the PS3 should have an option to output at 1080i at all times anyways (at least I hope, it's relatively simple to build an upscaler for old games into a new console, isn't it?). Other than this small annoyance, the TV is fantastic.


Now I know the PS2 doesn't have an option like the Xbox where you can select an output resolution, but is there any other way this can be remedied? Is this a problem anyone else experiences with their set?


Thanks for any help or info guys. I'm loving this wonderfully priced set!


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Heian-kyo* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey guys, I'm having a slight problem with my new 26HF85. I have a Rogers Digital Cable box in one component input and my PS2 in the other. I do notice the white glow that others have mentioned, but only when the cable box is turned off (no picture on screen). When the box is turned on, I can't see the glow, even during the occasional black screens between commercials and whatnot. Anyways, that's not my problem.
> 
> 
> My problem is with 480i signals going in the component inputs, because the screen occasionally (anywhere between 2 to 20 times a minute, seems totally random) jumps about a cm upwards and then back into the proper position about 3 times really fast. To put it simply, the screen occasionally shakes. It's really a non-issue for my cable box, as all my SD channels are upscaled to 480p and the HD channels are of course at 1080i. The screen shake never, ever happens at 480p, 540p, 720p or 1080i. It only happens when the signal is 480i.
> 
> 
> As you can probably guess, this is a problem for my PS2, as many games (included the OS menu) are run at 480i. I've got a seperate S-Video hooked up, and I switch between it and the component cables as each game requires, so it isn't a big enough deal to have to go through the hassle of calling Toshiba, and I know if I can just hold out for a bit more, the PS3 should have an option to output at 1080i at all times anyways (at least I hope, it's relatively simple to build an upscaler for old games into a new console, isn't it?). Other than this small annoyance, the TV is fantastic.
> 
> 
> Now I know the PS2 doesn't have an option like the Xbox where you can select an output resolution, but is there any other way this can be remedied? Is this a problem anyone else experiences with their set?
> 
> 
> Thanks for any help or info guys. I'm loving this wonderfully priced set!




Which games run at 480i? You're talking about all the games that aren't progressive compatible?


If you mean this, then I don't know what the fix would be...my set is fine when I run games that aren't programmed for 480p or 1080i. I do know that certain games have different center screen values, but I don't think that would help you...


----------



## 0brf4n0

Hmmm...I was watching The Incredibles tonight and noticed that Mr. Incredible's hair glows a lot. Actually so does most of the movie. It's noticable if you're looking for it but if you're just casually watching you could miss it.


Has anyone who's watched this movie on their TV noticed this? There is no glow when watching non-animated movies though. Only for the super bright colors. Hopefully it's just my set since I have a lifetime return policy from Costco.


----------



## Davv

Yellowish and bluish color's seen on screen what does mean????? 30HF85


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yellowish and bluish color's seen on screen what does mean?????


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I bought this tv a few month ago. toshiba 30HF85




Because the tv is in widescreen I can see the slight yellowish and bluish color's on the side's where 4:3 pic is not. I seem to see this color's only after a while when the tv been on may a couple hours when playing my ps2 on. It seems only to do it when playing games. The thing is I don't know if it does it during reg tv programming cause I only use it for games.


Also the those color's come and seem to fill the entire side bars where the game does not fill the full screen.


Is it doing this because I play my game at 4:3? should I sretch image to 16:9? To save my tv or what? My tv can put the image at 4: or 16:9 if I want. While in game I don't see this problem at all or on reg tv I'm pretty sure. It's only when the image is set to 4:3 I see this. Who know's it might do this during gamming too but because there's so many other color's on screen I might not notice it. But he thing is it don't do this all the time.


You know if they would of the those side bar black instead of a light gray I would of never of notied it.


What should I do can't return it so don't suggest it. Why is it doing this?


----------



## Davv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Some owners have reported color glow spots before, not just you alone. So far, nobody has any way to fix it. Many guess that there may be some electrical problem in the TV. Contact Toshiba and have a tech to inspect your TV as soon as possible. Your TV has a 1 year labor and parts warranty. Good luck.




Will they come to my home? I don't really feel like bring this heavy thing to them or where ever. Or might they charge me a little fee to come to the house.


The way you worded it seems like your saying do this ASAP I'm wondering why, will it just get worse and I'll see the yellowish and bluish more more with time? Cause if they stay as they are now it's not that bad.


But if your saying there just going to get worse then I might just call them. Could they get worse what are the odd's?


----------



## Davv

Well okay I think will call. Is this problem fixable though? I want my tv working 100% like in the begining. Is this a totally fixable problem? What do you think they will do fix/replace or just adjust?


What I'm worried about is that they say we can't really do anything about it.

Thay would really piss me off, I want the TV I paid for working 100% like it suppose too. Or give me a new one but that won't happen.


----------



## Heian-kyo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Which games run at 480i? You're talking about all the games that aren't progressive compatible?



Yup, all the games that don't have a progressive scan mode. Also the PS2 OS menu where you can look at your memory card contents and whatnot. All that inputs at normal 480i (Sony underestimated HD tech when the PS2 launched), and all that stuff shakes the screen intermitently. Even for games that are part 480i, part HD, like GT4, where only the races are HD and the menu screens are all 480i, the screen shakes at the menus but is perfectly fine during races.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If you mean this, then I don't know what the fix would be...my set is fine when I run games that aren't programmed for 480p or 1080i. I do know that certain games have different center screen values, but I don't think that would help you...



So everything from your PS2 works fine on your set, be it progressive scan modes or just the normal stuff like the OS menu? Damn... I thought this was a common problem with component inputs and 480i... I still have a couple weeks to exchange my set for a new one at Future Shop (where I purchased it), do you think I should?


Can anyone else with a PS2 hooked up to their 26, 30 or 34HF85 confirm or deny whether or not their screen shakes as well?


----------



## Davv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It's actually a hard fix, but it's definitely repairable. There's no 100% guarantee that it will work like new in the beginning. Sometimes a tech messes up with people's TVs. I definitely recommend finding a tech who works both on Orion-made and Toshiba-made TVs at the same time, not just work strictly on Toshiba-made TVs only. Before you do that, contact Toshiba first. Let me know how it goes.



Explain, why is it a hard fix? what would they have to do?


By the way I'm trying to myself in the repairmen shoes he comes over and looks at my tv I have to show him those problems right. So I'm looking at tv in 4:3 with the gray bars on the on sides and I don't see it. It's seems to show only when I play my ps2 in 4:3 format then in the gray bars I will see a slight bluish/yellowish in the gray bars. If I put my game in 16:9 then I still see it in full screen but you really have to look hard. Even in the gray bars it's not always present either so it's very mild. I think I better just I wait to see if it gets worse cause now the tv has been on for a while and it has not come back yet. If I bring my tv somewhere I bet it won't it when they look at it so I'D better wait till it does it more times than not.


I will say other than that problem I am very satsfied with tv. I had thought about buying to HD 30'' sony instead back then but it was like 200 more and that would have put me over the 1000$ Almost bought a samsung too but went with the tosiba instead cause I always thought samsung was cheap crap I still think it is too.


----------



## Davv

In the componet imput.


Are the /2630/34HF85 seires less buggy than the HF84 series you think? It would seem like cause more people seem to talk about the HF84 series.


----------



## Davv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> So, when you watch TV over the air, you don't see any glow spots, right? If so, then the component input board is maybe at fault.
> 
> 
> I think they both are about the same quality, comparing the 26HF84/30HF84 and 26HF85/30HF85 together. The 34HF84 is a different story here. It was made by Toshiba, and it's a far cry to the 34HF85 in terms of quality and workmanship.



So 85 series is better than 84 series your saying?


What does glow spots come from anyway? Why do they suddenly appear like that? What leads to glow spots?


----------



## 187

I have the same problem as you Heian-kyo with my ps2 and when the game is in in 480p there's absolutly no problem at all. I've even tried with my progressive scan dvd player and it's the same thing: when i turn progressive scan off it goes shaky and when prog is on it's all good. I'll call the tech.


----------



## Scarface3412

I'm thinking of buying the 34HF85 and have been seeing all of these negative things about it. Is the bad picture quality noticable to a casual watcher? I really like the price ($789) and size, and in the store, the picture looked great. OT but, if I was to get this TV, would I be able to connect an Xbox 360 w/Component cables to this TV and the games be in HD? Or do I need something else as well? Thanks for any help.


----------



## pssbarry

I wouldn't recommend buying the Toshiba 34hf85. I purchased one on 9/1 and returned it on 9/10. I had a lot of picture quality issues right out of the box. There was yellow discoloration in both of the top corners. When watching Hi-Def programs there was a bright glow across the top of the screen.The picture had a severe tilt to it and even after I maxed out the adjustments it was still off. I swapped it out for a Sony and what a difference.


----------



## TheAmann

I gave up on the 34HF85. After two TVs, I did not want to risk a hernia returning it again. I am causal watcher but the picture quality was just lousy. It did not matter whether it was HD, DVD or XBox. It just plain stunk - lines, flashes, picture roll. The store was fairly suprised to see me come back twice. They feel that Toshiba's has (or had) excellent quality. I spent roughly double and got a 37" Panasonic plasma. I have to say it is an excellent picture with no problems.


----------



## Davv

I regret what I said about my tv the 30HF85. I played other games and did not see the yellish at all. I had my wife look at the game that I thought it had glow spots and she does not see it she says I'm trying to hard to look for something that's not there, I admit I do that sometimes. Theres seems just ever so slightly to me but when I but in other games I can't locate the spot at all I think it's just that game.


I really like this tv alot and the price was right. Also what I like about is they put the speakers under the screen and not on the sides like the latest trend is. I don't like tv's that do that. It just don't look as good. I like the least plastic molding as possilbe the less molding the more my tv screen looks big. My tv on the back says made in march of 2005. So it's pretty recent. Plus I've had it for like 3 months at least. The unit is compact well it looks like it compared to the sony 30'' widescreen and good 200$ cheaper. I'm very happy with this purchase after all.


Also the picture looks great when I was at bestbuy they had alot of them lined with HD programming up side by side mine had the best crt picture sony's was a little better but by a very small margin in my opinion. But mine looked better than 3 or 4 other brands.


----------



## Scarface3412




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> WHAT, the Toshiba 34HF85 can be bought for only $789.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Does it include shipping and tax? The last year 34HF84 retailed for $1,399.99. Talk about a huge deflation here.



Yeah off of Amazon. Thats without shipping, but like I said, thats a really good price.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, the TV itself is $788.00 + $100.00 for shipping = $888.00 Considering I paid $1200.00 plus tax on mine at Sears (without delivery) that kinda pisses me off. Ah, I guess good things come to those who wait.....


----------



## mkreef

34HF85 => $889 delivered from Amazon

34HF84 => $899 refurbished from Overstock


I'm still seriously considering spending more for a refurbished last years 34HF84 over a brand new one. That should tell you something.


No returns to either vendor (unlike BestBuy, etc)

90 day warranty on refurbished


I noticed the 34HF85 is now coming from Amazon rather than their 3rd party affiliate Office Depot. Office Depot is $1 more and IIRC, more shipping.


Amazon also has some mistakes in their descriptions, claiming 2 HDMI ports on the 34HF85. Even Crutchfield has mistakes in their latest catalog, claiming 2 HDMI ports on the 34HFX85 which is incorrect.


Note: Overstock has only 1 34HFX84 left for $1222.


----------



## oilfan

I've for 7 days lfet to decide if i'm gonna take my 30HF85 back and right now it looks like it will be going back.


SD picture is fine, I have no problem at all with it. HD is sooooo dark, I have the brightness cranked up to 42/50 and it helps the darkness but the whites are so bright now that they glow, there is no happy medium there. The color isn't to bad but I just don't see the crisp clear picture that I'm used to watching HD on my other tube.


I'm thinking of the 34HFX85 because it is the cinema series and does have a better picture on it but it's still a toshiba...decisions decisions.


----------



## tanasi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oilfan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've for 7 days lfet to decide if i'm gonna take my 30HF85 back and right now it looks like it will be going back.
> 
> 
> SD picture is fine, I have no problem at all with it. HD is sooooo dark, I have the brightness cranked up to 42/50 and it helps the darkness but the whites are so bright now that they glow, there is no happy medium there. The color isn't to bad but I just don't see the crisp clear picture that I'm used to watching HD on my other tube.
> 
> 
> I'm thinking of the 34HFX85 because it is the cinema series and does have a better picture on it but it's still a toshiba...decisions decisions.




I bought a 34HF85 for my upstairs family room at Sears and it was delivered on Friday. I spent most of the weekend and part of Monday playing with the settings trying to get a decent HD picture. I never could. Like yours, the SD was fine, even looked decent using 480p component output from my sat receiver and Theater Wide to fill the screen but the HD was hopeless. It is the worst picture I have ever seen on an HD TV. Shame on Toshiba for having Orion build and selling a POS like this with their name on it. I had one of the first 35 inch SD Toshibas and watched it for 9 years with no problems.


I called Sears for a return and they are coming by to pick it up this Friday as I am too old and my back is too shot to be moving this big hunk of junk around. In the meantime I bought a 42 inch Samsung DLP on sale at Best Buy which will be delivered next Tuesday. It was half again as expensive but with a four year extended warranty which I plan on purchasing through WarrantybyNet, I should have nothing to worry about for a while except the occasional warranty call







. I have had a Sammy HLN DLP downstairs for two years and have had three warranty calls on it already, a color wheel, a light engine, and the analog 480i/480p video inputs going capute. But the HD and DVD picture via HDMI/DVI is great when the TV is working which is most of the time!


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oilfan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've for 7 days lfet to decide if i'm gonna take my 30HF85 back and right now it looks like it will be going back.
> 
> 
> SD picture is fine, I have no problem at all with it. HD is sooooo dark, I have the brightness cranked up to 42/50 and it helps the darkness but the whites are so bright now that they glow, there is no happy medium there. The color isn't to bad but I just don't see the crisp clear picture that I'm used to watching HD on my other tube.
> 
> 
> I'm thinking of the 34HFX85 because it is the cinema series and does have a better picture on it but it's still a toshiba...decisions decisions.



you do know if you go in the service menu you can crank up the max for brightness/contrast even higher...


----------



## lennsx

How?


----------



## weekendtoy

To rid my set of the 'white glow' I set my OTA tuner to 720p instead of 1080i. Does anybody know yet if the TV is upconverting to 1080i or downcoverting to 540p? I asked the guy at sears when I went in to get my price guarentee rebate and of course he was clueless.


----------



## D1rk

I have been working with the local cable TV providers for 3 days now trying to trouble shoot the problem I am having with the 34HF85


When the signal is auto detected by the HD cable box as 1080i resolution I get horizontal shadow type lines that kind of follow the objects on the screen. It looks like others are having the same problem. I have taken 1 tv back to BB because we felt it was a problem with the specific TV. Well the new one does the same thing. I am taking it back and shopping for a new TV. Bummer. The Toshiba was perfect because I was able to get a 34" in my entertainment center cabinet. Now I will have to buy a smaller screen Sony I guess.


----------



## lennsx

Weekendtoy, In my strong opinion the TV is STILL giving a 1080i signal, even if you set the TV to 720p and/or have 1080i OFF. The reason for this is because the TV already changes all the signals to 1080i EVEN if you don't have a STB! Some others disagree with me, though, but oh well. And besides, I see no difference in PQ (picture quality) with 1080i on or off. So to me, that completely solves the white glow issue. And about the weird white banding issue that others are having, I too had the same issue but it was only through the HDMI connection. My TV plays perfectly through Component. Good luck!


----------



## Talpacc

Ok I saw it was mentioned earlier in the thread but no one really posted an answer to it. I recently purchased a 30HF85 and noticed the next day that anything displaying a 480i picture (except cable) caused the picture to shake or hop every few seconds. Anything displayed in any kind of progressive scan (and 1080i, as far as I can tell) displays perfectly fine and looks great. But seeing as how most PS2 games and a good chunk of Xbox games are 480i only, the shaking is extremely annoying. Thinking it was just my TV, I took it tonight to swap it for another one. I just got home with the new one, plugged it up to test it out and it's doing the same exact thing. At this point, I'm not even sure what it could possibly be, the TV or maybe my PS2/Xbox. I doubt it could be the PS2/Xbox because progscan stuff runs fine, but that leads me to think it's a setting somewhere on the TV (or in the service menu). I'm at my wit's end with this and would really not like to have to make a third trip to get a different TV, so any tips or anything is appreciated.


----------



## xfletch

Talpacc, did you try turning off some of the settings , 1080i, 720p in the xbox menu and just enabling 480 on it? My friend had this problem with a Samsung, and thats how he got around it. I am not having any problems playing my xbox, but i use better component cables than the ones that came with the high def pack.


Obr4fn0, can you explain how, step by step, that you turned the bright/contrast level up?

It will be greatly appreciated on this forum.


----------



## Roger28

My screen shakes as well when playing Xbox games, even the ones that support progressive mode. At first I thought maybe it's those high-def Xbox cables but I tried them on my progressive scan DVD player and the PQ is nice, no shaking or anything like that. Cable also is working fine.


----------



## Heian-kyo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Talpacc* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok I saw it was mentioned earlier in the thread but no one really posted an answer to it. I recently purchased a 30HF85 and noticed the next day that anything displaying a 480i picture (except cable) caused the picture to shake or hop every few seconds. Anything displayed in any kind of progressive scan (and 1080i, as far as I can tell) displays perfectly fine and looks great. But seeing as how most PS2 games and a good chunk of Xbox games are 480i only, the shaking is extremely annoying. Thinking it was just my TV, I took it tonight to swap it for another one. I just got home with the new one, plugged it up to test it out and it's doing the same exact thing. At this point, I'm not even sure what it could possibly be, the TV or maybe my PS2/Xbox. I doubt it could be the PS2/Xbox because progscan stuff runs fine, but that leads me to think it's a setting somewhere on the TV (or in the service menu). I'm at my wit's end with this and would really not like to have to make a third trip to get a different TV, so any tips or anything is appreciated.



I have the same problem, and I was planning on taking my 26HF85 back to get a new one this weekend, but this is exactly what I was afraid of; lugging the thing all the way there and bringing home a new one just to get the same exact problem. I'm really wondering if I should bother taking it back? Do you guys here think it's worth it getting a replacement at least once? Could it be that a very high percentage of these Toshiba's have this glitch in their component boards?


As for your Xbox games Talpacc, I believe in the OS menu (boot it up with no game inside) there is an option to change your output resolution. I've heard that when you do that (say change it to 480p, 720p or 1080i) the shaking should go away, even for your 480i Xbox games. Unfortunately, the PS2 doesn't have this feature, and my only hope (if I'm stuck with this problem for good) is that the PS3 does.


I'd really appreciate some advice on what to do.


----------



## Heian-kyo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I would say only about 40% of the Toshiba 26HF85s and 30HF85s out there will ever have the 480i component input problem. It's actually kind of a large percentage. I would say take it back and get a replacement. If it still does the same thing, then keep it, and then call Toshiba service instead for a board replacement. It's really a 50-50 chance that you may or may not get a TV with input problems.



Thanks for the info and advice man, I'll try taking it back within the next couple of days and then I'll post whether or not I got a proper set.


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I would say only about 40% of the Toshiba 26HF85s and 30HF85s out there will ever have the 480i component input problem. It's actually kind of a large percentage. I would say take it back and get a replacement. If it still does the same thing, then keep it, and then call Toshiba service instead for a board replacement. It's really a 50-50 chance that you may or may not get a TV with input problems.



That's a huge assumption you're making. Have you forgotten about the people who *are* happy with their sets, and who don't come online to rave about it? Remember, the only people who post are the ones with problems with their Toshibas. It's not the other way around.


----------



## Davv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> To go into the service menu (this only works on Orion-made Toshiba TVs as well as all the other Orion's off-brand TVs):
> 
> 
> Turn the volume all the way down to 0. Press and hold the TV's front panel volume down button, and then press and hold the remote's "9" button for about three seconds. Then, the service mode will appear. Change the items by pressing the channel button up or down. Change the values for each item by pressing the volume button up or down. Press "6" instead of "9" for the designer mode. Press "1" instead of "9" to reset the TV settings, but not the service settings. Make sure you copy down all the original service settings on a separate piece of paper before you change the values.



I just wondering about these settings your talking about should I adjust them or something? or leave these adjustments alone?


I take it if they did not mention anything in the manual about this secret menu that the maker probably did not want the public to mess with them?


Is there any settings in there you that could remove glowspots? if so which settings would do that?


----------



## Davv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You can tweak or adjust the settings at anytime as long as you copy down the original values on a separate piece of paper before you change the values. You have to search very hard to find the setting that is possible to reduce the glowspots. This is not an easy job, actually. On my new Orion FTDV2004 20" TV/DVD/VCR (yes, I did buy one two weeks ago at Wal-Mart because this is the last Orion brand product Orion will ever produce), there are red, blue, green, and yellow settings that you can adjust at different locations on the screen. My Orion 20" TV/DVD/VCR may not have as many service menu settings as your Toshiba 30HF85, but the service menu in my Orion is pretty much similar in the Orion-built Toshiba HDTVs.




Well what I'm afraid of is screwing something up and making worse.

How do I know it won't make it worse. Or any adjustmensts won't make any diff.


----------



## xfletch

I got the service manual for the 30hf85 even though I have a 34hf85. I hope there is not much of a difference. This manual is not easy to use. I can use some help here. All I want to do is make the black level a bit lighter. Should I just play with the white balance and contrast controls to do it? There is also a Bright Cent level I can change. All the other settings look to scary to play with.

I might just wait till Xmas and have my girlfriend get me a video tech guy for a present. LOL


----------



## Nojoke

I have a Toshiba 30HF84 that has given me no problems until I recently switched from a regular digital cable set top box to a HD set top box. The HD channels look awesome, but now the standard definition channels look terrible. They never looked this bad with the old digital cable box.


Is there anything I can do to fix this?


Thanks,


Joe


----------



## 0brf4n0

I'm trying to play this game, Gran Turismo 4, which supports 1080i mode (although it's a non standard 1080i signal).


Usually when I play a DVD or PS2 game in progressive scan (480p), when I go to the TV menu, I can switch between a 540p upscale conversion or a 1080i upscale conversion and it's obvious (the TV switches modes like a computer monitor). However, when I play GT4 using 1080i mode, and try switching from 540p to 1080i and backwards via the TV menu, nothing happens. Does my Toshiba not read the 1080i signal from GT4, or is it moreso the problem of it not being able to downconvert 1080i to 540p (so it just stays at 1080i and doesn't change resolutions despite the menu changes)?


Any help?


----------



## nheilweil

Here's a weird issue which I'd like to throw out to you guys for your suggestions...


I have a new setup Motorola DCT6412, Comcast, Toshiba 26HL84 connected via component input. I'm having an issue on only 1 digital channel: during SD show it looks normal, but during HD show it looks completely blue...totally saturated with blue!


My other HD channels look great, so it's a mystery: I've swapped out cables, the DCT box, and my friends in the same area don't seem to have the issue.


It's almost like on this 1 channel, the 1080i sync messes up the blue.


Got the set at Costco, so I could return for another if you guys think it might help! I'm going to try a DVI-HDMI cable into my set to see if that helps.


Any help/suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!


Nicholas


----------



## nheilweil

Whoops! Thanks for the catch, waltchan...my set is a Toshiba 26HF15.


----------



## nheilweil

I was having the same issue tonight, as before: the problem is only on one particular cable channel and only when that channel is in HD...then the colors are 90% blue, 10% other colors.


I swapped the component cables to the other CVI input: same issue.


Then I switched to the HDMI input and the problem went away! Martha Stewart no longer looks like Mrs. Papa Smurf.










Also gone is another more subtle but annoying issue: a flickering of the blacks on the screen when the image on screen was moving (e.g. people walking down the street). It was kind of like watching someone messing around with the contrast control, cranking it way up and down quickly. So 2 issues gone by going to the HDMI input.


I'm hoping that this is just a defect in this partucular unit, so I'm going to return for a new one (it's only a week old).


Next stop Costco!


----------



## rockjav




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *0brf4n0* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm trying to play this game, Gran Turismo 4, which supports 1080i mode (although it's a non standard 1080i signal).
> 
> 
> Usually when I play a DVD or PS2 game in progressive scan (480p), when I go to the TV menu, I can switch between a 540p upscale conversion or a 1080i upscale conversion and it's obvious (the TV switches modes like a computer monitor). However, when I play GT4 using 1080i mode, and try switching from 540p to 1080i and backwards via the TV menu, nothing happens. Does my Toshiba not read the 1080i signal from GT4, or is it moreso the problem of it not being able to downconvert 1080i to 540p (so it just stays at 1080i and doesn't change resolutions despite the menu changes)?
> 
> 
> Any help?





I also have GT4 and I have experienced the same thing. Don't worry, this is not a problem. Let me explain:


When you have your PS2 (or Xbox or DVD player, or anything else) broadcast a signal at 480p, the TV then gives you the choice of receiving it progressive at 540p, or upconverted to 1080i....hence the *switch* when changing the option. When you have the signal broadcast at 1080i (GT4, Xbox, or upscaling DVD player), you're pretty much stuck with the picture as presented, since the TV is not gonna (or can't) downscale a 1080i signal to 540p....hence, no effect when changing the option. You should also notice that when receiving a 1080i signal, you'll receive an "Option not available" message (or something similar) if you try to switch the picture size (TW1, TW2, TW3, etc.). 1080i broadcasts (whether game, movie, or HDTV) are only displayed in the "Full" picture size, whether they are indeed full 16:9 or letterboxed/pillarboxed.



In other news, I'm happy to announce that I've just recently got an HD STB from Comcast, and literally had to pick-up my jaw from the floor soon after!!







I've connected the box with component cables instead of DVI->HDMI in order to dodge the possible "White-Glow" that I've read about here. All that's left for me now, is to await my future PWNAGE at the hands of the Xbox 360 and PS3.












BTW: I own a 30HF84 (refurbished) & (self-calibrated using Avia and service menu).....no significant problems to report at this time, other than slight damage to my jaw


----------



## badtyper

Waltchan,

I bought the 34 inch hf85 from BB a week ago. Have the Motorola Dig HD from Comcast (Denver), running HDMI-DVI for High Def. No white glow, and (depending on the channel), the HD is fairly stunning. My only complaints would be some tweakage needed to settings, and the "regular" cable channels. From a prior post, I'll try to change settings (if anyone can give me particulars on what to re-set, I'd greatly appreciate it), and I'll change my other connection(s) for regular cable channels. Question to you and others, can regular cable channels look good on a HD set once the settings are adjusted? Or is it like listening to an 8-Track through a nice stereo system.


----------



## nheilweil

Exchanged my 26HF15 for a new one and the dreaded blue problem is gone.


Convergence on this new set is off however...I can tell this is a high quality product *sigh*.


Can anyone share the service menu settings that affect convergence? I really don't want to buy the service manual just to discover those few settings I need to play around with.










(I promise to be good and write down the original values before messing them up.)


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rockjav* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I also have GT4 and I have experienced the same thing. Don't worry, this is not a problem. Let me explain:
> 
> 
> When you have your PS2 (or Xbox or DVD player, or anything else) broadcast a signal at 480p, the TV then gives you the choice of receiving it progressive at 540p, or upconverted to 1080i....hence the *switch* when changing the option. When you have the signal broadcast at 1080i (GT4, Xbox, or upscaling DVD player), you're pretty much stuck with the picture as presented, since the TV is not gonna (or can't) downscale a 1080i signal to 540p....hence, no effect when changing the option. You should also notice that when receiving a 1080i signal, you'll receive an "Option not available" message (or something similar) if you try to switch the picture size (TW1, TW2, TW3, etc.). 1080i broadcasts (whether game, movie, or HDTV) are only displayed in the "Full" picture size, whether they are indeed full 16:9 or letterboxed/pillarboxed.
> 
> 
> 
> In other news, I'm happy to announce that I've just recently got an HD STB from Comcast, and literally had to pick-up my jaw from the floor soon after!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've connected the box with component cables instead of DVI->HDMI in order to dodge the possible "White-Glow" that I've read about here. All that's left for me now, is to await my future PWNAGE at the hands of the Xbox 360 and PS3.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> BTW: I own a 30HF84 (refurbished) & (self-calibrated using Avia and service menu).....no significant problems to report at this time, other than slight damage to my jaw




yes, i love these widescreen toshiba's too...just watching the lord of the rings is a totally different experiance.


although, i've noticed a tiny problem. the top left corner strip is a *little* rainbowish at times, and the right side (one pixel wide though) fares towards blue at times as well (so does the top strip, although both are just 1 pixel wide). not noticable at all, but if they get worse i might have to return it.


----------



## badtyper

Walt,

I am referring to the Toshiba settings, and not the regular menu that is easily pulled up on the screen while viewing. I have read posts regarding the "service menu"( making sure to write down the original settings) and tweaking the settings. Wanting to know if someone has a cheat sheet on what changes may make a difference.

thanks


----------



## nheilweil

Sorry for being so clueless, but I've got my Cable on the HDMI input and want it to be 1080i & DVD coming in through Component which I want to 540p?


Should I change my TV settings from 1080i to 540p? I don't want to lose 1080i on the HDMI. But I'd like to pick up the advantage of having the DVD be progressive.


Thanks for your guidance!


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *nheilweil* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Sorry for being so clueless, but I've got my Cable on the HDMI input and want it to be 1080i & DVD coming in through Component which I want to 540p?
> 
> 
> Should I change my TV settings from 1080i to 540p? I don't want to lose 1080i on the HDMI. But I'd like to pick up the advantage of having the DVD be progressive.
> 
> 
> Thanks for your guidance!



The DVD will be progressive if it supports progressive (which means every DVD player other than the old model PS2). Just set the video to be 540p on the DVD input and you'll be fine. Each of the 6 video inputs save individual settings.


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Waltchan,
> 
> I bought the 34 inch hf85 from BB a week ago. Have the Motorola Dig HD from Comcast (Denver), running HDMI-DVI for High Def. No white glow, and (depending on the channel), the HD is fairly stunning. My only complaints would be some tweakage needed to settings, and the "regular" cable channels. From a prior post, I'll try to change settings (if anyone can give me particulars on what to re-set, I'd greatly appreciate it), and I'll change my other connection(s) for regular cable channels. Question to you and others, can regular cable channels look good on a HD set once the settings are adjusted? Or is it like listening to an 8-Track through a nice stereo system.



After tweaking they can look good and crisp. Although, I admit, they don't look as good as a fine tuned non-HD set. But it still looks great. And if your viewing distance is more than 8 feet, you won't notice a thing.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *nheilweil* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Exchanged my 26HF15 for a new one and the dreaded blue problem is gone.
> 
> 
> Convergence on this new set is off however...I can tell this is a high quality product *sigh*.
> 
> 
> Can anyone share the service menu settings that affect convergence? I really don't want to buy the service manual just to discover those few settings I need to play around with.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (I promise to be good and write down the original values before messing them up.)



Convergence is set by manually adjusting pairs of magnetic rings that are located on the neck of the picture tube. Not something you want to get involved with.


How bad is it? Mine was perfect out of the box on my 30HF84 when I got it, and since then it has drifted slightly. I had a tech check it out and he refused to touch it. I may adjust it myself one of these days. It's not hard, just very time consuming. And you need to know your way around the inside of the set.


I'd take it back again and get another.. This is not the way to start enjoying your new set.


----------



## Tbagz

I have had this set for a few months now and loved it so far. But I had to get a new HD box with DVR w/ the DVI output. thats where my problems began. I also posted in the HD hardware thread but have not been getting feed back Maybe yall can help.. but this is what i did and what is happening.



The other day I got a new HD/DVR box from comcast. I got the one with a DVI output. I would like to use the DVI to free up a componet for my DVD, the other componet is my XBOX..lol. I have a Toshiba 34HFX84. well I hooked up the DVI to HDMI cable and things seem to work fine. I just had to figure out which audio jacks to use. after looking away from my tv for a couple of minutes I look back and notice for about 2 sec a big blue bar in the middle of my screen that says something to the effect " your HD signal has been comprimised, switch back to componet connection." that may not be exact but I think it was something like this. But any way I had to get ready for work so I went back to componet and turned it all off. now the DVI-HDMI does not show a picture at all. also most of my local HD channels are now 4:3 instead of 16:9. I now have black bars on the sides of the picture. some channels still look ok but other HD channels look squeased in to 4:3. some don't look HD at all now, kinda fuzzy like RD. ESPN HD is one that looks RD now.


So I am wondering if it is my new box, the fact I hooked up DVI to HDMI and messed up something, or what? Do I need to call a TV repair man? or is there a setting some where TV or Cable box I can swich back. I have checked every where I can think of in both he TV and the box. Please someone give me something.



and is the sevice menu different from what you put in your first post in this thread walt? if so how do you get in? thanks in advance for any help. I am starting to get worried now.


----------



## Tbagz

I dont have the old box, the tech took it with him when he left. so cant check that. but the old box did not have DVI out either.....


----------



## Tbagz

well it did not look like any of the tv menu screens so i think it could have been from the cable box. an as I said before the DVI to HDMI no longer shows a picture now. so maybe the box is messed up, a lot easier to fix than my tv...


----------



## fburch

My Tosh 34HF85 was ISF calibrated yesterday by Chad Billheimer. I am very, very pleased with the results. All aspects of performance of this set were improved by the calibration. Geometry issues were corrected, overscan was reduced from about 8% to 6%. Grey scale adjustments led to vast improvements in picture quality. White text and icons no longer bloom into surrounding black as they did when I first hooked up the set. Color balance adjustments have improved the picture quality also and HD content especially now really shines. Chad was very meticulous and patient in his work and I am the beneficiary of huge improvements in the picture quality from my set. You will find Chad's work reviewed by other folks on this forum, as well, if you run a search on 'Chad Billheimer' and I will also say that he does outstanding work. If you live in the Eastern U.S. and are in need of an ISF calibration, I would give him the highest recommendation. While I was generally pleased with the set prior to having the calibration done, I am extremely pleased with this set now and enjoy watching it every bit as much as my Tosh 30HF83. Chad has a website at www.HDTVbyChad.com and his services, fees, and a request form can be found there.


----------



## Tbagz




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> try unplugging the TV, wait five minutes to reset the settings, then plug it in back again.



I'm trying this now. I wonder what happened? If this does not work I may just have to call a service tech.....lol all because I wanted to use DVI-HDMI.....


----------



## 0brf4n0

I've had my 26HF15(85) for half a month now and I'm trying to decide: should I keep it with it's small problems or return it for a better but slightly more expensive TV? Right now the strips of rainbow along the top and left sides bother me, as does the geometry. I'd rather get a new TV than spend $250 getting this one professionally calibrated. If I spend a good chunk of money on a TV, it should be 100% working properly too, and that's not what I call working properly.


So if I return my 26HF15(85), which model should I get in it's place? There's a Sony one that people talk about, but I'm not quite sure the exact model number. And I'd be wanting something that I can find for $500-$700 on the internet (I can always pricematch). Also it would have to be around 26-27" widescreen and HD capable (my swivel does not accept anything larger than my current 26" widescreen).


Thanks


Oh yah, do all flatscreen widescreen HD TV's have a little geometry distortion out of the box? I mean, shouldn't it be perfect right when you get it?


Ok, I just thought of this for the reason of weird geometry on flatscreen TVs. Material on DVDs that are produced today are made for curved tube TVs, so they make up for this by making the picture a little curved at the edges to appear straight on these curved tube TVs. Make sense? I thought of this while having the crosshatch on the DVD player input (Avia calibration), and having my PS2 on the another input. When adjusting geometry on the PS2 input (playing a normal 4:3 game), I made it so all the lines in the game I was playing were straight up and down, left and right...then I switched over to the DVD input and the crosshatch geometry was in a curved tube shape. Too much to be a coincidence I thought... Anyone else agree?


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Sorry to hear that your Toshiba 26HF15 is not working well out for you. Are you considering to do an exchange or do you want to switch to a different TV? There is also a Panasonic CT-26WX15 or Samsung TX-R2678WH available that fits well within your price range. There is no 27" CRT widescreen TV available.



Do you know anything how the Panasonic or Samsung fare? I can' find any reviews on the Panasonic cept one which says it's a horrible TV, but that's only 1 review...


And for the Samsung, there are 2 good reviews out there, and it says it supports 480p, 720p and 1080i, but does that mean you can switch between the 3 like you can with the Toshiba, switching between 540p and 1080i? Or does it just upconvert everything to 1080i...


Same goes for the Panasonic. Can you switch between 480p and 1080i manually? And I can't seem to find a code to access the service menu...I'll probably be needing to know that to adjust screen size and geometry...


Also, how good is the KV-30HS420?



Thanks


----------



## Smoof15

Just because something is outsourced means nothing to me, lots of things are outsourced. My Toshiba 34HFX85 from Crutchfield will be arriving tomorrow, if there are problems I'll post them, but if it's perfectly fine I'll post that too since these threads lack that kind of information. All tv brands have problems, but not 100% of them are going to be bad. I will be having the tv ISF calibrated by Chad B. as well since ironically he lives where I live.


----------



## 0brf4n0




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Just do a search in this forum about Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony. Then go to the store and pick what you like best. The Samsung can switch all three resolutions with no problem at all, like the Toshiba. The Panasonic can be switched from 480p to 1080i manually, but no 720p.
> 
> 
> Are you sure you don't want to do an exchange? The Toshiba 26HF15 is such a nice-looking TV.



I predict if I return this Toshiba to Costco I will end up with another Toshiba with slight geometry issues and convergence problems as well. At least according to all the problems I'm reading here. I honestly just want a 100% working product which I don't always have to mess with and I don't feel like returning TV after TV before I find a good working one.


I think I'm just going to go with the Sony WEGA KV-30HS420. The one I saw at Circuit City was amazing, even with the crappy store settings. Side note, Circuit City has no customer service. I've always liked Sony anyway. Plus with all the positive reviews it's gotten I don't think I can lose.


----------



## Smoof15

I received my Toshiba 34HFX85 and hooked up my sa 8300 box up via component and hdmi, hdmi was much clearer i thought on hd, the only problem with using the hdmi was a very very tiny white bar at the top of the screen which is barely noticeable, on the component there were some issues which trying the fix of making my cable box output 720p instead of 1080i and letting my tv upconvert it to 1080i has fixed this issue, the tv has fantasic picture quality, the only convergence issue is the screen is off to the left a tiny bit which will be adjusted when the tv has been ISF calibrated, i like my "orion" tv










edit: also the pictures on crutchfield are incorrect, the front looks different, still has the black bezel, but the speakers at the bottom look different


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Smoof15* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> the only problem with using the hdmi was a very very tiny white bar at the top of the screen which is barely noticeable



Is this the same white glow reported by other Orion/Toshiba owners? How big is it? Barely noticeable to one person could be unacceptable to another.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Smoof15* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> also the pictures on crutchfield are incorrect, the front looks different, still has the black bezel, but the speakers at the bottom look different



The most recent Crutchfield catalog (Oct? Fall? 2005) also listed the 34HFX85 as incorrectly having 2 HDMI inputs. My guess is they didn't change anything between the 34HFX84 and the newer 85 model, using the old pictures and specs.


Do the speakers look better or worse?


----------



## Smoof15

Yes, it looks exactly like the 34HF85 picture on Crutchfield's website, and yes I got the right tv it says Cinema Series right at the top left corner. As far as the white glow it was coming from the top of the screen going downward 1/4" roughly, doing the trick switching the cable box to 720p fixed this. Not having another cable box around I can't say for sure it was the tv..using my dvd player via hdmi produced NO white glow at all, it was only on the cable box via hdmi that i received it.


----------



## gw20850

Buy or not.


I just bought a Sanyo HT27744 27" TV, I having problem with picture quality, I'd like to return it and going to buy a Toshiba 26HF85C. Any one here can help me to make decision?


Thanks.


----------



## doug wilson

Several refurbished models of the "USA-made" 34" Toshiba HDTV monitors (34HF84, 34HFX83, 34HFX84) are available from refurbelectronics and overstock. Has anyone bought one of these refurbished units or heard about how well they perform? Reliability? Also, if I wanted to get a OTA HD tuner to go with it, any suggestions?


----------



## nheilweil




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Tbagz* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> ...after looking away from my tv for a couple of minutes I look back and notice for about 2 sec a big blue bar in the middle of my screen that says something to the effect " your HD signal has been comprimised, switch back to componet connection."



Tbagz,


I had the same issue with my Motorola 6412 DVI-to-HDMI on my Toshiba set.


The issue is a security protocol HDCP that needs to do some handshaking between the 2 devices...if you fail the handshake, it won't let you see the content.


Here's what I did, hopefully it will help:


- Unplug your Motorola box for at least 5 minutes

- Power off your TV

- Unplug any component cables between your TV and the DVR so that the DVI-HDMI cable is the only video connection (IMPORTANT)

- Plug in your cable box but do not turn it on.

- Power on your TV

- Press the menu button on the front of your cable box (with the cable box power still off)

- Make sure that you are set up for TV TYPE = 16:9 and PICTURE RESOLUTION = 1080i, if not use your left/right buttons to change

- Now, turn on your cable box


That got rid of the issue for me. Let me know how it works for you.


- Nicholas


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *doug wilson* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Several refurbished models of the "USA-made" 34" Toshiba HDTV monitors (34HF84, 34HFX83, 34HFX84) are available from refurbelectronics and overstock. Has anyone bought one of these refurbished units or heard about how well they perform? Reliability?



I attempted to purchase a refurbished 34HFX84 yesterday to no avail. Overstock sold out last week, refurbelectronics is also sold out (notice the availability says 1-2 weeks). My last source, which had them as of Friday (supposedly), sold out when I called Monday (as reflected on their web page as well).


The refurbished 34HF84 is still available everywhere however. I'm not interested int he 34HFX83 because of the different case.


I've been holding out for a 34HFX84 for the 2 HDMI inputs, but I may not wait any longer. Maybe just go for a refurb-34HF84 ($900) or new Orion 34HF85 ($950, but with a return policy).


----------



## d1live

I dont know who started the BS about Orion making Toshibas now, mine sez made in the USA right on the sticker - it came from their Toshiba plant in Tennesee, I can take a picture if need be, why would anyone want something USED/refurbished they only fix what was wrong with the TV not replace USED bulbs inside and all LMAO. I bought my TV at Sears for 999.99 plus a extra 10% off using a Sears card, so the total was only 953.99. My TV fills like its built tough and the picture and sound are very clear, wish every ch. was HD. Goodluck all


----------



## bullgates




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *d1live* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I dont know who started the BS about Orion making Toshibas now, mine sez made in the USA right on the sticker - it came from their Toshiba plant in Tennesee, I can take a picture if need be, why would anyone want something USED/refurbished they only fix what was wrong with the TV not replace USED bulbs inside and all LMAO. I bought my TV at Sears for 999.99 plus a extra 10% off using a Sears card, so the total was only 953.99. My TV fills like its built tough and the picture and sound are very clear, wish every ch. was HD. Goodluck all




I didn't realize that CRT's had bulbs that need to be replaced.


----------



## d1live




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bullgates* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I didn't realize that CRT's had bulbs that need to be replaced.



Lightbulbs of some sort have to be inside, whether they are LED or Filiment type, what Iam getting at is USED is Used remanufactored or not refurbished isnt new.


----------



## badtyper

I still have not seen a post in the new "Calibration" forum regarding the best way to tweak my 34hf85, but I'll lurk and be patient. Once I'd had a little while to actually watch different channels, I've noticed a tremendous difference from channel to channel in PQ. BBC (ch 162 comcast denver) looks great, better than my old Sanyo PQ, Sci-Fi (ch 48 ) looks god-awful, so its probably just a comcast issue. HD is awesome, so overall I'm still satisfied with my purchase. Probably will return the HDMI-DVI cable (best buy monster cable) and use comp cables, seems to be virtually no diff in PQ. I'll replace the HDMI-DVI from best buy with non-monster, save the $100.


----------



## Kythlyn

Just for future people considering the 26", I just bought and returned it within 24 hours for many of the reasons previously stated in this thread. Don't buy these things.


----------



## Ben74




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *nheilweil* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Here's a weird issue which I'd like to throw out to you guys for your suggestions...
> 
> 
> I have a new setup Motorola DCT6412, Comcast, Toshiba 26HL84 connected via component input. I'm having an issue on only 1 digital channel: during SD show it looks normal, but during HD show it looks completely blue...totally saturated with blue!
> 
> 
> My other HD channels look great, so it's a mystery: I've swapped out cables, the DCT box, and my friends in the same area don't seem to have the issue.
> 
> 
> It's almost like on this 1 channel, the 1080i sync messes up the blue.
> 
> 
> Got the set at Costco, so I could return for another if you guys think it might help! I'm going to try a DVI-HDMI cable into my set to see if that helps.
> 
> 
> Any help/suggestions/ideas would be appreciated!
> 
> 
> Nicholas




I am having this exact same problem with my new 34hfx85. One, and only one, HD channel is totally tinted blue. One other channel has what I describe as horizontal shadow bars that flicker on and off. Is my only option returning the TV? I purchased it from Crutchfield and have no idea how much of a hassle it would be to return it. Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


Ben


----------



## Ratman

If only one channel has the "blue" problem, I would not recommend messing around in the service menus. It may not be a "TV" issue.


If you have cable, you should contact your provider to take a look and try to resolve.


----------



## Ben74




> Quote:
> I am having this exact same problem with my new 34hfx85. One, and only one, HD channel is totally tinted blue. One other channel has what I describe as horizontal shadow bars that flicker on and off. Is my only option returning the TV? I purchased it from Crutchfield and have no idea how much of a hassle it would be to return it. Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!



I did more testing. I also have a 42H81 that is HD ready and a cable HD converter box for each TV. Both converter boxes have no problem on the 42H81. All HD channels come in fine. I have the problem above with both boxes connected to the 34HFX85.


I also took one box and hooked it up to the 42H81 and all the HD channels were working perfectly. Then all I did was disconnect the component cables from the back of the 42 and connected them to the back of the 34. I made no other changes. The problems were still there on the 34.


Is this really a problem with the TV or is it the cable signal? It seems so strange that I am only having problems with 2 of the 7 HD channels and only on the 34 TV. Why would it be a problem with the TV if the other 5 HD channels come in perfectly? A DVD signal through the composite video inputs look fine also.


I called Crutchfield and they thought it was the cable companies problem. Any additional thoughts? TV or cable company? Thanks again for any help you can give me!


Ben


----------



## d1live

Sounds like the TV to me, only problem with mine is the picture isnt straight, I called Sears Service and their sending someone here Friday to fix it, hopefully the guy will Calibrate it for me, Ive notice alot bent looking pictures lately all of them different than my Toshiba 34HF85, besides that I really like my TV, the HD channels look awesome Iam using a HDMI cable with NO problems with it, component video also looked good before switching to the HDMI cable, I ran a optical line from my DTV HD reciever to my Onkyo TIB 6-ch system and the sound is amazing.


----------



## Ben74

I really like the TV. I did try 2 different cables and it didn't make a difference. I used the exact, and I mean EXACT, same setup to connect both the 34 and 42 inch TVs. The 34 has the problems and the 42 does not. The 42 is about 3 or 4 years old now. I can't figure out why it would have these problems with just 2 of the 7 HD broadcasts through our local cable company. That would make it seem like a cable HD signal problem to me, buth the 42 TV works just fine with the exact same signal. The "cable guy" is coming out on Tuesday, so I'll see what he has to say.


I called Crutchfield tech support and they said it must be a cable signal issue. I'm going to call Toshiba tech support on Monday and see what they have to say. Thanks for all the responses so far!


Ben


----------



## bmanfull

OK, despite all the warnings, I jumped in and purchased the 34HF85 from Best Buy. After install, the text was so blurry that I was not able to read the Comcast cable guide. Fortunately, I purchased the Best Buy extended warranty and had a tech come out. He said when he tried to change focus settings it was not holding them. He wrote it off as a bad picture tube. DVD performance (DVI) is better but still blurred on text.


Part two: I asked for an 30 day exchange and the wait period to have one delivered is over 4 weeks. I am curious why Best Buy is not stocking very many of the 34hf85 in stores and why is supply so limited nationwide? Is there something they know that we don't?


My fear is that the next one will have the same issue. Have other had this problem and resolve it in some manner through calibration?


----------



## bmanfull

Thanks for the input. If I do have a problem with the 2nd set, I will know what to ask the tech look for.


Anyone else have this problem?


Bill


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bmanfull* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Part two: I asked for an 30 day exchange and the wait period to have one delivered is over 4 weeks. I am curious why Best Buy is not stocking very many of the 34hf85 in stores and why is supply so limited nationwide? Is there something they know that we don't?



When I checked the 4 BestBuy stores near me, 2 had the 34HF85 and 2 did not (2 stores in MA did, but the 2 stores in NH did not and I wanted to save $50 in tax by buying and picking up in NH). At one of the Best Buys I spoke with, the guy told me they would be getting more next week. I also asked him if he was aware of many returns, but he said nothing out of the ordinary, the usual 1 or 2 that occurs with all brands/units.


When I ordered from Crutchfield, I noticed you can increase the quantity to get a sense of their stock and upcoming shipments. They could fulfill 11 34HF85s, but when I upped it to 12, it said Out of stock, not able to ship until October 7th. So I kept increasing the quantity until it around 25 or 50 (I forget) it said not able to ship until October 24th.


So it looked like they only had a dozen or so units, were expecting another couple dozen this week and another shipment at the end of the month. Once the quantity went over 50 or 100, it said it couldn't be fulfilled online, please call 1-800-xxx-xxxx.


----------



## Ben74

Just an update. Crutchfield is replacing my 34HFX85 free of charge without any hassles. Their service and support is excellent!


The cable company was out to my house today and couldn't find any problems at all with the signal or setup. In fact, the technician unhooked the cable line to the HD box and then went into the box's diagnostic screens. You could see the shadow lines/bars and flickering in the diagnostic screens on the 34HFX85. When he did the same on the 42HF81, the picture was fine. It has to be a problem with the television. It is just odd that it is only a problem on 2 of the 7 HD channels.


I should state once more how easy it has been working with Crutchfield sales, service, and support. They are replacing the television with very few questions asked after I explained the problem to them. It's so refreshing to find a company with such good customer service these days.


Thanks to everyone here for your help!


Ben


----------



## bmanfull

Have you received your 34HF85 yet? If so, did you have any major adjustments to make? I am in NH so my guess is that you are on Comcast. Just wanted to make sure that the blooming text problem was not something other than the TV.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bmanfull* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Have you received your 34HF85 yet? If so, did you have any major adjustments to make? I am in NH so my guess is that you are on Comcast. Just wanted to make sure that the blooming text problem was not something other than the TV.



Just shipped today. Yes, I am in MA on Comcast.


Reading what Ben74 has experienced, I'm very glad I ordered from Crutchfield.


----------



## Matt.Baldwin

Recieved my 34HFX85 from Crutchfield today. This is my first HDTV, so maybe I'm expecting too much, but after 30 minutes of jumping around some cable channels, a few DVDs and an XBox game, I decided I like my old non-HD TV better.


My wife and I use to exclaim what a beautiful movie Finding Nemo is on our non-HD TV, so we couldn't wait to check that one out in high definition with progressive scan.


It looks like total crap! I try adjusting the standard video settings and it's always too red or too green or too bright or too dim or any combination.


I admit I could be missing something, but I'd think Toshiba would want their HD TVs to have PQ comparable to a non-HD TVs out of box leaving tweaks to make it even better.


I'm going to spend a couple of days tweaking what I can then I may just return it and go HD some other year.


----------



## bmanfull




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Matt.Baldwin* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Recieved my 34HFX85 from Crutchfield today. This is my first HDTV, so maybe I'm expecting too much, but after 30 minutes of jumping around some cable channels, a few DVDs and an XBox game, I decided I like my old non-HD TV better.
> 
> 
> My wife and I use to exclaim what a beautiful movie Finding Nemo is on our non-HD TV, so we couldn't wait to check that one out in high definition with progressive scan.
> 
> 
> It looks like total crap! I try adjusting the standard video settings and it's always too red or too green or too bright or too dim or any combination.
> 
> 
> I admit I could be missing something, but I'd think Toshiba would want their HD TVs to have PQ comparable to a non-HD TVs out of box leaving tweaks to make it even better.
> 
> 
> I'm going to spend a couple of days tweaking what I can then I may just return it and go HD some other year.



Buyer's remorse is an awful thing. I had a similar let down when I fired up my 34hf85 for the first time. I am hoping that the replacement TV will undo my disappointment. If not, it is a good rationalization to go to an LCD or Plasma.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Matt.Baldwin* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My wife and I use to exclaim what a beautiful movie Finding Nemo is on our non-HD TV, so we couldn't wait to check that one out in high definition with progressive scan.
> 
> 
> It looks like total crap! I try adjusting the standard video settings and it's always too red or too green or too bright or too dim or any combination.



Component or S-video connection?


When I get my 34HF85 I am going to try an upconverting DVD player, using both component and HDMI to see if there is any difference (compared to old progressive DVD player). Perhaps it's the Toshiba CrystalScan HDSCdoing a poor job. Not many people complain about the HD stations, so perhaps feeding it a digital 1080i signal may help.


I'm also going to consider ISF calibration, but I hate the idea of spending more money (25%+ of the cost) on a relatively inexpensive set.


----------



## badtyper

Matt,

I have the 34hf85,

hooked up to a 4 year old, lower range dvd player, hooked up to tv with component.

My 2 year old son's favorite movie is Nemo, and it looks fantastic on the tv. Having seen the movie 100s of times prior to the new 34hf85, I feel I can make a good comparative judgement. Try a better connection to player, maybe that will help. My ONLY complaint on the Tosh from my old Sanyo (non-hd) is the standard cable sometimes is crappy, most notably on the Sci-fi channel. Because other SD channels look much better, I think its a signal problem on certain channels. Hope your problem is easily solved, if not, take the 140+ pound thing back. I originally went with a Philips tv, didn't like it, and Best Buy picked the Philips up when they delivered the new Tosh, so maybe that's an easier (for your back) solution.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If you do want your 34HF85 calibrated, make sure you inform the ISF calibrator first that the TV is made by Orion/Sansui.



... and tell him, "Walter Chan sent you!"


----------



## CrocHunter

LMAO










Seroiusly Walter you better stop while your ahead or the boys in black will be knocking at your door soon










And i don't mean the MIB either


----------



## CrocHunter

True but i don't think Toshibe want's you to give up it's secret conspiracy


----------



## HomeAppraiser

I just purchased the Toshiba 30HF85 on Monday and it has problems. There are faint wide moving arcs of light and dark moving over and distorting the picture. The lines are like ripples being drawn from the top to the bottom over the picture. The problem occurs with both cable TV and DVD viewing. I wold say they were scan lines, but there is a slight tilt of the lines as they move from upper left to lower right . We adjusted everything including tilt to no avail. Is this a common tube problem? The colors are great with movie DVDs but can be too intense (even after tweeking the setting) with a regular SD TV show such as CSI.


----------



## d1live

Sears repair man showed up around 9AM this morning and first thing he did is took off the rear of the TV (to fix the bent look LOL) he starts twisting the tube, then I informed him of the Image tilt which basically does the same thing, at this point I decided to return it because he made things worse, Blurred text was now a problem. So I went to CC and took advantage of the 0% fin. and bought a Sony 42A10 LCD projection - Iam now watching it and LOVE IT, didnt even adjust anything- so far Id say perfect, but Iam sure to pick at something LOL, I unloaded this TV Myself and hooked everything up, it was very easy considering the TV only weighs 65pounds. No more tube TV's for me, this TV is the ****, ended up paying $1899 -18months NO int. I still believe the Toshiba could have been Calibrated and would have been OK but Iam glad the boat anchor is gone. Buying a bulb every couple of years is no problem to me, found bulbs for $150 seaching the Web, and the owners manual shows step by step procedures in replacing it yourself. Goodluck all


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba never wants this to be revealed out to the public. I was surprised to see Toshiba lying to its customers claiming that all of its CRT televisions are not being outsourced. That's bad business practice.



They made these partnerships back in 1995... even before HDTV.
http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/1995_03/pr1001.htm 


Find a new obsession.


----------



## Ratman

Did you read the last paragraph?


And Orion is Orion... no matter where in the world it's assembled/manufactured. Are you predudice against Thai's? Are they not capable of the same tasks as Koreans, Japanese, or others?


This article is from 1995... you were only 10 years old.

http://www.orion-electric.co.jp/en/b...usinesses.html


----------



## ecpunx

I just want to add my experiences so far with my 30HF85..


I did have the problem with the white glow at the top of the screen and was able to eliminate it by changing the output on my STB to 720p.


Light text on dark backgrounds still has a glowing effect. I can sometimes see scan lines, especially on standard broadcasts. The red accentuation problem is present on my tv as well.


The HD picture quality is not as sharp as I expected, sometimes I wonder if i am even watching an HD program. Things seem almost out of focus, text, expecially white text is slightly blurry. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I must admit that I am a bit dissapointed overall. I expected to be blown away by the PQ of HD but it just looks like a really good standard picture to me. Some of the finer details are present, but not in the scope that I had expected. I am hoping that maybe a calibration DVD will help make things better but I am not too optomistic. If you buy a TV online, please make sure that there is a very liberal return policy. If I could go back and do it again, I would probably opt to spend $200 more for a different brand.


----------



## stewblew

I just want to share what my local TV repairman told me over by phone:


"Orion/Sansui: Your basic, cheap junk 3 years max TV set. We see them come in all the time with worn out picture tubes after 2 years. Plus, multiple other failures."


I think waltchan has been right about these Orion assumptions most of the time. These Toshibas are indeed made by Orion. I looked through the ventilation holes and saw the word "ORION" printed at the picture tube. These Orion Toshibas are not designed to last very long. So many people here are having problems right now. Heck, I own a Toshiba 30HF85, and I am now getting red glow spots at the bottom right side of the screen. Hey, I still feel ripped off from Toshiba.


----------



## HomeAppraiser




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Do you mean to say that you are seeing glow spots on the screen?



No glow spots. I think CSI was wacked on the channel that TIVO recorded off of. DVD has good color, but still distortion bands about an inch apart traveling down the tube. Like ripples on a pond only straight and not going exactly up to down. I removed all magnetic sources such as surround sound speakers and it is still the same. A tech is coming out on the 19th. It may return it, which is a shame considering I got it new for only six-hundred and twenty USD. An recommendations on a 32" flat panel LCD under $1800?


----------



## Ben74

Here's my latest update. I was having the problem where one HD channel was totally blue tinted and another had shadow bars whenever the camera was moving/panning. I also noticed last night that I had the white glow at the top of the screen on all HD channels.


I was able to make all these problems disappear by removing the 1080i signal option on my cable set top box. Everything was fine when I removed that 1080i signal option. That has to indicate a problem with the TV, right? Does anyone know if this is a problem with all of these Toshiba TVs or just some of them? If I get a replacement, should I expect the problem to be resolved? Is there any reason that I should just keep the TV I have and not use the 1080i signal from my cable set top box? It seems ridiculous to keep what appears to be a defective TV. Any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


Ben


----------



## mdtiberi

Just purchased the 34HF85. Fortunately I have not experienced any of the serious issues folks have been talking about like the white glow and basic geometry issues. However, I am concerned about the ghosting effect of the lettering in the basic menu. This is probably casued by poor electron beam focus which may require a harware adjustment rather than just accesing the service menu. There was no obvious parameter control here for e-beam focus but I don't have the service manual and the options are a bit archaic so I am not going to guess. E beam focus adjustment of the magnetic focus coil is rather tricky business. To do it right you have to turn off deflection and run an ac current in the coil and physcially adjust the postion of the coil on the neck of the tube. I would think this process is outside even ISF trained technicians. I did notice that paramenter 2 on the service menu displays a few pixels on the left side of the screen and I suspect it may be for this purpose. But turning off defelction runs the risk of burning the phosphur and may not even be neccesary if "2" is whay I think it is.


Alll things considered I am not quite ready to return my 34HF85 but it remains an option if I cannot find an easy fix. Does anyone know what parms on the service menu may control the ebeam focus?


One thing I do notice is that the reds are way too hot and lowering the brightness settings really helps with PQ. Perhaps the red bias is set too high since this will drive the beam harder making is brighter, but that could throw the color balance way off without knowing the proper GB values


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The service menu cannot let you adjust the e-beam focus at all. It only lets you adjust the color and screen position. My Orion 20" FTDV2004 TV/DVD/VCR combo cannot, so your Toshiba 34HF85 cannot. You can try adjusting the rings at the neck of the tube by removing the rear cover, but it is not an easy job and is not recommended.
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, this one can be adjusted in the service menu, but there is no guarantee that it will go away. There should be about 3-4 different red color settings in the service menu.



The rings on the CRT neck are probably for centering the ebeam not for focusing. The focus depends on the pitch/yaw of the focus coil relative to the beam. It focuses much like optical lenses, one is trying to find the focal point. I am not sure you can say that just because your Orion TV does not have software focus control that the 34HF85 therefore does not. You may be right, but I'll check when I get the service manual.


----------



## mdtiberi

Got the service manual for the 30HF85 and the service menu items are identical to the my 34HF85. Seems that the electron beam focus, which I think is responsible for blurry text, is electrostatic and not electromagnetic as I thought in earlier post. The schematics clearly show focus pins on the CRT and there is some adjustment called "Double Focus" in the manual which shows three pots in the illustration. Will tweak them tommorow to see what happens.


----------



## glunnen

If anyone here has had success using an HTPC (home theatre PC) with the 34HF85 (or similar HDTV model), can you provide the particulars of your setup including the exact resolution and timing settings that work with this TV? Thanks.


Greg


----------



## mdtiberi

Opened the back of my 34HF85. Did not see anything on the circut boards or CRT saying "Made by Orion". However, there is a logo I did not recognize which is a clue, see attached photo. Other than that, the back of the set says made by Toshiba in the USA - good enuf for me!


Found the focus adjustment after taking off the back cover. Really dumb that this is not accesible via the service menu. Some minor adjustment of the trim pots and voila, no ghosting of the text or in the image. If you look at the photo attached there are three pots one for horizontal, vertical and both. It was easy enough to adjust the pots while I was looking at the front of the screen. They are VERY sensitive and if you turn the pot for both HV too much the image will blank out. Just be very careful and be sure to use a non-conductive pot tweaker.


Next step Spyder2 Pro!


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Can you also provide a picture of the specification sticker at the picture tube? The two pictures you provided look like Orion assembled to me. The 34HF85 is not made by Toshiba.
> 
> 
> By the way, the neck circuit board comes with the letter "K" printed on it. It tells me that this board was made in the Orion Korat Denki factory in Thailand. In the focus adjust picture, I saw a yellow bar code sticker at the corner of the board that tells me already enough that the main board was assembled by Orion. I think most of the parts are Made in Thailand.



Sorry but the photo I took of the CRT sticker is really blurry, maybe you can make something out.


Frankly, I don't think it matters where the boards were stuffed. I am sure the schematics were desgined by Toshiba and that is the only thing that really counts. Bottom line is that I am pleased with the PQ and the craftsmanship on the inside is clean and well done.


----------



## mdtiberi

So the only thing "Toshiba" about the 34HF85 is the branding, circuit boards, tubes, etc. are fabricated in far flung places in this era of globalization. The point is does it really matter? One cannot underestimate the significance of the Toshiba brand name, they are not going to jeporadize that for what is a small market just to save a few bucks. What I am interested in is how does Toshiba manage their quality control for their outsourced CRT displays. It will be telling a year or two from now when the set has some actual hours on it. It is that uncertainty that makes me consider exchanging for a Sony. I hope you bought the extended warranty.


Focus adjustment went well, see prior post.


If you do take off the back cover to your set it was a bear to get back on until I figured out how to do it. The bottom must align with the input/output jacks and slip into two circuit boards. The easy way to do this is to tilt your set forward when you put the cover back on and then tighten down the screws. I had to do this myself and it was tricky to both hold the set on an angle and tighten the screws. Best to have someone to help.


----------



## mkreef

Got my Motorola DCT6412 (DVR and HD) today in anticipation of delivery of my 34HF85. (Dissapointed it came with DVI, I thought there were HDMI boxes).


The installers asked what brand of TV and I told them Toshiba, so they programmed the remote for a Toshiba TV. Of course looking at the remote guide, there is a separate setup code for Orion. I wonder what one will work...


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba has already placed a trust in Orion for its ability to provide high quality electronics at a higher output but at a lower production cost. I don't think I need an extended warranty because my 34HF84 is made by Toshiba and has already been proven to be a reliable set. Removing the back cover of my 34HF84 will be different from the 34HF85 because the cover is in a different shape. Oh wait, I've just realized something here. I don't think I can open up my 34HF84 because I will need a hexagon-shaped screwdriver. Damn. All of the Toshiba-made CRT TVs use hexagon-shaped screws. How can I forget.



I too thought I needed a hex screw driver to take off the back cover. After a closer look and verified after the cover came off, they were only the ports for the injection molding. Just need a phillips to do the job. Perhaps this is one of the differences bewtween an Orion made set and those made by Toshiba. If it is then it's a lame trick to appear more "Toshiba-like". It will be interesting to see what you find.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Got my Motorola DCT6412 (DVR and HD) today in anticipation of delivery of my 34HF85. (Dissapointed it came with DVI, I thought there were HDMI boxes).
> 
> 
> The installers asked what brand of TV and I told them Toshiba, so they programmed the remote for a Toshiba TV. Of course looking at the remote guide, there is a separate setup code for Orion. I wonder what one will work...



There is an adapter for HDMI to DVI so don't despair. You can also buy HDMI to DVI cables. I think but may be wrong that the audio will not come over DVI only HDMI so you would need audio cables.


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Got my Motorola DCT6412 (DVR and HD) today in anticipation of delivery of my 34HF85. (Dissapointed it came with DVI, I thought there were HDMI boxes).
> 
> 
> The installers asked what brand of TV and I told them Toshiba, so they programmed the remote for a Toshiba TV. Of course looking at the remote guide, there is a separate setup code for Orion. I wonder what one will work...




mkreef-

I have the 34hf85, it responded to the Toshiba code, I believe the 2nd entry.

HDMI-DVI, I had to do audio separately.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> There is an adapter for HDMI to DVI so don't despair. You can also buy HDMI to DVI cables. I think but may be wrong that the audio will not come over DVI only HDMI so you would need audio cables.



Sorry, yes I realize that. In fact, I went down to Radio Shack right after the Comcast installer left and picked up a Monster DVI to HDMI converter (Monster was the only brand).


I was just under the impression there was a Motorola DCT6412 (Phase III?) with a direct HDMI output. The installer gave me a DVI cable, but no adapter (even though I told him my new TV arriving tomorrow has HDMI input, not DVI).


Since the audio will go directly to the A/V receiver anyway (via toslink), no big deal using DVI I suppose.


----------



## mdtiberi

Quote:

Originally Posted by *waltchan*
Interesting, my new Toshiba 34HF84 will be arriving tomorrow as well. Can't wait. Let's compete on who has a better TV.








Just went through calibration with the Spyder TV, results attached. It definately improved the PQ. On the DVD there are additional test patterns for brightness and contrast with 32 gradiations each. The contrast looked good but the blacks appear crushed. Still trying to decipher these test patterns.


I think that the cut-off voltage may be set too high so it takes a lot of amplifer bandwidth to turn on the RGB guns. I would adjust the cut-off voltage but I would have to put a scope on it to to figure out what I'm doing. UInfortuanatley if I improve the black levels it might crush the whites. I have to do this kinda thing at work and don't really want to do it at home.


Get a Spyder TV so we can compare notes.

 

SpyderTV Report Night.pdf 313.208984375k . file


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ehhh, $250 for a Spyder TV. No thanks. I would rather have my new 34HF84 professionally ISF calibrated for the same cost than a software.



Youre' right on that. After my initial enthusiasm for the Spyder TV when I changed channels to broadcast HD the picture was way oversaturatred and no black level detail. I am surprised that broadcast HD would vary soo much since the HD format is supposed to conform to SMPTE standards. Also if you look at the Spyder report I posted the contrast is non-linear; troubling indeed.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> mkreef, my new Toshiba 34HF84 arrived today and I have no complain to make at all. How is your new 34HF85 doing?



It is OK. The HD channels look great (all of them, no funny colors). The SD channels aren't so great, but I'm not sure if it's just the bigger screen size that is allowing me to see more (combined with stretching from the TheaterWide mode). It replaced a 9-year old Sony KV-27V20 Trinitron that was perfect (except for size).


When we got the new Motorola DCT6412 yesterday, there was a definite improvement in PQ on the Sony, but I assumed that was mostly from switching from RF to S-video into the TV. It also proved to me that the SD channels are good from the new HD STB.


The delivery guys hooked up the 34HF85 using the existing S-video cable, and the cable menus/onscreen text looked horrible with tons of artifacts, making the text blurry. When they left and I plugged in the DVI -> HDMI, the artifacts dissapeared and the text turned crystal clear.


The colors on the TV look horrible, but I've yet to make any adjustments. I may start with the Avia/DVE to adjust the colors, or get an ISF calibration, since I don't really know what I'm doing.


I've yet to hook up my DVD player, but it's a 7-year old Sony (no progressive, no component output, etc). so I'm going to reserve judgement until I get a new DVD player (upscaling HDMI).


I'm also not sure if I should put the cable in the component inputs and the DVD in the HDMI, or vice versa. I'll probably try both ways.


On the plus side, it's a perfect fit for my entertainment center. Until it was delivered today I was having second thoughts. Thought about refusing delivery and ordering a refurb 34HF84 or picking up one of those 30SX955s from BestBuy for $850. And of course after reading about your find at BestBuy, I thought about calling every BestBuy in a 200 mile radius looking for another one.










I'll have to re-read the whole thread to see what other problems have been reported, but I definitely don't see any bright lines, glow spots or input problems. I flipped the cable box from 1080i to 720p and back with no noticable change.


The fact is, regardless of any problems I encounter, I'll be keeping the set and will work through Toshiba and Crutchfield for any show stoppers I encounter.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I do have some very few, not so important annoyances in my 34HF84. I can see blue color spill out over the texts. Both at the top corner of the sides have blue color spillouts as well. These can be corrected with a calibration disc very easily. But, otherwise, I don't find anything wrong with it at all. On-screen texts are very sharp looking. Color is excellent. SD channels look great. I am very happy with it. I am sorry to hear that you judge your 34HF85 only okay. It's just a typical Orion quality people should expect. I already looked carefully inside my 34HF84 through the ventilation holes, both left and right, and I don't find any Orion assembled parts at all. I also saw some Made in Japan Toshiba parts too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I doubt you will find anymore leftover, brand new in the box Toshiba 34HF84. The Best Buy I bought my 34HF84 at told me that this one was almost forgotten in the back-storage area. It was actually an accident. They were surprised to see that they actually had one, brand new 34HF84 left. Luckily, good thing it's reserved for me.



One cannot really see anything of significance by just looking through the ventilation holes. If you really want to know what's in your 34HF84 your going to have to take the back cover off. Post some photos.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My Tosh 34HF85 was ISF calibrated yesterday by Chad Billheimer. I am very, very pleased with the results. All aspects of performance of this set were improved by the calibration. Geometry issues were corrected, overscan was reduced from about 8% to 6%. Grey scale adjustments led to vast improvements in picture quality. White text and icons no longer bloom into surrounding black as they did when I first hooked up the set. Color balance adjustments have improved the picture quality also and HD content especially now really shines.




Do you mind me asking what you paid for the ISF calibration? I am getting quotes from ISF techs in the Boston area for my 34HF85.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, fburch got me fired up to ISF calibrate my 34HF85 as well! I could get someone local here in FL, but I already spoke with Chad (he calibrated fburch's TVs) in Ohio and he's coming down to FL in a month. I guess good things comes to those who wait!


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Are you kidding? That's going to be a lot of work. I don't have a hexagon-shaped screwdriver with me, and this thing is so heavy. But one thing I know for sure is that my 34HF84 inside looks way different from the 34HF85.



As I said in an earlier post the hex screws may not be screws at all but just insertion pionts for the injection molding, examine it closely. Frankly you don't know anything for sure by just looking though the vent holes. Removing the back cover is a breeze, you just have to be patient when puttng it back on and angle the set slightly to align the bottom screws.


----------



## fburch

mkreef - Go to http://www.hdtvbychadb.com/ for a description of Chad B's fees and services. I remain very pleased with my set following ISF calibration. Good luck with whatever decision you make.


----------



## mkreef

Day 2 with my 34HF85.


Hooked the DCT6412 to component, paused HD content, flipped back and forth between HDMI and component. Couldn't tell a difference to my naked eye. Good enough for me, I'll keep cable on the component input.


Bought a Sony DVP-NS70H upscaling DVD player tonight to replace a 6-year old 480i player (via s-video). 1080i signal straight to the HDMI input.


Wow! I don't know where the biggest improvement came from, but it's like night and day. My wife and I were blown away. Put in Finding Nemo, Harry Potter, Sin City. All of them looked as good as the best HD content to us. It exceeded our expectations.


Watching the DVDs tonight has put the biggest smile on my face. I'm getting happier with this set. Still no sign of the common 34HF85 known problems.


I'm still debating the ISF calibration. Maybe I should try the Avia myself and see how much better it gets. $300 (ISF) for a $950 TV is a lot of money. Can't hurt to try a $40 DVD and I'll probably learn something along the way.


I assume greyscale adjustment is done through the service menu?


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> They are hex screws. They turn like real screws. They are not injection molding or plonts. My 34HF84 is working very well, and there is no point for me to open up the rear cover and fear that I may break something accidentally. Maybe I'll do it someday, but not now. You opened up your 34HF85 because it was not working right. If my 34HF84, at anytime, is not working right all of a sudden, of course I'll open it up and take pictures.



Well there indeed is one of the physical differences (cost as well) between the 34HF84 and 34HF85. "Not working right" is an overstatment to say the least, I am an engineer so I am a bit fussy about things compared to the average joe.


It is clear that you are not fond of Orion and dare I say I think it compromises your objectivity. From the ancedotal evidence it is impossible to conclude that "Orion-built" Toshibas are inferior in PQ to "Toshiba-built" sets or any other for that matter. In this forum even the highly praised Sony XBR is not without its problems. Only time will tell.


To date, after DVE and Spyder TV, I am happy with the PQ. Even NTSC looks good now and the sample footage on the DVE disk blew me away


----------



## rockjav

Ok, I'm sure this has been answered before, I just forget where!!!


....here's the thing, I have a 30HF84 with a great picture from my service menu tweaks, but I have a minor DC restoration annoyance (common, I've read) with it. I was wondering if there were any special surge protectors or other electronic component I could buy that would take this annoyance away??


----------



## lennsx

If anyone lives on the west coast of Florida (near Tampa) and wants their TV calibrated by Chad B (mentioned below in these posts) let either him or me know. From fburch's glorious review of Chad's calibration skills, I want to get him down to FL asap! Plus, he gives a discount for more than one calibration per area. So let's DO this (insert bass-filled hip-hop beat here)


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rockjav* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok, I'm sure this has been answered before, I just forget where!!!
> 
> 
> ....here's the thing, I have a 30HF84 with a great picture from my service menu tweaks, but I have a minor DC restoration annoyance (common, I've read) with it. I was wondering if there were any special surge protectors or other electronic component I could buy that would take this annoyance away??



Take a look at the products from Video Storm. http://www.video-storm.com/products.asp I tried the CB003a with my 30hf84 and ran into the dc restoration problem (screen blacking out during intense scenes) Their technical staff identified the problem immediately and suggested a new switch they just released. It's the CSW62 and it has active dc restoration built in. I think it starts shipping on the 18th.


Good company to work with, great return policy and good technical support. Let us know how you make out.


----------



## superstation

has anyone experienced any trouble hooking a DVD player to the 34hf85? I have a toshiba DVD that worked fine on my old tv...the player is only 6 months old. I tried hooking it up with the component cables. Normally I would think the trouble was due to my own idiocy but the best buy delivery guys couldn't get it to work either. The picture works okay with normal A/V inputs, but there is no picture whatsoever when using the component inputs.


----------



## superstation

I get not picture with either component input. I tried exchanging the wires, but that didn't help. The cable guy is supposed to come on Wed. Is it worth it to wait until he comes and see if the HD hookup works.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *superstation* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I get not picture with either component input. I tried exchanging the wires, but that didn't help. The cable guy is supposed to come on Wed. Is it worth it to wait until he comes and see if the HD hookup works.



Make sure you have connected the cables correctly, that is the RGB cables are in the correct jacks. Are you certain that you have selected the right source input? Do you get audio?


Try using the S-Video input from your player to the TV just to make sure your getting a signal out.


----------



## superstation

My buddy who is an electrical engineer came over with his DVD and component cables. We had the same problem using his DVD and cables. I get audio, just no picture whatsoever. It's as if the TV is not reading the video input at all...I just get a black screen. Tried the DVD player on my old tv, worked well. My buddy tried fiddling aroung with all the progressive scan commands, etc. Nothing's worked. My DVD player is a toshiba SD-3980SU2, his was a sony.


----------



## nilleg

Is your dvd player video output set to component?


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Do you think the Best Buy delivery guys would connect the cables incorrectly to the TV? I don't think so. Problem may be coming from the DVD player itself where the component out does not work, cable wire, or the TV itself. What kind of Toshiba DVD player is it, and what's the model number?




Your obviously not an engineer Walt, never assume anything until you have checked it out your self.



"Trust but Verify"

- Ronald Reagan


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yes, I'm not an engineer, but I have connected a DVD player to a TV many times before with component input, either in progressive-scan mode on or off. I'm familiar with the SD-3980 DVD player and 34HF85 TV settings already. If you don't think it's the TV fault, what do you think the problem is?




It's always hard to say given that we're not there. Superstation did bring in his engineer friend so it is resonable to conclude it is the component inputs on TV. But then again...


----------



## superstation

We tried putting the progressive scan on already. The menu comes up when using A/V cords in any of the video inputs, however nothing comes up when using the component inputs, so you can't even see a menu of what you are doing. We tried doing it "blindly" several times but had no luck. His DVD player he brought over was already set to progressive since my buddy has had HDTV for a year. Again, same exact problem. I'm hoping it's just a configuration thing that I'm missing. I figured I'd wait to see if the cable guy has any luck with the cable hook-up.


----------



## superstation

I don't know if I'll exchange it or get a different tv or just get my money back. I bought it from best buy in Watertown, MA. I don't like the mixed reviews that I'm seeing for this model. Is it worth it to spend the extra money for a Sony? I also didn't order the $200 best buy protection, but that shouldn't affect anything because I've only had the tv for 2 days.


----------



## mdtiberi

Setup:


Toshiba 34HF85

Direct TV HR10-250


Problem:


Intermittent moving black splotches and/or lines, color shifting. Seen in recorded broadcast HD and live mostly on CBS, not during commercials. SD is fine.


The problem either originates in the TV, the TIVO or in the broadcast. I grabbed my oscilliscope (300MHz) from work and looked at the green component channel coming off the Tivo to the TV. I decided to use green becasue I could trigger off the sync pulse. One caveat, however, my scope is digtal and I am looking at an analog signal. Some would say it doesn't matter others say it would. After spending about an hour looking at the waveforms I could not detect the artifacts. Not to say they weren't there but it certainly wasn't obvious. I probably will look at it again using an analog scope just to be sure.


Anyone experience similar issues? Perhaps Walt has made me paranoid about my Toshiba (or is it Orion) ;-)


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Intermittent moving black splotches and/or lines, color shifting. Seen in recorded broadcast HD and live mostly on CBS, not during commercials. SD is fine.
> 
> 
> Anyone experience similar issues? Perhaps Walt has made me paranoid about my Toshiba (or is it Orion) ;-)



No problems like this whatsoever (comcast). I was concerned about many of the common problems in this thread, but I've yet to encounter one. The worst I can say about my 34HF85 seems to be the poor factory calibration.


I'm still trying to decide to drop $300 for an ISF calibration. For me, cost of the set was not an issue, size of the set was the limitation and the Toshiba (with the bottom speakers -- why doesn't anyone else do this) was the only 34" that fit. Otherwise I would have gone with a Sony, but I couldn't bear the thought of only getting a 30" (Truth be told, I originally was looking at 30" Sonys and was excited to find the Toshiba 34").


----------



## String216

I have the same issue, but only on 1080i. Under 720p It is not an issue. So anything on a FOX or Disney Station I use 720p as the output and the rest, I just deal. I figure, when they find the fix, ill have them come and fix it, or replace it.


For the Toshiba DVD issue. I had the same problem, then realized the Toshiba DVD has a physical switch that I needed to toggle to use the component output. Felt pretty dumb after.


I also have a yellow glow in the bottom right corner. Has anyone had that successfully fixed?


Does anyone have the service manual for the 34HF85?


TIA



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Setup:
> 
> 
> Toshiba 34HF85
> 
> Direct TV HR10-250
> 
> 
> Problem:
> 
> 
> Intermittent moving black splotches and/or lines, color shifting. Seen in recorded broadcast HD and live mostly on CBS, not during commercials. SD is fine.
> 
> 
> The problem either originates in the TV, the TIVO or in the broadcast. I grabbed my oscilliscope (300MHz) from work and looked at the green component channel coming off the Tivo to the TV. I decided to use green becasue I could trigger off the sync pulse. One caveat, however, my scope is digtal and I am looking at an analog signal. Some would say it doesn't matter others say it would. After spending about an hour looking at the waveforms I could not detect the artifacts. Not to say they weren't there but it certainly wasn't obvious. I probably will look at it again using an analog scope just to be sure.
> 
> 
> Anyone experience similar issues? Perhaps Walt has made me paranoid about my Toshiba (or is it Orion) ;-)


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *String216* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have the same issue, but only on 1080i. Under 720p It is not an issue. So anything on a FOX or Disney Station I use 720p as the output and the rest, I just deal. I figure, when they find the fix, ill have them come and fix it, or replace it.
> 
> 
> For the Toshiba DVD issue. I had the same problem, then realized the Toshiba DVD has a physical switch that I needed to toggle to use the component output. Felt pretty dumb after.
> 
> 
> I also have a yellow glow in the bottom right corner. Has anyone had that successfully fixed?
> 
> 
> Does anyone have the service manual for the 34HF85?
> 
> 
> TIA




I had a green-yellow glow, lower right corner. Corrected by turning the tv on 1st, then turning on the cable box. Don't know if this "fixed" the problem, but as long as the tv is powered on first, it has not occurred again.


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Setup:
> 
> 
> Toshiba 34HF85
> 
> Direct TV HR10-250
> 
> 
> Problem:
> 
> 
> Intermittent moving black splotches and/or lines, color shifting. Seen in recorded broadcast HD and live mostly on CBS, not during commercials. SD is fine.
> 
> 
> The problem either originates in the TV, the TIVO or in the broadcast. I grabbed my oscilliscope (300MHz) from work and looked at the green component channel coming off the Tivo to the TV. I decided to use green becasue I could trigger off the sync pulse. One caveat, however, my scope is digtal and I am looking at an analog signal. Some would say it doesn't matter others say it would. After spending about an hour looking at the waveforms I could not detect the artifacts. Not to say they weren't there but it certainly wasn't obvious. I probably will look at it again using an analog scope just to be sure.
> 
> 
> Anyone experience similar issues? Perhaps Walt has made me paranoid about my Toshiba (or is it Orion) ;-)




I have Comcast Moto HD DVR box, so my experience may be different. I've noticed this problem ONLY on HBO HD, once while viewing a movie, and again on a DVR playback of "Rome". The DVR playback is HD, and I had tremendous pixalation, blurring, black splotches...mainly during action or movement scenes. Don't know why it worked, but I stopped the playback, backed out of DVR, then resumed playback, and voila, perfect picture again. My wife thinks I'm an engineer now.

And yes, me thinks Walt doth protest too much. A little bit too much crusade, not enough unbiased help. All I know is that every new piece of technology I buy doesn't quite work like it should out of the box. Heck, I've already had 3 STBs from Comcast in a month! My 34HF85 is delivering a (to my untrained eyes) fantastic picture for the price., and its probably the ONLY model that fits in the brand new entertainment hutch!


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have Comcast Moto HD DVR box, so my experience may be different. I've noticed this problem ONLY on HBO HD, once while viewing a movie, and again on a DVR playback of "Rome". The DVR playback is HD, and I had tremendous pixalation, blurring, black splotches...mainly during action or movement scenes.



I've yet to encounter this, and I've been watching and recording (with DVR) the HBO HD channel. Same STB.




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My 34HF85 is delivering a (to my untrained eyes) fantastic picture for the price., and its probably the ONLY model that fits in the brand new entertainment hutch!



I would say Ditto (even on the entertaiment hutch size!), except the colors on my set need adjustment. Do you mind telling me your settings? Did you just eyeball it, use Avia/DVE, or have it ISF calibrated?


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've yet to encounter this, and I've been watching and recording (with DVR) the HBO HD channel. Same STB.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I would say Ditto (even on the entertaiment hutch size!), except the colors on my set need adjustment. Do you mind telling me your settings? Did you just eyeball it, use Avia/DVE, or have it ISF calibrated?



Eyeballed, although I would like to get a Avia disc just to make sure.

Color around 19,

Tint in the negative (-3 to -5)

Contrast around 19

I've had to learn to allow for a somewhat darker picture (brightness 25 to 28) on some sports in day games. And, my wife has a much better sense of color, so I just ask her if skin tones looks good. Unfortunately, with me its strictly amateur hour, but if it looks good to my wife and me, its good enough.


----------



## lennsx

Again, a few people have already been absolutely blown away by the PQ difference on the 34HF85 after ISF calibration. Saying money very well spent. I, for one am getting it done as soon as Chad B visits Florida & again, if anyone lives in Florida as well we can probably get Chad down here a lot quicker!


----------



## mdtiberi

I picked up a hand held pattern generator from BK Precision Instruments http://bkprecision.com/www/np_search...tern+Generator and plugged it into the component input of my 34HF85. Very nice instrument, many display formats and patterns. Really simple to use but its pricey.


The most telling was the cross hatch. The RGB convergence was off but not terribly. The worse thing though was a distortion in the vertical lines at the bottom of the screen. Looked like a dozen or so lines are pullled to the left and form notches. This is not a simple fix and is only present in the 1080i signal along with the black weirdness described in an earlier post. It is aslo not very good on the high frequency signal side.


Not sure I am going to keep the set but I am still in my 30 return period. I need to noodle on an ISF calibration but I will bet these guys can't really open up my set and adjust the magnetics. If the problem is how the 34HF85 deals with the HD signal (or how it doesn't) then I'll exhange it for a Sony. Too bad becasue I like many things about the set especially the form factor but in the end it's the picture that counts.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Someone is having a problem with a Toshiba 26HF85 and needs help desperately:
> 
> http://forums.animeondvd.com/showfla...fpart=all&vc=1
> 
> 
> I really feel sorry for him.




(Walt, so even though you got your 34HF84, you're going to continue on this Orion/Toshiba crusade)?


Well yes, that sucks. But where did I read that the failure rate for the industry is close to 12% for all brands?


Besides, there was a big price cut from the 34HF84 and 34HF85 and the case changed, he should have done research before buying the TV, or bought from a different vendor that would allow him to return it.


That said, his problems are similar to what has been reported in this thread and what I was most concerned about: lines, flickering, and glow spots. Thankfully, I've got none of these issues out of the box. I'm using HDMI, both component inputs, and S-video.


The only complaint I can find with my 34HF85 is it needs to be calibrated and out of the box the colors look garish, which is true for most TVs some more/some less.


I will let you know what I think after a proper ISF calibration. I can't wait. If the ISF tech can not make my 34HF85 look any better, I'll join you with your "Orion sucks" comments.


----------



## mdtiberi

In my earlier post I mentioned two problems which turns out are related. The "kinks" seen in the crosshatch pattern are likely due to an error in one of the video chip sets responsible for video format translation. Whenever the format is changed the circutiry remaps the pixels. This problem on my particular set only occur at 1080i and all other formats are fine. The kinks are then errors in row/column placement in pixel mapping.


In normal HD broadcast this error is probably seen as a minor annoyance and most live with it thinking it's in the broadcast signal. Only a good pattern generator will reveal this.


I have gone through some fairly extensive analysis (more than I wanted to for a new TV) and did not reach my conclusion merely because the set is made in Thailand. The set is going back to Best Buy! It is indeed defective.


On another note, it is interesting in that the 34HF84 (last set made by Toshiba) and the 34HF85 (made by Orion) is eight pounds heavier. It's not the glass since the tubes are indentical (see me and Walts photos). Perhaps they tossed out a little too much for a leaner television; the baby may have went with the bath water.


----------



## superstation

The cable guy came, he couldn't get the HD box to work. So we now know that the component inputs are completely defective. Toshiba customer service told me that I would have to call a service guy to come over. I figured I'd go down to best buy and just exchange it for a sony instead. It's more money, but when you're spending over $1000 you want to make sure you're not buying a $1000 pile of crap. All of the information on this site was very helpful in shedding some light on this television. Lesson learned...research BEFORE buying, don't just go on a company name.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba 34HF85 is assembled in USA by Orion America at Indiana with parts manufactured in Thailand and elsewhere.
> 
> 
> How about that you take some last minute photos inside your 34HF85 before returning it back to Best buy for a Sony.




I'll try to take some photos before it is returned.


I was watching broadcast HD last night and changed the output of my TIVO to 720P and it looked really great. None of the wierdness mentioned in earlier posts. It seems that my 34HF85 only has problems with 1080i. How is 1080i on the 34HF84?


----------



## HomeAppraiser

The Sears repair man just left. At first he looked at the distortion waves on my 30HF85 and said It's raster. After trying some adjustments and finding the same problem from all input sources, he called Texas for tech support. They diagnosed the problem as being a bad scaler PCB and ordered a replacement which will get here next week. The tell tale sign was a one inch black band across the top of the picture when the TV was tuned to a static channel. It is under warrant but fyi the part cost is $236.67 and labor is $177.00. If I decide to keep it I am getting an extended warranty! I took two pics when he had the cover off. The tube has an Orion sticker.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Of course the Toshiba 30HF85 is made by Orion in Thailand. How can I be wrong here, although a few people here don't believe me still. Let's see the two photos you took, including the Orion tube sticker.



The problem I have is with your analysis not your opinion. To simply say a product is bad becasue of where it's made is not sound reasoning. One needs to supply proof rather than mere supposition. I came to the conclusion that my 34HF85 was faulty from an engineering perspective and I think that others need to go through a process to reach a conclusion that may be in agreement with your own. It is also fair to say that satisfied customers don't bother with posting on forums such a this so the sampling is not representative of the whole to say the least.


I would have kept my Toshiba if the 1080i video scalar was working correctly but since I am going to have this set for a long time I am going with a Sony. Your opinion was very helpful in making my decision and thanks for the informative posts you have made to this forum.


----------



## Ratman

ORION !!! ORION!!!


Walter... you're friggen killing me with the ORION crap!


You've got a nasty obsession.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Picked up my new Toshiba SD-K850 HDMI DVD player today. Only $80 at Costco. 1080i looks great in my 34HF84. I have no problems with the HDMI input at all. However, I'm getting occasional freezes on DVD. Kind of strange.



Good to hear. I exchanged my 34HF85 for a Sony 34HS420, will get it delivered on Saturday and BB is picking up the 34HF85 for me as well. Did notice that there were three discounted 34HF85's for sale at BB. Seems they are getting a few more returns other than mine.


----------



## mkreef

No problems with 1080i input on my 34HF85 via my Comcast DCT6412 or Sony DVP-NS70H.


Purely anecdotal, but I spoke to someone at my local BestBuy and he told me he hasn't seen any more returns for the new Toshibas than any other brand.


Scheduled ISF calibration for my 34HF85... can't wait!


----------



## mdtiberi

Walt, just checked the box of my 34HF85. It is version "A", what's the differecne you think?


mkreef are you using HDMI or component for 1080i?


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It's the letter Orion uses to tell you what version the product is. Whenever there is a change in the technical design of the product, the letter moves up. Your 34HF85 is the first version. We'll wait and see what mkreef has. Maybe he has version B, which already eliminates the problems.



Makes me wish I had the "B" version.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> mkreef, if you still have the original box, somewhere at the bar code sticker area, do you see the letter "A" or letter "B," which means version A or version B? You can also find this info somewhere at the back of your 34HF85 at the specification sticker, next to the bar code area.



I just looked, I have the A version.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> mkreef are you using HDMI or component for 1080i?



Both, I had the Comcast DCT6412 set to 1081i into the HDMI input for a few days. I switched to 720p and didn't notice any difference, so I switched back to 1080i.


When I got my Sony DVP-NS70H, I first hooked the DCT6412 up to component and paused an HDTV image and flipped back and forth between HDMI and component inputs. I didn't notice anything obvious, so I left it hooked up to component.


I then hooked up the Sony upconverting DVD player (set to 1080i) to the HDMI input, where I have left it. Have watched a number of DVDs and love it. Whether it is the upconverting or just the fact that I upgraded to a progressive player is not terribly important to me.


----------



## mdtiberi




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hmmm, I guess the version B is not there yet.



Sounds like you guessed. Not suprising since most of your posts are baseless at least from a technical/engineering point of view. But heh, I bet you do a mean Pas de bourrée!


----------



## Sparco

What is the difference between version A and B?


----------



## Sparco




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> So far, I think all of the 34HF85s are still in version A. If there is any change in the technical design, the letters moves up, like A to B, then C from B, then D from C, then E from D, and so on...



Oh, I thought there was a B version available now.


----------



## NEW_YORK_MAN

Hey guys i'm new here and would like to say whats up ?


i have a big problem i just brought the toshiba 26hf85 and the picture quality was bad (looks fuzzy and a glow to it). that same day i had just thrown out the box not realizing i would need it ..














i started to mess with the service menu to try to get better picture quality but i totally messed it up. i wrote down the numbers before i changed them but



































then i forgot where i put it.


could someone please give me the setting that were orignallly there beofre i messed it up.


Please i really need help.... i put alot into this t.v and made a truly honest mistake of throwing away the box so i can't return it. i just need the orignal settings that were there before i meesed it up. this is the only t.v i have now until i can get $$ for another one


thank you very much an advanced thank you thank you


----------



## sandan

I just got the 34hf85 and so far I like it. One problem I have is when I connect the component cables into my TV and select Colorstream HD1 video source I can't access the Picture Size menu. Otherwise the picture works fine but it is annoying with the bars on the sides. The picture Size menu works if I use either a cable from my cable box or connect to the TV with an S Video cable. Then I can select theaterwide 1 which works very well. If I connect my DVD player with component cables then the picture size menu is accessible. Any thoughts. Thanks.


----------



## sandan

Thanks Watchman. But it didn't work. Changed the aspect section from On to Off. Hmm, Any other ideas.


----------



## doan

I have a Toshiba 30HF85. I have it connected to my HTPC through the HDMI connector. The HTPC is running windows XP. It all works fine exept that when I'm not using the HDMI input for some period of time, but the TV is on, it "forgets" that the HDMI signal is there. The screen stays blank when set to HDMI unless I reboot the PC or disconnect and reconnect the HDMI cable.


anyone one else seen this???


----------



## Crown of Iron

I purchased a 30HF84 and all I can say is that I will never buy anything Toshiba makes ever again. And I mean that.


I have just recently developed the 480i input problem. The X-Box and the PS2 both do it, unless the game supports progressive scan. Thank the Lord that newest game I got for the Ps2 was actually progressive, or I would ten times as pissed as I am now.


Also, the worst thing about this set is the geometry. It is absolutely horrendous. I have tried tweaking in the service menu for hours and hours and it just cannot be fixed.


The HDMI input looks horrible. I spent a buttload of money on a Monster HDMI cable and actually switched back to the component input!


Overall, I highly caution everyone against buying this garbage. I am very very disappointed and can't wait until I can replace this crapper with a projector!


----------



## Ratman

1) You have a warranty for to address geometry problems. Use it...

2) You don't need to spend $$ for Mon$ter cables.


----------



## Ratman

If he gets it fixed to his satisfaction after warranty service, why would should he sell it?

That makes no sense whatsoever.


----------



## Ratman

Yeah... I did!


So why not get the set repaired under warranty? He can still get a 'projector' at any time.

Also... do you not think that if he was to sell the TV that he could get more money for one that works properly as opposed to one that looks 'absolutely horrendous'?


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Crown of Iron* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have just recently developed the 480i input problem.
> 
> 
> Also, the worst thing about this set is the geometry.
> 
> 
> The HDMI input looks horrible.



Are you referring to the picture out of sync in 480i mode? I had that problem with my 30hf84, they replaced the a/v board and it's been fine. Easy fix under warranty.


Some geometry problems on the 30hf84 were due to bad components and Toshiba came out with a service bulletin and fix.


Might be the device your using through HDMI. My Samsung TS160 HD receiver looks horrible with DVI-HDMI cable, but my Toshiba SD-V592 upconverting DVD player looks great through HDMI. (Especially with the new firmware) I also had to tweak the bias settings on HDMI to get it to look as good as component.


You should really find a good authorized Toshiba repair center before your warranty is up and let them have a shot at making it right.


----------



## sandan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sandan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I just got the 34hf85 and so far I like it. One problem I have is when I connect the component cables into my TV and select Colorstream HD1 video source I can't access the Picture Size menu. Otherwise the picture works fine but it is annoying with the bars on the sides. The picture Size menu works if I use either a cable from my cable box or connect to the TV with an S Video cable. Then I can select theaterwide 1 which works very well. If I connect my DVD player with component cables then the picture size menu is accessible. Any thoughts. Thanks.



Anyone have suggestions. I tried to turn off the Auto Aspect setting but it didn't help the problem.


----------



## HomeAppraiser




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Your TV comes with a 1 year labor and parts warranty. Why don't you use it, and then sell the TV.



Walter, I thought it was a 1 year parts and 90 day labor warranty.


Anyway, the Sears repair man came back yesterday to replace the scaler PCB and fix the distortion lines problem. The PCB was held in there by quite a lot of sodder so the whole procedure took over an hour. We got the cover back on and the TV back up (a two man job), plugged everything back in and voila, no picture. We got the menu to show up but no input from any source. The repair man checks with the local store and says I should just exchange it for a new one in (in the box). I called and confirmed that we had another 30 days to decide if we wanted to keep the second one and the repair man helped me box and load the TV in my truck.


Well the new one works fine. On SDTV if you stare at solid colors you can see some lines, but they are perfectly horizontal and most likely scan lines.


As with the old tv when 4:3 is stretched to fit the 16:9 screen you can see some artifact looking blocks of color in the center like [] size. Only a few every minute for a second or two each. Is this normal???


----------



## HomeAppraiser

The Sony KD-30XS955 won't fit in our 32 inch wide entertainment center. If I could get a 30" or 32" name brand LCD for under $1,000US I might take the 30HF85 back at the end of my 30 days. That just happens to be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. If I can find a good LCD at a door-buster sale on Friday the 25th, that might be the case. I just can't see spending more than that on a TV right now. Also, the Sears guys have been great and I didn't want to stiff them with a return just to go 100 miles out of town to the nearest Worst Buy. They price match, which is how I got it for only $620. Anyone else have minor color blocking, about the size of a text prompt, on stretched pictures??? On DVD's too, when 4:3 input is formated as Pic Size 4: Full Screen???


----------



## HomeAppraiser

Anyone. When 4:3 input is stretched to fit the 16:9 screen you can see some artifact looking blocks of color in the center like [] size. Only a few every minute for a second or two each. Is this normal??? Does anyone else have this problem???


----------



## nothing

I have a hf83, and have a lot of the problems people have mentioned in this topic. One I was surprised to see was the grainy, blurryness someone mentioned before that my tv has, which no one ever seemed to know what I was talking about, especially with a component dvd source.


I've heard people complain about the "dirty" like smudged look you can see with light colored backgrounds and camera movement. It has that too. It looks like the inside of the glass actually needs to be wiped down.


The worst is on all sources from sd tv to dvd to all video game consoles, is for the color spectrum from yellow to red on 70% of the screen looks completely washed out. It's especially noticeable on a full screen of red, orange or yellow, and it makes me want to murder. The thing that's so bad about it is that Sears never helped me at all after having 4 separate service visits, the first two didn't know what I was even talking about, 1 didn't really even speak english very well, and the fourth was their supposed top tech and their supervisor, telling me the tv is fine. All they accomplished was sort of fixing the geometry which wasn't much better than how it was.


Of course it also overscans, every source, if something is supposed to be in the middle, like credits or something, they're off to the right.


Light objects glow against dark backgrounds, and if they move, you bet they trail, too.


Camera pans are really choppy or blurry on all sources, you can actually see a double image during most fast movement of any sort.


The contrast jumps according to whats on the screen, say if you're watching something with subtitles, the screen will lighten when they're on, then darken when they're off. Of course there's plenty of other ways for this to happen.


I'm stuck with a tv I completely hate, because when I got it, I already returned two tvs before, and I was just trying to be satisfied with what I had, and it's just such a pain dealing with the whole thing because I work at night. As time went on I noticed these problems pile up and put it off because the whole ordeal of dealing with techs who aren't helping during the day when I'm supposed to be sleeping was horrible. When I finally got the tech and supervisor to come out to tell me they think the frickin tv is normal, my 1 year on returns was up, and they wouldn't even accept an exchange.


If you try dealing with Toshiba at all, I mean, they don't even know what you're talking about. So, I'm at loss. If anyone even read all of this, then thanks. If you have any idea what to do about any of it, then you'll have my eternal gratitude.


----------



## MixDJ

I just bought this tv and I figured I got a good deal on it because it was one of the best two pictures at the store. However, when I got it home, the damn thing was grainy as all get out! My old Sony 24inch has a better picture and only had cost me $100 and my old tv. I'll be taking this back tomorrow and exchanging it most likely for the Sony Wega which I'm fairly sure after reading this, puts this tv to shame.


----------



## nothing




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Is it a 30HF83 or 30HF84?



30hf83.


----------



## nilleg

I've had a, 26hf84 for a year no problems.It seems, i'm one of very few.


----------



## sandan

I am considering buying an HDMI cable. Please excuse my ignorance but, does the HDMI allow for video and audio? Is it a step up from Component? I have been searching all over and can't find a good explanation of what HDMI does. I have the Toshiba 34hf85. Also, are cheap HDMI cables OK? I found several places on the internet where I can get 6ft ones for less than $10.00. thanks for the reply.


----------



## Davv

Could having a stereo speaker about 14'' high 6'' wide and 8'' deep and about 3 feet away from 30HF85 cause a yellow glow spot in the top right hand of the tv? It's a yellowish spoy and seen the most when there's a white image being displayed on the TV.


Does my tv need to be demagnetized or what? I see this spot during dvd movies and tv and through my ps2 games too?


Someone also told me just to move the tv around?


What are options can this be fixed and how? Is it fixable? What it entail?


----------



## Darcy Hunter

I've had my 30hf84 for over a month now and over all I'm pretty happy with it, however, I've just recently noticed something that might be a problem, and I was wondering if anyone out there has encountered the same thing. I have an older (5 years) Tosh DVD player (not a high end one - no progressive scan) hooked up with component cables and while watching the special features on the new Star Wars Ep. 3 disc, whenever there is a bright white flash, the screen goes black for roughly 2 seconds after. I tried different cables, and the same thing happened. When I switched the DVD player with my higher-end Panasonic RP96 the problem went away. I tried the same scenes with progressive scan on and off. This could just be an issue with the DVD player and the TV. (I hooked up the Tosh DVD player to my Pioneer HDTV and it did not go black after the same flashes), however I was wondering if anyone has any ideas before I call a tech. This doesn't really sound like the 480i problem people are reporting (the screen doesn't shake or shift), but I want to be sure.


----------



## azmodien




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sandan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I am considering buying an HDMI cable. Please excuse my ignorance but, does the HDMI allow for video and audio? Is it a step up from Component? I have been searching all over and can't find a good explanation of what HDMI does. I have the Toshiba 34hf85. Also, are cheap HDMI cables OK? I found several places on the internet where I can get 6ft ones for less than $10.00. thanks for the reply.



Yeah, the cheap cables work great. Mine was like 2 bucks off ebay and the quality is even better than component (mostly due to the lack of white glow in 1080i). However, I think you will have more of a problem with the HDMI flicker, which is a common issue with Orion. You dont notice it at first but most scenes with a slow pan will be plagued with extremely annoying horizontal "flickering"


Off topic, but I really regret buying this off-shore-sweatshop-bucket-of-$hit. I cant even sell it to recoop my money, the 26HF85 is now on sale for $399 CAD. I STRONGLY urge anyone contemplating a Tosh CRT to consider other options. There is a few nice Sanyo/Samsung models I saw at Walmart for under $800. ANYTHING but Tosh.


----------



## InStyle76




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Davv* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Could having a stereo speaker about 14'' high 6'' wide and 8'' deep and about 3 feet away from 30HF85 cause a yellow glow spot in the top right hand of the tv? It's a yellowish spoy and seen the most when there's a white image being displayed on the TV.
> 
> 
> Does my tv need to be demagnetized or what? I see this spot during dvd movies and tv and through my ps2 games too?
> 
> 
> Someone also told me just to move the tv around?
> 
> 
> What are options can this be fixed and how? Is it fixable? What it entail?



Your speaker seems to be far enough away. Your TV might just need to be degaussed. I ran into a similar prob. when I received my refurb'd 34HFX84. A tech came over, did his thing for a few seconds and the discoloration was gone. The best part is that it was covered under the warranty, so nothing out-of-pocket.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

So I did some poking around on this forum and others, and found out the problem of losing video during intense scenes over component video is related to a DC restoration failure. Now what I want to know is, is this a design flaw in the T.V. itself, or can this be fixed with a service call? Like I said in my prior post, two different DVD players yielded two different results, so if I have to get a new player (i need to upgrade anyway) that's fine, but if this happens with most players, what's the solution?


----------



## mark75

I'd say it's the DVD player with the problem, not your set. I had a cheapo Toshiba SD300 player hooked up and experienced the same problem as you (usually during camera flashes, etc..) the screen would go black for two seconds.


I had to send the player out for warranty repair and instead of getting the same unit back they sent me a just-as-crappy SD3800. At least the problem's gone now.


----------



## mark75

I have a 26HF84 and I too have the problem with the unstable picture when using 480i on the component inputs. After reading this thread I understand why this is happening now (as I could have sworn that I was using 480i on my components when I first got the set back in July of 2004).


Unfortunately my warranty has now expired so I cannot approach Toshiba about the problem. Since they warranty is up I've been considering popping the back panel off and looking to see if I can spot anything wrong. Any tips on doing this?


Thanks in advance!


----------



## Nonnie

The DC restoration problem seems to be hit and miss. With my 30HF84 it is only apparent when I route anything through an external switch or splitter. Direct component connections from devices to the tv work fine for HD and DVD. I've tried about 10 different models of DVD players/recorders and never had a problem directly connecting to the component inputs of the set.


Video Storm has a switch with built in DC restoration. In fact they pinpointed the problem immediately when I was testing their CB003a splitter. You can check them out at http://www.video-storm.com 


Mark75, the 480i "out of sync" problem developed on my 30hf84 after about 4 months. I had it serviced, and I never found out what they did. It happened again shortly after I got it back and I popped the cover off the set. I found that the a/v board was either intermittently shorting out against the metal tray it was mounted in or the rear connector for the board was not fully engaged. I used three strips of rubber tape to unsulate the mounting points for the board and repositioned the board in the tray making sure I had good tight connections. Worked perfectly and eliminated another servce call.


You might want to pick up the service manual on ebay if you don't already have it , it's only about $10.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

Thanks for the replys Mark and Nonnie, I went out and bought the new Samsung HD850 hi-def upconverting player with HDMI output, and, boy what a difference! No DC restoration problems, and the picture looks simply jaw dropping (I set the player to 1080i output). I watched Star Wars Ep. III and i simply could not believe the level of detail the T.V. was producing. I have heard people complain about the poor quality of HDMI on these sets, but I don't really know how much better true hi-def could look on a 30" set. I looked for the HDMI "flicker" problem and did not see it at all. My 3 year old Pioneer HD52 set coupled with the Panny RP96 is still my benchmark for quality DVD presentation, however, for the deal I got on this set (Tosh 30HF84 for $700 cdn), I really can't complain. However, having said that something will probably go wrong with the set (like I'll come home and find it on fire or something







), but for now, it's working fine.


----------



## Mikel2You

I have had a 30HFX84 Theaterwide HD CRT for about 9 months now, and has seemed to work great. I had it setup to accept HD cable box input via composite as well as the Component input from my Onkyo receiver. I switch it to composite (Video 1) and analog sound for the cleaning lady so she doesn't have to figure how to run the audio/receiver. I forgot to switch it Friday, and today when I switched it back to HDMI1 there's terrible picture. Actually 6 terrible pictures in the upper 2/3s of the screen... like the sync is off. To troubleshoot, I bypassed the receiver and hooked the DVD played straight in; I switched the cables between HDMI 1 and 2 and had the same issue on both; I messed with the standard menu to test between 540p and 1080i. The issue is consistent regardless of the source using those inputs (receiver, cable box & dvd player). The SVideo and Composite input seem to work just fine.


I think it's just a coincidence that this happened after the cleaning lady... but I didn't know if there was anything she could have inadvertently done or what else this could be other than a failure in the input electronics.


Any idea what this might be? Any thoughts or things to try will be greatly apprecidated before I have to haul it in somewhere. Thanks!


----------



## nogeekhere

Wish I had read your comments about the Toshiba 26HF85. I've just bought a new one, fresh out of the box and been running it for one week. I don't get a flicker or wobble, but I do have color flares or something at two of the corners. I always thought that indicated a problem with the 'picture tube'. Like it was going bad. It was something that I thought only happened when a TV was really old. Now that I've read your thread, I think I should take it back and forget Toshiba and find another brand. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm running on Time Warner Cable and not using the HD feature. My picture is great, clear, and not overly contrasty. Just those darn glows of color, red, green, purple, (it changes when the background changes), and in one lower and the opposite upper, corners.


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *nogeekhere* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Wish I had read your comments about the Toshiba 26HF85. I've just bought a new one, fresh out of the box and been running it for one week. I don't get a flicker or wobble, but I do have color flares or something at two of the corners. I always thought that indicated a problem with the 'picture tube'. Like it was going bad. It was something that I thought only happened when a TV was really old. Now that I've read your thread, I think I should take it back and forget Toshiba and find another brand. Has anyone else noticed this? I'm running on Time Warner Cable and not using the HD feature. My picture is great, clear, and not overly contrasty. Just those darn glows of color, red, green, purple, (it changes when the background changes), and in one lower and the opposite upper, corners.



welcome,

I am no tech, but my 34hf85 had the color in the corner problem too. Don't know why, but if I turn the tv on 1st, then the cable box, it seems to not happen. You may also want to upgrade your connection cables


----------



## badtyper

I own the tosh 34hf85, as have not experienced the problems that seem to be common on this set. My question; using only the tv menus (NOT the service menu), can the picture be adjusted or tweaked using Avia or DVE discs? Or, due to the limits of the tv menu, would it be somewhat fruitless.

Since joining this forum, I have become more obsessed with the PQ being as good as possible, which is either a good or bad side-effect, not sure which. While I know its not a Sony, I still believe some minor adjustments would serve the set well.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I own the tosh 34hf85, as have not experienced the problems that seem to be common on this set. My question; using only the tv menus (NOT the service menu), can the picture be adjusted or tweaked using Avia or DVE discs? Or, due to the limits of the tv menu, would it be somewhat fruitless.
> 
> Since joining this forum, I have become more obsessed with the PQ being as good as possible, which is either a good or bad side-effect, not sure which. While I know its not a Sony, I still believe some minor adjustments would serve the set well.



badtyper - I have DVE and used it in conjunction with the user menu to make adjustments on my 34HF85. It did improve picture quality and was worth doing. The two issues I could not fully correct without entering the service menu were blooming of white text in dark regions and correcting color balance.


By lowering contrast and adjusting brightness I was able to improve the blooming issue in the user menu, but factory default contrast levels were set very high on my 34HF85 and the ISF calibration allowed the contrast range to be lowered further to tame the blooming I was experiencing on my set.


As to color balance, I was able to make tint adjustments in the user menu to improve color balance, but using DVE I found that adjustments to correct green levels threw blue and red levels out of whack. Again, service menu adjustments made during ISF calibration corrected this issue.


The bottom line for me was that using DVE improved my picture quality to a limited extent and it was certainly worth the time and expense of the DVE disc, but it took an ISF calibration to fully resolve the picture quality issues affecting my set.


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> badtyper - I have DVE and used it in conjunction with the user menu to make adjustments on my 34HF85. It did improve picture quality and was worth doing. The two issues I could not fully correct without entering the service menu were blooming of white text in dark regions and correcting color balance.
> 
> 
> By lowering contrast and adjusting brightness I was able to improve the blooming issue in the user menu, but factory default contrast levels were set very high on my 34HF85 and the ISF calibration allowed the contrast range to be lowered further to tame the blooming I was experiencing on my set.
> 
> 
> As to color balance, I was able to make tint adjustments in the user menu to improve color balance, but using DVE I found that adjustments to correct green levels threw blue and red levels out of whack. Again, service menu adjustments made during ISF calibration corrected this issue.
> 
> 
> The bottom line for me was that using DVE improved my picture quality to a limited extent and it was certainly worth the time and expense of the DVE disc, but it took an ISF calibration to fully resolve the picture quality issues affecting my set.



Thanks Frank,

I would like to get a calibration done, but with a new baby my tv time is down to nil. Plus the wife is happy with the picture, so it will maybe wait.

Most of the time on HD channels, picture is fantastic. Color seems to be an issue when watching sports, and mainly in the orange range. God forbid Tennessee and Texas ever play. Other than that, I do need to adjust brightness, but usually when watching Rome on HBO HD. Maybe its just a "darker" lit show. Are you using HDMI to DVI cable, component?


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks Frank,
> 
> I would like to get a calibration done, but with a new baby my tv time is down to nil. Plus the wife is happy with the picture, so it will maybe wait.
> 
> Most of the time on HD channels, picture is fantastic. Color seems to be an issue when watching sports, and mainly in the orange range. God forbid Tennessee and Texas ever play. Other than that, I do need to adjust brightness, but usually when watching Rome on HBO HD. Maybe its just a "darker" lit show. Are you using HDMI to DVI cable, component?



Both. My STB and DVD player are connected to the HDMI input via a Gefen switcher and both these devices have DVI outputs, my DVHS and media computer are connected to the set via component cables.


Rome is definitely a dark textured broadcast with deep blacks predominating particulary on interior shot scenes. I find myself just accepting this fact when watching this program and resisting the temptation to adjust brightness on my set.


Good luck with your tweaks, though it sounds to me like you have your set adjusted pretty well. The guy who calibrated my set mentioned that the red push on my 34HF85 was pretty acute and hard for him to tame down in the service menu. I think the orange color range issues you are experiencing may be related to this characteristic of these sets.


----------



## adminroot

Just thought I'd chime in here. I recently picked up a used 26HF15 for super-cheap, and definitely had issues with the picture quality for a while. Mostly the same problems that people here have experienced. I don't watch ANY TV, but I do use the set for Prog-scan DVD's and XBOX games (most are in 480P, some in 720P). The problems I was having were:


No detail in dark sections


White text on dark background practically unreadable


Weird subtle horizontal artifacts in some scenes of DVDs only when in 540P mode

Rough-looking textures on flat surfaces during some scenes of DVDS... kinda hard to describe but almost like a grainy quality to some flat surfaces, such as walls and stuff.


Anyway, after a LOT of fiddling around with user settings (I never touched the service menu), I finally solved just about everything and it looks MUCH better now. FYI, here are my settings:


Brightness = 32 (solved No detail in dark sections)

Contrast = 20 (solved White text on dark background practically unreadable)

Tint = adjust to taste

Sharpness = 10 (solved Rough-looking textures on flat surfaces)

Color = adjust to taste

SVN = Low (solved White text on dark background practically unreadable)

480P upconversion mode = 1080i (solved Weird subtle horizontal artifacts in some scenes of DVDs only when in 540P mode)


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Both. My STB and DVD player are connected to the HDMI input via a Gefen switcher and both these devices have DVI outputs, my DVHS and media computer are connected to the set via component cables.
> 
> 
> Rome is definitely a dark textured broadcast with deep blacks predominating particulary on interior shot scenes. I find myself just accepting this fact when watching this program and resisting the temptation to adjust brightness on my set.
> 
> 
> Good luck with your tweaks, though it sounds to me like you have your set adjusted pretty well. The guy who calibrated my set mentioned that the red push on my 34HF85 was pretty acute and hard for him to tame down in the service menu. I think the orange color range issues you are experiencing may be related to this characteristic of these sets.



Thanks Frank and Adminroot,

I had HDMI-DVI cable from Best Buy, decided I couldn't tell a difference, so returned the $160 cable. Yes Rome is dark, and we now watch it in a pitch black room which helps.

Admin, I keep my sharpness around 25, bright 28 to 32, color 20 to 18, tint in -9 to -6 range.

I have learned to live with certain analog channels being poor (Sci-Fi for instance),

wondering if you or Frank have a way around poor analog?


----------



## adminroot

OMG... I can't believe you paid $160 for that cable. Newegg has them for around $20-30 depending on length. Good job returning it...


Anyway, I found that with sharpness at 25, it was TOO sharp. Gradients looked banded or dithered, depending on the scene. With sharpness turned down to 10, it's admittedly a bit "blurrier" but it gives a sort of anti-aliasing effect that eliminates the dithered look. Also, switching my upconversion from 540p to 1080i actually made a big difference in the horizontal scan lines I was seeing in some scenes. And turn down the contrast! The default contrast on these tubes is out of control.


I honestly don't watch anything in analog... sorry I can't be of much help there. I don't watch TV at all and don't even subscribe to any TV source... not very American, heh. I just couldn't stand TV any more. I get my fix in DVD movies and DVD releases of TV shows, plus XBOX games.


One last thing... what's this about SVN killing Toshiba tubes early? I read about this in another part of the forum. I like the effect that SVN gives. Is there a good reason to keep it off? Thanks!


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *adminroot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> OMG... I can't believe you paid $160 for that cable. Newegg has them for around $20-30 depending on length. Good job returning it...
> 
> 
> Anyway, I found that with sharpness at 25, it was TOO sharp. Gradients looked banded or dithered, depending on the scene. With sharpness turned down to 10, it's admittedly a bit "blurrier" but it gives a sort of anti-aliasing effect that eliminates the dithered look. Also, switching my upconversion from 540p to 1080i actually made a big difference in the horizontal scan lines I was seeing in some scenes. And turn down the contrast! The default contrast on these tubes is out of control.
> 
> 
> I honestly don't watch anything in analog... sorry I can't be of much help there. I don't watch TV at all and don't even subscribe to any TV source... not very American, heh. I just couldn't stand TV any more. I get my fix in DVD movies and DVD releases of TV shows, plus XBOX games.
> 
> 
> One last thing... what's this about SVN killing Toshiba tubes early? I read about this in another part of the forum. I like the effect that SVN gives. Is there a good reason to keep it off? Thanks!



Admin,

I'll lower the contrast and try it out.

And, if I am understanding, you put the display at the 540 in the tv menu, and then let it up-convert to 1080, right? We use to watch a lot of dvds, now we pretty much watch regular programming, mainly HD stuff.

I am a PC gamer, so I get to deal with graphic card problems as well!

And, no clue on the SVN, other than reading to have it turned off, and the way I read it was more for the better picture quality that someone implied this gave.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks Frank and Adminroot,
> 
> I had HDMI-DVI cable from Best Buy, decided I couldn't tell a difference, so returned the $160 cable. Yes Rome is dark, and we now watch it in a pitch black room which helps.
> 
> Admin, I keep my sharpness around 25, bright 28 to 32, color 20 to 18, tint in -9 to -6 range.
> 
> I have learned to live with certain analog channels being poor (Sci-Fi for instance),
> 
> wondering if you or Frank have a way around poor analog?



No suggestions I can think of to help you out on this one, badtyper, other than to experiment with the SVM settings to see if that helps. I don't watch a lot of analog stuff, so I am no expert on this one.


----------



## deb14

Thought I was the only one! I have been trouble shooting with Comcast for the last 3 months since I bought this set at Costco. The trouble is an unwatchable blue screen with great black in it as well..... NBC HD channel that almost exclusively occurs at night,e.g. it does not happen during HD sporting events on weekend days. And, yes I have the flickering problem...this channel seems to be the worst, but it occurs on CBS and some sports programs also. Other HD channels seem fine.


Am trying to decide if a return to Costco would be wise or only give me a new set of problems to deal with.


As a novice to HD technology and to this forum any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.


----------



## badtyper




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *deb14* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thought I was the only one! I have been trouble shooting with Comcast for the last 3 months since I bought this set at Costco. The trouble is an unwatchable blue screen with great black in it as well..... NBC HD channel that almost exclusively occurs at night,e.g. it does not happen during HD sporting events on weekend days. And, yes I have the flickering problem...this channel seems to be the worst, but it occurs on CBS and some sports programs also. Other HD channels seem fine.
> 
> 
> Am trying to decide if a return to Costco would be wise or only give me a new set of problems to deal with.
> 
> 
> As a novice to HD technology and to this forum any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.



Deb14,

I went through 3 Comcast boxes, so I know of what you speak.

I'm a novice too, but if the problems occur on specific channels, it would seem to be the cable and not the tv creating the problem. I have a tremendous difference in picture quality (PQ) from one channel to the next, but all of the HD channels are excellent, with very little variation between them. Try to get the Comcast tech to diagnose when they come back out, maybe they can confirm if its your line, the box or the set.

As far as returning the set, if price and size are not a problem, people are completely in love with the Sony's. The Toshiba is the only 34 inch that fits in our tv hutch, so I don't have much in options.


----------



## Ben74




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *badtyper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Deb14,
> 
> I went through 3 Comcast boxes, so I know of what you speak.
> 
> I'm a novice too, but if the problems occur on specific channels, it would seem to be the cable and not the tv creating the problem. I have a tremendous difference in picture quality (PQ) from one channel to the next, but all of the HD channels are excellent, with very little variation between them. Try to get the Comcast tech to diagnose when they come back out, maybe they can confirm if its your line, the box or the set.
> 
> As far as returning the set, if price and size are not a problem, people are completely in love with the Sony's. The Toshiba is the only 34 inch that fits in our tv hutch, so I don't have much in options.



After all the troubleshooting I have done, I think it is a problem with the TV and not the cable boxes or signal. I have the exact same problem that Deb describes. The NBC HD signal is completely blue tinted when I have the box send a 1080 signal. When I turn off the 1080 signal from the box, the picture is fine. I have two HD boxes in my house and subscribe to Charter cable. The problem occurs from both boxes when the signal is sent to my 34HFX85. Both boxes work fine when the signal is sent to my 42HF81. I have none of the display problems on the older HD television. The problem has to be the 34HFX85 television. I'm getting a replacement on Friday and will let everyone know if the new TV has the same problem or not.


Ben


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *D1rk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have been working with the local cable TV providers for 3 days now trying to trouble shoot the problem I am having with the 34HF85
> 
> 
> When the signal is auto detected by the HD cable box as 1080i resolution I get horizontal shadow type lines that kind of follow the objects on the screen. It looks like others are having the same problem. I have taken 1 tv back to BB because we felt it was a problem with the specific TV. Well the new one does the same thing. I am taking it back and shopping for a new TV. Bummer. The Toshiba was perfect because I was able to get a 34" in my entertainment center cabinet. Now I will have to buy a smaller screen Sony I guess.



Sounds like you are in the exact same situation I'm in. I'm getting discouraged with this 34HF85....contemplating a 34HS420, but worried about the width limitations.


----------



## lennsx

I had that same problem that you speak of on my 34HF85, but it's only through the HDMI input (although I do admit I used a returned, "opened box" HDMI cable fom Best Buy). For my pain in the a$$ TV the problem lies with the white glow on the top of the image when the signal is at 1080i. I just shut 1080i off on my cable box and viola! The glow is gone. But am I losing PQ.....hmmmm......whatever. I'm over it.


----------



## lennsx

And please, can anyone recommend an ISF technician/company in the Tampa Bay, FL area? I'd rather have Chad B in Ohio do it, but it's quite a hike for him! So far I am hearing that when these 34HF85s are properly calibrated the difference is (quote) ASTONISHING, and so on and so forth. (PS - King Kong looks amazing......) thank you in advance!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jr_G-man* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Sounds like you are in the exact same situation I'm in. I'm getting discouraged with this 34HF85....contemplating a 34HS420, but worried about the width limitations.



I have this problem on the HDMI input if I attempt to recenter the STB image on my Toshiba using the monitor setup feature on the STB setup menu. My STB is a Samsung T-160 and it is connected to my Tosh 34HF85 through the HDMI input. If I reboot my STB by cycling the power to the unit, the noise goes away. You may not have the ability to cycle the power with a cable box or doing so may not resolve the issue on a different device.


The Tosh HF85 sets seem to be very picky about how 1080i source material is received through the HDMI input. My Samsung 931 DVD player works fine with a DVI to HDMI cable, but my newer Oppo DVD player with a HDMI output is not compatible with the Toshiba 34HF85 set and exhibits the noise you are describing when I play DVD's and select 1080i resolution on the Oppo.


The guy who did the ISF calibration on my set suspected the problem was in how the Toshiba set decodes the copy-protection information though the HDMI input, but this is just speculation on his part. For now, I am ok so long as I play my DVD's on the Samsung 931 and don't attempt to recenter my STB in the setup menu. I worry that with future upgrades (new STB, new DVD player) this noise problem will again crop up through the HDMI input until Toshiba addresses this issue.


I hope all Toshiba owners who are experiencing this problem and the "white glow" issue on the component inputs on these HF85 series sets are reporting this information to Toshiba to exert some pressure on the company to investigate and resolve these issues.


----------



## mkreef

No shadow lines or white glow on my 34HF85.


I've had both my STB and Sony upconverting DVD player outputing 1080i over HDMI into the TV, no problems in either configuration.


NBC HD channels (and all HD channels) look great, no tint.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> No shadow lines or white glow on my 34HF85.
> 
> 
> I've had both my STB and Sony upconverting DVD player outputing 1080i over HDMI into the TV, no problems in either configuration.
> 
> 
> NBC HD channels (and all HD channels) look great, no tint.



mkreef - What is the build date on your 34HF85? It's great that you have a set that does not exhibit these problems -- good for you. Also, what model STB and DVD player do you have and do they have DVI or HDMI outputs?


----------



## x1jks28

*My Setup -*

I just setup my Toshiba 34HF85. I have an Acoustic Research HDMI Pro II cable connecting the TV to the STB (set-top-box). The STB is a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR.

*Problem -*

As i have read on this forum and others I to noticed a shadowing effect or black bars running horizontally across the screen. However this effect only occurs while on a HD program. As a side note I have a Toshiba DVD player connected via component cables and have no problems. This flickering/shadow effect is extremely noticeable while watching a HD football game. The green field contrasting with the player movement makes the shadowing effect.

*Information -*

When setting up the STB I thought that since I have a 1080i TV the STB should also be set to 1080i. However this is incorrect. Not all HD programs are broadcast in 1080i. CNET has a list of which channels are 1080i or 720p. I noticed while watching Monday Night Football which is on ABC was having a problem with the shadowing. After looking on CNET - ABC broadcasts in 720p.

*Solution -*

The Scientific Atlanta 8300HD can be configured for a wide variety of different modes. With the STB off (but still with the clock lit) hold down Guide and Info (to the left of the clock & the 2 buttons are next to each other). Hold them down for about 3 seconds and a guide appears on the TV. I did not realize that multiple modes could be selected until i tried it. I selected both 1080i and 720p. Power on the STB and configure the settings (use the remote and push the settings button twice). In there is a option to configure what the STB will do when tuned to various channels. I think it is listed under Video Settings. There is some options including Auto, Upconvert-1, Upconvert-2, and Fixed. I selected Auto. Now when tuning to a 1080i channel or a Non HD channel the signal to the TV from the STB is 1080i. But now the 720p shows (like Monday Night Football) are sent to the TV in 720p. Along with that the picture is perfect. NO, shadowing, flickering. Just a very clean picture. Perfect like it should be!


I hope this helps anyone with this problem, as it drove me nuts for a few days!


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mdtiberi* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Setup:
> 
> 
> Toshiba 34HF85
> 
> Direct TV HR10-250
> 
> 
> Problem:
> 
> 
> Intermittent moving black splotches and/or lines, color shifting. Seen in recorded broadcast HD and live mostly on CBS, not during commercials. SD is fine.
> 
> 
> The problem either originates in the TV, the TIVO or in the broadcast.



Same observation when viewing an "upconverting" DVD recorder via HDMI.


----------



## azmodien

edit


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have this problem on the HDMI input if I attempt to recenter the STB image on my Toshiba using the monitor setup feature on the STB setup menu. My STB is a Samsung T-160 and it is connected to my Tosh 34HF85 through the HDMI input. If I reboot my STB by cycling the power to the unit, the noise goes away. You may not have the ability to cycle the power with a cable box or doing so may not resolve the issue on a different device.
> 
> 
> The Tosh HF85 sets seem to be very picky about how 1080i source material is received through the HDMI input. My Samsung 931 DVD player works fine with a DVI to HDMI cable, but my newer Oppo DVD player with a HDMI output is not compatible with the Toshiba 34HF85 set and exhibits the noise you are describing when I play DVD's and select 1080i resolution on the Oppo.
> 
> 
> The guy who did the ISF calibration on my set suspected the problem was in how the Toshiba set decodes the copy-protection information though the HDMI input, but this is just speculation on his part. For now, I am ok so long as I play my DVD's on the Samsung 931 and don't attempt to recenter my STB in the setup menu. I worry that with future upgrades (new STB, new DVD player) this noise problem will again crop up through the HDMI input until Toshiba addresses this issue.
> 
> 
> I hope all Toshiba owners who are experiencing this problem and the "white glow" issue on the component inputs on these HF85 series sets are reporting this information to Toshiba to exert some pressure on the company to investigate and resolve these issues.




I intend to exert the pressure on Sears. When I went to discuss returning it the other night, the salesman stated that they had been having a lot of problems with the 34HF85. So, if I add to the return, hopefully Sears will realize they have a crappy product on their hands.


----------



## Ben74

I received my replacement 34hfx85 today. It had the same problems as the one I have, so I sent it back. Here is a recap of the problems:

1. White glow at top of screen when 1080i signal is sent to TV

2. Completely blue tinted when 1080i signal is sent from NBC HD station

3. Shadow lines or bars on screen when 1080i signal is sent from HDnet station

4. Vertical color stip down center of screen on children's cartoon channel no matter what signal is sent.


None of these problems occur on my Toshiba 42hf81 television when using the same cables and set top box. I have tried two different set top boxes and two different composite cables. Everything works on the 42 and all problems occur on 34.


I contacted Toshiba's (lack of) customer support phone line two days ago. The lady I talked with was extremely rude and pretty much hung up on me. I explained the problems I was having and asked if she had any reports of these problems. She said no... the TV is brand new and has no problems. She said she has heard of problems with composite cables, but not the tv.


I don't know what else to try. It seems like it has to be a design flaw in the television sets. I don't know what else to try. I think I'll just return the tv and figure out another brand to buy. The 34" Sony is too big for my entertainment center. I read reviews on the 32" Sony LCD and they don't sound very good. I suppose the 30" Sony is my only other option. Does anyone else have any ideas or recommendations?


Ben


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ben74* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I received my replacement 34hfx85 today. It had the same problems as the one I have, so I sent it back. Here is a recap of the problems:
> 
> 1. White glow at top of screen when 1080i signal is sent to TV
> 
> 2. Completely blue tinted when 1080i signal is sent from NBC HD station
> 
> 3. Shadow lines or bars on screen when 1080i signal is sent from HDnet station
> 
> 4. Vertical color stip down center of screen on children's cartoon channel no matter what signal is sent.
> 
> 
> None of these problems occur on my Toshiba 42hf81 television when using the same cables and set top box. I have tried two different set top boxes and two different composite cables. Everything works on the 42 and all problems occur on 34.
> 
> 
> I contacted Toshiba's (lack of) customer support phone line two days ago. The lady I talked with was extremely rude and pretty much hung up on me. I explained the problems I was having and asked if she had any reports of these problems. She said no... the TV is brand new and has no problems. She said she has heard of problems with composite cables, but not the tv.
> 
> 
> I don't know what else to try. It seems like it has to be a design flaw in the television sets. I don't know what else to try. I think I'll just return the tv and figure out another brand to buy. The 34" Sony is too big for my entertainment center. I read reviews on the 32" Sony LCD and they don't sound very good. I suppose the 30" Sony is my only other option. Does anyone else have any ideas or recommendations?
> 
> 
> Ben




Sounds like I am in the same situation. I'm bringing my 34HF85 back today and getting a Sony 30HS420.


----------



## rogercap

I bought the Toshiba 26HF15 at CostCo a few months ago -- and ever since I've had it I've got no true black at top of screen. I've got a white band -- not really a band -- but almost like fading at top of TV. Anyone else had these problems? Should I return to CostCo?


-------


Now that I've read more closely, it seems some of you have seen this white band and others haven't. I may try to return and see if I can get one that doesn't have this problem.


----------



## jr_G-man

Mine also had the white band...at times. Although, if I had never read about it here, it probably would never have bothered me. Either way, it was returned yesterday and I now have a Sony 30HS420.


----------



## PhilipO38

Are the Toshiba's this unreliable? I mean i have a Samung 27" HDTV from 03' and it has a white band in the middle(during component use)..but i guess i got over it.


I'm looking now at the Toshiba 30HF85 because it's the only 30" CRT HDTV that would fit inside my ent. center.


Would you guys consider Toshiba less reliable then Samsung?


I would think for $800 the reliability issue would be very uncommon, but it seems many have problems with Toshiba's..and that is strange for the pricetag.


----------



## kleptophobiac

I'm fairly happy with my TV, except when using HDMI.


In 1080i mode (from my nvidia fx5200), there's a rolling flicker to the picture. Is there something I can do about this... or is it a service call?


EDIT:

It doesn't do it in 540p, if that's any help. I also don't have any blooming problems or convergence issues.


----------



## rogercap




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jr_G-man* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Mine also had the white band...at times. Although, if I had never read about it here, it probably would never have bothered me. Either way, it was returned yesterday and I now have a Sony 30HS420.



Thanks for the info. I'm going to return mine to CostCo this week. They don't have any more in stock. I'd buy the Sony 30HS420, but I can't fit it. Sony makes such sweet TVs, but they don't make a 27" WS.


I just ordered the Sceptre 27" LCD that CostCo online is selling. A few folks on AVS have said decent things about it. It's dirt cheap. I figure if it's junk, I'll return it.


----------



## rkellogg556

I just noticed the white glow at the top of the screen the other day when I hooked up my xbox 360. I had never before run an HD signal so this was my first experience with this problem. A TV repair guy is being sent out from the store where I purchased the TV about 5 months ago. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to handle this aside from changing the source to 720P? Also is there anything else I should look for now that I have an HD signal going to the TV?



ETA: Changed the xbox 360 setting to 720P. This solved the problem, but I this still concerns me. If the repair guy says they need to send it in should I? Is there any reason to not and instead always set the input to 720. Also do you lose any visual quality by setting devices to something other than 1080i?


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to handle this aside from changing the source to 720P? Also is there anything else I should look for now that I have an HD signal going to the TV?



If you are using the HDMI input, I would check to make sure that you are not seeing the vertical banding problem that others are reporting on these sets. This problem manifests itself by a moving curtain of noise on the screen particularly evident in scenes with a gray or green background.


If the technician does not know exactly what is causing the problem, ask him to check with Toshiba to find out if they have issued a service bulletin or similar report detailing how to resolve the problem. If they have not and the tech cannot pinpoint the problem, you are probably wasting your time to have him take the set away for servicing. Others have reported doing this, only to have their set returned without resolving the issue.


Good luck and let us know how things turn out for you.


----------



## rkellogg556




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If the technician does not know exactly what is causing the problem, ask him to check with Toshiba to find out if they have issued a service bulletin or similar report detailing how to resolve the problem. If they have not and the tech cannot pinpoint the problem, you are probably wasting your time to have him take the set away for servicing. Others have reported doing this, only to have their set returned without resolving the issue.
> 
> 
> Good luck and let us know how things turn out for you.



The TV is still under warranty, so won't the tech just send it back to Toshiba?


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The TV is still under warranty, so won't the tech just send it back to Toshiba?



Perhaps. I have not had my Toshiba's serviced under warranty, but my experience with my Sony set a few years back was that the local authorized repair technician did the repair work on his bench and then returned the set to me (it was not sent to Sony).


It is my understanding that others who had their Toshiba sets serviced under warranty were getting this work done by a local authorized service representative either in their home or in a local repair shop. A few Toshiba HF85 owners have reported getting a new set in exchange for the defective set, but these same owners have also reported seeing the same problems crop up on the replacement set. It is for this reason that I suggested finding out if the technician knows how to fix the set and, if not, if they can determine if a service bulletin or report has been issued by the company detailing how to fix the problem. At least a dozen people on this forum have reported having this "white glow" issue. There have been suggestions also that the company is "working on the problem" by waltchan.


Again, good luck in resolving this and let us know how it goes.


----------



## Ben74

Ok... here's my latest and probably last update on the issues I'm having with my 34hfx85. I contacted the local Toshiba authorized repair shop and explained all the issues I was having. He then contacted the Toshiba technical department, which is different than their customer support. The tech department works with the authorized repair shops. The white glow at the top of the screen is a known problem that they are working on. They are not aware of the problems with the blue tinting and shadow bars/lines on some 1080i signals. They are working with the Orion engineers to get the white glow fixed. It's possible that if they fix the white glow then the other problems might be fixed as well. I'm not willing to take that chance and will be returning the television. With this many problems, who knows how many other problems might occur in the future. I also asked the local tech about Orion televisions. He said they are know for making cheap, low quality televisions. If Orion is making Toshiba's televisions to Toshiba standards, then that is fine with me. However, it appears that is not the case.


Finally, I would like to comment again on the exceptional customer service I have received from Crutchfield. Their support is amazing. They sent me a replacement with only a few questions after I contacted them about the problems I was having. They are willing to at the very least exchange the television I have for something else. I'm pretty sure they will give me a full refund even though it has been two months since I originally purchased the television. Toshiba's customer support has been useless and downright rude at times. I doubt I will ever buy another Toshiba product again. I will certainly be shopping at Crutchfield in the future, though. Thanks to everyone here for all the help and suggestions! This forum and the people here are great!


Ben


----------



## SimDuch

I there, just to know if your television settings are base on cool, medium or warm (temperature)


tx a lot


----------



## CO_Vandal

I figured out the problem. I have a Toshiba 26HF85. It was weird, I just got HD hooked up yesterday and trying to watch HD Programming on NBC, I got a blue tint on the National programing, but the local HD programing was fine. What I found out is that NBC programming is 720p, not 1080i. So I changed the STB to 720p and the blue tint disappeared and was fine.


The only problem is that the Motorola set top box does not have the automatic setting. Will have to manually change the setting. Wish NBC would broadcast in 1080i.


----------



## String216




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *CO_Vandal* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I figured out the problem. I have a Toshiba 26HF85. It was weird, I just got HD hooked up yesterday and trying to watch HD Programming on NBC, I got a blue tint on the National programing, but the local HD programing was fine. What I found out is that NBC programming is 720p, not 1080i. So I changed the STB to 720p and the blue tint disappeared and was fine.
> 
> 
> The only problem is that the Motorola set top box does not have the automatic setting. Will have to manually change the setting. Wish NBC would broadcast in 1080i.



Actually NBC is 1080i

nbc[dot]com/Footer/HDTV/


It could have to do with the horizontal line issue. I know for me the lines only show up when the source signal is 1080i.


G


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> mkreef - What is the build date on your 34HF85? It's great that you have a set that does not exhibit these problems -- good for you. Also, what model STB and DVD player do you have and do they have DVI or HDMI outputs?



May 2005.


STB: Motorola DCT6412

DVD: Sony DVP-NS70H


I started with the STB DVI->HDMI.

When I got the Sony, I switched the STB to component and used HDMI with the DVD player (1080i).


I didn't see any of these problems in either configuration.


The ISF tech tried it both ways and showed me that it was slightly better to have the DVD player component and the STB HDMI, so I left it in that configuration. Although the difference wasn't that great, as even he admitted.


The TV is now almost 2 months old. Still no problems (knock on wood). With the ISF calibration ($$$ ouch), I'm very happy with the PQ. SD is *much* improved. HD and DVD colors now look perfect.


Biggest problem with the set that could not be fixed by calibration was the underrated power supply resulting in changing picture size depending on brightness of image and lack of black detail in bright images.


----------



## rkellogg556

TV repair man came today with a new component for the part of the TV that handles the HD signal (some type of converting I believe). He took a look inside the TV to see if the part he brought would match my model and he discovered that my TV is mad by Daewoo. Yes, Daewoo is what he saw. I was somewhat surprised, as I had no idea they outsouced to Daewoo as well. So he had to order a part to match the one inside. Hopefully in 5 to 10 days I should have the new part installed and the white glow will be fixed. He did mention setting the source to 720P was a workaround that would reselut in lower PQ.


On a side note, does anyone know if the adjustments made in the service menu are specific to the input you perform them on, or are the service menu changes, ie geometry, applied to every input?


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> TV repair man came today with a new component for the part of the TV that handles the HD signal (some type of converting I believe). He took a look inside the TV to see if the part he brought would match my model and he discovered that my TV is mad by Daewoo. Yes, Daewoo is what he saw. I was somewhat surprised, as I had no idea they outsouced to Daewoo as well. So he had to order a part to match the one inside. Hopefully in 5 to 10 days I should have the new part installed and the white glow will be fixed. He did mention setting the source to 720P was a workaround that would reselut in lower PQ.
> 
> 
> On a side note, does anyone know if the adjustments made in the service menu are specific to the input you perform them on, or are the service menu changes, ie geometry, applied to every input?



rkellogg556 - What model Toshiba do you have? If the repair is successful and the "white glow" disappears, we would all appreciate knowing the specific name of the part or parts that were replaced. Thanks for posting this information.


----------



## rkellogg556

I will be sure to get all that information when the service man returns. Model is 30HF85, and the only info on the sevice order is scan converter. Again I will get all that I can out of him when he returns. I am somewhat anxious to see if this acutally will fix the problem. I also notices a slight color bar running vertically on the left side of my TV near the edge. Kind of a bluish color, anyone else have this?


----------



## Ratman

Maybe Orion outsourced to Daewoo!


----------



## Kansas Beachboy

Oh no.....Walt is back after his self imposed exile! And I see "Orion" has to be mentioned in every post.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Kansas Beachboy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Oh no.....Walt is back after his self imposed exile! And I see "Orion" has to be mentioned in every post.




It must have been a one week "self temp ban."


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Orion is an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) maker. They build and design products or components that are used in products sold under several brand names, including Toshiba.



walt, I thought of you the other day when I was at Walmart purchasing wholesale quantities of triple-ply extra large rolls of toilet paper. I saw all those stacks of Funai and Orion made cheap TVs etc and remembered your Black friday experiences.


I hope my candlelight vigil on your behalf has helped your quest--its good to see you get right back on that horse. Let's talk some TV baby.


----------



## rkellogg556

So some of the 360 games (component connetion) were being cut off signifigantly on the sides and possibly the top a bit. I adjusted this in the service menu so now there is just about zero overscan. I watch cable TV and everything seemed fine. Then when I was tried my PS2 which runs through a different component input I noticed that there are black vertical bars on either side as well as the top. So my question is whether this underscan/overscan is due to which input I use, the machne or source, ie xbox vs ps2 or dependant on the games. Also what would be some possible solutions. Should I just split the difference between the inputs so that there is a little overscan for the 360 and a bit of black bars (underscan) on each side for the PS2, or can I somehow have individual setting for each input?


Thanks, I hope this was clear.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> So some of the 360 games (component connetion) were being cut off signifigantly on the sides and possibly the top a bit. I adjusted this in the service menu so now there is just about zero overscan. I watch cable TV and everything seemed fine. Then when I was tried my PS2 which runs through a different component input I noticed that there are black vertical bars on either side as well as the top. So my question is whether this underscan/overscan is due to which input I use, the machne or source, ie xbox vs ps2 or dependant on the games. Also what would be some possible solutions. Should I just split the difference between the inputs so that there is a little overscan for the 360 and a bit of black bars (underscan) on each side for the PS2, or can I somehow have individual setting for each input?
> 
> 
> Thanks, I hope this was clear.



rkwllogg556 - I think you will have to split the difference, as SM adjustments affect all inputs. This is what the calibrator ended up doing on my 34HF85 at any rate.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> ... as SM adjustments affect all inputs.



That's what I thought too, but I got a new STB yesterday (Motorola 3412) to replace my 6412 that was rebooting and locking up randomly. The comcast tech just unplugged the DVI -> HDMI cable and hooked the new box up with component cables.


The picture was horrible, it looked just like it did "out of the box". I wasn't home during the install, but the first thing my wife told me was the TV "needed another calibration" (she was unaware how the TV was connected).


I'm not sure if the problem is with the STB component output vs. HDMI, the TV's component vs. HDMI input, or that some of the SM changes were input specific.



Plugging the new 3412 with a straight HDMI cable into 34HF85 restored the PQ, but I'm now seeing some interference-like horizontal lines on all the HD channels randomly. I don't see any pattern to it, and if I pause the picture when the lines are present, they aren't visible. They also aren't visible on the HD DVR playback.


This is frustrating because everything was working perfectly until the 6412 STB started acting up. I haven't changed any of the 3412 settings, but I'm assuming it's something with the box or new HDMI cable.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> This is frustrating because everything was working perfectly until the 6412 STB started acting up. I haven't changed any of the 3412 settings, but I'm assuming it's something with the box or new HDMI cable.



It is very frustrating. You are seeing the same noise that some of us have been experiencing on our 34HF85 sets. On my set, I see this banding noise only through the HDMI input. In an earlier post I stated that I was able to workaround this by switching DVD players from a Oppo (that exhibited the noise) to a Samsung HD931 (that did not). Not sure why one devlce works with the Toshiba and the other does not using the HDMI input, but that is the case. If I recall correctly, you have a Sony DVD player that is also fine through the HDMI input on this set.


My STB is a Samsung T-160. It does fine sending a pure signal to the Toshiba unless I attempt to go into the Samsung's setup screens and recenter the image on the monitor. After shifting the image, the noise you are experiencing through your 6412 STB appears on the screen on HD signals. The only way I could resolve this with my STB was to do a hard reset by depowering the STB and letting this device reboot. So long as I do not attempt to recenter the image on my monitor using the Samsung's monitor setup feature, I am fine.


My worry with these workarounds is that as soon as you change devices, say to upgrade to a new STB, you may find you have no way to cure these problems. I hope we HF85 set owners can resolve this noise issue and the "white glow" issue during the warranty period. I am convinced that both of these issues are problems with the HF85 sets, not the other devices. My basis for saying this is that I can hook up all of these devices to my Toshiba 30HF83 and there are no problems with white glow or banding noise at any resolution through any of the inputs on this other Toshiba set.


Sorry to hear you are experiencing this problem now. Best of luck in finding a satisfactory resolution.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

Can someone please explain what exactly this "flickering" problem looks like? I've heard it mentioned several times, but no one really says what it is. Does the picture change contrast from dark to light? Is it a "tearing" of the picture during fast motion, (like improperly flagged fields on some DVDs), or a white flash? I haven't noticed any problems viewing DVDs through my HDMI connection, but I would like to know what to keep an eye out for. Thanks.


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Darcy Hunter* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Can someone please explain what exactly this "flickering" problem looks like? I've heard it mentioned several times, but no one really says what it is. Does the picture change contrast from dark to light? Is it a "tearing" of the picture during fast motion, (like improperly flagged fields on some DVDs), or a white flash? I haven't noticed any problems viewing DVDs through my HDMI connection, but I would like to know what to keep an eye out for. Thanks.




These were pictures I tried to take without the use of the flash. They are not the best in the world, but the problem can be seen if you look close enough.


http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00990.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00991.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00992.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00993.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00994.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00995.JPG 

http://members.cox.net/gdille/images/DSC00996.JPG 





The pictures do not readily show it, but the problem is actually more pronounced in the dark areas. If you lighten the picture up, you may get more detail.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> ... the noise you are experiencing through your 6412 STB appears on the screen on HD signals.



Just to be clear, I did *not* have this problem with my 6412 STB (not sure if it was a Phase III model. It only had DVI output and I used that with a DVI to HDMI converter into the TV.


I'm only seeing this problem for the first time with the new Motorola 3412 STB with a native HDMI output (so I switched cables).


Does your 6412 have the DVI out or HDMI out? I'm almost wondering if it's worth trying a different 6412 to see if the problem goes away. Nothing changed with the TV or cable feed obviously. Something very minor must have changed with the STB signal that causes this on the HF85s.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My worry with these workarounds is that as soon as you change devices, say to upgrade to a new STB, you may find you have no way to cure these problems.



Agreed.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I hope we HF85 set owners can resolve this noise issue and the "white glow" issue during the warranty period. I am convinced that both of these issues are problems with the HF85 sets, not the other devices. My basis for saying this is that I can hook up all of these devices to my Toshiba 30HF83 and there are no problems with white glow or banding noise at any resolution through any of the inputs on this other Toshiba set.



Thankfully I've yet to see the "white glow" issue. Another concern is getting it fixed and/or a new HF85 and requiring another ISF calibration!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> Does your 6412 have the DVI out or HDMI out? I'm almost wondering if it's worth trying a different 6412 to see if the problem goes away. Nothing changed with the TV or cable feed obviously. Something very minor must have changed with the STB signal that causes this on the HF85s.
> 
> 
> Thankfully I've yet to see the "white glow" issue. Another concern is getting it fixed and/or a new HF85 and requiring another ISF calibration!



I misunderstood you about the STB change. I do not have a cable STB device, only satellite feeds into the Tosh's here. Apologies if I led you to think I have a 6412. I have only tried DVI to HDMI hookups on the Toshiba 34HF85 through a Gefen DVI swtcher. I have not tried feeding an HDMI signal to the HDMI input on this set. I have one device (a HD Tivo) that outputs an HDMI signal, but it is hooked up to my other set and I have not experimented by using it on the 34HF85.


My own theory on this noise you are seeing is that it has something to do with the way the HF85 sets are decoding the HDCP copy protection through the HDMI input. My basis for this theory is that one of my DVD players is HDCP compliant and it plays fine on the 34HF85. My other DVD player is not HDCP compliant and when I hook it up to the set through the HDMI input I see this same noise you are seeing when outputting at 1080i. Just a theory, though, that and $1.75 will get you a small cup of the brew of the day at Starbucks.


Glad you are not experiencing the white glow. I only see that through the component inputs and only if a 1080i signal is sent to the set. 720p plays just fine on my set.


I think that if these issues are being caused by a bad board or electrical circuit, chances are good that the repair will not affect your calibration. Before sending mine away for servicing, I intend to go into the service menu and write down the post-calibration settings so that I have a reference point should changes be made by the service techs. I recall one forum member did post the default service menu settings on his set on this forum a while back providing the factory defaults.


Again, good luck in getting things squared away on your set.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Glad you are not experiencing the white glow. I only see that through the component inputs and only if a 1080i signal is sent to the set. 720p plays just fine on my set.



I changed my 3412 STB from 1080i and 720p and it eliminated all banding. I've been watching a bunch of HD channels tonight and all traces of banding are gone. (I flipped back to 1080i and verified it was still there on all HD channels).


It's interesting that both the white glow and banding problems occur when the HF85 is fed a 1080i signal through both HDMI and component and forcing the set to convert from 720p to 1080i fixes both problems.


----------



## rkellogg556

I just noticed that I have the white glow from 720P as well. I can swear that not only has 720P input began to show it a bit, but when I switch back to 1080i it seems to have been worse than it was a week ago. Now the 720P white glow takes up about the same portion of the top of the screen as the 1080i use to and the 1080i white glow appears to now be about the top 20 percent of the screen. Has anyone else noticed if it gets worse over time?


----------



## Pepsiman34

I was wondering how good is the Toshiba TheaterWide 26"? This is about the right size TV I need. It also fall into the right price range for me. I keep hearing that Toshiba's CRT HDTV are poor quality.


----------



## SmokeyRay

I too have a 34HF85 and have the white glow with component @1080i, but also kind of a color shift/surge thing. 720p is fine. With DVi->HDMI I get the flickering but no glow. again 720p is ok. This only seems to happen with my expressvu stb. My Sony DVD player upconverting to 1080i doesnt do it.


I have had the service man in . He changed some vertical sync settings using some directions from Toshiba. It didnt fix the problem. He then swapped out the board that has all the inputs on it. It didnt work either. He said he would have to call Toshiba.


That was about a week ago and I called him today. He said Toshiba is working on a fix, but doesnt have one at the moment. He will keep me informed.


/sigh


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SmokeyRay* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I too have a 34HF85 and have the white glow with component @1080i, but also kind of a color shift/surge thing. 720p is fine. With DVi->HDMI I get the flickering but no glow. again 720p is ok. This only seems to happen with my expressvu stb. My Sony DVD player upconverting to 1080i doesnt do it.
> 
> 
> I have had the service man in . He changed some vertical sync settings using some directions from Toshiba. It didnt fix the problem. He then swapped out the board that has all the inputs on it. It didnt work either. He said he would have to call Toshiba.
> 
> 
> That was about a week ago and I called him today. He said Toshiba is working on a fix, but doesnt have one at the moment. He will keep me informed.
> 
> 
> /sigh



Thanks, SmokeyRay. If you don't mind doing so, keep us fellow Tosh owners informed of anything you may learn regarding this fix if you hear that Toshiba finds one.


----------



## dgallacher

Thanks for the advice! Per your recommendation I just changed the setting on my Motorola (Comcast) STB from 1080i to 720p and the horizontal "shadows" that appeared in widescreen during NFL, NBA, programming with a lot of movement, etc. disappeared. I had already exchanged the set once (had to drag the 160 pound behemoth back to Best Buy) and was preparing myself to return the replacement when I read this post and made the suggested adjustments. I will sleep well tonight!


One question - am I giving up anything in terms of PQ by dropping to 720p? I know the 34HF85 is capable of upsignaling to 1080i but am not sure exactly what this means.


----------



## theroys88

I thought all of these crt sets upconverted 720p to 1080i anyway. You may loose some PQ if the scaler on your box is worse then the television. I have my Comcast SA box set to 1080i.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, none of these CRT tvs can produce a true 720p image, they all upconvert to 1080i. So for me, I see no drop in PQ when my stb is set on 720p. Others disagree with me on this but I prove to myself that I am right by leaving a 720p station on (like ABC MNFootball) and switching from 720p to 1080i on my stb remote and there is NO SIGNAL CHANGE. AND, when you change to another station that's 1080i again, it doesn't change. So that means it's at 1080i. No matter, again, I see no drop in PQ.


----------



## SmokeyRay




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yes, none of these CRT tvs can produce a true 720p image, they all upconvert to 1080i. So for me, I see no drop in PQ when my stb is set on 720p. Others disagree with me on this but I prove to myself that I am right by leaving a 720p station on (like ABC MNFootball) and switching from 720p to 1080i on my stb remote and there is NO SIGNAL CHANGE. AND, when you change to another station that's 1080i again, it doesn't change. So that means it's at 1080i. No matter, again, I see no drop in PQ.





Interesting. In my experience, switching from 720p to 1080i on my stb box, makes a noticable difference in the level of detail. It seems to be most noticable in 2 situations. One is far away shots during sports and the other is skin detail on close up shots.


----------



## lennsx

I remember reading somewhere that the human eye (s) prefers a brighter image in general. And since i passes its info as odd scan lines first and then VERY quickly the even ones that the overall image appears brighter and less saturated (thick) as opposed to p. (progressive scan; all lines of resolution being sent at the same time. I am no expert, but I do notice that when the TV is on p the image does seem darker; saturated. I simply crank up the brightness & contrast as little bit more and the picture looks as if I have 1080i on. Plus, on sports events, spatial & quick movement is less pixelated and smeary on 720p because of the one whole pass. AND last and certainly not least, on these $^%&*# Toshibas, there is no glow with 1080i turned off. It does piss me off that I spent $1200 on a TV that has a major flaw but I need to simply go Zen and accept it for now. PS - saw Kong last night; amazing.


----------



## sandan

I have the 34hf85 which I just exchanged for a replacement 34hf85. I was getting discoloration in the left bottom corner of the screen. The new one also gets the discoloration. Prior to the first Toshiba I had a 31inch Mitsubishi that also got the discoloration. Funny thing is that this appeared in the same location on all 3 TV's. I moved the Mitsubishi (6weeks ago) when I got the first Toshiba and have not seen the problem on the Mitsubishi. I read up and learned about magnets and how they can cause this problem. There are no magnets anywhere near the Toshiba. I have been racking my brain to figure out what may cause this problem. Something must be causing an electrical Disturbance. Any suggestions?


----------



## lennsx

The symptoms you are experiencing traditionally have to do with magnetic interference, which I think you might have near your TV. If you've got any speakers or subwoofers near it, move them away, as they might not be shielded and could be causing the problem. If there is a big tangle of power cords behind the TV you should straighten in out and move the power-strip away from the TV. If the TV is against the wall, you should take a look at what is on the other side, or perhaps see if there is any way to know if there is a power line in the wall that could be making a disturbance. If it is magnetic disturbance, the defects might not go away immediately, and you might have to have a technician come and degauss it.


If none of that seems to be the problem, you might want to make sure you have a good surge suppressor, and also make sure the TV isn't sitting right on top of a heating duct or something. Other than that, I would say it's a manufacturing problem. (not written by me)


----------



## SDR

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I grabbed one from Amazon since it fits the ent ctr perfectly and was WELL within budget. At this price it was worth the gamble even after reading about the problems some users experience. I figured it was like my Dell 24" LCD - those who were unhappy were the loudest and those who were happy were busy using it rather than posting complaints









So anyway, I added the Comcast HD service the day before it arrived just to be ready. When it arrived (on a pallet no less) the grunts helped de-palletize it and lifted it into my living room for me. A couple cables later I was watching my kids favorite DVD - Nemo - to see how it faired. Perfect with the DVD, so next was broadcast TV. Not bad at all. Next was HD and it's incredible. I only have my mothers Sony LCD with HD as a comparison and it seems much richer to me. I have none of the reported problems and have my fingers crossed that this continues. I've probably just jinxed myself, but such is life









I did go with the HDMI connection. Not sure if this is better than the options, but I think it's the newest type so it seemed to me that it should be better than the older connection types.

Anyway, just wanted people to know that for me the $749 was well spent. If i have any issues later I'll post an update.

Cheers!


----------



## Willd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mkreef* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I changed my 3412 STB from 1080i and 720p and it eliminated all banding. I've been watching a bunch of HD channels tonight and all traces of banding are gone. (I flipped back to 1080i and verified it was still there on all HD channels).
> 
> 
> It's interesting that both the white glow and banding problems occur when the HF85 is fed a 1080i signal through both HDMI and component and forcing the set to convert from 720p to 1080i fixes both problems.



Hey guys. I wanted to say that I am experiencing this same issue with the Toshiba upconverting DVD player we just got. I hooked it up with HDMI and sure enough, there is a horrible banding/horizontal shadow issue (I couldnt even think of how to describe it until I saw this thread). When telling the DVD player to output 720p or 480p, the PQ is fine, if not stunning. This is upsetting, but..oh well.


Edit: Forgot to mention that this issue is non-existant when viewing 1080i through component on our digital cable box.


----------



## mikeT4R

Hi, this is my first post in here, it *might not be in the right thread since it's not a HDTV, it's still a tosh 26AF45C.


So allright, here's my question:


I'm trying to disable the Velocity scan modulation on this set, it seems that unlike the HDTV version, the option is not in the conventional menu. I've accessed the service mode, but unless it's listed as an esoteric combination of letters that have no kind of ressemblancce with VSM or SVM, I just can't find it.


Could it be a hardware trick with this one? googling left and right I've read of sets that have you disconnecting something inside...


?


----------



## Irene Adler

My parents just got a Toshiba 34HF85, and they are using an antenna, with a cable-type screw on, center pin type connection that inputs the antenna into the TV. They called me to say that their UHF channels are not coming in. Should they keep the setting on antenna, or should they have it on some different setting and run the channel scan again? I seem to remember that when my power went out, sometimes my DVD/VCR reverted to "antenna" setting and it almost seems that when that happened, I couldn't get anything higher than 13? I'm relatively remote/menu savvy, so hopefully it's something I can help them with. If someone could tell me the steps on this menu they should do to get the UHF channels to work, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.


----------



## white_dog

Hello, i currently own a 34hf85 and have experienced most of the problems you seem to have. My question is to you guys, what would be better a 34hf85 ISF calibrated or a sony kv-34hs420n calibrated with Avia? My tv has a 90 day return policy and i can get the sony for about 200.00 more.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *white_dog* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hello, i currently own a 34hf85 and have experienced most of the problems you seem to have. My question is to you guys, what would be better a 34hf85 ISF calibrated or a sony kv-34hs420n calibrated with Avia? My tv has a 90 day return policy and i can get the sony for about 200.00 more.



Easily the Sony.


----------



## jr_G-man




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Q of BanditZ* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Easily the Sony.




I concur. Definitely go with the Sony over the Toshiba. Take that from somebody that's been down that road.


----------



## theroys88




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Irene Adler* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My parents just got a Toshiba 34HF85, and they are using an antenna, with a cable-type screw on, center pin type connection that inputs the antenna into the TV. They called me to say that their UHF channels are not coming in. Should they keep the setting on antenna, or should they have it on some different setting and run the channel scan again? I seem to remember that when my power went out, sometimes my DVD/VCR reverted to "antenna" setting and it almost seems that when that happened, I couldn't get anything higher than 13? I'm relatively remote/menu savvy, so hopefully it's something I can help them with. If someone could tell me the steps on this menu they should do to get the UHF channels to work, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.




Have them go to menu screen and find the channel area and set the tv to antenna and do a channel scan. There is in a CATV mode and will show UHF channels but the numbers are different. They is a 51 channel difference. Hope that helps.


----------



## lennsx

(Hello, i currently own a 34hf85 and have experienced most of the problems you seem to have. My question is to you guys, what would be better a 34hf85 ISF calibrated or a sony kv-34hs420n calibrated with Avia? My tv has a 90 day return policy and i can get the sony for about 200.00 more.)


fburch had his Toshiba ISF calibrated. Perhaps he can express his opinion on that one!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> fburch had his Toshiba ISF calibrated. Perhaps he can express his opinion on that one!



At this writing, I think you would be better off with the Sony. The reason has less to do with picture quality than practical realities.


Some owners of the HF85 series Toshiba sets (myself included) are experiencing anomolies with these sets that Toshiba does not seem to know how to fix. These include a white glow in the upper portion of the screen when the set receives 1080i HD signal through the component (Colorstream) inputs and vertical banding problems when the set receives 1080i signals through the HDMI input. It is troubling that this set has been in production for nearly a year now and Toshiba continues to say they are working on the problem with no resolution in sight.


While I do not own a Sony HD set, I have owned a Trinitron 27" set in the past. I did have issues with this Sony set during the warranty period, but Sony took care of the problem promptly and provided excellent customer service. Toshiba has not exhibited the capacity to service these HF85 sets in a similar way.


If you are unlucky enough to have a Toshiba set with problems such as those described above, I think you will be frustrated in your attempts to get these problems resolved and it is not worth paying $800+ only to be vexed with problems that the company is incapable of fixing during the warranty period.


If you keep the Toshiba, an ISF calibration if properly done will greatly improve the picture quality. I cannot say whether this improvement would be equivalent to an Aria of DVE home calibration job on a Sony since I have not made this direct comparison. Much depends on the out-of-the-box condition of the specific sets being evaluated.


But, I would steer clear of the Toshiba until the company reports that they know the root causes of the problems plaguing these sets and set owners begin reporting on this forum and elsewhere that Toshiba has satisfactorily addressed these problems.


----------



## DirtyHarry

The HF85 is my first HDTV, I bought it before there were any reviews about it, If I had read the reviews before buying, I would not have purchased it. After having this set for a few months now, I've figured out that the picture is best displayed in 480p format with the set supposedly upconverting to 1080i. 720p and 1080i gives me a dark and blurey image. I have my Dish 921 HD receiver set to 480p and the HD channels look fantastic. There is a little picture noise in dark settings and sometimes black looks too black, but other than that I've had casual viewers say they've never seen HD so real on this set compared to DLPs and LCDs they were used to. HDMI and Component work equally well for me. I may just have an ISF Calibration done to take out imperfections in the picture quality because I'm going to be stuck with this set for awhile.. so might as well make the best of it. Hopefully Toshiba has some more information on what went wrong with this set in the future, because I would like to see 720p and 1080i resolutions work correctly, but 480p looks great for now.


----------



## white_dog

My wife wants to keep the the Toshiba because of aesthetics. It looks very modern and for a CRT set it doesn't look bulky at all. If i return it i'm also getting another stand seeing it weighs almost 200lbs. Also i want a nice pretty stand to offset the uglyness of the kv-34hs420n.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *white_dog* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My wife wants to keep the the Toshiba because of aesthetics. It looks very modern and for a CRT set it doesn't look bulky at all. If i return it i'm also getting another stand seeing it weighs almost 200lbs. Also i want a nice pretty stand to offset the uglyness of the kv-34hs420n.



I like the look of the Toshiba also and have kept mine in large part because it is the only 34" CRT set I could find that fit in my home entertainment unit. The Sony was just too large. I have found workarounds for the 1080i problems cited in my prior post, but I do not believe consumers should be forced to find workarounds for features that are supposed to work right out of the box. The fact that Toshiba cannot fix these problems is reason enough for me to recommend that folks shopping for a new set steer clear of the HF85 series sets until Toshiba gets its act together.


----------



## djchrono

I just got the Toshiba 26" Widescreen 26HF85C yesterday. My picture looks fine, I'm just wondering if there is a way to change the grey verticle bars that appear on the left and right of the picture when viewing regular cable chanels etc, to make them black. Thanks!


----------



## lennsx

As far as I know there is no way to change the bars to black. This is because the grey bars carry actual information as opposed to black bars which do not & will cause eventual burn in.


----------



## Jim McDougall

Does anyone know what the native resolution and scan rate of the 34HFX85 or equivalents are. Toshiba Customer Support has no idea and suggested I look on the Internet! Youd think that the people who are responsible for supporting the product would have a clue. I bought this to use in my living room and part of a small media center. When I started looking through the manual there are warnings everywhere not to hook this up to a PC! When I talke to Customer Support I got the same thing --- I asked them how they could be HDMI compliant and not allow a HDMI connection from a PC. They didn;t have an answer for that one sooo I am trying to setup Powerstrip to output the right setup via DVI and use a DVI to HDMI cable to connect up. This should be a lot easier than it is!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jim McDougall* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Does anyone know what the native resolution and scan rate of the 34HFX85 or equivalents are. I am trying to setup Powerstrip to output the right setup via DVI and use a DVI to HDMI cable to connect up. This should be a lot easier than it is!



I don't know what the native resolution is on this set, it may be 540p. I have a HTPC hooked to my 34HF85, but am using the ATI dongle that connects to the DVI output on the PC graphics card and converts the signal to a component output that feeds into the set. I can tell you that the set readily accepts 480p, 720p, and 1080i signals from my PC through the ATI dongle. The ATI dongle also has a 540p setting, but ATI advises against using this setting and I have never experimented with it.


The best timing for the 1080i signal on my set is 1776x1000 at 30 Hz and the best timing for 720p is 1152x652 at 60 Hz, but don't quote me on the 720p timing (not at my set presently). Overscan occurs in both of these timings, but overall these timings work pretty well for me. I don't ever use the 480p timing, but back when I was experimenting with it, I think 848x480p at 60 Hz was what worked on the 34HF85 (again don't quote me on this one).


Because of the white glow problem I have described in prior posts, I rarely use the 1080i timing and rely almost exclusively on the 720p timing which yields very acceptable results. Windows icons and text, even after increasing the font size, were much less readable using the 1080i timing and there is a subtle jittering evident in the 1080i timing that I do not experience with the 720p timing.


You may want to visit the HTPC portion of this forum to really delve more deeply into this subject.


Good luck.


----------



## xfletch

Hi gang, its nice to see that this post is still alive and walter free for a couple of pages. lol.

Since I have had my 34hf85 for about 5 months now, I thought I would post how happy I am with this set now. I used to have a problem with the really dark black levels, but it seems to have lightened up quite a bit in the last couple of months. It also seems to me that all my channels are looking much better than when I 1st bought it. I have a Xbox 360 plugged into this and it looks amazing. I have it set at 1080i and do not see the white glow while playing games or watching dvd's. My stb is a Scientific Atlantic 8300 HD-DVR and I still have it set at 720p because there is some glow when it is at 1080i. I can not see the difference either way, so no big deal there. To me this set just rocks. But I have to admit I did not think this way a few months ago.

I have just recently helped 2 of my friends set up their new DLP units and they have Xbox 360's and SC8300 stb also(they really liked my setup) . All I can say is that I am really glad I did not buy rear projection dlp or lcd. I dont think I can ever get used to the limited viewing angles. The picture on my Toshiba is so superior to these units and at less than half the price they paid, it just makes me feel warm all over. Give this set a few months and go look at a few of your friends HD setups and you might feel as good as I do. Just remember that the whole HD landscape is changeing rapidly everyday and this is a cheap way to watch HD until you or I can afford a future generation HD set.


----------



## rkellogg556




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The HF85 is my first HDTV, I bought it before there were any reviews about it, If I had read the reviews before buying, I would not have purchased it. After having this set for a few months now, I've figured out that the picture is best displayed in 480p format with the set supposedly upconverting to 1080i. 720p and 1080i gives me a dark and blurey image. I have my Dish 921 HD receiver set to 480p and the HD channels look fantastic. There is a little picture noise in dark settings and sometimes black looks too black, but other than that I've had casual viewers say they've never seen HD so real on this set compared to DLPs and LCDs they were used to. HDMI and Component work equally well for me. I may just have an ISF Calibration done to take out imperfections in the picture quality because I'm going to be stuck with this set for awhile.. so might as well make the best of it. Hopefully Toshiba has some more information on what went wrong with this set in the future, because I would like to see 720p and 1080i resolutions work correctly, but 480p looks great for now.



Couldn't have said it better myself. I noticed on my friend's SDTV that the xbox 360 image looks cleaner compared to when I run the xbox on my HF85 at 1080i. Specifically when I open the guide during the game, the Y and X buttons in the bottome left corner are hard to read. It looks as though the black that makes up the letters is being drowned out by the yellow around the Y and the blue drowns out the X. Comparitively on his TV the X and Y buttons on the guide are clear and sharp.


Would having someone calibrate this clean up the image or are the Toshiba TVs poorly made?


----------



## DirtyHarry

I'd be curious to see what an ISF calibration does for this set, but I'm not sure if it's worth the $250.. like I said I see a fantastic picture on HD channels with my receiver set to 480p.. and the set is starting to look slighty better now that it's burning in. For some reason the HF85 doesnt display 720p and 1080i signals correctly, but with a 480p input and the upconversion to 1080i in the TV, picture is beautiful with factory picture settings set to 'movie'. I'd still chose this set over an lcd or dlp.


----------



## white_dog

Do you guys notice how grany this tv seems to be? with 480i and 480p sources. Can some of you post images of the set in 480i, 480p, and HD please.


----------



## rkellogg556

Well its been over a month since I had a serivce man come out to fix the white glow issue. He ordered a PCB Scaler part # AE006393, which supposedly should fix the problem. Unfortunately Toshiba's customer service is **** and the repair man has still not received the part. Anyone know about this part or have any idea whether this will solve the white glow issue? I will keep you all posted if any thing new occurs with the repair. Hopefully this will solve the white glow issue.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well its been over a month since I had a serivce man come out to fix the white glow issue. He ordered a PCB Scaler part # AE006393, which supposedly should fix the problem. Unfortunately Toshiba's customer service is **** and the repair man has still not received the part. Anyone know about this part or have any idea whether this will solve the white glow issue? I will keep you all posted if any thing new occurs with the repair. Hopefully this will solve the white glow issue.



Thanks for keeping us posted on this. I have a distant recollection of an AVS Forum member saying they had the white glow problem on a Tosh 26HF85 or 26HF15 and having the set serviced to replace the scaler and this did not resolve the problem. I believe that this post occurred a few months back in this thread or another dealing with Toshiba sets. I hope that my recall is faulty on this point and that by replacing this part the white glow issue is resolved on your set.


Good luck and thanks, in advance, for letting us know how it comes out.


----------



## djchrono

Hi, another question.


I am using my Toshiba 26" Widescreen (26HF85C) with a Toshiba Upconverting HD DVD Player (SD4980) using the HDMI input. When I set the DVD player to upconvert to 720p or 1080i, the image gets stretched and unproportional on the TV. I can't change the pic size on the TV anymore either, I can only change it when it is set to 480p.


Is there any way to get it to display without stretching the image out of proportion in 720p or 1080i modes?


Thanks


----------



## rkellogg556

I'm curious, has there been any effort to get some type of mass email or petition to Toshiba regarding this problem. I realize that posts on this forum may be misleading because generally only dissatisfied customers or those with defective TVs will post here, but these TVs seem to be prone to problems.


----------



## white_dog




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm curious, has there been any effort to get some type of mass email or petition to Toshiba regarding this problem. I realize that posts on this forum may be misleading because generally only dissatisfied customers or those with defective TVs will post here, but these TVs seem to be prone to problems.



Most people wont even notice the issues this set has, it's us HT people that know what to look for that speak up. My tv looks fine to everyone but me, i have to point out the problems because they think im crazy.


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *white_dog* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Most people wont even notice the issues this set has, it's us HT people that know what to look for that speak up. My tv looks fine to everyone but me, i have to point out the problems because they think im crazy.



Same here.


----------



## lennsx

Not me, that is one angry white glow on the top of my TV when in 1080i mode on the HD stations! IMHO, that is a defect, plain & simple, but you work around it


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Not me, that is one angry white glow on the top of my TV when in 1080i mode on the HD stations! IMHO, that is a defect, plain & simple, but you work around it



I agree with you, lennsx. You can't miss it on my set during a dark scene and it became much more evident after I had the set ISF calibrated. I speculate that Toshiba tried to hide the glow problem with the factory settings at the expense of accurate gray scale and color settings. Folks saying they hardly notice the white glow are probably also experiencing crushed blacks and red push characteristic of these factory settings. That said, if they are happy, that's all that counts.


Re rkellogg556's post, I'd be happy to sign a petition, but doubt it would do any good. I fear that Toshiba's strategy is to try to placate customers by saying "they are working on a solution" for this problem until the warranty period expires on these sets. I hope I am wrong.


----------



## rkellogg556




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I I fear that Toshiba's strategy is to try to placate customers by saying "they are working on a solution" for this problem until the warranty period expires on these sets. I hope I am wrong.



I am thinking the same thing.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I fear that Toshiba's strategy is to try to placate customers by saying "they are working on a solution" for this problem until the warranty period expires on these sets. I hope I am wrong.



I think you guys have to give them a chance. Orion began building the 26hf84 and 30hf84 in June of '04 and a lot of the sets made during the summer had bad geometry with a vertical bend in the middle of the screen. My 30hf84 was made in August of '04 and is one of the good ones. A lot of people screamed bloody murder with those sets and Toshiba could not figure out what was going on. Eventually they came up with a fix that consisted of replacing a couple of resistors or diodes. There is a long thread about it on the forum.


I would think that if you have an open service call and retain documented evidence that they are aware of the glow problem, they would have to repair it no matter when they come up with a fix.


By the way, my 30HF84 is over a year old now and I swear the pq looks better than when I first got it.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I think you guys have to give them a chance. Orion began building the 26hf84 and 30hf84 in June of '04 and a lot of the sets made during the summer had bad geometry with a vertical bend in the middle of the screen. My 30hf84 was made in August of '04 and is one of the good ones. A lot of people screamed bloody murder with those sets and Toshiba could not figure out what was going on. Eventually they came up with a fix that consisted of replacing a couple of resistors or diodes. There is a long thread about it on the forum.
> 
> 
> I would think that if you have an open service call and retain documented evidence that they are aware of the glow problem, they would have to repair it no matter when they come up with a fix.
> 
> 
> By the way, my 30HF84 is over a year old now and I swear the pq looks better than when I first got it.



Good history lesson, Nonnie and good advice on being patient and arranging for an "open service call". As I stated previously, I'd be happy for my fears to be proven baseless by demonstrable actions on Toshiba's part showing they are correcting this problem with the HF85 sets or official word from the company to buyers of these sets who report these problems during the warranty period that the company will fix the problem when a solution is found, even if this occurs after the warranty period expires.


What is involved in arranging for an "open service call"? Since Toshiba customer service representatives are not being particularly helpful, I assume you do this by getting a Toshiba approved technician to inspect the set and document the problem, requesting that the techinican document the fact that the company does not know how to fix the problem work but is "working on a solution", and asking for a copy of the paperwork that documents that these actions and the company contacts that were made within the warranty period.


Is that what you had in mind?


----------



## letterstoher

I'm just curious, but if the TVs are not made by Toshiba, do they normally require a much longer time to fix and come up with a solution? I mean, like, Toshiba has no idea how the TVs were made inside. Not even the parts. Is it possible that Toshiba don't know how to fix the problems at all? I have a good feeling that Toshiba is probably ignoring the owners right now and would rather release the new 26HF66 and 30HF66 instead as quick as they can.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What is involved in arranging for an "open service call"? Since Toshiba customer service representatives are not being particularly helpful, I assume you do this by getting a Toshiba approved technician to inspect the set and document the problem, requesting that the techinican document the fact that the company does not know how to fix the problem work but is "working on a solution", and asking for a copy of the paperwork that documents that these actions and the company contacts that were made within the warranty period.
> 
> 
> Is that what you had in mind?



That is what I did. My set has one minor problem, the horizontal jerk/jitter in 1080i mode. The picture will momentarily jerk horizontally about 5 or 6 times while it is warming up over a period of an hour or so. From what I understand, this also appeared in the hf83's as well as the hf84's. (Have you ever noticed it on your 30HF83? ) There is a survey thread here on the issue. I documented the call with Toshiba then had a Toshiba authorized tech inspect the set. He verified it was a known problem and they did not have a fix. This is very minor compared to the glow problem; I doubt if I will pursue getting it repaired, but at least I have it on record.


The 30HF83 was made by Toshiba and the 30HF84 by Orion, yet both sets had this horizontal jerk issue. It seems Orion used some of the same parts from the 30HF83 then switched suppliers with the HF85 series.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> That is what I did. My set has one minor problem, the horizontal jerk/jitter in 1080i mode. The picture will momentarily jerk horizontally about 5 or 6 times while it is warming up over a period of an hour or so. From what I understand, this also appeared in the hf83's as well as the hf84's. (Have you ever noticed it on your 30HF83? ) There is a survey thread here on the issue. I documented the call with Toshiba then had a Toshiba authorized tech inspect the set. He verified it was a known problem and they did not have a fix. This is very minor compared to the glow problem; I doubt if I will pursue getting it repaired, but at least I have it on record.
> 
> 
> The 30HF83 was made by Toshiba and the 30HF84 by Orion, yet both sets had this horizontal jerk issue. It seems Orion used some of the same parts from the 30HF83 then switched suppliers with the HF85 series.



I have seen this occur on my 30HF83, but it happens so infrequently and usually within the first few minutes of operation that it has not bothered me. I have not noticed the problem occurring more frequently in the more than two years I have owned the set. The 30HF83 is a much better set than the 34HF85 from the standpoint of both picture and build quality in my opinion. I wish every Toshiba set owner could be as pleased as I have been with my 30HF83.


----------



## DirtyHarry

I hope that I can one day get a fix for why 480p input has so much better picture quality than 1080i and 720p on my 34hf85.. until then I guess im not seeing true HD..


----------



## kcarlasc

Hi All,


Looking for some help. My 34 is hooked up to Motorola 6412 via DVI - HDMI cable. This morning the TV turns on and the picture comes up only for a view seconds and then goes blank. Unplugged the 6412 for 5 minutes and plugged it back in same thing. Checked the connection and they are fine. Before this I always had a problem when I first turn the TV on where the picture would not sync up and I have to turn the TV and then back its is fine. I always thought it was a hand shake thing. I tried a few of things mentioned in this thread but no luck


Any thoughts on the blanking screen...


Thanks,

Keith


----------



## white_dog

I finally returned the unit on Friday for a Sony kd-34xs955 and let me tell you the difference in huge. The white glow on the top part of screen while viewing 1080i is gone. This set is allot less grainy than the 34hf85, even the SD signal looks good, way better than before. Video games look sharper and cleaner and i no longer have the scanline problem i had before. This tv would be perfect if it weren't for its size and weight, but you cant have it all.


----------



## lennsx

ahhhh....if Sony made a 34" widescreen that would fit in my wall unit.........


----------



## Willd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> ahhhh....if Sony made a 34" widescreen that would fit in my wall unit.........



We can dream, can't we.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 720p and 1080i gives me a dark and blurey image.



I noticed this last night when first using HD resolutions from my new upconverting player (Toshiba SD-6980) on my 30HFX85 via HDMI.


I'm not sure why, but when receiving HD (720p or 1080i) it seems the set uses a fundamentally different set of parameters to interpret the image. I had to move brightness up from my normal 24 to about 33 to get the correct black levels, and sharpness up to about 35 (from my normal 16!) to bring back the detail, otherwise it did look quite blurry. If I switched the player to 480p I had to move the settings back, otherwise blacks were washed out and the image was noisy due to high brightness & sharpening.


I checked with the Avia sharpness test pattern, and using a setting of 35 with an HD signal didn't introduce distortion for me, it just brought back the detail of the picture.







Oh well, it seemed to work!


Anyway, with those two adjustments the upconverted signals looked great.


PS- I leave SVM off in all cases.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *djchrono* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I am using my Toshiba 26" Widescreen (26HF85C) with a Toshiba Upconverting HD DVD Player (SD4980) using the HDMI input. When I set the DVD player to upconvert to 720p or 1080i, the image gets stretched and unproportional on the TV. I can't change the pic size on the TV anymore either, I can only change it when it is set to 480p.
> 
> 
> Is there any way to get it to display without stretching the image out of proportion in 720p or 1080i modes?
> 
> 
> Thanks



djchrono,


Have you verified the setup of the DVD player? From what I understand the screen dimensions/aspect are part of the HD signal (which is why you can't change the picture size in those modes?, someone jump in if I'm off here), so it sounds like the player may be set incorrectly. There should be some option in the player's setup menus to specify that you have a 16:9 display.


I have a Toshiba SD-6980 player and upconverted resolutions on HDMI work fine as far as aspect ratio goes.


Just my $.02 anyway.


----------



## djchrono

hm thanks for the reply, I'll go home tonight and check the settings on the DVD player. There's gotta be something, because I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look the way it is


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I noticed this last night when first using HD resolutions from my new upconverting player (Toshiba SD-6980) on my 30HFX85 via HDMI.
> 
> 
> I'm not sure why, but when receiving HD (720p or 1080i) it seems the set uses a fundamentally different set of parameters to interpret the image. I had to move brightness up from my normal 24 to about 33 to get the correct black levels, and sharpness up to about 35 (from my normal 16!) to bring back the detail, otherwise it did look quite blurry.



I'll try those adjustments and see if I get in improvement in true HD resolution.


----------



## djchrono




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *djchrono* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> hm thanks for the reply, I'll go home tonight and check the settings on the DVD player. There's gotta be something, because I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to look the way it is



You were right, the setting in the DVD player wasn't set on widescreen displays. I did set it originally, but the power got disconnected, and it reset itself










It looks really great in 720p. When I set to 1080i I occassionally get these shadowy streaks across the image. I didn't read this whole thread so Im not sure if that's a common issue or not.


----------



## rkellogg556

So finally the TV serviceman called me regarding the repair for my 30HF85. He came out around December 4th to check out my TV and said that the white glow problem may be fixed by a new scan converter or something like that. Anyway, nearly six weeks later Toshiba finally got back to him and told him that the scan converter part that he had ordered or requested from them would not be authorized to install or something to that extent. I am not totally sure what he meant, but it sounded like basically they did not give him the ok to install the part under warranty. However the thing that really pisses me off is that they told him to tell me to change the source to 720P to solve the problem. I laughed and told him that this is ridiculous. They told him the way to solve the problem is to send a 720P signal to a 1080i native television? Talk about absurd. He totally agreed and thinks that this is bullsh*t. I told him that would not solve the problem because 720P signals are showing the white glow as well. So now I am stuck with a broken TV that has no known fix. Thank you Toshiba!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *djchrono* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It looks really great in 720p. When I set to 1080i I occassionally get these shadowy streaks across the image. I didn't read this whole thread so Im not sure if that's a common issue or not.



Yeah, I've read about that issue in this thread and some others. It seems relatively common and I've got it too on my set. Most of the time it's fine, and I haven't been able to isolate what's causing it. At first I thought it was during all scenes with a lot of light/dark movement. When it happens, it does seem to be during lots of movement, but it doesn't affect all high-movement scenes, only particular ones. However, when I find a scene that causes it, I can reproduce it consistently.


My set doesn't seem to have the "white glow" issue when receiving 1080i via component. Unfortunately I can see the difference between component and HDMI (HDMI looks noticably cleaner, and the black crush is less severe). So, it looks like I may leave my player set to 720p. Bit of a shame, as I'd like to minimize the number of conversions/resizes going on, but 720p coming in thorough HDMI still looks darn good.


Kinda sucks that receiving a true 1080i signal is so problematic for many of these Toshibas.










I've just ordered the 30HF85 service manual from that seller on eBay. If I get brave (or crazy) I might eventually go to greater lengths to try to solve it. For now HDMI 720p is fine (viewing distance is ~12 feet for my setup). The fact that the geometry and convergence are good, and I can get the colors dead on (not to mention the fact that the damn thing weighs 110lbs!) put enough in it's favor that I'm willing to keep it and be happy, rather than try to swap it and risk getting a tube (of any brand) with more severe problems in other areas.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

I have the shadow-streak problem as well on all inputs (comp, HDMI, cable etc...). It is hard to pinpoint what exactly sets it off, but it is repeatable when you find a scene that makes it happen. Other than this issue, I am extremely happy with the set. If anyone can find a fix for this, please share it with us as this seems to be quite common.


----------



## DirtyHarry

I made some brightness/sharpness adjustments on my 34HF85 for 720p and 1080i signals, I managed to bring out the detail and brighten it up a bit, but the picture is still not as clear as 480p and when switching to 720p or 1080i the picture is not exactly center and reds/greens bleed. It seems this set is capable of receiving HD signals but doesn't display them correctly. For now I'm still viewing everything in 480p with the upconversion in the TV at 1080i, that seems to be the cleanest picture I can get.


----------



## Nonnie

Does anyone have an HF85 that works properly and does not exhibit the glow/weird colors over component at 1080I? What kind of settop box are youi using?

The problems seem to occur most often with cable stb. Is it also pretty common with ota hd receivers ?(like the Sylvania srz3000 or the Accurian hts-600)


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> So finally the TV serviceman called me regarding the repair for my 30HF85. He came out around December 4th to check out my TV and said that the white glow problem may be fixed by a new scan converter or something like that. Anyway, nearly six weeks later Toshiba finally got back to him and told him that the scan converter part that he had ordered or requested from them would not be authorized to install or something to that extent. I am not totally sure what he meant, but it sounded like basically they did not give him the ok to install the part under warranty. However the thing that really pisses me off is that they told him to tell me to change the source to 720P to solve the problem. I laughed and told him that this is ridiculous. They told him the way to solve the problem is to send a 720P signal to a 1080i native television? Talk about absurd. He totally agreed and thinks that this is bullsh*t. I told him that would not solve the problem because 720P signals are showing the white glow as well. So now I am stuck with a broken TV that has no known fix. Thank you Toshiba!



rkellogg556 - Thanks for the update and sorry to have my fears about Toshiba customer service (or lack thereof) confirmed. It appears Toshiba may be getting their workaround advice from reading the posts about their sets on this and other HDTV forums. If so, shame on you Toshiba. You should be repairing these problems and making these sets perform as described in the Toshiba sales brochures and your website descriptions. It is truly ridiculous that the company is apparently unwilling to fix these sets so that they will handle a 1080i signal properly.


----------



## rkellogg556

Yeah, they just called a left a message today. They said they would look into the problem but did not state exactly what they meant. I am assuming that they are referring to the fact that the repairman who was helping me, called Toshiba out on their BS "change the incoming signal to 720P" solution. Sometime this week I am going to make a serious run at getting a new set. I think I will tell them that it is flat our rediculous that I paid this much for a television that does not even work properly. I would actually love it if they would just refund me for the set so I could buy a Sony. BTW, has anyone looked into any other 30 inch sets aside from the Sony. From what I undertand Sony's is my best option for a replacement IF I get a refund.


----------



## DirtyHarry

Would an ISF calibration make an improvement on 720p and 1080i resolution being as I'm going to be stuck with the 34HF85 for awhile..


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Here's a similar example you may want to check out. The buyer bought a 30HF84, but Toshiba gave him all the run-around-excuses and did not want to replace his set:
> 
> http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ghlight=30hf84
> 
> 
> As far as replacement, I highly highly doubt Toshiba will replace your TV or give you a refund. Good luck and let us know how it go.



Good post, Waltchan. But, there's a difference here. In the 30HF84 thread linked to your post, Toshiba exchanged sets for consumers when the defect was verified by the technician. They did not make it easy, but Toshiba did act to replace the sets that were verified by their service reps to be defective.


rkellogg556 has an issue that his service tech acknowledges is an issue and is telling Toshiba the set is defective and Toshiba is refusing to do anything about it. This appears to be a new low for Toshiba and one that is dismaying to those of us that own their products. You may be right in speculating that the reason they are turning an insensitive ear to their loyal customers is because they are overwhelmed with defective products they have foisted on the marketplace. That is, as you know, no excuse for not honoring the warranty.


Their behavior with regard to resolving these 1080i signal problems on the HF85 series sets has every appearance of a company that does not want to be in business for more than a few more years.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Would an ISF calibration make an improvement on 720p and 1080i resolution being as I'm going to be stuck with the 34HF85 for awhile..



ISF calibration markedly improved PQ on my 34HF85 at both resolutions. But, as I have posted previously, the "white glow" on 1080i through the component inputs became more evident following ISF calibration.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Would an ISF calibration make an improvement on 720p and 1080i resolution being as I'm going to be stuck with the 34HF85 for awhile..



I was thrilled with my 34HF85 after a ISF calibration (fed 1080i). When I was forced to swap out a bad STB, I immediately started getting the banding problem, which forced me to change to 720p.


I've yet to experience the white glow (thankfully), and the geometry is near perfect.


Even though I hated having to spend 1/3rd of the cost of the TV to get it calibrated, it was worth every penny (although only because this was the only 34" set that fit in my cabinent).


----------



## DirtyHarry

Sounds good, I've been talking to a few dealers to see about getting it done, just trying to make my decision on it for sure and spend the money.


----------



## lennsx

So the ISF calibration is definitely worth the money. fburch knows I've been trying for months to get his man Chad B down to Fla; it's been tough! So for all of us, what is it about the PQ AFTER the cali that makes it so worth it? For me to spend that kinda coin, I want more detail, less crushed blacks (there's too much contrast in the image right now) and less video noise when watching my DVDs. So, pray tell......


----------



## Nonnie

Take a look at post #58 in the following link.

http://highdefforum.com/showthread.p...934#post108934 .


This guy at highdefforum may have found another workaround to the 34hf85 problems with cable stb's. (particularly Comcast and Adelphia)


----------



## 02gtstang

Got a 26HF85 for my office, since it's size was what I wanted. I am using this

unit as a video production monitor for HD and being able to see 16:9. First thing

I noticed was the messed up geometry in 4:3 mode. the top of the picture turns

inward on both sides. I tried using the tilt function to fix it, but still there. Next up

are the issues I am having with theinputs. S-Video is DIRTY. even with no source

playing, you can see the static and noise on the screen. I was playing some video last night I shot, and the blue sky is horrendous with noise (this video was shot with

a 2/3" chip broadcast camera). Composite inputs display a rainbow down the left hand side of the screen. Component looks ok from what i could tell. I had planned on getting an HD box from insight, but am planning on sending this tv back after talking to

tech support when I get home. I wish I would have read this thread before buying a

toshiba. Coincidentally, I had been looking for one of these locally, and the salesman

at HHGregg told me they had been recalled. He offered the Toshiba MW26G71 as a replacement, but it didn't have enough inputs.


I really wanted the Sony 30", but it is too big and will require a new stand. How

are the Samsung Slimfits? I wish I hadn't missed the Panasoinc cT26WX15 when it

was on sale at CC. Damn.


----------



## FrostyGriZZly

Hello everyone,


Just wanted to say that I got myself a Toshiba 34HF85C last month and I'm really happy with the product. The PQ is, to my taste, very nice.


I first heard of geometry problems AFTER buying the TV, on this very msg board. I was pissed at first because I noticed a downward bow at the bottom (lower letterbox horizontal line) of the set. I then went to ALL the electronics stores (Future Shop, Best Buy, etc.) to check the other sets out. My conclusion : ALL CRT HDTV do that!! The cheaper the worse.


So, for the price/quality, I must say that I didn't find any TV better than the 34HF85C.


The Sony had a little bit less geometry problems, but it's too expensive in Canada (34HF85C = 950$ to 1150$ ; Cheapest Sony = 1850$ to 2000$).


But there's something puzzling me : I seem to have better PQ with Component cables than with HDMI cables! Is there a reason why that is? Is it because the HDMI cable that I bought was cheap?


Thanx


----------



## 02gtstang

I did the same thing today, went and looked at allthe tubes at multiple stores. came to the same conclusion, there were geometry problems in all of them. That combo

TV is really attractive. I had one and returned it, not enough inputs. Oh, can someone tell me how to get into the service menu of the 28hf85 please... thanks.


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *FrostyGriZZly* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> But there's something puzzling me : I seem to have better PQ with Component cables than with HDMI cables! Is there a reason why that is? Is it because the HDMI cable that I bought was cheap?
> 
> 
> Thanx




Same here, the PQ is slighty better on component compared to the cheap DVI/HDMI cable I'm using. So it may or may not be the cable..


----------



## 02gtstang

thanks. got it. I went through and made the adjustments, but how do I know they

are stored? Is there a procedure for saving them? I will say this looks a lot better!!!


----------



## rkellogg556

Wow, finally spoke with a supervisor at Toshiba and I may have finally resolved my white glow problem. They noted that I have been dealing with this for two months now and agree that at this point it would probably be easiest to replace the TV or give me refund. I think the fact that the serviceman called them out on the fact that they don't have a repair for this problem and that I have called them at least 7 times helped me out. SO, could you all please offer me some input as to what TV I should buy if I can get a replacement. I think I would like to stick with a CRT, preferablly in a similiar price range. Currently the Sony CRTs look appealing, anyone have any input as to what specific model to look for (ie wega KV030HS420) ?


Thanks for the help in advance.


----------



## zfgohan

I don't usually post on this forum but I was hoping someone could help me and guide me in the right direction. I have a Toshiba 26hf84a that I have had for just over a year and there has been something about it that everytime I watch it that gets me so annoyed. I Have read posts about toshiba's tv having a white glow on the top and that is my problem. I have had a HD box for the tv for less then a year and ever since Ive had it ive been getting the problem. I always thought maybe it was the box because I only had the glow when I was watching shows through the component. I didnt notice the glow when I had my xbox hooked up to the component either. The glow is most noticeable in a purple tint after tuning to a show in 1080i and then putting the box on standby causing the tv to display a black picture with the glow on the top. I attached a picture of this. Its only recently that when I got my xbox 360 the glow has also been appearing because I had it set to 1080i. I also noticed a lack of quality in dark parts of games cauing me to always up the brightness of either the game or the tv. Please help me, Thank you.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Wow, finally spoke with a supervisor at Toshiba and I may have finally resolved my white glow problem. They noted that I have been dealing with this for two months now and agree that at this point it would probably be easiest to replace the TV or give me refund. I think the fact that the serviceman called them out on the fact that they don't have a repair for this problem and that I have called them at least 7 times helped me out. SO, could you all please offer me some input as to what TV I should buy if I can get a replacement. I think I would like to stick with a CRT, preferablly in a similiar price range. Currently the Sony CRTs look appealing, anyone have any input as to what specific model to look for (ie wega KV030HS420) ?
> 
> 
> Thanks for the help in advance.



rkellogg556 - I think Walt Chan has given you good advice on the Sony model in his post. I would love to know the name of the supervisor you spoke to at Toshiba who you are working with to resolve this issue and congratulations in getting through to them. Contact information would be helpful also (i.e. phone number, extension). PM me if you are uncomfortable posting this information on the forum. Thanks very much.


----------



## rkellogg556




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> rkellogg556 - I think Walt Chan has given you good advice on the Sony model in his post. I would love to know the name of the supervisor you spoke to at Toshiba who you are working with to resolve this issue and congratulations in getting through to them. Contact information would be helpful also (i.e. phone number, extension). PM me if you are uncomfortable posting this information on the forum. Thanks very much.



I will be sure to keep you posted with information regarding how to contact the rep I spoke with. He would not give me a direct number to reach him, not sure why but I can give you his name when I get back to later. I still have a few more hoops to jump through before I think they will take action. In any case I will be sure to help you the best I can.


----------



## U2psycho

A friend wants to sell me his 34HF81 (Toshiba widescreen CRT) which he bought in 2003, I'm pondering buying the 34HF85 which is new and apparently built by Orion and not Toshiba. Not sure if the HF85 has any more features than the 81 in terms of HDMI outlets etc....

Does anyone out there know which is better?


Thanks!


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *U2psycho* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> A friend wants to sell me his 34HF81 (Toshiba widescreen CRT) which he bought in 2003, I'm pondering buying the 34HF85 which is new and apparently built by Orion and not Toshiba. Not sure if the HF85 has any more features than the 81 in terms of HDMI outlets etc....
> 
> Does anyone out there know which is better?
> 
> 
> Thanks!



I take it you are a big U2 fan. Did you ever see that Red Rocks concert shot in Denver Colorado?


----------



## rakoman

I just purchased a 26HF85 despite reading this forum. The Toshiba is the only CRT set that will fit into our built-in and I've had pretty good results with Toshiba products in the past.


Although the set has performed up to my expectations overall, I am seeing a bright reddish-violet glow in the upper left-hand corner of the set when playing DVDs through the component (Colorstream 1) input.


It is most apparent against static blue backgrounds (like the FBI warning), but it is also very obvious against the flat backgrounds of anime movies. Now that I'm sensitized to it, I'm also seeing a slight bluish-white discoloration against dark green backgrounds (like foliage).


Any suggestions beyond dump the set? I really like the set overall and have no issues when viewing the upconverted cable signal. Would an ISF calibration solve this problem, and if so, how do I get one done and for how much?


Thanks


----------



## lennsx

fburch, did the ISF calibration take away the video noise (movement) on your DVDs? I really do want to calibrate my set, but $300 is a lot of $$$.....


----------



## Krevnik




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rakoman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Any suggestions beyond dump the set? I really like the set overall and have no issues when viewing the upconverted cable signal. Would an ISF calibration solve this problem, and if so, how do I get one done and for how much?
> 
> 
> Thanks



Dump the set. Sorry, it had to be said... I wound up dumping my 26HF85 after ripping out hair (almost literally) trying to get it to display a nice picture. Here are the problems you have, or will encounter:


- Component input tends to create a glow at 1080i, less of one at 720p, and less of one at 480p/i. Turn the brightness up enough, and you will notice it. There is just something really funky/cheapy about the tube's drivers/etc that create odd glows and the like you experience.


- Black levels that are horrid, and a black level expander you can't turn off... on a display that doesn't even need it.


- This set cannot be properly ISF calibrated, period. Toshiba has 'acknowledged' an issue where certain settings in the service mode never stick. It drove my local ISF guys up the wall trying to figure out what was going on, and work around the various problems the XXHF85s have with regard to service mode and calibration. Toshiba also stated they have no idea how or when it will get fixed, if ever.


Consumer Reports practically rates this model as a lemon, and for good reason.


----------



## Krevnik




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Did you throw it out? You could have got $150 for it by putting it up on eBay.



A friend who really only has one HD device has taken it. He is using it as a pacifier for Cable/Sat HD content until he can afford a nicer set on his own.



> Quote:
> Did you even alert the ISF calibrator that this TV was made by Orion? It could have save him some time. He probably read the Toshiba schematic manual instead of the Orion schematic manual, so that's why he was confused. Toshiba has a hard time solving the problems because they don't know the technical specs of the TV (not familiar how the TV was made).



We both worked from the same service manual, which was for the 26HF85 specifically. The problem wasn't the calibration itself, but rather that when you leave the service menu, there is a known bug in the firmware (Toshiba confirmed it over the phone) where certain settings which include the blue drive/gain controls are ignored by the TV and some weird default is used instead. So we were seeing these huge blue channel spikes on the grey ramps when exiting service mode and switching the color temp to where it should be (the one we were trying to calibrate, since the three temp settings are all controlled with seperate drive/bias settings). Toshiba also told us that they had no clue when they would fix this bug, if ever. We didn't even attempt to finish the calibration after we found out that there was no way we could even get the grey ramp right.


Quite simply, when Orion took over, the build quality has sucked. The fact that their entire CRT 85 line sits at, or just above the bottom of the Consumer Reports rankings tends to reflect this. I am not joking, in their respective categories, the only models to score WORSE than the HF85 and the HFX85 line was the Magnavox 27MT5405 (27"), and the Phillips 30PW9100D...


Maybe Toshiba/Orion will get it right with the HF86 line, they might not...


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> fburch, did the ISF calibration take away the video noise (movement) on your DVDs? I really do want to calibrate my set, but $300 is a lot of $$$.....



I don't notice any noise or movement playing DVD's through the HDMI input using a Samsung 831 DVD player, but I did notice this noise when I connected an Oppo DVD player using this same input. I did not experiment with the Oppo and opted instead to connect it to my other HDTV set. If I still had the Oppo hooked up to my 34HF85, I would experiment with the 480p and 720p setting on the Oppo to see if the noise went away.


I also have a Sony SACD/DVD player connected through the Colorstream inputs and I do not detect any noise or movement when I play DVD's using that device on the 34HF85.


Since I was not seeing this noise on my set after swapping DVD players, ISF calibration has had no effect, but did result in an overall improvement in PQ largely by reducing contrast levels and toning down the inherent red and blue push that is characteristic of these sets when they leave the factory.


----------



## lennsx

Is your Sony DVD player running progressive scan with the TV at 540p? That's what I have using my PS2 (progressive scan mode ON) and I get some noise (literally movement in the background areas). I'll dik around with it and see if it helps!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Is your Sony DVD player running progressive scan with the TV at 540p? That's what I have using my PS2 (progressive scan mode ON) and I get some noise (literally movement in the background areas). I'll dik around with it and see if it helps!



Sony DVD player works the same with progressive scan ON or OFF (no noise). My 34HF85 is set to 1080i in the setup menu and swithing it to 540p using the DVD player does not seem to have any effect. Good luck in resolving your noise issue.


----------



## crcucb

I wish I would have read these posts before I bought the TV, I Have the white glow problem along the top. Has there been any fix?


If I take it back to Sears, I have to pay a 15% restocking fee.


----------



## SteveEast




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Krevnik* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Quite simply, when Orion took over, the build quality has sucked. The fact that their entire CRT 85 line sits at, or just above the bottom of the Consumer Reports rankings tends to reflect this. I am not joking, in their respective categories, the only models to score WORSE than the HF85 and the HFX85 line was the Magnavox 27MT5405 (27"), and the Phillips 30PW9100D...



Yeah, did you see the side bar where it said "Until recently, Toshiba was in the same league as Sony, but the sets we tested in 2005 scored much lower". Damningly accurate comment.


Steve.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *U2psycho* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> A friend wants to sell me his 34HF81 (Toshiba widescreen CRT) which he bought in 2003, I'm pondering buying the 34HF85 which is new and *apparently built by Orion*and not Toshiba. Not sure if the HF85 has any more features than the 81 in terms of HDMI outlets etc....
> 
> Does anyone out there know which is better?
> 
> 
> Thanks!




Gotta be another Walt alt.


----------



## crcucb

The guy told me at Sears that if there is something wrong with it, they will replace it. If I don't want it then it's a 15% restocking fee.


I am not sure what I am going to do yet. It's the only 30" HDTV/monitor that fits in my entertainment center.


I don't notice the white glow all the time. During the superbowl (GO STEELERS) ther wasn't a white glow. I think if it's a full widescreen picture then it isn't there.


Does the white glow problem get worse?


----------



## Ratman

Walter... nothing's impossible.


From Sears:
http://www.sears.com/sr/misc/sears/c...EARS&ihtoken=1 



> Quote:
> Sears Policies
> 
> 
> Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back
> 
> Our goal is that you are completely satisfied with your purchase. If for any reason you are not satisfied, simply return your purchase in its original packaging, with your receipt within 90 days of your purchase, 30 days for Home Electronics and Mattresses for a refund or exchange. If you are not satisfied with your purchase after these time periods, please let us know. Your satisfaction is important to Sears.
> 
> A 15% restocking fee applies on select Home Appliance, *Home Electronics*, Home Improvement, Household Goods, Lawn & Garden, and Automotive products not returned in the original box, unused, and containing all original product packaging and accessories.
> 
> Special orders cancelled after 24 hours of purchase are subject to a 15% order cancellation fee


 http://blogs.mercurynews.com/consume...sets_15_p.html 

http://www.besttechie.net/forums/lof...php/t5496.html


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *letterstoher* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm just curious, but if the TVs are not made by Toshiba, do they normally require a much longer time to fix and come up with a solution? I mean, like, Toshiba has no idea how the TVs were made inside. Not even the parts. Is it possible that Toshiba don't know how to fix the problems at all? I have a good feeling that Toshiba is probably ignoring the owners right now and would rather release the new 26HF66 and 30HF66 instead as quick as they can.



Huh? Based on what? Feelings?


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *squonk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Huh? Based on what? Feelings?



"The Force is strong with this one..."


----------



## crcucb

Yeah so if I return it I am out at least $120.00. Which is why I want to know if the Toshiba White Echo problem will get worse or not. I can live with how it is now, it's annoying but it would be more annoying to get a TV that won't fit in my entertainment center (where my receiver, ps2, HD boxes, dvd, vcr are at).


----------



## Krevnik




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *crcucb* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah so if I return it I am out at least $120.00. Which is why I want to know if the Toshiba White Echo problem will get worse or not. I can live with how it is now, it's annoying but it would be more annoying to get a TV that won't fit in my entertainment center (where my receiver, ps2, HD boxes, dvd, vcr are at).



It depends... if you are hooked up through HDMI you will never see it, it only manifests itself through component video, but it gets pretty darn visible on 1080i material 30+ days after purchase and install.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah, I guess so. Sears has just made the return policy less liberal than before. As far as I know, Best Buy does not charge a 15% restocking fee on TVs.



^^ Sorry Walt/cireaasirefan/letterstoher/whatever the hell else you call yourself. That's not true.


You DO know about Best Buy, VERY intimately. How can any of us forget?



You ranted on this forum for two months after YOU cracked the case on YOUR Toshiba player! You blamed Best Buy, Sony, Denon, Toshiba, and everyone else under the sun for YOUR stupidity!


I guess we need another recap:


1.) Walt finally fulfills his great dream and finally buys a Toshiba HDTV. The board gets spammed with near orgasmic glee, as to do several other forums on the Internet.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=589707 


Everything's beautiful and everyone lives happily ever after, right?


Wrong!




2.) All is suddenly not well in Walt's world. The cracked case makes it's first appearance, and ultimate admission, albeit indirectly.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=595279 


^^ You'll see where cireaasirefan/Walt Chan admits to what he's done.




The end result of the above: Best Buy smear campaign:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=597254 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=615018 


There was a post in here that, of course, was deleted, but we all directly quoted and shot down anyways, where Walt tried to repeat his material from the first thread to blame Best Buy for HIM cracking the case on HIS TV.


That's why you were so upset! You screwed yourself and you knew it! You knew they wouldn't take it back!


You still talk crap about Best Buy to this day here and on several other forums because of YOUR mistake.


So stop playing these coy games. Tell us all about Best Buy. Go ahead. Give it to us again.


----------



## crcucb

I read an earlier post that someone said an HDMI cable seemed to make things worse. However maybe I will try that route.


I see some 6' HDMI cables for about $20 on Amazon. Will I be okay going with one of these instead of one of the $100 cables?


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I didn't know Sears would ever change their return policy. Looks like I will never buy any electronic goods at Sears.



It's a measure that they've instituted due to the number of returns from people opening up their sets and cracking the cases.










It's not just Sears... many places are getting wise and changing return policies. Even Wal-Mart is 'flagging' individuals with numerous returns.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It's a measure that they've instituted due to the number of returns from people opening up their sets and cracking the cases.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's not just Sears... many places are getting wise and changing return policies. Even Wal-Mart is 'flagging' individuals with numerous returns.



Exactly. They don't let people take advantage of them anymore. They HAVE to.


The only company that I know that's left that literally begs to be taken advantage of by dishonest and/or stupid people is Coscto. To say that their returns and exchange policies are "generous" would be the understatement of a lifetime.


----------



## crcucb

I emailed Toshiba and they suggested having someone look at it. I don't have very high hopes of having someone fix this after reading these posts. Has anyone ever got it fixed?


How bad will it get? I am going to try a HDMI but someone said if I ever go back to Colostream the problem will be worse.


----------



## lennsx

it gets bad. It IS bad. Besides, I am saving the one HDMI input for the new PS3 that has Blu-Ray (hi-def) disc capability. Hear that it's the only way to view/use it for HDMI is the standard for copyright protection.


----------



## crcucb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> it gets bad. It IS bad. Besides, I am saving the one HDMI input for the new PS3 that has Blu-Ray (hi-def) disc capability. Hear that it's the only way to view/use it for HDMI is the standard for copyright protection.



But you still got the set? Do you use one of the HDMI for your HD watching and don't notice the white glow? Did anyone come look at it?


----------



## lennsx

If you go back through this thread (click on my links) you can read my issues and they are basically the same as the other owners. I tried to use the HDMI input for my cable box and there was insane white glow movement/strips of washed out color banding all across the screen so I now run both my PS2 & cable box thru the 2 component inputs. I do have the glow issue with 1080i BUT I simply shut that off and keep the signal at 720p. I know that there are others who disagree with me on this, but to my eye (and I am a graphic designer/painter I.E. visually acute, ha) I see no difference in Picture Quality between the two. The TV unpconverts all signals to 1080i anyway. None of these TVs (as far as I know!) can natively show us a 720p signal, it upconverts to 1080i. In others words, other than the crushed blacks/too much contrast (which I hear that an ISF professional calibration will clean up rather nicely) I am going to commit blashpemy and state that I love the TV. Spread it.


----------



## crcucb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I do have the glow issue with 1080i BUT I simply shut that off and keep the signal at 720p.



Where do you shut this off at, on your cable box or is there something on the TV that you do? Do you get the gray bars on the side of the screen in 720p?


----------



## lennsx

It's a button on your cable remote. On mine, it's small & on the lower right side and if I remember it's simply a "#' icon. This will punch up on the screen a display window; follow the prompts to where you can shut off/on the various resolutions. Turn off 1080i and leave all the others ON and viola! No more angry white glow.


----------



## crcucb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It's a button on your cable remote. On mine, it's small & on the lower right side and if I remember it's simply a "#' icon. This will punch up on the screen a display window; follow the prompts to where you can shut off/on the various resolutions. Turn off 1080i and leave all the others ON and viola! No more angry white glow.



Okay I found it, it seem to have helped. You mentioned your PS2. I am getting a component cable for my PS2, do you have the white glow problem with that?


----------



## crcucb

Oh, and how long have you had your set?


----------



## juelze

Man, I wish I would have seen this forum 2 weeks earlier. I would have returned my POS Toshiba. 1080i causes the infamous white glow. Setting my Xbox 360 to 720p does fix it, however the quality of this set is still pretty week. Anyway, I have quite a bit of overscan with setting the Xbox 360 to 720p and having my set at 1080i. Is it okay for me to go into the service menu and fix this? I know that I have to write down all the settings so I don't screw it up and only futz with the ones related to changing the size.


Any suggestions? Also, any information about fixes coming out for this thing?


----------



## lennsx

I have Monster brand mid-quality component cables running from my newer, PROGRESSIVE SCAN Playstation 2 to the TV with my TV set at 540p, NOT 1080i. I mean, that is the whole point of the PS2 having progressive scan. (And for the record, when I manually switch from 540p to 1080i and back on the TV, I see no difference even though everyone yammers about how much better progressive is than interlaced. Oh, well.) Keep the color & sharpness levels kinda low, because that introduces noise and blooming. GOD OF WAR for the PS2 is in widescreen & is progressive capable and let me tell you baby, it looks sweeter than J-Lo's A$$ dipped in sugar. I like my TV. Had it for about a year now from Sears.


----------



## crcucb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have Monster brand mid-quality component cables running from my newer, PROGRESSIVE SCAN Playstation 2 to the TV with my TV set at 540p, NOT 1080i. I mean, that is the whole point of the PS2 having progressive scan. (And for the record, when I manually switch from 540p to 1080i and back on the TV, I see no difference even though everyone yammers about how much better progressive is than interlaced. Oh, well.) Keep the color & sharpness levels kinda low, because that introduces noise and blooming. GOD OF WAR for the PS2 is in widescreen & is progressive capable and let me tell you baby, it looks sweeter than J-Lo's A$$ dipped in sugar. I like my TV. Had it for about a year now from Sears.



I love the J-Lo line. I switched my cable box (Scientific Atlanta 8300HD) to 780p and I don't see the white line. I am waiting for my Ps2 cable to come. I am also going to try a HDMI cable since I have two HD boxes and I want to free up a component port for my PS2.

My other main concern is I read that people say the normal channels look much better on the Sony HDTV monitor than the Toshiba. Right now, non high dev channels don't look that great. They looked better on my older regular Toshiba TV. Can anyone speak to this?

At least I don't see the gray bars. I put my cable box on 780p and set the output as Pass-Through.


----------



## lennsx

Thank you, I'll be here all week. (Drum tap). I agree that the standard definition cable channels bite; I personally never truly fiddled extensively with them to achieve maximum pictureage. (word?) My cable box/remote has features to enhance/clean-up these channels but I see no discernable difference in PQ. My theory is that these high-end TVs are so advanced that they make standard analog signals look worse.


----------



## crcucb

I have a few buddies that have other HD sets (not a Toshiba) and one of them was given some help through this board on how to tweak their set to make non HD Channels look good. They go into the set's service menu's.


Has anyone done this for the Toshiba's and give advice for what to set to make non HD Channels look better?


----------



## juelze




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What model is it?



26HF85


:-(


----------



## juelze




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What model is it?



Say, if I set my Xbox 360 to 720p and have my Tosh 26HF85 set to 1080i the glow goes away, but now I have an overscan problem. I just ordered a service manual for this set. Is it a simple fix? Just reducing width I imagine?


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> .


----------



## crcucb

I am still new to all of this, but can you tell me what is an overscan problem?


----------



## lennsx

I think it's basically that the info/image on the screen is not properly centered. This is especially bad for video games for essential info could be cut off.


----------



## Porcupine2

It's not that the image is not properly centered. It's that the image size is blown up too much so some or all of the edges is cut off from view and lost. All TVs have some overscan built in and that's normal, but too much causes problems.


Videogames aren't actually especially prone to overscan. The reason is that all videogames from all systems don't use as much of the screen as DVDs/regular cable TV do. To check this, simply resize the image on a TV (if you know how via the Service Menu) so there is NO overscan. Then check DVDs/TVs/videogames. The videogame systems such as gamecube only render at 600x450 or something like that. There are small black borders around all games and all its output. Usually you don't see it because it will be cut off as overscan. But that helps prevent overscan from harming your ability to play any game.


----------



## Wes13

I have a Toshiba 34hfx85. I have had it for about 2 weeks. I am happy with the set overall, but have a few issues. I hope someone can help.


1. The bottom of the picture has a bit of an arc to it. For example, on a 2.35 movie, the letterbox is about 3/8 of an inch thicker in the middle than it is at either edge. Somewhat frustrating


2. When I set my XBox 360 on 1080i, the image is very dark, the color is waaaaay off, and there are flickering lines on various areas of the screen. The 360 works fine when I set it on 720p, but that's not the point, the TV is supposed to accept a 1080i input, and it doesn't work properly.


3. Overscan!! The overscan problem isn't so bad on DVD's or on Satellite, but when I turn my 360 on, the sides of the games are cut off by about an inch. I've tried adjusting the screen size in the service menu, but when I do that, the images at the very edge of the screen become somewhat distorted.


Crutchfield has told me that they will send me a new set if I'd like to return this one, but I wanted to get some input from some people here. Thanks in advance!!


----------



## Porcupine2

> The bottom of the picture has a bit of an arc to it. For example, on a 2.35 movie, the letterbox is about 3/8 of an inch thicker in the middle than it is at either edge. Somewhat frustrating


Try playing around with the Service Menu some more, but the SM can't fix everything. The Toshibas should have very good geometry when they are set up correctly. But because Toshiba has bad quality control these days, sets with terrible geometry are commonplace. Some kinds of geometry problems can only be fixed by opening up your TV so in those situations, if the problem is unacceptable, the only solutions seem to be to return the set or maybe hire someone to fix it.


Have you tried changing the EW PARA or V LIN settings in the service menu? Those might help a little, but probably not.


> Overscan!! The overscan problem isn't so bad on DVD's or on Satellite, but when I turn my 360 on, the sides of the games are cut off by about an inch. I've tried adjusting the screen size in the service menu, but when I do that, the images at the very edge of the screen become somewhat distorted.


Don't expect perfect geometry on any flat-screen modern CRT, it's just not possible. If only the very edges go, that's fine. I say reduce the overscan to your liking, and just live with the edges, it's reasonable.


> When I set my XBox 360 on 1080i, the image is very dark, the color is waaaaay off, and there are flickering lines on various areas of the screen. The 360 works fine when I set it on 720p, but that's not the point, the TV is supposed to accept a 1080i input, and it doesn't work properly.


I'm not sure but I think this is possibly a known design flaw of the set itself, so if this is the reason for your return make sure you get a refund and NOT an exchange.


The XBox 360 is supposed to support 720p natively though, not 1080i I heard. So most of its games look and run best at 720p. If you select 1080i probably you are just upconverting, which you shouldn't be doing anyway. In other words selecting 720p with the XBox 360 won't hurt you even though you have a 1080i set.


The PS3 will be another story, that one supports 1080p natively. So you will indeed want to accept a 1080i input if you plan to get a PS3. I wonder if Toshiba will fix this design flaw with the 2006 models? Oh, but there isn't a 34" planned for 2006....


----------



## Gizmobiaritz

Greetings,


I have a Toshiba 34HF85C. I tried to search for conclusive information on my problem however I was not able to find any.


I have a jitter problem in 1080i resolution. The image jitters. I have had a Toshiba Tech come over to update the "Firmware" but this did not fix the problem.


Do you know of this problem? Is it common with HD-TV's in the CRT form? Can it be fixed?


Thank you for your time.


----------



## lennsx

what exactly do you mean by jitter?


----------



## Gizmobiaritz

Greetings,


The Vertical Sync is off, the image jitters vertically in 1080I severly and in 720 it flashes, like an old computer monitor running at 60fps. The store I bought it from does not want to exchange or refund it. I have to wait for Toshiba to say something.


----------



## lennsx

How do you have it connected to your Cable box? HDMI or component? My HDMI connection kinda did something similar to that.


----------



## Gizmobiaritz

Greetings,


My TV does it the same through HDMI and RGB connections. No matter how the image is up-converted, either through HDMI or RGB the effect is the same, also when I receive pure HD signal from my box the result is the same. My TV does not do this reguraly. Sometimes when I turn it on everything is ok, if I change imput or turn off the TV and then back on, that is when it start to do it. There is a 50/50 chance that if may or may not do it when I turn it on. Was your TV fixed ? If yes how ? If no what happend ?


Thank you.


----------



## falcon9418

Just purchased this TV and I am not happy with the overall HD quality--using Cablevision as the provider. Granted the standard cables provided are not the most effective--I am hearing mixed results in terms of whether or not go out and purchase some HDMI cables. When watching games in HD--the close up shots are pretty good--the wide shots of the full court or field tend to be not as clear and was wondering if the HDMI cables would clear that and tighten the pic. Should I switch the format to 720i as opposed to 1080? Any suggestions as to the type/brand of cables to get? Any suggestions?


----------



## lennsx

The TV may need to "warm up" as a new car does. I noticed that after a week or so the PQ (Picture Quality) got better. Plus, you REALLY need to search this site and find the proper settings for the best picture (IE - contrast, brightness, sharpness, color temp, etc.). I'll try to write down my settings and post them tmrw. And to me, I see no difference in PQ between 1080i & 720p on this TV. Some others disagree, but since thise TV is known by all to have that angry white glow on HD channels when in 1080i, I leave mine on 720p. In a few weeks I'm getting mine ISF calibrated; if & when that happens I will submit a detailed account of how much better my PQ looks (I hope!). As stated before, I love this TV except for the light "noise" in the backgrounds on DVDs and the crushed blacks (no detail in black areas). I hear that my calibration will make this TV SING.


----------



## Porcupine2

In my case the only 30HF85 I kept long enough to break in got slightly worse after 100 hours of use. The RGB color convergence started out okay, but ended up being marginally unacceptable. I ended up returning that unit for that reason plus others (broken screen pixel, also wacked out geometry where right half of screen is suddenly 15% fatter than left, like having 4:3 aspect ratio on the left half and 16:9 on the right half).


After break-in your set is just as likely to get worse as it is to get better, I think. Depends if you are lucky or not.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> In my case the only 30HF85 I kept long enough to break in got slightly worse after 100 hours of use. The RGB color convergence started out okay, but ended up being marginally unacceptable. I ended up returning that unit for that reason plus others (broken screen pixel, also wacked out geometry where right half of screen is suddenly 15% fatter than left, like having 4:3 aspect ratio on the left half and 16:9 on the right half).
> 
> 
> After break-in your set is just as likely to get worse as it is to get better, I think. Depends if you are lucky or not.



Total BS.


Convergence is "normally" not a "huge" problems with direct view CRT's.

CRT's do not have pixels

geometry issues plague ALL TV's


Is that you Walter?


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Perhaps we need to remind you again:
> 
> 
> Alan knows I am innocent. Please do not blame on me again. You are over 50 years old, and you know better.



"WE" need to remind? Are you a moderator now?


Alan and the other mods are very tolerant. Perhaps "we" can be classified as trolls. But at least we focus on YOU with justification based on past experience.


Come out from behind your mommy's apron. And don't throw "MY" age into this BS. I turn this around back at you that as a 22 year old, what do you know?


Play nice with informative and substantial advice and EVERYONE will stop harrassing YOU!


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Perhaps we need to remind you again:




Who's "we"? waltchan, cireaasirefan, koratdenkiworld, letterstoher and U2Psycho?


----------



## artchur

I recent purchased the 30HF85C. My plan was to use it mostly for 1080i viewing via my 360. Apparently that was a mistake, I got the white glow so many people have noted, and had an overscan problem.


Ive managed to correct the overscan via the service menu, and have had to switch the 360 to 720p to get rid of the majority of white glow, however now I seem to be having some sort of color problem.


There seems to be colors bleeding off of objects in games... Like when blue text is displayed over yellow backround there seems to be a red shadow around the text. Also skin tones have a faint green color bleeding off their edges in various games. Is there some options to change to correct this?


At first I was giong to take this TV back, however I had thrown away the box so the store is only offering either a exchange, or storecredit towards another tv. I bought this one at 699.99 however at the same store there is a Sony KV-30HS420 widescreen for 999.99 and includes a stand. Not sure its worth the extra cash though...


----------



## lennsx

IMHO, Sony makes THE superior CRT television. If $$$ is no concern, (I.E.- credit) I'd go for it.

If their XBR 34" fit in my entertainment center I would have bought it, hands down. Stay sassy.


----------



## falcon9418

I am assuming that this calibration costs something--I am just trying to find out if I need to spend more out of pocket money on this TV---I spoke with a service tech and they blamed the box for the non clear pic and also said that the intermittent static lines that I am exp might be reslved if I unplug the TV and let it correct itself--overall I am not too happy with the money spent on this TV--was hoping to be blown away with the HD sports channels and so far I am not


----------



## Porcupine2

Ratman,


These days, CRTs do indeed have severe RGB color convergence problems due to poor quality control by most or all manufacterers. That may not have been the case in the past, but it is now. A CRT with badly-misaligned color convergence is ruined (until you fix it).


If you want to nitpick about terminology, then what I meant was that the holes in the shadow mask were malformed on my unit. One of the "green" holes was blocked out and so no light passed through (it was black), and a neighboring "blue" hole had something wrong with it that caused a high-intensity bluish-white light to pass through (instead of the correct level of blue).


Geometry issues plague all CRTs but from going through multiple 30HF85s, I noticed that the geometry issues on that particular set were far worse than on most others (not fixable in Service Menu).


----------



## Porcupine2

artchur, if at this point in time you really don't want another TV, I would go into that store and demand your money back. What store is it? Any store HAS to accept a return of a TV whether it has the box or not, and NOT charge you any fees or require an exchange, IF the TV is defective. Which yours is. How do we know? Because ALL the Toshiba 30HF85 seem to have that problem. That is definitely a problem...it cannot in any way be called a "feature". If they do not believe you, stay in the store and make a fuss. Insist that you be allowed to demonstrate the 1080i white glow flaw to them in-store and that you will not leave until they agree to test it for you. At that point they will be too lazy to test it for you, and just give you your refund, I suspect.










If they still do not give you a refund you can threaten to file a claim with your credit card company or something (assuming you paid with credit card).


Of course, if you are willing to get a different set, which may be a good idea, you don't have to worry about all that and should probably stay on their good side if possible.










About that weird color "bleeding" problem, I think I know what you are talking about. I don't know the official term for it but I call it Y/C deconvergence. It's not actually color bleeding (which only occurs when you have the screen set far too bright). It is sort of like RGB color deconvergence, but not really, it's something else. It plagued several of the 30HF85's I returned as well. It's unacceptable and the TV warrants returning just for that reason alone, I believe.


----------



## Ratman

Direct View CRT's are rarely plagued with convergence issues normally. It does happen... but it's not usually a primary issue.


And to nitpick... a warped shadow mask and blocked apertures is not a pixel issue.

So use proper terminology and you won't get called out.


----------



## artchur

Yeah, im just not sure what to do. My budget dosn't have room really for the 300$ jump to the sony set.... gah... It is only an extra 100 for the slimfit, which could be an option, however I hear that set has issues with a strange bump or something of that sort.


----------



## Porcupine2

It sounds to me like you aren't really certain if there is a good HDTV set out there for you to buy at this point (now that you've found out the Toshiba is junky, like I did). A stand is NOT worth $300 if you are on a budget. I bought a stand for my now-gone Toshiba which fit it perfectly for $100 from HomeWorld Furniture. The $1000 for the 30HS420 plus a stand sounds like a bum deal to me. I would try to get your money back, and be prepared for several hours of arguing in the store if you have to. Hopefully you paid with credit card, that will give them extra fear of your money-regaining powers.


----------



## cruzan_pc

HELP!!

I just got a 34HF85. I live in the Caribbean so it was shipped to me by boat and I can't return it, although I would if I could.

I have Dish network, no HD. Got the set hooked up with comp. cable, s-video, cable direct, nothing seems to matter.

To say this display is awful would be an understatement. I have to run the sharpness down to almost 0 to get anything resembling a clean display. The picture looks like a computer generated image on a bad display card. Very fuzzy, very grainy, lots of shadows, ghosts, remnants, pixelation. It often looks like I'm viewing this picture through a sheet of gauze.

I have an older smaller Toshiba set that I can put in the same place and the picture is fine. Also the picture is fine with a DVD.

As I said I can't send this back, and getting a pro to come and look at it is not going to happen? (unless one of you guys is travelling to the Caribbean soon - lol)

Am I going to be able to solve this with calibration? WHere do I start?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated.


----------



## lennsx

If you take a bit of time and scroll back through this forum, you'll get MANY potential solutions to your ailments! I know that's a bit of a pain to do, but I did the same recently & it was worth the effort. Good luck!


----------



## lennsx

Question: I was thinking about getting an upconverting DVD player for this TV, but I noticed that in the TV's menu I can change/toggle my input resolution between 540p & 1080i for DVDs (and it DOES change it; screen goes black and it shifts from p/i). So my point is, why would I need an upconverting DVD player if this TV ALREADY can upconvert the DVD resolution to 1080i?


----------



## Porcupine2

cruzan, from what you describe (I have some idea of what you are seeing, it is several bad effects not just one) I think you are screwed. You need to have someone come over and open up your TV and even then it can be fixed only if you are very lucky and they are very competent. Since you say you cannot return the TV I would say you are in big trouble.


----------



## String216

Looks like toshiba decided to cut their losses. on engadget /2006/02/21/toshiba-killing-crts-and-analog-tuners/


----------



## cruzan_pc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> cruzan, from what you describe (I have some idea of what you are seeing, it is several bad effects not just one) I think you are screwed. You need to have someone come over and open up your TV and even then it can be fixed only if you are very lucky and they are very competent. Since you say you cannot return the TV I would say you are in big trouble.



Since I've got no choice but to keep this set, I've got to try to fix it.


How do I get into service mode on this particular set?


----------



## Porcupine2

Turn the volume on your TV down to zero. Hold down the Volume Down button on the TV set itself, while simultaneously holding down the "9" button on the remote control. After one second the Service Menu will pop up.


You can also access the Designer Menu by holding "6" instead of "9", but it is too dangerous to mess with that mode. I am pretty sure neither menu will help you in the slightest though, as I've recently had similar experiences with Toshiba 30HF85s.


I think you will experience more success (perhaps minor partial success) by fiddling with your cables, buying higher quality cables, or changing the inputs you use (I know you say they are all bad but I would bet a lot of money that some of them are still better than others).


Make sure to turn off Velocity Scan Modulation, too. It helps a lot. It's accessible in the regular user menu.


----------



## lennsx

cruzan, if your DVDs play fine, then it's got to be the cable box/reception. IMHO, these HDTV's have crappy regular, analog signals. My TV does, too. This TV does have an analog "cleaner" mode in the regular-access menu as well, try that, too. Also, forgive my ignorance, but does the fact that you are all the way in the beautiful, sunny Caribbean have anything to do with a bad reception?


----------



## Dillon

I am thinking of upgrading my second tv location to HD. The cost of flat panel LCD tvs and size considerations make a tube set attractive. The Sony and Panasonic sets are too wide for my setup. The Toshiba would be (barely) acceptable.

In support of the tenor of this thread, I visited a small retailer who specializes in Toshiba. He will not sell the hf85. He claimed that he could not get it to focus. Perhaps there is just not enough of a market for tubes, but this guy seemd sincere. Does anyone know of a site that stocks the 84? My searches only seem to turn up the 85.

Thanks.


----------



## biker19

The only way to get an HF84 is used or remanufactured.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Question: I was thinking about getting an upconverting DVD player for this TV, but I noticed that in the TV's menu I can change/toggle my input resolution between 540p & 1080i for DVDs (and it DOES change it; screen goes black and it shifts from p/i). So my point is, why would I need an upconverting DVD player if this TV ALREADY can upconvert the DVD resolution to 1080i?



As I understand it, when the DVD player upconverts the signal it does so before the digital-to-analogue conversion is made to send the signal over the component cables to the display. In theory, doing the upconversion digitally should result in slightly higher quality than having the TV receive an analogue signal, convert it _back_ to digital, scale up the resolution, and then do _another_ conversion to analogue before it's finally displayed on the screen. The extra transition through analogue will necessarily incur a slight loss.


Of course, if you're using an HDMI connection, then it's digital all the way to the set (so you only have that last internal digital->analogue conversion for final display). In principle the only factor there would be whether there's any quality difference between the upconversion performed by the DVD player and that performed by the TV (i.e. differences in the algorithm or chip used to do it).


As a side note, I believe the 540p/1080i display setting on the TV only matters when the set is fed a 480p signal. It just internally upconverts anything else and shows it at 1080i. At least that's what I've found after a fair amount of experimentation.


----------



## lennsx

Thank you for your very informative response! I did think that by buying an upconverting DVD player with an all-digital HDMI (to HDMI on my set) would produce a sharper picture than my now component-connected progressive PS2, but I'm reading that unless your TV is rather large the difference is slight. I'm going to roll the dice and instead of spending the $200 total for an upconverting DVD player & good HMDI cable I will instead spend the $200 on an ISF calibration (I love getting tax $$$ back)! I've heard nothing but gushing raves about the difference in PQ when done.


----------



## cruzan_pc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> cruzan, if your DVDs play fine, then it's got to be the cable box/reception. IMHO, these HDTV's have crappy regular, analog signals. My TV does, too. This TV does have an analog "cleaner" mode in the regular-access menu as well, try that, too. Also, forgive my ignorance, but does the fact that you are all the way in the beautiful, sunny Caribbean have anything to do with a bad reception?



Lennsx

My being in the Caribbean has nothing to do with crappy reception, I have Dish. It does however, have everything to do with my ability to send this set back. I had to ship it here from Florida.

I will take your advice and get some high quality cables, although I've got an s-video cable that makes the picture worse. More digital, pixilated.

What is the analog cleaner mode you spoke of?


----------



## lennsx

(from the actual product description)

" CableClear DNR+ that optimizes video connections by eliminating noise and automatically adjusting sharpness"

It works, but it's only a slight improvement with my own cable reception. It's accessible in your menu options!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thank you for your very informative response! I did think that by buying an upconverting DVD player with an all-digital HDMI (to HDMI on my set) would produce a sharper picture than my now component-connected progressive PS2, but I'm reading that unless your TV is rather large the difference is slight. I'm going to roll the dice and instead of spending the $200 total for an upconverting DVD player & good HMDI cable I will instead spend the $200 on an ISF calibration (I love getting tax $$$ back)! I've heard nothing but gushing raves about the difference in PQ when done.



I don't see a huge difference in the picture detail between 480p over component and 720p or 1080i over HDMI, but it is there. The thing that _did_ change a lot for me was the black crush. It is noticably less severe over HDMI (at least with my equipment setup).


Only problem is, I've found the HDMI light/dark horizontal banding occurs when feeding my set both 720p and 1080i. Sure, it's a lot less noticable at 720p (initially I didn't think it happened at all), but I still see it occasionally.










Please do post the results of the ISF calibration! I'm toying with the idea myself, and would love to hear how it goes.


Man, if there were ever an "ignorance is bliss" situation... I used to be able to watch any sort of display and be perfectly happy. Reading this forum and researching A/V technology has runined me!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You are too late. Crutchfield was the last authorized dealer to sell a new-in-box Toshiba 34HF84, and that was in July 2005. Sorry you missed it.



Hmm. Looks like there are still some earlier 30-inch factory refurbished models (30HF83, 30HF84, 30HFX84) available here:

http://refurbelectronics.com/30hidetvs.html 


I've no idea about the service/reliability of the vendor though. And I guess they're smaller than what Dillon is looking for.


----------



## Porcupine2

cruzan, something you mentioned in your first post I may have misread. Did you say that DVDs play just fine and look great on your Toshiba TV?


CableClear is useful and I always leave it on but it doesn't help much. It seems to reduce video noise slightly but that is not the main cause of problems in my opinion. Since it doesn't seem to cause any extra problems I do leave it on but it doesn't do much.


----------



## shoobe01

Okay, I have mentioned this a few times in other threads, but here's my official "Something is wrong with my TV" post. Starting about 8 months ago, periodic single jitters/flickers/whatever from any video source, in any resolution. I have video of it and all, down below.


This is on a 3ish year old Toshiba 32hfx72. For the record, the rest of my setup:

- Panny RP-82 DVD

- DISH 500 PVR

- Panny XR55 Receiver


I use Toslink for all audio (aside from a 2-channel cord dangling for the wife's iPod), use component for the DVD and S-VHS for the DISH (as it has nothing better). No antenna for OTA work at all.


The DVD and DISH are on a UPS, and everything is on an APC voltage regulator. Sorry, no pureAV stuff. The wife lets me spend money on the A/V setup, but only things she can /see/. Power conditioners do not register, and that's a lot of jack.


But, the problem manifested itself before I had this configuration. I have tried unplugging a variety of things, switched stuff around and made the electrical system as solid as I can imagine (thought it might be from ground, as there were many ground faults when I started looking at everything).


I do not have another TV which is convenient, and certainly nothing with component, so can't really check the setup that way.











Every once in a while (period varies from every few minutes to every few hours) it does this (23 mb, so download it!):
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...eo/32hfx72.mov 


Or, quicker, look at this frame by frame of only the bad flippy thing, starting at ending at stable screens for reference. Note that the picture is otherwise /perfect/. Couldn't be happier. Straight, square, perfect color, etc. So, disregard the color bars, grainyness, and apparent videohum; its all just recording artifacts.
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/1.jpg 
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/2.jpg 
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/3.jpg 
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/4.jpg 
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/5.jpg 
http://shoobe01.homeunix.net/~shoobe...diovideo/6.jpg 


Here's frame 3 of the above. Right in the middle of it:










For anyone not looking at the giant video, its just a momentary flicker on the screen. Takes no really measurable time at full speed. Before the video, I didn't know it jumped up immediately, then settled back down more slowly. You really can't see that in real life.



Thanks for ANY help you can provide!


----------



## lennsx

Are you referring to an HDMI DVD player in regards to less crushed blacks, or HDMI on cable box with HD channels? (Because I once tried to connect my cable box via HDMI and I experienced the same banding problem you write of. It was absolutely unacceptable.) My only gripe with this TV are those crushed blacks, PS - I will gladly give a full report post ISF cali when done! Most likely in a few weeks from now. Thanks again!


----------



## Porcupine2

This is a problem with your TV. A significant amount of Toshiba owners have had this problem with their recent models. Some others have developed it after the TV was a certain age, as you did. Unfortunately your TV is no longer under warranty. I would call Toshiba customer support...they MAY actually be helpful in this case as I think to them this may be a known problem. You will probably have to pay to get your TV fixed, unfortunately. Fortunately, if it is the same problem others have reported, it is fixable without too much difficulty if you know how.


----------



## shoobe01

Porcupine2, assuming you are answering my question, thanks!


Any idea what Toshiba calls this flippy syndrome, so I can get in the right queue? What sort of thing might I expect from them? Like, a fix out of warranty or what?


Where might I find the home-fix to this issue? I have looked around a lot, and found all sorts of scary, crack-the-case solutions for various problems, but never this one (probably cause I don't know what everyone else calls it).


Thanks again. Good to know I am starting to get on the right track!


----------



## Porcupine2

> Any idea what Toshiba calls this flippy syndrome, so I can get in the right queue? What sort of thing might I expect from them? Like, a fix out of warranty or what?


I'm not 100% sure what this phenomena is called (only that others here have described the same/similar thing) but I think if you say that your picture "desynchs intermittently" that might be it. If not, just say your picture randomly jumps up and goes wacko for a split second, intermittently.


If you are not lucky the Toshiba customer rep guy will be an idiot and unhelpful. If you are lucky, what you might hope to get from a good rep is that he will be able to explain to you what this problem is and the rough fix for it (because as I said, I think this is a known problem on the Toshibas, and since it is easily fixable if you know how, the customer service may actually admit to the problem and give you or the TV repair guy information on it. note: known problems that aren't easily fixable Toshiba pretends doesn't exist...they are dishonest).


I doubt Toshiba will give you a free fix. You will almost certainly have to pay a TV repairman to come over and look at the TV. However, if you are lucky, the Toshiba customer service might give you info on the problem that could aid the TV repairman in fixing it faster. That way maybe he could do it in your house. Otherwise he might take it to the shop and it might take him a while for him to figure out what is the cause.


> Where might I find the home-fix to this issue? I have looked around a lot, and found all sorts of scary, crack-the-case solutions for various problems, but never this one (probably cause I don't know what everyone else calls it).


Hrm. If this is the *exact* same problem other users reported then this can be home-fixed. Somewhere on this forum someone posted this same problem and the exact fix but I cannot remember where. It's either in this thread or another one (the Toshiba 30HF85 thread) which was recently deleted (VERY unfortunate for us all). It roughly just involved opening up the TV and straightening out the inside at the right parts, because it is cramped up in there and parts are close together and some touching parts apparently caused the problem. But I cannot remember exactly what/where this is. Also it's possible your problem has a different cause (even though the effect is the same) so I recommend against a home-fix on this.


But again, call Toshiba customer service first and see if you can steal some information from them first. Good luck.


----------



## shoobe01

Excellent! Thanks very much; I will call Tos and see who I can get ahold of. Hopefully they can at least give me the name of a reputable repair guy in the area. All the ones I know anymore are monstrously dishonest, incompetent or very, very retired.


I had run across some discussions of things like boards coming floppy and shorting against the chassis. Fixes involving insulation and lots of tape to prevent further wobbling, but these are guys who know how to crack the case w/o damage or death, and can spot the right kind of circuit from across the room. Indeed, not for me.


----------



## rkellogg556

I took some pictures to compare the Toshiba HF85 to the Sony XS955. WOW does the super fine pitch tube make a difference.







































After finally replacing my Toshiba I must say that I am extremely pleased with the Sony. I think next time I will come here to get some better advice than I did the first time through. BTW, these pictures still do not show just how much better the sony looks. Two of my friends both commented already on how much sharper it looks.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Are you referring to an HDMI DVD player in regards to less crushed blacks, or HDMI on cable box with HD channels? (Because I once tried to connect my cable box via HDMI and I experienced the same banding problem you write of. It was absolutely unacceptable.) My only gripe with this TV are those crushed blacks, PS - I will gladly give a full report post ISF cali when done! Most likely in a few weeks from now. Thanks again!



In my case I'm talking about a DVD player. I don't have a hi-def cable box (I'm not much into TV shows except for a few, and I usually wait to get those on DVD without the commercials. And I don't watch sports.) The banding is much less severe at 720p than 1080i in my case, but it can still be seen, especially in darker scenes.


I'm having a service tech come on Monday to check out the light/dark banding issue (as I bought the set on Jan 1st '06 it's still well within warranty). Hopefully something will come of it. I they can't or won't fix it, I may (depending on how I feel) make enough noise to get Toshiba to refund my money. Considering I'm using a Toshiba TV with a Toshiba DVD player, they don't have much room to blame it on some esoteric incompatibility and avoid responsibility.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It may be incompatible a little. Your Toshiba 30HFX85 TV was made by Orion and your Toshiba SD-6980 DVD player was made by Samsung. Two different manufacturers here. None are made by Toshiba.



Yes, I _know_ about the manufacturing. I've slogged through this entire thread. I think you missed my point entirely.


It wouldn't matter if the DVD player was made by blind monks in Tibet and the TV by aliens from a planet in the Rigel system. If Toshiba is willing to sell these two products under their brand then they're taking responsibility. My point was that, from a customer support perspective, they can't claim it's not their problem to fix (like they might try to do if my player were a Sony, or Sharp, or something else), and that should help in my situation.


----------



## Ratman

Kidding ?

Wally, somehow I don't believe you.


----------



## Porcupine2

rkellog, that was a really cool post, I for one really appreciate pics like that.







But it's not fair to compare a Toshiba vs a Sony XS because the cost is not comparable. The Toshiba vs Sony HS models would be a fairer comparison. Or Sony HS vs XS. The Toshiba vs the Sony XS is too much of a mismatch in both price and quality...


Side note: if that's the lower left corner of your XS like I think it is, that's excellent RGB convergence considering where it is. Did you calibrate your set in any way or was it like that out-of-box?


----------



## rkellogg556




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> rkellog, that was a really cool post, I for one really appreciate pics like that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But it's not fair to compare a Toshiba vs a Sony XS because the cost is not comparable. The Toshiba vs Sony HS models would be a fairer comparison. Or Sony HS vs XS. The Toshiba vs the Sony XS is too much of a mismatch in both price and quality...
> 
> 
> Side note: if that's the lower left corner of your XS like I think it is, that's excellent RGB convergence considering where it is. Did you calibrate your set in any way or was it like that out-of-box?



Yeah that is how the TV came out of the box. All I have done is some overscan correcting. The comparison is not really fair, but I had to show people how much of a difference there is between two tvs. I was always under the impression that there was not that much difference in the resolution but it was the brigthness color and other factors that made the difference in TVs. But clearly there is a large difference in how high def a tv is.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah that is how the TV came out of the box. All I have done is some overscan correcting. The comparison is not really fair, but I had to show people how much of a difference there is between two tvs. I was always under the impression that there was not that much difference in the resolution but it was the brigthness color and other factors that made the difference in TVs. But clearly there is a large difference in how high def a tv is.



Thanks, rkelloogg556. So, how did things work out with Toshiba? Did they give you a refund for your old set? What steps did you take to get resolution with Toshiba? Thanks for sharing this info.


----------



## shoobe01

Friday, I had a guy out, who basically didn't believe me so wouldn't do anything to the TV, for any money. Nice. Not using them again.


Just had Overland TV out this afternoon and this guy was very helpful. Was able to replicate the symtoms with judicious whacking of the case, and took the video I made to heart. Led him to the v-synch chip, which he re-soldered, along with some other components. So far, that seems to have fixed it right up.


Of course, time will tell. If its good in a week, I'll start being really happy.



Interesting seeing inside the TV. Even for a several year old design, relatively few discrete components. Not even many boards, anymore. Came apart suprisingly easily. And, it has a subwoofer-tube along the extreme top rear corner. Why? Does anyone who owns a TV like this use the built-in speakers?


----------



## lennsx

On my Toshiba 34HF85 I'm using my PS2 with progressive scan as my primary DVD/CD player and was thinking about replacing it with either a regular prog. scan DVD stand alone player or a prog. scan upconverter DVD player with HDMI. Question: is it worth the effort & money to do so? OR should I have an ISF calibration done as opposed to all of this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rkellogg556* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I was always under the impression that there was not that much difference in the resolution but it was the brigthness color and other factors that made the difference in TVs. But clearly there is a large difference in how high def a tv is.



I always knew that there was a huge different between the Toshiba and the Sony XS. In my opinion the Sony HS is also significantly better than the Toshiba. However, in my opinion, the Toshiba is significantly better than all the rest, so the Toshibas are still good. However the Toshibas have terrible quality control these last 2 years so that's only if you get a perfect unit. Otherwise, a bad quality Toshiba (like 90% of them are I think) is worse than everything except the Philips probably...


I knew from the first moment I saw a Sony XS vs HS side-by-side in the store that there was a HUGE difference between the two. Screen dot pitch does matter.


----------



## Porcupine2

Hope everything goes well and your TV continues to function, shoobe.


I personally think good TVs should not even have speakers. I never even run audio to my TV so it can't play sound even if it wanted to. But I have some friends who just use the built-in TV speakers, and others who do have a sound system but didn't put much care into it and still have some audio cables running to the TV which is often used by them.


I guess it makes some sense for even a $1000 TV to have crappy speakers, for people who don't want to even spend another $400 for decent stereo sound (maybe $200 stereo amp plus $100 speakers). Good sound is expensive, admittedly. I only have stereo sound myself (nearly $2000 though...high quality). Not enough money for a quality surround amp at this moment.










What annoys me is how all these TVs, especially the widescreen ones, have giant built-in side speakers. A lot of people won't ever use em (like me) and they waste so much space. Put them on the bottom and save space, they're crappy anyways!!!


----------



## spurdy

Ok, I had a technician come out this morning.


I showed him the light/dark banding most visible using 1080i over the HDMI. He wanted to ensure it wasn't the player, and so brought another in from his truck. It was a Toshiba as well, but slightly earlier model. Sure enough, the banding was there with that player too.


So, then he calls in to Toshiba and/or back to his service center (I didn't follow exactly), and it turns out Toshiba has a service bulletin out on the issue (at least they're aware of it!). So, he says he needs to research that information and come back again. He mentioned that there is a setting in the service menu that needs adjustment, and that they have to try that before they can replace any hardware.


I wished I could've just let him know that I know all about how to access that menu, and then maybe he could've called to get the details on the adjustment to make and done it right then. However, I didn't want them to blame the issue on me (I've made minor adjustments to geometry, tint centering, contrast centering, and the R-Y gain via the service menu, but the banding was present before the changes).


Anyway, it looks like I'll need to try to find another day I can take off of work or go in late to accomodate them. They (Sharper Video) schedule their techs day-to-day based on the locations they need to visit. So you don't know what time they'll be out until the day of, when they call each place in the morning with the estimate of when they'll be there.


I'll post again as this progresses.


PS- I think I've got a fairly good tube as far as these Toshibas go. Convergence and geometry are pretty good. If I can just kill the HDMI banding issue then I'll be fine (that is, until I hear about lennsx's IFS calibration if it's all they're cracked up to be, then I might have the urge to do that as well.)


----------



## lennsx

Your light/dark banding issue is EXACTLY the same issue I have when using HDMI thru my STB (Set Top Box). It was the scariest thing since Cheney-(drum tap). Spurdy, I implore you to let us know what that service menu tweak is for when my ISF cali guy comes by. If I can kill a few birds (my apologies to PETA) with just one stone, then it's all good! And as promised, a full report on my ISF cali when done. (and perhaps fburch would like to give them a taste of his own ISF cali?)


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Spurdy, I implore you to let us know what that service menu tweak is for when my ISF cali guy comes by. If I can kill a few birds (my apologies to PETA) with just one stone, then it's all good!



Although I'm crossing my fingers that a service menu tweak is all that's needed, to tell the truth I don't have a lot of confidence that it'll be that easy. It felt more like a stock answer that the tech was giving, rather than that he knew specifically and certainly that there was such a fix. Still, if it works I'll be thrilled, and will most definitely report the service menu changes here.


I think I'm just trying to keep my own expectations low so that I'm not disappointed if it takes more than that.


----------



## shoobe01

Oh, I almost forgot the best thing I learned from the repair guy. Word of the day:


Twitch.


He described the issue I had as a "vertical twitch." I suspect, if it comes up again, that this will be a better way to communicate with the repair place than my usual, stuttering, vague answer.


----------



## lennsx

I was watching an analog station the other night and it happened to me as well. My buddy was like, "WTF is up with THAT?" I agreed. My analog picture is horrible. Man, Toshiba (or Orion?) are a bunch of c*cksuckers. Tough to say, but I call it like I see it.


----------



## shoobe01

As much as I hate to jinx it by saying it worked. It still seems to have worked. Five+ hours of viewing since then and not a twitch to be seen.


I would have tossed this (despite the expense) if there were other problems, but this set is rock solid otherwise. Though the service guy hit some sort of gain control inside that messed up my black level. We eyeballed it back into place with the case off (and he wanted it WAY brighter than it should be), but I'm gonna have to run the avia setup again now...


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> (and perhaps fburch would like to give them a taste of his own ISF cali?)



Nothing to add to what I said back on message #97 on this thread.


----------



## Nonnie

Well, I received the 34HF85 I ordered from Crutchfield. I knew they were getting in a new shipment and I figured that I would get a recent build and hopefully Orion would have addressed the outstanding issues. My build date is January '06 probably toward the end of the production run.


What a joke! I think I have every problem ever reported in this one set:
very poor horizontal geometry
numerous convergence errors (poor focus on right side of screen)
discoloration on three corners of the screen
"white glow" at top of screen with 1080I over component
horizontal bands of light and dark with 1080I over HDMI
strangest flesh tones I have ever seen


I can't believe they continue to produce defective sets regardless of the complaints and issues over the past year. Even more unfortunate is this junk has "Made in U.S.A." slapped on the box. (My 30HF84 looks spectacular compared to this trash)


Can't say enough good things about Crutchfield. The customer service rep apologized repeatedly and immediately offered me a full refund. Probably the best internet retailer to do business with. I decided to swap the HF85 for an LCD and that's the end of that.


----------



## Ratman

But you currently own an Orion, right Wally? Pot calling the kettle black?


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You should take responsibility for your actions for buying this POS TV. Why did you return the glorified Sony KD-34XBR960 and settle for the Toshiba 34HF85? We have already told you many many many times before not to go with a Toshiba again. You already knew before that you will be disappointed with it. Remember this concept: "You're buying Orion, you're buying pain."
> 
> 
> But, anyway, thanks for sharing your story, though.



waltchan lecturing others on taking responsibility for actions? Philosopher, moral compass of the forum, technician, dance move inventor--how does he find the time to do it all?


Walt, speaking of TV purchases, have you bought and returned any TVs lately? Last I heard you were going to return your Sony LCD and buy another one, or buy the very last Toshiba made in Japan TV on earth. You aren't going to watch the Oscars on a 13" Sylvania are you? Or are you going to be at the Oscars, doing the red carpet treatment and hobknobbing with all the famous stars you know?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yes, but it's a lot better. It's a well-proven technology that Orion has been making for many years: analog TVs. It has such a great picture.



As far as I know all CRTs are inherently analog. It's fundamental to how they operate.


Sure, there might be some that accept a digital input (HDMI, DVI-D, etc.), or perform digital processing internally before display (upconversion, etc.). But ultimately, in order to paint the pictures with a scanning electron beam in a CRT, the signal must be converted to analog.


Thus, the HF(X)8x lines are all analog TVs.


LCD, plasma, LCD projector, and DLP could be reasonably referred to as "digital TVs" as each individual pixel is discretely addressable and they utilize digital control circuitry, but it seems like a misnomer for anything that uses a CRT (rear projection CRT, direct view, etc.)

Clarification: I'm talking about "digital" vs. "analog" terminology with respect to the method of display a TV uses, not to types of input signals it can receive. I'm sure advertisers might talk about their "digital TVs" (incorrectly, IMHO) just because they might have digital tuners built in, or have an HDMI or DVI input. That's like calling a LCD TV "analog" just because it has a composite, S-Video, or component input, when the fundamental display technology is digital.


PS- I did appreciate your Orion phrase though, "You're buying Orion, you're buying pain" Whenever I read it, I hear it in this booming "iron-fisted evil overlord" voice.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> PS- I did appreciate your Orion phrase though, "You're buying Orion, you're buying pain" Whenever I read it, I hear it in this booming "iron-fisted evil overlord" voice.




Huh, I hear that more in a very high pitched, whiny voice.


----------



## spurdy

The service tech is coming out again today. I had to go to work, but my wife has Mondays off and can let him in, so I just set everything out for the technician.


In preparation I reset all service menu values back to the defaults they had before I made adjustments. Boy did I notice a difference for the worse! After having used the TV for a month after my amateur calibration efforts, the default settings looked simply awful. Makes me feel at least a little better knowing how much I was able to improve the picture with just Avia and the service menu.


When I get home today I'll take a peek in the service menu to see what the tech changed and report if it made any difference. I'm expecting that they'll be recommending swapping some hardware components, but if the service menu can fix it, that'd be awesome.


More to come this evening.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> Yes I know, but from what I see here, a 20" flat-screen TV, let's say a Toshiba, appears to have a better picture than any of the Toshiba HF85/HFX85 HDTVs.



good speluation, got anything more, or do you just want the member to donate his TV to you?


or better yet maybe the admins should delete this thread? no why you are still hoping they will just close the entire CRT forum, then you will have been able to hide all your problems


why do you get involved in threads you are not going to be informative and helpful in? to cause problems thats why


if you do not agree with what the original poster has to say, then you want the thread deleted


or at least there is some fear that when you say something ignorant, that you will have to face up to it


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You should take responsibility for your actions for buying this POS TV.




What does POS stand for waltchan? I'm not familiar with some of the sophisticated tech lingo that you use sometimes. I want to learn from you and soak up your vast knowledge about TVs like a sponge.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> Quote:
> 
> Originally Posted by cireaasirefan
> 
> You should take responsibility for your actions for buying this POS TV.



maybe you should consider this yourself with your 20" VCR/DVD/TV combo


your made up LCDs and CRT HDTVs do not count


----------



## Porcupine2

Even I have to agree that this time, waltchan was out-of-line in his response to Nonnie's extremely useful post. Hey, I myself went through 4 different 30HF85s and am still planning to try out just one 30HF66 when it comes out and give Toshiba one last chance. Some people are curious, willing to experiment, or are hopeful that they can get a unit that would actually pass a real quality control inspection. It's not like there is some other golden-boy miracle TV option out there (Sonys don't even come close) so no matter what, buying a CRT these days is going to be a lesson in pain for those with an eye for quality. It's basically pick-your-poison.


But in any case, I hope this latest flame-war ends here and goes no further. When these arguments go on too long the forum is ruined and threads get deleted. I ask everyone to let this matter rest, at least for the moment.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, I received the 34HF85 I ordered from Crutchfield. I knew they were getting in a new shipment and I figured that I would get a recent build and hopefully Orion would have addressed the outstanding issues. My build date is January '06 probably toward the end of the production run.
> 
> 
> What a joke! I think I have every problem ever reported in this one set:
> very poor horizontal geometry
> numerous convergence errors (poor focus on right side of screen)
> discoloration on three corners of the screen
> "white glow" at top of screen with 1080I over component
> horizontal bands of light and dark with 1080I over HDMI
> strangest flesh tones I have ever seen
> 
> 
> I can't believe they continue to produce defective sets regardless of the complaints and issues over the past year. Even more unfortunate is this junk has "Made in U.S.A." slapped on the box.



Argh. There go some of my hopes for the 30HF66. If Toshiba continues on this way hopefully they will go out of business, that's all I can hope for. Everyone who gets a defective Toshiba, return it and make Toshiba pay for their poor business practices! I wonder if there is any way for us to find out the return rate on the Toshiba 2005 CRT HDTVs in particular? I bet it is horrible, if such information is actually made public.


Nonnie, can you do me a favor? Does the box itself list the build date of the TV? I was foolish and never bothered to check my TV boxes before if they had that info. It'd be useful to know when buying a set though, in case you know that certain batches are worse than others.


----------



## Porcupine2

What the heck? Are you TRYING to get this thread deleted, kny3twalker? Please tell me your latest post was a mistake in some way....you quote MY message as if I am waltchan?


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> What the heck? Are you TRYING to get this thread deleted, kny3twalker? Please tell me your latest post was a mistake in some way....you quote MY message as if I am waltchan?



oh I thought thats the solution whenever conflicts arise now


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You should take responsibility for your actions for buying this POS TV.




If POS stands for what I think it stands for, I am truly outraged and offended. We don't need references to bodily waste and foul language on this forum.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> If POS stands for what I think it stands for, I am truly outraged and offended. We don't need references to bodily waste and foul language on this forum.



I would appreciate it if you, Walter Chan, would not post in here anymore if thats all you can add


----------



## georgemoe

I'm a perfectly happy owner of a 34HFX84, March 2005 build. One of the last.


I feel bad for the HF(X)85 owners and all the troubles they've gone through. At least you can -

*Add cireaasirefan (Walter) to your Ignore List*


----------



## lennsx

Please let us know how it all turns out; I have the same banding issue with HDMI thru my STB as well. And I should be getting my ISF calibration done in 2 weeks from now. Will let you all know how it turns out! (And for the record, the one & only person so far who had his own 34HF85 ISF calibrated is VERY pleased with his TV now. I mean, yeah it does kind sukk to have to throw another $300 into this TV but since they are now going for about $700 or so it seems worth it. I paid $1300.00)







Oh, and I don't whine about it. Or maybe I just did?


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Does the box itself list the build date of the TV?



They cleverly omit that little tidbit from the outside of the box. Just the serial number.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> ... And for the record, the one & only person so far who had his own 34HF85 ISF calibrated is VERY pleased with his TV now.



Assuming you are talking about fburch, I also had my 34HF85 ISF calibrated. The tech was impressed with how much he was able to do with the set, he admitted afterwards he had low expectations!


After calibration, a change in STB resulted in the infamous 1080i banding, which has forced me to run it at 720p. Other than that, no other problems with the set, going on almost 6 months now. No white glow, awesome geometry for a CRT (which my ISF tech agreed with).


Paid $950 (Crutchfield) for the set last fall and $300 for the calibration.


Still wouldn't recommend this set to anyone unless they are constrained by cabinet dimensions and Toshiba is the only 34" that will fit (as was the case with me).


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Please let us know how it all turns out; I have the same banding issue with HDMI thru my STB as well. And I should be getting my ISF calibration done in 2 weeks from now. Will let you all know how it turns out! (And for the record, the one & only person so far who had his own 34HF85 ISF calibrated is VERY pleased with his TV now. I mean, yeah it does kind sukk to have to throw another $300 into this TV but since they are now going for about $700 or so it seems worth it. I paid $1300.00)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, and I don't whine about it. Or maybe I just did?



Well, it sounds like whatever the tech did, it didn't fix it.







My wife reported the results to me before I left work. When I got home I checked all the service menu settings, and they remained at the original defaults, so it looks like he undid whatever fix he tried before leaving. Oh well. My wife is familiar with what the banding looks like, and confirmed that he wasn't able to fix it while he was here. Apparently he tried to call Toshiba again (~10:30AM PST) and they didn't answer (!?!) So he's going back to do more communication with them later.


The upshot is, it looks like he'll have to be out again, possibly multiple times if they try hardware replacement.


I'm torn between A) making enough noise for long enough that they either really fix it or give me my money back, and B) just taking the sucker apart myself and satisfying my tinkerer nature doing my own focus and convergence adjustments with the magnet rings and yoke, HDMI be damned.


Regarding "A", I'm tempted by the rave reviews of the XBR960n with the super-fine pitch CRT. But it may take a while to wrestle my dough back from Toshiba, and word on the street is that the XBR960n is disappearing quickly. On the other hand, if some "B" route tinkering and/or an ISF calibration can really make the set shine, I might be happy with that. Especially if I can get component looking really good, then the HDMI stuff wouldn't bug me so much.


I'm more than willing to try my own purity/focus/convergence adjustments with the service manual and other online resources available. I'm not scared to be hands-on about technology in general, it's just the potential for thousands of volts of electrocution that makes me hesitate.


----------



## spann-man

Does anyone have a 30HF85 that will work with 1080i consistantly over component video? I seem to have one of the few good 30HF85's and don't know if I should take the chance and give this one up in hopes of getting one that works with 1080i.


720p works great but not even close to the best I've seen, very little geometry problems, and none of the hot spots are issues on the one I have at this time. I know there are better options but I am limited to this set due to cabinet limitations and I can't handle the slow refresh rates of LCD (and yes I do own what I feel is the best LCD out there).


Thanks


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm more than willing to try my own purity/focus/convergence adjustments with the service manual and other online resources available. I'm not scared to be hands-on about technology in general, it's just the potential for thousands of volts of electrocution that makes me hesitate.



I've had my 30HF84 apart a couple of times, once to reseat the A/V board (shorting against the chassis) and the other time I tweaked the Focus. A few months after I got the set, some convergence errors popped up and I was thinking of attempting a static and dynamic convergence adjustment. I brought an isolation transformer (to prevent frying myself) and downloaded some pretty good articles on DIY convergence adjustment. Never got around to it, and I don't think I'll attempt it. From what I have read, there is a good chance you will only make it worse. My set has actually improved with age, the convergence errors seem to have gotten smaller and are not affecting the clarity or pq.


----------



## lennsx

So are you satisfied with the ISF cali, or very satisfied? For me, $300 would be a lot of money to spend for just a little difference, although fburch seems very satisfied & I do not doubt his opinion in the slightest. Just would be nice to have another opinion (not to mention that my friends & family think I'm clinically bonkers when I bring it up.) My only real beef with the PQ is crushed blacks (not enough detail) and if you also say that the ISF alleviated that, then great!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've had my 30HF84 apart a couple of times, once to reseat the A/V board (shorting against the chassis) and the other time I tweaked the Focus. A few months after I got the set, some convergence errors popped up and I was thinking of attempting a static and dynamic convergence adjustment. I brought an isolation transformer (to prevent frying myself) and downloaded some pretty good articles on DIY convergence adjustment. Never got around to it, and I don't think I'll attempt it. From what I have read, there is a good chance you will only make it worse. My set has actually improved with age, the convergence errors seem to have gotten smaller and are not affecting the clarity or pq.



Yeah, from what I read in the service manual focus adjustment seems pretty straightforward. Tweaking the position of the yoke seems like the place where the greatest error could occur. The magnet rings can always be reset to their original positions. But the whole "rubber wedges" holding the yoke in place might be tough as far as putting it back in the original position after moving it.


Getting myself into a worse situation and not being able to correct it does make me think twice. Still, I'm a patient person and willing to do trial and error to learn what I need to if it means getting the tube working at its full potential. That and I'm a big geek who would find that kind of challenge fun.


perfectionist geek + highly configurable/adjustable tech-toy = trouble


(or just a _lot_ of time spent tinkering and learning far more than is healthy about given tech-toy, and potentially exasperating the significant other)


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've had my 30HF84 apart a couple of times...



By the way, is there anything to be aware of when removing the case? I've looked at the exploded view diagrams in the service manual, but I was wondering if there were any "real world" gotchas to watch out for.


I'm mainly thinking about how the set would need to be oriented while removing the case. Do you have to lean it forward to get the case off (this could be tricky), or can it be slid directly backwards with the TV sitting on a flat surface after removing the screws?


----------



## shoobe01

On my 73 series the case handily came off with the unit upright. Convenient, as the tech was able to test it disassembled without manhandling a floppy, fragile, 300 pound* unit. I thought it was nice of them.


He did have me lean it forward a few inches to get the case back on, but I am not sure it actually helped.



(* well, it feels that heavy)


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> By the way, is there anything to be aware of when removing the case? I've looked at the exploded view diagrams in the service manual, but I was wondering if there were any "real world" gotchas to watch out for.
> 
> 
> I'm mainly thinking about how the set would need to be oriented while removing the case. Do you have to lean it forward to get the case off (this could be tricky), or can it be slid directly backwards with the TV sitting on a flat surface after removing the screws?



Just don't crack the casing when you screw those things back on, like another notorious poster did and then returned the TV, claiming it was already cracked. Also, be careful from whom you are taking advise about opening your TV--see above. Some people just are not as good at screwing as others are.


----------



## Ratman

Take from Wally... he knows about cracked cases.

When replacing the screws, do not over-tighten. Right?


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> By the way, is there anything to be aware of when removing the case? I've looked at the exploded view diagrams in the service manual, but I was wondering if there were any "real world" gotchas to watch out for.



You do not need to tilt the set forward to remove the rear cover. It slides right off as the unit is free standing. Be sure you remove all the screws around the a/v, Component and HDMI inputs. If I remember correctly, there are small arrows embossed on the cover next to the screws that need to be removed. The entire a/v board attaches to the cover for support from behind. There are also six to eight larger screws around the perimeter of the cover and one toward the center.


----------



## spurdy

Cool, thanks for all the advice. Now if I do end up deciding to keep it and venture into hardware calibration, I'll know how to do it.


Got a call this afternoon from the service center. Sounds like Toshiba gave them the same line , "Uh, we don't have a fix yet*. Use 720p or 480p."

* Translation: We've got our eye on the calendar, just waiting for that date about 12 months after the last HF(X)85 went out the door.


I've emailed Toshiba support and requested that they either actually find and execute a real fix, or allow me to return the set for full refund since their product does not perform as advertised. We'll see how they respond.


----------



## mkreef




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Swo are you satisfied with the ISF cali, or very satisfied? For me, $300 would be a lot of money to spend for just a little difference, although fburch seems very satisfied & I do not doubt his opinion in the slightest. Just would be nice to have another opinion (not to mention that my friends & family think I'm clinically bonkers when I bring it up.) My only real beef with the PQ is crushed blacks (not enough detail) and if you also say that the ISF alleviated that, then great!



$300 is a lot, especially considering this is such a low-end set (relatively speaking). My family also thinks I'm bonkers for paying this much to get a brand new TV "calibrated", something they have never heard of. My big concern was that the results would not be very noticeable, but this was not the case. Even my wife loved the result, but said she didn't want to know how much it cost (so I didn't tell her).


Put me in the "very satisfied" camp -- it was the difference between returning the set and keeping the set. As I alluded to, the 34HF85 was the only 34" CRT that would fit in my space, so I didn't have a lot of choices. If space was not an issue, I would probably have bought a super fine pitch Sony.


A couple caveats:


- I didn't attempt any adjustment on my own using Avia/DVE, etc. Perhaps the difference would not have been as great had I spent a lot of time learning and calibrating it myself, but I had already convinced myself that I needed to a proper ISF calibration to get the best picture out of this set.


- Black crush is still there, and only slightly improved. In fact, this was one aspect the ISF tech showed me could not be fully adjusted/compensated for due to power supply limitations.


----------



## LT9000

Hi, I just bought the Toshiba 34HF85 HDTV at best buy $899. It was on clearance to make room for the new models.


The associate at BB raved about how great it was.


Did I make a mistake? (It's probly not to late to undo the deal and it has not been delivered yet.)


Someone pointed me to this thread, and needless to say I am concerned.


I guess my question is: should I "return it" to BB before delivery? I don't want to buy a barrel of trouble.


Maybe some of you more experienced guys can provide some insight. (And what might you recommend in it's place?)


Thanks for any input.


----------



## Nonnie

I think I already told you that the inside of my 30HF84 says Orion in multiple places, including the tube.


Why are you asking if you already know the answer?


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> But you currently own an Orion, right Wally? Pot calling the kettle black?



It's rank hypocrisy and a complete diesservice to the readership of this forum.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Actually, this is the new MSRP on the 34HF85. A Best Buy salesman raved about how great the 34HF85 is. This one I have never heard before. He fooled you to buying this because of the low cost. It's up to you if you want to try it or not, but I recommend you to cancel the order and look at the Sony instead.



Very sound advice cireaasirefan. Just the kind of insight that a first time poster needed. I bet that the set never gets delivered. I sure wish that folks such as that WaltChan guy, would pay attention to you, and drop their Toshiba infatuation, instead of dropping their tv sets. By the way, have you overlooked starting an official Orion thread?. It seems like you have got the other brands covered.


----------



## georgemoe

I'd like to do some overscan correction on my 34HFX84. I recently recorded the test patterns on HDNet and was surprised to see how much overscan my set had.


I'm able to get in the service menu fine but I'm looking for help on what four parameters control, horizontal and vertical position and size. Samsung calls these VPOS, HPOS, VAMP(litude), and HAMP. (or something like that.)


I have written down all SM settings so I am using caution. Geekgrl posted a zip file some time ago but that cannot be opened anymore.


This is for a real Toshiba set, not Orion.










Much appreciated.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If you do open up the set, let me know what the sticker says on the tube. I believe it's a word with five letters.



Hmm. Looks like it's actually 9:


O - B - S - E - S - S - I - O - N


Just kidding.







Seriously though, is monitoring and posting to this forum actually a job for you? Honestly now, I'm not trying to be sarcastic here. You (waltchan/cireaasirefan/other aliases?) seem to start all the "OFFICIAL" threads (for which I am grateful BTW, as it does make it easier to have all relevant info in one place). Also, it appears you jump on any chance at all to bring up the Toshiba/Orion thing, often under an hour (!) after such an opportunity is posted. I can understand if you're unhappy due to a previous bad experience, but doesn't it seem a bit much?


If you're not getting paid somehow, by someone, then I'm very confused as to your motive. Not that a negative reputation may not be deserved by the company (heck, I'm less than thrilled with my set), but your frequency and intensity, particularly on the manufacturing issue, seems a bit over the top.


This isn't intended to be a flame. I'm honestly just curious and quite perplexed.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Actually, this is the new MSRP on the 34HF85. A Best Buy salesman raved about how great the 34HF85 is. This one I have never heard before. He fooled you to buying this because of the low cost. It's up to you if you want to try it or not, but I recommend you to cancel the order and look at the Sony instead.



Is that the reason you keep buying and returning TV sets waltchan---you keep getting fooled by Best Buy salesmen?


Or is it because you really can't afford to buy these sets as a 22 year old student, and when it comes time to actually pay the bill, you can't so you return the TV?


Or is it because you are addicted to buying TVs, so you are in a never ending quest to read and search for TVs but not actually use them?


Or is it because you never really buy these sets at all, and you are playing one huge game on this forum as some kind of diseased obsession?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *georgemoe* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have written down all SM settings so I am using caution. Geekgrl posted a zip file some time ago but that cannot be opened anymore.



I managed to get that spreadsheet you're talking about. I also made an updated 30HFX85 version for my own purposes. I've got them hosted on my FTP site (it's only 384kbps upstream, so not zippy, but the files are small):

Toshiba_26HF84.zip 
Toshiba_30HF(X)85.zip 


I think it was unecessary for me to make a column for each individual input. From what I've read you'd probably only need one for each _type_ of input (4 total: one for antenna, one for composite/S-Video, one for component, and one for HDMI). But I was being paranoid when I first recorded everything, after reading many posts about people getting themselves into pickles by not keeping careful records first.


Let me know if you have any trouble downloading those. I try to keep my FTP up as close to 100% as possible, but I do have to take the system offline occasionally. So if it doesn't work, try back later. Enjoy!


EDIT: Note that the factory values in the spreadsheet are particular to my set, and may not be correct for other units. Also, from my experience, the geometry settings (00 through 42, and 57) appear to be universal to ALL inputs. White/Black level and color settings (43 through 56) seem to have seperate values for each input type (antenna, composite/S-video, component, and HDMI). I've no idea about 58 and 59 (the "TEST STEREO" and "TEST AUDIO" settings).


Another thing, I found that 39 "R-Y GAIN" was most effective at combating red push. Problem was that the decoder didn't seem consistent across inputs (everything but HDMI had varying degrees of red push) so I had to compromise at around 3 or 4. Also, for me HDMI had horrible green push, yet that wasn't the case on other inputs. If I made HDMI look right, the other inputs were off, and vice versa. So I found the best "R-Y GAIN" and "G-Y GAIN" values for each input and then sort of averaged them (since they're universal settings), then did final tweaks with Color and Tint in the user menu for each input using Avia. It seemed to work out. Good luck!


----------



## LT9000




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *greenland* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Very sound advice cireaasirefan. Just the kind of insight that a first time poster needed. I bet that the set never gets delivered. I sure wish that folks such as that WaltChan guy, would pay attention to you, and drop their Toshiba infatuation, instead of dropping their tv sets. By the way, have you overlooked starting an official Orion thread?. It seems like you have got the other brands covered.



Yeah, well what do the rest of you think? Are the problems reported here on the Tosh 34hf85 just a small percentage of troubles, or is it really a clunker?


That's what I"m trying to figure out.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LT9000* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah, well what do the rest of you think? Are the problems reported here on the Tosh 34hf85 just a small percentage of troubles, or is it really a clunker?
> 
> 
> That's what I"m trying to figure out.



It's a piece of junk that you'd do well to either avoid outright or part ways with ASAP.


Porcupine2 burned through what? 3? 4? of these POS before he got the idea...even though he still tells us if he could somehow combine the things that actually worked from those three sets...somehow he'd have a good TV!


That's like me saying: "I had three Pintos that burned out on the street, but if I could combine those three Pintos together, I might get something that actually works."


Not really strong logic or very confidence inspiring is it?


Didn't think so.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LT9000* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah, well what do the rest of you think? Are the problems reported here on the Tosh 34hf85 just a small percentage of troubles, or is it really a clunker?
> 
> 
> That's what I"m trying to figure out.



I think it's very subjective and dependent on your tastes. If you're more demanding about picture quality (which is probably true of most who'd visit these forums) then it appears that these don't often measure up.


OTOH, those who are satisfied with the set don't have much reason to research online about it in forums, etc. It's really a hard thing to say, as the sample of people we have here is a very atypical subset of all those who probably own these televisions. All I know is that I'm going to see if I can get Toshiba to refund me my money. If so, I'll do a lot more research before I make another purchase (you'll see me camped out at my local Video Only with Avia disc and color filters in hand).


----------



## georgemoe




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I managed to get that spreadsheet you're talking about. I also made an updated 30HFX85 version for my own purposes. I've got them hosted on my FTP site (it's only 384kbps upstream, so not zippy, but the files are small):
> 
> Toshiba_26HF84.zip
> Toshiba_30HF(X)85.zip



Thanks Spurdy. I was able to get these files.


Unfortunately the params are not the same as the ones I wrote down for the Toshiba 34HFX84. Most of the ID's are different. Looks like the Toshiba and Orion service menus are significantly different. Even how you access the SM is different.


Luckily I was able to locate some other documents that ID'd the four params to adjust overscan for the 34HFX84. HPOS, VPOS, HIT, WID.


I'll still hang onto these for future reference.


----------



## lennsx

I am an earlier purchaser of the 34HF85 (meaning I spent a lot more for it) and even though the white glow on 1080i over the cable STB (Set Top Box) is still there (but has diminished a bit) & the blacks are crushed (meaning less detail in the darker areas) I still say that I really do like the TV overall. And I am very confident that I will like it even more so after the ISF cali. But don't get me wrong; if my entertainment center DID fit the Sony XBR960 I would have bought that without any hesitation. So a slight caveat, there


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You may also want to post this and seek more help at highdefforum.com



LOL... Wally, I just read through some of the threads there. It appears you have some "buddies" there also. They have the similar remarks/responses as posted here. That must tell you something...


----------



## jsntrmn

I just purchased a 34HFX85 four days ago. I don't know if I just got lucky or what, but I'm very happy with it!


I had a few slight geometry issues but was able to correct them with only a minor bit of tweaking in the service menu.


DVDs look absolutely brilliant. My player is a Sony that outputs at 480p, and I've hooked it up via Component. Whether I let the TV scale to 540p or convert to 1080i, it really doesn't seem to make a difference. All I can say is, "Wow!"


As of yet, I don't have any HD programming coming off my satellite dish, so I can't test whether or not I'm going to have the "white glow" issue or any of the other issues with regard to HD content.


I suppose my one and only gripe with this TV at present is that I'm not satisfied with the way SD programming looks. This could be for one of two reasons. Either I'm expecting too much out of SD or I don't have my color/picture settings properly tweaked. I think it may mostly be the first option. I'm coming from nearly a decade of looking at a 27" analog Magnavox. I have no knowledge or basis of comparison as to how SD is supposed to look on an HDTV. I've seen plenty of HD programming on an HDTV, but never SD.


The PQ with regard to SD seems to vary channel by channel (I suppose this is a provider thing?), with some channels being far worse than others. The most noticeable problem with SD is that I often see blocks/patches of color. These are especially prevalent in dark backgrounds that are out of focus. One other thing I've noticed is that when a program fades to black and then fades back into a scene, there are faint grey horizontal lines in the picture while it is black. I'm not quite sure if they're there after the fade in as the lines are faint enough to make it hard to discern them through a moving, colorful picture.


I must reiterate, however, that despite my dissatisfaction with SD programming, I'm very happy with this TV! Given my limited options (cabinet space and budget), I feel as though I've made a great choice.


My next endeavor will be to get a copy of either DVE or Avia and see what I can do. I'm also going to be see about getting an antenna to pick up some local channels OTA that broadcast in HD. I need to do some research on this first though as I have no idea what type of antenna I need or if I'll even be able to get a good enough signal to make it worth my while.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> A Best Buy salesman raved about how great the 34HF85 is. This one I have never heard before. He fooled you to buying this because of the low cost.




What a Fool Believes.........


I sit down and I pray.... we Won't Get Fooled Again......


----------



## justsc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I think it's very subjective and dependent on your tastes. If you're more demanding about picture quality (which is probably true of most who'd visit these forums) then it appears that these don't often measure up.
> 
> 
> OTOH, those who are satisfied with the set don't have much reason to research online about it in forums, etc. It's really a hard thing to say, as the sample of people we have here is a very atypical subset of all those who probably own these televisions. All I know is that I'm going to see if I can get Toshiba to refund me my money. If so, I'll do a lot more research before I make another purchase (you'll see me camped out at my local Video Only with Avia disc and color filters in hand).



Spurdy,


Do yourself a favor and get the HQV Benchmark DVD ( http://www.hqv.com/benchmark.cfm ).


This disc will put any tv, or dvd player, through some very, very rough video processing tests. Hook it up with composite cables and it'll test the tv's video processing prowess. I've used this when helping friends shop for new HD sets and it's very telling which sets are doing their job correctly.


It's a great tool.


----------



## LT9000




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *squonk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What a Fool Believes.........
> 
> 
> I sit down and I pray.... we Won't Get Fooled Again......



Yeah they fooled me, but only for a day or so.


You know I'm beginning to wonder if I didn't jump the gun with all this HD stuff. To many problems seem to still abound, and HD broadcasting is not yet there in mass like it will be in a few years. And I'm no hobbyist that has time to troubleshoot things.


I may just return it and check back every 6 months or so to see how things are in the HD world.


Now I just hope BB is not going to try and sock me with a restocking fee. (It never left the store.)


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LT9000* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yeah they fooled me, but only for a day or so.




I wasn't referring to you when I used those music quotes......


----------



## LT9000




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *squonk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I wasn't referring to you when I used those music quotes......



No worries Squonk.


A decision like that one is very unlike me though.







I usually research things half to death before I make a move.


This is just a refresher lesson on what happens when you don't.


Even jsn who seems to recomend the Tosh is having some issues. To hell with all that. If I plunk down several hundred bucks or more, I want to be really impressed with it and not face a bunch of problems, otherwise it's buyers remorse.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LT9000* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> No worries Squonk.
> 
> 
> A decision like that one is very unlike me though.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I usually research things half to death before I make a move.
> 
> 
> This is just a refresher lesson on what happens when you don't.
> 
> 
> Even jsn who seems to recomend the Tosh is having some issues. To hell with all that. If I plunk down several hundred bucks or more, I want to be really impressed with it and not face a bunch of problems, otherwise it's buyers remorse.




Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.


----------



## Exclusive8

I have some overscan when i am playing my 360 on the 26hf85c and i was wondering how do i get into the service menu to fix this problem


----------



## jsntrmn




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LT9000* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Even jsn who seems to recomend the Tosh is having some issues. To hell with all that. If I plunk down several hundred bucks or more, I want to be really impressed with it and not face a bunch of problems, otherwise it's buyers remorse.



I wouldn't go so far as to say I recommend this TV. I had two major constraints limiting my purchase options. Number one, I needed a TV that would fit in my entertainment center, and I wanted to maximize the trade-off between screen size and what would fit. Number two, I was on a tight budget.


Keeping those two things in mind, I feel as though I've made the right choice. I couldn't find any other 34" widescreens that would fit in my entertainment center. Had I compromised and dropped down to the 30" level (which I didn't want to do), I was still looking at quite a price difference between Toshiba and some of the very nice Sony CRTs.


And ultimately, most importantly of all, it just comes down to personal preference/opinion! What may be satisfactory for one person, might downright suck in the eyes of another. There's no way around this little tidbit of reality. :]


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> And ultimately, most importantly of all, it just comes down to personal preference/opinion! What may be satisfactory for one person, might downright suck in the eyes of another. There's no way around this little tidbit of reality. :]



yeah just go look at the LCD/plasma forum and how so many people drop a grand or two on generic LCDs and plasmas


rather than compromise on size (and we are talking about 32" and larger LCD or 42" and larger plasmas, not small screens) or simply pay a slight bit more(well in reference to the final mount payed for the display) for better quality


I simply do not understand how size and hang-ability are the first considerations


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Exclusive8* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have some overscan when i am playing my 360 on the 26hf85c and i was wondering how do i get into the service menu to fix this problem



To enter the service menu:


1) Using the volume control on the front of the TV, reduce the volume to 0 and continue to hold the "Volume down" button.

2) While still holding the "Volume down" button on the front panel, press and hold "9" on the remote control. After a few seconds the service menu will appear.


On the remote use channel up/down to change items, and volume up/down to change values for the current setting. To exit the menu, simply power off the set.

*IMPORTANT: Document all service menu values before changing ANYTHING!*


Some settings will be particular to your set, and there is no way to return to any sort of factory defaults. All changes are made as soon as you adjust the values.


For overscan, you'll probably want to look mainly at:


02 "H POSI" - horizontal position

04 "H SIZE" - horizontal size

05 "V SIZE" - vertical size

11 "V-CENT" - vertical centering (position)


I leave out "03 V POSI" as that one was problematic for me. Any other setting than "1" seemed to distort the image severely. I used V-CENT instead. Watch out when reducing the overscan. Not all inputs behave the same. For instance, when I first adjusted overscan I was focused on the component and HDMI inputs. When I later switched to the standard tuner, I found that there was a 1" black line on the left side (I had reduced H SIZE too much).


Note: All _user menu_ controls (color, tint, contrast, brightness, sharpness, SVM, etc.) are reset to "out of the box" defaults for all inputs when you enter the service menu. So, if you've made adjustments there you might want to note them first so you can easily set them back again when you're done with the service menu.


Happy tweaking!


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kny3twalker* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I simply do not understand how size and hang-ability are the first considerations



I must defer to the ladies on this eternal question: Does quantity trump quality!.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by cireaasirefan
> 
> alrite, i give up. i am also under porcupine2, u2psycho, and buttersouthpark. they are my alias account. sorry for lying. go bash at me. weeeeeeee, this is going to be a fun experience.
> 
> 
> oh, walter chan is not my real name and never is. it's my nickname people usually call me at school. fool ya. toshiba will never find me.
> 
> 
> the truth is out and here it is.
> 
> 
> oh, and i also deleted all of my posts. isn't that too bad.
> 
> 
> so, what's next with your bashing at me games? i can't wait, man...


 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...70#post7274270 


interesting



> Quote:
> Quote:
> 
> Originally Posted by kny3twalker
> 
> I simply do not understand how size and hang-ability are the first considerations
> 
> 
> 
> I must defer to the ladies on this eternal question: Does quantity trump quality!.



LOL


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *U2psycho* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> A friend wants to sell me his 34HF81 (Toshiba widescreen CRT) which he bought in 2003, I'm pondering buying the 34HF85 which is new and apparently built by Orion and not Toshiba. Not sure if the HF85 has any more features than the 81 in terms of HDMI outlets etc....
> 
> Does anyone out there know which is better?
> 
> 
> Thanks!



Hey U2Psycho--haven't heard from you in a while. Did you ever buy that TOSHIBA from a FRIEND? Did you ever get the answers to your questions? Why did you simply stop posting?


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> .



waltchan self deletion program in progress


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> waltchan self deletion program in progress



he said it right here, it will never stop



> Quote:
> oh, and i also deleted all of my posts. isn't that too bad.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *U2psycho* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> A friend wants to sell me his 34HF81 (Toshiba widescreen CRT) which he bought in 2003, I'm pondering buying the 34HF85 which is new and apparently built by Orion and not Toshiba. Not sure if the HF85 has any more features than the 81 in terms of HDMI outlets etc....
> 
> Does anyone out there know which is better?
> 
> 
> Thanks!




U2Psycho, when you're down and troubled

And you need a helping hand with a Toshiba TV

And nothing, whoa nothing is going right

Close your eyes and think of Waltchan

And soon he will be there

To brighten up even your darkest nights


You just call out waltchan's name,

And you know whereever he is

He'll come running, oh yeah baby

To see U2Psycho again


Winter, spring, summer or fall

All U2Psycho has to do is call

And Waltchan will be there, yeah yeah yeah

You've got a friend


People like cireaasirefan, koratdenkiworld, letterstoher can be so cold

They'll hurt you and desert you

Well they'll take your soul if you let them

Oh yeah, but waltchan won't let them


You just call out his name, and you know wherever he is

He'll come running to help you with a Toshiba TV again

Winter, spring summer or fall

Hey all U2Psycho has to do is call

Lord wc will be there, yes he will


U2Psycho, you've got a friend

You've got a friend.


----------



## kny3twalker

asking whether you own a Toshiba directview CRT HDTV is on topic, do you own one?


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I changed my mind on the MW26G71 combo.




Why did you change your mind? Did you take my advice and decide to steer clear of that all-in-one discount crapola that you usually buy? I am glad to see that my advice is starting to make an impact. You can thank me anytime you'd like, and throw some compliments my way.

Now if we could only get U2Psycho to listen.


----------



## ik0999

Hey,


I bought a Toshiba 26hf84a, and have had it for a little over a year now.

I have a few questions..


1. When using component input, there is a white line at the top of the screen, more noticable during black scenes. Is this fixable?


2. When using my xbox via component, the image is very dark. I need to turn up the brightness into the 40's for it to be comfortably viewed, but this results in the blacks looking like washed purple. Is this fixable?


3. What are the ideal settings for analog TV viewing? I returned my HD box today, and have to use basic cable now.


4. What is calibration? and how is it done?


5. Are there any problems about this TV that I should know about?



Thanks alot, I appreciate any responses.

IK.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *squonk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> U2Psycho, when you're down and troubled
> 
> And you need a helping hand with a Toshiba TV
> 
> And nothing, whoa nothing is going right
> 
> Close your eyes and think of Waltchan
> 
> And soon he will be there
> 
> To brighten up even your darkest nights
> 
> 
> You just call out waltchan's name,
> 
> And you know whereever he is
> 
> He'll come running, oh yeah baby
> 
> To see U2Psycho again
> 
> 
> Winter, spring, summer or fall
> 
> All U2Psycho has to do is call
> 
> And Waltchan will be there, yeah yeah yeah
> 
> You've got a friend
> 
> 
> People like cireaasirefan, koratdenkiworld, letterstoher can be so cold
> 
> They'll hurt you and desert you
> 
> Well they'll take your soul if you let them
> 
> Oh yeah, but waltchan won't let them
> 
> 
> You just call out his name, and you know wherever he is
> 
> He'll come running to help you with a Toshiba TV again
> 
> Winter, spring summer or fall
> 
> Hey all U2Psycho has to do is call
> 
> Lord wc will be there, yes he will
> 
> 
> U2Psycho, you've got a friend
> 
> You've got a friend.



hey walt, looks like you've also got a new friend trying to help you with a Toshiba, your ol buddy kny3twalker.......


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I will soon when the 26HF66 is released. I already mentioned before that this will be my final CRT purchase. I changed my mind on the MW26G71 combo.



preserved to demonstrate the inherent confusion


----------



## Porcupine2

> 1. When using component input, there is a white line at the top of the screen, more noticable during black scenes. Is this fixable?


I'll let others answer this question. I never used the HD modes on my 30HF85's since I had no HD sources; that's what this problem relates to.


> 2. When using my xbox via component, the image is very dark. I need to turn up the brightness into the 40's for it to be comfortably viewed, but this results in the blacks looking like washed purple. Is this fixable?


I think so. With the XBox game displaying on the screen, activate the "secret" Service Menu. It is done by turning the volume down to zero, the holding the volume down button on the TV set and the "9" button on the remote at the same time, for one second. Find the "SUB CONT" setting in that menu, I think it is one of the later options if the Tosh 84's are the same as the 85's. Write down the number setting of it before you change it, then increase it. The "brightness" will increase without changing pure black (that's the gamma control setting).


BTW, this will increase the "brightness" of your XBox games but not the "brightness" of your other programs (inputs). That's what you probably want, so that is good.


You shouldn't have to mess with any other settings for this problem. If you do feel like playing with your TV's service menu, make sure you write down any settings on paper before you change them.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> hey walt, looks like you've also got a new friend trying to help you with a Toshiba, your ol buddy kny3twalker.......



WOW never thought I would be bashed for trying to be nice and help another out


----------



## ik0999

thanks for the response


I'll be sure to check out that hidden menu .


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kny3twalker* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> WOW never thought I would be bashed for trying to be nice and help another out



?? Who's bashing? I think its admirable you're trying to help ol walter out.


----------



## HomeAppraiser

Well the "scan lines" are back on my second 30HF85! Oddly they are not noticable when using component cable from my home theater/dvd to the tv. Could the RCA cables be causing this?


We have Direct TV which goes into our TIVO series 2 via RCA, RCA out to the home theater and a yellow RCA out to the TV. It is an older Sanyo home theater and only supports component or S video out for DVDs.


I am going try gold series RCA cables to see if that make a difference. If not I'll put in a service/repair request and if the repair guy can't fix it, try return it to Sears as a lemon. I should have refused to take the second TV in October but the initial price I paid (620USD) was a third of what comparable LCDs were selling for at the time!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Find the "SUB CONT" setting in that menu, I think it is one of the later options if the Tosh 84's are the same as the 85's. Write down the number setting of it before you change it, then increase it. The "brightness" will increase without changing pure black (that's the gamma control setting).



This is quite interesting. I hadn't played with SUB CONT for any of the inputs on my set (my 30HFX85 does indeed have this setting). If it behaves as you describe, I might just be able to fix, or at least somewhat alleviate, the nasty black crush! Thanks for the info!










I'll post back when I've given it a try.


----------



## Porcupine2

HomeAppraiser, I think I saw your old posts a long time ago so I know the problem you are complaining of. They aren't "scan lines"...they are interference patterns of some sort caused by both the cables you are using, as well as incredibly inferior quality cables and components inside the Toshiba 30HF85's themselves.


I have, with great effort, managed to see the exact same interference pattern (20 times less obvious though) on some Sony CRT HDTVs as well so it's not just a Toshiba problem. But the problem is only noticeable and unacceptable on Toshibas.


You can partially alleviate the problem in the following way:


1) The different inputs have different degrees of this problem. You've already noticed it...the component inputs don't have that problem. It's not the cable you use, it's the cables/components inside the TV itself. The worst input by far is Video 3 on the front. That input is completely unusable on ALL Toshiba 30HF85s. The Video 1 and Video 2 composite/S-Video inputs on the back are better but still bad.


2) Use the worst quality RCA cable you have. Fiddle with the positions of the wires and the way they cross with each other and the power cords. Try to make them cross as little as possible and don't create wire loops. You will find I think that with optimal positioning the problem gets lessened greatly (that's what I found). Then, use the best quality RCA cable you have and try to mimic the same cable positions. That will minimize the problem as much as possible.


3) The 30HF85's produced in the Fall 2005 are much worse with regards to this problem than those produced in Spring 2005. Check the label on the back of your TV for this info. But all 30HF85's have this problem significantly, which is unfortunate.


That's all you can do. Sucks, doesn't it? I returned all four of my 30HF85's!! So I have a lot of experience with this TV and know most of it's faults....and I also know the differences to expect from unit to unit, etc. If you have a Spring 2005 unit and do everything possible to reduce the problem I'd say it is acceptable, but still noticeable on dark blue scenes.


Maybe you should return your TV and wait for the Toshiba 30HF66 like I am doing. Maybe it will be better. If not, Toshiba deserves to have some kind of class-action lawsuit filed against it for making such a shoddy "HD"TV.


----------



## dream431ca




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> HomeAppraiser, I think I saw your old posts a long time ago so I know the problem you are complaining of. They aren't "scan lines"...they are interference patterns of some sort caused by both the cables you are using, as well as incredibly inferior quality cables and components inside the Toshiba 30HF85's themselves.
> 
> 
> I have, with great effort, managed to see the exact same interference pattern (20 times less obvious though) on some Sony CRT HDTVs as well so it's not just a Toshiba problem. But the problem is only noticeable and unacceptable on Toshibas.
> 
> 
> You can partially alleviate the problem in the following way:
> 
> 
> 1) The different inputs have different degrees of this problem. You've already noticed it...the component inputs don't have that problem. It's not the cable you use, it's the cables/components inside the TV itself. The worst input by far is Video 3 on the front. That input is completely unusable on ALL Toshiba 30HF85s. The Video 1 and Video 2 composite/S-Video inputs on the back are better but still bad.
> 
> 
> 2) Use the worst quality RCA cable you have. Fiddle with the positions of the wires and the way they cross with each other and the power cords. Try to make them cross as little as possible and don't create wire loops. You will find I think that with optimal positioning the problem gets lessened greatly (that's what I found). Then, use the best quality RCA cable you have and try to mimic the same cable positions. That will minimize the problem as much as possible.
> 
> 
> 3) The 30HF85's produced in the Fall 2005 are much worse with regards to this problem than those produced in Spring 2005. Check the label on the back of your TV for this info. But all 30HF85's have this problem significantly, which is unfortunate.
> 
> 
> That's all you can do. Sucks, doesn't it? I returned all four of my 30HF85's!! So I have a lot of experience with this TV and know most of it's faults....and I also know the differences to expect from unit to unit, etc. If you have a Spring 2005 unit and do everything possible to reduce the problem I'd say it is acceptable, but still noticeable on dark blue scenes.
> 
> 
> Maybe you should return your TV and wait for the Toshiba 30HF66 like I am doing. Maybe it will be better. If not, Toshiba deserves to have some kind of class-action lawsuit filed against it for making such a shoddy "HD"TV.



Is there a way in the service menu to correct the overscan of the 1080i and 720p resolutions on the toshiba 30HF85? 480p does not have an overscan problem.


----------



## Porcupine2

Yes there is. Overscan is the easiest thing to correct. Any TV's Service Menu would allow you to.


I also believe that the overscan/screen size settings on the Toshibas are separate for the different resolutions and screen modes of the TV. So if you want to correct overscan for your HD resolutions, make sure you currently have an HD source showing on your screen when you activate the Service Menu. Make the adjustments, then close the Service Menu.


I believe your other screen modes will be unaffected when you switch back (if you want to adjust them too, simply open the Service Menu when those other screen modes are currently displaying).


----------



## dream431ca




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yes there is. Overscan is the easiest thing to correct. Any TV's Service Menu would allow you to.
> 
> 
> I also believe that the overscan/screen size settings on the Toshibas are separate for the different resolutions and screen modes of the TV. So if you want to correct overscan for your HD resolutions, make sure you currently have an HD source showing on your screen when you activate the Service Menu. Make the adjustments, then close the Service Menu.
> 
> 
> I believe your other screen modes will be unaffected when you switch back (if you want to adjust them too, simply open the Service Menu when those other screen modes are currently displaying).



Ok, but I was told that service menu affects Everything for every input on every resolution for the TV.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dream431ca* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok, but I was told that service menu affects Everything for every input on every resolution for the TV.



For the geometry-related settings, that's been my experience. For instance, I made geometry and overscan adjustments to optimize full mode over HDMI, and when I was finished and switched back to the tuner, there was an underscan problem (black strip) on the left side. I had pulled overscan down to about 5% all around, when the service manual lists that you should adjust to 7.5% horizontally and 8% vertically.


Also, in the service manual it instructs you to select 1080i and "Full" mode before performing adjustments on each of the geometry-related settings. It doesn't mention repeating the adjustment procedure each input type, as it does with some of the other settings (the BRI CENT and TINT controls, for instance).


Finally, when I change a geometry-related setting while on one input (let's say Video1), exit the service menu, switch to a different input (let's say HDMI), and then enter the service menu, I find that the setting has been changed to the new value for that input as well.


This leads me to believe that the geometry settings are universal, while several of the color/brightness/contrast-related settings store unique values for each input type.


----------



## justsc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This is quite interesting. I hadn't played with SUB CONT for any of the inputs on my set (my 30HFX85 does indeed have this setting). If it behaves as you describe, I might just be able to fix, or at least somewhat alleviate, the nasty black crush! Thanks for the info!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll post back when I've given it a try.



I've done alot of work on my 3 year-old Samsung crt hd set and have had a great deal of success mitigating black crush. For me it came down to two settings:


-Gamma

-DC Trans


Gamma will help you get a more accurate white level, which surprisingly can help with black crush. DC Trans helps with "holding" shadow level, preventing black crush. Set it too high and blacks begin to turn a bit grey.


If you can locate settings like these you can really improve the black performance. A calibrator I was corresponding with said that all sets have these settings and most have the same or very close lettering.


Good Luck!


----------



## Porcupine2

dream431ca, I saw your other post, I'm glad things worked out for you. See, it happened just like I said it would.










spurdy, on the Toshibas, some of the Service Menu settings for the different screen modes and/or video inputs are different. I didn't test every possible combination but like you said, I found that many of the color/brightness-related settings vary with the video inputs, and the geometry settings vary with the screen mode (Full, Normal, Theaterwides, etc).


The thing is, the Toshibas are quirky. Changing the Service Menu value for one of these modes sometimes overrides the other modes. In other words one of the modes/inputs is often the "default" in the Toshiba set's mind. Regarding geometry settings, "Full" is indeed the default mode. If you change any geometry-related SM setting while displaying in Full mode, all the other modes get changed to match automatically. But if you change any geometry-related SM setting while in one of the other modes, only that one mode is affected. Therefore, change Full first, then change the others, if you want to customize each mode.


Dealing with this quirk of the Toshibas can be a pain, to make the process faster, you can actually change the Display Mode while still inside the Service Menu. That way you can quickly see what modes and settings override others, and how to get around that problem.


----------



## Porcupine2

In dream431ca's case, I guess he had to adjust his XBox360 overscan first because that one was in HD "Full" mode. At which point his other screen modes got overwritten cause "Full" is the flagged overriding setting. But afterwards he was able to adjust his PS2 in the SM in the other modes and the result was separate.


If he were to go back and re-adjust his XBox360 overscan once again in "Full" mode his other screen modes (such as for his PS2) would suddenly revert to match his XBox360 and so he would have to manually re-adjust his PS2 modes afterwards as well.


It's kinda annoying, but that is how the Toshibas are.







Sometimes that feature is useful I guess. Like when you go through all the other geometry-related options to try to get your screen geometry good, you probably want the same settings for all your modes so you should make those adjustments while in Full. It's mainly the overscan settings that I found helpful to make the effort to adjust separately.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The thing is, the Toshibas are quirky. Changing the Service Menu value for one of these modes sometimes overrides the other modes. In other words one of the modes/inputs is often the "default" in the Toshiba set's mind. Regarding geometry settings, "Full" is indeed the default mode. If you change any geometry-related SM setting while displaying in Full mode, all the other modes get changed to match automatically. But if you change any geometry-related SM setting while in one of the other modes, only that one mode is affected. Therefore, change Full first, then change the others, if you want to customize each mode.



Again, this is very good to know. I've only made changes in full mode before. I may try this out. Hopefully it will allow me to use a 5% overscan for my movies while at the same time keeping my tuner input picture correct. Thanks!


----------



## Trendy8

Okay, I'm going to give this a shot here. I need to adjust my geometry as well on my 2 year old 57hx83. On HD material( through my Comcast Motorola 6412 HDDVR hooked up via component) I seem to be zoomed in way too far. It's also off center (judging by pillarboxes on 4:3 material). Is this something I can try myself through the service menu? Should I call the tech since it's still under warranty (3yr extended)? The problem is also noticeable on some XBox 360 gaming as well - also hooked up via component. When I switch from component to DVI on the cable box the problem is a little better but it's still zoomed in too far. When I hit the guide button on the cable remote (where you get the on-screen guide with the smaller picture in the top right that looks right and what I should be seeing. With the local FOX and ABC stations the problem is bad enough that the channel bugs are cut off in the lower right-hand corner.


----------



## georgemoe




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Trendy8* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Okay, I'm going to give this a shot here. I need to adjust my geometry as well on my 2 year old 57hx83. On HD material( through my Comcast Motorola 6412 HDDVR hooked up via component) I seem to be zoomed in way too far. It's also off center (judging by pillarboxes on 4:3 material). Is this something I can try myself through the service menu?



You could start looking for how to's here . Remember to write any service menu values down for you change them.


----------



## Trendy8




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *georgemoe* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You could start looking for how to's here . Remember to write any service menu values down for you change them.



Just realized this is the wrong forum as well....whoops! I've gotten into that before but I think the settings I need are in 'designer mode' which apparently I can't get into. Thanks for the links though!


----------



## Darcy Hunter

Porcupine2 ,



Thank you so much for sharing that information. I needed to adjust some overscan on my X-Box 360, and that was some of the best advice I've received for this particular TV. I did the necessary adjustments in FULL mode, then went back and changed the other settings accordingly, and it all worked out great.


----------



## Porcupine2

Nope I don't sorry. My best guess is that it is some wires inside the TV itself (related to the inputs, not the tube) are of super inferior quality therefore are extremely affected by crosstalk electromagnetic radiation from neighboring wires. If true, the only way to fix that would be to open up the TV and find those wires and replace them with better wires. But you would have to figure out which wires are causing the problem and maybe re-solder, etc, not worth it. It could be that wires are not the problem but other things as well, I'm just guessing.


----------



## ik0999

This morning I turned on my TV. I didn't do anything prior.


The TV started making a loud buzzing noise from inside (not from the speakers) and there was no picture, no sound (apart from the buzzing) and the power light didn't turn on. I tried to turn off the TV, but it wouldn't, so I had to unplug it. I tried plugging it back in, and turning it back on, but no luck.



I don't have an extended warranty, and I bought the TV a year ago.


Plz tell me what is wrong with it, and how/where I can get it fixed. and how much it will cost.

THANKS


IK


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It could be that wires are not the problem but other things as well, I'm just guessing.




Nice technical concrete analysis. You and waltchan are made for each other. Guesswork and speculation run rampant.


----------



## ik0999

anyone?


----------



## Ratman

It's probably a power supply issue. But.... it could be something else.


Looks like it's time for a service call or a new TV.


----------



## ik0999

^^ I called futureshop, and they said it would cost $55 for them just to come and look at it.


I really really hope that I can get out of this mess without any problems.



Is it possible that the problem is caused by a power surge? I have the tv plugged into a monster power bar, so maybe it is insured?


----------



## spurdy

Well, I had called Toshiba last week with the results of the first service center to look at the set. They seemed surprised when I reported that the service tech said he'd heard from Toshiba that there was a service bulletin out on the problem. The person I spoke with did some searching through their database and wasn't able to come up with anything on the issue.


I asked about getting my money refunded, as the set wasn't properly displaying HD resolutions over HDMI, which is one of the main reasons I purchased it. He said he'd like a "second opinion" and steered me to a second local authorized service center. These folks were very responsive, and immediately scheduled to have my set picked up and brought into their shop. They picked up the set this morning, after I gave a quick demonstration of the problem. I asked the man doing the pickup if he knew of whether getting a cash refund from Toshiba was possible. He said he'd encountered many instances when TV sets (not specifically Toshiba) were replaced by manufacturers, but wasn't sure about cash refunds.


He sympathized with my situation after I told him how I'd done extensive research and troubleshooting. He acknowledged that sometimes people will go through multiple replacements, and end up calling the service center in a very irate mood when they still have issues. Certainly it's not the service center's fault, I agreed, but rather the manufacturer.


We'll see how this progresses. I was told it may take up to a week for them to get my set on the bench depending on the current workload.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> We'll see how this progresses. I was told it may take up to a week for them to get my set on the bench depending on the current workload.



Thanks for the update, spurdy. Let us know how it goes for you.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, please do. I am starting to get a bit nervous about the whole banding light/dark suckfest through HDMI on my TV as well, now that Blu-Ray & HD-DVD are coming out soon (and the only way to get 1080i/p resolution I'm hearing is thru HDMI). Does anyone have this same problem via HDMI from an HDMI equipped DVD player? I'm getting the problem thru my STB & haven't tried a DVD player yet....thanks


----------



## elec999

Ive got my Toshiba 34inch HDTV today. First off the sound on it is amazing cant complain. But the picture is terrible, its coming pixelled, and some yellow coloring. Ive tried different different settings, sources (dvd upconvertings, HDTV satellite source). How can I enter the service menu for my Toshiba tv, I have tried the volume to zero and press 9, but doesnt work.

Thanks


----------



## Porcupine2

Return the TV -- the Toshiba sucks. I don't know for sure what you mean by yellow coloring (not descriptive enough) but I suspect you are talking about Y/C Delay which is a significant and known problem on some of the Toshibas.


If you are not satisfied by the image, try to return the set. Toshiba deserves it for producing a crappy quality TV this year.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Return the TV -- the Toshiba sucks. I don't know for sure what you mean by yellow coloring (not descriptive enough) but I suspect you are talking about Y/C Delay which is a significant and known problem on some of the Toshibas.
> 
> 
> If you are not satisfied by the image, try to return the set. Toshiba deserves it for producing a crappy quality TV this year.



So why do you keep buying Toshiba TVs, and then complaining about their problems, over and over and over and over...........


----------



## Porcupine2

I bought and returned all 4 of my units within the span of 2 weeks. Three of them I returned in a day, as they had some kind of obvious defect as soon as the box was opened. That was all several weeks prior to my very first visit to this board, which was months ago.


I did not "keep buying" Toshibas over and over, after I had decided that they were no good. I may be willing to give them one last chance though when the 30HF66 comes out, but I will take a good look at it in the store first (same as I did with the Samsungs) and if it is not up to snuff I won't try it at all.


Also, pretty much all CRTs suck in some way, so the advice I said could apply to any TV maker. If you think their TV sucks, return it, they deserve it.


I can pretty much guarantee if I had bought ANY of the current CRTs I would have complained too, and possibly returned them. Even the Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, etc. And my complaints would have been fully justified as the TV would have deserved it. That is why temporarily I am without an HDTV, as I see nothing worth buying.


The only reason I feel must get an HDTV is that the PS3 will be out soon which I plan on getting, as well as HD-DVDs. I even own some HD-DVD discs already (which I can't play, as I have neither an appropiate player or TV).


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I even own some HD-DVD discs already (which I can't play, as I have neither an appropiate player or TV).



What titles?

Where did you buy them? From Japan?


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What titles?
> 
> Where did you buy them? From Japan?



I'm curious about that too--I didn't think anything has been commercially released yet, since they delayed the roll-out.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

I'm curious as well,care to elaborate more?


Can they play in a standard dvd player since i heard they are backwards compatible with DVD?


----------



## hawkeye3.1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SurfingMatt27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm curious as well,care to elaborate more?
> 
> 
> Can they play in a standard dvd player since i heard they are backwards compatible with DVD?



That would be a no. HD-DVD player can read DVDs but not the other way.


----------



## Porcupine2

Well, yeah, they are Japanese anime cartoons, that's probably why/how this happened. Although I'm not certain, I hear that in Japan the HD-DVD formats have been around for a while so they are probably ahead of us in terms of having some HD discs for sale.


The DVD boxes came with both a "HD-DVD" and a regular DVD. I tried playing the "HD-DVD" in both my computer and DVD player and both gave weird error messages the likes of which I had never seen my players do before. Absolutely nothing was read and no files could be seen.


I'm not 100% sure these are really HD-DVD discs because I haven't bothered to do much research on the subject and the discs themselves look *exactly* like a regular DVD. The packaging claims they are, though. The regular DVDs play just fine.


Do you guys actually want to know the actual title/link to get it? I'm guessing you guys don't care because it is a Japanese cartoon.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

I would like to see a picture though of the actual discs would be nice!


----------



## Ratman

Yeah... I'd like to see a link.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, yeah, they are Japanese anime cartoons, that's probably why/how this happened. Although I'm not certain, I hear that in Japan the HD-DVD formats have been around for a while so they are probably ahead of us in terms of having some HD discs for sale.
> 
> 
> The DVD boxes came with both a "HD-DVD" and a regular DVD. I tried playing the "HD-DVD" in both my computer and DVD player and both gave weird error messages the likes of which I had never seen my players do before. Absolutely nothing was read and no files could be seen.
> 
> 
> I'm not 100% sure these are really HD-DVD discs because I haven't bothered to do much research on the subject and the discs themselves look *exactly* like a regular DVD. The packaging claims they are, though. The regular DVDs play just fine.
> 
> 
> Do you guys actually want to know the actual title/link to get it? I'm guessing you guys don't care because it is a Japanese cartoon.



Wouldn't you know what you are buying? And why would you buy HD-DVD discs when you know you can't play them yet and you don't even have a hi-def TV? I for one would like to see the actual discs and packaging. I don't believe a word of this.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Same here, it's very fishy that you would have the actual discs yet.


We need proof like a picture of the actual casing and disc otherwise i think he's lieing.


----------



## Porcupine2

Hrm. I smell a familiar pattern here. Repeat garbage/semi-garbage posts from SurfingMatt27 and squonk. Considering how you guys have been behaving here recently, I see no need to give you guys any information on anything you might want. If you guys think I am lying on this, I couldn't care less.


I dunno about Ratman. I'm suspicious of his intentions also, but he seems to be a somewhat more decent user. If he or someone else asks me in a PM perhaps I may be inclined to tell them in private. It's not a big deal in my opinion though, don't see why you guys are so curious. The discs I'm referring to are not even a new product, I believe the release date was half a year ago. These are based on a Japanese product (although the one I bought has been domestically translated, subtitled, and is Region 1), so the possible existence of HD-DVDs shouldn't be too surprising.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

hmm no..


I'm sorry but i don't buy your little story,and neither does the rest of us.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hrm. I smell a familiar pattern here. Repeat garbage/semi-garbage posts from SurfingMatt27 and squonk. Considering how you guys have been behaving here recently, I see no need to give you guys any information on anything you might want. If you guys think I am lying on this, I couldn't care less.
> 
> 
> I dunno about Ratman. I'm suspicious of his intentions also, but he seems to be a somewhat more decent user. If he or someone else asks me in a PM perhaps I may be inclined to tell them in private. It's not a big deal in my opinion though, don't see why you guys are so curious. The discs I'm referring to are not even a new product, I believe the release date was half a year ago. These are based on a Japanese product (although the one I bought has been domestically translated, subtitled, and is Region 1), so the possible existence of HD-DVDs shouldn't be too surprising.



This sounds like the biggest load of BS since the Great Waltchan Cracked Casing Caper. Why don't you just post a picture or 2?


Ratman doesn't believe you either--that's why he asked you to post a link.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Do you guys actually want to know the actual title/link to get it?



Please post the link as offered. Or if you like, PM it to me.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, yeah, they are Japanese anime cartoons, that's probably why/how this happened. Although I'm not certain, I hear that in Japan the HD-DVD formats have been around for a while so they are probably ahead of us in terms of having some HD discs for sale.
> 
> 
> The DVD boxes came with both a "HD-DVD" and a regular DVD. I tried playing the "HD-DVD" in both my computer and DVD player and both gave weird error messages the likes of which I had never seen my players do before. Absolutely nothing was read and no files could be seen.
> 
> 
> I'm not 100% sure these are really HD-DVD discs because I haven't bothered to do much research on the subject and the discs themselves look *exactly* like a regular DVD. The packaging claims they are, though. The regular DVDs play just fine.
> 
> 
> Do you guys actually want to know the actual title/link to get it? I'm guessing you guys don't care because it is a Japanese cartoon.



Yes please. I am a big collector of Anime, and would love to be able to purchase some regular DVD versions, combined with HD-DVD versions of the same features, in order to future proof my collection for when HD-DVD players become available. Would you be so kind as to also list the titles of the ones you purchased in HD-DVD format, and what you paid for each,plus any shipping costs you incurred. Thanks in advance for providing this information.


----------



## Q of BanditZ

No one on planet Earth owns any HD-DVD hardware or software yet.


----------



## kny3twalker

oh Walter please please please post the link

I want the newest technology before its even available

oh please


this is BS


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kny3twalker* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> oh Walter please please please post the link
> 
> I want the newest technology before its even available
> 
> oh please
> 
> 
> this is BS




While we're waiting for more insanity and stupidity, here's some links that everyone might find edifying.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/finan...h_down&chan=tc 

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3143373 

http://gear.ign.com/articles/695/695942p1.html 


http://www.redherring.com/Article.as...yed+Until+2006 

http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/15/h...copy-standard/ 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=659857 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=659812 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=657577 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=657684 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=659719 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=657193 



Getting the picture?


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Q of BanditZ* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> No one on planet Earth owns any HD-DVD hardware or software yet.



Darn you, you terrible dreambuster. Here I was all excited about being able to purchase future HD-DVD media today, with the added time saving advantage of not being able to view it now.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *greenland* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Darn you, you terrible dreambuster. Here I was all excited about being able to purchase future HD-DVD media today, with the added time saving advantage of not being able to view it now.



Facts are pesky things...


----------



## SurfingMatt27

It's blatantly obvious that walter has been spreading FUD and hiding under many aliances lately to trick others.


Walter your a phony, plain and simple!


----------



## joerod

I think he is confused as to what the newer HD DVD format is. Maybe he can post a picture of the disc or its keepsake packaging...Last time I checked, besides the demo discs, there still was not any media released yet.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

No he's pulling our leg Joerod, he would have provided a link or a picture if he had it.I doubt he has it because there are so many things that are not finalized yet.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *joerod* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I think he is confused as to what the newer HD DVD format is. Maybe he can post a picture of the disc or its keepsake packaging...Last time I checked, besides the demo discs, there still was not any media released yet.



Check out his suggestion on the LG 30FS4D thread, posted at 3.09PM yesterday, on how a person could make his screen anti-glare, and you will see that State of Confusion is the land he resides in.


----------



## squonk

Hey "porcupine2", for someone who has called me names repeatedly, claiming I was flaming waltchan for no reason, and has been so adamant that he's not waltchan and that he is a legit contributor here, your silence is now deafening. Your reputation is at stake. Why not just post the link and/or show some pictures? You have been so dutiful about posting--now's your chance to set the record straight. Don't let this opportunity slip by or you know you will have sealed your fate.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> BACK ON TOPIC...




The topic being discussed, which Prickly Porcupine brought up, was his ability to find a HDTV to play his alleged Japanese HD-DVDs. Why are you trying to step in and divert the topic back away from Prickly Porcupine's situation for him?


Walt, you seem up on all the latest Hd-DVD topics--are you playing HD-DVDs on your HDTV (you know--the $400 one you are going to spend $250 on calibrating)?


note--this post was originally a response to cireaasirefan (waltchan) post which he keeps deleting and moving (now at post 591)


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *squonk* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The topic being discussed, which Prickly Porcupine brought up, was his ability to find a HDTV to play his alleged Japanese HD-DVDs. Why are you trying to step in and divert the topic back away from Prickly Porcupine's situation for him?
> 
> 
> Walt, you seem up on all the latest Hd-DVD topics--are you playing HD-DVDs on your HDTV (you know--the $400 one you are going to spend $250 on calibrating)?



BACK ON TOPIC--anti-waltchan diversion effort


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *waltchan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> .




waltchan's brain (magnified 100 Trillion times)


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> BACK TO DISCUSSION...




See posts 588 and 590


----------



## hawkeye3.1

I have a 30HF85 purchased as an open box from BB. It was pretty much a mess when I got it, but I was able to clean up the geometry to the point that I am getting an HD picture that is well worth what I paid inspite of a marginal PS.


I did not get an owner manual with the set and Tosh. does not have it on their website, so I have been going by the manual for the H84 which describes the Picture Size control. When I try to change settings the TV tells me it is not available. Also menu options for this function can not be selected.


Can anyone tell me why this is not working.


----------



## cireaasirefan

An online copy of the Toshiba 30HF85 manual can be downloaded from Crutchfield. Here's the link:

http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/Man.../05226HF85.PDF


----------



## hawkeye3.1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> An online copy of the Toshiba 30HF85 manual can be downloaded from Crutchfield. Here's the link:
> 
> http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/Man.../05226HF85.PDF



Thanks, that helped alot. Apparently Picture Size can only be used with 480i/p formats on the H85 as opposed to those in addition to 1080i on the H84. I think I have my STB upconverting everything to 1080i. Looks like I am stuck using the STB Zoom when I want to eliminate pillar boxing with HD sources.


----------



## cireaasirefan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *hawkeye3.1* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks, that helped alot. Apparently Picture Size can only be used with 480i/p formats on the H85 as opposed to those in addition to 1080i on the H84. I think I have my STB upconverting everything to 1080i. Looks like I am stuck using the STB Zoom when I want to eliminate pillar boxing with HD sources.



No problem. At least I always post something more constructive and helpful than the same five guys here who enjoy posting false accusations on me and posting off-topic things.


----------



## Ratman

Just so you all know...

I was PM'ed the "link" from Porcupine2... it was porn. Thankfully there was a 'warning', I just clicked cancel and closed.


I don't know if this was a "setup" or not, but I don't appreciate that type of URL.

I didn't ask for a "PREVIEW"... I just wanted to see the 'specs' if the DVD (HD-DVD?) in question. Which BTW, may only be Windows HD Media anyway.


I know that PM's are supposed to be 'personal'... but this is a more like revenge to me. Heaven knows what could have been downloaded...


----------



## SurfingMatt27

A virus possibly since that's where viruses are common..with porn



I find it ODD that when Walter posts, Fishpoint and Porcupine2 showup at the same exact time.


The similarities are staggering i tell you!


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Just so you all know...
> 
> I was PM'ed the "link" from Porcupine2... it was porn. Thankfully there was a 'warning', I just clicked cancel and closed.
> 
> 
> I don't know if this was a "setup" or not, but I don't appreciate that type of URL.
> 
> I didn't ask for a "PREVIEW"... I just wanted to see the 'specs' if the DVD (HD-DVD?) in question. Which BTW, may only be Windows HD Media anyway.
> 
> 
> I know that PM's are supposed to be 'personal'... but this is a more like revenge to me. Heaven knows what could have been downloaded...



I'm not surprised, but you're right that could be dangerous and should constitute an abuse of the forum rules. I always suspected that waltchan was a big time wanker.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

I always suspected he was full of it..but that's just me


----------



## Ratman

I don't know who's who on this forum and posting under an alias... but the mods can check these originating sources and check verify the "posters in question" and put all of this crap to rest. If more than one match to these, it pretty much sums it up.



> Quote:
> IP Address 71.107.198.125 Host Name pool-71-107-198-125.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.250.197 Host Name pool-71-105-250-197.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.243.90 Host Name pool-71-105-243-90.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.243.131 Host Name pool-71-105-243-131.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.21.75 Host Name pool-71-105-21-75.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 66.126.122.106 Host Name adsl-66-126-122-106.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net
> 
> IP Address 138.23.63.130 Host Name resnet63-130.ucr.edu
> 
> IPIP Address 138.23.23.115 Host Name resnet23-115.ucr.edu
> 
> Address 138.23.59.11 Host Name resnetlab-nat.ucr.edu
> 
> IP Address 138.23.59.11 Host Name resnetlab-nat.ucr.edu


----------



## SurfingMatt27

He could have access to multiple computers though or using a proxy server so who knows?


----------



## Ratman

We all do... not the point. These are all from the one individual. Match one of these sources to an alias and voila!


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Well Alan could check for us,i'd be interested myself since Porcupine2 seems to have a very distrubing similarity by the way he posts and walter chans.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Here is a message he PM'd me a while back:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cireaasirefan*
> 
> Please read this page before you blame on me that I am not being honest. Porcupine2 is a genuine AVS user who also is an active user at highdeforum:
> 
> http://www.highdefforum.com/search.php?searchid=313051
> 
> 
> I don't have any multiple accounts and am honest the whole time. I deleted all of my posts because I can't take this crap anymore, and I no longer wish to work with them anymore. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU AGREE EVERYTHING IN WHAT SQUONK AND Q OF BANDITZ SAY. GET A LIFE, ASSSHOLE.


----------



## cireaasirefan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ik0999* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This morning I turned on my TV. I didn't do anything prior.
> 
> 
> The TV started making a loud buzzing noise from inside (not from the speakers) and there was no picture, no sound (apart from the buzzing) and the power light didn't turn on. I tried to turn off the TV, but it wouldn't, so I had to unplug it. I tried plugging it back in, and turning it back on, but no luck.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have an extended warranty, and I bought the TV a year ago.
> 
> 
> Plz tell me what is wrong with it, and how/where I can get it fixed. and how much it will cost.
> 
> THANKS
> 
> 
> IK



BACK TO DISCUSSION...


The problem is in the power supply, and either the transformer blew or one of the capacitors wore out. Typically, it costs somewhere between $75 and $150 to repair a television, depending on how serious the problem is.


----------



## kny3twalker

how about you just leave if you are going to call people names


----------



## fishpoint

"I don't have any multiple accounts and am honest the whole time. I deleted all of my posts because ..... "


The above surely explains why surfingmatt is so adamant about all things waltchan. IIRC, many of walt's critics were quick come to his defense against the slurs of mr. dvdsomething. That individual is no longer posting-- at least not under that incarnation.


AVS is a great forum. For the record, I therefore stipulate that I am not now, nor have I ever been, waltchan.


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fishpoint* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> "I don't have any multiple accounts and am honest the whole time. I deleted all of my posts because ..... "
> 
> 
> The above surely explains why surfingmatt is so adamant about all things waltchan. IIRC, many of walt's critics were quick come to his defense against the slurs of mr. dvdsomething. That individual is no longer posting-- at least not under that incarnation.
> 
> 
> AVS is a great forum. For the record, I therefore stipulate that I am not now, nor have I ever been, waltchan.



Sounds exactly like something Walter Chan would say, sorry i don't buy it.Too many similarites with your attitude and Walters. for a new member you make everyone very suspicious.You even write the same exact style as Walter so your covers blown.


Nice try trying to trick us again Walter


----------



## Porcupine2

Well, Ratman, you have now betrayed my trust.


I specified to you in that PM link not to divulge the contents to others, but you did not obey my wish. Therefore I now assume that your intentions on this forum are completely hostile in all regards. I do not believe that you are 50 years old as your profile claims. Your childish reaction to that link I gave you proves it.


I warned you in my PM that the contents of the link I gave was a porno anime DVD. Yet you claim you clicked on that link and got a "warning" window that "the following review is intended for audiences over 18". When you clicked on that link, you already knew it was porn, because I said so very obviously in my PM. That was also the reason I did not want the contents divulged in public. However, you've blatantly betrayed my trust, therefore I no longer have any respect for you.


You are most likely an 18 year old individual with false information in your public profile. Perhaps you are actually the same user as squonk, SurfingMatt27, and the others, who knows....


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by fishpoint
> 
> "I don't have any multiple accounts and am honest the whole time. I deleted all of my posts because ..... "



Why does this post sound fishy? Maybe because it's exactly the same thing Walter would say!


Coincidence?


Hardly..


----------



## Porcupine2

AVS seemed to be a decent forum while I was lurking and trying to simply scavenge what info existed, but right now it's filled with morons and crap posts coming from Ratman, SurfingMatt27, squonk, kny3twalker, justsc, and greenland, who are all most likely the same person.


Right now, this forum is ruined. It's a terrible crap forum.


----------



## Porcupine2

If you know ANYTHING about anime, you will know that the link I gave to Ratman was completely safe. A 3rd party anime reviewing website that is very well-known. Their internet reviews are used by almost all commercial anime distribution companies in North America.


It's obvious from your recent posts that you guys are not at all interested in learning about the *potential* existence of HD-DVDs in north america, but only interested in causing trouble.


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, Ratman, you have now betrayed my trust.
> 
> 
> I specified to you in that PM link not to divulge the contents to others, but you did not obey my wish. Therefore I now assume that your intentions on this forum are completely hostile in all regards. I do not believe that you are 50 years old as your profile claims. Your childish reaction to that link I gave you proves it.
> 
> 
> I warned you in my PM that the contents of the link I gave was a porno anime DVD. Yet you claim you clicked on that link and got a "warning" window that "the following review is intended for audiences over 18". When you clicked on that link, you already knew it was porn, because I said so very obviously in my PM. That was also the reason I did not want the contents divulged in public. However, you've blatantly betrayed my trust, therefore I no longer have any respect for you.
> 
> 
> You are most likely an 18 year old individual with false information in your public profile. Perhaps you are actually the same user as squonk, SurfingMatt27, and the others, who knows....



Please.. ROFL...


You are so full of it!!!!


I still don't buy your story of the HD-DVD's too.


----------



## Porcupine2

And for the record, Ratman you are still prohibited from posting that link in public or PM'ing it to any of these others. Of course, given that we are now completely hostile towards each other I fully expect you to disobey my request.


If you have any morals though, as you "claim" to have, you will realize that it is irresponsible to post such a link in public.


----------



## Porcupine2

SurfingMatt27, you don't have to. Never once have I asked anyone here to believe me. Ratman politely asked that he was still interested, and that a link be PM'ed to him, which I was kind enough to do. However he has now betrayed my trust, and I now place him in the same boat with the rest of you buffoons.


----------



## fishpoint




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SurfingMatt27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> sorry i don't buy it.Too many similarites with your attitude and Walters. for a new member you make everyone very suspicious.



Well Sybil, how would you know that?


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> AVS seemed to be a decent forum while I was lurking and trying to simply scavenge what info existed, but right now it's filled with morons and crap posts coming from Ratman, SurfingMatt27, squonk, kny3twalker, justsc, and greenland, who are all most likely the same person.
> 
> 
> Right now, this forum is ruined. It's a terrible crap forum.



No ever since you have been here you have been spreading FUD plain and simple. Existing HD-DVD's in the U.S for a while










How is that possible?


did you pull that out your Ass again like everything else?


For your information Ratman, squonk, kny3twalker, justsc, and greenland are well respected members they have credibility you sir do not!All your credibility went out the window,I'll take their word over yours anyday of the week.


You really have to stop posting under multiple accounts Walter, it's starting to make you look insane,and many members beside us are really questioning your credibility..if there is still a shred of any left?


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fishpoint* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well Sybil, how would you know that?



This


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by fishpoint
> 
> "I don't have any multiple accounts and am honest the whole time. I deleted all of my posts because ..... "



I'm sorry but i don't buy it.. that is exactly the same wording Walter uses when he denies things.


----------



## fishpoint

I copied the quote from your post #604


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Not to mention your greenlight went off at the same time Porcupine2 posted,so what is it, trying to fool us going under your other name Walt?


You don't fool me !!!


Your actions are pretty obvious, What's next your going to delete your evidence as always right?


Is'nt that your style? denied information, insult people then delete your posts..


Denie..Insult..Delete repeat Denie,Insult, Delete.. repeat Denie information, Insult, Delete.


I forgot post under multiple alias's.


Yup same routine, over and over.


----------



## SurfingMatt27




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fishpoint* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I copied the quote from your post #604



Typical, i'm not surprised..


----------



## fishpoint

my greenlight is always off


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Sure it is.. so you can easily fool people and go under your other Alias's


----------



## fishpoint

You need to cut back on the coffee.


----------



## justsc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SurfingMatt27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sorry but i don't buy it.. that is exactly the same wording Walter uses when he denies things.



This was a PM I received from Porc 2 on March 8th:


-


"the crazy flame war

I tried to respond to you inside the thread but it got deleted as I was posting.


My recent post in which I used a quote of yours then talked about personal insults being flung around these boards, was NOT directed towards you. Sorry if I created any confusion or ambiguity. My post was directed towards squonk and Q of Banditz, and maybe towards some of the other users but to a lesser extent.


I just used your quote to try and make a point. I agree that half of the time waltchan deserves the flames he gets. But the other half of the time he does not, and it's just squonk and Q acting like bastards."


-


This blatant name-calling is juvenile and without honor. Which is in stark contrast to the reasoned, clean & well-written posts by RatMan, and others of us. I believe it's time to report such things to UC Riverside (ucr) so they can know how their systems are being used and the language and porn links being sent out from their own IT assets.


----------



## fishpoint




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *justsc* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This blatant name-calling is juvenile and without honor.



Amen, brother.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

This is getting rediculously out of hand, this name calling is childish and immature,


Fishpoint you have a chance to redeem yourself as well as Porcupine2.. are you the same person yes or no?


I'm getting tired of this ****!!


----------



## fishpoint




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SurfingMatt27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This is getting rediculously out of hand, this name calling is childish and immature,
> 
> 
> Fishpoint you have a chance to redeem yourself as well as Porcupine2.. are you the same person yes or no?
> 
> 
> I'm getting tired of this ****!!



No. I am fishpoint, and no one else.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Ok.. i'll take your word for it..


I'm just curoius though why are you following Porcupine2?is there a reason your standing up for him besides laughing with him when he calls us morons?


----------



## fishpoint

I don't laugh with him. Nor at him. I do, however, value his posts (no not his retorts, when provoked).


----------



## justsc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I don't know who's who on this forum and posting under an alias... but the mods can check these originating sources and check verify the "posters in question" and put all of this crap to rest. If more than one match to these, it pretty much sums it up.
> 
> 
> IP Address 71.107.198.125 Host Name pool-71-107-198-125.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.250.197 Host Name pool-71-105-250-197.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.243.90 Host Name pool-71-105-243-90.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.243.131 Host Name pool-71-105-243-131.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 71.105.21.75 Host Name pool-71-105-21-75.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
> 
> IP Address 66.126.122.106 Host Name adsl-66-126-122-106.dsl.lsan03.pacbell.net
> 
> IP Address 138.23.63.130 Host Name resnet63-130.ucr.edu
> 
> IPIP Address 138.23.23.115 Host Name resnet23-115.ucr.edu
> 
> Address 138.23.59.11 Host Name resnetlab-nat.ucr.edu
> 
> IP Address 138.23.59.11 Host Name resnetlab-nat.ucr.edu



Posters can also contact UC Riverside and make them aware of what's coming from their systems.


Here is the link to the UC Riverside Library web site:

http://library.ucr.edu/?view=service...ers/index.html 


From there one can access the Computer Labs:

http://www.cnc.ucr.edu/index.php?con.../computer_labs 


Then there's a phone and email contact:


-

Student Computing Services

ph.: (951) 827-6495

Email: [email protected] 

-


It shouldn't be difficult for the staff to smoke this out.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

So you value FUD?....Interesting..


You still did'nt answer why you show up at the same exact time he does.Why do you follow him Fishpoint?


----------



## fishpoint

Right now, I am am watching 'nova on my 24" sony. I am new to hdtv. I don't track anyone. (well, today- the past hour, one could say I have been following some of your posts).


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Well it still does'nt explain why you are following Porcupine2 for the past 2 days.



Do you get kicks or something watching him taunt us and name call us?


----------



## fishpoint

Well, well. Let's leave well enough alone


----------



## SurfingMatt27

I'm sorry but you seem too Odd for a new poster the way you act.



So no i'm afraid i can't let it rest because your are being very suspicous with your word use, i have seen it before from another individual.


----------



## fishpoint




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SurfingMatt27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well it still does'nt explain why you are following Porcupine2 for the past 2 days.
> 
> 
> 
> Do you get kicks or something watching him taunt us and name call us?



It's time that you ended the abuse. Bye for now.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

Exactly the same word use Walter would use










i'll rest my case for now.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, Ratman, you have now betrayed my trust.
> 
> 
> I specified to you in that PM link not to divulge the contents to others, but you did not obey my wish. Therefore I now assume that your intentions on this forum are completely hostile in all regards. I do not believe that you are 50 years old as your profile claims. Your childish reaction to that link I gave you proves it.
> 
> 
> I warned you in my PM that the contents of the link I gave was a porno anime DVD. Yet you claim you clicked on that link and got a "warning" window that "the following review is intended for audiences over 18". When you clicked on that link, you already knew it was porn, because I said so very obviously in my PM. That was also the reason I did not want the contents divulged in public. However, you've blatantly betrayed my trust, therefore I no longer have any respect for you.
> 
> 
> You are most likely an 18 year old individual with false information in your public profile. Perhaps you are actually the same user as squonk, SurfingMatt27, and the others, who knows....



Don't bring me into your sleazy world full of porn and pirate DVDs Mr Prick-ly. You mention my name in a thread one more time where I ahve nothing to do with what's going on and I'll see to it that you never post here again.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> AVS seemed to be a decent forum while I was lurking and trying to simply scavenge what info existed, but right now it's filled with morons and crap posts coming from Ratman, SurfingMatt27, squonk, kny3twalker, justsc, and greenland, who are all most likely the same person.
> 
> 
> Right now, this forum is ruined. It's a terrible crap forum.



nice try walt. What a complete dope.


----------



## squonk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *justsc* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Posters can also contact UC Riverside and make them aware of what's coming from their systems.
> 
> 
> Here is the link to the UC Riverside Library web site:
> 
> http://library.ucr.edu/?view=service...ers/index.html
> 
> 
> From there one can access the Computer Labs:
> 
> http://www.cnc.ucr.edu/index.php?con.../computer_labs
> 
> 
> Then there's a phone and email contact:
> 
> 
> -
> 
> Student Computing Services
> 
> ph.: (951) 827-6495
> 
> Email: [email protected]
> 
> -
> 
> 
> It shouldn't be difficult for the staff to smoke this out.



Interesting that waltchan is from the So Calif area. He must live close to UC Riverside. I may call there and see if he is enrolled as a student there. They might be very interested in knowing what one of their students is doing on university computers.


And so if any of those addresses matches up with a post from Porky2 (Mr Prickly), we then know that also has been a sham and a fraud. I don't know how this can be determined, but you computer experts should have at it. I'm tired of waltchan and his alias' running this forum and when any of us point out his abuses, we get blamed or banned.


Hey waltchan--the noose is tightening--do you feel it? We're getting closer to exposing you once and for all. And thanks to another poster, we have your phone number and email address which you posted on a public internet site. We'll be seeing you.


----------



## kny3twalker




> Quote:
> Interesting that waltchan is from the So Calif area. He must live close to UC Riverside. I may call there and see if he is enrolled as a student there. They might be very interested in knowing what one of their students is doing on university computers.
> 
> 
> And so if any of those addresses matches up with a post from Porky2 (Mr Prickly), we then know that also has been a sham and a fraud. I don't know how this can be determined, but you computer experts should have at it. I'm tired of waltchan and his alias' running this forum and when any of us point out his abuses, we get blamed or banned.
> 
> 
> Hey waltchan--the noose is tightening--do you feel it? We're getting closer to exposing you once and for all. And thanks to another poster, we have your phone number and email address which you posted on a public internet site. We'll be seeing you.



do it, I hope he gets suspensed from school for this

personally I'm ready to be free of the nuisance named Walter Chan and all his aliases


----------



## SurfingMatt27

It would be a huge weight lifted from my chest i tell you that much!


There has been so much FUD lately by him that it's rediculous.


----------



## spurdy

Would it be possible to move this somewhere else? At one point a bit of snippy banter was amusing, but this is getting really ridiculous.


I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still interested in actual discussion about televisions, specifically the Toshiba HF(X)85 line the thread is intended for. As I recall, Lennsx was going to get an ISF calibration, and I'll continue to post more on the HDMI light/dark banding issue resolution as I have more information.


What I don't want is for the whole thread to get deleted and lose some useful information contained in earlier posts. I realize a lot of people have a lot of animosity here, but I'd request that you either start a new thread for it, or work it out via private messages.


I'm not sure what motivation there is for using this public forum to bash, flame, or "out" anyone. Of course I only speak for myself, but such behaviour doesn't gain my respect, regardless of what side of the conflict someone is on. IMHO all it does is dilute the thread and make it hard for people who want to discuss the topic to do so. At this point I could care less who's Walt, who's not, who dissed who's mom three months ago, or how many links someone can post proving X actually did Y or is in fact an alter ego of Z.


In fact, here ya go. Here's a thread for everyone who wants to fight. Have a blast! Now please, for god's sake, let's just talk about TVs.


----------



## kny3twalker

if you put it in the directview forum, it would have been far more effective


----------



## lennsx

Yes, enough is enough, guys. Please. Please!

I'm now a bit apprehensive to go thru with my ISF calibration because of my HDMI banding issues thru my STB. Again, I would more than appreciate it if anyone wil let me know if this banding issue happens to them thru HDMI with a DVD player as well. If that is the case then I'm not going to spend the $$$ on the ISF cali. It's just too risky to do.


----------



## SurfingMatt27

To answer the above poster, yes!!.. it's your tv that has the issue, these tv's suck!! buy a sony or panasonic instead. I hear nothing but problems about Toshiba tv's lately.Don't waste your money on these POS you get what you pay for..a POS.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Again, I would more than appreciate it if anyone wil let me know if this banding issue happens to them thru HDMI with a DVD player as well. If that is the case then I'm not going to spend the $$$ on the ISF cali. It's just too risky to do.



Lennsx,

In my case it is occuring with my DVD player over HDMI. I don't have any other HDMI-capable devices (no STB for me, as I don't watch enough TV programming to justify it, mostly just DVDs).


I'm doing my darnedest to satisfy Toshiba enough with service diagnostics so that they'll refund me. Then I'll be making a mad dash for a 34XBR960n or maybe a 30XS955 (the XBR might break my current AV stand from the weight). I suggested to my wife that perhaps I should go ahead and grab the Sony replacement now, before they've dried up. She was none too thrilled with the idea of buying another gargantuan, expensive CRT before the other one was even returned (or determined whether a refund was even possible)...










So, here's to hoping that, A) I can wrest my moolah back from Toshiba, and B) by the time I get it back, there's still a Sony SFP set around for me to buy without having to take out another mortgage or sell a major organ on the black market.


If, however, they can actually fix the HDMI issue, then I'd be willing to live with it, and might go the ISF route. I hope to hear from the service center that has my set later this week.


----------



## Porcupine2

spurdy, I'm curious what this HDMI banding looks like. If you or anyone else can post a picture, that'd be great. Is it extremely severe (i.e. totally unwatchable) or just a minorly annoying thing?


I was never able to test the HD modes (either 1080i through component or HDMI) back when I had my 30HF85's because I had no HD players/sources to play. But I plan to eventually, and at this point I'm probably still going to end up buying a Toshiba/Insignia/Orion at some point regardless since it seems to be one of the few CRTs with space-saving bottom speakers.


If the HDMI is completely unusable on the 30HF85 (and maybe the 30HF66 when it comes out) that might be a good reason to get the new Insignia 30" (exact same TV without any HDMI input and a cheaper remote).


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> spurdy, I'm curious what this HDMI banding looks like. If you or anyone else can post a picture, that'd be great. Is it extremely severe (i.e. totally unwatchable) or just a minorly annoying thing?



Well, I'm picky about picture quality, so I find it pretty invasive. Once I get my set back, assuming they're unable to fix it, I'll try to take a picture or short movie clip if I can capture it effectively.


Basically, it looks like a band, usually ranging from about an inch or two tall, running all the way from left to right across the screen. It's as if, within this band, you had manipulated the white level. So the portion within this band seems "shadowed" relative to the rest of the image (there might also be instances where it's brighter, but I can't be sure). The bands appear, from what I have seen, to correspond with high contrast (i.e. very bright relative to the rest of the image, or very dark) portions of the image moving off of the edge (usually the left edge) of the picture. Sometimes I'll get a flurry of these bands during high movement scenes with a lot of this high contrast content. They'll track up or down and merge or break into multiple bands (again, I think this is due to the way something bright moves off of the edge of the screen) quickly, so it's hard to determine.


On my set, the effect at 1080i was very pronounced and noticable. Pretty annoyingly unwatchable in my opinion. At first I thought 720p was free of the problem, but I noticed it does happen at that resolution too, it's just less frequent and less severe when it occurs (the bands seem a bit wider and have less of a contrast difference). Of course, now that I see it, it bugs me to no end.


I'm guessing it's an error in the digital portion of the image processing. It just has the look of being an error in the digital handling, rather than something caused by the analogue circuitry. Still, this is just guessing on my part.


EDIT: I may be wrong, it may be the black level that's being manipulated. Perhaps it's an error in the automatic black level adjustment that many sets do? It might be incorrectly applying the adjustment only to a section of the image containing a big contrast difference, instead of the entire image, as is normally done.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, the same exact banding that spurdy is describing happens on my 34HF85 via my STB thru HDMI. And now my man spurdy tells me that it also happens thru a DVD player. OK, that settles it, no ISF calibration for now. I am a patient man (lucky for Toshiba) AND I have no other qualms with the TV but when I buy a HD-DVD/BLU-RAY/PS3 (don't even get me started on that next-gen competition disgrace) and get HDMI banding with that......nuff said.


----------



## Darcy Hunter




> Quote:
> Basically, it looks like a band, usually ranging from about an inch or two tall, running all the way from left to right across the screen. It's as if, within this band, you had manipulated the white level. So the portion within this band seems "shadowed" relative to the rest of the image (there might also be instances where it's brighter, but I can't be sure).



I have the same exact problem with my Tosh 30HF84, but this problem shows up on all inputs regardless of the source (HDMI, component, composite, s-video, and even regular coax-cable). I can't return the TV, and I am hesitant to call for a service repair since no one can pin point exactly what's causing this. I seem to recall someone posting (either on this board or another forum) that after they had their HF85 series set calibrated, the banding issue went away, but they did not elaborate on what was done to fix it. This is the only issue I have with the set, and although it doesn't show up 100% of the time (like spurdy says, it depends on a number of factors in the displayed picture) once you notice it, it's highly annoying.


----------



## Porcupine2

Thanks for the descriptions. I'd still appreciate pics whenever it is possible or convenient, though. It's interesting that Darcy mentions that he (she?) has the same problem on his 30HF84. I recall Nonnie here earlier said that his 30HF84 had no issues with HDMI banding or 1080i white glow through component, but that his 34HF85 did (which he returned).


----------



## Darcy Hunter

Just to be clear, I do have what appears to be the "banding" problem, however, there is no white glow at the top of my screen when displaying Hi-Def content using my X-Box 360, or through a HDMI connector.


And, I am a "he".


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks for the descriptions. I'd still appreciate pics whenever it is possible or convenient, though.



I'll give it my best shot when I get my TV back if they haven't fixed it.


----------



## Nonnie

I compared the service manuals for the 30hf84 and 85 and they made quite a few changes to the components. The 30hf84 does not have any of the hdmi banding or glow issues, 1080i is perfect. However, my 30hf84 does have a glitch that occurred in the 30hf83 and I believe the 30hf81. (Horizontal jerk during warmuo over 1080i) It would seem Orion used some of the same components or design in the 30hf84 when they took over production from Toshiba in '04 then made additional changes to cut costs on the hf85 models.


Darcy what is the build date on your 30hf84? Mine is August '04 they began production in June of '04. I also brought a 26hf84 as a present for my brother and that had a build of Sept '04 and was also perfect. I do know they made some changes last spring to the (26hf84a) and added Cableclear option. Maybe they began changing components on later sets?


Guys, I think you should do your best to try and get a refund or credit from Toshiba. When I took a chance on the 34hf85 a couple of weeks ago from Crutchfield with a build date of January '06,and it still had all of the same problems reported, it was pretty obvious that Orion had no intention of fixing the banding or white glow. These issues were first reported last summer and I think a reputable company would have made a mid production design change to address the problems. Don't think you should spend any more money on these sets. Take a look at Ebay, there are plenty of Hf85's for sale. (lot of people have the same idea)


Anyway, I jumped ship on tube tv's and exchanged my 34hf85 for a Tosh 37hl95 LCD. This is a real Toshiba made in Mexico and it shows. Spectacular pq, natural looking colors and gorgeous hi def. I paid considerably more, but I am very happy with it. Plus I didn't get a hernia carrying it down the basement to my family room.


----------



## contoursvt

I recently picked up a 26HF85C and overall I've been happy with it except that I feel that the image is a bit too contrasty... I've fixed it a bit. It seems like its more noticable through HDMI than component. Still I'm happy with the picture especially considering the price which was not too much. It is a smaller set so I guess it wasnt going to be that much $$. My DVD player is a new samsung upconverting unit with HDMI. I'm liking that one










This TV should hopefully tie me over until I can afford the Hitachi HD plasma I'm after - maybe one more year.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

Nonnie,


The build date on my 30HF84 is September '04. I understand that the banding and white glow problems seem to only affect the 85 series, so I guess I'm just unlucky. I'm not sure if the two problems are related in the 85 series, but like I said, I only have the banding problem, however, it's not just through the HDMI connection that I see it. I've had the set since October '05, and aside from this one problem, the set displays a pristine picture. It had a slight bow on the left side of the screen, but I fixed that in the service menu, and now it's as straight as it can get. Too bad about Toshiba not backing their products like they should, but I'll live with it until I can save up for something else.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ScreamingChicken* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> oh WOW another Toshiba thread, as I understand it the Master himself Walter Chang started this



Hi there! Please direct all Toshiba/Orion/WaltChan flamewars here . We're trying to keep with substantive discussion. Thanks!


----------



## contoursvt

Played with the settings in the service menu some more and now I think the TV is perfect (knock wood). The only thing I want to do is bring up the intensity in the red colours just a tad more. I want the 'medium' setting to be a bit warmer but not was warm as 'warm' in the colour warmth settings.


----------



## Keith_R90210

Hey all, I've owned my 30HF85 since last May and have it in the bedroom for XBox 360 and DVD's. My experience with this TV has been mixed because it has all of the trademark problems discussed in this thread including the white glow problem, banding over HDMI, geometry, and poor convergence.


I sent the TV in for a repair under warranty to hopefully fix some of these problems and when it came back the convergence was pretty much good and the geometry was improved. However, the TV now has severe horizontal bowing that causes everything (straight lines, text) to bow down from the top in a slight U shape. I see it really bad while watching 2.35:1 movies that do not take up the entire screen and leave a small black box on the top and bottom of the scrren. The top box will dip down and create a U shape.


I'm really disillusioned at all the problems I seem to be having with this set. Is it to much to ask that if I pay good money for something it will work right? Now, I am at a crossroads with all of this because I'm a little leary to send this back to my authorized repairer for fear that it will come back even more screwed up, but I'm also really not happy with this horizontal bowing that is present, since that seems more annoying to me than any thing else I originally was complaining about. Toshiba customer service is no help because they are very rude each time I talk to them and will simply direct me to the authorized repair shop. The authorized repairers are ok but I'm really wondering if they know what they are doing.


What should I do? Should I send this thing back in for repair a second time or just give up and accept it?


----------



## String216

If one was to get their TV Calibrated and a second person used the settings from the first TVs calibration would it be guaranteed to look correct, or is each TV unique?


Sorry if that was a dumb question.


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *String216* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If one was to get their TV Calibrated and a second person used the settings from the first TVs calibration would it be guaranteed to look correct, or is each TV unique?
> 
> 
> Sorry if that was a dumb question.



Each TV is somewhat unique.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Keith_R90210* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> What should I do? Should I send this thing back in for repair a second time or just give up and accept it?



From what I have read, horizontal bowing can be corrected with magnets. You cannot adjust from the service menu. I assume you did not have the bowing when you first took the set in? The techs did something to cause it. I understand what you are saying, it can drive you crazy when watching letterboxed material. (That is one of the reasons I just grought an LCD)


You have in home service on that set. Have them come back to your house as many times as it takes to have it fixed. Don't let your 1 year warranty run out without it being taken care of. From my experience, if you call Toshiba they will refer you to the closest service center, they do not want to pay additional mileage.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> From what I have read, horizontal bowing can be corrected with magnets. You cannot adjust from the service menu. I assume you did not have the bowing when you first took the set in? The techs did something to cause it. I understand what you are saying, it can drive you crazy when watching letterboxed material. (That is one of the reasons I just grought an LCD)
> 
> 
> You have in home service on that set. Have them come back to your house as many times as it takes to have it fixed. Don't let your 1 year warranty run out without it being taken care of. From my experience, if you call Toshiba they will refer you to the closest service center, they do not want to pay additional mileage.



You are 100% correct. I originally had sent the TV in to have the convergence (on the red) fixed a bit as well as some slight vertical geometry problems that I could've probably gotten through the service menu.


The tv came back to me and the convergence was entirely fixed but it now has this horizontal bowing that was not there when it was sent in. Vertical geometry is still screwed up too but I have come to accept it as part of the problem with CRT. The horizontal bowing is mainly what is killing me right now and I really would like it fixed.


Unfortunately I do not have at home service on this set and have been dealing exclusively with the service center for my town that Toshiba has sent me to. The people at the service center are nice and will come pick up this hefty display for me but it is just frusturating to have to go through all this again. I'm also questioning if the people at the service center are really that good at fixing this stuff considering this experience I've had.


I guess I'm going to go ahead and call them today and go over my problems. If need be I may over go by there once they get the set to show them in person what is going on with the TV.


The situation is very frusturating to me.


----------



## justsc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yes, the same exact banding that spurdy is describing happens on my 34HF85 via my STB thru HDMI. And now my man spurdy tells me that it also happens thru a DVD player. OK, that settles it, no ISF calibration for now. I am a patient man (lucky for Toshiba) AND I have no other qualms with the TV but when I buy a HD-DVD/BLU-RAY/PS3 (don't even get me started on that next-gen competition disgrace) and get HDMI banding with that......nuff said.



I'm curious - why disregard a pro calibration because of this banding problem? It could be that the calibrator may be able to fix the problem, leaving you with a very nice tv, right? You could always be up-front with the calibrator and let him/her know that if the banding problem cannot be fixed that you don't want to go ahead with the calibration.


Just an idea...


----------



## Porcupine2

I am very sad too. I am currently HDTV-less and don't know what to do. I want a HDTV CRT with bottom speakers, and the only viable options at the moment seem to be Toshiba and the Samsung slimfits, which have some terrible geometry problems including the horizontal bowing you describe here on your modified Toshiba 30HF85.


One thing kind of funny I found with your post is that you in some sense seemed to have transformed your Toshiba into a Samsung. You fixed the convergence and some other issues but now inherited the horizontal bowing that is one of the defining flaws of the Samsungs (especially the Slimfits).










I'm currently considering going out to get either the 30HF85, which is only 600 this week at Best Buy, or the Insignia 30" for 525. Those sets suck but at least they are relatively inexpensive now and fit where I want them to. I still think they are inferior sets though, I'm still not happy buying a 30HF85 at 600 dollars. I think the set is worth only 500 dollars, like a similarly sized SDTV might cost, since that seems to be the only thing these sets are qualified to show.


----------



## lennsx

That is true. And I just read today that most studios are going to allow the full resolution of their Blu-Ray/HD-DVD discs thru component (analog) connections as well as thru HDMI.

Hmmm....perhaps a phone call to Mr. ISF calibrator IS indeed in order...









Again, if I do decide to get it done I will give a detailed report of the PQ difference!


----------



## Nonnie

I think if you go back through these posts you'll find that Frank Burch had his 34hf85 calibrated and he still has the banding. He has a Samsung Sir-TS160 and I remember that when he uses the screen raster control on the Samsung the banding starts up.


Porcupine, I can't understand why you would go out and buy another one of these crap units. I saw someone selling new 30hf84's recently. Might have been Ebay. At least if you buy that you will get a set that properly displays 1080i, and you'll have the form factor that will work where you want to place it.


I realize this is not the appropriate forum for lcd, but you might want to consider one of these as an option. My 37hl95 is amazing. The Tosh 32hl95 is the same size as the 30hf85, but around a quarter of the depth and much lighter. You should take a look at these at Best Buy, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.


----------



## veroviper

I have a 30HF85. I have gotten into the service menu. But I can't seem to navigate and move around. I've read a few posts that say to use the channel button to change items and the volume to change values. This is not working. I was able to change values by using the left and right arrow keys next to the round menu button. But how do I change items?? When I tried the channel button it just kinda zapped my screen and it went black. Luckily when I pushed the other channel button my screen came back. But after that I didn't want to tinker anymore. Can someone tell me the correct buttons to press? Please help. Thanks.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a 30HF85. I have gotten into the service menu. But I can't seem to navigate and move around. I've read a few posts that say to use the channel button to change items and the volume to change values. This is not working. I was able to change values by using the left and right arrow keys next to the round menu button. But how do I change items?? When I tried the channel button it just kinda zapped my screen and it went black. Luckily when I pushed the other channel button my screen came back. But after that I didn't want to tinker anymore. Can someone tell me the correct buttons to press? Please help. Thanks.



Try using the cursor arrow buttons on the remote, the same buttons you use to navigate the TV's menu.


----------



## veroviper

I tried. I was able to use the left and right arrows to adjust the values. So I figured the up/down arrows would toggle items. Didn't work. Got the same effect as with the channel buttons. TV picture zapped to a black screen. I'm just trying to get in there to adjust my overscan.


----------



## Porcupine2

Nonnie, I know what you mean. I must sound insane, having gone through 4 of these long ago (albeit I didn't know anything about HDTVs at the time, and I blasted through all 4 of them in two weeks).


I've been checking Ebay since my quest to get a functional HDTV began, but hadn't seen any 30HF84s last I checked (which was long ago). I should check again, but even on Ebay most sellers won't ship CRTs to Hawaii, where I live.


I've been doing TV-hunting for 30HF84s and 30HF83s in real life, to no avail.


I actually despise LCD mainly because of the refresh rate issues with them. But you make a really good point, considering my space issues (wanting bottom speakers) I should still consider LCD. I actually have been going around looking at LCDs very carefully, but the refresh rate issues are something I personally REALLY have a hard time living with. It's not so bad for films/shows on the good quality LCDs, but I've noticed it's still not that great on 60 frame/second videogames (I was playing DOA4 in toystores, I think they had it on a Sony 26" Bravia but I could be mistaken). Other members of my family have also been urging me to just get an LCD.


Then again, there is something I don't like about CRT HDTVs either. The 32 kHz noise they make from the flyback transformer is painful to me. It gives me vertigo, destroys my hearing and makes me go deaf. :~~(


Maybe some years down the road I will get an LCD, especially if they can get the refresh rates down below 4 ms. I appreciate your suggestion.


Anyways, I'm going to go watch TV now! I actually did get a 5th 30HF85 yesterday, lol, for 600 dollars. I'm nuts.







I'm sure this one also has white glow and HDMI banding but I can't test those features for now since I have no HD sources. The reason I returned all 4 of my previous units were due to other quality problems. I'm kind of shocked, this 5th unit I got is nearly perfect. It's a November 2005 build and it's quite different from all 4 units I had previously. I think I was just super unlucky before (2 of my previous units had actual busted screen "pixels" among many other deficiencies, they were that bad), now all my bad luck went in reverse and I got an amazing unit other than the HD flaws (which may annoy me someday, I dunno, I think I saw the white glow in some Sears displays and it didn't look so severe to me). This unit does have a weird geometry problem none of my other units had, kind of like what Keith just described actually except probably not nearly as severe.


Focus on this set is excellent, no vertical bloom at all. RGB convergence is nearly perfect everywhere. Y/C Delay convergence is nearly perfect on all inputs, and no 480i desynch problems through component.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I tried. I was able to use the left and right arrows to adjust the values. So I figured the up/down arrows would toggle items. Didn't work. Got the same effect as with the channel buttons. TV picture zapped to a black screen. I'm just trying to get in there to adjust my overscan.



Use the right/left cursor arrow buttons to change each category and up/down cursor arrow buttons to change each values.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I tried. I was able to use the left and right arrows to adjust the values. So I figured the up/down arrows would toggle items. Didn't work. Got the same effect as with the channel buttons. TV picture zapped to a black screen. I'm just trying to get in there to adjust my overscan.



Veroviper,


I believe the "zap to a black screen" you describe is item 01 in the service menu. It scared me too when I first tried it on my 30HFX85. It just displays a test mode in the form of a single scan line in the center of the screen (for what exact adjustment purpose I'm not entirely clear). If you keep pressing the channel button, you'll go past it to the rest of the service menu items (most geometry settings are between 02 and 23, with fairly intuitive names). Or, you can wrap around the other direction, going from 00 to 59 and then on down.


Happy tweaking! (just do document everything first)


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The reason I returned all 4 of my previous units were due to other quality problems. I'm kind of shocked, this 5th unit I got is nearly perfect. It's a November 2005 build and it's quite different from all 4 units I had previously.
> 
> ...
> 
> Focus on this set is excellent, no vertical bloom at all. RGB convergence is nearly perfect everywhere. Y/C Delay convergence is nearly perfect on all inputs, and no 480i desynch problems through component.



I think my set is a late 2005 build as well (perhaps even December? I can't recall exactly right now). It has similarly good geometry, focus, and convergence. Perhaps they finally started getting a few things ironed out later on in the production run? I just wish correct HD display had been one of them.


----------



## veroviper

Thanks Spurdy. I'll give it a go tonight. I'm sure that was it. I appreciate the help. And yes I will definitely write down the existing values first.


----------



## veroviper

I've looked through this post a bit but couldn't find it. Which items in the service menu adjust reds or greens on the TV? I've got my colors set pretty good but I'd like to reduce the red a bit and the green a bit? Thanks for any help.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've looked through this post a bit but couldn't find it. Which items in the service menu adjust reds or greens on the TV? I've got my colors set pretty good but I'd like to reduce the red a bit and the green a bit? Thanks for any help.



Look for the codes that say Red Bias, Green Bias, and Blue Bias. There are three bias modes available for each color temperature setting. For example, Red Bias is for normal color temperature, Red Bias (C) is for cool color temperature, and Red Bias (W) is for warm color temperature.


----------



## veroviper

OK. I see. I see a set with W at the end(warm I take it), a set with C(cool) at the end, and one set that has no letter on the end. Just says, R BIAS, etc. Are these for medium?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> OK. I see. I see a set with W at the end(warm I take it), a set with C(cool) at the end, and one set that has no letter on the end. Just says, R BIAS, etc. Are these for medium?



Yes.


----------



## veroviper

OK thanks for the help. Also, just wanted to make sure these are the items I want to mess with to adjust specific color levels?? This is my first HDTV, so I'm a bit of a newbie. Also if anyone knows of a list telling me what all the abbreviations mean I would love to know. I found a good spreadsheet with all the abbrev. and factory pre-sets but I'd love a list telling me what they all are.


----------



## veroviper

Oh, and one last question. What is a good starting contrast level in the user menus before I start tinkering with stuff in the service menu?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Oh, and one last question. What is a good starting contrast level in the user menus before I start tinkering with stuff in the service menu?



When you enter the service menu, all user menu controls will be reset to factory defaults. So, it's kind of a moot point. When you adjust things like contrast min/max/cent, brightness min/max/cent, Tint, etc, the display will show the changes for the control you're adjusting. So, get everything set as looks best, then do fine tuning afterwards with the user controls if necessary.


BTW: for toning down the red push I actually used R-Y GAIN (control 39). I'm not sure if this is wrong, but it seemed to work quite effectively. The only problem was that it seemed to be a universal control (though I didn't do extensive testing on that), and the color decoding for composite, component, and HDMI were significantly different. So, I had to live with a good "average" of the optimal values for each input.


Does anyone know more specifically what the difference is between adjusting red using R.BIAS versus R-Y GAIN?


----------



## veroviper

Thanks for the info. I'll tinker with both tonight. I just need to worry about settings for component. I'm not putting out the money for an HDMI cable after hearing how crappy it works on this TV. I only use 2 items on the set, my comcast HD box and my XBOX 360. Both are fine so long as run in 720p(say hello to the white glow at 1080i settings) The set does quite a respectable job displaying games and dvd's from my 360. Cable is a little more hit or miss, seems to vary from channel to channel oddly enough. I bought this TV a little over a month ago. I believe somebody posted that they seemed to iron some issues out in later models. I can honestly say that for the money I spent I'm pretty pleased. Decent entry level HD set.


----------



## Keith_R90210

I contacted my service center and my 30HF85 is going back in for repair (to fix my horizontal bowing After the last repair), hopefully next week. God Knows how long they will have it, last time it took them a month or so.


Does anyone know if there is a service menu adjustment for this horizontal bowing? or if this is something that they could only correct by opening up the set and tinkering inside with it?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Keith_R90210* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I contacted my service center and my 30HF85 is going back in for repair (to fix my horizontal bowing After the last repair), hopefully next week. God Knows how long they will have it, last time it took them a month or so.
> 
> 
> Does anyone know if there is a service menu adjustment for this horizontal bowing? or if this is something that they could only correct by opening up the set and tinkering inside with it?



Yikes! I'm bitting my nails now about my own set. It'll likely be in the shop for a while longer. I hope it doesn't come back with any similar degradations.


When you say "horizontal bowing" do you mean that the picture arches or sags in the middle? I'd call that vertical bowing (since it bows in the vertical direction), but that's just semantics I guess. From what I've seen there aren't any service menu settings to manipulate the geometry that way, and from that I conclude that hardware adjustment would be necessary.


----------



## spurdy

I called the technician a few days ago. He said he was able to replicate the issue and has some ideas about what might be wrong. He's waiting for further info from Toshiba. Although he suspects it might take replacing some hardware, he said it might also be curable with a firmware update (supporting my suspicion that it's a digital processing artefact).


I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that firmware might solve it. Now *that* would be pretty cool. Regardless, if any fix is found I'll be sure to grill the tech for specifics on what it was so that I can pass it on to folks here.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Yikes! I'm bitting my nails now about my own set. It'll likely be in the shop for a while longer. I hope it doesn't come back with any similar degradations.
> 
> 
> When you say "horizontal bowing" do you mean that the picture arches or sags in the middle? I'd call that vertical bowing (since it bows in the vertical direction), but that's just semantics I guess. From what I've seen there aren't any service menu settings to manipulate the geometry that way, and from that I conclude that hardware adjustment would be necessary.



When I say "Horizontal Bowing" I mean that everything bows on the screen (i.e., letter box bars slope down, news tickers slope down, TiVo menus, etc.) or something similar to this :

http://wrongcrowd.com/pics/forum/geometry.gif 


The problem is very frusturating on every source from XBox360 to Standard television but particulary on DVD where I still have letterboxes and can see it. This problem also comes into play with televsion shows that are letter boxed, if I use the TW2 mode to get rid of these letterboxes I still see a small sliver of black from the sagged down portion that won't go away.


I had originally sent the TV in for convergence fixes and some slight geometry distorion that was present in pillarbox (natural mode) and when I got it back, convergence was great but this new problem I'm describing had begun.


The repair tech today was giving me a hard time about this and basically told me that he thought I was abusing my warranty (which I'm not, my concerns are quite valid) and that he thought my TV was perfect.


Very frusturating! hopefully this next repair trip is worthwhile. Any tips or ideas on what else I could do?


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *veroviper* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> OK. I see. I see a set with W at the end(warm I take it), a set with C(cool) at the end, and one set that has no letter on the end. Just says, R BIAS, etc. Are these for medium?



Doh! So *that's* what the (W), and (C) stand for. That makes total sense, thanks for making me realize that veroviper lol.


Hey veroviper, can you do me a favor? Have you touched the various settings in the Service Menu that affect Contrast, Brightness, and Color? They are the latest settings, and are labeled as "Max Contrast" "Min Contrast" "Default Contrast" "Max Brightness" "Min Brightness" "Default Brightness" "Max Color" "Min Color" "Default Color" or something similar. Also I'm interested in the settings for "Sub Cont".


If you haven't touched those yet, can you tell me what your default settings are? Also, change your screen modes between the AV connections (Composite/S-Video), the Component connections, the HDMI connections, and the ANT (coax) connection, and tell me the defaults for those too. I did write my initial settings down for the AV connections, but not for the others. Then I found out afterwards that if you change the settings for the AV connections or the coax connection, they will overwrite your composite and HDMI settings automatically and you lose them and must be re-set afterwards. Usually all those settings are similar but not exactly the same, for the different inputs. I'm curious what my original values were. (I have some of the above written down for more than one input, but not all, as I overwrote some of them before I had a chance to check).


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Does anyone know more specifically what the difference is between adjusting red using R.BIAS versus R-Y GAIN?



I only played with these a little (haven't touched them on my current set, but tinkered a little with previous sets), so I'll just be guessing here:


I think both settings can be used to adjust red levels in a sense but they do it in slightly different ways.


R.BIAS, G.BIAS, and B.BIAS modify Red/Green/Blue intensity levels. So if you were to set R.BIAS to 0 (I dunno if the Toshibas go that far, or if their "0" really is a 0) I think maybe it would be as if all the red stripes/pixels on your TV set broke. You would get a pure green/blue image. White stuff will now be cyan. Red stuff will be black. Blue stuff will be blue and green stuff will be green.


R-Y GAIN probably stands for Red-Luminance Gain. Luminance is brightness (white-level) information only...Red is the amount of shifting of red stuffs away from white (the default). So if you were to set R-Y GAIN to 0 (again, I dunno if the Toshibas go that far or if their "0" really is a 0) I think the effect might be a little different from R.BIAS. White stuff will stay white, but red stuff will also be white. I'm not sure what will happen to blue stuff and green stuff. I think blue stuff might be magenta, and green stuff will be yellow.


Just guessing.







I haven't played with these controls much because as I've said elsewhere, I'm personally not very concerned with precise color calibration. I just use Cool cause I think it looks pretty good.







If it's a little too blue or a little too red I don't care much.


----------



## TeknoZX

Alright folks, I need some help. I have a older unit, Toshiba 51H85 I believe. I think I read that trying to check the convergence board and resoldering the connections might help. I opened the TV up and I don't see a convergence board...at least I don't know what it looks like. I see one main board where everything seems to plug into and 2 board per CRT and the input panel. What is my problem exactly?

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0008.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0007.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0006.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0005.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0004.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0002.jpg 
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0001.jpg 


Now check THAT out. Thing is, it pops into perfect working order now and then. It'll just start working fine and then this mush. What should I do? Scrap it? Call a tech and spend $400 to fix it? Is it even worth it?


If I could fix it myself, I certainly would. Resolder the connections? No problem. But where? I tried looking for a service manual but apparently, this model just doesn't exist anymore or something. Thanks people.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *TeknoZX* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Alright folks, I need some help. I have a older unit, Toshiba 51H85 I believe. I think I read that trying to check the convergence board and resoldering the connections might help. I opened the TV up and I don't see a convergence board...at least I don't know what it looks like. I see one main board where everything seems to plug into and 2 board per CRT and the input panel. What is my problem exactly?
> 
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0008.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0007.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0006.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0005.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0004.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0002.jpg
> http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b8...b/IMG_0001.jpg
> 
> 
> Now check THAT out. Thing is, it pops into perfect working order now and then. It'll just start working fine and then this mush. What should I do? Scrap it? Call a tech and spend $400 to fix it? Is it even worth it?
> 
> 
> If I could fix it myself, I certainly would. Resolder the connections? No problem. But where? I tried looking for a service manual but apparently, this model just doesn't exist anymore or something. Thanks people.



Hi, wrong forum. Please post at the Rear Projection TV area at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=63 


This forum is for CRT tube TVs only.


----------



## veroviper

Porcupine, the factory settings are as follows: Max Contrast=80, Min Contrast=50, SUB Cont=14, Min Color=0, Max Color=110, Min Bright=50, Max Bright=240. Personally I'm not tinkering with anything but the position for overscan and red level until I get my DVE DVD. Then I plan to go in and optimize all the colors and anything else that may need so. I took the red bias from 60 down to 50. Gonna go with that for a while and see how I like it.


----------



## veroviper

Well, got the red bias down to 50. Coupled with these settings on the user menu: Bright. 30, Contrast 38, Color 18, Tint -8, Sharpness 25, Color Temp Med. and SVM off. I must say, my HD channels are looking pretty darn good now. Definitely getting closer to the type of picture I envisioned when buying an HDTV. Now I'm gonna see how they look on my 360 and if I need to tweak anything there. Also, like most people with this set I'm finding I have to output stuff in 720p from my HD sources. 1080i gives me the dreaded white haze at the top and quite a noticeable bit of flickering on my HD channels. Taking my sources down to 720p takes care of those problems, and I honestly only notice a very small drop off in PQ.


----------



## dream431ca

Just a question (probably a stupid one), is there a way to turn off upconverting on the HDTV? You know the white line on the 30HF85, I've found the problem, and I'm sure it could be upconverting. The TV upconverts everything to 1080i, so for example when I have my Xbox360 on 1080i you see the white line. It also has to do with resolution. I know what is causing the white line, it's just hard to explain. I can see it on my Xbox360 with only one way. Turn up the brightness of the TV to around 24, then put in an Original XBOX game that is not compatable with the the X360. When you recieve the error message you'll see what is causing the white line.


Also, does anyone know Toshiba's e-mail for technial Troubleshooting. I can't find it.


Thanks.


----------



## Porcupine2

vero, thanks for those settings, but I was actually most interested in the "Default Contrast", "Default Brightness", and "Default Color" settings in the Service Menu. They are right next to the "Min Contrast" "Max Contrast" etc settings. I may have gotten the name wrong, I forget. Can you tell me those settings?


dream431, is the 1080i white line problem you are talking about the same problem as the 1080i white glow problem?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Have you touched the various settings in the Service Menu that affect Contrast, Brightness, and Color? They are the latest settings, and are labeled as "Max Contrast" "Min Contrast" "Default Contrast" "Max Brightness" "Min Brightness" "Default Brightness" "Max Color" "Min Color" "Default Color" or something similar. Also I'm interested in the settings for "Sub Cont".
> 
> 
> If you haven't touched those yet, can you tell me what your default settings are? Also, change your screen modes between the AV connections (Composite/S-Video), the Component connections, the HDMI connections, and the ANT (coax) connection, and tell me the defaults for those too.



I created a spreadsheet (actually, based it off of one I found on some forum that was for the 30HF84, but the service menu controls were the same), and entered my defaults for each input type.


You can download the file from my FTP site.


Here's the URL in text if that doesn't work:
ftp://wayreth.anydns.com/pub/Toshiba_30HF(X)85.zip

 

(edit: updated FTP URL with new dynamic DNS host name)


----------



## dream431ca




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> vero, thanks for those settings, but I was actually most interested in the "Default Contrast", "Default Brightness", and "Default Color" settings in the Service Menu. They are right next to the "Min Contrast" "Max Contrast" etc settings. I may have gotten the name wrong, I forget. Can you tell me those settings?
> 
> 
> dream431, is the 1080i white line problem you are talking about the same problem as the 1080i white glow problem?



yes, the same thing as the white glow. I just call it the white line.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dream431ca* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Just a question (probably a stupid one), is there a way to turn off upconverting on the HDTV? You know the white line on the 30HF85, I've found the problem, and I'm sure it could be upconverting. The TV upconverts everything to 1080i, so for example when I have my Xbox360 on 1080i you see the white line. It also has to do with resolution. I know what is causing the white line, it's just hard to explain. I can see it on my Xbox360 with only one way. Turn up the brightness of the TV to around 24, then put in an Original XBOX game that is not compatable with the the X360. When you recieve the error message you'll see what is causing the white line.
> 
> 
> Also, does anyone know Toshiba's e-mail for technial Troubleshooting. I can't find it.
> 
> 
> Thanks.



Did you hook up your Xbox360 through HDMI input or component input? I think you can switch the upconversion by selecting 540p in the menu.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Did you hook up your Xbox360 through HDMI input or component input? I think you can switch the upconversion by selecting 540p in the menu.



From what I've read, and from my personal experience, the only situation in which the 1080i/540p control makes a difference is when you feed the TV a 480p signal. For all other incoming signal resolutions (480i, 720p, 1080i) the set internally upconverts and displays in 1080i.


You can tell when the 1080i/540p control actually has an effect, as the picture will blank out very briefly while the set changes from interlaced to progressive mode or vice versa (and the 540p mode will be more stable with less flicker, but the difference may be hard for some to see). If nothing happens when you change it (there's no brief blanking of the picture), then it means your current incoming signal isn't 480p, and the control won't change anything.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> For all other incoming signal resolutions (480i, 720p, 1080i) the set internally upconverts and displays in 1080i.
> 
> 
> You can tell when the 1080i/540p control actually has an effect, as the picture will blank out very briefly while the set changes from interlaced to progressive mode or vice versa (and the 540p mode will be more stable with less flicker, but the difference may be hard for some to see).



Yup that's right except for one thing. 480i signals end up getting displayed in 540p no matter what (not 1080i, and as you said the 540p/1080i control will have no effect in this case as well). The manuals are wrong when they say 480i is dispayed as 1080i.







I'm 100% sure, my eyes don't deceive me.










Thanks a lot for your Service Menu default settings, spurdy! I pretty much had my settings about the same (even though I lost some of my defaults by changing the Composite/S-Video settings, which overwrites into the Component/HDMI settings). I had eyeballed my Component settings back into place afterwards (no calibration discs, just putting up the same image and trying to make it look exactly the same via whether through S-Video or Component) and got it about right. Our default S-Video settings weren't exactly the same to begin with, as expected they were 1 or 2 values off because TVs aren't exactly alike. But I was able to easily figure out where my default Component settings would have been from your values, thanks.










Actually in the end I went with my eyeballed values rather than my (converted) versions of your values, I think my eyeballs are better than the eyeballs of the Toshiba factory people.







But they were really close to each other, only 1 or 2 numbers off.


----------



## rothlike

I find that both composite inputs have the "grainy" look to them, most noticeably with DVD's. Is this something that can be fixed through service menu adjustment or only through repair? Also, I have read here about the white glow at the top of the screen in 1080i, but mine is more bluish than white, I assume it's the same thing. I've abandoned the use of HDMI input as it gets the banding as well. Any way I can avoid repairs on this set or am I out of luck? Thanks!


-- Rich


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rothlike* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I find that both composite inputs have the "grainy" look to them, most noticeably with DVD's. Is this something that can be fixed through service menu adjustment or only through repair? Also, I have read here about the white glow at the top of the screen in 1080i, but mine is more bluish than white, I assume it's the same thing. I've abandoned the use of HDMI input as it gets the banding as well. Any way I can avoid repairs on this set or am I out of luck? Thanks!



I noticed a lot of grain on my set as well (via component and HDMI, I haven't tested much with composite). When I went back to the store where I purchased it and tested their floor model, I became reasonably convinced that it was mostly due to the natural grain present in film being uncovered by the high resolution picture. The salesperson saw what I was talking about and we tried "Shrek 2" (instead of "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" that I had brought for testing, and which seems to have had an artifical film grain effect added to appear more realistic). "Shrek 2" looked great, and I didn't notice much grain at all.


I agree that there may be something amiss in the Toshiba's digital processing stages within the set itself, and those may be uncorrectable without some sort of repair, if at all. I've got my set in for warranty service right now (with my main issue being the HDMI banding), and I encourage you try the same if you're still within warranty and aren't able to be happy with the set otherwise.


----------



## lennsx

I agree with the grain issue. I noticed a bit on my LotR DVDs but my jaw was kept at a drop last night during the Gators/UCLA game and even more so during HDnet's "Nothing But Trailers" showing the new Pixar movie CARS. Incredible is the word.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I noticed a lot of grain on my set as well (via component and HDMI, I haven't tested much with composite). When I went back to the store where I purchased it and tested their floor model, I became reasonably convinced that it was mostly due to the natural grain present in film being uncovered by the high resolution picture. The salesperson saw what I was talking about and we tried "Shrek 2" (instead of "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" that I had brought for testing, and which seems to have had an artifical film grain effect added to appear more realistic). "Shrek 2" looked great, and I didn't notice much grain at all.
> 
> 
> I agree that there may be something amiss in the Toshiba's digital processing stages within the set itself, and those may be uncorrectable without some sort of repair, if at all. I've got my set in for warranty service right now (with my main issue being the HDMI banding), and I encourage you try the same if you're still within warranty and aren't able to be happy with the set otherwise.



I have my set going in to repair some of these issues as well including the HDMI banding and the white glow with 720p and 1080i over component. My set is still under warranty which is good. The repair man seems to believe it is all in my head though.


----------



## dream431ca




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Keith_R90210* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have my set going in to repair some of these issues as well including the HDMI banding and the white glow with 720p and 1080i over component. My set is still under warranty which is good. The repair man seems to believe it is all in my head though.



When you get your set back, please tell us in this thread if you notice a difference or not.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dream431ca* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> When you get your set back, please tell us in this thread if you notice a difference or not.



will do!


On another note does anyone else feel as though their 30HF85 seems to put off a lot of static electricity? mine seems to have a lot of static electricity coming off of the screen in comparison to the other Tv's in the house but I can't tell if that is just my imagination.


----------



## tgaines14

I recently purchased the 34hfx85 (3 days ago). I have been having a problem that I have not seen mentioned here (I've read a lot of the posts in this thread, so if it has, I apologize). On many of the SD channels (not all of them), there are two black vertical lines b/w the picture and the side bars (on 4:3). I have the side bars set to "Medium", and that is why I can see these lines. The black line on the left is about a half inch thick and the one on the right is about 1/4 inch thick. This only occurs on about 10 to 15 SD channels. If I zoom to full screen, then the black lines no longer appear. So, I'm just wondering what you guys think about this. Is this something wrong with the television, or could this be something wrong on the Cable Co.'s end?


I've called my salesman, but he was out of the office. Of course, the first thing out of the mouth of the guy I was talking to was that this is probably being caused by my cable reception. However, my in-laws live right down the road, and they have not had any problems with their Panasonic wide-screen HDTV.


Any ideas about this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...


P.S. As others have stated, I have not been very impressed with the PQ of this television, either.


----------



## Porcupine2

Keith, it's strange, but I feel my current 30HF85 (November 2005 build) gives off NO static electricity. The screen has remained dust and lint free since I turned it on, and I don't feel the hairs on my arm stand up if I get really near the screen. But my previous couple returned 30HF85 (March 2005 builds) I thought had a lot of static electricity on the screens. I kept having to wipe the screens with a towel every day because of dust and lint build-up.


Weird. Maybe I just imagined it. Hey, maybe you should check the build date of your set, it's on the back. Wait, it must be one of the March 2005 builds because I recall you said you got your set a while back.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Keith, it's strange, but I feel my current 30HF85 (November 2005 build) gives off NO static electricity. The screen has remained dust and lint free since I turned it on, and I don't feel the hairs on my arm stand up if I get really near the screen. But my previous couple returned 30HF85 (March 2005 builds) I thought had a lot of static electricity on the screens. I kept having to wipe the screens with a towel every day because of dust and lint build-up.
> 
> 
> Weird. Maybe I just imagined it. Hey, maybe you should check the build date of your set, it's on the back. Wait, it must be one of the March 2005 builds because I recall you said you got your set a while back.



I believe my TV is a March 2005 build. The screen does seem to put out a lot of stactic electricity as you say, since I have noticed that my screen seems to collect dust real easy and I can feel the electricity when I come near it. I can also hear the screen crackling with static elctricity when I turn it and off. Like I say though I can't tell if this is all in my imagination or not but it does seem to put out far more static than the other tV's in my home (including another smaller Toshiba).


Does anyone think that this static electricty thing could be the cause of some of the problems on this TV? perhaps the TV's power supply is faulty?


----------



## Porcupine2

The power supply on the later Fall 2005 30HF85s are more faulty than the ones on the March 2005 builds. My current Fall unit has terrible power supply problems that cause screen geometry to balloon outwards during dark scenes (tube geometry problems remain constant regardless of whether a scene is dark or light). On my first/oldest Fall unit the known phenomena of image black-out during explosions or bright scenes occured once (and only once), yet another power supply problem.


I've never had any significant power supply problems with the March 2005 units. Perhaps their power supply is better, and that is the reason they give off more static electricity? I don't think the power supply has anything to do with the other problems of the 30HF85s though.


Another difference I feel between the Fall and Spring 2005 30HF85's is that I think the protective glass screens are made of different material. Not only was the static electricity given off different, but I think the Spring 2005 units seemed to have more of an anti-glare coating than my Fall units. The screen on my current unit is pretty reflective. This I strongly suspect is my imagination however. I never had two 30HF85s side by side to compare, and human memory is very fallible.


I would say that the static electricity differences are probably real though, as the two of us have combined to notice and agree on this. It would be interesting to try to find out the reason and/or components behind the differences.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> On my first/oldest Fall unit the known phenomena of image black-out during explosions or bright scenes occured once (and only once), yet another power supply problem.



What were you watching when you experienced this blackout? Were you using a dvd or other device through component video? How was it hooked up? Direct connection or through a switchbox?


----------



## Porcupine2

It was a DVD player playing an anime and some robot made a giant tornado explosion that fills the screen with flashing white light. Since this was several months ago I am not 100% sure what kind of connections I was using but I believe it was through the Component Video inputs, in 480p mode (note: that's not what I use now, I use S-Video in 480i for my DVD player since the quality is better for various reasons). Direct connection, no switchboxes or receivers in the way.


The screen immediately cut to black as the explosion was starting, and stayed that way for several seconds, then came back on. I then replayed that four/five second scene again and again ten times but not once did the problem ever re-occur.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The power supply on the later Fall 2005 30HF85s are more faulty than the ones on the March 2005 builds. My current Fall unit has terrible power supply problems that cause screen geometry to balloon outwards during dark scenes (tube geometry problems remain constant regardless of whether a scene is dark or light). On my first/oldest Fall unit the known phenomena of image black-out during explosions or bright scenes occured once (and only once), yet another power supply problem.
> 
> 
> I've never had any significant power supply problems with the March 2005 units. Perhaps their power supply is better, and that is the reason they give off more static electricity? I don't think the power supply has anything to do with the other problems of the 30HF85s though.
> 
> 
> Another difference I feel between the Fall and Spring 2005 30HF85's is that I think the protective glass screens are made of different material. Not only was the static electricity given off different, but I think the Spring 2005 units seemed to have more of an anti-glare coating than my Fall units. The screen on my current unit is pretty reflective. This I strongly suspect is my imagination however. I never had two 30HF85s side by side to compare, and human memory is very fallible.
> 
> 
> I would say that the static electricity differences are probably real though, as the two of us have combined to notice and agree on this. It would be interesting to try to find out the reason and/or components behind the differences.



that's interesting, thanks for that info. Judging by what you say it sounds as though my geometry problems are more related to the tube itself.


Does anyone happen to have a pic of the color banding over HDMI? I would like to send a pic of the color banding along with my notes/problems to the repair shop with the TV. Also has anyone found a solution to this?


FWIW, I talked to Toshiba today concerning my problems with the television and the fact that I'm not happy with the repair shop that is servicing my TV. Toshiba has directed me to another repair shop nearby where I live. I'm going to be contacting them on Monday as they are closed down for the week because of some company cruise.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The screen immediately cut to black as the explosion was starting, and stayed that way for several seconds, then came back on. I then replayed that four/five second scene again and again ten times but not once did the problem ever re-occur.



This is actually due to a problem with the dc restoration circuitry on the Orioshiba. The 30hf84 suffers from this also. It drove me nuts. My Samsung HD receiver and my dvd player would constantly do this. I finally figured out it was because I was driving the signal through the internal component switch in my Kenwood receiver. If I did a direct connect, everything worked fine. I contacted Video-Storm and purchased a distribution amplifier with dc level restoration. They knew exactly what the problem was, I posted all the info in the 30HF84 thread. (Which I can't find, search is not working)


Here is an excerpt from the Video Storm web site:


DC restoration

All video signals are defined as AC only, with the signal power residing entirely above 60Hz. However, before the signal can be displayed a DC level (

The Orioshiba is notoriously slow on this.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The power supply on the later Fall 2005 30HF85s are more faulty than the ones on the March 2005 builds. My current Fall unit has terrible power supply problems that cause screen geometry to balloon outwards during dark scenes (tube geometry problems remain constant regardless of whether a scene is dark or light). On my first/oldest Fall unit the known phenomena of image black-out during explosions or bright scenes occured once (and only once), yet another power supply problem.



I wouldn't call the power supply faulty or defective. Orion, probably, has decided to cut costs on production.


----------



## Keith_R90210

Does anyone have a pic of the color banding over HDMI? I'd like to send it in with my TV next week when it goes back in for repair.


----------



## Porcupine2

Nonnie, is the television's DC restoration circuitry located within the power supply? I just want to know if it is still technically okay for me to call this problem a "power supply issue" or do I have to start calling it something else.


BTW, I'm sad, I discovered a broken "pixel" in the shadow mask of my current 30HF85 yesterday. Oh well. I've seen one broken screen pixel on all of my last three units, so I guess it is normal. I didn't notice any on my first two units, but there could have been some that I failed to notice (I only had those units for one day each).


Do all of you other Toshiba owners have a broken screen pixel too? On my last three units it has always been a single blue pixel, so put up a "blue screen" to see it best. It will appear as a tiny bright blue-white speck on your screen. Since it is so small though, even if you have one and put up a blue screen, you won't even see it unless you look straight exactly where the spot is. So you have to sorta sit there and scan your eyes all over your blue screen for about 5 minutes to look everywhere. Once you find it though it will be easier to find again since you will know where to look.










The broken blue pixel was always located on the left half of the screen at relatively center height on all 3 of my units, in slightly different positions on each unit though.


In actual viewing situations, the messed up pixel is only noticeable if a blue object is located on it, and you are looking right at it, so it is almost never noticeable. The only thing that worries me is the possibility that it will get worse over time...? I didn't even notice this latest one for two weeks. It could be that it only "broke" yesterday...


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Nonnie, is the television's DC restoration circuitry located within the power supply? I just want to know if it is still technically okay for me to call this problem a "power supply issue" or do I have to start calling it something else.



Don't think it has anything to do with power supply. I found my original post with the response from Video-Storm you can check it out here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...dc+restoration


----------



## InYourEyes

Does anybody know if the new HF66 exhibits any of the problems found in the HF85? I just ordered a new Toshiba 26HF66 as well as a new Toshiba D-VR5 HDMI DVD recorder/VCR combo from savingslot.com and will receive them next week. I'm probably the first person in this country to try them. Both are made by Orion. They may not have the best performance, but it is important for me to have the latest and newest models in my home.


----------



## brian6751

Hello everyone. I have been clicking through all these posts for a while now and just want to chime in.


I just returned my 30hf85 to Best Buy and my 34HF85 should be arriving from Crutfield any minute now. I just could not beat the price of the set with a 5 year warranty.


My 30hf85 had the white bar at the top with component cables and the flickering horizontal lines with HDMI. I solved the flickering by switching my cable box(scientific atlanta 8300 hd/dvr) to 720p and the picture looked fantastic.


I dont understand this. It has to be a firmware problem. But thats my computer brain talking.


So, are there ANY 34HF85's out there displaying a 1080i signal properly? Should I keep having Crutfield exchange it untill I get one that does?


Thanks everyone for all your insight.


----------



## brian6751

I just got the 34HF85 set up. It says its assembled in the USA, January 2006, not made in Thailand, November 2005 like the 30HF85 I returned.


----------



## lennsx

Any white glow issues in 1080i and/or HDMI banding??


----------



## THX5334

I just ordered the Toshibs 30HF85 off of NewEgg for $529 plus $70 shipping. I know NewEgg is trustworthy, but is this set a lemon?


I originally went for the Samsung SlimFit "79" but the model was a lemon right out of the box.


What's the best 16x9 HD set for $600-700 for an XBox 360?


I suppose no set at that price does 720p native? I thought the Samsung SlimFit's do (maybe they do) but I got one and it was a lemon and I sent it back. I went for the Toshiba because my parents bought one 3 years ago and the tube is amazing.


Now I'm worried I'm gonna get one that is not up to par.


I hope someone replies in time in case I need to cancel my order.


Thanks!


----------



## brian6751




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *THX5334* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I just ordered the Toshibs 30HF85 off of NewEgg for $529 plus $70 shipping. I know NewEgg is trustworthy, but is this set a lemon?
> 
> 
> I originally went for the Samsung SlimFit "79" but the model was a lemon right out of the box.
> 
> 
> What's the best 16x9 HD set for $600-700 for an XBox 360?
> 
> 
> I suppose no set at that price does 720p native? I thought the Samsung SlimFit's do (maybe they do) but I got one and it was a lemon and I sent it back. I went for the Toshiba because my parents bought one 3 years ago and the tube is amazing.
> 
> 
> Now I'm worried I'm gonna get one that is not up to par.
> 
> 
> I hope someone replies in time in case I need to cancel my order.
> 
> 
> Thanks!



Actually, the 30hf85 worked great with the cable box in 720p, DVD's, and my Xbox. I wanted a bigger set.


I have not tried 1080i with component yet but there is "slight" horizontal flickering in moving objects with HDMI in 1080i. Crutchfield seems to think it is the interlacing and I have sensitive eyes(comments?). I set my STB to 720p and everything looks fantastic. Im just waiting for my Avia disc.


What do you guys think?


----------



## Keith_R90210

I'm still working on getting my 30hf85 in the shop to correct my bowing problem and address the white haze over component/banding over HDMI.


Today I made my first real progress on it and hope to at least have someone looking at it sometime tommorow or the next day (The wheels of warranty repair grind slowly).


Anyways.... I've been really playing with the set lately and seem to be having all of the problems described in this thread with component and HDMI inputs. After some tinkering and serious XBox 360 gaming I have determined that my November 2005 30HF85 cannot display a 720p or 1080i signal properly (over component or HDMI) without a stupid white haze or banding in the picture.


On top of that, my convergence and geometry is suddenly worse than ever and seriously makes me want to puke every time I turn on the damn TV. I hold some hope that this TV is fixable, but at this point I really don't know. Everytime I turn it on now I just want to puke.


----------



## cwrench

I'm another purchaser bitten by the degradation of Toshiba's current 34" HD set. I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for many years and when my son decided to buy an HD set a couple of years ago, I recommended he buy the HF84 based on CR test results. When I decided it was time for me to upgrade last summer, Toshiba had just introduced the HF85 and there was very little feedback. But with external dimensions the competition couldn 't match (a perfect fit for my custom built entertainment centre) I proceeded on blind faith. Oh well, white glow and banding on HDMI along with terrible focus even on 480 sent the first one back...all 160lbs of it. Then came the second one. Focus was better but white glow on component and HDMI and banding on HDMI was still there. I have two seperate HD digital sources and four component video sources so trouble shooting wasn't too big a problem. Of course factory settings are a joke and black crush was unbelievable so out came AVIA. I can help the crush a bit and improve the colour a bunch but it still doesn't hold a candle to my son's HF 84. I had a chance to get one of the last HF84's from another retailer but shoulda coulda woulda doesn't count. Now I'm into a warranty situation and from what I've seen here, they can't fix it. Time to put Toshiba on notice...fix it or refund my money.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cwrench* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm another purchaser bitten by the degradation of Toshiba's current 34" HD set. I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for many years and when my son decided to buy an HD set a couple of years ago, I recommended he buy the HF84 based on CR test results. When I decided it was time for me to upgrade last summer, Toshiba had just introduced the HF85 and there was very little feedback. But with external dimensions the competition couldn 't match (a perfect fit for my custom built entertainment centre) I proceeded on blind faith. Oh well, white glow and banding on HDMI along with terrible focus even on 480 sent the first one back...all 160lbs of it. Then came the second one. Focus was better but white glow on component and HDMI and banding on HDMI was still there. I have two seperate HD digital sources and four component video sources so trouble shooting wasn't too big a problem. Of course factory settings are a joke and black crush was unbelievable so out came AVIA. I can help the crush a bit and improve the colour a bunch but it still doesn't hold a candle to my son's HF 84. I had a chance to get one of the last HF84's from another retailer but shoulda coulda woulda doesn't count. Now I'm into a warranty situation and from what I've seen here, they can't fix it. Time to put Toshiba on notice...fix it or refund my money.



I'm in a similar position with my 30HF85. I'm going to wait and see what this second service center says/does and if they tell me that they can't fix my problems with the set I'm going to be notifying Toshiba that I would like a refund.


----------



## brian6751

Where and when were your sets built?


----------



## Nonnie

If you guys can't get a refund from Toshiba, see if they would be open to the possibility of a credit toward another Toshiba set. Their LCD's are phenomenal. Vibrant, crisp pq in HD, doesn't even need to be callibrated. SD looks great too. I have the 37HL95 and I am very happy with it. Has very good reviews. If size is an issue, the 32hl95 and 37hl95 are roughly the same dimensions as the 30hf85 and 34hf85 without the depth and weight. I thought my 30hf84 had a great picture (don't have the glow or banding) but it cannot hold a candle to my 37hl95.


And most importantly, designed and built by Toshiba. (not Orioshiba)


----------



## cwrench

My HF85 says "assembled in the USA" but I'll bet the components aren't. I had to wait for it to arrive in July last year so probably assembled spring 05.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *brian6751* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Where and when were your sets built?



I bought my 30HF85 in May of 2005 so it is probably either a November or March build. I don't know where it was built though.


----------



## Nonnie

Build date is on the back of the set, Month and Year.


----------



## brian6751

I also cannot find the difference between the 34hf85 and the 34hfx85.


----------



## hawkeye3.1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *brian6751* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I also cannot find the difference between the 34hf85 and the 34hfx85.



Pretty sure it is the ATSC tuner.


----------



## Nonnie

Black bezel and enhanced remote. That is the only difference.


They have some nerve charging $100 plus for the slight difference between these two units.


----------



## brian6751

I also noticed that the fx has a total of 20 watts for the speakers. That might be for a sub? Not that I care about that since I would not use the sets speakers anyway.


Thanks for your input.


----------



## Porcupine2

Keith if you bought your 30HF85 around May 2005 it has to be a March 2005 build. The November 2005 units were not yet built at that time, obviously!! ^_^


Sorry to hear that your convergence which was fixed has now gone back to being crap.... -_-;


BTW, I found that the V.SYMM setting in the Service Menu did have a big impact on my unit's poor horizontal bowing geometry. It couldn't fix it completely but when I learned to use this control properly it reduced the horizontal bending by about a factor of three, a HUGE improvement. I still dunno what this setting really does, but it is the only setting that has the potential to straighten out bent horizontal lines. Values range from 0 to 255, default is 128. However, the different numerical values you can give to it do weird things. They will be subtle and hard to notice so try to put up a good test pattern or menu when playing with V.SYMM. The way your screen looks will tend to cycle as you change V.SYMM. For example at 150 looks the same as at 180, and at 210, etc. I currently have my set at 140 and the difference was great.


I still have various weird horizontal geometry problems but they are better than before. My current unit developed a new problem though which is annoying me. I know it's a defect because none of my previous units had this problem, and this problem only suddenly appeared after 2 weeks of viewing the TV. It's a dark horizontal region/band at the bottom of my screen in which the image is darker than normal. Looks like burn-in, but it's not (tested in various ways). My RGB convergence is still dead-on though, couldn't be more perfect, the best thing about this set.


A lot of people complain about the 1080i white glow and HDMI banding (which I've not yet seen since I haven't put up any HD signals) but I find that these sets have general quality problems that affect everything which to me would be of greater concern (RGB convergence, geometry, YC Delay, other stupid defects etc).


Regarding white glow, some people complain about the white glow the 4:3 sidebars inflict but those don't bother me in the slightest. In case people didn't notice, EVERYTHING glows on the Toshibas (and probably all CRT HDTVs to some extent). Put up some bright white text over a black background and there will be a slight white haze around them. The electron gun sort of bleeds electrons all over from where it is trying to shoot so there is a very very very slight haze around all stuffs.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cwrench* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My HF85 says "assembled in the USA" but I'll bet the components aren't. I had to wait for it to arrive in July last year so probably assembled spring 05.



From what I read in this thread, it is assembled in the USA by Orion America in Princeton, Indiana with parts and components manufactured in Thailand and elsewhere.


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Keith if you bought your 30HF85 around May 2005 it has to be a March 2005 build. The November 2005 units were not yet built at that time, obviously!! ^_^
> 
> 
> Sorry to hear that your convergence which was fixed has now gone back to being crap.... -_-;
> 
> 
> BTW, I found that the V.SYMM setting in the Service Menu did have a big impact on my unit's poor horizontal bowing geometry. It couldn't fix it completely but when I learned to use this control properly it reduced the horizontal bending by about a factor of three, a HUGE improvement. I still dunno what this setting really does, but it is the only setting that has the potential to straighten out bent horizontal lines. Values range from 0 to 255, default is 128. However, the different numerical values you can give to it do weird things. They will be subtle and hard to notice so try to put up a good test pattern or menu when playing with V.SYMM. The way your screen looks will tend to cycle as you change V.SYMM. For example at 150 looks the same as at 180, and at 210, etc. I currently have my set at 140 and the difference was great.
> 
> 
> I still have various weird horizontal geometry problems but they are better than before. My current unit developed a new problem though which is annoying me. I know it's a defect because none of my previous units had this problem, and this problem only suddenly appeared after 2 weeks of viewing the TV. It's a dark horizontal region/band at the bottom of my screen in which the image is darker than normal. Looks like burn-in, but it's not (tested in various ways). My RGB convergence is still dead-on though, couldn't be more perfect, the best thing about this set.
> 
> 
> A lot of people complain about the 1080i white glow and HDMI banding (which I've not yet seen since I haven't put up any HD signals) but I find that these sets have general quality problems that affect everything which to me would be of greater concern (RGB convergence, geometry, YC Delay, other stupid defects etc).
> 
> 
> Regarding white glow, some people complain about the white glow the 4:3 sidebars inflict but those don't bother me in the slightest. In case people didn't notice, EVERYTHING glows on the Toshibas (and probably all CRT HDTVs to some extent). Put up some bright white text over a black background and there will be a slight white haze around them. The electron gun sort of bleeds electrons all over from where it is trying to shoot so there is a very very very slight haze around all stuffs.



I played around with the Vsymm adjustment but that didn't seem to help me much. The more I notice the bowing, the more I think it bows more on the right side of the screen which may be kind of a tough problem to fix.


I've also noticed a dark spot on the right side of my screen that curves and makes a crescent shape from top to bottom of the screen. It is only noticeable on black screens and dark images but it is definently not burn-in.


Above all, the problems that this *High def* set has with actually displaying high def (i.e., banding over HDMI, and white glow in 1080i) are most disparaging. I've also noticed banding over component in 1080i. As I said, this is most troubling since the set is a HDTV but can't even seem to display HD properly.


The white glow off of pillarbox bars is also quite annoying and I'm not quite sure that this isn't just another defect with this television. I too have noticed a haze around lettering and other things.


----------



## spurdy

Hey all. I just called the service center that has my set. The tech was very pleasant and helpful. He said that Toshiba had recommended that the EEPROM (the flash memory chip that holds the firmware code for the set) be replaced, so that's currently on order. He just placed the order last Thursday, so he doesn't have a confirmation back yet from Toshiba with the estimated arrival date. As soon as he gets that he'll let me know.


I then tried to dig and get more information. He said that in discussion about the symptoms and troubleshooting with Toshiba they suspected the EEPROM might have been either incorrectly or incompletely written, and that was causing the issues in processing the HDMI data. He said Toshiba hadn't reported any update or new version of the firmware beyond what my set already had (OEC7118A_032), so they're sending a new chip which I assume will be double-checked and verified correctly and completely written.


As always, I'll continue to post updates as I know more.


----------



## Porcupine2

Is the 1080i white glow through component more, less, or equally noticeable to the white glow that comes from the 4:3 pillarboxes? That level of glowing doesn't bother me one bit.


----------



## cwrench

I called the regional service centre for Toshiba today and spoke to one of their techs. He said they've had several of the 34HF85's in with the same problems I described ie white glow and banding on HDMI inputs. He claimed they successfully repaired the banding problem with a "digital board" replacement. The white glow is apparently "a CRT issue" which is also repairable. He suggested I deal with it before the warranty expires. He tells me it will take at least two weeks or longer so I'll have to find a replacement before I call them to pick it up. I'll keep you posted.


----------



## turboregal

Can someone possibly tell me the exact way to tell if my set is doing this banding and white glow stuff. I can test Hd over component via my PS2 and GT4 (there is a white glow on top loading screen, I thought it was suppose to look like that, is that the white glow??? Everything seems normal during gameplay...) and I can test for banding via PC-DVI-HDMI. I don't know what this looks like, so could someone explain. I love this set, but if these are really problems, I want them fixed before warranty runs out! Thanks!


----------



## turboregal

Ok, here is what it looks like, is this normal in the loading screens of gt4 on 1080i?

 


Edit: 26hf85 BTW July 2005 Build, in Asia...


----------



## dezertrat

i have the 26hf85 and loading screens on my xbox and dark content on my time warner HD STB look like that. This is my 2nd one by the way.


Thank god i found this forum as i was going crazy with these tv's!


i will be taking this one back too and getting something else... too bad i really liked it


*can anybody suggest a sutable replacement?*


----------



## Keith_R90210




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *turboregal* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok, here is what it looks like, is this normal in the loading screens of gt4 on 1080i?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edit: 26hf85 BTW July 2005 Build, in Asia...



That is exactly what my 30hf85 looks like at 1080i.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *turboregal* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Can someone possibly tell me the exact way to tell if my set is doing this banding and white glow stuff. I can test Hd over component via my PS2 and GT4 (there is a white glow on top loading screen, I thought it was suppose to look like that, is that the white glow??? Everything seems normal during gameplay...) and I can test for banding via PC-DVI-HDMI. I don't know what this looks like, so could someone explain. I love this set, but if these are really problems, I want them fixed before warranty runs out! Thanks!



Looks like you've confirmed the white glow already. As far as the HDMI banding, as my set's in the shop I can't take a picture. However, I posted a text description of the problem in this post. 


Since you're using a PC, I'd just ensure you're sending 1080i to the set, then play a movie full screen and watch carefully. I'm not sure if, using a PC like that, you will be sending a true 1080i HDMI-compliant signal in that setup (this is outside the bounds of my current knowledge). To be totally sure I'd probably get some sort of native HDMI source that can output 1080i. Otherwise there might be still be some conversion going on in the set itself that could sidestep/hide the problem.


On the other hand, if you don't see the issue with your DVI->HDMI PC setup, and don't plan to use any other HDMI devices in the future, maybe it doesn't matter.


----------



## turboregal

Well the problem is I don't have any other HDMI or DVI devices, if I throw 1920x1080 with no under/over scan at it I'm assuming no conversion will be taking place...


Edit: And I think I kinda know what you're talking about by banding now, I've noticed it on my PC screen, when I move the mouse in some place there is a band that looks different all the way across the screen, but hey, this monitor was free, if it does it on my new HDTV... Thats a different story...


----------



## turboregal

Well, I've definately confirmed banding issues on my 26hf85. I think I may have figured out why its banding to some extent too... When the image is overscanned passed the limit of the screen, I can still move my mouse all the way to the left of the image it's trying to display, but is overscanned. Once I move my mouse far enough off the left of the image, not the right, just left, There is a huge, noticable band that appears across the screen. I snapped a few pictures.


Edit: This was with the cpu set at native resolution, so the picture was being overscanned quite a bit, like 10-15%

 


It's not the huge black band, but if you look closer a little further up, you can see it.


It also occured when I played Band Of Brothers, whenever the camera was moving, you could def see noticable black bands moving up and down.

Well, that really sucks, now I'll have to make at least 2 or 3 trips to the city, because my local warranty repair shop is pretty crappy, and they'll say they fixed it, I'll bring it home, they won't have, bring it to FS, argue, ect. ect. Sigh...


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *turboregal* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, I've definately confirmed banding issues on my 26hf85. I think I may have figured out why its banding to some extent too... When the image is overscanned passed the limit of the screen, I can still move my mouse all the way to the left of the image it's trying to display, but is overscanned. Once I move my mouse far enough off the left of the image, not the right, just left, There is a huge, noticable band that appears across the screen. I snapped a few pictures.
> 
> 
> Edit: This was with the cpu set at native resolution, so the picture was being overscanned quite a bit, like 10-15%
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's not the huge black band, but if you look closer a little further up, you can see it.
> 
> 
> It also occured when I played Band Of Brothers, whenever the camera was moving, you could def see noticable black bands moving up and down.
> 
> Well, that really sucks, now I'll have to make at least 2 or 3 trips to the city, because my local warranty repair shop is pretty crappy, and they'll say they fixed it, I'll bring it home, they won't have, bring it to FS, argue, ect. ect. Sigh...



Looks like you got it. Your experience seems to line up with my hypothesis that it had something to do parts of the picture moving into or out of the edges of the frame.


Before I sent my set in for the current repair I tried adjusting the geometry such that it was massively underscanning on the sides (1-2 inches of black showing on the left and right). I was hoping that if it didn't occur then, I'd at least have better information on the source of the problem. Unfortunately, I still saw the issue even in that underscanned configuration.









So, however it has to do with the left edge of the image, it appears to be related in some fundamental way, regardless of the geometry of the picture on the tube. That's what lead me to guess it's an error in the digital part of the processing.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Before I sent my set in for the current repair I tried adjusting the geometry such that it was massively underscanning on the sides. I was hoping that if it didn't occur then, I'd at least have better information on the source of the problem. Unfortunately, I still saw the issue even in that underscanned configuration.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, however it has to do with the left edge of the image, it appears to be related in some fundamental way, regardless of the geometry of the picture on the tube. That's what lead me to guess it's an error in the digital part of the processing.



I wonder if you guys are aware of yet another problem of the 2005 Toshibas. They have an issue with cutting off some of the left portion of the input signal, on all inputs. In other words they fail to display the first 10 pixels or so starting from the left, of all sources. It gets cut off automatically. Something is wrong with their firmware/programming. Changing overscan settings or even Horizontal Positioning offset does not fix this problem. They will always fail to display a certain amount of info on the extreme left edge of a picture. Perhaps this problem is related to the HDMI banding phenomena.


Also, you guys can check to see that in Normal mode (with 4:3 sidebars) the left side is cut off the most, while in Theater Wide 1 mode there is no cut-off at all on the left. In the other modes (Full, Theater Wide 23) there is a little bit of left side cut-off.


turboregal: try going into the Service Menu (turn TV Volume to zero, then hold down the Volume Down button on the TV set and the "9" button on the remote control at the same time for one second) and adjusting your overscan settings and horizontal positioning settings. They are H.SIZE and H.POS, respectively. Reduce until there is absolutely no overscan and re-center the image far far to the right. Are you able to get rid of the HDMI banding that way? (Don't forget to write down your original settings and change back afterwards).


----------



## Porcupine2

If all else fails, I propose the following solution for HDMI banding problem. Simply input a signal that has nothing but black on the extreme left side. If there would be some way to filter the output of your signal sources to "window" them slightly and put just enough black on the left side (you don't necessarily have to see this black, as it could be cut off as overscan perhaps) to save the Toshibas, that would be great. But how would we get or create such a device?


----------



## turboregal

I don;t really wanna screw around in the serivce menu, as I'm scared the elec. repair shop will see somethign different and won't honour warranty... I'm sure now that I'm prob not gonna keep this TV, the problem now is trying to find a replacement...


----------



## Porcupine2

I have 1 week left to decide if I want to return my final 30HF85 as well, so I'm interested in what you decide to do. Like you though, I have no idea what kind of TV I might get as an alternative. I don't require an HDTV. Any good CRT will do.


The Sony 27" HD/SD 4:3 models seem promising, they are one of the few options I have that would fit in the space I have allocated for a TV.


Curse my current unit, it was pretty okay until I used it for 2 weeks then it developed a problem where the bottom 1 inch of my screen is a dark band at all times. The problem moves around slowly from when I turn the set on to after it warms up, so I know it's not burn-in. It's annoying me now, curse Toshiba!!


----------



## sarmo15

Ok.... So I ordered the Toshiba 34HF85 from Crutchfield and it arrived 3/31/06. I noticed that there was color bleeding all over the TV from the second day it was hooked up (could have been from the first day, but I did not notice it). Anyway, the only way I describe is this: When I switched to antenna so there was no signal (just "snow") there was a greenish/yellowish tint in each top corner and around the bottom corners were tinted bluish/purpleish. It looked like someone had put a magnet on the screen, but degauzing (spelling?) would not fix it. Even on HD TV you could see the color bleeding, but like I said, the "Snow" was the easiest way to see it. Anyway, I called Crutchfield and they told me to have a tech come out. After 2 minutes of looking at the TV the tech guy said it was a bad tube and to order a new one. He said that most likely it was dropped. Sooo, today my replacement arrived and guess what? SAME PROBLEM, except this time it was worse! Crutchfield has 2 left and is sending me my 3rd.


I called the tech back and he said it is most likely from being dropped during delivery....now call me crazy but could I have received the two most dropped TV's in the warehouse or is this TV just crap? It was delivered from Eagle Freight of Boston....anyone used them before and have problems???


Can anyone suggest a comparable TV for similar money if my 3rd one is broken? Sony makes a 34" but its $1200...too much $$$ for me!!!! I went with a CRT b/c I could not afford LCD/Plasma. Forget DLP, standard TV looks terrible on it. I am very upset and dont know if its bad luck or just a terrible TV.


Please advise!


John


----------



## turboregal

I think what I'm gonna do is just go to costco and get a daytek or viewsonic 26". Their return policy is awesome, so you can return bascially whenever it breaks down, and get a full refund.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sarmo15* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> He said that most likely it was dropped.



It wasn't dropped, it's the pos tv. My 34hf85 from Crutchfield looked the same, yellowish/bluish tint in the corners. I degaussed it with a wand and it did nothing. Also had all the other problems that have been noted here.


You should have had a drop/tilt meter attached to the outside of the box. Crutchfield uses it on all their large shipments. It turns blue if the box was dropped or tilted out of the ordinary. In addition Eagle does a very good job, they handle all Crutchfield large shipments as well a logistics for a lot of other retailers.


Send that piece of garbage HF85 back to Crutchfield, and take a look at the Toshiba 37hl95 lcd. I must sound like a broken record, but this tv is fantastic. I'm a real happy camper with this puppy. Same dimensions as the 34hf85 except for the depth and weight.


Crutchfield is a great retailer. They will do whatever necessary to make you happy. Good luck!


----------



## Porcupine2

Interesting info on the 34HF85. I know what you mean, sarmo, "snow" is often a good way to see magnetic discolorations on a set (or white screen). I use the snow method also to check.


Interestingly enough though the 30HF85s don't really have those problems. I've seen them on other brands of TV but not the Toshiba 30 inchers. But I guess the 34" ones get that problem a bit more severely than the 30" ones.


Hmm, a Viewsonic 26" LCD eh? I'd consider that option except...I already have one!!! (parents' set, there are about 10 TVs in this house but all are fairly cheap). The Viewsonic 26" here sucks crap ohwell.


I must say I am once again considering Nonnie's suggestion of an LCD (even though I said last week I don't want LCD, I waver a lot). It'd be nice if I could find a 26" or 32" one that did not cost a fortune and wasn't crap quality like the Viewsonic 26" I have here. I am probably going to go to the TV stores two more times this last week and see. I think I'll probably just end up stuck with my current POS 30HF85 though...it's a 600 dollar big widescreen crap-quality TV for me to watch cartoons on, I guess. 


Either that or I will say #$#@ this crap with HD and maybe get a 4:3 SD or HD 27" Sony set. Depending on how good the Sony looks I guess, but I've never been that impressed with the Sony's in-store displays either.


----------



## harpeth




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sarmo15* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> It was delivered from Eagle Freight of Boston....anyone used them before and have problems???
> 
> 
> Can anyone suggest a comparable TV for similar money if my 3rd one is broken? Sony makes a 34" but its $1200...too much $$$ for me!!!! I went with a CRT b/c I could not afford LCD/Plasma. Forget DLP, standard TV looks terrible on it. I am very upset and dont know if its bad luck or just a terrible TV.
> 
> 
> Please advise!
> 
> 
> John



Eagle Global, if that's who you're talking about, delivered my Philips refurb, and it was the best-packed, best-handled huge box I've ever seen. TV looked brand-new and has excellent PQ. Philips prices can't be beat.


----------



## lennsx

And I'm hearing you can only get maximum resolution thru HDMI (per company basis that decide to restrict their HD-DVD resolution via component). My point is; if someone reports the infamous HDMI banding with this machine I'm going to go all OFFICE SPACE smack-down on my 34HF85!


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *sarmo15* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok.... So I ordered the Toshiba 34HF85 from Crutchfield and it arrived 3/31/06. I noticed that there was color bleeding all over the TV from the second day it was hooked up (could have been from the first day, but I did not notice it). Anyway, the only way I describe is this: When I switched to antenna so there was no signal (just "snow") there was a greenish/yellowish tint in each top corner and around the bottom corners were tinted bluish/purpleish. It looked like someone had put a magnet on the screen, but degauzing (spelling?) would not fix it. Even on HD TV you could see the color bleeding, but like I said, the "Snow" was the easiest way to see it. Anyway, I called Crutchfield and they told me to have a tech come out. After 2 minutes of looking at the TV the tech guy said it was a bad tube and to order a new one. He said that most likely it was dropped. Sooo, today my replacement arrived and guess what? SAME PROBLEM, except this time it was worse! Crutchfield has 2 left and is sending me my 3rd.
> 
> 
> I called the tech back and he said it is most likely from being dropped during delivery....now call me crazy but could I have received the two most dropped TV's in the warehouse or is this TV just crap? It was delivered from Eagle Freight of Boston....anyone used them before and have problems???
> 
> 
> Can anyone suggest a comparable TV for similar money if my 3rd one is broken? Sony makes a 34" but its $1200...too much $$$ for me!!!! I went with a CRT b/c I could not afford LCD/Plasma. Forget DLP, standard TV looks terrible on it. I am very upset and dont know if its bad luck or just a terrible TV.
> 
> 
> Please advise!
> 
> 
> John



Hmmm, sounds like to me that Orion was rushed producing the Toshiba 34HF85 to end this model. Toshiba 34" is no longer offered at Crutchfield and is now discontinued.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hmmm, sounds like to me that Orion was rushed producing the Toshiba 34HF85 to end this model.



Or perhaps it's just a damaged unit, Walter.


----------



## brian6751

It really seems like everyone here wants to call every set in the 85 line defective. Thats just not true.


I had a 30hf85 that worked fine, I returned it only because I wanted a bigger set.


My 34hf85 is being replaced by a fx(no more hf85's left at Crutchfield) because it does have the HDMI flicker and component glow on top and the tube is shifted to the side. I do beleive this could be fixed by a repair visit but I did not want a repair man out for a brand new television. With the STB on 720p the picture looks fantastic and I used Avia to get the geometry near perfect.


Every product has a failure rate and you never hear about the thousands of people who are happy with their sets. They are too busy watching them. Hopefully I will be one of these people when my replacement set gets here. I do think Consumer Reports either got bad sets or are totally off. This would not be the first time. They hate the Dyson vacuums and they are just wrong about them.


Anyone know if there is a lower failure rate with the FX line? I know there's not much difference but Crutchfield made me a deal.


However, If this next set is bad I will be getting the XBR970. I bet I get a bumb one of those too!


Theres a lot of good info here (minus the childish off topic stuff), but some people are too bias and others are catching on to it.


----------



## Porcupine2

I've been looking into DLPs and LCDs the last couple of days with renewed interest. Right now I'm leaning toward a 32" LCD. If I do go for LCD, I'll probably get an off-brand like Viewsonic or Westinghouse, depending what kind of local prices I can find as I shop around more. At least according to specs, the Viewsonics these days are better than the crappy one I have here, though I'll have to make a judgement by eye before ever buying one. Even though LCDs are expensive and I can't stand the motion-blur, I figure if I eventually get a better TV I can always easily relegate the LCD HDTV to being a PC monitor, that's the best thing.


I'm not quite sure I can squish in a 32" LCD into the space I have for a TV though (height is the problem, with the stand, my room is weird don't ask) so I'll have to play around and see what I can come up with. I couldn't care less about weight/depth in a TV...but height and length restrict me in my bedroom. A 26" LCD is too small, piece of crap.










I'm also considering going with a 42" DLP but I'll have to make major bedroom adjustments to accomodate it...no idea how I'd do it, really. They should make 32" DLPs.


----------



## Ratman

Porcupine2,

Why is this posted in this thread? It has nothing to do with Toshiba Direct View TV's.

It's not polite to hijack.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Porcupine2,
> 
> Why is this posted in this thread? It has nothing to do with Toshiba Direct View TV's.
> 
> It's not polite to hijack.



Right on, Ratman. Several of the posts in this thread in the past few days have offered little in the way of constructive fixes, solutions, and services as the title of this thread indicates and have veered into discussing other types of displays that have nothing to do with CRT (direct view) TV's. Kudo's to those of you who are trying to keep the discussion on track and have kept us up to date on your efforts to resolve the problems with your set.


----------



## aglennon

Had this unit since January - no problems whatsoever, until this week. TV suddenly will not power on. Have tried every trick I know, but it won't come on. I've had it connected to a Monster Power - Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter surge protector (no lightning lately either). Tried turning it on by remote & by front panel Power button; tried a regular wall outlet; tried unplugging overnight to cycle - nothing. No menu settings have changed since purchased and we have no kids so have never used any "lock" or "v-chip" settings. The last time it worked, I set the Sleep Timer to one hour, then next morning, nothing. When the front panel power button is pushed, the unit makes the normal "click", the red light comes on, then goes off - no pic starts up or anything. I really hope that this three-month-old TV hasn't died, especially when we aren't even able to move it. When it was delivered by Eagle in January (whole other story), we had to tip the delivery guy to bring it into our house. BTW, we simply have a direct cable TV coaxial connection (no cable box or STB, as many have written about in this forum) that is filtered through the Monster PowerCenter.


----------



## Porcupine2

Just some random questions, aglennon (I doubt I'll be able to help, still I'm curious).


About how long time in seconds passes between when the red light first comes on, before the set decides to automatically turn itself off again?


Is this time longer when you try to turn the set on cold (off for a while), and shorter when you try to turn it on warm (right after it turns off try to turn it on again)?


Look carefully at your screen when you try to turn your set on. I know you said no image appears, but is there a weird faint flash of light for a moment, or absolutely nothing?


P.S. - I've never tried using the Sleep settings on my 30HF85s. I'm scared of them, especially after reading what you've just posted. :~)


These sets have all sorts of firmware problems. TheaterWide 1 mode does not work on all/most 30HF85's, for starters (no progressive stretch is done).


----------



## aglennon

The red light is only on one second then goes off. There is absolutely no sign of an image during any attempt. Theater 1 is used all the time when we watch NASCAR races  Never had a problem before. Otherwise, for normal viewing, we just use Full Screen.


Firmware, huh? lol Where's the input - I'll flash it like a BIOS! hehehe


Thank You,

Alicia


----------



## Nonnie

You can try the factory initialization sequence. The set might respond even though it appears to be off.


1. Set volume control to minimum. (front panel)

2. Press both Vol. Down button on the set and Channel button (1) on the remote control for more than 2 seconds.


If you try this and it works, the channel settings and Power On total hours meter will be reset.


I believe you are covered for in home service. According to my warranty page for the 26hf84 and 30hf84 all HD-Ready and HD Integrated tv's are covered for 1 year in-home service. Unless they changed it for the HF85's they should come to your home and fix it or take it back to the shop and return it. You don't have to lift a finger. Call TACP at 1-800-631-3811 to open a case number. They'll set you up with a service center in your area.


Good luck!


----------



## Darcy Hunter

"I believe you are covered for in home service. According to my warranty page for the 26hf84 and 30hf84 all HD-Ready and HD Integrated tv's are covered for 1 year in-home service. "


Actually I was just in touch with my local Toshiba authorized service center, and they told me that the 84 series was the last model year that Toshiba will do in-home service on. They told the service center that they deemed the 85 series and up "light" enough to not do in-home, as strange as it seems.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Darcy Hunter* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> They told the service center that they deemed the 85 series and up "light" enough to not do in-home, as strange as it seems.



What a joke! According to the Toshiba website the 26HF84 is 79 lbs. and the 26HF85 is 79.2 lbs. Try pointing that out to them and see what they say.


----------



## brian6751

Just an update;


I did have a 34HFX85 coming from Crutchfield to replace my faulty 34HF85, but I cancelled that and am now waiting on a Sony XBR 970.


I dont want to roll the dice on another set and I have seen the 970 in action. The picture quality is obviously better.


Bad move Toshiba. Why would you risk a winning product?


----------



## Porcupine2

Another piece of info on the dark horizontal band/line 1 inch from the bottom of my current set...I recently went back to the same BB I purchased from and noticed their display 30HF85 had the exact same problem. So I guess my set is not alone in this defect, and most likely this problem has affected a small batch of 30HF85. I've never seen it on the other size Toshibas though or on 30HF85s from other stores. Also my own set did not have the problem for the first 2 weeks, so it's possible that only some units from my particular batch would develop this problem.


In any case though, a return and exchange would be pointless as I have noticed that Toshibas from the same store tend to share similar positive and negative characteristics. I'd most likely end up with another unit with the same defect. So I've either gotta keep this set or get something else, and decide within 3 days.










BTW also, this particular BB only came into existence half a year ago. So their display model 30HF85 could be from the same November 2005 batch or similar.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I recently went through a hell of returning 4 Toshiba 30HF85s, and ended up with a 5th 30HF85s I got on sale that I'm fairly satisfied with.



Why not try a sixth one?

(.... or a different brand?)


----------



## Q of BanditZ




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I recently went through a hell of returning 4 Toshiba 30HF85s, and ended up with a 5th 30HF85s I got on sale that I'm fairly satisfied with.



That truly is one of the most idiotic, moronic things I've ever read on this forum.



You know the old saying: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me."


I guess number four would be sado-masochism and number five would be self-flagellation.


In other words, sheer insanity outright.





> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Albert Einstein* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.






> Quote:
> _Ijustboughtcrapitis-_ The disease that makes a person delude themself into believing the crap they just bought is the best because they spent too much on it.




http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...25#post7454725 post 53



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> That was one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever seen. I laugh at that. I'm actually laughing in real life.
> 
> 
> This is a forum for open discussion, and open minds. Even if some incorrect things are said from time to time, there is no harm in it as long as all the available facts are considered, as we consumers try to eventually figure out the truth.
> 
> 
> Please do not attempt to control the content of this forum, or impose what you believe to be true as facts upon others. Also note that in any post where I make a statement which is controversial, I *always* have a disclaimer of sorts, saying exactly where I got my questionable information or beliefs from. But you do not do the same in your posts. You boldly claim that all you believe to be true is undeniable fact, even when you don't have the slightest shred of proof to show for it.
> 
> 
> Also, what we are currently discussing is not necessarily off-topic. It is a related topic. The topic creator, Dregan, finds our conversation to be interesting. As the topic creator, Dregan gets to decide what is relevant to his concerns, not you, SurfingMatt27.
> 
> 
> You have no qualifications to control the content of this forum. Neither do I. We simply speak as equals in an open forum.



If that isn't some of the most absurd and rank hypocrisy, I don't know what is.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Another piece of info on the dark horizontal band/line 1 inch from the bottom of my current set...I recently went back to the same BB I purchased from and noticed their display 30HF85 had the exact same problem. So I guess my set is not alone in this defect, and most likely this problem has affected a small batch of 30HF85. I've never seen it on the other size Toshibas though or on 30HF85s from other stores. Also my own set did not have the problem for the first 2 weeks, so it's possible that only some units from my particular batch would develop this problem.
> 
> 
> In any case though, a return and exchange would be pointless as I have noticed that Toshibas from the same store tend to share similar positive and negative characteristics. I'd most likely end up with another unit with the same defect. So I've either gotta keep this set or get something else, and decide within 3 days.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .



Fantastic insight into Toshiba distribution strategy. It looks like you have uncovered their dirty secret. They manufacture batches of TVs for individual stores. You should keep trying Toshiba sets from different stores until you uncover which stores get the good batches. Please post the identity and location of all stores which get the bad lots, and which ones get the good ones. Keep up the good research. WaltChan would be proud of you.


----------



## NoThru22




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *greenland* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Please post the identity and location of all stores which get the bad lots, and which ones get the good ones. Keep up the good research. WaltChan would be proud of you.



I want to see spreadsheets!!!


----------



## aglennon

Toshiba emailed back & suggested contacting one of their Authorized Service Centers, which I did. The "Key Service Center" first told me to bring it in. I said, "No, that's not what the warranty says." So after giving them the model & serial #'s, they agreed to come to our home. After one hour of various tests on the circuit boards, the tech said the power supply was out. (There was no pic when trying to power on - front panel red light would come on, we'd hear the "click", then the power light would go out.) So three months and it's dead. And the TV was plugged into a Monster Power Center Surge Protector, as was the Cable TV coaxial, so we can rule out any surges.


I emailed Amazon about this TV failure as well.


Thank You All for your help! Alicia


----------



## Porcupine2

None of us really did anything to help I think.







Thank *you* for telling us about your problem so the rest of us suffering through Toshiba troubles can gain more info on this set.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aglennon* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba emailed back & suggested contacting one of their Authorized Service Centers, which I did. The "Key Service Center" first told me to bring it in. I said, "No, that's not what the warranty says." So after giving them the model & serial #'s, they agreed to come to our home. After one hour of various tests on the circuit boards, the tech said the power supply was out. (There was no pic when trying to power on - front panel red light would come on, we'd hear the "click", then the power light would go out.) So three months and it's dead. And the TV was plugged into a Monster Power Center Surge Protector, as was the Cable TV coaxial, so we can rule out any surges.
> 
> 
> I emailed Amazon about this TV failure as well.
> 
> 
> Thank You All for your help! Alicia



The transformer probably blew. Very common problem found in Orion-made TVs.


----------



## Ikari Warrior

Does anyone here have the 36hf71, the 4:3 set from about 5 years ago?

My family has this set and ran into overscan issues with the HD cable box and tried to adjust it using the service menu. Now there are bends in the screen that make straight vertical lines look wavy. I tried to fix it but couldn't find a way to fix this or the overscan. Can somebody post their settings to help me find ones close to the factory defaults? Thanks!


----------



## Justin Slotman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aglennon* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba emailed back & suggested contacting one of their Authorized Service Centers, which I did. The "Key Service Center" first told me to bring it in. I said, "No, that's not what the warranty says." So after giving them the model & serial #'s, they agreed to come to our home. After one hour of various tests on the circuit boards, the tech said the power supply was out. (There was no pic when trying to power on - front panel red light would come on, we'd hear the "click", then the power light would go out.) So three months and it's dead. And the TV was plugged into a Monster Power Center Surge Protector, as was the Cable TV coaxial, so we can rule out any surges.



Thanks for posting your troubles--the same thing started happening to me just tonight, and I have the exact same setup, a 26HF85 attached to Monster surge protector. I turned it off to go downstairs to eat dinner and it hasn't turned back on since. Now what I bought was a Best Buy floor model so I thought I was relatively safe (thinking if something was going to go wrong it already would have) but I guess not. What happens to me is the same thing you describe--red light goes on, there's a click, red light goes off, screen doesn't even flicker. I'm not sure what my warranty situation is since it's a floor model, but since it's the exact same set of symptoms as you've described it's probably the same problem.


Luckily I only bought it two weeks ago. I'm going to leave it unplugged overnight (I tried the factory initialization trick Nonnie suggested too, but to no avail) and if it's still dead I'll just return it.


Oh, and when it did work I had a whole mess of banding issues via the HDMI. Just figured I'd add to the chorus.










Justin


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Justin Slotman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks for posting your troubles--the same thing started happening to me just tonight, and I have the exact same setup, a 26HF85 attached to Monster surge protector. I turned it off to go downstairs to eat dinner and it hasn't turned back on since. Now what I bought was a Best Buy floor model so I thought I was relatively safe (thinking if something was going to go wrong it already would have) but I guess not. What happens to me is the same thing you describe--red light goes on, there's a click, red light goes off, screen doesn't even flicker. I'm not sure what my warranty situation is since it's a floor model, but since it's the exact same set of symptoms as you've described it's probably the same problem.
> 
> 
> Luckily I only bought it two weeks ago. I'm going to leave it unplugged overnight (I tried the factory initialization trick Nonnie suggested too, but to no avail) and if it's still dead I'll just return it.
> 
> 
> Oh, and when it did work I had a whole mess of banding issues via the HDMI. Just figured I'd add to the chorus.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Justin



Same thing here. The transformer probably blew. Very common problem found in Orion-made TVs.


Even if you bought it as a floor model, you can return it back to Best Buy for a full refund within 30 days.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Same thing here. The transformer probably blew. Very common problem found in Orion-made TVs.
> 
> 
> Even if you bought it as a floor model, you can return it back to Best Buy for a full refund within 30 days.



And who would know better than you. Where would we be without your advice. Keep up the good work. WaltChan would be proud of you.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The transformer probably blew. Very common problem found in Orion-made TVs.



such great advice, that you just had to post it twice. Your great Toshiba insight must be shared over and over. Keep up the good work. WaltChan would be proud of you.


----------



## maxy2889

can anyone help me with this problem...? for the past few months ive been using an HDMI cable with my toshiba 26HF85 tv to my HD cablevision cable box... and the HD is amazing... but!... on all the 1080i broadcasted channels... the picture seems to have the subtle yet noticeable waves moving up and down the screen (horizontal waves) especially when there is movement... however, when i use the component cables... everything is fine... and i already exchanged my hdmi cable TWO times for TWO different brands... and STILL the same problem occurs... so can someone please tell me how or why this is occurring? could it be the HDMI input? is there any way to fix this problem on my own without first calling the tv company to repair it? and by the way... my cable company said that it is not their problem when they came over since the cable box is compatible with HDMI and my tv... could this b a scan line issue... and if so... is there ne way i can fix or repair it... ??? and also i have this white glow on the very top of the screen when the screen turns black... anyone know how to fix this as well? please respond thanks


----------



## lennsx

You are experiencing the two CLASSIC problems with all of our Toshiba TVs; the white glow in 1080i, and the wavy contrasting lines via HDMI. For me, the solution for the former is to simply set your STBox to output 720p as opposed to 1080i. BOOM! No white glow. As for the HDMI issue, as far as I know there is no solution as of yet for that.


----------



## Josiah

Hi all...


I bought my 30HF83 in December of 2003, and have been delighted with it since then. No problems out of the box---works like a charm.


I'm on Time-Warner NYC with an SA-8300HD DVR. I am using the "HD ColorStream 1" input as the set does not like the DVI/HDMI connector due to HDCP issues in the 8300HD.


Recently a strange artifact has appeared. I get a speckled, broken white line across almost the entire width of the screen; about a quarter of the way down. It is *not* on the HD channels, only on SD. It is somewhat intermittent, but lately it stays on all the time. It looks somewhat like VITC -- it changes horizontally...

This happens on material recorded on the DVR as well. No line on the HD shows; line on SD shows.

*Here's some of my troubleshooting:*


When the TVset is *on*, and the DVR is *off*, I still see the line when looking at the ColorStream1 input.

If I disconnect the RGB cables from the 8300, it goes away *only* when the green is disconnected.


At first I thought -- aha-- it's the cable box, *but:*


It also happens on the VCR analog input and the DVD input --which is "HDColorStream2."


In fact, it happens on the VCR [which I never use] even when nothing is connected to the set.


I guess the question is: What is wrong with it??

Is it worth fixing?

WHERE do I get it fixed???

The thought of trying to wrestle it to a service center or put it in a box and ship it out (I bought it from Abt Electronics), boggles the mind.


Any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated... post here or reply via email.

Many thanks,

Josiah


----------



## Gizmobiaritz

Greetings,


I have a Toshiba 27AFX55 TV. It has some severe geometry problems. Can anybody please tell me the service menu code?


The geometry problems I am having are pincushion (other then power supply related/contrast) and over scan.


Can these issues be fixed from the service menu or should I call a technician?


Thank you.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Gizmobiaritz* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> 
> I have a Toshiba 27AFX55 TV. It has some severe geometry problems. Can anybody please tell me the service menu code?
> 
> 
> The geometry problems I am having are pincushion (other then power supply related/contrast) and over scan.
> 
> 
> Can these issues be fixed from the service menu or should I call a technician?
> 
> 
> Thank you.



The service menu is almost similar to the one found in the HF85/HFX85/HF66 series and works for all Orion-made televisions. To enter the service menu, turn the volume down to 0. While holding the volume down button at the front of the TV, press 9 on the remote control for about 2 seconds. Use the channel buttons to change each category and use the volume buttons to change each value. Hope this helps.


----------



## Gizmobiaritz

Greetings,


Thank you Sir, now that I am in the service menu I have another question:


I need a reference image in order to calibrate my 4:3 CRT Toshiba 27AFX55. What is the best way to get one? I mean one that will affect the TV the least, meaning something not power supply intensive so the image is as normal as possible. I have seen some on the forum but most of them are for HD and 16:9. The ones I am looking for are for over scan and with a grid across the screen for pincushion and other linear adjustments.


Any help greatly appreciated.


----------



## DentalGuy

Set is Toshiba 26HF84


Original setup.

Cable box Motorola 6412 on ColorStream 1 - Component

DVD Player on on ColorStream 2 - Component


Everything has been working fine for almost a year. Suddenly, video will not sync (scrolling, tearing, 4 overlapping 1/4 size images) when either input is a 480i source. Since it occurs with Cable or DVD, I'm pretty sure it is a TV problem.


When input sources are different formats (1080i, 720p, 480p) picture is good.


As a test, I have tried S-Video inputs - same problem with 480i.

On the composite video, 480i works fine.


It isn't a problem to use 480P on the DVD. And the cable box is usually on 1080i for HD programming. But for 4:3 programs, it is nice to have the 480i because the TV (used to) do a much better job of zoom/stretch than the cable box, and the cable box picture has an overlayed checkerboard pattern of fine blue lines in 480p.


Is this failure to sync at 480i a hardware issue, a setting that was change, a cabling problem? Any ideas?


----------



## DentalGuy

I will answer my own dumb question: Search the forum before posting!!!


It seems that my issue has been reported before in several Toshiba threads, including


avs-vb/showthread.php?t=617281


that describes the problem in the thread title: "Toshiba 30HFX84 won't accept 480i input over component!!!"


----------



## Porcupine2

Gizmo, interestingly enough, on the Toshiba 30HF85's I've had, I know the power supply-related geometric distortions are worst on DARK images, and go away on fairly bright images. Super bright, I dunno, it might distort again in the other direction. But anyway, fairly bright/normal bright images are the best thing. Chances are most test-patterns I've noticed (such as the THX Optimizer on the Star Wars DVDs) are too dark and will be affected by ballooning power-supply geometry problems. Like you said, when trying to adjust your TV's geometry it is best to try to use an image of the correct brightness to eliminate the power-supply geometry issues first.


I found that good test-patterns can be scrounged from normal sources if you do some hunting. For example, play a videogame that has some kind of menu that can be pulled up...maybe your cable provider's menu or menu channel, or CNN or ESPN to look at tickers, etc.


DentalGuy, it's interesting that you said your 480i sync problem also existed over S-Video. I had a 30HF85 that was returned earlier (my 1st unit), that had this same problem, however it was only on 480i through component and NOT through S-Video.


I hope my current unit (5th, argh) never develops that problem with age like some of you others have reported. Then again it has developed other problems after 2 weeks of usage (dark horizontal line at bottom of screen which will probably require a repair call) so I bet more problems are in store for me, argh. Curse Toshiba, why couldn't some other company have made a CRT with bottom speakers (besides the Samsung Slimfits, those suck too hehe).


----------



## Nonnie

Dentalguy


When my 30hf84 developed the "out of sync" issue on 480i I had it repaired under warranty. The shop never told me what they did, but the same problem started again about 2 months later. I popped the back off the set and it looked like the a/v input board was shorting out against the chassis. I repositioned it and everything worked well for a while. It started to give me a problem again and I completely removed the a/v input board from the set to check it out. Seems there is a daughter board that mounts to the back of the a/v board. Unless the two connectors from the daugther board are firmly seated in the a/v board, the connection is bad and will create a problem eventually. I had to apply considerable pressure to get the two connectors to "click" in place. Put it back together and haven't had a problem since.


Not sure if this will solve your problem. This might have been an assembly line issue where the parts were not properly mated because of a poor fit.


If you are good at DIY you might want to check it out yourself. Good luck!


----------



## peacemakerx

I've noticed less of the white glow in 1080i modes on the 360 when compared to the PS2 and Xbox's 1080i modes. It's as if the white glow is not there until you really brighten up the TV. I was able to get a perfect black screen.



The white glow disappears on some games like Dead or Alive 4 when you set the brightness to 22 in 1080i mode.


However... The white glow comes out in full force with Call of Duty 2... Errr... I'll stick to 720p with that one...


----------



## tallguylehigh

Hey guys, am new to the forum and in definate need of some help.


I have a Toshiba, model No. 36AF42, I believe it is a 36" flat screen CRT television set. The set is roughly 3 years old and I have run into a bit of a problem and was wondering if you guys could help.


It seems as though my television is having a hard time processing light and bright colors. Whenever an ad or show comes on with a very crisp white background, the TV emits a high pitch whine and the entire picture turns into a jumble of narrow, horizontal bars. However, when the picture is of dark, or "normal" colors, the picture is fine.


What I want to know is... how bad is this? Is this a bite the bullet and let the TV repair guy fix it problem, or is this a scrap the whole Tv and get a new set problem?


Thanks for the help!!!


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tallguylehigh* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey guys, am new to the forum and in definate need of some help.
> 
> 
> I have a Toshiba, model No. 36AF42, I believe it is a 36" flat screen CRT television set. The set is roughly 3 years old and I have run into a bit of a problem and was wondering if you guys could help.
> 
> 
> It seems as though my television is having a hard time processing light and bright colors. Whenever an ad or show comes on with a very crisp white background, the TV emits a high pitch whine and the entire picture turns into a jumble of narrow, horizontal bars. However, when the picture is of dark, or "normal" colors, the picture is fine.
> 
> 
> What I want to know is... how bad is this? Is this a bite the bullet and let the TV repair guy fix it problem, or is this a scrap the whole Tv and get a new set problem?
> 
> 
> Thanks for the help!!!



It sounds like that the power supply is in trouble. It can be easily repaired by a repairman. Expect somewhere between $100 and $150 to fix this problem.


----------



## kcarlasc

I need some help with my 34HF85. All has worked fine on it running from my Comcast 6412 via DVI to HDMI. Now in the last few weeks I get HDCP errors and the green screen. I went to comcast and got a new box so I could try a straight HDMI -> HDMI connection but no luck, same issue. So then I plugged in my Panny 97 via HDMI and that won't sync at all. So now I think it may be the video board. But I just received a Pixel Magic MEdia Box that has an HMDI connection so I plug that it and it works like a champ. I have Comcast comming tomorrow to take look, like they are going to be able to do anything...


Any thoughts?


----------



## stvnham16

I got my tv about a month ago, but haven't been able to try it out till i got home from college which was the other day. I have a 26HF85. I have the glow problem when playing 360 set to 1080i, but I just play in 720p. What I have noticed playing the game is that when I go into darker places then look towards a bright spot like a lamp. The whole screen will go a lot darker. If i move the screen to where the lamp is not in the center then it goes back to normal brightness. It seems like the brightness levels go up and down even when im walking through well lit area. It also has a flashing problem in 1080i realy bad. It also has the brightness problem in 1080i. This all while im playing 360. If someone could help that would be great.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

"What I have noticed playing the game is that when I go into darker places then look towards a bright spot like a lamp, the whole screen will go a lot darker."


I've have this same problem with my 30HF84, and I am having a tech come to check it out sometime this month (when I can work out a day), however, I doubt he will be able to do much judging from the experiences of others with this problem.


There is a faint ray of light though. On my set, I noticed that this effect does not happen when I use the "Theater" setting. All other settings exhibit this effect, no matter how low or high you set the brightness and contrast or any combination of the two. You might think that the obvious solution would be to start with the "Theater" settings and adjust them to taste (my X-Box 360 is sometimes too dark in the Theater setting), however, as soon as you make any adjustment, even one not related to the brightness or contrast, like sharpness or color, the effect returns. So what is the problem? It seems that during my investigation of this problem on the web, I found a spread-sheet of Designer Mode settings for a Toshiba RPTV. Now I know that my set was made by Orion, and the 60" RPTV that the spread-sheet is for was made by Toshiba, but there were some interesting settings in there that might translate, however no one seems to know just what is in the HF84 and HF85 model designer menu.


The settings of interest were parameters for something called "automatic brightness control" and another brightness control setting that I can't remember right now. These settings are completely different for all the picture modes: "Theater", "Sports", "Standard" and "News".


I would like to know if anyone has gone into the Designer Mode on these sets and found out just what is in there. It seems that some sort of "automatic brightness" setting is too high for all the other picture modes and the TV is trying to compensate for the changes. This information would be extremely helpful for my service call.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Darcy Hunter* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The settings of interest were parameters for something called "automatic brightness control" and another brightness control setting that I can't remember right now. These settings are completely different for all the picture modes "Theater", "Sports", "Standard" and "News".
> 
> 
> I would like to know if anyone has gone into the Designer Mode on these sets and found out just what is in there.



Wow, that is very interesting. I have not yet experienced those problems under normal viewing (I use the custom mode so I should indeed have that problem) but it is interesting that the Designer Mode menu has more options that could be useful at times.


For this particular problem I suspect it can be dealt with using crafty tricks in the Service Menu. Namely, adjust all the Brightness, Contrast, Color Temp, Sharpness, etc settings in the Service Menu so that 25 the User Menu Default is actually what you want at all times. Then leave your set on in Theater (Movie) mode at all times.







Still, it's a bit extreme to do all that...


I actually have played with the Designer Mode once long ago but it was very scary and I have never opened it since. Only my 1st Toshiba ever had the Designer Menu opened and played with a little on it. The rest of my Toshibas (many exchanges) I never opened it again.


I did find one weird setting in the Designer Mode menu but it's not really useful. I found an address that changed the brightness of the User Menu itself. Only the menu would change brightness the show itself stayed the same. Funny.


----------



## THX5334

I got my unit. It was the second one, though. The first one was damaged in shipping right out of the box.


Anyways, I've got my second one. It rocks pretty hard. No banding, no white glow. A little flicker in 1080i through the DVI-HDMI, but changing my Comcast HD-DVR to 720p totally fixes it.


My issue with the set is........Artifacting.


It seems to artifact the hell out of backgrounds in movies at 1080i on HBOHD or anything else.


XBox looks fantastic, but I don't have a 360 yet.










Will going into the service menu help with the Artifacting? What can I do?


For the record, Waltchan....


My parents bought the definitely in house Toshiba made 34HF81

and as fantastic as the set is it still has some of the same geometry problems (though very slight) that you say has only started in the outsourced units.


In fact the only quality difference I am seeing between my parents 34HF81 and my set is the Artifacting.


If anyone has some suggestions, let me know.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *THX5334* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My parents bought the definitely in house Toshiba made 34HF81 and as fantastic as the set is it still has some of the same geometry problems (though very slight) that you say has only started in the outsourced units.



All CRT tube TVs have some sorts of geometry issues. It doesn't matter what brand the TV is.


----------



## Porcupine2

> A little flicker in 1080i through the DVI-HDMI, but changing my Comcast HD-DVR to 720p totally fixes it.


I could be wrong but I think this is what is referred to as the HDMI banding problem. Not sure, I haven't used my 30HF85 for HD at all yet, I only have SD.


> It seems to artifact the hell out of backgrounds in movies at 1080i on HBOHD or anything else.


This is the fault of the broadcast stations, not your TV. Blame them. Also, something I've said before, in my opinion digital cable is not what it is cracked up to be. In my opinion the quality can be worse than analog cable, for the SD channels, due to the overly high levels of digital compresion they sometimes use.


> For the record, Waltchan....


Who are you talking to? Supposedly Waltchan was banned from these boards a couple months ago. I guess you could be talking to some user you think is an alias for him, but in that case I think you should use the appropiate name at this point, since Waltchan is supposed to be gone. (By the way, I guarantee I'm not Waltchan, whom I've been accused of being in the past).


> In fact the only quality difference I am seeing between my parents 34HF81 and my set is the Artifacting.


You mean their set doesn't show these "artifacts" but yours does? Hmm, that's odd.


----------



## THX5334

Well, after some menu calibration, this set is now giving me a picture I would put up there with Sony's 34" XBR model that many say is the best CRT reference picture around.


Porcupine - first I owe you a debt of gratitude. I don't remember where, but your hint about turning the contrast down really helped. Essentially I have the contrast down to zero on both my HDMI and component inputs.


I pretty much set everything else down the middle, and turned the contrast down to zero. The range is from Zero to fifty. So I set Color, Brightness, and Sharpness right at 25.


I was using the THX optimizer on the SW DVD's for my component, and I used the same settings on the HDMI, but something didn't look right. I kept tweaking with the Contrast , going by Porcupine's advice but the image while clearer, was a little dark and off compared to my XBox and DVD component picture.


Finally, I put the contrast back down at zero and kicked the Brightness up to 30 from 25 and Boom! Artifacting is down to nill. Colors are crisp. It's not too bright. Bottom line, I cannot get over how clear and sharp my HDMI picture is.


I recorded Batman Begins off of HBO-HD with the Comcast HD-DVR and was using that as my HDMI refrence and eyeballing it. (1080i movies on the premium HD channels just kills regular DVD imho) when I made the small tweaks.


When I got the picture right, my jaw hit the floor.


I have spent some time housesitting for a friend that had a few top of the line Pioneer Elite plasmas (He had them right before 1080p hit. He's pretty wealthy to say the least. Ahh...Good Times)


For the price I paid for this set (right around $600 with shipping) Picture Quality to price ratio, I would put this picture against that Plasma or that Sony XBR CRT and I would feel pretty damn good with myself.


I checked the back of the TV and it was made Oct. 2005 in Thailand. There is no mention of any assembly in the USA.


I did have bad luck with this TV in that the first one I got was damaged in shipping and did not work outm right of the box. But I don't think that was a fault of Orion.


Reading this thread, I was worried. As this was my replacement choice for a Samsung slimfit I bought


(the "79" model. Had EXACTLY the problems people were complaining about here with the 30HF85. Horrible banding and geometery issues. Incredible blooming. And a nice white ghosty line across the top 1/3 of the screen)


Porcupine, I am sorry you went through 5 of these and had a problem with each.


I got mine off of Newegg for $550 plus shipping and it works phenomenaly and flawlessly.


HDMI and Component are perfect. Black levels are fantastic. RGB convergence is pimping.


My XBox looks amazing on it, and to my eye as good as when playing it on the Pioneer Elite (save for the picture size difference of course)


There may be alot of lemon's of this model out there.

Maybe I got lucky?


Maybe some Thai worker put some love and care into my unit I guess?


Maybe they finally got the kinks out by Oct. 2005?


All I know is that if you get a well made unit this is an incredible 30" set for the price.


I am really psyched to get an XBox 360 and give this TV even more of a workout.


I have absolutely no banding whatsoever on my HDMI and no Ghosting or white blooming.


The only thing I noticed was the slightest flicker running my cable HDMI at 1080i


And this was only noticable in TEXT in the "HD-DVR menu settings". (I doubt anyone with an undescerning eye would notice)


Running my Comcast box at 720p instead of 1080i corrected this, fine. (my gut says it's the cablebox and not the Toshiba)


I am not the most discerning videophile out there, but I've spent some time with some way higer end HDTV's, and I went to one of the more recognized film schools and have a pretty solid backgound in production and post production, so I feel my eye is fairly qualified to judge picture quality.


For me, the Toshiba 30HF85 is giving me HD quality images that rival other HDTV's that are much much more expensive.


My only complaint is that it doesn't run a true 720p signal. But no CRT does, correct?

So I can't really *****. I only want this because I've heard when playing XBox 360 games that are native 720p, when you're HDTV upconverts the signal to 1080i, it cuts your framerate down from 60fps to 30fps.


Anyone know if this is true?


----------



## Porcupine2

> For the price I paid for this set (right around $600 with shipping) Picture Quality to price ratio, I would put this picture against that Plasma or that Sony XBR CRT and I would feel pretty damn good with myself.


That's how much I paid too, from BB on closeout. I agree that there are many good things about the Toshiba 30HF85 (though there are also many bad things) and in certain areas it is the best out of all the CRT HDTVs out there.


> I checked the back of the TV and it was made Oct. 2005 in Thailand.


Cool! Thanks for confirming that. My very first 30HF85 I think was also made in October 2005 but I never really wrote it down so I had forgotten and wasn't sure I remembered the month right. Back then, my Toshiba fiasco had not yet fully started so I wasn't so paranoid about such things. I only slowly began to realize the importance of the manufacturing date on these units afterwards...


Main problems that my first unit had was the known non-synch on 480i through component problem (so I couldn't use SD through component) and a super wacked-out RGB convergence on the entire right 1/3rd region of the screen. Maybe that TV had other problems too but back then I hadn't yet learned to see all possible TV problems. But that TV was really good in other aspects like image sharpness and it had no Y/C Delay problems through component, like my other TVs did.


My current November 2005 set was pretty good too until it developed this dark line running across the bottom of my set problem, which is really annoying to me now.










> Maybe they finally got the kinks out by Oct. 2005?


I think so, but maybe you should check your 480i through component from time to time to see if it still works (when it doesn't, the image bounces up and down crazily at times).










And maybe some new kinks came back in for the Nov 2005 sets (that dumb dark line ruining the bottom 1 inch of my set).


> All I know is that if you get a well made unit this is an incredible 30" set for the price.


I agree with that. I'm sad that in 5 whole tries I couldn't get even 1 well-made unit. I felt like it was possible because each set I got had different unrelated bad qualities and it seemed like a properly-made set would have none of those bad qualities and be an excellent HDTV. So I kept trying, but in the end I failed.










> I have absolutely no banding whatsoever on my HDMI and no Ghosting or white blooming.


That's great! Maybe my set doesn't have those problems either since it is built later than yours...I won't know until the PS3 comes out so I can get some HD running to this TV.


----------



## THX5334

I am a huge gamer and own all three consoles (it's about the games and not the console brand)


But there is no way I am buying a PS3 at $600. They priced themselves too high (and I understand the cost of the machine is $1000+ because of Blu-Ray but still..)


They did not display any games whatsoever other than Assasins Creed and MGS4 that the XBox 360 games did not match visually.


The fact that Microsoft got Grand Theft Auto exclusivity away from Sony and that they have Halo 3 coming pretty much confirms that I will be buying a 360 and a Wii for the same price as the PS3. I will buy a PS3 later in it's life when they start cutting the price of the console.


Porcupine - Why don't you get a cabe/sat service and get an HD receiver. My Comcast service has HD-DVR's you can rent for $5/month! My box has HDMI output


----------



## mahidarkhak

Guys


I have decided to buy either Toshiba 30HF66 or LG superslim 30".


Based on your problems should I still consider buying the Toshiba?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mahidarkhak* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Based on your problems should I still consider buying the Toshiba?



The last year 2005 Toshiba models were plagued with problems. This year, no one has reported any problems on the 2006 Toshiba HF66s. We'll wait and see.


----------



## u_harrisjd

Hi everyone, I am new to AVS and this forum. I have some questions about my 30hf84 Toshiba, and instead of reading through 28 pages of posts I thought I would post my own questions.


I don't know if I got lucky with my set or what, but I haven't experienced any of the bright white line or the 480i out of sync. The picture over all is quite good. I have noticed some slight geometry problems on the far sides of the picture at the top, but it is very slight.


Now to the questions. I bought this TV at H. H. Gregg Electronics as an open box clearance item. I paid $349 plus tax and picked it up myself. I bought this TV to upgrade to HDTV. I first used an LG OTA tuner w/ upconverting DVD(DVI-HDMI) to get the locals only in HD. It worked great and the Picture was very good. I decided to upgrade to DishNetwork HD and a few weeks before I had them install the Dish my HDMI input quit working. I am not sure what happened. It worked one day and the next day it just quit. What should I do to fix this. Unfortunately the TV was "as is" with no warranty since it was bought "Open Box". (I can't complain for the price I got anyway. )


Are there any DIY fixes for this? If my HDMI board or processor is bad is there a way I can get the parts to fix it myself? Since I didn't pay much for the TV I don't want to spend more than I paid for the TV just to get the HDMI working. The component inputs still work, so currently I am using them.


I am deffinately not a pro-videophile, I am just trying to get the best HDTV bang for my buck so any help you all can give me will be greatly appreciated. Also, I am new to the whole calibration thing. Can anyone suggest a good DVD to tweak the picture on the 30hf84? Thanks again and sorry for the long post.


----------



## Nonnie

It's a great set for what you paid. Had mine for a year and a half now, gave it to my son for Xbox 360, he loves it. 30hf84 does not suffer from the "white glow" or the banding. However, it did have problems with 480i going out of sync and the HDMI input quitting. I am sure there is a service bulletin from Toshiba on the HDMI problem.


I had the 480i issue with my set and I fixed it myself. In my case the snap lock connectors for the a/v board were not fully connected and making poor contact.


If you are comfortable repairing it yourself try contacting this guy: http://fixyourowntv.com/ 


He can get you the parts and he will give you explicit instructions on how to install. He should also be able to get the service bulletin and what needs to be done. It's a lot cheaper than bringing it to a shop, since the labor is provided by you.


You can also find the service manual on Ebay for $8-10. If you can't get it , pm me and I will send you a copy of mine.


Let us know how you make out.


P.S. Digital Video Essentials or Avia will work well for callibration. Can also find on Ebay if you are interested.


----------



## u_harrisjd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> I had the 480i issue with my set and I fixed it myself. In my case the snap lock connectors for the a/v board were not fully connected and making poor contact.
> 
> 
> 
> He can get you the parts and he will give you explicit instructions on how to install. He should also be able to get the service bulletin and what needs to be done. It's a lot cheaper than bringing it to a shop, since the labor is provided by you.
> 
> 
> 
> Let us know how you make out.
> 
> 
> P.S. Digital Video Essentials or Avia will work well for callibration. Can also find on Ebay if you are interested.




Nonnie, thanks for the good advice. I am going to take the Back off my TV to check the connections and see if that will help any of the problems. I also contacted the link you gave me to see if he has seen the same problem. I will keep you updated on my progress.


Any other suggestions are welcome.


----------



## cwrench

My first 34HF85C was so far out of focus my 20 year old Mitsubishi had a better picture. The second was slightly better focused but had all the usual problems (white glow, HDMI ghosting etc. etc.) so I sent it off to the repair shop. After almost three weeks, the tech called today to say it is so bad it can not be repaired. Now I'm waiting for Toshiba to let me know what they plan to do about it. I'm curious if anyone has actually had one of these lumps repaired successfuly?


----------



## spurdy

I got ahold of the tech again this afternoon to get an update on my repair.


He said that he's still waiting for the replacement hardware part from Toshiba. Initially they'd given him an ETA of a few weeks, but then extended it. Apparently they're feeling the pain from the many sets that are afflicted with these issues, and the supply of spare components was put under a lot of strain.


Hopefully that will teach them not to let the quality bar drop so low. Short term margin gains, yes, but then it'll come back and bite ya in the arse when the warranty service calls stack up.










The tech said my 30HFX85 set and another currently in the shop would get priority as soon as he had the new boards. They've got another two Toshibas coming in as well (total of four needing this fix).


At least Toshiba is honoring their warranty. Still, it sucks to have been without my set for so long now.


----------



## Porcupine2

Hmm, your guys' cases don't sound too optimistic. Toshiba really is like a criminal company. In my case, I called a tech out to take a look at my dark horizontal line issue, but in the end I was told by Toshiba that they had decided not to honor their warranty for my problem.


That forced me to attempt to take some very minor legal action against Toshiba for this unlawful treatment, so I don't want to say too much more. I'll be happy if I can get a refund for this set, in which case I'll have to go with an LCD next time. I still think CRTs are the best technology but all the non-Toshiba brands are just too wide and bulky for my tastes.


Maybe Toshiba deserves to have some kind of class-action lawsuit filed against them.


----------



## String216

You might want to look into Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.


----------



## Nonnie




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> but in the end I was told by Toshiba that they had decided not to honor their warranty for my problem.



What do you mean by that? Since when can a company refuse to honor it's warranty?


Did you tell them you messed with the service menu?


----------



## Ratman

They probably figured it out after he fouled up the 4 others that he returned.


----------



## Porcupine2

Thanks for the link, String216, it was pretty helpful for me to read.


Sorry for not providing more details on the matter, but I feel like once things start reaching a pseudo-legal or pseudo-formal state between me and the companies involved, it's better not to blab too much until things are resolved.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I got ahold of the tech again this afternoon to get an update on my repair.
> 
> 
> He said that he's still waiting for the replacement hardware part from Toshiba. Initially they'd given him an ETA of a few weeks, but then extended it. Apparently they're feeling the pain from the many sets that are afflicted with these issues, and the supply of spare components was put under a lot of strain.
> 
> 
> Hopefully that will teach them not to let the quality bar drop so low. Short term margin gains, yes, but then it'll come back and bite ya in the arse when the warranty service calls stack up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The tech said my 30HFX85 set and another currently in the shop would get priority as soon as he had the new boards. They've got another two Toshibas coming in as well (total of four needing this fix).
> 
> 
> At least Toshiba is honoring their warranty. Still, it sucks to have been without my set for so long now.



Thanks for the continuing updates, spurdy and also cwrench. Really appreciate your efforts to keep us informed and, spurdy, hope your patience is rewarded.


----------



## InYourEyes

Everybody needs to be very patient if you are having your Toshiba fixed right now. Toshiba orders all the replacement parts from Orion, and the parts take several weeks of shipment (long shipping distance from Thailand).


If the TV was made by Toshiba in the first place, normally, it only takes one or two days to get the part.


----------



## greenland




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Everybody needs to be very patient if you are having your Toshiba fixed right now. Toshiba orders all the replacement parts from Orion, and the parts take several weeks of shipment (long shipping distance from Thailand).
> 
> 
> If the TV was made by Toshiba in the first place, normally, it only takes one or two days to get the part.



I noticed your recent post on the HD-DVD forum that you have had problems with eleven Toshiba-Orion products in the past year. That would certainly qualify you to advise others on the patience required. I asked on the HD-DVD post for specifics on the case history of each of the eleven products which you had problems with, in order to allow others to avoid similar bad purchases. Thanks in advance for all the information I expect you will provide.


----------



## Trunco

I traded in my Insignia 30" for the comprable Toshiba 30HF66 that is HDMI capable. I don't have an HD reciever yet, so I wasn't planning on seeing anything spectacular PQ wise. However, when it's set to 4:3 I get -massive- bowing on both sides. Is this something that can be corrected via the SM or should I just call a tech out to take a look at it?


----------



## hawkeye3.1

I can tell you that this is correctable in the SM on the 30HF85 because I had the same problem when I got mine. Unfortunately I don't remember exactly what the function was labeled. Should not be hard to determine through trial and error or maybe someone with a better working knowledge of the menus can chime in. Look for H?? and adjust up or down, just make a note of the initial setting so you can restore it if it is the wrong one. This is very content dependent due to the marginal pwr sply in my set, the bright images will cause the sides to collapse. Yours may be better.


----------



## AlanSaysYo

I bought a 30HF85 a couple weeks ago for around $500 from HH Gregg. I had an extra room to fill after moving and was looking for a decent SD set, but the price of the Toshiba seemed too good to pass up. It seems a little quirky so far. PQ is decent (HD is definitely not as good as the 57H84 I have elsewhere in the house) but it's passable for a secondary TV.


Any help or comments would be appreciated on any of the following little problems:


1. The reds are bleeding! Turning down the color intensity just makes the rest of the picture dull. Not sure if this is just a red problem, but red, green, and blue appear not to be aligned properly. I assume this can only be corrected in the service menu.


2. I get odd flicker from certain 1080i sources. And no, this is not simply the nature of 1080i. My DirecTV H20 can't output 1080i to this set without producing annoying flicker. Right now I have it set to 720p, which solves the problem but also costs me detail. I can't tell yet whether this is a problem with the TV itself or with the H20 box. Sometimes switching from the H20 straight to my Xbox 360 causes the 360 picture to flicker also, but strangely enough, turning the TV off and then back on eliminates the problem.


3. I see slight picture stretching even when aspect ratio is locked on a 1080i source. This is most obvious with screen crawlers like ESPN's. Moving from right to left, the text looks squished initially, then an inch into the screen it looks slightly bloated, and then after that it's the proper size until reaching the same locations on the opposite side of the screen. Very subtle, and for $500 I wouldn't be sad if this was just a by-product of a lower quality TV, but still annoying if you know it's there.


----------



## Trunco

Got my HD receiver hooked up today, and I'm not as impressed as I was hoping for. It looks like the edges, top, and bottom of the screen have been cut off somehow. No idea what the term for that is. Also, I'm hooked up through HDMI and I've noticed a flickering blue band that appears along the top of the screen when it displays bright backgrounds. Any known fixes for these?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Trunco* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Got my HD receiver hooked up today, and I'm not as impressed as I was hoping for. It looks like the edges, top, and bottom of the screen have been cut off somehow. No idea what the term for that is. Also, I'm hooked up through HDMI and I've noticed a flickering blue band that appears along the top of the screen when it displays bright backgrounds. Any known fixes for these?



What? I thought that problem was already fixed. Don't tell me that Orion still hasn't fixed this problem for three years.


----------



## Markosis

Would anyone happen to have the default service menu settings for the 26hf85/26hf15 model? A friend of mine claims to be a TV guru of sorts, and told me that changing the service menu settings would fix the overscan problems of my CRT. Low and behold, he tinkered around with it so much that he did more harm than good, and I just want my old settings back for now. I found this forum recently and I decided to register in hopes that one of you guys could give me a hand. My TV is actually the 26HF15 model, but I'm sure that the 85 version has the same settings. So if any of you guys with either of these TV's can go into your service menu and give me the settings, I would REALLY appreciate it.


----------



## DirtyHarry

Just thought I'd throw an update on my 34HF85 that I bought from amazon.com around the time when it first came out. I guess I've been lucky with this set so far because it produces an excellent picture on HD channels via HDMI. I'm running the resolution at 480p because the picture at 720p or 1080i is dark and blurey no matter what adjustments I make. Kind of frusterating, but the picture looks great at 480p. However, I've recently noticed faint dark shadow like bands running up and down the screen, sometimes even making a circular shape, usually in one bright color setting like a blue sky or a green football field. I usually just ignore it because it's not totally noticable, but still frusterating. Anyways, this set has preformed well, but I'd like to upgrade to something bigger and better one of these days or just have it calibrated..


----------



## Vamp

Can someone tell me how to get to the service menu on my 26HF85?


----------



## Trunco

For my 30HF66 you hold down the volume button on the set until it reaches zero for about ten seconds while holding 9 on the remote.


----------



## brian6751




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Just thought I'd throw an update on my 34HF85 that I bought from amazon.com around the time when it first came out. I guess I've been lucky with this set so far because it produces an excellent picture on HD channels via HDMI. I'm running the resolution at 480p because the picture at 720p or 1080i is dark and blurey no matter what adjustments I make. Kind of frusterating, but the picture looks great at 480p. However, I've recently noticed faint dark shadow like bands running up and down the screen, sometimes even making a circular shape, usually in one bright color setting like a blue sky or a green football field. I usually just ignore it because it's not totally noticable, but still frusterating. Anyways, this set has preformed well, but I'd like to upgrade to something bigger and better one of these days or just have it calibrated..



How can you say it has an excellent HD picture when it wont even show 720p or 1080i correctly? Stop lieing to yourself, you got one of the crappy ones. Sorry.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Trunco* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> For my 30HF66 you hold down the volume button on the set until it reaches zero for about ten seconds while holding 9 on the remote.



Actually about two seconds.


----------



## Markosis




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Vamp* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Can someone tell me how to get to the service menu on my 26HF85?



Hey, once you get into the service menu, can you write down the default values and post them here?


----------



## Trunco

After using the THX optimizer on one of my DVDs, I discovered a couple new issues with my 30HF66.


1) No matter what I do, I won't be able to get perfect geometry on it. I've spent literally hours in the SM tweaking every screen adjustment and I'm having to settle for good enough.

2) I've got a vertical white glow along the extreme right edge

3) There's a nearly transparent bar running across the top of the screen. The best way I could describe it would be as a zone of high contrast/low brightness.


I heard there weren't very many issues with this run of set, and while I think I can live with them, there's no reason other people should go in blind to them.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *AlanSaysYo* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 1. The reds are bleeding! Turning down the color intensity just makes the rest of the picture dull. Not sure if this is just a red problem, but red, green, and blue appear not to be aligned properly. I assume this can only be corrected in the service menu.
> 
> 
> 3. I see slight picture stretching even when aspect ratio is locked on a 1080i source. This is most obvious with screen crawlers like ESPN's. Moving from right to left, the text looks squished initially, then an inch into the screen it looks slightly bloated, and then after that it's the proper size until reaching the same locations on the opposite side of the screen. Very subtle, and for $500 I wouldn't be sad if this was just a by-product of a lower quality TV, but still annoying if you know it's there.



For issue 1, you need to troubleshoot more to determine exactly what is the nature of this problem. It could be either of: 1) true red bleed, 2) RGB convergence problems 3) Y/C delay problems. For now, first display a black and white image, or turn the Color down to zero to make it black and white. Do you still see this "red bleed"? If you do, then the main culprit is either RGB convergence problems or true red bleed. Next, turn Contrast down to zero and maybe Brightness down a couple notches. If you still see the "red bleed" then the problem is with RGB convergence. If the "red bleed" went away then the problem really was true red bleed.


If the problems only appear noticecably on Colored images then it's Y/C Delay, not red bleed.


For issue 3), that's a common geometry problem. It varies from Toshiba unit to unit within the same model and is an issue of quality control. It's not a design flaw. Aspect ratio inconsistencies are one category of geometry problem, it's not only about straight vertical and horizontal lines. There's no way to fix it, your set is stuck that way when it was built with inferior quality control standards!







Service Menu will not help in the slightest.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Trunco* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 1) No matter what I do, I won't be able to get perfect geometry on it. I've spent literally hours in the SM tweaking every screen adjustment and I'm having to settle for good enough.
> 
> 2) I've got a vertical white glow along the extreme right edge
> 
> 3) There's a nearly transparent bar running across the top of the screen. The best way I could describe it would be as a zone of high contrast/low brightness.
> 
> 
> I heard there weren't very many issues with this run of set, and while I think I can live with them, there's no reason other people should go in blind to them.



Yeah, it's good that people post their problems so other people become aware. The Service Menu can't do much to fix most geometry problems, that's how all CRTs are. And most of the Toshiba geometry problems are quality control related, not design-related, so they vary wildly from set to set. On a positive note, the Toshibas still tend to on average have better geometry than most other HD CRT brands.


Can you cut off the white glow along the right edge by re-centering your screen image and/or increasing the amount of overscan in the Service Menu?


Similarly, for the bar the top of the screen...maybe if it is not too big you can get rid of it in the Service Menu? Also for that problem try experimenting with the V POSI option, it'll be one of the earlier options if it is the same as on the 30HF85. The V POSI option is not so good to experiment with though...you'll probably see what I mean. But you might wanna try it anyway, you can always change it back after you see what it does.


----------



## AlanSaysYo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> For issue 1, you need to troubleshoot more to determine exactly what is the nature of this problem. It could be either of: 1) true red bleed, 2) RGB convergence problems 3) Y/C delay problems. For now, first display a black and white image, or turn the Color down to zero to make it black and white. Do you still see this "red bleed"? If you do, then the main culprit is either RGB convergence problems or true red bleed. Next, turn Contrast down to zero and maybe Brightness down a couple notches. If you still see the "red bleed" then the problem is with RGB convergence. If the "red bleed" went away then the problem really was true red bleed.
> 
> 
> If the problems only appear noticecably on Colored images then it's Y/C Delay, not red bleed.
> 
> 
> For issue 3), that's a common geometry problem. It varies from Toshiba unit to unit within the same model and is an issue of quality control. It's not a design flaw. Aspect ratio inconsistencies are one category of geometry problem, it's not only about straight vertical and horizontal lines. There's no way to fix it, your set is stuck that way when it was built with inferior quality control standards!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Service Menu will not help in the slightest.



Thanks, I'll check this out when I get a chance. I'm leading toward this being a convergence problem, but there are also times when it seems that just the red is shifted.


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *brian6751* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> How can you say it has an excellent HD picture when it wont even show 720p or 1080i correctly? Stop lieing to yourself, you got one of the crappy ones. Sorry.



Because I've compared it to other other HD sets, such as a Sony 34", and the picture quality was just *slightly* better on a Sony. And I've had friends come over and say, "Oh I've seen HD on a DLP, but not this clear." So to the casual viewer it looks like some amazing HD. Like I said it's not perfect compared to other sets.. But when you just assume the picture quality sucks because your receivers' setting is on 480p, then you'd be lieing to yourself. And how can I have one of the crappy ones when apparently all of them are manufactered the same crappy way. Is your set one of the good ones?


----------



## cwrench

When I first talked to Toshiba about the chances of repair they told me no problem, they'd replace the entire chassis if nesessary. After three weeks of diagnosis they concluded they probably could have fixed the glow and banding by replacing the digital processing board BUT the tube was so far out of focus they couldn't bring it to within spec and there are no replacement picture tubes available. Therefore even a chassis swap wasn't enough. They tell me they intend to refund my money but I'll have to wait another 6 to 8 weeks. In the meantime I purchased a Panasonic TC32LX600 and what a difference! Even before the Avia set-up, once I toned down the "vivid" picture etc. everyone in the family was impressed. When I finished with the Avia set-up all the adjustments ended up "0" and the picture is truly amazing. I'm talking LCD here! I never would have believed you could get a picture of that quality from an LCD. Now if only the cheque would arrive from Toshiba.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cwrench* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> When I first talked to Toshiba about the chances of repair they told me no problem, they'd replace the entire chassis if nesessary. After three weeks of diagnosis they concluded they probably could have fixed the glow and banding by replacing the digital processing board BUT the tube was so far out of focus they couldn't bring it to within spec and there are no replacement picture tubes available. Therefore even a chassis swap wasn't enough. They tell me they intend to refund my money but I'll have to wait another 6 to 8 weeks. In the meantime I purchased a Panasonic TC32LX600 and what a difference! Even before the Avia set-up, once I toned down the "vivid" picture etc. everyone in the family was impressed. When I finished with the Avia set-up all the adjustments ended up "0" and the picture is truly amazing. I'm talking LCD here! I never would have believed you could get a picture of that quality from an LCD. Now if only the cheque would arrive from Toshiba.



cwrench - Good for you and hopefully your refund check will arrive soon. It's unfortunate that Toshiba put so many of these defective sets out there and is now unable to muster up the needed replacement parts to fix them. I am sure many others will be purchasing from Toshiba's competitors when they replace their sets. Glad that you are happy with the Panasonic replacement.


----------



## Peekabooboo

Brief Review:


I just bought a 34HF85 mostly because it was the right size and price and I'm not a fan of LCDs (my place is a loft with a lot of floor to ceiling windows which makes me view in high light).


A couple notes: The factory settings are just terrible! With some fiddling I have a very nice HD picture without the white blooming and strange colors. I ordered Digital Video Essentials so I can get the most from this picture.


My main problem now is that some regular TV looks pretty crappy with my settings. It is very annoying that I can't have two custom sets, given the factory defaults are so off. I especially want sharpness up way further when watching SD sports. The other two problems are a orange-push on some channels and odd blurring on others.


As far as my untrained eye goes the geometry seems good.


Overall, I'd give the TV a C+ which is a bit disappointing, given I thought I was buying a B+. At least my HD and dvd and games look pretty damn fine.


----------



## stvnham16

I have a toshiba 26hf85 tv, and I have been playing xbox 360 via component on it and it looks pretty good. The problem I have is that my ps2 is connected via s-video and when I play the ps2 the picture is off center and moved to the right leaving a large black area on the left side of the screen. The thing is my xbox 360 had a perfectly center picture. So, I went into the sm to move the picture over while playing ps2 and it messed up my xbox 360 picture. No matter what I do to change the picture one is messed up and the other is perfect. Any fix to this problem. My other component connection is being used for hdtv, so it's impracticle to buy component cables for ps2 and unplug them everytime I want to use something else. Plus would component ps2 cables solve my problem?


----------



## brian6751




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *DirtyHarry* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Because I've compared it to other other HD sets, such as a Sony 34", and the picture quality was just *slightly* better on a Sony. And I've had friends come over and say, "Oh I've seen HD on a DLP, but not this clear." So to the casual viewer it looks like some amazing HD. Like I said it's not perfect compared to other sets.. But when you just assume the picture quality sucks because your receivers' setting is on 480p, then you'd be lieing to yourself. And how can I have one of the crappy ones when apparently all of them are manufactered the same crappy way. Is your set one of the good ones?



480p is not HD. If it cannot show 720p or 1080i properly then it is crap.


The quality of the Sony picture is more than slightly better.


Yes mine was crappy, both of them. I got a Sony XBR970 instead. It is far superior in every catagory. There are none of the anomolies of the Toshibas. I do not have to turn off 720p or 1080i on my STB. That is why I am telling you that you are lieing to yourself if you are are watching 480p and calling it good HD viewing because your set will not display 1080i.


Take it back while you can and bite the bullet. You will be happy you did.


----------



## Markosis




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a toshiba 26hf85 tv, and I have been playing xbox 360 via component on it and it looks pretty good. The problem I have is that my ps2 is connected via s-video and when I play the ps2 the picture is off center and moved to the right leaving a large black area on the left side of the screen. The thing is my xbox 360 had a perfectly center picture. So, I went into the sm to move the picture over while playing ps2 and it messed up my xbox 360 picture. No matter what I do to change the picture one is messed up and the other is perfect. Any fix to this problem. My other component connection is being used for hdtv, so it's impracticle to buy component cables for ps2 and unplug them everytime I want to use something else. Plus would component ps2 cables solve my problem?



Unfortunately, you may have changed the screen settings in the FULL picture mode, which changes the screen settings across all of the picture size options on your TV.


By the way, you and I have the same kind of TV. Would you mind going into the service menu and writing down your default color values for your TV and post them here for me? I've been trying to find the defaults, but can't, so I need someone's help who has my TV.


----------



## stvnham16




> Quote:
> Unfortunately, you may have changed the screen settings in the FULL picture mode, which changes the screen settings across all of the picture size options on your TV.




So how do I fix this then? I will write down my settings next time I use the tv.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Plus would component ps2 cables solve my problem?



I believe it actually would. One problem with these sets (I have a 30HF85) that I noticed is that the component video inputs are horizontally centered significantly differently than the composite/S-Video inputs. Either one or the other will be off. I discovered this using my DVD player and comparing the image using S-Video and component.


It's also true that in the Service Menu you can adjust the horizontal centering for the different screen modes separately. So you can adjust the horizontal centering on FULL screen, NORMAL screen, TheaterWide1, 2, and 3 separately. Unfortunately you cannot adjust the component and composite video inputs separately, so in any one given screen mode one or the other will be off.


So you have two possible solutions: 1) buy component cable for your PS2, 2) perhaps you can always play your XBox 360 in Fullscreen mode (since it is HD anyway) while you play your PS2 in Normal mode with 4:3 sidebars, and adjust the horizontal centering for those two modes separately in the Service Menu. I'm not sure this will work though. Does the HD mode count as "Full" or "Normal"? I don't use HD on my own TV yet.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Markosis* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, you may have changed the screen settings in the FULL picture mode, which changes the screen settings across all of the picture size options on your TV.



I believe these Toshibas always come with preset identical geometry (including this horizontal centering) settings for all screen modes. If you want to adjust them separately that's a nice bonus tweak you can do yourself.


That's not true for the SM settings that are affected by the video input mode though. Those do come with preset different settings and indeed it is possible to undesirably overwrite and lose settings if you adjust the wrong mode (adjusting the "lower" number video inputs always override the later ones...Video 1 overwrites ColorStream HD and HDMI, etc).


I guess maybe later on I will give you the Service Menu settings for my various Toshiba 30HF85 TVs. I have the default settings for two different sets. I never change these settings because I am not picky about color temp but I wrote them down anyway. The color settings are different though because it varies from set to set so they may not be perfect for your own set. Then again I don't know if the settings are calibrated that carefully by Toshiba to begin with anyway.


You are looking for the color temperature settings right? The "middle range" of options in the Service Menu? (R Gain, B Gain, R/B Drive, etc)


----------



## Markosis




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You are looking for the color temperature settings right? The "middle range" of options in the Service Menu? (R Gain, B Gain, R/B Drive, etc)




If possible, all of them, including the cool warm sets. I tried using the settings of someone with a 34hf15 I think, and those were off, and I'm wondering whether I can even use the settings for the 30hf15.


And to the person with the 26HF85, hold the vol button on your TV down when it's at zero, and hold 9 on your remote to get into the service menu. You can tweak your screen settings there, but if you do that, I'd like to know if you can post all of your settings here.


----------



## kevleviathan

I have the Toshiba 26HF85C (I believe C means canadian since Im in BC). Upon entering the service menu, I noticed that when I changed the H-Size, V-Size and H-Pos settings they did absolutely nothing. It seems that any changes I make in regards to these settings don't actually get applied. Am I doing something wrong or are the changes SO subtle I won't notice them?

I hit volume down + 9 on remote, to save settings I hit remote and turn off / on the TV.

Also whatever settings is number 01 in the service menu, when I select it the screen almost turns off and a very bright light in the center with an extremely thin line of light appears. Option 02 returns the TV to normal state.


----------



## Darcy Hunter

It seems that to make changes to the H-size, V-size, and H-pos, you have to set the picture size to "full" then enter the service menu and do your adjustments. It seems changes in the "full" mode affects all other picture modes, so you have to be careful in how much you tweak theses settings, because it may look fine in full, but not as much in say "theater 1".


----------



## Porcupine2

You can adjust H Size, V Size, and H Pos in any of the screen modes, it doesn't have to be while the TV is in "Full" mode. If you adjust those settings while in the other modes, only those other modes are affected so that's a good thing.


leviathan, that sounds weird. I do not think that's how it should be. I don't know the reason though. Maybe the "C" canadian versions are different?


----------



## Markosis

Has anyone gotten around to jotting down their color values for their 26hf85's or the other one from Porcupine?


----------



## Vamp

Has anyone noticed bands that seem to form on screen sometimes?


For instance when I play Call of Duty 2 on my 26hf85, when you look in the scope a band forms across the screen when you move the scope up. The same thing happens when you switch weapons in Halo 2.


Just wondering if there are any fixes for this and if anyone else has the problem?


----------



## stvnham16

How do I fix black crush in the service menu of 26hf85. My blacks are to dark when playing xbox 360. Also what is the exact resolution for my set. It seems that not everything makes it onto the screen when watching dvds or playing video games what should I do about that or is it because the screen size is only 26in.


----------



## Porcupine2

If you think your blacks are too dark increase the Brightness in the User Menu and/or Service Menu. Also, the SUB CONT setting that can only be found in the Service Menu is good too, try that one (increase SUB CONT, and also perhaps simultaneously decrease regular Contrast either in Service Menu or User Menu).


SUB CONT is like gamma correction, it's very useful for removing black crush. Brightness works best for black crush but if you set it too high then even pitch black won't look black anymore. SUB CONT addresses black crush without that same drawback.


Things getting cut off your screen are called overscan issues. They can be easily fixed with the parameters H SIZE and V SIZE in the Service Menu.


One last note, when adjusting Brightness, Contrast, and SUB CONT while in the Service Menu make sure your XBox 360 is currently on-screen. That way changing these settings in the Service Menu will only affect the XBox 360 and may not affect your DVDs and other things (if you want to affect those too then use the Service Menu while those are active).


Also though try to make sure it's really the TV's fault before doing all this. It may be the XBox 360's fault or the particular game's fault. If that's the case I don't recommend changing your TV's settings. If your DVDs and things look fine you may want to reconsider putting your blame on the TV.


----------



## stvnham16

DVD's look great there is no black crush that I can notice. But I tried changing the h position and nothing works to get it to fit on the screen. I even tried changing h size. The horizontal picture is the only one with "overscan ". Verticle is fine. For the 360 I turned up the brightness in the regular menu and it works but the screen doesn't look as sharp, it has the bright haze to it. It's only in dark parts of games and it happens on more then one game.


----------



## l33tShazbot

Does anyone have default values for a 30HF66? They would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## mahidarkhak

Hi how is this TV for under 600$?


Compare Now

Toshiba - TheaterWide 30" Widescreen Flat-Tube HDTV 30HF66

1080i resolution; HDMI input; 16:9 aspect ratio; progressive scanning

Free Shipping on Accessories Offer

10% Off Bose Speaker System Offer

Free Shipping
*Our Price: $599.99*


this is from best buy.


----------



## Rodri.f00

Question concerning the 34hf85 of Toshiba?


I have the horizontal black lines problems when my television set is connected in HDMI with my HD receiver (Pace551, scienific atlanta) hd chanel 1080i only like Discovery HD. I don't have horizontal black lines problem when i connect my upscaling Philips DVP 5960 in HDMI. My Philips is set to 1080i. You know if I will have the problems of horizontal black lines when I would connect with a true HD DVD, not a dvd upscaling, has my television set in hdmi ? If the PQ is perfect, no horizontal black lines - banding problems - shadowing effect or black bars running horizontally across the screen between my television set and hd-DVD in HDMI, that would like to say that the problem would come from my HD receiver ?


Another question:


can you say to me if this person has good equipment to make a good calibration. Because it is really not expensive like price.



Here what there is of writing on Internet site of the person who calible television,

I can't copy/paste the URL adress because I did not write enough message on this forum.



------

Videocal is ISF certified and has the knowledge and equipment to properly calibrate all types of direct view televisions, rear projection TVs or front projectors.


Videocal uses a state-of-the-art Colorfacts 6500 with both a GretagMacBeth Spectroradiometer and a Tristimulus Colorimeter. With both these items we are able to calibrate all types of devices: Direct view CRT, rear Projection CRT, Plasma, LCD, DLP and front projectors and provide a full before and after calibration report.


The cost for a complete calibration is only $150.00, so don't wait, a fully calibrated set is a wonderful thing to watch!

-----------


TThhaannkkss

ROD


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *brian6751* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 480p is not HD. If it cannot show 720p or 1080i properly then it is crap.
> 
> 
> The quality of the Sony picture is more than slightly better.
> 
> 
> Yes mine was crappy, both of them. I got a Sony XBR970 instead. It is far superior in every catagory. There are none of the anomolies of the Toshibas. I do not have to turn off 720p or 1080i on my STB. That is why I am telling you that you are lieing to yourself if you are are watching 480p and calling it good HD viewing because your set will not display 1080i.
> 
> 
> Take it back while you can and bite the bullet. You will be happy you did.



Well, I've seen plenty of HD sets, and I'm honestly saying I'm seeing a picture that doesn't look a whole lot different other than picture size. I'd bet if you came over and looked at my set, you'd stand back and say Damn, this does look pretty good. And yes I'm very picky on picture quality or else I wouldn't be on this forum. Who cares if the display is on 480p, the menu says it's upconverting it to 1080i, so techinically I am seeing an HD picture. Like I said I've been looking at friend's HD sets, DLP, LCD, rear projection, CRT and having a hard time finding a significant difference in picture quality. So I'll bite the bullet and keep it until I get a set with at least a 50" screen.


----------



## m1ke

hello there, i have a 40in toshiba crt tv which i have owned for a

couple of years now. Recently i have noticed that when a bright/white

object passes threw a dark/black back ground it seems to leave a trail

of light and say for instance a persons illuminated face is being

displayed on the screen and then the program cuts to a dark/black

image like the night, the persons face will be still visible like a

ghost for a couple of seconds, as thoe the pixels are delayed in

turning from white to black. It has not always been like this and i

belive is getting worse ? the contrast setting is about 60 out of a

100 and the brightness is 59 out of a 100 and has never been changed

in all the time i have owned it. It is starting to become highly

annoying as fast paced action like blade trinity which is mostly set in the dark, is

ruined with this white colour trail. Any help on this matter would be

highly grateful ! Cheers mike


----------



## shud

I am considering the Toshiba 30HF66. I like that it has an internal ATSC tuner or whatever, which makes the $600 price point look a little better.


I saw it at Best Buy and frankly it looked phenomenal. Geometry issues are not that big of a deal, and could only really tell when I was at an angle from the side or looking directly down on it.


A few issues


a) All the problems you guys are having! Is there an issue with every single unit? Therefore, is it worth it to get a service plan so I can just return this or whatever if it goes bad?


b) Aspect ratios. There are certain channels I just won't have in HD, like ESPN, TNT, FX and whatnot. I fiddled with the menu and the two options it has are 540p and 1080i. WTF is 540p? Does this set force everything to be upscaled to 1080i? I'd probably rather just go with 720p, but it doesn't appear to exist from what I could tell (but I don't know much).


Are these channels just going to be stretched? I can't watch CFB or NFL with the stretch thing going on, I'd really like to have them boxed as 4:3 if possible.


I really wanted to go with a CRT because of ghosting issues with my next choice, a $599 Olevia 27" LCD...but all the problems have me thinking twice, I really would like to not have to buy a $150 service plan.


----------



## thedka

I just picked up this TV over the weekend, and it has been great thus far. I am still tweaking the picture, but it is very suitable. for what I need it to be...a second TV. I was able to pick it up from Best Buy for $540...then sprung for a 4 year at home service plan for an additional $100. I think for the price (not sure why Best Buy has lowered it this much), it is a good buy. The funny thing is when I went to pick it up in store, they had it on display selling for $809 ($10 over msrp)...and they had an open box model they were clearing out for $699.


----------



## shud




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *thedka* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I just picked up this TV over the weekend, and it has been great thus far. I am still tweaking the picture, but it is very suitable. for what I need it to be...a second TV. I was able to pick it up from Best Buy for $540...then sprung for a 4 year at home service plan for an additional $100. I think for the price (not sure why Best Buy has lowered it this much), it is a good buy. The funny thing is when I went to pick it up in store, they had it on display selling for $809 ($10 over msrp)...and they had an open box model they were clearing out for $699.



$540? Is this in Euros? It was $599 when I went there, which is a significant price drop, because the kid I talked to told me that not too long ago they were the same price as the Samsung SlimFits. Online searches confirm that.


Did they offer you maybe a 2 year service plan? $100 is a lot of dough after $599 and tax.


Thedka: How is it for SD viewing? The HD O-T-A tuner built in makes me feel better, because any really important sporting events I can get in HD 16:9, but just general TV surfing is probably going to be stretched out, unless it has some way to change viewing modes.


----------



## lennsx

"(b) Aspect ratios. There are certain channels I just won't have in HD, like ESPN, TNT, FX and whatnot. I fiddled with the menu and the two options it has are 540p and 1080i. WTF is 540p? Does this set force everything to be upscaled to 1080i? I'd probably rather just go with 720p, but it doesn't appear to exist from what I could tell (but I don't know much)"


The two choices for 540p & 1080i apply for DVD's only. (and I leave mine on 540p because I have a Progressive Scan DVD player). There is no shift with cable. And you are correct, the set forces all to 1080i (that is why when you switch from a 720p signaled channel such as ESPN to a 1080i channel such as INHD there is a blackening of the screen and a white slash kinda like when you jerked an Atari cartridge out of the system when you were an impatient kid!) And to me, it's almost false advertising on these CRT HD sets; none of them can actually put out 720p; they all convert them to 1080i. And why no ESPN, TNT, all the major networks, etc. in HD? I have them all. It's the main reason to buy a HD TV!!


----------



## shud

Going to be stuck on SD cable that I have no control over for about 9 months.










I'm really going to miss my non-HD digital channels like the extra MTVs, VH1s, and all the junk channels that are great for killing time. Also Fox Soccer Channel, and especially Discovery HD Theater.










But as long as I can get the important CFB and NFL games on over the air HD stuff, I'll be satisfied. Maybe I can finally get Notre dame games (I hate them, but at the same time fervently root against them) in HD over the air, since TW in my area does not seem to carry the NBC HD offering.


Is there any legitimacy to the guy who asked if upconverting from 720p (Xbox, and X360 games) to 1080i cuts your framerate in half? Jeez, it might be worth just hooking the stuff up through s-video and playing it in standard def to avoid that if it's true!


----------



## thedka




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *shud* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> $540? Is this in Euros? It was $599 when I went there, which is a significant price drop, because the kid I talked to told me that not too long ago they were the same price as the Samsung SlimFits. Online searches confirm that.
> 
> 
> Did they offer you maybe a 2 year service plan? $100 is a lot of dough after $599 and tax.
> 
> 
> Thedka: How is it for SD viewing? The HD O-T-A tuner built in makes me feel better, because any really important sporting events I can get in HD 16:9, but just general TV surfing is probably going to be stretched out, unless it has some way to change viewing modes.



During 4th of July weekend, bestbuy.com was selling TVs at 10% off, $499 and up, hence why I got the TV for ~$540 + tax. I selected the 4-year at home service option for an additional $99 + tax...mostly for peace of mind (thanks to all the reviews on the hf85. There is no 2-year option. Manufacturer warranty is 1 yr I believe.


SD viewing is fine, I mainly got this set because of the QAM tuner, which has been great since comcast leaves a lot of channels in the clear out here. The set has 4 "stretch" options which are pretty good, you can't notice people being fat, etc (unlike my 50" vizio plasma).


----------



## shud




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *thedka* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> During 4th of July weekend, bestbuy.com was selling TVs at 10% off, $499 and up, hence why I got the TV for ~$540 + tax. I selected the 4-year at home service option for an additional $99 + tax...mostly for peace of mind (thanks to all the reviews on the hf85. There is no 2-year option. Manufacturer warranty is 1 yr I believe.
> 
> 
> SD viewing is fine, I mainly got this set because of the QAM tuner, which has been great since comcast leaves a lot of channels in the clear out here. The set has 4 "stretch" options which are pretty good, you can't notice people being fat, etc (unlike my 50" vizio plasma).



Awesome. I have a 10% off coupon from a buddy for CC but they don't sell this set and the Philips was more expensive and didn't look as good. Guess I'm just going to bite the bullet on this one.


Think there's any chance I can finagle them down to $700 even for the service + tax?


----------



## shud

Any gamers here have a recommendation for component cables for PS2? My previous two roommates moved out and my Monstercable Component PS2 set is nowhere to be found (yes I know MC is the devil, I got them for FREE) and they claim they don't have it. Same goes for Xbox, I suppose.


----------



## maxy2889

sumone please help me... i keep getting this blue haze that distorts the picture on my tv and it makes everything have a shade of blue and really messes up the quality... i dont know how this happened... but even when i turn on my tv with nothing plugged into it... the blue still shows up on the black blank screen... and it will occur randomly when i play xbox 360 or simply watch tv... does anyone know wut this could be and/or how i can fix it??


----------



## DirtyHarry




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *shud* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Any gamers here have a recommendation for component cables for PS2? My previous two roommates moved out and my Monstercable Component PS2 set is nowhere to be found (yes I know MC is the devil, I got them for FREE) and they claim they don't have it. Same goes for Xbox, I suppose.



I just bought a cheap one off ebay for my PS2 that I've never had a problem with. For PS2, I don't think monster would make a difference since it's just 480i.


----------



## rothlike




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *maxy2889* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> sumone please help me... i keep getting this blue haze that distorts the picture on my tv and it makes everything have a shade of blue and really messes up the quality... i dont know how this happened... but even when i turn on my tv with nothing plugged into it... the blue still shows up on the black blank screen... and it will occur randomly when i play xbox 360 or simply watch tv... does anyone know wut this could be and/or how i can fix it??



I had a similar problem with my 34HF85, I have an older set of Klipsch spekaers and on of them was too close to the TV, causing some kind of distortion. Moving the speaker a little further away solved the problem.


- R


----------



## stvnham16

Does anyone know the exact resolution (h x w) for the toshiba 26hf85.


----------



## shud




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rothlike* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I had a similar problem with my 34HF85, I have an older set of Klipsch spekaers and on of them was too close to the TV, causing some kind of distortion. Moving the speaker a little further away solved the problem.
> 
> 
> - R



Yeah, older speakers aren't shielded, so the magnets in them can mess up TV pictures.


----------



## stvnham16

I have asked this question two times already and no one has replied. Does anyone know the exact resolution (h x w) for the toshiba 26hf85.


----------



## spurdy

Ugh.


Well, after receiving a call from the tech last week, I was happy to learn that the new HDMI module was scheduled to arrive this week Tuesday or Wednesday, and that I'd be called when it was installed and ready. Being as it's now Thursday, I decided to give the shop a ring to see what was up.


It turns out that Toshiba sent the shop an incorrect package. The tech said that happens occasionally, where Toshiba is sloppy and mixes up shipping labels on replacement parts. Also, he said that while he used to just order a whole replacement board, now Toshiba makes him order just the HDMI module.


I chatted a bit about the whole situation and tried to get information about his experience with manufacturers and warranty service. He said it definitely seems like there may be a conscious effort to draw out completion of repairs so that the warranty is eventually exceeded, or the customer just gets so frustrated they go buy something else and eat the loss. He said that, sadly, it happens frequently.


I commented that, as I understood it, his shop gets paid whenever they perform warranty service under contract for Toshiba. I was hopeful that at some point the bean counters at Toshiba would realize they're taking a big hit, and possibly realize they need to tighten up requirements of their overseas manufacturers, or switch to a different one. But now I'm thinking the amount they fatten their margin by using cheap overseas manufacturing and labor may still outweigh any increase in warranty costs they incur. So, ultimately they can sell crap and still make more money than before. (And we reap the results of that glorious "free trade" in the absence of requiring any comparable labor, environmental, and business practices between the trading parties. But don't get me started on that.)


In any case, if this replacement part doesn't fix it, I'm not sure I can wait that much longer (I'm already over halfway through my 1 year warranty, and have been without the set for months).


Assuming the new HDMI module fix is unsuccessful (though I'm really hoping it works), if Toshiba is not forthcoming with a full refund after I explain my experiences I'm seriously considering looking up a consumer fraud lawyer to communicate my displeasure. Heck, with all of us here we might even be able to put together a decent class action around deceptive advertising (the sets can't correctly show HiDef on HDMI though it's advertised as a feature) and/or breach of the warranty agreement. That'd be a way to make them actually address the issue, rather than continue selling crap based on careful accounting calculations, warranty statistics, and guesses about consumer frustration tolerance.


Here's crossing my fingers that the new HDMI module solves it (when it finally arrives), otherwise I'll be going on the warpath.


----------



## Porcupine2

I hear your pain, as I had written earlier I've been having a terrible experience trying to obtain Toshiba warranty service myself.


As an update to my own situation, not only was I denied warranty coverage, but the "TACP authorized" tech refused to service my TV even if I paid for it out of pocket. He said that Toshiba had denied any knowledge of my problem to him in private, and that without any information he could not perform a repair.


I actually called out an indepedent repairman to service my set and paid for the repair out of pocket. He did some significant repair work (but without using any replacement parts, which may have been necessary) but did not manage to remove the dark horizontal line at the bottom of my screen. He did however repair two other problems with my set. One is that my set had a strangely flickery image. That problem was unique to my particular 30HF85 and the one other display 30HF85 that also had the same dark horizontal line problem as mine. I've never seen any other 30HF85 (or any of my previously owned sets) have that problem. The repairman mostly got rid of the flicker. The other problem he repaired was actually a problem that I thought was a design flaw because every Toshiba CRT has it to a significant extent (the faint slightly tilted lines that crawl down the screen slowly through S-Video/composite). But apparently that may just be due to terrible quality standards on Toshiba's part, as it seems my set has been "fixed."


I'm too pissed at Toshiba though, and since my TV has not been fully repaired I did a chargeback with my credit card company. The process is slow but it looks like it is going to succeed at this juncture. I'll probably have to eat the repair cost I paid though but I guess it is worth it. I was informed that the attempted repair was necessary because it is the only way to prove in writing that my TV set has a defect.


Regardless of whether I get a refund for my TV or not, I'd be more than willing to do what I can to aid in a class-action lawsuit against Toshiba. You are totally right in that the CRT business these days is very uncompetitive, and the TV repair business is even more questionable, and this all results in "free market" dysfunctionality due to pseudo-monopolies existing.


Maybe we should all send in Toshiba complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. Someone earlier had kindly suggested that they could be of help.


I've also noticed that my local Best Buy has some open-box 30HF66 returns and last year's 30" TV/DVD combo right now. Probably a lot of people are having problems.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> In any case, if this replacement part doesn't fix it, I'm not sure I can wait that much longer (I'm already over halfway through my 1 year warranty, and have been without the set for months).
> 
> 
> Assuming the new HDMI module fix is unsuccessful (though I'm really hoping it works), if Toshiba is not forthcoming with a full refund after I explain my experiences I'm seriously considering looking up a consumer fraud lawyer to communicate my displeasure. Heck, with all of us here we might even be able to put together a decent class action around deceptive advertising (the sets can't correctly show HiDef on HDMI though it's advertised as a feature) and/or breach of the warranty agreement. That'd be a way to make them actually address the issue, rather than continue selling crap based on careful accounting calculations, warranty statistics, and guesses about consumer frustration tolerance.
> 
> 
> Here's crossing my fingers that the new HDMI module solves it (when it finally arrives), otherwise I'll be going on the warpath.





> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm too pissed at Toshiba though, and since my TV has not been fully repaired I did a chargeback with my credit card company. The process is slow but it looks like it is going to succeed at this juncture. I'll probably have to eat the repair cost I paid though but I guess it is worth it. I was informed that the attempted repair was necessary because it is the only way to prove in writing that my TV set has a defect.
> 
> 
> Regardless of whether I get a refund for my TV or not, I'd be more than willing to do what I can to aid in a class-action lawsuit against Toshiba. You are totally right in that the CRT business these days is very uncompetitive, and the TV repair business is even more questionable, and this all results in "free market" dysfunctionality due to pseudo-monopolies existing.
> 
> 
> Maybe we should all send in Toshiba complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. Someone earlier had kindly suggested that they could be of help.
> 
> 
> I've also noticed that my local Best Buy has some open-box 30HF66 returns and last year's 30" TV/DVD combo right now. Probably a lot of people are having problems.



You already know that you will have problems with this TV after reading this forum, so why did you buy it? Remember, you're buying Orion, you're buying pain, just like me after already returning 11 defective Orion-made Toshiba products in one year.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You already know that you will have problems with this TV after reading this forum, so why did you buy it?



Um, perhaps because I didn't know beforehand? I hadn't been to these forums before I purchased it.


Besides making me feel worse I don't see that this does much. Yes, I'm now well aware that these TVs aren't good quality. I didn't know before buying it. I accept that there was a lack of research on my part there. Regardless, now I'm trying to make the best of a bad sitaution. Berating me and others for having purchased it after the fact doesn't seem very productive or kind.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Um, perhaps because I didn't know beforehand? I hadn't been to these forums before I purchased it.
> 
> 
> Besides making me feel worse I don't see that this does much. Yes, I'm now well aware that these TVs aren't good quality. I didn't know before buying it. I accept that there was a lack of research on my part there. Regardless, now I'm trying to make the best of a bad sitaution. Berating me and others for having purchased it after the fact doesn't seem very productive or kind.



Right.







The best you can do right now is to annoy Toshiba more to get your 30HFX85 fixed. Toshiba is doing its best it can to keep customers happy, but getting the parts can take a really long time because Toshiba has to order all parts from Orion, and it takes several weeks or, maybe, months of shipment from Thailand to United States. Plus, there is a large number of orders placed by Toshiba right now because the Orion-made electronics keep on breaking. If the set was made by Toshiba in the first place, normally it only takes 1 or 2 days to get the part. I have never heard from any Toshiba 34HF84 or 34HFX84 owners who waited more than a week for a part (maybe that's why we never hear them complaining).


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Right.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The best you can do right now is to annoy Toshiba more to get your 30HFX85 fixed. Toshiba is doing its best it can to keep customers happy, but getting the parts can take a really long time as Toshiba has to order all parts from Orion, and it takes several weeks or, maybe, months of shipment from Thailand to United States. Plus, there is a large number of orders placed by Toshiba right now as the Orion-made electronics keep on breaking. If the set was made by Toshiba in the first place, normally it only takes 1 or 2 days to get the part. I have never heard from any Toshiba 34HF84 or 34HFX84 owners who waited more than a week for a part (maybe that's why we never hear them complaining).



Are you saying that my irritation with Toshiba, or my demanding that they make good on what they advertised is unfair? If so, I find your argument lacking. It was entirely up to them who they used for manufacturing, assembly, etc. Since they make those decisions and sell the product under their name, it is also their responsibility to take care of the results of those decisions. Simply because Orion sucks doesn't absolve Toshiba of responsibility. They still chose to contract with Orion, and sold the set under the Toshiba name. The TV is branded "Toshiba" and they, as a company, are the ones who promised a certain feature set, and with whom I have the warranty agreement. How they produced it is entirely irrelevant to their responsibility for making things right.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba is doing its best it can to keep customers happy...



This is totally not true. If it were: 1) they would be making sure Orion makes a decent TV for them, and 2) they would not have claimed no knowledge of my particular set's problems and refused me warranty service.


Greedy Toshiba is trying to make the most money they can even though they no longer even produce their own CRTs, by outsourcing to an inferior company at low cost, and making unreasonable profits on each cheaply-produced set they sell, with a fake "Toshiba" advertising marketing label stamped on the front.


Their goal is to make the most money possible through the cheapest possible labor and abuse of the American consumer, without any honest intention of helping American consumers get a quality product to watch television on.


I agree with what spurdy is saying, Toshiba is still responsible for all issues related to their TVs. It does not matter that they are outsourcing to Orion, ultimate they still bear all the responsiblity because that is the name stamped on front of these TVs.


I agree with you though that I was dumb to buy this last set.







At $600 on closeout sale I figured the worst I could get was a TV with various problems my previous sets had. Instead I got a set which was terrific at first with almost no problems, but it broke down 2-3 weeks later with some new issues I had never seen before, and which Toshiba claims they have no knowledge of (despite the fact that I later saw another 30HF85 with the same problems as mine).


Plus, there was no other CRT with bottom speakers around. Thus arises the problem of the pseudo-monopoly (Toshiba being the only company producing a bottom-speaker CRT), which causes problems in the "free-market" system. Not enough competition in this case, although I guess Samsung had a bottom-speaker CRT too (but I liked theirs even less due to design issues).


If I get rid of my current 30HF85 I have no idea what TV to get to replace it, and I'd already bought a perfectly-sized TV stand to match this 30HF85, etc. There are a lot of complicated issues surrounding a TV purchase, so I think there need to be more laws regulating the standards to which TV makers must adhere to. What we have right now isn't terrible (a generous return policy, in many places) but it's not efficient either. It only leads to multiple stupid returns, exchanges, and calls for warranty service from people like us.







Instead, I think TV makers need to be forced to make things right the first time, or suffer huge fines and penalties.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> There are a lot of complicated issues surrounding a TV purchase, so I think there need to be more laws regulating the standards to which TV makers must adhere to. What we have right now isn't terrible (a generous return policy, in many places) but it's not efficient either. It only leads to multiple stupid returns, exchanges, and calls for warranty service from people like us.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Instead, I think TV makers need to be forced to make things right the first time, or suffer huge fines and penalties.



At the risk of getting too off topic, I'm not sure more direct regulation of TVs is needed necessarily so much as reasonable trade practices between nations (so there isn't such incentive to outsource to places with slave wages and lax environmental laws) and making sure corporations can't skirt existing warranty liability and false advertising statues.


But enough about that I suppose. We've found that:


A) Toshiba decided to contract construction of their sets to Orion, presumably to reduce costs and thereby increase their profit margins.


B) Whether or not they knew of the likelihood of problems surrounding that choice, they took the chance and now bear the responsibility to correct any customer issues that are within warranty.


I actually did call Toshiba customer service shortly after my most recent call to the shop tech. The Toshiba rep I spoke to was quite polite and did seem genuinely concerned that I had been without my set for so long and that the repair had been dragging on.


He took down a full report of my issues and attempted fixes so far, and instructed me to fax a letter with my name and address, a brief description of my issues, and a copy of the receipt to a number he provided. He said that way if the HDMI module replacement doesn't finally fix it, there will be a record in place and we can see how things might proceed from there as far as a refund.


It was overall a positive experience, much more so than the first time when a rep told me he needed a "second opinion" when the home visits from the first shop were unsuccessful, and referred me to the other authorized repair shop that has my set now. This latest call did a lot to improve my opinion of Toshiba, at least in my case.


If an otherwise good company happens to misstep (i.e. if Toshiba wasn't aware of how shoddy the Orions would be, or if Orion promised a certain level of quality and didn't deliver), but then makes sure to take care of their customers afterward, then I don't fault them. However, if they knowingly cut corners and then try to dodge responsibility (as it sounds like many others have experienced), that's another thing entirely. We'll see how it plays out in the end.


----------



## SkltLqr

A couple of years ago, I picked up a 30HF83 from Amazon. I generally like this TV quite a bit for its aspect ratio and size, but I've noticed for a while now that while displaying DVDs (and OTA HD, SD cable and DBS), there is often a sort of digital haze in the background. Also, any sort of diagonal line, especially in the 45* range, gets afflicted with jaggies. It can be quite annoying, but I have always chalked it up to one of two things: 480p content on a 1080i screen OR a bad film-to-DVD transfer.


I've also played switcheroo with cables to no avail.


FWIW, here is the setup: Toshiba 30HF83 being fed by Denon DVD 910 (SD, non-upscaling, was inexpensive a year or so back) and a Samsung SIR-T451 OTA HD receiver (cheap via eBay). Both use component, and I have tried different grades of cable (nothing really expensive, though). I used to have a PS2 and XBOX hooked up as well, with some similar probs.


Is there any sort of DIY fix for this, or am I stuck with it? I've messed with the output settings with no discernible gain. Will going up to the next level of cable type (DVI/HDCP) help? The Samsung has a DVI out I haven't tried and upscaling DVD players are pretty cheap these days.


Search did not reveal anything on this. Thanks for any replies.


----------



## stvnham16

As I watch my tv from day to day it seems to be getting blurrier on both side of the screen, but the middle seems to be perfectly clear. On both sides when text is shown it is not as clear and easy to read as when text is displayed in the center. How do i fix this.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> As I watch my tv from day to day it seems to be getting blurrier on both side of the screen, but the middle seems to be perfectly clear. On both sides when text is shown it is not as clear and easy to read as when text is displayed in the center. How do i fix this.



It's a convergence problem. The only way to fix this is to open the back of the TV and adjust one of the rings in the center of the the tube, which is a risky thing to do.


----------



## lennsx

Couldn't he hire an ISF calibrator to fix it?


----------



## stvnham16

There are no sm fixes for this?


----------



## lennsx

I personally don't know, but if an ISF calibrator can fix it then I'd say go for it because I've been told that these Toshiba (or Orions, to not piss anyone off) look VASTLY better when done so!


----------



## stvnham16

I will be spending as much to calibrate the tv as I did for the tv. I heard it's like $300-500. Plus it's only a 26' so I would rather put up with this tv for another year and buy a nice plasma with the money I would be spending on calibration.


----------



## Porcupine2

The problem with the screen getting blurrier at the sides is due to 3 issues: 1) all shadow-mask CRTs get slightly blurrier at the sides because the dot pitch is not as fine there, however usually it is not enough to cause complaint so in this case your issues are 2) there are RGB convergence problems at the sides of your set, and 3) your set is out-of-focus at the sides. Problems 2) and 3) are common on many "Toshiba" sets these days due to awful quality control. They simply result from a "bad picture tube" and nothing can be done to fix the problem other than trashing the TV or returning it.


Even if you were to adjust the RGB convergence via the controls inside the TV, you won't be able to fix the bad RGB convergence at the sides because the Toshiba only has global RGB convergence controls inside. I don't know how to adjust the convergence myself but since I recently had my TV partially repaired, the repairman was kind enough to do a quick in-home RGB convergence procedure for free (well, I paid him to try to fix the other problems of my set). It only took him a couple minutes, and he said it was very easy and very safe to do for him (it did appear easy, when I saw him do it).


But the sides of my TV still have fairly bad RGB convergence and the left side only has bad focus and bad geometry too (bad picture tube) but that's just how these Orion TVs are these days. I went through several 30HF85's and most were like this, but not all. All my sets had bad convergence and also maybe bad focus in certain areas but it was always in different spots, seemingly quality-control related, not design-related.


----------



## Girl Friday




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *aglennon* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Had this unit since January - no problems whatsoever, until this week. TV suddenly will not power on. Have tried every trick I know, but it won't come on. I've had it connected to a Monster Power - Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter surge protector (no lightning lately either). Tried turning it on by remote & by front panel Power button; tried a regular wall outlet; tried unplugging overnight to cycle - nothing. No menu settings have changed since purchased and we have no kids so have never used any "lock" or "v-chip" settings. The last time it worked, I set the Sleep Timer to one hour, then next morning, nothing. When the front panel power button is pushed, the unit makes the normal "click", the red light comes on, then goes off - no pic starts up or anything. I really hope that this three-month-old TV hasn't died, especially when we aren't even able to move it. When it was delivered by Eagle in January (whole other story), we had to tip the delivery guy to bring it into our house. BTW, we simply have a direct cable TV coaxial connection (no cable box or STB, as many have written about in this forum) that is filtered through the Monster PowerCenter.



Here is my story:

Purchased the 30HF85 01/02/06

Two weeks ago during a great movie the TV shut off. I thought my leg hit the remote but it would not go back on. I tried to turn it on by pushing power button on set -- no luck. Unplugged it, let it sit, and tried another outlet -- still no luck. It did make a short high-pitched noise for a second or two. How bizarre!


This TV went bad after only 6 months. Found out today it has a bad Horizontal Output Transistor & needs a Fly Back. Have to order the part -- it takes week to 10 days & then they will call to reschedule coming out to install it. I learned quickly that Stores WILL NOT take back TV's that you have purchased over 30 days ago. Meanwhilewe are without a TV & you are at the mercy of the manufacturer who really does not care & only refers you to an authorized repair center - where then you are at their mercy. The stores do not really care. Oh, unless you purchased the additional warranty agreement. Unbelievable!


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Girl Friday* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Here is my story:
> 
> Purchased the 30HF85 01/02/06
> 
> Two weeks ago during a great movie the TV shut off. I thought my leg hit the remote but it would not go back on. I tried to turn it on by pushing power button on set -- no luck. Unplugged it, let it sit, and tried another outlet -- still no luck. It did make a short high-pitched noise for a second or two. How bizarre!
> 
> 
> This TV went bad after only 6 months. Found out today it has a bad Horizontal Output Transistor & needs a Fly Back.



Thanks for providing this info. There are couple of Toshiba HD CRT owners with this same problem you are describing. Looks like it's the horizontal output transister and flyback after all that causes some Orion CRT HDTVs to not power up after a few months from purchase.


----------



## spurdy

The shop reports my 30HFX85 is now fixed. I've scheduled to go in and inspect the results myself tomorrow morning (I don't want to schedule them to deliver it, only to find it's still not right and have to schedule another time for them to come get it again).


I'll definitely be giving a full report here once I've looked at it. I plan to bring in my DVD player and several discs to test with (movies I've used before where I can easily reproduce the problem).


I certainly hope it's fixed. I seem to have gotten fairly lucky as far as the tube is concerned (pretty good convergence, focus, and general geometry) so if this does it, I'll be content.


Cross your fingers for me everyone!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy*  /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The shop reports my 30HFX85 is now fixed. I've scheduled to go in and inspect the results myself tomorrow morning (I don't want to schedule them to deliver it, only to find it's still not right and have to schedule another time for them to come get it again).
> 
> 
> I'll definitely be giving a full report here once I've looked at it. I plan to bring in my DVD player and several discs to test with (movies I've used before where I can easily reproduce the problem).
> 
> 
> I certainly hope it's fixed. I seem to have gotten fairly lucky as far as the tube is concerned (pretty good convergence, focus, and general geometry) so if this does it, I'll be content.
> 
> 
> Cross your fingers for me everyone!



Fingers crossed, hope it works out well for you spurdy and thanks for keeping us informed. If everything is good, a rundown on the specific parts that were replaced and any other service adjustments would be very informative for fellow HF85 set owners. Best of luck.


----------



## InYourEyes

I don't think anybody has noticed this yet, but after a year since the thread was started, we are now at page 31 in this thread, and NOT a single person who owns a Toshiba 34HF84 or 34HFX84 has come up and describe a problem in the TV. This is incredible. Toshiba-made TVs must be very reliable and rugged.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Fingers crossed, hope it works out well for you spurdy and thanks for keeping us informed. If everything is good, a rundown on the specific parts that were replaced and any other service adjustments would be very informative for fellow HF85 set owners. Best of luck.



Did you manage to get your 34HF85 fixed? We haven't heard from you lately.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Did you manage to get your 34HF85 fixed? We haven't heard from you lately.



Walt - As I said in prior posts in this thread, I have used workarounds to get around the anomolies in my 34HF85. On component inputs, if my devices are set to 720p output (rather than 1080i), I do not see the "white glow"at the top of the screen. On the HDMI input, certain devices were not compatible with my set and these devices would trigger the banding problems on my set. But the STB and upconverting DVD player I currently have connected to the set work fine with no banding problems. My chief worry with these workarounds is that when I upgrade to new devices, these problems could again crop up without any viable workarounds.


Also, as I stated on this thread some months ago, I have generally been pleased with this set after having it calibrated. HD performance was markedly improved on my set with a calibration in terms of contrast and color balance. I continue to hold that view.


I might have missed it, but I have been waiting to read a SINGLE report of Toshiba successfully addressing either of these issues on HF85 sets through warranty service. I am not thrilled by the prospect of having my set sit on a service bench for months, only to have it returned in the same condition I sent it. I still have about two months on my warranty and hope to read on this forum that somebody has been successful in addressing either the "white glow" or banding problems after a parts replacement or set adjustment by a Toshiba service rep. If that happens within the warranty period, I will then have to decide whether or not I want to get the set serviced or live with its ideosyncracies.


I am thankful this forum has constructive folks like spurdy as contributors so that others can be the beneficiaries of their patient efforts and information sharing. From my perspective, this forum could use a lot more posts from constructive folks like spurdy, and fewer posts focused on bashing Toshiba because of their decision to outsource, as though any of us want to hear that refrain repeated over and over again.


----------



## lennsx

fburch, you are a class act. Glad you are well! I still haven't had my 34HF85 calibrated, but when I do I will post the results as promised.


----------



## spurdy

Well, unfortunately the repair didn't fix it. It only took seconds after hooking up my player via HDMI, verifying it was set to output 1080i, and popping in disc 2 of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (a disc where during the first few minutes I can consistently and obviously reproduce the banding).


It might have been because the front room of the shop was rather bright, but I thought that the banding seemed less severe. But still, it was there and easily evident, so I know I wouldn't be able to ignore it and be satisfied.


Unfortunately the tech wasn't there to consult with (he's out on Wednesdays and Fridays doing in-home calls), but the woman who I've spoken with so many times on the phone was there (in an actually kind of nice personal way, it was good to finally put a face to the voice; at least one positive aspect to the experience). We tried a disc they had on hand there too, and it also showed the problem. Not wanting to schedule a drop-off and have to take more time out of my work, I asked if it would be OK to leave the set there while I communicated with Toshiba. They were very accommodating and said it was also fine for me to refer Toshiba to them for details if need be.


So, I will now be faxing a full step-by-step report of "the show so far" to the number Toshiba gave me, along with dates of all pertinent actions taken. Hopefully they will do the right thing and grant a refund as their product hasn't lived up to its billing.


I couldn't get details on the specific work done (sorry fburch!) as the tech wasn't there. But, as it hasn't resolved the problem it seems sort of a moot point anyway.


I'll post back with my experiences when I next hear from Toshiba about the refund. Take care till then, everybody!


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, unfortunately the repair didn't fix it. It only took seconds after hooking up my player via HDMI, verifying it was set to output 1080i, and popping in disc 2 of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (a disc where during the first few minutes I can consistently and obviously reproduce the banding).
> 
> 
> It might have been because the front room of the shop was rather bright, but I thought that the banding seemed less severe. But still, it was there and easily evident, so I know I wouldn't be able to ignore it and be satisfied.
> 
> 
> Unfortunately the tech wasn't there to consult with (he's out on Wednesdays and Fridays doing in-home calls), but the woman who I've spoken with so many times on the phone was there (in an actually kind of nice personal way, it was good to finally put a face to the voice; at least one positive aspect to the experience). We tried a disc they had on hand there too, and it also showed the problem. Not wanting to schedule a drop-off and have to take more time out of my work, I asked if it would be OK to leave the set there while I communicated with Toshiba. They were very accommodating and said it was also fine for me to refer Toshiba to them for details if need be.
> 
> 
> So, I will now be faxing a full step-by-step report of "the show so far" to the number Toshiba gave me, along with dates of all pertinent actions taken. Hopefully they will do the right thing and grant a refund as their product hasn't lived up to its billing.
> 
> 
> I couldn't get details on the specific work done (sorry fburch!) as the tech wasn't there. But, as it hasn't resolved the problem it seems sort of a moot point anyway.
> 
> 
> I'll post back with my experiences when I next hear from Toshiba about the refund. Take care till then, everybody!



If it didn't fix, I'm guessing the problem is somewhere at the main board. If you do get a refund, what TV are you getting next?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If it didn't fix, I'm guessing the problem is somewhere at the main board. If you do get a refund, what TV are you getting next?



Who knows where the problem ultimately lies. At this point I'm not terribly interested.










As far as what TV to get next (assuming Toshiba will refund me), I'm not sure. If this hadn't taken so long I would have tried to get one of the few remaining Sony XBR960n sets, but that's probably a lost cause at this point. Perhaps there are a few superfine pitch sets left (maybe I could still find a 30XS955 around somewhere?) I'd rather not have to "settle" for the XBR970.


I'd consider some sort of flat panel technology (either LCD or plasma) if the picture quality is good. Whatever I get, I really want to be able to display the full 1080 lines in the maximium HD resolution, and most flat panel sets currently in my price range top out at around 768. So maybe I'll just hobble along with my old 27" Sharp SD set with S-Video for a while longer until prices come down and technology improves.


In any case I'll definitely be doing much more research next time, armed with vastly improved knowledge of HDTV and my trusty Avia DVD. The 30HFX85 was much more of an impulse technology purchase than is characteristic of me (I spent weeks researching all the parts for the latest computer I put together, and it runs lightning quick and is rock solid stable).


Lesson learned.


----------



## spurdy

I still need to call Cascade Electronics to get the actual date when they picked up my TV (I've forgotten), but otherwise this is pretty much what I'll be faxing to them along with my purchase receipt, as the customer service rep instructed.


=============================================


Dear Sir or Madam:


I am writing to relate the issues surrounding attempted warranty repair of my new Toshiba 30HFX85 television, as instructed by one of your customer service representatives.


I purchased the television (Serial Number: *************) on 1/1/2006 from my local Video Only retailer and took possession of the unit on 1/3/2006. Though I at the time I did not have the ability to utilize the HDMI input on the set, the future compatibility was a key feature and reason for my choosing it.


Intrigued by the possibilities of HDTV (I had not owned one before) I decided to buy a new DVD player that could use this new interface, and also output a high definition signal. I returned to Video Only and purchased a Toshiba SD-6980SU DVD player on 1/16/2006. Being unfamiliar with the technology, I spent the next few weeks learning both the television and DVD player's settings and capabilities.


Shortly afterwards I noticed a peculiar behavior when the DVD player was set to output 1080i over the HDMI interface to the television. During certain scenes (generally when high contrast elements were moving in or out of view from the left-hand side of the screen) shadowy bands would streak across the entire display. I found I could reproduce this behavior consistently once I identified a scene that caused it. Initially I thought that the behavior didn't occur when the DVD player was set to output at 720p, however after some investigation I saw that it happened in that case too, albeit less severely. The issue did not occur using the component interface.


As I am somewhat demanding about video quality and the performance of my electronics and computers in general, and very much wanted to use the lossless HDMI digital interface, I was a bit disappointed. Realizing repair was needed I looked up an authorized customer service center on your website.


On 2/27/2006 a technician from Sharper Video came to my home to examine the set. I demonstrated the issue for him. He suggested we try a different DVD player and HDMI cable to ensure that the television was the source of the problem. He provided a DVD player and cable from his truck and we were able to reproduce the behavior. He called back to his shop, and then said he'd need to call Toshiba to see if there was a service bulletin on the issue. He mentioned possibly fixing it by adjusting some low-level settings in the television. I rescheduled for another appointment.


On 3/6/2006 the technician returned. I was not able to be home due to my work, but my wife was there to let him in. She reported that he was unable to correct the problem using whatever information he had obtained from Toshiba.

Within the next week (I don't have the specific date recorded) I called Toshiba customer service to request a refund, as the television was not able to correctly display high definition signals over HDMI as advertised. I explained my experiences so far, and the representative said he needed a second opinion before a refund could be issued. I found this a bit off-putting but agreed to do it. He suggested I take the set to another local authorized service center, Cascade Electronics.


On 3/??/2006 Cascade Electronics sent out a technician. I demonstrated the issue for him and he agreed that my set may require hardware repair. I helped him load the television into his van. He said that their technicians would be in contact with me once they'd had a chance to examine the set. A few days later I spoke to the Cascade Electronics technician. He said he could see the issue I was talking about, and that the unit needed an HDMI module replacement. He reported he would place an order and let me know when the part arrived.


Several months went by. Every few weeks I called Cascade Electronics to inquire about the status of the repair. Each time the technician apologized, but said that the part was on back order and still had not arrived. Finally, on Thursday, 7/13/2006 I called again to get an update and the technician said the part had just arrived. He opened the box while I was on the phone, and then reported that Toshiba had sent the incorrect part. He apologized, and reported that this happens with some frequency (apparently a mixup with shipping labels when replacement parts are sent out). He put a rush order on correcting the shipping mistake and said he should have the correct component early the next week.


The same afternoon I called Toshiba Customer Service again. I reported my experiences up to that point, and asked about a refund if the fix turned out to be unsuccessful. The representative I spoke with this time was much more pleasant and understanding. He expressed genuine concern about how long I had been without my television (over three months at this point). He created a record in the customer service database (keyed to my home and cell phone numbers: ***-***-****, and ***-***-****, respectively) and took down my report of the issues and attempted fixes so far. He said this would serve as a record going forward if the fix did not work. He instructed me to fax this letter and a copy of my receipt to ***-***-****.


On Tuesday, 7/18/2006 I received a call that my television had been repaired. The next day I called Cascade Electronics to ask if I could come by and verify the repair (not wanting to schedule a time to take out of my work to receive the set at home in the case that it wasn't fixed). On Friday, 7/21/2006 I went to Cascade Electronics. I brought my DVD player, HDMI cable, and a DVD movie that I knew could easily reproduce the issue. Upon testing the repaired unit I found the issue still to be present. Though the technician was not available to consult (he was out doing in-home repairs that day) the other staff suggested we try another DVD from those they had on hand. We did and the problem was still evident. I asked them if I could leave the television with them while I contacted you about the refund. They were very accommodating and also said it was fine for me to refer you to them regarding any questions on the repairs performed.


At this point it seems obvious that there is something fundamentally wrong with the 30HFX85 television. It is unable to perform as advertised (correct display of 1080i and 720p signals received over HDMI). I have been quite patient and have pursued all the avenues of repair suggested by your customer service representatives. I have tolerated being without my new television for the majority of time I've owned it. In light of all of the above, I request that Toshiba refund me the full purchase price ($690 US). I have retained the box and all packaging materials for the television, and will be happy to provide them along with the defective unit. I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Sincerely,

Seth Purdy


=============================================


Below the signature I provide the addresses, phone numbers, and my relevant invoice or service order numbers for Video Only, Sharper Video, and Cascade Electronics.


----------



## Porcupine2

One thing that I would probably find infuriating in that situation is that a repair was attempted that most likely had no chance of success to begin with. Whatever "replacement HDMI module" you got would most likely share the same faults as the original one, since it seems that all 2005 Toshiba CRTs have had this problem. Yet Toshiba, either from utter stupidity or intolerable business ethics, have allowed a "fake repair" to be attempted that has gone on for half a year, with you being without your TV.


I wonder, would it help if several of us filed complaints with Toshiba all at once, with the Federal Trade Commission or something?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> One thing that I would probably find infuriating in that situation is that a repair was attempted that most likely had no chance of success to begin with. Whatever "replacement HDMI module" you got would most likely share the same faults as the original one, since it seems that all 2005 Toshiba CRTs have had this problem. Yet Toshiba, either from utter stupidity or intolerable business ethics, have allowed a "fake repair" to be attempted that has gone on for half a year, with you being without your TV.



I didn't have a lot of faith that the repair would fix it either, but at least it takes care of one of Toshiba's potential excuses. Now that I've jumped through all the hoops, and documented it thoroughly, it seems pretty straightforward that they need to produce a refund.


Yeah, it has sucked to be without an HDTV for so long after having paid for it. I guess Toshiba will have gotten a $690 zero interest loan for about 8 months.


----------



## rajgupta

My Toshiba 36" Cinema series TV powers ups at all white screen. It comes up like this and then the light on power switch starts blinking. Even the menu button doesn't change video.

It appears like video it totally locked out.

Does anybody have any idea what to do? Any help will be greatly appreciated.


Raj


----------



## Nonnie

Spurdy,


You shouldn't have a problem getting the refund as long as you get all the documentation to the right cs supervisor. If you look back through the archived threads pertaining to the 30HF84 (I believe the title was "Toshiba 30HF84 I just received from Amazon" by Arthur King) you'll find mention of a few guys who received refunds and the names of the customer service supervisors at Toshiba that made it happen.


If they offer a credit by chance, you might want to consider the 32 or 37HL95. They are still available and substantially lower in price than six months ago. I have the 37 and I love it. Real Toshiba quality lcd, with spectacular pq.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rajgupta* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> My Toshiba 36" Cinema series TV powers ups at all white screen. It comes up like this and then the light on power switch starts blinking. Even the menu button doesn't change video.
> 
> It appears like video it totally locked out.
> 
> Does anybody have any idea what to do? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> 
> Raj



Does it occur in every input and in every channel station? If so, then your set probably went kapput. It's not a common problem found in this TV, so your set was probably a lemon in the first place. Good luck getting it serviced.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nonnie* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> If they offer a credit by chance, you might want to consider the 32 or 37HL95. They are still available and substantially lower in price than six months ago. I have the 37 and I love it. Real Toshiba quality lcd, with spectacular pq.



I don't think he's interested in Toshiba anymore after the hell he has gone through. Plus, it's out of his price range. He said he wants Sony next, so he deserves a Sony.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I don't think he's interested in Toshiba anymore after the hell he has gone through. Plus, it's out of his price range. He said he wants Sony next, so he deserves a Sony.



A few corrections, if I might speak for myself...










I'm actually increasing my price range a bit. Normally I do abide by the "you get what you pay for" rationale, but the 30HFX85 purchase, as I mentioned, was uncharacteristically impulsive of me. I may consider going up to $1000 or thereabouts, if it means I get something in the 30-34" range that meets my standards. CRT, LCD, or plasma, whatever. I'm not set on a particular technology, I'm just set on getting something of high quality that will produce a great picture and last.


I'm also not dead set on a Sony (or any brand for that matter), I just heard great things about the superfine pitch CRTs, and so was interested in them.


Thanks for your thoughts on the HL95 series, Nonnie. I'll take a look at them.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thanks for your thoughts on the HL95 series, Nonnie. I'll take a look at them.



HL95 is the last year LCD series by Toshiba. This year is the HL66 REGZAs. They are made by Toshiba (26" and larger sets only) and have the all-new 24-bit Toshiba video pixel-pure technology chip. Response time is more faster than the last year HL95. I personally own a Toshiba 32HL66 REGZA for myself (I'm probably the first one in the block), and the picture quality looks just as good as the HL95 that Nonnie has right now.


----------



## spurdy

Well, the fax is sent. I plan to call their customer service tomorrow to see what can be done.


In anticipation of getting my money back, and with my increased budget, I've gone and gotten myself all interested in true 1080 LCDs. So, I'll be perusing these Westinghouse LVM-37w3 and Scepter X37SV-Naga threads, but I'll keep updating on my refund story here until it reaches some sort of conclusion.


----------



## Porcupine2

Those are exactly the two sets I am considering as well if I get a refund. We think alike and consider the same things important.







The annoying thing is that I cannot find them in real life. They seem to be online-only options.


----------



## Ratman

I thought you had a Best Buy in Hawaii?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....ref=25&loc=GOO


----------



## dsaskew

To all 30HF66 owners:

I have a question about a notice that was included in the package with the user manual and waranty card. The notice stated that when using this TV for cable without a c cable box the channel numbers on the TV would not match the Cable numbers etc. etc. but then the notice goes on to state that their is a firmware update to improve this situation. The question is did anyone else recieve this notice and did they contact Toshiba and try and get the firmware update? I contacted Toshiba and the CSR I spoke to denied any knowledge of a firmware update. My 30hf66 is a March 2006 build and I bought it at Best Buy for the 599.00 price. Out of the box the TV looked very good . I did some tweaking with DVE and using the geometry test pattern and convergence pattern I lucked out and recieved a tv with near perfect geometry and near perfect convergence. I am very happy with this set. I picked it up last Friday (7/21/06). This tv is a secondary set and not my prime viewing set. This model appears to have fixed many of the problems that HF85 series had. I am connected to through HDMI to a D" HR10-250 and there are no white glow issues, I can't remember what some of the other issues were but I have not noticed anything yet. The ESPN ticker across the bottom is perfect. My choice for a set was pretty limited to this set and the Samsung 3080 , the LG slimfit was to wide and the Samsung did not have a QAM tuner. I did not want to spend the money on the 32" LCD's I looked at (JVC, Sony). FYI, Best Buy is discontinuing carrying the 30HF66 so once stock runs out that is it.


----------



## spurdy

Ok. So today I:


1) Called Toshiba to request the refund. After hearing the whole woeful tale of the failed repair, the rep said "Well, what does the shop say about it now?" I said I didn't know, since I hadn't actually talked to the technician since verifying the problem still occurred. So, I say I'll call them right away and see what they say.


2) I call Cascade Electronics. The tech is there and we chat for a good while. He confirms that he didn't see the problem on their player (I seriously wonder if this isn't just due to the mercurial nature of the defect; that it might not jump right out at you in a bright room if you're just spot checking, and with a movie that doesn't have a lot of light/dark panning motion). He also confirmed that, having replaced everything having to do with HDMI on the set, there weren't any further repairs that would make sense. I thanked him and hung up.


3) Call back to Toshiba. Get a new service rep. Explain the whole story (being extra nice and personable) and ask about the refund. They zero in on the DVD player at the repair shop. I repeat that the first technician who came to my home verified the problem was in the TV by using a different player and cable. They wouldn't be swayed. I was transfered to a "DVD specialist" (who was obviously reading canned troubleshooting questions for the first few minutes). After a few sessions on hold, they say that they strongly suspect that it's my DVD player.


So get this, they're having me send my "faulty" SD-6980 player in, and they'll be sending out...






(wait for it...)







... the *exact same model!*










Since there seemed to be no way to convince them otherwise once they'd latched on to the "well the Cascade Electronics tech said it was fixed!" idea, I agreed to this final troubleshooting effort.


My gut tells me that they're just doing standard pocketbook math. Much cheaper to replace and ship a new player than cough up a refund for the television itself (not to mention having to pay to ship that behemoth somewhere). Never mind the fact that it's the TV's implementation of HDMI that's plainly suspect given all the data so far.


I may bring my equipment in to Cascade Electronics again, when the technician is there, and show him in person exactly what I'm talking about. Then we could try his "working" player and see if it really is actually working correctly or not.


That and jumping through this last "replace the player" hoop should pretty much leave no question that the TV is faulty.


Ugh.


"I've been workin' on the reeee-fund, aaaall the live long daaaay!"


EDIT: Just called Cascade Electronics again. So it turns out that the tech *didn't* actually hook it up and verify the defect prior to the repair. (!!) I guess they just took my word for it and ordered the HDMI module replacement. So, I'm now setting up a time to come in and demonstrate the defect to the tech using their equipment. This likely won't be until early next week due to scheduling. Then I'll have knocked this ridiculous argument out from under Toshiba.


----------



## Porcupine2

spurdy, I don't see how Toshiba can be so stupid as to not know about their well-known HDMI problem that is documented all over the place.


This DVD player thing is idiotic, don't go along with their stupidity any longer.


Call them back and YELL at them on the phone. That is what I would do. Regardless of whether it works or not. Just keep calling them and tell them "#@#% YOU!!!" and even after they hang up call back again and again. Make sure you threaten them with a lawsuit. Tell them you will either take them to small claims court or start up a class action lawsuit with a bunch of other dissatisfied 30HF85 owners you are currently communicating with. Tell them you will report their product to the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.


Heck, if you want, I'll call too and yell at them after you do.







Like 20 of us should call them and yell at them and tie up their phone lines. I dunno, is this illegal?


Based on the response Toshiba has just given you, I doubt you have much chance of Toshiba agreeing to refund your TV. Their business practices are the worst possible, their Better Business Bureau record is intolerable, etc.


I think we should all file reports on Toshiba CRTs through the Federal Trade Commission. I could file one too, regardless of whether or not I manage to get a refund through my credit card company. Toshiba does not fear anything other than a lawsuit or a federal investigation, I think. So you have to be willing to instigate either or both, I think, if you want to have any chance at justice being done.


Wait a moment, now that I think about it swearing at Toshiba over the phone may not be a good idea. They may record their phone conversations (you get that auto-message informing you of it). You don't want to say or do anything that could get recorded and used against you in a court of law. I still think you should call them back and at least threaten politely to take them to small claims court or something, though. I did something similar in my only phone conversation with Toshiba myself. As soon as I realized they had no intention of offering me any replacement, repair, or refund, I simply told them they would be hearing from my credit card company and hung up on them.


I am not very old or very knowledgeable about these things though, so perhaps you should not listen to what I just said. -_-;


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I am not very old or very knowledgeable about these things though, so perhaps you should not listen to what I just said. -_-;



Now that's advice well taken!


----------



## rothlike




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> spurdy, I don't see how Toshiba can be so stupid as to not know about their well-known HDMI problem that is documented all over the place.



Maybe send them a link to this forum/thread and let them know you're wise to the many problems so cut out the B.S. At least it's worth a try though with companies like that they will deny it even with the irrefutable evidence in front of their face.


-- R


----------



## spurdy

I've just filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Hopefully it will shake something loose at a point further up the customer service hierarchy.


----------



## Porcupine2

Exactly what company did you file your BBB complaint against? The most relevant one seems to be this one: http://www.trenton.bbb.org/nis/newse...21000029001179 


but as you can see Toshiba doesn't seem to be concerned with maintaining a satisfactory record with the BBB.


Do you want me to file a BBB complaint too, against the same "company" you did, just to cause Toshiba trouble?


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dsaskew* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> FYI, Best Buy is discontinuing carrying the 30HF66 so once stock runs out that is it.



I'm surprised BB would discontinue carrying a set that just came out, are you sure about this? This sounds interesting. Is the set itself discontinued, or is it just BB discontinuing their relationship with the Toshiba CRTs?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok. So today I:
> 
> 
> 1) Called Toshiba to request the refund. After hearing the whole woeful tale of the failed repair, the rep said "Well, what does the shop say about it now?" I said I didn't know, since I hadn't actually talked to the technician since verifying the problem still occurred. So, I say I'll call them right away and see what they say.
> 
> 
> 2) I call Cascade Electronics. The tech is there and we chat for a good while. He confirms that he didn't see the problem on their player (I seriously wonder if this isn't just due to the mercurial nature of the defect; that it might not jump right out at you in a bright room if you're just spot checking, and with a movie that doesn't have a lot of light/dark panning motion). He also confirmed that, having replaced everything having to do with HDMI on the set, there weren't any further repairs that would make sense. I thanked him and hung up.
> 
> 
> 3) Call back to Toshiba. Get a new service rep. Explain the whole story (being extra nice and personable) and ask about the refund. They zero in on the DVD player at the repair shop. I repeat that the first technician who came to my home verified the problem was in the TV by using a different player and cable. They wouldn't be swayed. I was transfered to a "DVD specialist" (who was obviously reading canned troubleshooting questions for the first few minutes). After a few sessions on hold, they say that they strongly suspect that it's my DVD player.
> 
> 
> So get this, they're having me send my "faulty" SD-6980 player in, and they'll be sending out...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (wait for it...)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ... the *exact same model!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Since there seemed to be no way to convince them otherwise once they'd latched on to the "well the Cascade Electronics tech said it was fixed!" idea, I agreed to this final troubleshooting effort.
> 
> 
> My gut tells me that they're just doing standard pocketbook math. Much cheaper to replace and ship a new player than cough up a refund for the television itself (not to mention having to pay to ship that behemoth somewhere). Never mind the fact that it's the TV's implementation of HDMI that's plainly suspect given all the data so far.
> 
> 
> I may bring my equipment in to Cascade Electronics again, when the technician is there, and show him in person exactly what I'm talking about. Then we could try his "working" player and see if it really is actually working correctly or not.
> 
> 
> That and jumping through this last "replace the player" hoop should pretty much leave no question that the TV is faulty.
> 
> 
> Ugh.
> 
> 
> "I've been workin' on the reeee-fund, aaaall the live long daaaay!"
> 
> 
> EDIT: Just called Cascade Electronics again. So it turns out that the tech *didn't* actually hook it up and verify the defect prior to the repair. (!!) I guess they just took my word for it and ordered the HDMI module replacement. So, I'm now setting up a time to come in and demonstrate the defect to the tech using their equipment. This likely won't be until early next week due to scheduling. Then I'll have knocked this ridiculous argument out from under Toshiba.



Exchanging to another SD-6980 will also show the same problem. Toshiba is wasting your time.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Make sure someone send this link to Orion as well:
> 
> http://www.orionsalesinc.com
> 
> 
> since they are the manufacturer.
> 
> 
> (their website is laughable as well)



Ok, once again, _Orion doesn't matter at all in this._


This is an issue of a product not living up to its advertising. Toshiba is the legal party with whom I have the warranty, and the party that promised the feature set of the TV. Yes, that the TV isn't good quality may indeed be due to Toshiba having contracted Orion to manufacture it for them, but it is *NOT RELEVANT* to the fact that Toshiba is the entity repsonsible for making good on their promised features.


By advertising the TVs features, and legally selling it as their product, Toshiba is the one responsible for honoring the warranty and/or providing refunds. WHY the set is bad is an entirely different and unrelated thing.


Let's use an example to illustrate: Say I offered to sell you a great device that I promised could teleport you anywhere in the world. You pay me $5 million for the thing, only to find it doesn't work. When you come to get your money back, I say, "Well, actually I just had my nephew build it with Legos for $1.50, so it's his fault if it doesn't work. It's not my problem." Would you agree that you legitimately had to go to my nephew, or somehow involve him in the dispute?


Of course not! I was the one who made the claims and engaged in the transaction with you, therefore I'd be the one responsible for refunding your money. How the device was built or who built it doesn't matter in that.


See? The FACT that it doesn't work and why, versus whose RESPONSIBILITY it is for making the situation right are _entirely separate._


I find it increasingly difficult to see what is so hard to understand about this.


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I find it increasingly difficult to see what is so hard to understand about this.



LOL... read previous posts by WaltChan! One and the same.










He and Porcupine2 continually have this 'conspiracy theory' going, yet they still own and buy products manufactured by Orion after problems, returns and exchanges.


----------



## stvnham16

I have a problem. When I have my xbox 360 connected via component sometimes I get like static lines. But when I move around the xbox 360 av cable the statice goes away. What could be the problem for this. I have a wireless rouer about 4 feet from the tv set. Or is it because it is close to other cables such as power or other av cables.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I find it increasingly difficult to see what is so hard to understand about this.



spurdy - I regret that Toshiba is making your life difficult. At this point, I think your best hope is to locate a senior executive in the Toshiba food chain who is concerned about the company's reputation and will work down the chain and direct his people to work with you to resolve this. Toshiba seems to have built a pretty good firewall making it impossible to get through to these senior officers, but if you can find a way through this firewall and get to say a V.P. in charge of North American sales of home entertainment products, you might be able to get where you want to go. I agree with others who advise that the customer "service" reps. you have been speaking with are just sending you in a do-loop that will only further frustrate you in your efforts to get a refund.


Regarding your difficulty understanding the InYourEyes refrain (perhaps InYourFace would be a more apt moniker), please know that this individual is obsessed with this subject and cannot let it go. He has repeated this refrain for most of the past couple of years under a variety of aliases and with a propensity to self-delete his posts when ridiculed by others. It may be inbreeding, or perhaps just a freaky recombination of genetic material that helps explain the why of it. But, don't be puzzled about it and don't squander a minute of your valuable time trying to either understand this behavior or help him become a more constructive contributor to this forum.


Best of luck in getting the refund you are due.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Ratman* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> He and Porcupine2 continually have this 'conspiracy theory' going, yet they still own and buy products manufactured by Orion after problems, returns and exchanges.



I own a Toshiba 32HL66 LCD, and it's made by Toshiba. No problems so far.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a problem. When I have my xbox 360 connected via component sometimes I get like static lines. But when I move around the xbox 360 av cable the statice goes away. What could be the problem for this. I have a wireless rouer about 4 feet from the tv set. Or is it because it is close to other cables such as power or other av cables.



It may be a lose wire connection connecting from your XBox 360 to your TV. Check to make sure all the video cables are inserted tightly and securely.


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> When I have my xbox 360 connected via component sometimes I get like static lines. But when I move around the xbox 360 av cable the statice goes away. What could be the problem for this. Or is it because it is close to other cables such as power or other av cables.



I had a lot of problems with "static" lines on my 30HF85 sets too. But my problems never showed up through component, they only showed up through composite/S-Video/co-ax. Usually they would take the form of very faint nearly-horizontal lines that crawl slowly down the screen, which I could make worse or better by working with and repositioning my cable "jungle". In severe cases though (terrible positioning) I had white static and other wacky things pop up too, in addition to the faint horizontal lines.


It's partially due to quality-control related issues, as some of the sets I had were way worse than others in this respect, and my current 30HF85 actually had a repair done to it that seems to have totally removed this problem (it was a side-effect of the repair, it was not the main issue being worked on). I believe that some shortcomings of the TV itself magnify the effects of the electromagnetic cross-talk of your cables with each other.


It could be that your connections are loose as was previously suggested but I suspect that's not the case. You'll just have to experiment with moving around your cables as much as possible. Try to keep all your cables as straight as possible and don't coil them up or form loops. Try to keep all the power cords on one side, separate from all the video cables, if possible. And also try not to have one video cable "encircle" another. Also, the thing I had the most success with in the past was simply disconnecting all unecessary cables from the TV. For example I found that only by disconnecting my component cables completely from the TV would the interference through S-Video/composite go away, no matter how clean my wire jungle was (although now that's no longer true of my TV after the repair).


I have no idea if your wireless router could contribute to your interference problems, sorry. Maybe you should just temporarily take it away and find out.


On a separate note, Ratman seems to be talking a lot in this thread. I still have him on my Ignore List from way back, so hopefully he's not talking to me...


----------



## Ratman




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> On a separate note, Ratman seems to be talking a lot in this thread. I still have him on my Ignore List from way back, so hopefully he's not talking to me...



If I am on your ignore list, why are even responding?










I am not talking to you, trust me! All I am try to do is inform the uninformed that you and another individual here, have a self-professed knowledge about Toshiba products.


Knowledge and experience is good. When it becomes an obsession... it's very bad. MYOB


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> spurdy - I regret that Toshiba is making your life difficult. At this point, I think your best hope is to locate a senior executive in the Toshiba food chain who is concerned about the company's reputation and will work down the chain and direct his people to work with you to resolve this. Toshiba seems to have built a pretty good firewall making it impossible to get through to these senior officers, but if you can find a way through this firewall and get to say a V.P. in charge of North American sales of home entertainment products, you might be able to get where you want to go. I agree with others who advise that the customer "service" reps. you have been speaking with are just sending you in a do-loop that will only further frustrate you in your efforts to get a refund.



I'm hoping my Better Business Bureau filing might help achieve a breakthrough. After I talk to the local tech and get him to confirm he still sees the problem using his shop's DVD player, I'm going to call Toshiba again and be very persistent about getting past the first few layers of that firewall.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Regarding your difficulty understanding the InYourEyes refrain (perhaps InYourFace would be a more apt moniker), please know that this individual is obsessed with this subject and cannot let it go. He has repeated this refrain for most of the past couple of years under a variety of aliases and with a propensity to self-delete his posts when ridiculed by others. It may be inbreeding, or perhaps just a freaky recombination of genetic material that helps explain the why of it. But, don't be puzzled about it and don't squander a minute of your valuable time trying to either understand this behavior or help him become a more constructive contributor to this forum.



Understood. I was beginning to draw the same conlcusion. The only explanation I could think of (besides it being simply a very odd pathological obsession) was that the individual is part of some strange reputation damage control effort by Toshiba (due to their singing the praises of the HF84 series and other "Toshiba built" products, while simultaneously bashing Orion and trying to direct all attention, fault, and responsibility to them for any applicable subcontracted products). Going forward I'll refrain from "feeding the trolls" as it were on this particular topic.


----------



## spurdy

Looks like the BBB complaint was more effective than I'd hoped!










I was called by Toshiba this morning (!!) saying they were ready to issue a refund. The woman had some questions about the receipt I had faxed (it was a bit confusing, as it was crediting back the delivery and setup charges, which I ended up cancelling when I picked the set up myself). After I clarified that with her, she said she'd be in contact with the shop that has my TV. Apparently the plan is for me to receive the set from them, and then for Toshiba to schedule for pickup from my residence.


Excited, I immediately called the shop back. I got the tech, who said he'd been called by four different people







already from Toshiba about my situtation! Sounds like the BBB complaint punched through to somewhere high up that somebody finally cared about.










I'm going in tomorrow morning to demo the issue to the tech, just to wrap that up, but it looks like I'll be getting my refund and dumping this defective monstrosity in the next few weeks.


Persistence and patience (though frustrating) really did finally pay off!


----------



## Porcupine2

WOW that sounds excellent!! I'm really happy for you, spurdy!! I'm surprised that Toshiba actually cared about their BBB reputation enough to offer a refund. Maybe I should have complained to the BBB too except I guess it is too late for me now.


Anyways, I've also gotten my credit card chargeback completed so I now technically have all my money back again too. Although I think Best Buy/Toshiba can still appeal the chargeback, I doubt they will try or be successful as I have already sunk a significant amount of money into repair costs on this TV and obtained a reliable neutral 3rd party opinion in writing that I can use to defend my claims that my set has some major defects.


I'll probably have to suck up the repair cost in the end but it's roughly about the same amount a 15% restocking fee would have been. The way I figure it, it's what I deserve after being stupid enough to stick with Toshiba even after going through so many defective sets.


I'll never buy Toshiba ANYTHING ever again. And I hope that it really is true that Best Buy is discontinuing their entire relationship with Toshiba CRTs. Toshiba sucks they deserve to be isolated from all the resellers for their poor quality products as of late, and criminally bad customer service. If no one is willing to sell Toshiba CRTs anymore then Toshiba can't make CRTs anymore.


----------



## theroys88

Sorry to see so much anger against Toshiba. I have a older pre-orion 36hf73 and

have no problems with the set. I thought the PQ was great until I got my 34" Panasonic and I will say compared to my Panasonic I think it stinks. My Panasonic is much sharper, more vibrant colors and less noise. Have both calibrated and both have Directv connected to them and the same dvd player and the differences

are huge. No matter how much I tweak the set it doesn't seem to help. Especially with the noise reduction. Now analog channels look better on the Toshiba but HD and DVD movies are no contest.


----------



## KlingonScum

My father just bought a 26" Toshiba HDTV w/built in DVD and VCR players. Model MW26G71.


The first problem we ran into was that it doesn't have Stereo RCA audio output, which meant his venerable old non-Surround Sound/non-digital input receiver couldn't be plugged into it. He has a couple of nice bookshelf speakers coupled to a passive sub that he likes to use to watch movies, so this was a serious drawback. So as an anniversary present to him and my Mom, I got them a nice Onkyo SSR (model TX-SR573). Before I gave it to them, I tested it with my DVD player using their exact same speakers, and the Onkyo works like a charm, so they took it home (they live in another state).


The second problem that this post is about is this. I had him plug the Optical cable from the HDTV directly to the Onkyo optical input I used to test it and plug a movie into the built-in DVD player. He can NOT get any audio out of the TV set via the digital outputs, neither optical nor coax. I made sure he had the input sourcing correct on the Onkyo, so that's completely ruled out at this point (btw, Onkyo tech support has been WONDERFUL, as opposed to Toshiba's, whose sole reply to our anguished queries has been "try unplugging the set for awhile and then plugging it back in").


I'm convinced the TV set isn't outputting anything from those digital outputs. I made sure he set the DVD movies he tried to "Dolby 5.1" in the movie setup, and I made sure the audio source he selected on the Onkyo was the correct one for the input port he was using, so that's ruled out. So the way I figure it, either the TV is broken, or else there's some setting we can't find in the manual to "turn on" digital audio output.


HELP! Anyone have any ideas, specifically anyone with this model TV that has gotten digital audio output to work? I realize this is going to cause sarcastic comments, but the fact is if I give up and just have them buy a cheap external DVD player, my mother is never going to let either of us hear the end of it...


----------



## Porcupine2

No idea on your problem sorry. Can you still return the TV? I wouldn't want to have a DVD/VCR/TV combo with an extra DVD player around wasting space, it'd drive me crazy.


----------



## stvnham16

I just got comcast hd with my toshiba 26hf85 and what I noticed is that it seem like there is a lot color snow. Idk how to explain it but the picture has some sort of snow thing. I don't know if that is the compression and video quality from the cable. It just doesn't look as crip as i expected.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> WOW that sounds excellent!! I'm really happy for you, spurdy!! I'm surprised that Toshiba actually cared about their BBB reputation enough to offer a refund. Maybe I should have complained to the BBB too except I guess it is too late for me now.
> 
> 
> Anyways, I've also gotten my credit card chargeback completed so I now technically have all my money back again too. Although I think Best Buy/Toshiba can still appeal the chargeback, I doubt they will try or be successful as I have already sunk a significant amount of money into repair costs on this TV and obtained a reliable neutral 3rd party opinion in writing that I can use to defend my claims that my set has some major defects.
> 
> 
> I'll probably have to suck up the repair cost in the end but it's roughly about the same amount a 15% restocking fee would have been. The way I figure it, it's what I deserve after being stupid enough to stick with Toshiba even after going through so many defective sets.



That's good to hear. What TV are you getting next? Will it be a CRT or LCD? What are you going to do with your defective 30HF85?



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> then Toshiba can't make CRTs anymore.



...then Toshiba can't "market" CRTs anymore.


----------



## Porcupine2

I think I have to return my 30HF85 to Best Buy, it is not fair to keep it since I charged it back. That is why I said I have to eat the repair cost I paid out-of-pocket. However I am not going to move a muscle to get it back to them. They are going to have to arrange all the complicated paperwork through my credit card company, then come to my house and get it themselves.


I tried to return my set to Best Buy in good faith twice before and they were mean and did not accept my return, so this is what the bad store manager deserves (the other employees and BB phone reps were usually very nice but they did not have authority in the matter). I tried to return it only 5 weeks after I had purchased it (since my set did not break down until several weeks after I purchased it, I thought it was reasonable to still ask for a return). And I tried again after I had the fiasco with the Toshiba repairman. I told them I was gonna do a credit card chargeback at that point but BB still did not budge, so now I've done it and they got what they deserve.


I still dislike LCD and love CRT, but I'm pretty sure I'm forced to jump ship and get a LCD now. I'm still not sure what model I will get though. The Westinghouse 37" 1080p is one of the sets I'm interested in but it is hard to find, a little over my preferred budget, a little over my preferred size, and I hear it has a few problems too. I wish someone would make a 32" 1080p LCD.


----------



## Ratman

After five previous returns and after the 30 day return/exchange policy, I guess the "bad store manager" may not be a the bad guy here. You may want to consider another B&M store though since Hawaii has only one store (Best Buy) and they are "on" to you.


Good luck.


----------



## spurdy

My 30HFX85 was picked up yesterday morning. Now all that remains is to receive the actual refund money. If I don't hear from Toshiba in the next day or two I'll call them to see about it.


I think I've settled on the Westinghouse LVM-37w3 37" LCD (true 1920x1080) as the replacement. I saw the 37w2 (1366x768) in person recently and was impressed.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I think I've settled on the Westinghouse LVM-37w3 37" LCD (true 1920x1080) as the replacement. I saw the 37w2 (1366x768) in person recently and was impressed.



Enjoy the new Westinghouse. I guess it's time for us to say goodbye to you in the direct-view CRT forum, right?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Enjoy the new Westinghouse. I guess it's time for us to say goodbye to you in the direct-view CRT forum, right?



Once I get my refund money and the issue is definitively closed then yes, I'll be unsubscribing from this thread.


----------



## Porcupine2

It's ironic that things are in the reverse order for me. I've got my money but I still haven't returned the TV. Best Buy probably won't get the paperwork done for a month so until then I'm stuck with this TV in my room. I'm hoping they come get it fast because I want to go and actually get a decent TV in here, but I suspect this Toshiba is gonna be squatting here awhile.


spurdy, if you do get the LVM-37w3 can you let me know where you get it from? I haven't been able to find one. The Best Buy here does not have it in stock, it seems to be that way everywhere? I think people have generally had to order them online.


I've not settled on the LVM-37w3 though. I've heard a few problems exist with them so I'm a bit cautious. If I go with a 37" set that's definitely the one for me, but I might want a 32" set instead, in which case I'd have to settle for 720p (768p?) and would be more interested in something on the cheaper end (but not bottom quality).


----------



## lennsx

Problems with the beloved Westy? I only heard of slight ghosting with OTA 1080i but even that was refuted by others. My buddy really wants to buy my 34HF85 from me so I'm this close to clicking over to BBuy to order the Westy. But to be honest, my 34HF85 isn't really so bad. I guess I lucked out.....


----------



## Cincy Mike

Hey all,

I think I posted in the old thread last fall when I bought my TV, but it's been a while. Anyway, mine has a build date of June 2005 and for my non-videophile eyes, it's been a good set. I'm getting OTA HD thru a Samsung SIR-T451 over HDMI and have a Sony DVD player hooked up with component cables. I worked around the white glow in 1080i over component by using the HDMI cables. (For what it's worth, I think I could tell a difference between the 1080i and 720p setting on on my OTA tuner and I also think the HD picture looked slightly better with component cables than the HDMI).


Geometry is pretty good, I only occaisonally notice the gray/black sidebars have a little slant to them on a non-HD picture. My dad has a Sony XBR, so I know what the best HD picture can look like on a more expensive set, but mine shows a nice picture for the price. And satellite SD looks good too.


My only real issue with the set is has been the black levels, or black crush. Some scenes are really bad and I have the "floating head" effect. I just got the Avia DVD and am working with it, and have tinkered only slightly in the service menu, trying to heed all the aforementioned warnings. I have lowered my "CONT CENT/MAX/MIN" levels to the 30 - 50 range and lowered the "SUB CONT" setting down to 12 from 20, but I haven't found the right combination yet.


Question: In reading all 32 pages on this tediuos thread, I haven't seen any suggestions for correcting the black levels, only several people complaining of it. fburch, it sounds like your calibration must have helped this, do you have any insight into it? Or lennsx?


Thanks for any advice, I've just started really tweaking, so I'll keep at it and post anything constructive I find.


Mike


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Cincy Mike* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> Question: In reading all 32 pages on this tediuos thread, I haven't seen any suggestions for correcting the black levels, only several people complaining of it. fburch, it sounds like your calibration must have helped this, do you have any insight into it? Or lennsx?
> 
> 
> Thanks for any advice, I've just started really tweaking, so I'll keep at it and post anything constructive I find.
> 
> 
> Mike



Mike - The ISF calibration certainly helped alleviate the black crush on my 34HF85, but it did not eliminate it altogether. The plain fact is that this model really accentuates black levels, or at least that has been my experience with 1080i source material viewed using the HDMI inputs. I do not notice the black crush is as acute when viewing 1080i source material through the component inputs. Also, I am not perceiving black levels crushed on resolutions other than 1080i on either HDMI or component inputs on my set, but I cannot explain why this is the case.


You are on the right track I think using Avia or the like to make adjustments in the set-up menu. The next step would be to fork out the $ for a ISF calibration, but I am not certain that in your case that would be the best course since you may not feel the expense is justified by the marginal improvement.


For me, black crush affects my viewing experinece only for certain, but not all, HD HBO broadcasts on DTV and certain OTA HD broadcasts from my local NBC affiliate. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law dictates that these certain broadcasts happen to be my absolute favorites. Other HD DTV (HDNet, Showtime, ESPN) and OTA (PBS, ABC, Fox, CBS) source material I receive contain rich black levels, but not to the point that I find these levels masking the detail I should be seeing on the screen.


I believe that prior to the ISF calibration, this issue was affecting nearly everything I watched including both HD and SD source material. That has been nearly a year ago now, so I hesitate to make a definitive statement in that regard. I do recall being really pleased with the marked improvement in contrast levels immediately following ISF calibration and was viewing one of those favorite HBO broadcasts and noticing the improvement in visible detail in dark scenes at the time. Not certain I have been all that helpful, but there you go FWIW...


----------



## lennsx

Hi Frank! Hope all is well. You mentioned viewing 1080i sources via HDMI; did you resolve the banding issues, then? Mine still bands and that is the main reason why I want to sell it.


----------



## bradleypelletier

Hey all... Was hoping to get a little help with my 4 year old Toshiba HD 32 HF72 Television. I have never had any problems with it until this week. I was watching a Padres game on monday after work and the picture just went completely out all of the suddden, then about five seconds later the sound went out. The red power LED that show the TV has power is now blinking(i'm assuming that means there is something internally wrong the the set). I unplugged the TV hoping to maybe reset it and plugged it back in after about half an hour... still the same result... a blinking power LED. I called Toshiba and all they could say is that something is wrong with it and they directed me to a service center in the local area. I called the service center and the are one of those ones that only comes to you, and they charge $140 just to stop by and tell you whats wrong with it!!! So i figured i would post here and see if anyone has had the same issue or heard of it before. Thanks guys!!!


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hi Frank! Hope all is well. You mentioned viewing 1080i sources via HDMI; did you resolve the banding issues, then? Mine still bands and that is the main reason why I want to sell it.



lennsx - Thanks for the well wishes...same to you. The banding issues I experience on my set are device specific (another curious aspect of this set's performance). I do not see the banding manifest itself on 1080i source material through the HDMI input using my Samsung T-160 STB unless I try to re-center the display using the Samsung's monitor centering feature in the set-up menu. If I attempt to shift the display to either side using this set-up feature, the set will exhibit acute banding problems. By resetting the Samsung with a power cycle these banding problems disappear and I have learned to live with a minor off-centering issue when using this STB.


Similarly, I do not experience banding problems if I select a 1080i resolution on my Samsung 931 DVD player through the HDMI input. If however, I swap DVD players and substitute my Oppo upconverting player using the same HDMI input, the banding crops up furiously when I set the Oppo to a 1080i resolution. Again, why one device does this and one does not is beyond my comprehension.


My chief worry is that these workarounds will no longer be a viable means of preventing this problem with future equipment upgrades. I guess I should be happy that I have the ability to enjoy the set for the time being. But, in reading what others have gone through in trying to resolve these issues with Toshiba and how difficult a time they have had in resolving these issues has convinced me that I have purchased my very last display (CRT, LCD, or otherwise) from this company and will do business with their competitors in the future.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bradleypelletier* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey all... Was hoping to get a little help with my 4 year old Toshiba HD 32 HF72 Television. I have never had any problems with it until this week. I was watching a Padres game on monday after work and the picture just went completely out all of the suddden, then about five seconds later the sound went out. The red power LED that show the TV has power is now blinking(i'm assuming that means there is something internally wrong the the set). I unplugged the TV hoping to maybe reset it and plugged it back in after about half an hour... still the same result... a blinking power LED. I called Toshiba and all they could say is that something is wrong with it and they directed me to a service center in the local area. I called the service center and the are one of those ones that only comes to you, and they charge $140 just to stop by and tell you whats wrong with it!!! So i figured i would post here and see if anyone has had the same issue or heard of it before. Thanks guys!!!



There could be something wrong in the power supply. It's not a common problem found in this model (you're the first 32HF72 owner with a problem here), but it's worth taking it in and have the technician inspect it. Good luck getting it repaired.


----------



## stvnham16

I recently got comcast hd and I had it set to 1080i through component for my 26hf85. The thing i Noticed was there are problems when I watch hd or anything in 1080i on this set. The picture is ok in bright areas and then when the screen movies like watvhing a baseball game, the picture has dark areas that are very easy to spot and then lighter areas. it's like the brightness and contrast are jumping around in 1080i. But when i swith to 720p the problem goes away and i have a very nice and stable picture. The problem also happens when i tried to play 360 in 1080i. Any solutions. Also the more I watch my tv it seem like there is ghostin and the when there are boxes or text on a bright screen you can see the lettesr and boxes ghost/extend a littel bit on the screen.(it only does this to the right of the text or box but not on the left) It does this on 720p but i haven't checked on 1080i cause of the problem stated above. The screen is centered as much as i could get and everything i watch fits on the screen. so please any help would be great. thanks in advance


----------



## cc784

hi, i just got an MD30H82, and have noticed that the picture oftem wobbles on the screen, especially around the left and right edges. it looks like there is some sort of interference nearby, but the tv is in the same place where my old one was and i never had any interference problems with it before. this happens on all channels and inputs except for hdmi, which i currently cannot test. anybody here have a similar problem and know a fix for it? thanks.


----------



## smithda

I purchased a 26HF15 from Costco late 2005. Last month I dozed off with the TV running and when I woke there was a problem. Here is what I found;
The screen was black
The audio was still on
When I turned the TV off, the red power indicator remained on

I unplugged the TV and the indicator light disappeared. When I plugged it back in and turned the TV on; the same thing happened again. No picture, but the audio was on.


I realize that I might have a dead screen (after one year?) but I wanted to know if there was something else that I missed.


Thanks for letting me know before I take it in to the repair shop..


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cc784* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> hi, i just got an MD30H82, and have noticed that the picture oftem wobbles on the screen, especially around the left and right edges. it looks like there is some sort of interference nearby, but the tv is in the same place where my old one was and i never had any interference problems with it before. this happens on all channels and inputs except for hdmi, which i currently cannot test. anybody here have a similar problem and know a fix for it? thanks.



This is normal for these Toshiba HDTV CRT combos. Every single one I've seen in stores, including the Toshiba MW26G71 I used to own before, have that annoying invisible lines running across the screen and some wobbling in the picture. The wires inside the TV are not shielded enough.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *smithda* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I purchased a 26HF15 from Costco late 2005. Last month I dozed off with the TV running and when I woke there was a problem. Here is what I found;
> The screen was black
> The audio was still on
> When I turned the TV off, the red power indicator remained on
> 
> I unplugged the TV and the indicator light disappeared. When I plugged it back in and turned the TV on; the same thing happened again. No picture, but the audio was on.
> 
> 
> I realize that I might have a dead screen (after one year?) but I wanted to know if there was something else that I missed.
> 
> 
> Thanks for letting me know before I take it in to the repair shop..



If the TV can turn on but there is audio only and no picture, the problem is either coming from the flyback or the power supply. Looks like a major problem. Do you still have the receipt for it? If so, you can take it back to Costco for a full refund. It's not worth to repair an Orion-made set, IMO. But, if you do want to get it repaired, you can contact Toshiba and have them locate a nearest authorized repair center around you. Your TV is still in warranty and they will fix it for you for free. Power supply repair usually takes about a week. Good luck.


----------



## edster922

My only gripe with my Toshiba 30HF66, and it is an increasingly annoying one, is what happens during low-light scenes: for instance, I was watching "Sea of Love" tonight and there is a bedroom scene with Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin, the room is dimly lit, everything is just shadows and moonlight. Well I've seen this movie several times (it's like 15 years old) on various old SDTVs and never had any problems during this scene but on the Toshiba, the contrast and detail get shot all to hell: it's just completely washed out, I can barely make out many details and the skin tones are completely screwed up---kind of smudgy orange, way too dark and just completely distorted.


I've tried adjusting the black level (brightness) as well as the white level (contrast) and not had much luck. Also fiddled with the color and tint settings, again not much luck.


Was wondering if I somehow didn't understand the Avia calibration settings or if this is just one of the reasons why this Orion-made Toshiba was so cheap!










It's really strange because during normal, well-lit scenes (about 90% of the time), I couldn't be happier with the PQ so I don't think I could've screwed up Avia's instructions *that* badly!


Or is there some hidden obscure settings I can change in the service menu that might take care of this problem?


Damn, I think I've just passed the 30 day mark so don't know if Best Buy would still let me take this thing back.


btw, not sure if this makes much difference but my DVD player is a Panasonic s27 with a component connection, running on 480p but of course the TV converts it to 540p (?) and 1080i...haven't noticed much difference switching between those 2. I tend not to think it's the fault of the DVD player because I've noticed this happening during TV watching too (free local digital channels through a non-subscribed Direct TV dish).


----------



## cc784




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> This is normal for these Toshiba HDTV CRT combos. Every single one I've seen in stores, including the Toshiba MW26G71 I used to own before, have that annoying invisible lines running across the screen and some wobbling in the picture. The wires inside the TV are not shielded enough.



thanks for the reply. i really can't belive that a company like toshiba could release such poor quality sets to the public. the shakey picture is way too annoying for me. time to lug this monster back to the store...


----------



## ADONY

After reading page after page of posts concerning the banding issue when viewing 1080i programming I have decided to try two things before considering pushing Sears for a replacement or better yet, taking it back and buying something else... I have read where setting either the Direct TV Box or TV to display the next lower display format (720 I think) might help.. Is this done on the TV or on the DTV H-20 settings menu? Secondly, I am going to try the component (I think) three video cable + audio connection and disconnect the HDMI. I love the TV, but the banding, especially on HD Sports events is horrible when compared to my other HD TV (LG37LCD)..


----------



## lennsx

You are correct on both. I'm running my Cable box via component & there is no banding AND there is no white glow thru 720p which you switch via your cable co's remote. (Although I do notice it makes the overall picture very slightly darker)


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ADONY* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> After reading page after page of posts concerning the banding issue when viewing 1080i programming I have decided to try two things before considering pushing Sears for a replacement or better yet, taking it back and buying something else... I have read where setting either the Direct TV Box or TV to display the next lower display format (720 I think) might help.. Is this done on the TV or on the DTV H-20 settings menu? Secondly, I am going to try the component (I think) three video cable + audio connection and disconnect the HDMI. I love the TV, but the banding, especially on HD Sports events is horrible when compared to my other HD TV (LG37LCD)..



You'd select 1080i/720p on the cable box. The banding issue is due to how the TV interprets an incoming 1080i signal over HDMI. You may see the banding occasionally when the set receives 720p over HDMI as well (I did on my set), though in my case it was much less severe and less frequent (but still enough to put me off, as I'm picky).


1080i over component should be banding-free. The only problem there is possibly the white glow (and a teeny bit of signal degradation since it's an analogue connection versus the digital HDMI). My set didn't have the glow issue.


My advice: try these things very soon and decide if they work for you. Make sure you're able to be completely happy and if not, get something else or a refund.


----------



## RavenX

I can't find HF85 or HFX85 TVs anywhere which confirms that they are lousy. Toshiba even announced that this is the last year of CRT. No more CRTs from Toshiba in 2007.


I remember a big problem with HF83 (HFX83) regarding upconverting all 480i and 480p to 540p. That really ruined the picture. Have no idea if Toshiba fixed that problem with HF84 (HFX84) but having Orion to make their TVs is truly pathetic.


I was lucky to get 36HFX72 awarded with best buy title for 2002 by Perfect Vision.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *RavenX* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Toshiba even announced that this is the last year of CRT. No more CRTs from Toshiba in 2007.



Where did you hear this? From what I heard, next year, Toshiba will be marketing only SDTVs, no HDTVs.


----------



## ADONY

I appreciate all of the inputs... I switched from HDMI to component cables and everything is working GREAT...Yes I do have a trace of the white glow across the top on 1080i HD programming, but it is hardly noticable unless you are looking for it. Even the color adjustments using the AVIA seemed to be better... To bad that one of the selling points was the HDMI input which I can no longer use.. but... I'm now satisfied with the picture.. I'm sure that when it come time for replacement, I will go with LCD or Plasma...


----------



## edster922




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *RavenX* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I remember a big problem with HF83 (HFX83) regarding upconverting all 480i and 480p to 540p. That really ruined the picture.



Why would going from 480p to 540p ruin the picture? I have a 30HF66 and can't really seem much difference between 540p and 1080i with most DVDs.


My only serious complaint is that dark scenes are way too dark, that's why mine's going back to BB.


----------



## TheKraut

I've read some of your solutions to this problem, but it doesn't really cover the whole thing. I have a 26HF85C and have my PS2 and Xbox 360 hooked up, both over component. A few months ago I checked how to fix the over scan that I saw while playing most games on the 360, and pretty much solved it, but when I play the PS2 it has large empty spaces surrounding the viewing area. I used the service menu to fix the problem with the 360, and I use 720p output (I can't stand the way shadows and dark areas appear in 1080i).


Is there anyway to make have the screen filled when I play the PS2, and have the 360 look fine aswell? I want to solve this soon, because I'm hoping to get the PS3 and Wii, and I don't want to have the same problems with those.


----------



## spurdy

Well, my refund check from Toshiba arrived on Friday, and I deposited it today via ATM. It took 8 months, but darn it, I got my money back!










I'll be ordering my Westinghouse 37w3 LCD early this week.


Take care, everyone, and I wish you all luck with your Toshibas.


----------



## lennsx

EXCELLENT CHOICE, Spurdy! Tell us how it goes!


----------



## edster922




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Well, my refund check from Toshiba arrived on Friday, and I deposited it today via ATM. It took 8 months, but darn it, I got my money back!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'll be ordering my Westinghouse 37w3 LCD early this week.
> 
> 
> Take care, everyone, and I wish you all luck with your Toshibas.



Lucky you. I've called Best Buy Online 5 times in the past 2 weeks and have yet to get the promised phone call from their "Research Department" to arrange to have my Toshiba picked up for a refund.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> EXCELLENT CHOICE, Spurdy! Tell us how it goes!



Oh I plan to!







But it will be over on the Westy 37w3 thread (so as not to clutter this thread with lots of OT material).


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *edster922* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Lucky you. I've called Best Buy Online 5 times in the past 2 weeks and have yet to get the promised phone call from their "Research Department" to arrange to have my Toshiba picked up for a refund.



I highly recommend making use of the Better Business Bureau if you're being stonewalled (or just repeatedly encountering incompetence). In my case, pursuing the refund was like slogging through knee-deep oatmeal until I filed the BBB complaint. Then suddenly things started happening.


Just document everything thoroughly in your complaint. The more detail you have the better, I'd imagine. Also, try to keep it matter-of-fact, and not emotional (I know it may be a challenge). If you make your case clearly, highlighting what is unreasonable about the company's behavior or responses and what you have done to try to work with them, it will probably be more effective.


----------



## edster922




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I highly recommend making use of the Better Business Bureau if you're being stonewalled (or just repeatedly encountering incompetence). In my case, pursuing the refund was like slogging through knee-deep oatmeal until I filed the BBB complaint. Then suddenly things started happening.
> 
> 
> Just document everything thoroughly in your complaint. The more detail you have the better, I'd imagine. Also, try to keep it matter-of-fact, and not emotional (I know it may be a challenge). If you make your case clearly, highlighting what is unreasonable about the company's behavior or responses and what you have done to try to work with them, it will probably be more effective.




good idea, thanks.


Do you think a mega-corp like BB would really care about their BBB record though? I thought the BBB was more effective with smaller guys...


----------



## SteveEast

BB are a member of the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. Their record looks pretty good. If you have a good case, then you should be OK.


Steve.


----------



## edster922




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *SteveEast* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> BB are a member of the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. Their record looks pretty good. If you have a good case, then you should be OK.
> 
> 
> Steve.



Are their corporate HQ based in MN and ND?


Thanks, I'll give that a shot.


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *edster922* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> good idea, thanks.
> 
> 
> Do you think a mega-corp like BB would really care about their BBB record though? I thought the BBB was more effective with smaller guys...



I had suspected the same about Toshiba, thinking they wouldn't really care. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong!


----------



## candyman56

I have been having a few overscan issues myself with my Toshiba 30HF85.


----------



## candyman56




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I had suspected the same about Toshiba, thinking they wouldn't really care. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong!



That's good to hear that they helped.


----------



## candyman56

I was wondering if anyone could help me with my Toshiba 30HF85. I'm getting overscan when I'm playing the 360 on this TV and the left side of the image always gets cut off. I have the 360 set at 720p, if I put it at 1080i I get flickering on the screen and it helps fix some of this problem.


Do I buy a calibration DVD or is there another way to fix this?


----------



## edster922




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I had suspected the same about Toshiba, thinking they wouldn't really care. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong!



Did you deal directly with Toshiba from the start, or did you have to go through the BBB?


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *edster922* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Did you deal directly with Toshiba from the start, or did you have to go through the BBB?



Well, after trying to deal with Toshiba for a good while (going through their troubleshooting and repair attempts), I eventually engaged the BBB. What I did was go to their website:

http://www.bbb.org 


And went through the "File a complaint" process. They then contacted Toshiba and followed up with me via email.


To see the full text I included, which is essentially a history of my experience, see this post . It's actually a letter I faxed to Toshiba after asking them about a refund, but the factual info and chronology is essentially the same for what I entered for my BBB complaint.


EDIT: There was actually a bit more history that I gave the BBB, as it happened after the fax to Toshiba and before my filing of the complaint. You can find that in this post .


I wouldn't recommend hitting up the BBB for any old problem immediately. But if you've made a good faith effort to work within the agreed upon repair/return practices of the vendor and they're still being unreasonable and not solving your issue, document it all and file it as a BBB complaint.


----------



## lennsx

Anyone have/seen a Toshiba HD-DVD player thru this set? Must look nice!


----------



## SteveEast




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *edster922* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Are their corporate HQ based in MN and ND?
> 
> 
> Thanks, I'll give that a shot.



Yup, MN.


Steve.


----------



## Jmorales22

Anybody know why my Toshiba 30HF85 seems to only accept a maximum of 1280x720 with overscan, and a perect fit of 1152x648?


I'm using a 36' DVI cable plugged into an HDMI adapter into the tv. It's coming from my pc which is XP 2.0ghz athlon 1 gig RAM and my video card is an ATI Radeon 9250.


Anytime I go higher, like oh say 1920x1080 30hz it refuses to display anything. This is supposed to be a 1080i set, so I'm wondering why that could be. Also the monitor driver I'm using is the Sony GDM W-900.


The only thing I can think is it's something to do with my video adapter software....or else I've been cheated and this is really all my TV can actually do.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Jmorales22* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Anybody know why my Toshiba 30HF85 seems to only accept a maximum of 1280x720 with overscan, and a perect fit of 1152x648?
> 
> 
> I'm using a 36' DVI cable plugged into an HDMI adapter into the tv. It's coming from my pc which is XP 2.0ghz athlon 1 gig RAM and my video card is an ATI Radeon 9250.
> 
> 
> Anytime I go higher, like oh say 1920x1080 30hz it refuses to display anything. This is supposed to be a 1080i set, so I'm wondering why that could be. Also the monitor driver I'm using is the Sony GDM W-900.
> 
> 
> The only thing I can think is it's something to do with my video adapter software....or else I've been cheated and this is really all my TV can actually do.



My 34HF85 will accept either a 1152x648 (720p) 60hz timing or a 1776x1000 (1080i) 30hz timing. I am using an ATI 9600 graphics card with the ATI adapter. The 1080i timing is prone to banding issues, so I prefer the 720p timing on my set. Also, overscan is an issue with the 1080i timing, as you say the 1152x648 (720p) timing is pretty much a perfect fit. Can't answer why the 1920x1080 timing won't work, but the closest I can get to it on either of my Toshiba HDTV sets is 1776x1000.


----------



## JDCrosshatch

After waiting about 6 weeks for the parts to come in,the BB Tech came by and did the repair.The TV never left the house,but we did use a loaner set (a 27" Panny). When he first came to look at the set, I told him that there was a service bulliten about this problem(I found out about it here-Thanks all!) No more bend in pix -but I think the focus needs a slight tweek. I went through the service settings and it's not there.Is the focus adjusted the traditional way (trimpot on flyback) or am I missing something? If it is,does the back cover have to be removed? The holes on back cover are not labled and are too small for a screwdriver so forget that... Don't really want to call him back for another appt becouse of conflicting work schedules and all that . (the Wife works nights and I work days)

The tech bulletin is No:TV200405 Ref: WU111204


----------



## oujay33

I unfortunately am an owner of the toshiba 34HF85. I have my image tilt all the way to the left (-10) and it still looks like my screen goes up from right to left, especially noticable when watching ESPN and the banner is running on the bottom of the screen. Can this be fixed???


----------



## JDCrosshatch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *oujay33* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I unfortunately am an owner of the toshiba 34HF85. I have my image tilt all the way to the left (-10) and it still looks like my screen goes up from right to left, especially noticable when watching ESPN and the banner is running on the bottom of the screen. Can this be fixed???



You could try the service menu settings-check the rest of this thread for more info-the tilt setting range may be adjustable. That may help...


----------



## lennsx

I guess I lucked out cause other than slightly crushed blacks, my OTA HD PQ looks pretty damned good!


----------



## spurdy




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *JDCrosshatch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Is the focus adjusted the traditional way (trimpot on flyback) or am I missing something? If it is,does the back cover have to be removed?



I believe the answer is yes to both your questions. At least, it would be for the 30HFX85 I had, and I believe all the HF(X)84/85 models are very similar. I purchased a service manual during my many attempts to iron out all the issues and it indicated trimpot adjustment for the focus. I never ended up removing the cover to try it though.


----------



## tylerpistol

I just got a brand new Toshiba 26HF85C yesterday. When I watch a movie such as Star Wars, I get weird bars across the screen during some bright flashes (like when lightsabres hit, or something similiar). I've only noticed it on my DVD player, and it happens using s-video or component or composite cables using Interlaced or Progressive output. I'm curious as to whether anyone else has this problem, or knows what it could be? I'm thinking it could be my DVD player, as I sent it across the country and it could have been damaged in transit. However, if it's the TV, I should return it ASAP for another one.


----------



## JR Bryce

I have a darkness problem with my tv. For example, in Test Drive Unlimited for XBox 360, in the display settings under brightness, they give you a white -> black color gradient of about 12 squares. On my tv right now, unless I shoot the TV brightness up to around 40-45, the last 3 squares on the black side of the color gradient are all pitch black. Needless to say, shading and shadows look much darker on my games and dvd's. What can I do to change the darkness levels, so just the darker colors become brighter and/or more distinguishable from each other? I would just turn up the brightness, but the whites are already very bright, and it can no longer do the job.


I'm very up to doing more service menu tweaking, since I've done it before. Which values relate to how dark blacks are?


If it helps I have a Toshiba 26HF85


----------



## Porcupine2

Are you sure those last 3 squares are not supposed to be all pitch black when looked at relative to the brighter squares next to them? That is usually how calibrating menus are supposed to be. You aren't supposed to make them so that you can see a difference between each square/bar down to black, usually.


If you do insist on changing that though, I think the best service menu setting is SUB CONT. Max it out, and also lower the ordinary Contrast (CONT MAX, CONT MIN, CONT CENT) values a lot to compensate (so that White stays the same intensity in the end).


----------



## JR Bryce




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Porcupine2* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Are you sure those last 3 squares are not supposed to be all pitch black when looked at relative to the brighter squares next to them? That is usually how calibrating menus are supposed to be. You aren't supposed to make them so that you can see a difference between each square/bar down to black, usually.
> 
> 
> If you do insist on changing that though, I think the best service menu setting is SUB CONT. Max it out, and also lower the ordinary Contrast (CONT MAX, CONT MIN, CONT CENT) values a lot to compensate (so that White stays the same intensity in the end).



I'm definitely sure. Because otherwise it goes from pitch back for 3 squares to bright grey. Im definitely sure thats not right. These are large squares, too. This isnt a miniscule color gradient, this is pretty broad. Its carried over into my HD DVDs, as well. Whenever someone wears a black coat, they appear as just a black body. You see no detail on their jacket, no folds, no creases, nothing. It definitely doesnt look right.


Thanks for the help, by the way.


----------



## jonny1127




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *JR Bryce* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a darkness problem with my tv. For example, in Test Drive Unlimited for XBox 360, in the display settings under brightness, they give you a white -> black color gradient of about 12 squares. On my tv right now, unless I shoot the TV brightness up to around 40-45, the last 3 squares on the black side of the color gradient are all pitch black. Needless to say, shading and shadows look much darker on my games and dvd's. What can I do to change the darkness levels, so just the darker colors become brighter and/or more distinguishable from each other? I would just turn up the brightness, but the whites are already very bright, and it can no longer do the job.
> 
> 
> I'm very up to doing more service menu tweaking, since I've done it before. Which values relate to how dark blacks are?
> 
> 
> If it helps I have a Toshiba 26HF85



I have the same TV and use it with my X360, I have that darkness issue when playing 360 if I set it to 720p or 1080i, the blacks become far too dark and turning up the brightness does not help because it just makes everything look washed out. Setting the resolution to 480p helps a lot so you may wanna try that.

The problem that really annoys me though is that whenever there is something bright on the screen, everything else onscreen gets really dark. For example in Ghost Recon if the sky is in view during the daytime missions then everything other than the sky gets darker. The more the bright sky is in view the darker everything else gets. This can get really annoying in some games, there was one room in Perfect Dark Zero where if I looked at the two lights on the ceiling, the rest of the room became almost pitch black.


----------



## stvnham16

I know what your talking about while playing xbox 360 games. I have the same problems with graw and call of duty. Anyone know the solution to this. I also notice it when watching tv. I don't consider a solution going to 480p cause then whats the point of even using the tv to play hd things.


----------



## jonny1127




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I know what your talking about while playing xbox 360 games. I have the same problems with graw and call of duty. Anyone know the solution to this. I also notice it when watching tv. I don't consider a solution going to 480p cause then whats the point of even using the tv to play hd things.



True, but honestly this TV doesn't have the best HD output and 1080i really doensn't look all that much better than 480p, or at least from my experience with it and my X360 I don't notice too great a difference(On this set that is, I'm not speaking in general). With all the problems the set has displaying 1080i(the darkness problems and the white glow along the to of the screen) I figure I'd rather save myself SOME of the headaches and stick to 480p. That is untill I can afford to buy a new TV wich unfortunately won't be for a good while.


----------



## lennsx

As far as I know this TV upconverts every OTA signal to 1080i. User selectable to 540p is in the menu for DVDs, etc. From all that I've been reading regarding 1080p basically being no better than 1080i unless the screen size is larger than 50" I'm keeping my 34HF85 and dropping $300 on an ISF calibration to get more details in the black & getting over the white glow issue.


----------



## stvnham16

My remot for my 26HF85 doesn't work anymore. What is a good remot to buy as a replacement. I need a remot that will give me the same functionality as the og one. (access the menu is one of the big features) Does anyone have any ideas?


----------



## lennsx

I just bought the Sony RMVL600 and it absolutely rocks. It has a one-button feature where it turns on & switches settings of numerous components. Best $25 I've spent in awhile!


----------



## stvnham16

I have a problem with 26HF85 and when im watching anything on m tv and it is a bright screen I have ghosting to the right of objects. An example would be the text runs and the end of boxes have ghosting. Can someone give me a detailed explanation on how to fix this.


----------



## BRAISKI

Hey guys I am new here someome sent me this link cause I am planning to buy the 26HF85/C but it seems that ppl have problems with it







is it possible that this will be the same as the Canadian version?


I really want this TV cause since I do not have much $$$ with me and I have been wanting to buy a widescreen TV...


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *BRAISKI* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey guys I am new here someome sent me this link cause I am planning to buy the 26HF85/C but it seems that ppl have problems with it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> is it possible that this will be the same as the Canadian version?
> 
> 
> I really want this TV cause since I do not have much $$$ with me and I have been wanting to buy a widescreen TV...



Yes, they are the same, just an indication where the 26HF85 is sold at. Have you seen the new 26HF66? It's a replacement model of the 26HF85, and no problems have been reported so far.


----------



## avnimrod

I've got a 34HFX84 or 85 (bought it 2 years ago) being fed from a motorola HD DVR cable box. I don't know if something has changed, or if I just noticed it because I put in a front projector upstairs that I could compare it against, but on some of the HD broadcast feeds, ABC in particular, I am not seeing the enire picture but rather a zoomed version. It is obvious on ABC because the watermark in the lower righthand corner is partially cut off. I've looked through all of the menu settings and nothing seems to affect it. None of the theater modes are on, it is displaying at 'normal'.


Anyone have this problem? Is there a way to fix it or is it just the way it is?


Thanks in advance.


----------



## lennsx

Yes, that happens to me on certain stations sometimes as well. Simply zoom out using that button on your cable's remote. I cannot explain why that happens; it just does.


----------



## tmuirheid

The Toshiba direct views (26", 30" and 34") of the last two years all seem to suffer from the same set of issues. My 30hf85, IMHO, had totally hosed factory picture/color settings that could only be dealt with from the service menu.


After many weeks of screwing around in SM I have been able to restore a semi-decent picture for DVD (component) and HD Directv (also component). I originally had significant issues with contrast, brightness, color and geometry. I still have some geometry/warpings but you CAN improve the color and brightness with some patience.


If you are brave enough, run a calibration dvd (or THX Optimizer), freeze the frame on each test screen and start tweaking in the service menu codes until your image starts to look good. If you have a DVR and get HDNET, record their Test Pattern program and freeze your way through those screen for the satellite input. Don't be surprised how much you have to adjust from the factory settings.


FWIW - remember the usual caveats about writing down your original settings in case bad things happen.


----------



## mezcla

I havea Toshiba 30HF85 and accessed the service menu to adjust for overscan but nothing was changing the position of the picture. I tried to adjust both horizontally and vertically. The other controls for brightness and contrast all worked. I am using the Philips 5960 DVD player connected through HDMI and it is usually set to 780P or 1080i on the player. I am losing at least 5% on the left and right according to the test card I used. It looks like about an inch to me. It really bothers me in movies filmed in 2.35 aspect ratio b/c i feel like I'm losing even more of the picture. Any suggestions? Also, I wrote down all of my original settings just to be safe.


Thanks for any help or suggestions.


----------



## tmuirheid




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mezcla* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I havea Toshiba 30HF85 and accessed the service menu to adjust for overscan but nothing was changing the position of the picture. I tried to adjust both horizontally and vertically. The other controls for brightness and contrast all worked. I am using the Philips 5960 DVD player connected through HDMI and it is usually set to 780P or 1080i on the player. I am losing at least 5% on the left and right according to the test card I used. It looks like about an inch to me. It really bothers me in movies filmed in 2.35 aspect ratio b/c i feel like I'm losing even more of the picture. Any suggestions? Also, I wrote down all of my original settings just to be safe.
> 
> 
> Thanks for any help or suggestions.




When you enter the service menu ('OSD setting comes up first') cycle through nearly to the end - you should see the commands for V.POS and H.POS. You should be able to adjust these to change vertical and horizontal positioning of the image on the screen. Try this while playing the overscan portion of the THX Optimizer dvd to get the 'oval in the 16x9 double box' image correct.


----------



## mezcla

I used HPOS and VPOS to adjust but it only works when connected through component video. When I connect through HDMI the image doesn't move at all. I don't know if it's an issue with the player or not but I'm losing quite a bit of image on all content through HDMI. That said, last night I did a firmware upgrade as recommended by philips and now I don't get any image through HDMI at all. I may just have to return the player unless they can tell me what went wrong. I really liked this player (all region and plays pretty much any file you put into it). The image looks much more clear when connected through HDMI but I have a problem with the overscan on all sides.


----------



## InYourEyes

Anybody owns a Toshiba MW26H82 26" HDTV, the one with a DVD player and VCR built-in, and has a problem with the color settings? I just got it from shipment today, and the preset colors are way way off, worse than the MW26G71 I had before last year. Orion didn't do a good job adjusting the color in my TV. Shame. Looks like I will need to spend long hours playing with the service menu.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Anybody owns a Toshiba MW26H82 26" HDTV, the one with a DVD player and VCR built-in, and has a problem with the color settings? I just got it from shipment today, and the preset colors are way way off, worse than the MW26G71 I had before last year. Orion didn't do a good job adjusting the color in my TV. Shame. Looks like I will need to spend long hours playing with the service menu.



Walt(InYourEyes) - Sorry to hear of your unhappiness with you new set. But, I gotta ask this. Why, after authoring hundreds of posts criticizing the quality and workmanship of Orion-made products on this forum and elsewhere, would you ever even consider buying an another Orion-made product? Seems almost masochistic when you stop and think about it. Anyway, good luck in getting your new set squared away.


----------



## rs7k




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *BRAISKI* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey guys I am new here someome sent me this link cause I am planning to buy the 26HF85/C but it seems that ppl have problems with it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> is it possible that this will be the same as the Canadian version?
> 
> 
> I really want this TV cause since I do not have much $$$ with me and I have been wanting to buy a widescreen TV...



Just save up and get a Sony CRT, or some other quality HDTV. I was in the same boat as you and regret getting the 26HF85C.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

Hi ,

I own a 26HF85 since few months and my opinion on this set is mixed.


First I think when the source is not HD this set do his job: my dvd looks beautiful (and far away from a SD tv), sound is nice too. At lot of option to tweak the image. But there is a hudge problem on this set: the HD quality is miserable, too dark, flickering, simply not what HD suppose to be. I dont regret buying this set because the 150$ more than a SD tv worth it, but do not expect to have a HD quality on it.


This toshiba is the weakest version of a HD tv, or a richest version of a SD, depending on your point of view.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Walt(InYourEyes) - Sorry to hear of your unhappiness with you new set. But, I gotta ask this. Why, after authoring hundreds of posts criticizing the quality and workmanship of Orion-made products on this forum and elsewhere, would you ever even consider buying an another Orion-made product? Seems almost masochistic when you stop and think about it. Anyway, good luck in getting your new set squared away.



Well, it's because it's the only 26" CRT HDTV available in the market, the last 26" CRT HDTV ever made, and Orion is the final maker. I would be happy to buy another brand except Toshiba, but there is no alternate available.


Anyway, took some time off adjusting the colors, and now it looks really good. After adjusting, I can say that this is the best Orion HDTV ever made so far. I don't see any lines running on the screen at all, unlike in the last year MW26G71, and there are no glow spots or flickering I see so far.


----------



## swd

Hi!

I just buy the 34HF85C from someone, i have 4 problems so far, i did'nt get through all 34 pages but i would like your opinion on this and your help if possible. My english is not that good and i'm not sure how to explain, i'll do my best and i hope you'll understand.


1. The image is kind of round. For example, when i'm watching Baseball, there is the line at the top or the bottom of the screen with the score, well, this line is round, and way up on the right side. Is it fixable?


2. Still listening to baseball, when there is movement in the image i have kind of clear red, green, blue flash in some part of the tv, can i fix this? By the way, this is happening on other channel too.


3. When my tv is open and i shut down my digital tv receiver, on the black screen i have 3/4 of the right part of the tv kind of dark blue. What this means?


4. Watching Discovery HD channel for example, the logo is still kind of rounded up and half of it is out of the screen.


I would really appreciate your help guys, i just hope i can fix anything and if all this has been already mentioned, i'm sincerely sorry if i did'nt get through.


Thanks


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *swd* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hi!
> 
> I just buy the 34HF85C from someone, i have 4 problems so far, i did'nt get through all 34 pages but i would like your opinion on this and your help if possible. My english is not that good and i'm not sure how to explain, i'll do my best and i hope you'll understand.
> 
> 
> 1. The image is kind of round. For example, when i'm watching Baseball, there is the line at the top or the bottom of the screen with the score, well, this line is round, and way up on the right side. Is it fixable?
> 
> 
> 2. Still listening to baseball, when there is movement in the image i have kind of clear red, green, blue flash in some part of the tv, can i fix this? By the way, this is happening on other channel too.
> 
> 
> 3. When my tv is open and i shut down my digital tv receiver, on the black screen i have 3/4 of the right part of the tv kind of dark blue. What this means?
> 
> 
> 4. Watching Discovery HD channel for example, the logo is still kind of rounded up and half of it is out of the screen.
> 
> 
> I would really appreciate your help guys, i just hope i can fix anything and if all this has been already mentioned, i'm sincerely sorry if i did'nt get through.
> 
> 
> Thanks



Sorry to say, but you bought a defective TV from someone. The seller screwed you. These cannot be fixed.


----------



## swd

Well he gave me his invoice and warranty, what do i need to return it at the store, do i bring only the tv and the remote?


----------



## ADONY

I am planning on replacing my Toshiba 34HF85 with an Samsung 42" Plasma Flat panel. Several of my friends are asking to buy my 34HF85 (1 year old) and I have no idea what to ask for it! any opinions or suggestions?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ADONY* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I am planning on replacing my Toshiba 34HF85 with an Samsung 42" Plasma Flat panel. Several of my friends are asking to buy my 34HF85 (1 year old) and I have no idea what to ask for it! any opinions or suggestions?



I would say somewhere between $600 to $800, depending on the condition.


----------



## lennsx

Agreed. I am selling my 34HF85 to a friend of mine for $600 and that's a great deal. Other than that white glow (which actually seems to be improving or perhaps I'm simply getting used to it) I guess I lucked out; I really like the TV overall. Now, a 37" Plasma or 37" LCD......


----------



## InYourEyes

If you own an Orion-made Toshiba HDTV (any model), and had a not-so-straight horizontal line at first, do you know how to fix it? My Toshiba MW26H82 seems to be curving upward on the top a little at the left side of the screen. I tried going into the service menu, but it does not let me adjust the horizontal lines. Or, can this one only be only fixed by a ISF calibrator? Or, is there a small knob inside the TV for it?


Othewise, this TV seems to be pretty good and am loving it every minute (hope it's not another Orion lemon). This TV is connected with my Bose Companion 2 speakers along with my old, refuses to die 1985 Toyomenka (Orion) VCR in my TV stand.


Thanks to anyone who can help me.


----------



## DrDetroit

My dad just received his Onkyo HTiB to connect to his Toshiba MD30H82 HDTV. He does not have a digital cable STB and doesn't want one.


We connected the TV and HTiB via digital optical. Audio works fantastic while watching a DVD.


However, we have not been able to get television audio through the HTiB. I was able to contact Toshiba customer support (excellent service, btw) last night before they closed for the weekend and they indicated I needed to connect red/wht analog from the TV to the HTiB. I did so connecting the red/wht analog to the Video 1 input on on the HTiB. And we still don't get any audio.


Has anyone else encountered a similar problem or have any insight on this?


Thanks in advance.


----------



## tpn21

Hi I bought a refurb 30hfx84 on ebay a little over a year ago and I have always had a problem with hooking up dvd players and/or my xbox to this tv. I've gotten I suppose what you guys are calling a flicker problem but it seems worse because it isnt viewable. you can barely make out what is playing on the dvd. I am using good quality component cables. Like I said i have had issues with the XBOX but i fixed that by changing something in the dashboard. Sorry to be vague but it has been a while. This tv is in my office so I quite frankly havent really used it besides watching regular tv in a long time. I watch thru a hd dvr box with a HDMI hookup and have a fantastic picture. I now am trying to hookup this dvd and this problem is still happening. Before anyone posts back I did change my dvd to disable progressive scan and that didnt work. It did the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas or do I have to bite the bullet and get a HDMI DVD. I know that would be better anyway but i would like to be able to use these components later. Thank you in advance for any help.


----------



## georgemoe




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tpn21* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hi I bought a refurb 30hfx84 on ebay a little over a year ago and I have always had a problem with hooking up dvd players and/or my xbox to this tv. I've gotten I suppose what you guys are calling a flicker problem but it seems worse because it isnt viewable. you can barely make out what is playing on the dvd. I am using good quality component cables. Like I said i have had issues with the XBOX but i fixed that by changing something in the dashboard. Sorry to be vague but it has been a while. This tv is in my office so I quite frankly havent really used it besides watching regular tv in a long time. I watch thru a hd dvr box with a HDMI hookup and have a fantastic picture. I now am trying to hookup this dvd and this problem is still happening. Before anyone posts back I did change my dvd to disable progressive scan and that didnt work. It did the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas or do I have to bite the bullet and get a HDMI DVD. I know that would be better anyway but i would like to be able to use these components later. Thank you in advance for any help.



I would try running a composite or s-video cable from the dvd to the Toshiba. Seems to me it could be your DVD player.


BTW, I just got an Oppo 970 for my 34HFX84. Awesome!


----------



## tpn21




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *georgemoe* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I would try running a composite or s-video cable from the dvd to the Toshiba. Seems to me it could be your DVD player.
> 
> 
> BTW, I just got an Oppo 970 for my 34HFX84. Awesome!



I did that last night and it works just fine!!! Oh yeah I didnt mention i tried two different DVD players. One older Sony and one cheapo from somewhere and they both did the same thing/ Could it just be bad component hookups??? Is that something a tv repair shop could fix or would it be overtly expensive??? See I dont think i would be covered under any warranty anymore so I am without return options. i am not against just getting a dvd with hdmi on the back because like i said that works fine but i would really like to have the option of using those components if i could. Thanks for the response.


----------



## georgemoe




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tpn21* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I did that last night and it works just fine!!! Oh yeah I didnt mention i tried two different DVD players. One older Sony and one cheapo from somewhere and they both did the same thing/ Could it just be bad component hookups??? Is that something a tv repair shop could fix or would it be overtly expensive??? See I dont think i would be covered under any warranty anymore so I am without return options. i am not against just getting a dvd with hdmi on the back because like i said that works fine but i would really like to have the option of using those components if i could. Thanks for the response.



Between a bench charge and the possible repair cost, it might be better (cheaper)to just go out and get a new HDMI upconverting DVD player and bypass that component input alltogether.


----------



## tpn21




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *georgemoe* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Between a bench charge and the possible repair cost, it might be better (cheaper)to just go out and get a new HDMI upconverting DVD player and bypass that component input alltogether.



I will call around but you are probably right. Thanks for your help.


----------



## xenofloyd




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jonny1127* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> True, but honestly this TV doesn't have the best HD output and 1080i really doensn't look all that much better than 480p, or at least from my experience with it and my X360 I don't notice too great a difference(On this set that is, I'm not speaking in general). With all the problems the set has displaying 1080i(the darkness problems and the white glow along the to of the screen) I figure I'd rather save myself SOME of the headaches and stick to 480p. That is untill I can afford to buy a new TV wich unfortunately won't be for a good while.



Turn the brightness on the TV way down, turn the in-game brightness setting way up.


Having the brightness too high starts messing with the picture quality of the set, so for games that have adjustable brightness you can get an awesome picture, at the cost of messing with your brightness setting for different games.


----------



## xenofloyd

Actually, correct that -- I just spent an hour in the service menu. Turn the contrast waaaay down and the brightness waaay up and suddenly everything looks awesome and I can finally read text in games!!! yes!!!


----------



## lunaclown

Ok..I was wondering if someone can help me out. I messed around with the service menu late and messed some settings up and the picture has come out really distorted. Can someone PLEASE post or PM me the Default settings from the service manual. I'd really appreciate it.


----------



## ArDarsh

I recently purchased the Toshiba 27" flat screen for around 3 hundo (not bad I guess). However, I have a few problems and wondering if anyone knows how to figure it out.


1.) I use OTA reception in Northwest suburb of Chicago. Channels such as 5.1 and 7.1 always have black frames around the picture. I assume the signal (720p) causes the TV to go into 16:9 and then the image is only 4:3. So when I zoom in, the image gets cut off at the borders







. I am wondering if there is a way to adjust the amount of zoom (ex: 1.2x rather 1.5x) and horizontal/vertical alignment of the picture so it ends up filling the screen just like an analog signal. The regular menu has no such options.


2.) Are the curved edges even in 16:9 mode normal? I saw the multiple posts on how Toshiba CRTs have this issue, but is my set really messed up? Also, is there a good substitute in the less than 400 range? Would a Sony, Magnavox, Sylvania, Philips be any better or equal? TV can't have a physical width (not screen size) of more than 31.5".


Thanks for any help out there.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ArDarsh* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I2.) Are the curved edges even in 16:9 mode normal? I saw the multiple posts on how Toshiba CRTs have this issue, but is my set really messed up? Also, is there a good substitute in the less than 400 range? Would a Sony, Magnavox, Sylvania, Philips be any better or equal? TV can't have a physical width (not screen size) of more than 31.5".



Do you mean the infamous curved-in geometry at the lower right side corner? If so, then this is normal. All of the Orion-made TVs I tried in the past have this curved-in geometry, including my new MW26H82.


----------



## ArDarsh

Forgot about this post. Has someone figured out how to undo over-zoom?


----------



## stvnham16

I have a problem with the geometry of my tv. Whenever there are horizontal bars or lines on the screen they bend downwards near the side of the screen. What setting in the service menu will fix this.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a problem with the geometry of my tv. Whenever there are horizontal bars or lines on the screen they bend downwards near the side of the screen. What setting in the service menu will fix this.



It is a flaw, but Orion, the manufacturer for Toshiba TVs, considers this to be normal.


----------



## stvnham16

So, is there a way to fix this in the service menu. If so what setting should I play with.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> So, is there a way to fix this in the service menu. If so what setting should I play with.



No, there is no setting in the service menu that you can fix it. But, if you do find one, please let me know. I have a curve in my MW26H82 combo as well.


----------



## eddie-tavares









Hello.

This is my first post on AVS Forum.

I live in Brazil and I have a CRT TOSHIBA 36HF84 ( 34HF84 american model ).

I need to adjust the vertical position, but my TV, in the service menu, do not have V.POS data, only H.POS .

What setting in the service menu will fix this?


Thank's Eduardo.


----------



## xenofloyd

I've just spent a few hours messing with the service menu on the 34HFX85, and have found fixes for blurry text, any fish eye problems, and how to drastically reduce the increased brightness on the top of the screen for 1080i component input sources. If this information would be useful to anyone, please send me a PM and I will post my settings in the forum.


----------



## wainr




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *xenofloyd* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've just spent a few hours messing with the service menu on the 34HFX85, and have found fixes for blurry text, any fish eye problems, and how to drastically reduce the increased brightness on the top of the screen for 1080i component input sources. If this information would be useful to anyone, please send me a PM and I will post my settings in the forum.



Definelty interested. Post em up.


----------



## lennsx

PLEASE POST! Any solution for the crushed blacks, as well?


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Do you mean the infamous curved-in geometry at the lower right side corner? If so, then this is normal. All of the Orion-made TVs I tried in the past have this curved-in geometry, including my new MW26H82.



I haven't really had that problem on any of my sets. Most of these Orion/Toshiba CRTs have minor to moderate horizontal line curving problems somewhere but it varies from set to set. My current set has significant problems along the entire left 1/6th of the screen, with horizontal lines curving towards the upper-left there. The aspect ratio squishes up there as well, another aspect of geometry. But my previous 2 sets didn't have that problem (but they had other geometry problems instead).


My current set also has problems with horizontal lines being slanted diagonally towards the upper-right of the screen in the entire upper-right 1/4-quadrant of the TV (not in any other areas). This problem I have seen on pretty much all my units but usually not to such a severe extent. Nevertheless, I would say that even on my current set the overall level of horizontal bowing is not nearly as bad as the typical Samsung CRT.


For the most part all of these horizontal geometry problems are unfixable with the user and service menus. The service menu setting V. SYMM is the only one that can have a very very minor effect on horizontal geometry, and it only does so very indirectly I believe (it's probably not the primary thing it affects, although I'm not sure exactly what it is supposed to affect anyway).


Regarding black crushing, I think I said before numerous times that I found increasing the service menu setting SUB CONT helps the most. Max it out to improve black crush (personally I have no problem with the gamma correction levels of the Toshibas and never changed this on my current set. The only non-geometry-related setting I choose to alter is the overall generic Color setting which can be found in the user menu, I generally lower it a few points...the Toshibas come slightly oversaturated I think). After maxing SUB CONT you should probably lower regular Contrast also to keep the overall white level of your TV the same. Also always make sure you have Brightness as high as you can have it that is correct (Brightness should be as high as possible such that on a perfectly black screen it still looks perfectly black). SUB CONT is the most valuable setting though because it is not in the user menu and also has alsolutely no effect on a perfectly black screen, but does make very low intensity grays and blacks much brighter. At least, that's what I found when doing my own experimenting long ago.


----------



## xenofloyd

Alright


To activate service menue press the volume down button on the TV and HOLD IT, and then press 9 on the remote.


By pressing left an right you will cycle through options, and by pressing up and down you can change settings. You should probobly write things down before you change them (I didn't, but im wreckless with my electronics). If the first thing you do is press RIGHT the screen will go black (at least on my TV), but don't freak out... just press right or left and things will be ok. Here is a list of some things you can change....


00 - OSD H - Osd position on the screen. obvious.

57 - Tilt - obvious

56 - sharp min my setting = 4

55 - sharp max my setting = 85

54 - sharp CENT my setting = 50


IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE MIN / MAX/ CENT!!! So, the Minimum value (Sharp Min, Cont Min, Bri Min) corresponds to the '0' when you go into the normal brightness/contrast/sharpness options in the menu. The 'max' corresponds to a value of 50 in the normal menu. The 'cent' corresponds to '25' in the menu. For example, if you set the BRI MIN to 0, BRI max to 255 and BRI CENT to 25, then when you change brightness in the normal on screen menu, it will work like this ->


User setting 0 1 2 . ... 25 26 27 .... 49 .... 50

actual setting 0 1 2 ..... 25 34 43 .... 246 ...255


So, when you adjust your user menu, you are adjust the fundemental brightness in the service menu based around the Max, min, and cent values... I hope that makes sense. I set my sharpness settings above just so I could hone in on a good sharpness later when I left the service menu.


anyway, on we go....


53 - Tint - obvious... I havn't messed much with color.


52 Sub Cont - My setting is 30. this is some fundemental contrast setting that I don't really understand. The consesus is that a higher value is better for getting rid of black crush.


51 Col Min - (color minimum value) - 0


50 Col Max- (Maximum color value) - 100


49 Col Cent - (Color value of 25 in normal menu) - 50


48 - Cont Min (Minimum contrast, e.g. when contrast is set to 0 in normal menu) - 10


47 - Contrast Max (Maximum contrast value, e.g. the value when contrast is set to 50) -

60


46 - Contrast Cent ( Central contrast value) mine is 40, but could certainly be lower


45 - Bri min - minimum brightness - 200


44 - Bri Max - maximum brightness - 255



43 - Bri Cent- Central Brightness - 243


42 through 23 are all color controls that are pretty obvious. You can set the parameters of the warm/cool/neutral color settings. I have not calibrated at all for these.


23 - V Symm - no idea what this does... 133


22 through 13 are all basic geometry. easy enough to play with to get proper geomtery. If you are having trouble, shrink the size of your window with Vsize and Hsize to.


12 - V Limit - this has a value of zero, and changing it messes up your screen. WTF. dont mess with it I guess.


11- V cent - changing this value moves the image up and down


10 - V blks - don't know what this does...


There is also H cent to move the image horizontally.

I'm going to leave ones out here that I'm not too sure about...


7 - VHT - does some vertical streching, more on this later. (can be 0 through 7)


6 - V Lin - this is basicaly the fish eye setting. Max this out, or you will have fish eye... I guess if you have the opposite of fish eye you can turn it down a little bit.


5 - V size - does vertical streching.


Ok, so both VHT and VSIZE adjust the vertical strech of the screen. Now, I suggest you set VHT to zero and then use VSIZE to fit the image to the size of your screen. This seems to make the brightness bar go away almost entirely. I have crazy theories as to why that might be, but I won't bore you with them.


Then I go over to my user settings, and turn the brighness up to 50, my contrast down to about 15, my sharpess up to about 40 for high def material, and turn off all the processing. On my TV, contrast MUST BE VERY LOW, or the TV oversaturates itself and text becomes unreadable. So, the solution is maximum brightness and then messing with the contrast to get good text detail -- also try using a grayscale pattern to fine tune your contrast.


Hope this is useful for someone!


And I don't see anyway to break your TV using this menu... You could get a super ugly picture, but that wouldn't be any different from when I first turned it on


----------



## klover




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stvnham16* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a problem with the geometry of my tv. Whenever there are horizontal bars or lines on the screen they bend downwards near the side of the screen. What setting in the service menu will fix this.



You can mess around with the H-Position a bit but, in most cases, the bending is caused by the power supply (lack of overload capacity).


I also worked those lines a bit straighter by adjusting TRAPazoid and Para.


Watch your lines while you adjust your contrast and you'll see what I mean (higher contrast - white - taxes the power supply/deflection circuitry more).


In most cases, you can only minimize the impact.


----------



## klover

Oh, and I posted this elsewhere is case you need some "default" settings for the colour areas that xenofloyd didn't address (good post though!).

_I spent hours scouring the net for these - never found any - so I went to a Best Buy today, begged for the remote and a pen and stood in front of the demo set and recorded the defaults. They had to have a manager "watch" me as they were concerned this was an attempt to steal a replacement remote


Of course, each set is individually configured at the factory but these default settings should get you back to a workable (if not satisfactory) image in the event you toggled them without recording your defaults (like the author did).


I've left out the descriptors for each setting as the service menu numbers and corresponding settings are all you need. I've also skipped a small chunk of settings that simply establish the top, centre and bottom end of things like brightness and contrast (i.e., settings that only affect how high/low you can set the basic menu items - nothing important).


Anyway, I hope these help.


1. N/A (this is the setting that makes a red line appear)

2. 82

3. 1

4. 38

5. 46

6. 25

7. 4

8. 3

9. 31

10. 0

11. 33

12. 0

13. 15

14. 40

15. 12

16. 47

17. 18

18. 12

19. 16

20. 15

21. 7

22. 8

23. 128

24. 95

25. 126

26. 64

27. 74

28. 79

29. 112

30. 139

31. 64

32. 70

33. 88

34. 60

35. 113

36. 64

37. 86

38. 70

39. 8

40. 3

41. 5

42. 0

52. 13
_


----------



## Porcupine2




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *xenofloyd* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Ok, so both VHT and VSIZE adjust the vertical strech of the screen. Now, I suggest you set VHT to zero and then use VSIZE to fit the image to the size of your screen. This seems to make the brightness bar go away almost entirely. I have crazy theories as to why that might be, but I won't bore you with them.
> 
> 
> Then I go over to my user settings, and turn the brighness up to 50, my contrast down to about 15, my sharpess up to about 40 for high def material, and turn off all the processing. On my TV, contrast MUST BE VERY LOW, or the TV oversaturates itself and text becomes unreadable. So, the solution is maximum brightness and then messing with the contrast to get good text detail -- also try using a grayscale pattern to fine tune your contrast.



Ah, nice trick with manipulating both VHT and VSIZE (which on the surface appear to do the same or similar thing) to maybe reduce the 1080i white glow at the top problem. I myself only use this TV for SD as of now so I've never experienced the white glow problem, but in the future I'll remember this if necessary.


Another thing, V. SYMM that mysterious setting, also increases/decreases the vertical size of the screen if you alter it a lot (don't be afraid that changing it makes the screen bounce for a second, it's harmless I've done it zillions of times). So this is a 3rd parameter that you can fiddle with to possibly alter the white glow. There is also a 4th parameter which could be the most valuable of them all. It's the V. POS parameter that probably no one uses because it makes the screen look weird (cut off) and unusable. However if you alter both V. POS and V. SYMM in the correct direction the screen is once again fixed and watchable and for the most part the same as before (no part of the actual image is cut off...you may also need to recenter with V CENT because changing V. SYMM slightly alters this also...V. SYMM is one of the service menu's most unusual settings).


I'd like to test the effects of these on the 1080i white glow myself but won't be able to until I get an HD source (and assuming I still have this TV at that time, since this one is defective and I'm trying to get rid of it).


Also I totally agree with what you said about the Contrast. I incorrectly said in my previous post that I only adjust the Color settings regarding non-geometry settings. I forgot to mention I also change the Contrast. I have it at the "original" 0 exactly (I made that the default through the service menu...it's Contrast 50 I believe in the SM"). I redo my CONT CENT at 50 (instead of 70 the default), my CONT MAX at 70 (instead of 80 the default) and CONT MIN at 20 (instead of 50 the default). You need to lower the Contrast because the out-of-box contrast is way too high and makes all text and all images very blurry since the electron beam cannot focus, as you said. Fortunately, I think the lowered Contrast is the way it is supposed to be anyway (I dunno for sure, never tested with anything like AVIA, but ohwell. I don't care because it's more important to have a sharp image than a correct intensity one.) I also don't really care about color temperature, something that a lot of other people are deeply concerned about. I just use Cool for everything, regardless of whether it's right or wrong. Besides, the different spots on the screen have different color temp anyway due to "minor" color purity problems that all the HD CRTs have.


----------



## xenofloyd

update.... VS CORR will also appear to adjust vertical scale, but it does so in such a way that it only streches the top and bottom of the screen, but no the middle.


----------



## HDTiVo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *spurdy* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I managed to get that spreadsheet you're talking about. I also made an updated 30HFX85 version for my own purposes. I've got them hosted on my FTP site (it's only 384kbps upstream, so not zippy, but the files are small):
> 
> Toshiba_26HF84.zip
> Toshiba_30HF(X)85.zip
> 
> 
> I think it was unecessary for me to make a column for each individual input. From what I've read you'd probably only need one for each _type_ of input (4 total: one for antenna, one for composite/S-Video, one for component, and one for HDMI). But I was being paranoid when I first recorded everything, after reading many posts about people getting themselves into pickles by not keeping careful records first.



I'd like to adust the overscan on the 30HFX85. Can someone point me to a manual or the right use of the above to do it?


Thank you.


----------



## ArDarsh

Hey everyone,


I was wondering if the Toshiba 27DF46 has issues with inputs on the back. I read a couple posts talking about screens being slightly messed up, but not really sure on the whole thing. I plan on getting this TV just for Xbox360/PS3 and OTA reception. Also, I notice that a lot of zoom features zoom-in too much or pull images to one side of the screen. Does this TV suffer from this? I was hoping for something like incremental zoom to get a good fit without cropping the image. If this TV stinks, is there a good substitute? Thanks in advance.


----------



## kev7645

Hi, I'm about to ask for a big favor here.


Anyone who has a Toshiba 26HF66, or anything close to the (26HFXX) would you please post all the settings you have in the service menu. It would be a life saver for me.


Thank you so much.


----------



## mtb

Been slowly having problems on my Toshiba 30HF85C (canadian) with the bright glow at the top of the screen. Since its now about 11 months old, I decided to ask the service depot where I bought it to take a look. Despite the mumbo jumbo about it being an "incompatibility in the way my satellite receiver and TV communicate" from the service technician at my house while my wife was home, I managed to get them to take it away for service last week and they've now called to say Toshiba will be replacing it with a new but different unit. I'm assuming this is the 30HF86C I see on their website now. I'll update as things progress









http://mikebabcock.ca/ht for details on my home theatre setup.


----------



## mtb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ArDarsh* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I read a couple posts talking about screens being slightly messed up, but not really sure on the whole thing. I plan on getting this TV just for Xbox360/PS3 and OTA reception.



There are several possible problems with this set. Most have minor geometry issues that most users wouldn't notice, but some of us are picky about. Some sets (like mine) have an obvious bright patch in the top inch or so of the screen that is most noticeable with dark scenes. I found for playing video games this TV is perfectly acceptable, and for viewing HD broadcasts on satellite it was more than sufficient, if that helps you any.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ArDarsh* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Also, I notice that a lot of zoom features zoom-in too much or pull images to one side of the screen. Does this TV suffer from this? I was hoping for something like incremental zoom to get a good fit without cropping the image. If this TV stinks, is there a good substitute? Thanks in advance.



The zoom features on this TV are one of the things I quite liked. There are a few settings, including "take a letterbox show and stretch it to widescreen vertically", "do the same but with less stretch so you dont lose the CC text" and "stretch whatever i'm getting to fill the screen" (perfect for SD widescreen videogames like on the PS2). The vertical cropping ones allow you to adjust the offset for the cropping as well, to center it properly on the screen.


Its actually quite a nice TV feature-wise. Its too bad it doesn't have the image quality of a comparable Sony CRT HDTV.


----------



## stvnham16

How do you use the zoom feature. Is that theaterwide 1-whatever. Also because I output everything to 720p, is that the reason why stuff doesn't fit completly on the screen. Example would be the NBC hd sybmol get cut off a little bit as well as the fox symbol. This is on hd broadcast. When I output from my cable box 1080i to the tv I don't have the problem. The reason I don't output with 1080i is because of banding problems.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kev7645* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hi, I'm about to ask for a big favor here.
> 
> 
> Anyone who has a Toshiba 26HF66, or anything close to the (26HFXX) would you please post all the settings you have in the service menu. It would be a life saver for me.
> 
> 
> Thank you so much.



Since I know I wanted these when I first got my set, I'm going to share my ISF settings with all you 26HF(84/85/14/15/66) owners. We all know that every CRT is different, but maybe these will work or at least head you in the right direction. Also, these are optimized for HD sources.



First off, set the screen mode to "Full" and then enter the Service Menu. Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. Make sure to write down all of your current settings. I don't want to be to blame if my settings don't work for you. Change the settings to the following values and then press 'menu' on the remote to return.



Items #2-#23 are Geometry settings and a different for each set. Only use these for experimentation as I can guarantee you they are not the correct settings for your particular set.


2. H. POSI - 84

3. V. POSI - 1

4. H. SIZE - 20

5. V. SIZE - 40

6. V. LIN - 27

7. V-EHT - 4

8. H-EHT - 2

9. V-BLK P - 31

10. V-BLK S - 0

11. V. CENT - 31

12. V. LIMIT - 0

13. V. CORR - 13

14. V.S. CORR - 40

15. EW PARA - 10

16. TRAPEZIUM - 45

17. COR. TOP - 16

18. COR. BTM - 15

19. S. CORR - 17

20. CORNER - 16

21. C. PARA - 6

22. C. SAW - 6

23. V. SYMM - 128



The following are the picture settings and are roughly equal across all sets. They may need slight adjustments, but it will be pretty darned close to perfect.


24. R. BIAS - 69

25. G. BIAS - 63

26. B. BIAS - 93

27. R/G. DRV - 77

28. B/R. DRV - 60

Items #29 through #38 are for the 'cool' and 'warm' color temp settings. I didn't include them because they are unused.

39. R-Y GAIN - 1

40. R-Y PAHSE - 0

41. G-Y GAIN - 2

42. G-Y PAHSE - 1

43. BRI. CENT - 227

44. BRI. MAX - 232

45. BRI. MIN - 222

46. CONT. CENT - 39

47. CONT. MAX - 43

48. CONT. MIN - 35

49. COL. CENT - 61

50. COL. MAX - 64

51. COL. MIN - 47

52. SUB CONT - 15

53. TINT - 66

54. SHARP CENT - 63

55. SHARP MAX - 95

56. SHARP MIN - 31

57. TILT CENT - 138


Exit the Service Menu by pressing the "menu" button, press the tv/video button and repeat all settings on all 7 inputs.


Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.



Once you have all the service menu set up, set your main menu settings like this.


S-video(or composite) connection:::

Brightness - 0

Contrast - 25(set to '50' for a brighter picture)

Color - 0

Tint - 0

Sharpness - 25

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


Colorstream Component:::

Brightness - 25 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 for HD(50 for a brighter SD picture, 0 for night HD)

Color - 25

Tint - 0

Sharpness - 25 (set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


HDMI:::

Brightness - 50 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 for HD(set to 50 for a brighter SD picture, set to 0 for night HD)

Color - 50

Tint - 0

Sharpness - 25(set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off



Yes, did you notice? All the SM settings are to make the main menu settings easy to remember by leaving most of them at default(25).


For example, Bright. Max in the SM corresponds to '[email protected]' in the User menu

Bright.Cent in SM = '[email protected]' in UM

Bright.Min in SM = '[email protected]' in UM.


Enjoy! Hopefully they work for you like they do for me. Looks as good as a Sony now....a non-ISF'd Sony.


----------



## stvnham16

The question I have is when there is a completly black screen on my tv there are Red , Green, and Blue Bars running verticly about and inch from the left side of the screen. Does anyone know what this is? The bars don't fill the whole screen they probably have a total horizontal length of 1.5 inches. Also where these bars are locted, blacks aren't as black they kind of have a glow.


----------



## FIU Panther

Hi, I have a question.


My father owns a Toshiba 30HFX85, we knows nothing about TV's and has never really touched since since he got it. (not that I know much more)


The connections are as follows the cable goes into the Comcast box through a coaxial cable. Then the comcast boxes sends three cables green, red, and white into the television. It's watched on Colorstream HD as the Video Input.


My problem is it looks terrible on SDTV, some channels look better than others but by and far it's really bad. Images are very snowy, almost as if there is a bad connection.


My other problem is HD doesn't really look all that great.


I ask what can be done? Is there a better way to set up connections? Is there something in the menu I need to adjust?


Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.


----------



## fugiot

Toshibas come from the factory with absolutely HORRIBLE settings. Find a friend or co-worker who knows a bit about tuning and calibrating TVs. The difference is night and day. PM me if you want details as I've done quite a bit of work on my toshiba and it turned out looking fantastic.


----------



## kev7645

Thanks a lot man, just what I needed. The picture is looking even better now.


----------



## rs7k

WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE VALUES!!


My set is now looking quite a bit better. It's good enough that I can actually attempt to convince myself I didn't buy an outsourced POS


----------



## fugiot

Cool, glad to hear it. Seems like these sets pack some decent components, but they skimped on the labor and man-hours for calibration to sell them cheaper.


Did you copy all values exactly? Did your color balance turn out OK?


----------



## Monte79

Hi first time poster.....I have owned the 30hf85 for almost a year and a half and I have had problems with it from day 1. Purchased from BB and have had it serviced twice. Both times due to the remote sensor not working all of the time and funky audio noise coming from speakers (best described as a crackle or static interference of some sort). First time tech resoldered connection for remote sensor. Worked for 2 weeks. Second time replaced remote sensor and worked for four weeks. Now the third time comes and they would like to replace main board....


SO, Does anyone know if Toshiba still makes or supplies the main board for the 30hf85? Has anyone else had similar issues or have had the main board replaced? In the end I am hopeful that they don't have replacement boards or it wont cure the problem and BB will honor the no lemon policy (no easy task from what I read) so I can go get a higher end LCD (which is what I should have done in the first place had I not been so cheep). I have read all of your posts on this forum and they look like they will help me with most other issues and for that I am grateful.


----------



## fugiot

What you should do is suck up your good guy image and start giving Best Buy a hard time. They are a business and try to avoid giving things away, but they also don't want to fight with customers. If they see that you're genuinely unhappy with your product, they'll cave immediately and credit you for a new set.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Monte79* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> SO, Does anyone know if Toshiba still makes or supplies the main board for the 30hf85? Has anyone else had similar issues or have had the main board replaced? In the end I am hopeful that they don't have replacement boards or it wont cure the problem and BB will honor the no lemon policy (no easy task from what I read) so I can go get a higher end LCD (which is what I should have done in the first place had I not been so cheep). I have read all of your posts on this forum and they look like they will help me with most other issues and for that I am grateful.



Toshiba does not make any parts in the 30HF85 at all, since they did not make the TV. Your TV is made by Orion (Sansui), and Toshiba has to order all parts from Orion, and it is located in Thailand. Parts usually take a few weeks to ship to the United States. You cannot buy the whole, complete power supply main TV board. That part is not available. Only a certain part can be replaced or repaired. I'm sorry to say, but based on the problems you are experiencing, you probably got an Orion lemon. I had the same experience before.


----------



## lunaclown

I've messed around with the settings and am in need of the original factory settings as I've lost the original values. Can anyone please help? If anyone could please list their values so that I can tweak mine as needed.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lunaclown* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've messed around with the settings and am in need of the original factory settings as I've lost the original values. Can anyone please help? If anyone could please list their values so that I can tweak mine as needed.



These were posted by another AVSForum member a while back. I cannot personally vouch for them, however. Good luck in making adjustments and you might want to get in the habit of writing down values prior to changing them.


TOSHIBA 34HF85 SERVICE MENU DEFAULTS


01 ?

02 HPOS 84

03 VPOS 1

04 HSIZE 41

05 VSIZE 47

06 VLIN 24

07 VEHT 6

08 HEHT 6

09 VBLK (P) 31

10 VBLK (S) 0

11 VCENT 30

12 VLIMIT 0

13 VCORR 2

14 VSCORR 30

15 EW PARA 12

16 TRAP 55

17 CORR TOP 13

18 CORR BOTT 11

19 SCORR 16

20 CORNER 21

21 CPARA 8

22 ? SAW 7

23 VSYMM 128

24 R BIAS 99

25 G BIAS 127

26 B BIAS 158

27 R/G DRV 81

28 B/R DRV 54

29 R BIAS (C) 118

30 G BIAS (C) 127

31 B BIAS (C) 157

32 R/G DRV (C) 68

33 B/R DRV (C) 56

34 R BIAS (W) 81

35 G BIAS (W) 127

36 B BIAS (W) 164

37 R/G DRV (W) 91

38 B/R DRV (W) 50

39 RY GAIN 8

40 RY PHASE 3

41 GY GAIN 5

42 GY PHASE 0

43 BRI CENT 154

44 BR MAX 240

45 BR MIN 50

46 CONT CENT 70

47 CONT MAX 80

48 CONT MIN 50

49 COL CENT 58

50 COL MAX 127

51 COL MIN 0

52 SUB CONT 22

53 TINT 70

54 SHARP CENT 60

55 SHARP MAX 100

56 SHARP MIN 0

57 TILT CENTR 151

58 TEST 0

59 TEST AUDIO 0


----------



## lunaclown




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fburch* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> These were posted by another AVSForum member a while back. I cannot personally vouch for them, however. Good luck in making adjustments and you might want to get in the habit of writing down values prior to changing them.
> 
> 
> TOSHIBA 34HF85 SERVICE MENU DEFAULTS
> 
> 
> 01 ?
> 
> 02 HPOS 84
> 
> 03 VPOS 1
> 
> 04 HSIZE 41
> 
> 05 VSIZE 47
> 
> 06 VLIN 24
> 
> 07 VEHT 6
> 
> 08 HEHT 6
> 
> 09 VBLK (P) 31
> 
> 10 VBLK (S) 0
> 
> 11 VCENT 30
> 
> 12 VLIMIT 0
> 
> 13 VCORR 2
> 
> 14 VSCORR 30
> 
> 15 EW PARA 12
> 
> 16 TRAP 55
> 
> 17 CORR TOP 13
> 
> 18 CORR BOTT 11
> 
> 19 SCORR 16
> 
> 20 CORNER 21
> 
> 21 CPARA 8
> 
> 22 ? SAW 7
> 
> 23 VSYMM 128
> 
> 24 R BIAS 99
> 
> 25 G BIAS 127
> 
> 26 B BIAS 158
> 
> 27 R/G DRV 81
> 
> 28 B/R DRV 54
> 
> 29 R BIAS (C) 118
> 
> 30 G BIAS (C) 127
> 
> 31 B BIAS (C) 157
> 
> 32 R/G DRV (C) 68
> 
> 33 B/R DRV (C) 56
> 
> 34 R BIAS (W) 81
> 
> 35 G BIAS (W) 127
> 
> 36 B BIAS (W) 164
> 
> 37 R/G DRV (W) 91
> 
> 38 B/R DRV (W) 50
> 
> 39 RY GAIN 8
> 
> 40 RY PHASE 3
> 
> 41 GY GAIN 5
> 
> 42 GY PHASE 0
> 
> 43 BRI CENT 154
> 
> 44 BR MAX 240
> 
> 45 BR MIN 50
> 
> 46 CONT CENT 70
> 
> 47 CONT MAX 80
> 
> 48 CONT MIN 50
> 
> 49 COL CENT 58
> 
> 50 COL MAX 127
> 
> 51 COL MIN 0
> 
> 52 SUB CONT 22
> 
> 53 TINT 70
> 
> 54 SHARP CENT 60
> 
> 55 SHARP MAX 100
> 
> 56 SHARP MIN 0
> 
> 57 TILT CENTR 151
> 
> 58 TEST 0
> 
> 59 TEST AUDIO 0



Thank you so much. Your a life saver.


----------



## BRY1080P

I know this is an owner's thread, but is there anyone on this thread that might know of where to find a 34HFX84 these days. Any responses would be much appreciated!!


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *BRY1080P* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I know this is an owner's thread, but is there anyone on this thread that might know of where to find a 34HFX84 these days. Any responses would be much appreciated!!



What is this? This isn't the Toshiba-made era anymore. You will never find a brand new Toshiba 34HFX84. These days are long gone. I've been looking one for 1.5 year with no luck so far. Your best bet is to search through Craigslist or eBay for a used one. But finding a 34HFX84 is sort of impossible.


----------



## lennsx

Anyone have any of the HD players hooked to this/these Toshiba HDTVs?

If so, what's the verdict? Any of the classic issues happening, I.E. white glow and/or the rapid shadow banding via HDMI?


----------



## fugiot

Yes, Blu-ray still gives shadow banding thru HDMI. It doesn't seem to happen as frequently as it does with my OTA box. I believe it's because of camera panning though. Less panning in movies vs. prime time dramas.


----------



## stvnham16

does anyone get the shadow banding over component? I think it gets worse when the brightness is to low and the contrast is to high.


----------



## fugiot

I've never seen banding thru component.


----------



## lennsx

Well, the fact that banding is ALWAYS an issue thru HDMI, regardless of the source is depressing because the only way to upconvert standard DVD's on HD players is thru HDMI.


----------



## fugiot

Oh, sorry. I meant banding is only there with true HD material.


I have an upconverting 1080i Philips DVD player running thru HDMI and I have no banding or white haze at all. NONE.


It's literally the best looking thing I can feed my set.


But, Blu-ray is true HD content is does have banding.


----------



## lennsx

I have banding via my Cable Box @ 1080i thru HDMI and am hesitant to get the new Toshiba HD-A2 because of the fear that it will happen thru its HDMI as well. Question; this TV has an option where we can manually (user selectable) set DVDs to either 540p or 1080i (I keep mine at 540p for I have a progressive scan DVD player, and I honestly see no difference in PQ when I toggle between the two) so with all this talk of upconverting DVD players isn't this TV doing that anyway? Fair question, no?


----------



## fugiot

It is a fair question, but the upscaler in my DVD player blows away the one in the TV. The DVDs look near HD quality. Smoother colors, less artifacts, and smoother lines. A very pleasing picture rivaling that of OTA HD. I'd say it looks like an HD program with sharpness setting turned down a bit. My upscaling DVD player was worth every penny. Plus, you've never seen what your TV can do until you feed it some hi-res jpegs thru HDMI with an HD JPEG dvd player.


Bottom line: Upscaled DVDs are a big difference on these Toshibas.


----------



## lennsx

Thank you for the response. Ah, the frustration with this TV; upscaled DVDs look near HD quality but HD-DVDs have banding problems. So, you have both a Blu-Ray player & an upscaling DVD player? Why don't you use the Blu-Ray player to upcale DVDs? Because of the HDMI/upscaling DVD banding, correct? Oh, no! because TRUE, NATIVE HD content has banding thru HDMI, regardless of the source!


----------



## JoeAngelicchio

Quick question for all of you. Has anyone had any out of focus issues? It seems, not always, but when watching satellite or some DVD's it's almost like the picture has 2 layers not quite synched together. Hard to explain but like it's out of focus. I want to make this set work as it's the perfect size for my armoir. The PS2 (GT4) looks excellent through the component connection set at 1080i for the game, but if I play a DVD throught it looks out of focus. Hope you know what I mean.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thank you for the response. Ah, the frustration with this TV; upscaled DVDs look near HD quality but HD-DVDs have banding problems. So, you have both a Blu-Ray player & an upscaling DVD player? Why don't you use the Blu-Ray player to upcale DVDs? Because of the HDMI/upscaling DVD banding, correct? Oh, no! because TRUE, NATIVE HD content has banding thru HDMI, regardless of the source!



I have an upscaling DVD player because my Blu-ray player is a PS3 which does not upscale. And like I said, Blu-ray has much less banding than OTA HD broadcasts for some reason. So it's not even that big of a problem for me.


----------



## RaySl

I turned on my tv tonight to sit down and watch and relax, but something had changed.... I can now only see 2 video sources (ANT and ColourStream HD1) where did they go? is there a way to get them back?


I checked to make sure video lock was disabled, and then I did a reset of the TV (as per instructions in this forum -- vol 0, hold down 1) and my precious video sources are still not showing up.


Any help would be GREATLY appreciated... I've had the 30HF84 for exactly 2 years now with no issues until now


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *RaySl* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I turned on my tv tonight to sit down and watch and relax, but something had changed.... I can now only see 2 video sources (ANT and ColourStream HD1) where did they go? is there a way to get them back?
> 
> 
> I checked to make sure video lock was disabled, and then I did a reset of the TV (as per instructions in this forum -- vol 0, hold down 1) and my precious video sources are still not showing up.
> 
> 
> Any help would be GREATLY appreciated... I've had the 30HF84 for exactly 2 years now with no issues until now



The input selector circuit board in the TV is probably failing.


----------



## RaySl




> Quote:
> The input selector circuit board in the TV is probably failing.



Any idea what thats going to run me or is it time for a new TV?


----------



## stvnham16

Idk if this has been asked yet. What should I set my tv to when watching tv and video games, film or video mode? Also when whatching dvds is film better then video. I know it has something to do with 3:2 pulldown, but I want to know If watching regular hdtv and video games should be done in video mode.


----------



## fugiot

yes, 'video' mode is for 30fps or 60fps content like games and TV. 'Film' mode is for 24fps content such as dvds. Most movies are filmed, some are shot with video. If you can't tell the difference, then I doubt 3:2 pulldown will visibly change anything for you.


----------



## lennsx

"Cinema Mode virtually eliminates the possibility of errors or artifacts that can be caused by the process of transferring film to video. The Cinema Mode circuitry identifies original film-based content from DVDs. The 3:2 pulldown process is a method to map the 24 frames per second that are captured during film production onto the 30 frames per second of a 525 line TV system. If film-based content is sensed by the circuitry, it reassembles the frame sequence to more accurately reproduce the original 24 frame film-based material.

Benefit: The system has Film and Video settings. When Video mode is selected, the circuitry is turned off. When Film mode is selected, it is in automatic mode."


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

Hi,


Do you know if the HF85 models have 540 or 1080 horizontal lines ? I would like to know if what I'm seeing with my set (26HF85) is a real HD of just a compatible view.

Thanks


----------



## lennsx

As far as I know our beloved 34HF85s are true HD sets, I.E. - 1080 lines of INTERLACED resolution! (720p, or PROGRESSIVE is considered true HD as well, but this TV only outputs 540p, NOT 720p which a lot of people believe; when a HD broadcast signal comes in that is 720p (like FOX network) the TV converts the signal to 1080i. I believe that the TV automatically upconverts all signals to 1080i. Hope that helped! (and I hope that I'm corrrect! ;-)


----------



## fugiot

Yes, the 26HF85 has a screen resolution of 853x1080. Just about 1 megapixel and about equal to a 1366x768 LCD screen.


And like Lennsx said, 480p is not upconverted, 720p is upconverted to 1080i(with detail equaling about 720i), and yes, the set does have a full 1080 lines of vertical resolution. But you have to get rid of the overscan to see them all.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

Thank you for the response. I was not sure because of the curious 540p option for 480p source (by the way i can't see a difference with 480i/p to 1080i mode)


As many people on this thread my set did not display correctly a 1080i source, I've called the Toshiba technical assistance but there are not 'aware of the problem', for those people as long as our set display a 720p signal there is no issue.

So I'm stuck with a 720p signal (which is dumb, many of the HDTV broadcast are in 1080 so my cable box 'down convert' signals 1080i->720p then my TV do the opposite). The quality of the image seems to be ok for me, except that I lose maybe 1 inch of the image to the left of my screen (the display image is too big to fit on the screen).

Do you know if we can resize or at least move the horizontal position of the screen when the set display HD content?


----------



## fugiot

Here is how you get into the Service menu:


First off, set the screen mode to "Full". Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. *Make sure to write down all of your current settings.*


Change the settings; H.POSI, H.SIZE, V.SIZE, and V.CENT. Don't change V.POSI, it's not the one you want. Use the up/down and left/right on your remote. Press 'menu' when you are done. Notice that all of the user menu's settings have been defaulted.


----------



## JoeAngelicchio




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Here is how you get into the Service menu:
> 
> 
> First off, set the screen mode to "Full". Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. *Make sure to write down all of your current settings.*
> 
> 
> Change the settings; H.POSI, H.SIZE, V.SIZE, and V.CENT. Don't change V.POSI, it's not the one you want. Use the up/down and left/right on your remote. Press 'menu' when you are done. Notice that all of the user menu's settings have been defaulted.



Which is the overscan setting?


I guess there's no way to turn off the upscaling is there?


----------



## fugiot

Overscan means the picture is hanging off the edges of your screen. You need to run a 1.78:1 aspect ratio DVD thru your best connection and adjust the size of the image to fit perfectly in the screen. Use the H.SIZE, H.POSI, V.SIZE, and V.CENT to adjust the image size and position. You cannot turn upscaling off. The only way to run SD content in it's native resolution is to set the source to 480p and setting the TV to 540p mode.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Here is how you get into the Service menu:
> 
> 
> First off, set the screen mode to "Full". Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. *Make sure to write down all of your current settings.*
> 
> 
> Change the settings; H.POSI, H.SIZE, V.SIZE, and V.CENT. Don't change V.POSI, it's not the one you want. Use the up/down and left/right on your remote. Press 'menu' when you are done. Notice that all of the user menu's settings have been defaulted.



Thank You, I really appreciate, I've calibrate the vertical size and position, in fact the original vertical setting were all wrong, the image was cute by at least 2-3 inch (too much zoom in).


As it seems you have a good knowledge of the servive menu do you know what is the first and second setting for ? (yellow squares and a bright line). And if i want to change the original image setting (sport/standard/movie), do you know where i can find these setting ?


Thank you.


----------



## alpha_nerd

I searched the thread and didn't find an issue exactly like mine so here goes...


I have a 26HF84A, a little over 2 years old now (November 2004 mfg date), and suddenly the HDMI port just quit working. I've switched out HDMI sources and the cable on this set and I've also taken both to another set where they work fine so I'm sure its the Toshiba TV that's having the problem. I have an extended support contract on it but the place that does the servicing isn't really close-by so if there's a way to reset the HDMI port or the board that controls it as a possible fix that would be great.


The problem detail is that the HDMI port just quit working, the screen is black and there's no sound while playing from the HDMI source. The HDMI port still appears on the list of input sources and it is possible to select and switch to it, it just doesn't work when you get there. I've tried unplugging the set from AC for an extended time but, of course, that had no effect (it was worth a try).


All other ports work fine (all of the normal video, and both the composite ports). Only the HDMI port has exhibited problems.


Any help would be appreciated!


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *MonsieurFreeze* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Thank You, I really appreciate, I've calibrate the vertical size and position, in fact the original vertical setting were all wrong, the image was cute by at least 2-3 inch (too much zoom in).
> 
> 
> As it seems you have a good knowledge of the servive menu do you know what is the first and second setting for ? (yellow squares and a bright line). And if i want to change the original image setting (sport/standard/movie), do you know where i can find these setting ?
> 
> 
> Thank you.




The first service menu setting is just the position of the service menu text. I don't know what the second one is, but I wouldn't look at it for too long. That line is ultra-bright and probably damaging your screen by rapidly burning the pixels.


You can't change the sport/standard/movie settings, but the service menu affects all of the user menu settings. For example, the Bright.Max, Bright.Cent, and Bright.Min settings in the service menu are setting the points for the user menu.


Bright Max in SM = Brightness at '50' in the User Menu

Bright Cent in SM = Brightness at '25' in the UM

Bright Min in SM = Brightness at '0' in the UM.


----------



## bmanfull

OK. Here is a interesting problem with my 34HF85 for all of you to diagnose. For over a year I have been experiencing a picture that would fade from lighter to darker. More troubling, on some specific HD channels (not all) there was a prounounced blue color shift that would notbe present when the picture was viewed through the VCR or seen in the preview box of the Comcast Guide.


After 2 visits by Comcast here what we found out. The problem was resolved when the comcast box was used with HDMI inputs instead component video inputs. The tech said it could be a compatiblity problem. I then used the Component input for the DVD player and it seems OK in terms of color, but a little softer in sharpness.


So here is my dilema, do I use my BestBuy extended warranty to fix the inputs or live with DVD running Component video inputs and TV on HDMI. Not sure if it is truly a compatibility problem or defective TV inputs. Anyone seen this problem before?


Would using a HDMI switch box be a simple solution or will the box add noise that would degrade the picture?


Thoughts?


Thanks,


Bill


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bmanfull* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> OK. Here is a interesting problem with my 34HF85 for all of you to diagnose. For over a year I have been experiencing a picture that would fade from lighter to darker. More troubling, on some specific HD channels (not all) there was a prounounced blue color shift that would notbe present when the picture was viewed through the VCR or seen in the preview box of the Comcast Guide.
> 
> 
> After 2 visits by Comcast here what we found out. The problem was resolved when the comcast box was used with HDMI inputs instead component video inputs. The tech said it could be a compatiblity problem. I then used the Component input for the DVD player and it seems OK in terms of color, but a little softer in sharpness.
> 
> 
> So here is my dilema, do I use my BestBuy extended warranty to fix the inputs or live with DVD running Component video inputs and TV on HDMI. Not sure if it is truly a compatibility problem or defective TV inputs. Anyone seen this problem before?
> 
> 
> Would using a HDMI switch box be a simple solution or will the box add noise that would degrade the picture?
> 
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> 
> Bill



Don't know what's up with your components, but the HDMI switcher shouldn't add any "noise". It's a pure digital connection. Meaning 'on' or 'off'. There's no inbetween. It will either work perfectly or not at all.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

It's a good news if these sets could display a 1080i input thru the HDMI input. I ve ordered a cheap hdmi cable to test this asumption. I still have one month of warranty on my set, I will be glad if I could fix it by myself.


----------



## rs7k

fugiot, has it been confirmed the Toshiba HD CRT's have a full 1080 lines of vertical resolution? I find that unusual since I always assumed Sony was the only manufacturer capable of making a guaranteed claim about their CRT's resolution.


I can't find any particular numbers on the subject, but I read somewhere shadow mask-based CRT's max out at around 800 lines.


However, I compared my friend's Samsung HDTV (it's a Dynaflat, don't know how old it is, but it can't be that recent since it doesn't support 720p at all) to mine, and my 26HF85 looks like it has almost twice the resolution.


For example, if you push the Guide button on the 360 controller, you can see the separate lines in the battery charge indicator very clearly, but on his, it's a blurry mess.


Even at 480p, my set looked sharper in some ways, although 480p looks very washed out. I calibrated my TV to look incredible in HD using some of the settings you posted previously, and tweaked them to fit my TV (if I followed your exact settings, my TV was a blue-tinted mess). I've never managed to get a satisfactory 480i/p picture through component, it's like the black level is non-existent and the colors are extremely dull. 480i looks fine using S-video though. Do you have any tips on what could be wrong? I don't want to change any of the settings because the HD picture is a lot more important to me. Mission Impossible 3 on Blu-Ray looks particularly amazing.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rs7k* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> fugiot, has it been confirmed the Toshiba HD CRT's have a full 1080 lines of vertical resolution? I find that unusual since I always assumed Sony was the only manufacturer capable of making a guaranteed claim about their CRT's resolution.
> 
> 
> I can't find any particular numbers on the subject, but I read somewhere shadow mask-based CRT's max out at around 800 lines.
> 
> 
> However, I compared my friend's Samsung HDTV (it's a Dynaflat, don't know how old it is, but it can't be that recent since it doesn't support 720p at all) to mine, and my 26HF85 looks like it has almost twice the resolution.
> 
> 
> For example, if you push the Guide button on the 360 controller, you can see the separate lines in the battery charge indicator very clearly, but on his, it's a blurry mess.
> 
> 
> Even at 480p, my set looked sharper in some ways, although 480p looks very washed out. I calibrated my TV to look incredible in HD using some of the settings you posted previously, and tweaked them to fit my TV (if I followed your exact settings, my TV was a blue-tinted mess). I've never managed to get a satisfactory 480i/p picture through component, it's like the black level is non-existent and the colors are extremely dull. 480i looks fine using S-video though. Do you have any tips on what could be wrong? I don't want to change any of the settings because the HD picture is a lot more important to me. Mission Impossible 3 on Blu-Ray looks particularly amazing.



The 800 line limitation you are refering to is the horizontal resolution. I don't know if it's actually a limitation or just a cost-cutting measure, but the Toshiba sets are 853x1080 resolution.


As far as your your SM settings, did you change the settings for each input? You have to change to the input you want to set-up and then enter the service menu. Make sure you exit the SM before going to the next input.


On these TVs, you need to lower the brightness for each lower quality input. HDMI needs the highest brightness setting, Component needs a medium setting, and S-video/Composite need very low settings.


----------



## rs7k




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> The 800 line limitation you are refering to is the horizontal resolution. I don't know if it's actually a limitation or just a cost-cutting measure, but the Toshiba sets are 853x1080 resolution.
> 
> 
> As far as your your SM settings, did you change the settings for each input? You have to change to the input you want to set-up and then enter the service menu. Make sure you exit the SM before going to the next input.
> 
> 
> On these TVs, you need to lower the brightness for each lower quality input. HDMI needs the highest brightness setting, Component needs a medium setting, and S-video/Composite need very low settings.



You seem to know a lot about TV's. Thanks a lot by the way.


I just needed to know how you can be certain the 26HF85 has 1080 lines of resolution, just because I can't find that information anywhere.


Off-topic, the TV my friend was talking about is a 30" Samsung Dynaflat. It looks terribly blurry compared to mine, almost closer to the 27" Sony Trinitron (FS120, pretty recent) than to my 26HF85. Tons of overscan too. Would a TV like that be worth $500 CDN (around $400 US I'm guessing).


Thanks again for the insight


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rs7k* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I just needed to know how you can be certain the 26HF85 has 1080 lines of resolution, just because I can't find that information anywhere.
> 
> 
> Off-topic, the TV my friend was talking about is a 30" Samsung Dynaflat. It looks terribly blurry compared to mine, almost closer to the 27" Sony Trinitron (FS120, pretty recent) than to my 26HF85. Tons of overscan too. Would a TV like that be worth $500 CDN (around $400 US I'm guessing).



I know for sure that the Toshiba 26HFs have 1080 lines of vertical resolution because I pretty much hand-counted the pixels. It was driving me nuts not knowing what the resolution of my set was. I never actually counted one by one, but I tried several different methods and regularly came up with numbers around 1100.


Anyway, Samsung makes a decent TV. Sounds like it's just horribly out of tune. Try dropping the contrast WAY down and messing with the sharpness settings and scan velocity. I'd say it's worth around $300-$450 if it works pretty well.


----------



## rs7k

LOL at counting the pixels. I guess it would be possible with the right ratios to measure, I tried it once, but I gave up because I thought I was being ridiculous










About the Samsung, I tried toning down the contrast, and it just did that, lower the contrast and there was no improvement in resolution at all. I'm trying to get the model number, but he's being a lazy stoner lately and I can't get an answer from him at all. He's got some really nasty overscan, like almost 15% or more. If I can get in the service menu, I can maybe work some magic.


Also, I have another question. I might be moving 2-3 times in the next year (relocating - air traffic controller school), and I might have to get rid of my TV. It's pretty heavy. I really like it though, the black levels are terrific in HD. If I got something like a decent Toshiba LCD or LG that's around the same size (obviously 720p), how much would I sacrifice in terms of image quality? Where I might be moving, there will be no HD channels, I can almost guarantee that (think north of the 60th parallel in northern Canada).


----------



## soloist3

I just recently bought a Toshiba 34" HD CRT (34HF81C) and it has a magenta spot directly left of the center of the screen and a yellow spot on the same area but other side of the center of the screen is this a beam landing issue (something that can be corrected) or is this shadow mask warpage? It seems to me that beam landing and geomagnetic disturbances usually occur at the corners, this is near the center, is this TV a lost cause?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *soloist3* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I just recently bought a Toshiba 34" HD CRT (34HF81C) and it has a magenta spot directly left of the center of the screen and a yellow spot on the same area but other side of the center of the screen is this a beam landing issue (something that can be corrected) or is this shadow mask warpage? It seems to me that beam landing and geomagnetic disturbances usually occur at the corners, this is near the center, is this TV a lost cause?



It could be interference in the TV. Try moving the speakers, receiver, and video equipment far away from the TV.


----------



## soloist3

Actually I already did that, it is about 10ft. from anything electrical or magnetic. This CRT would be amazing if it were not for these spots, however I have a feeling that it might be shadow mask damage. Btw, I did have to transport it for about 2 hours in temperatures ranging from 51-34F, could the freezing temperature have caused a warp in the mask?


----------



## rfin16

I am looking for advice on how to minimize moire problems on this set (currently using standard cable, DVD and VHS only). It is otherwise working well, especially since it is a floor model purchased for only $400 Canadian. I have tried searching the thread but cannot find advice on this particular display problem. Thank you in advance for your help.


----------



## zipxavier

I was wondering if someone who has calibrated their 30HF85 or 26HF85 could post their settings for the tint, color, brightness, etc. I unfortunately don't have access to any disc like this and only have a Wii hooked up to my display and would just like the most accurate color reproduction and brightness, etc.


Thanks


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *zipxavier* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I was wondering if someone who has calibrated their 30HF85 or 26HF85 could post their settings for the tint, color, brightness, etc. I unfortunately don't have access to any disc like this and only have a Wii hooked up to my display and would just like the most accurate color reproduction and brightness, etc.
> 
> 
> Thanks



Xavier, if you only want to adjust the image quality and not the size or shape, skip items 2-23 in the service menu. WRITE DOWN YOUR DEFAULT SETTINGS BEFORE CHANGING ANYTHING!


Since I know I wanted these when I first got my set, I'm going to share my ISF settings with all you 26HF(84/85/14/15/66) owners. We all know that every CRT is different, but maybe these will work or at least head you in the right direction. Also, these are optimized for HD sources.



First off, set the screen mode to "Full" and then enter the Service Menu. Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. Make sure to write down all of your current settings. I don't want to be to blame if my settings don't work for you. Change the settings to the following values and then press 'menu' on the remote to return.



Items #2-#23 are Geometry settings and a different for each set. Only use these for experimentation as I can guarantee you they are not the correct settings for your particular set.


2. H. POSI - 84

3. V. POSI - 1

4. H. SIZE - 20

5. V. SIZE - 40

6. V. LIN - 27

7. V-EHT - 4

8. H-EHT - 2

9. V-BLK P - 31

10. V-BLK S - 0

11. V. CENT - 31

12. V. LIMIT - 0

13. V. CORR - 13

14. V.S. CORR - 40

15. EW PARA - 10

16. TRAPEZIUM - 45

17. COR. TOP - 16

18. COR. BTM - 15

19. S. CORR - 17

20. CORNER - 16

21. C. PARA - 6

22. C. SAW - 6

23. V. SYMM - 128



The following are the picture settings and are roughly equal across all sets. They may need slight adjustments, but it will be pretty darned close to perfect.


24. R. BIAS - 69

25. G. BIAS - 63

26. B. BIAS - 93

27. R/G. DRV - 77

28. B/R. DRV - 60

Items #29 through #38 are for the 'cool' and 'warm' color temp settings. I didn't include them because they are unused.

39. R-Y GAIN - 1

40. R-Y PAHSE - 0

41. G-Y GAIN - 2

42. G-Y PAHSE - 1

43. BRI. CENT - 223

44. BRI. MAX - 227

45. BRI. MIN - 216

46. CONT. CENT - 63

47. CONT. MAX - 63

48. CONT. MIN - 31

49. COL. CENT - 43

50. COL. MAX - 43

51. COL. MIN - 43

52. SUB CONT - 0

53. TINT - 66

54. SHARP CENT - 63

55. SHARP MAX - 95

56. SHARP MIN - 31

57. TILT CENT - 138


Exit the Service Menu by pressing the "menu" button, press the tv/video button and repeat all settings on all 7 inputs.


Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.



Once you have all the service menu set up, set your main menu settings like this.


S-video(or composite) connection:::

Brightness - 0

Contrast - 25 or higher

Color - centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - centered

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


Colorstream Component:::

Brightness - 25 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 or higher for HD(0 for night HD)

Color - Centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - 25 (set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


HDMI:::

Brightness - 25 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 or higher for HD(set to 0 for night HD)

Color - centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - 25(set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off



Yes, did you notice? All the SM settings are to make the main menu settings easy to remember by leaving most of them at default(25).


For example, Bright. Max in the SM corresponds to '[email protected]' in the User menu

Bright.Cent in SM = '[email protected]' in UM

Bright.Min in SM = '[email protected]' in UM.


Enjoy! Hopefully they work for you like they do for me. Looks as good as a Sony now....a non-ISF'd Sony.


----------



## rs7k

fugiot,


I roughly measured the vertical dot pitch (for lack of a better term), and realized that two dots fit in a little less than a mm. So the max vertical resolution would be closer to 800 interlaced lines. I came with 1736 "dots" when measuring horizontally.


The vertical length of my screen is 321 mm, and the horizontal length is 573 mm.


321 / 0.42 (estimate) = 764

573 / 0.33 (estimate) = 1736


That would make the resolution roughly 1700x750i, right? I want to know if I measured this the right way.


----------



## fugiot

Far from it, try again and remember that you have to count all three colors as one dot when measuring horizontally.


I'm not sure how you got such a low number for the vertical resolution, I consistantly came up with numbers around 1100.


----------



## mjconnor10

God am I glad I found this thread.


I've adjusted some horizontal centering issues and some minor geometry to very good results.


But I still haven't been able to do anything about the focus on my 30HF85. Everything seems *just* a bit fuzzy. My input devices I'm using as a reference are a Samsung SIR-T150 (OTA receiver) and my XBox 360. Text is where things are really obvious.


What needs to happen to make me as happy as possible?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mjconnor10* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> God am I glad I found this thread.
> 
> 
> I've adjusted some horizontal centering issues and some minor geometry to very good results.
> 
> 
> But I still haven't been able to do anything about the focus on my 30HF85. Everything seems *just* a bit fuzzy. My input devices I'm using as a reference are a Samsung SIR-T150 (OTA receiver) and my XBox 360. Text is where things are really obvious.
> 
> 
> What needs to happen to make me as happy as possible?



Turn the SVM off and sharpness all the way up. Yup, crank to the max. You'll actually have to go into the SM and change the Sharpness.Max setting to 127. Then set the sharpness at '50' on the main menu. I don't know why, but HD doesn't look like HD unless the SVM is off and sharpness is as high as you can get it. Also, text is always going to be a bit blurry on the edges of the screen.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

Hi,


I've received yesterday my HDMI cable to plug in thru my cable box.


The good news is the strange artefact that I could see for 1080i sources thru component cable are over, so my set do not have probleme to display a real 1080i input, except that it must use the HDMI port.

The bad news (yeah nothing is perfect in this world...) is now I have random black screens, seems like a cable box problem (bad DRM ??) or HDMI cable is dammaged, I don't know, yesterday it was very cold in quebec and my cable have a lot of problem, could be that, but I don't think it is a tv issue.


I'm glad that I don't have to experiment the Toshiba technical repair center. And for all people who experiment the same problem (strange colors, as a blue filter) when the source is 1080i thru component, try the HDMI port and see if it change.


----------



## fugiot

Man, I feel luckier and luckier every day that, aside from the regular white haze, my Tosh 26HF came out pretty much flawless. Great geometry, no color spots, all inputs work great...


t'sup with that?


----------



## wehtiko

Hi,


I'm new to HD. I bought a 26HF84 used for 200$ CAD a few months ago when my old TV died. I bought an HD adapter for my Xbox, used also as this adapter is now discontinued, a month ago.


Everything worked fine until a few weeks ago. I wanted to watch some Deadwood episodes on DVD and when I powered my Xbox the image went all weird. It's difficult to explain so here are to links to what it should look like and what it looks like:


This is through the Video2 input (RCA)
pages.infinit.net/innerstr/images/Xbox_video2.jpg 


This is through the ColorStream1 input (Component)
pages.infinit.net/innerstr/images/Xbox_ColorStream1.jpg 


At first I thought it was the adapter so I pluged in another DVD but I had the same result. Then I pluged the DVD into the 2nd ColorStream input and still had the problem. I've tried with another cable and, yes, there it is again.


No settings were changed, it worked just fine the night before.


Anyone had a similar problem? If so, is there a solution or I have to go to a repair shop?


Thanks in advance,


Denis.


----------



## ArDarsh

I am looking to buy one of the following TVs, with preference in the listed order:

*27DF46*

26DF56

26HF66


However, I don't know about their zoom abilities, especially the 27DF46. Whenever I'm watching some digital programming, it goes into windowbox mode (or black on all 4 sides). If I zoom, the image gets cut off and gets pulled to one side of the screen.


Is there a way to fix that in the service menu? I looked at a few previous posts, but am not sure on how to manipulate the TV so when I zoom in, nothing gets cut off.


Thanks for your help.


----------



## stvnham16

I live in an apartment complex that is near freight train tracks, and sometimes when the big trains go by my floor shakes. The question I have is I have noticed the geometry getting bad. Like the center of the screen curves upwards when there is letter boxed programming on the screen. Do you think it is the train vibration or the fact that my tv is breaking in because I have had it for about a year now. It shouldn't be hard to fix but I just wanted to know if vibrations like that can mess up the ray in the tv.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze

Hello,


Do someone know if the HF85 models are compliant to HDCP protections ? And in which version (1.1 , 1.2, 1.3 ?).


wehtiko >>

One time I have that kind of issue for a 480i input thru component, do not know why but suddenly the source looks like yours, have try several thing but nothing change. At one time I have shut down the tv when I was trying the Volume down + Press button 6 menu (dont figure what it's for), and the glitches disapeared... Ok it not be usefull but try it, we dont know, I thing these toshiba models are capricious


----------



## stvnham16

what does h-eht do? I know it brings the screen in, but what exactly does it do? Also my picture looks like this when watching letter boxed material. What settings do I change to fix this


This is an example of what the screen looks like but it isn't as a dramatic.











Just imagine the lines are straight and concave down.


----------



## stvnham16

Will anyone help me with the problem above this. Thanks


----------



## rs7k

I know there is a setting in the service menu that can address this. I don't remember which one it is, but it's definitely in the 2-23 range. I know this because I tinkered with it and my picture looked like this a bit.


Anyways, my TV is starting to fail. I turned on my PS3 this morning (set to 1080i through component), and there was no picture, just some weird color inteference mixed with a lot of static. It reverted back to normal since I had a PS2 game in it and the PS3 went to 480i. I turned it off and it did it again on the dashboard. I tried again 10 minutes later and it was working fine in the dashboard.


Anyone know what the warranty is on the 26HF85C (Canadian model)? I bought it last September online from Best Buy.


----------



## MonsieurFreeze




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rs7k* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I know there is a setting in the service menu that can address this. I don't remember which one it is, but it's definitely in the 2-23 range. I know this because I tinkered with it and my picture looked like this a bit.
> 
> 
> Anyways, my TV is starting to fail. I turned on my PS3 this morning (set to 1080i through component), and there was no picture, just some weird color inteference mixed with a lot of static. It reverted back to normal since I had a PS2 game in it and the PS3 went to 480i. I turned it off and it did it again on the dashboard. I tried again 10 minutes later and it was working fine in the dashboard.
> 
> 
> Anyone know what the warranty is on the 26HF85C (Canadian model)? I bought it last September online from Best Buy.



One year from Toshiba, unfortunatly you have to move your tv yourself to a service center, they did not take care of this for tv under 32''.


By the way were you abble to have 1080i correct display from component ? No weird colors ? (when you set was ok).


----------



## stvnham16




> Quote:
> know there is a setting in the service menu that can address this. I don't remember which one it is, but it's definitely in the 2-23 range. I know this because I tinkered with it and my picture looked like this a bit.



So thats 21 different settings, I know there are probably like 2 or 3 that I need to change. Does anyone actually know which ones it is.


----------



## rfin16

If anyone could also indicate which service menu items might assist with resolution issues like moire, I would also appreciate it... I have heard a slight defocussing of the image might help. Thank you for your advice.


----------



## rs7k




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *MonsieurFreeze* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> One year from Toshiba, unfortunatly you have to move your tv yourself to a service center, they did not take care of this for tv under 32''.
> 
> 
> By the way were you abble to have 1080i correct display from component ? No weird colors ? (when you set was ok).



I've never had any problems displaying 1080i apart from the random flickering issue. What do you mean by weird colors?


----------



## MonsieurFreeze




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rs7k* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I've never had any problems displaying 1080i apart from the random flickering issue. What do you mean by weird colors?




When my set display a real 1080i image thru component (xbox360 or cable box) the colors are not stable, for example the black are black and then suddenly turn gray, it looks like a color filter or something, it s hard to explain, is this what people call 'flickering issue' ?


----------



## Jasondelaney

I have a Toshiba 30hf66, This one was a brand new replacement for a previous one that had a bad CRT which made noise all the time.


This one when watching tv or other stuff in 4:3 mode the black bars on the side are not straight. They are slightly curved at the edges unlike the old one which was ruler straight.


I've heard I can attempt to correct this in the service menu with some success. However I can't find the access code anywhere online. I'll be sure to write down all the settings etc so I don't mess anything up too.


( Edit - it looks like someone posted the method above. I'll try that )


----------



## rs7k

I can tell you right now fixing the geometry on the Tosh HD sets is extremely hard. Thankfully, mine is mostly fine, and I don't notice geometry problems that much anyway. It also helps that I always watch 4:3 content stretched (my old roommate has a Panasonic HDTV with standard-def satellite and I got used to that).


MonsieurFreeze,


I almost never use 1080i unless I have to (PS3 Bluray playback being an example). You say blacks turn to gray for no reason? That's most likely a defective set. I don't get that at all. By flickering, I mean flickering like a computer monitor set at too high a resolution (liek a CRT at 60Hz instead of 85Hz). The screen appears to shake if you sit close. The only problem I have with the 1080i is that I can't seem to get pure blacks out of it. They're almost there, but the faint white glow gets in the way. I calibrated my TV to look perfect in 720p instead. Pure blacks, and I changed the red and green bias values in the SM to make the color balance perfect as well. There is some sharpness lost in 720p, but there's no white glow and it's still a perfectly fine HD image. Thankfully, there's no white glow with HDMI in 1080i and less frequent screen flicker. There is darker trails when something really bright pops up on the screen; that can be quite annoying, but I know the 26HF85 is an average TV and I can live with it until I can afford a good LCD or DLP tv.


----------



## lennsx

I ordered HBO HD yesterday and King Kong was on last night & all I can say is WOW.

I have never before seen PQ so perfect (except for the white glow in dark scenes, of course!)


----------



## fugiot

^Wow! A positive comment in this thread!^


----------



## Steveski07

I just picked up a used 32HF73, which is my first HD experience and have been searching for some help on color issues. Aside from adjusting the tilt via TV and screen position via the Comcast DVR box, the color and pq were very good. This was due in part to the fact that the default setting on the tv was "Sports" and I happened to be watching ESPN HD. The Standard setting was dark and the darkness of the Movie setting was extreme. Unfortunately, only one setting could be manually adjusted and saved, Preference. I noticed a slight improvement when I swapped in component cables for the box rather than the HD-DVI I had been using. I've read about the service menu adjustments and such and I'm not sure that would even address the issue. Any experience with this model please let me know...Thanks


----------



## stvnham16

I really need help. I have asked this question before but got no answer. The problem my tv has developed is that the screen has an upward arc. It's like a concave down arc. It isn't extreme but enough to notice. An example of this would be on letter box programing or dvd's. The letterbox has a slight arc in it, meaning the max point is in the middle of the line. What settings in the sm will straighten this arc out.


----------



## rfin16

There is small chip in the exterior glass on my Toshiba widescreen (possibly from an overactive youngster). Are there any quick solutions like fillers of any kind? It does not seem worth a service call since the costs of glass replacement would be too high.


Thank you for your help


----------



## dimrp

I apologize to those who may have already posted on this issue. I tried reading through as many of the posts as I could.


I purchased my 26HF85 a little over a year ago. It worked wonderfully until a few days ago. I pushed the manual power button on the front of the TV and I heard a slight pop noise. The TV just turned back off. I tried several more times and every time I attempt to turn the TV on, it just turns right back off. I waited a few days and still the same thing happens.


Anyhow, does anyone know what I could do to fix this so I can avoid spending $200 on a repair?


Thanks!

dimrp


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dimrp* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I apologize to those who may have already posted on this issue. I tried reading through as many of the posts as I could.
> 
> 
> I purchased my 26HF85 a little over a year ago. It worked wonderfully until a few days ago. I pushed the manual power button on the front of the TV and I heard a slight pop noise. The TV just turned back off. I tried several more times and every time I attempt to turn the TV on, it just turns right back off. I waited a few days and still the same thing happens.
> 
> 
> Anyhow, does anyone know what I could do to fix this so I can avoid spending $200 on a repair?
> 
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> dimrp



I'm sorry to say, but you will need to take this one in for repair, because the horizontal output transistor in the power supply probably failed, and maybe the flyback and transformer as well. This is not a do-it-yourself repair. This is a complicated repair. Couple of people here had this same situation you are having right now. To me, it's not worth putting $200 to fix an Orion-made TV, but it's up to you. According to many TV technicians I spoke with, it's best to chuck it out when it first breaks.


----------



## dimrp




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I'm sorry to say, but you will need to take this one in for repair, because the horizontal output transistor in the power supply probably failed, and maybe the flyback and transformer as well. This is not a do-it-yourself repair. This is a complicated repair. Couple of people here had this same situation you are having right now. To me, it's not worth putting $200 to fix an Orion-made TV, but it's up to you. According to many TV technicians I spoke with, it's best to chuck it out when it first breaks.



Thank you for your response. I guess I'll just have to get some more quotes on repairs.


dimrp


----------



## rs7k

I'm retiring my 26HF85. The contrast seemed to darken over time, and while HD games are not unplayable right now, they pale compared to the Syncmaster PC monitor I just bought. Since 360 was the only thing I used the HD for, I used a VGA cable to connect it to the monitor, and the difference for the 26HF to the monitor is larger than my Sony SDTV to the 26HF.


For reference, the monitor in question is a Syncmaster 206BW. PS3 looks great on it too. In fact, I'd say it's pointless to run HD games and movies (360 add-on) on the 26HF85, because it doesn't look like anywhere near HD compared to a decent alternative.


It's a shame this experience left me with a bad impression of CRT HDTV's. I wanted a Sony XBR970, but couldn't find one. Ah well, at least PS2 games look decent on the 26HF85, same with regular cable.


----------



## fugiot

Wow, really? My 26HF85 puts my friend's Sony LCD to shame in both sharpness and color quality(and obviously black levels). Guess that's what I get for paying for ISFing it.


----------



## Twilight Link

I have a problem with my Toshiba 34HF85....I want to connect a Wii to it, but I can't find the channel either for the video input 1, 2 or 3...


You guys can help me?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Twilight Link* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I have a problem with my Toshiba 34HF85....I want to connect a Wii to it, but I can't find the channel either for the video input 1, 2 or 3...
> 
> 
> You guys can help me?



Press the input button on the remote control.


----------



## ihdihd

Bought this set from BB. Never did any calibration on it and it served ok (until I purchased a Sony 60XBR2 SXRD set for my parents and saw what real HD should look like). from reading this thread it seems like some better calibration can make this set look really good (i get all the problems with banding in HDMI, etc).


My real problem now is that I just came back from a business trip and my wife says the TV just crapped out. I see what she means, the picture is red. The best way to describe it is it looks like its color burned, missing blues, little brightness.


The set is between the 1 year P&L and 2 year tube warranty, and so if there's an easy reset I wouldn't mind trying that out before dishing out $3-400 for tube replacement labor (anyone have an idea how much that should cost?)


It almost looks like a good degauss would take care of the picture.


----------



## EEF

I've tried to get an answer to this from Toshiba, but to no avail. Does anyone here know the difference between the 30HF84, 30HFX84, 30HF85, 30HFX85, and the 30HF66 (other than bezel color)? From what I can tell, they're all the same TV. What's the extra "X" mean? Is the "66" just the most recent of the 5 models even though it's also discontinued?

After more than a decade my JVC 31" SDTV finally gave out, and I'm convinced that my leap into HD should be a CRT set (with much thanks to all the great info I've read in these forums). However, the size constraints of my current entertainment center will only allow for a 30" 16:9 unit with the speakers on the bottom, so there's only a couple models for me to chose from. The Insignia NS-30HTV would fit, but you absolutely can't find anybody to say anything good about it. Samsung makes a couple models that would fit, but really I'm kind of sold on the Toshibas. All the Toshiba models mentioned above can be found at really decent prices on the internet (eBay and refurbished outlets mostly), but before I select one I'd like to know if one of them has some "feature" and/or "flaw" that I should know about.

TIA for any and all input.


----------



## fugiot

The Toshiba models use the same basic components as the Insignia, but it's worth it to grab the Toshiba. They have more inputs(HDMI), slightly better reliability, and much better video processing.


They are also rather flawed. HDMI flickers with most everything except upscaling DVD players(because the image isn't quite full-sized), and 1080i thru component has a white fog that hangs from the top of the screen. I definitely prefer component over HDMI on these sets. However, the picture is fantastic after some calibration and easily trumps the Sanyo, Philips, and Samsung sets.


I'm not sure what the "x"'s in the model names mean(maybe PiP or SRS sound?), but the 84 is older and more reliable. The HF66 is only different from the HF85 due to the black trim and a built-in ATSC tuner.


Get a warranty, calibrate it, and you're good.


----------



## John3333

The "X" in the model number refers to a superior built-in sound system.


----------



## lennsx

Does anyone have a HD-DVD and/or Blu-Ray player hooked up via HDMI (HDMI for the standard DVD upconversion, of course) on this TV? If so, verdict? Any issues with the white glow and/or the flickering? Thank you in advance!


----------



## fugiot

Blu-ray thru HDMI does have the flickering. Upconverted DVD thru HDMI does not.


Best to use component for Blu-ray or HD-DVD.


----------



## lennsx

That's truly a shame for with the component connection the standard DVD upconversion ability is lost. So how is the PQ? Is is better than cable's better HD broadcasts?


----------



## ineffable27

Hi gang. I posted this over in the Display Calibration section of the forum, but there's not much activity over there, apparently.


------------------------


I'm mostly a lurker on here, but now I have some newbie calibration questions. I used the service menu on my tv set to eliminate some overscan, but now I'm noticing ANOTHER really annoying and distracting display problem, that maybe someone can help me with....


I have a 26" Toshiba 26HF85 CRT HD-ready TV (Dec. 2005). I bought it in early 2006. Actually it's the Canadian edition, so technically it's 26HF85C. It has served my modest needs very well indeed. When I bought it, I was looking for a low-priced HD-capable set to watch DVDs in "anamorphic" quality. Plus SD over-the-air TV. Eventually I may subscribe to a HD service, or try out HD over-the-air reception, but for now I am satisfied with this set-up.


I've yet to see what a true HD signal looks like on this thing, so I don't know if it suffers from the 1080i "glow" at the top of the screen some folks have mentioned. But DVDs play back great. And the picture quality seems remarkably comparable to, or better than, all but the priciest LCD or plasma sets, to my eyes. My only real complaint (until recently) was the dreaded overscan, which was pretty severe. Also, there was a bit of bowing.


A few weeks ago, I bought the Digital Video Essentials calibration disc, and used it to refine the colour/tint and brightness/contrast settings. Big, big improvement. But I was still unhappy with all the overscan. So (very carefully), I ventured into the service menu.


I noted all of the caveats from folks on here -- I wrote down all the SM settings beforehand, and noted all changes. I tried not to change any setting that I didn't understand. More or less.


While viewing some anamorphic test patterns on the DVE disc, here's what I ended up changing to try and eliminate the overscan:


H. SIZE - changed from 42 to 34


V. SIZE - changed from 44 to 43


V. LIN - changed from 24 to 20


V. CENT - changed from 27 to 15


Also, I noticed that changing the setting EW PARA from 11 to 10 removed the bowing, which had been very noticeable, esp. in "Natural" 4:3 pillarbox mode. Finally, I changed the Image Tilt on my regular TV menu to -1.


The overscan is now just under the 5% mark on the DVE test pattern. When I tried to reduce the overscan further, to around 2.5% as suggested by someone on here, distortion was revealed at the outer edges, so I dialed it back to just under the 5% line. Maybe I could have fixed that distortion by changing some other SM settings, who knows? I wanted to tread lightly in there.


I did not try changing any other settings, like V. CORR or COR. TOP, etc., as recommended by some other posters to this site.


Using a grid test pattern and a ruler, the screen geometry now seems to my untrained eye to be totally OK.


BUT ... (sigh) ...


Ever since I made these SM changes, I can see a new problem: hugging the left edge of the screen, there's a half-inch wide, slightly brighter vertical band, and then immediately to its right, about an inch wide, slightly darker vertical band. There's a fainter "echo" of this dark band about an inch to the right. And I think another, barely visible, echo another inch to the right. Even though it's only a slight change in brightness, it can be very distracting in some scenes, eg. bright daylight scenes.


(When viewing over-the-air SD broadcasts, there's a similar ghosting effect on most of the channels -- again, by about an inch to the right. Is this just a coincidence, an unrelated artifact of poor OTA reception, or does it have something to do with my main problem??)


I assume that the only reason I can see this on the left edge of my screen now, where I didn't notice it before, is because it had been hidden by the overscan. Am I correct to think this? Or is it that my SM changes introduced it as an unintended side effect, which could be avoided if I tweak certain other SM settings?


Will I need to do a service call to fix this? Or is it too much to hope for that there are some SM settings I can play with by myself to correct it? I don't mind if I have to bring a technician into the apartment, but I really don't want to try and somehow move this heavy beast to a store somewhere. It weighs a ton.


Thanks in advance for any help. If I need to post any more info, such as more of my service menu settings, I can do that.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> That's truly a shame for with the component connection the standard DVD upconversion ability is lost. So how is the PQ? Is is better than cable's better HD broadcasts?



You must've misread my post. Upconverted DVD do NOT flicker over HDMI. I watch my DVDs thru hdmi ONLY.


And yes, PQ order goes like this:

1. Blu-ray/HD-DVD

2. OTA HD

3. Cable HD

4. Satellite HD


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ineffable27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hi gang. I posted this over in the Display Calibration section of the forum, but there's not much activity over there, apparently.
> 
> 
> ------------------------
> 
> 
> I'm mostly a lurker on here, but now I have some newbie calibration questions. I used the service menu on my tv set to eliminate some overscan, but now I'm noticing ANOTHER really annoying and distracting display problem, that maybe someone can help me with....
> 
> 
> I have a 26" Toshiba 26HF85 CRT HD-ready TV (Dec. 2005). I bought it in early 2006. Actually it's the Canadian edition, so technically it's 26HF85C. It has served my modest needs very well indeed. When I bought it, I was looking for a low-priced HD-capable set to watch DVDs in "anamorphic" quality. Plus SD over-the-air TV. Eventually I may subscribe to a HD service, or try out HD over-the-air reception, but for now I am satisfied with this set-up.
> 
> 
> I've yet to see what a true HD signal looks like on this thing, so I don't know if it suffers from the 1080i "glow" at the top of the screen some folks have mentioned. But DVDs play back great. And the picture quality seems remarkably comparable to, or better than, all but the priciest LCD or plasma sets, to my eyes. My only real complaint (until recently) was the dreaded overscan, which was pretty severe. Also, there was a bit of bowing.
> 
> 
> A few weeks ago, I bought the Digital Video Essentials calibration disc, and used it to refine the colour/tint and brightness/contrast settings. Big, big improvement. But I was still unhappy with all the overscan. So (very carefully), I ventured into the service menu.
> 
> 
> I noted all of the caveats from folks on here -- I wrote down all the SM settings beforehand, and noted all changes. I tried not to change any setting that I didn't understand. More or less.
> 
> 
> While viewing some anamorphic test patterns on the DVE disc, here's what I ended up changing to try and eliminate the overscan:
> 
> 
> H. SIZE - changed from 42 to 34
> 
> 
> V. SIZE - changed from 44 to 43
> 
> 
> V. LIN - changed from 24 to 20
> 
> 
> V. CENT - changed from 27 to 15
> 
> 
> Also, I noticed that changing the setting EW PARA from 11 to 10 removed the bowing, which had been very noticeable, esp. in "Natural" 4:3 pillarbox mode. Finally, I changed the Image Tilt on my regular TV menu to -1.
> 
> 
> The overscan is now just under the 5% mark on the DVE test pattern. When I tried to reduce the overscan further, to around 2.5% as suggested by someone on here, distortion was revealed at the outer edges, so I dialed it back to just under the 5% line. Maybe I could have fixed that distortion by changing some other SM settings, who knows? I wanted to tread lightly in there.
> 
> 
> I did not try changing any other settings, like V. CORR or COR. TOP, etc., as recommended by some other posters to this site.
> 
> 
> Using a grid test pattern and a ruler, the screen geometry now seems to my untrained eye to be totally OK.
> 
> 
> BUT ... (sigh) ...
> 
> 
> Ever since I made these SM changes, I can see a new problem: hugging the left edge of the screen, there's a half-inch wide, slightly brighter vertical band, and then immediately to its right, about an inch wide, slightly darker vertical band. There's a fainter "echo" of this dark band about an inch to the right. And I think another, barely visible, echo another inch to the right. Even though it's only a slight change in brightness, it can be very distracting in some scenes, eg. bright daylight scenes.
> 
> 
> (When viewing over-the-air SD broadcasts, there's a similar ghosting effect on most of the channels -- again, by about an inch to the right. Is this just a coincidence, an unrelated artifact of poor OTA reception, or does it have something to do with my main problem??)
> 
> 
> I assume that the only reason I can see this on the left edge of my screen now, where I didn't notice it before, is because it had been hidden by the overscan. Am I correct to think this? Or is it that my SM changes introduced it as an unintended side effect, which could be avoided if I tweak certain other SM settings?
> 
> 
> Will I need to do a service call to fix this? Or is it too much to hope for that there are some SM settings I can play with by myself to correct it? I don't mind if I have to bring a technician into the apartment, but I really don't want to try and somehow move this heavy beast to a store somewhere. It weighs a ton.
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help. If I need to post any more info, such as more of my service menu settings, I can do that.



You probably can't fix it. I would suggest moving the image horizontally and adjusting the size until the problem area is hidden and the other side of the screen is at the same percentage of overscan. 5% overscan isn't really that bad.

DVE is not an accurate source for adjusting overscan. Avia is much better in that area.


I have a very small red stripe on the right edge of my 26HF84. Hiding works just fine for me.


My Horizontal size is set at 20, and my horizontal position is set at 84(I think.).


Check back a few pages(page 35?36?) for my calibrated settings. Just wondering if they will work for you.


Also, you WILL have the "HD fog". It's a standard "feature" on these sets!


----------



## ineffable27

fugio --


The affected area is too big for me to hide in that way -- that would mean too much overscan.


I don't think comparing calibration settings from one set to the next makes any sense (?) -- aren't there too many variables? Not just variance in components, but different alignment w/ earth's magnetic field, etc.? Someone in the know correct me about that, if I am wrong. I'm not going to change a setting unless I somewhat understand what it does (eg. what aspect of geometry is affected).


I have read accounts of folks who did not have the "glow" problem with this set. On this and other forums.


Thanks for replying ... but there was probably no need for you to quote my entire big-ass original post! Maybe you could go back and edit that out.


----------



## mj0012

Hello all. I purchased a 26HF66 back in January and I've been very happy with it with one exception. Whenever I'm watching an HD show (either over Component or HDMI) and it cuts to a very dark scene, the blacks get all muddy and it looks like the contrast goes way down. Conversely, in very bright scenes the contrast level looks much higher, sometimes too high. I've got SVM turned off, but I can't figure out anything else to try. Can I do anything to fix this, or is this just how this TV behaves? Does anyone have any suggestions?


----------



## lennsx




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> You must've misread my post. Upconverted DVD do NOT flicker over HDMI. I watch my DVDs thru hdmi ONLY.
> 
> 
> And yes, PQ order goes like this:
> 
> 1. Blu-ray/HD-DVD
> 
> 2. OTA HD
> 
> 3. Cable HD
> 
> 4. Satellite HD



I understand, but you wrote that Blu-Ray flickers thru HDMI (as does my OTA HD cable broadcast). So I guess you use the component cables for Blu-Ray & use HDMI for standard DVDs to upconvert, yes?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> I understand, but you wrote that Blu-Ray flickers thru HDMI (as does my OTA HD cable broadcast). So I guess you use the component cables for Blu-Ray & use HDMI for standard DVDs to upconvert, yes?



Yes, I use component for HD-DVDs.


HDMI flickers when the image is touching the left edge of the screen(which is usually hidden by overscan). As bright objects enter and exit the left edge, they send a horizontal stripe of shadow across the entire screen.

Upconverted DVDs are usually slightly compressed and do not fill up the entire screen. Therefore, no objects enter or exit the very left edge of the screen.


This also means, if you are capable of adjusting the image position or size(such as in a PS3 or 360 game), you can eliminate the flicker all together by nudging it over just enough so it doesn't touch the left edge.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ineffable27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> fugio --
> 
> 
> The affected area is too big for me to hide in that way -- that would mean too much overscan.
> 
> 
> I don't think comparing calibration settings from one set to the next makes any sense (?) -- aren't there too many variables? Not just variance in components, but different alignment w/ earth's magnetic field, etc.? Someone in the know correct me about that, if I am wrong. I'm not going to change a setting unless I somewhat understand what it does (eg. what aspect of geometry is affected).
> 
> 
> I have read accounts of folks who did not have the "glow" problem with this set. On this and other forums.
> 
> 
> Thanks for replying ... but there was probably no need for you to quote my entire big-ass original post! Maybe you could go back and edit that out.fugio --
> 
> 
> The affected area is too big for me to hide in that way -- that would mean too much overscan.
> 
> 
> I don't think comparing calibration settings from one set to the next makes any sense (?) -- aren't there too many variables? Not just variance in components, but different alignment w/ earth's magnetic field, etc.? Someone in the know correct me about that, if I am wrong. I'm not going to change a setting unless I somewhat understand what it does (eg. what aspect of geometry is affected).
> 
> 
> I have read accounts of folks who did not have the "glow" problem with this set. On this and other forums.
> 
> 
> Thanks for replying ... but there was probably no need for you to quote my entire big-ass original post! Maybe you could go back and edit that out.fugio --
> 
> 
> The affected area is too big for me to hide in that way -- that would mean too much overscan.
> 
> 
> I don't think comparing calibration settings from one set to the next makes any sense (?) -- aren't there too many variables? Not just variance in components, but different alignment w/ earth's magnetic field, etc.? Someone in the know correct me about that, if I am wrong. I'm not going to change a setting unless I somewhat understand what it does (eg. what aspect of geometry is affected).
> 
> 
> I have read accounts of folks who did not have the "glow" problem with this set. On this and other forums.
> 
> 
> Thanks for replying ... but there was probably no need for you to quote my entire big-ass original post! Maybe you could go back and edit that out.



Yeah, my geometry settings would most definitely not work. I was just wondering about the picture settings, because they should be similar.


And I can bet you that every one of these sets has "the glow". Maybe some people just didn't see it, or were using a 720p signal. There's 6 different ways to feed these sets HD, and 16 total picture input combinations. Only 2 of them display the glow.


----------



## ineffable27

Hey fugiot...


Ah the picture settings ....

Code:


Code:


BRI   23
CON   15
COLOR 26
TINT -10

The 1080 glow issue doesn't sound that bad, considering ... at 26" size, 720p is still great for the price. It's still HD.


Meanwhile... does anyone else have any thoughts about my "darkish bands" problem? TIA.


----------



## fugiot

actually, 720p on the Toshibas is roughly equal to 600k pixels. Which is only 50% more than the 400k pixels in 480p.


1080i is roughly 1Mpixel. The same as true 720p.


----------



## Bob Whitefield

I bought a Toshiba 34HDX82 five years ago, thinking it would be relatively future-proof with its HDCP-compliant DVI input.


Well, the future is here. I bought a Sony laptop (VGN-AR290G) with Blu-ray drive. Plugged it into the Tosh's DVI input, worked beautifully for the first two movies we watched.


But often I can't get it to work at all. WinDVD BD says my display isn't HDCP compliant. Except it is. Or was, five years ago?


And there's no rhyme or reason, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It can be working fine, I hit Stop, then Play again, and get the error message. It can be not working, and I hit Play a fifth time, and it works again. Or I can hit Play 30 times in a row, no joy.


By this point, my wife has gone to bed. I've been told never to get any more Blu-ray discs. She HATES Blu-ray. At least DVD works.


I tried rebooting.

I tried another HDMI-DVI cable.

I tried turning on the TV before the laptop.

I tried turning on the laptop before the TV.

I tried switching between the laptop display and TV while the movie is playing.

I tried upgrading the nVidia driver to the latest version (then backed it out).

I tried PowerDVD Ultra--no more audio sync problems, but has same HDCP problem.


I have only one monitor active in Display Properties.

I have no problems viewing Blu-ray on my HDCP-compliant Samsung 244t computer monitor.

I have no problems using my Samsung DTB-H260F set top box on the 34HDX82's DVI input.


So...any suggestions for this HDCP handshake problem? Are old HDCP implementations incompatible? Is Toshiba's implementation flawed? Is Sony deliberately incompatible with arch-rival Toshiba?










Is the only solution to give up on the Tosh and buy a new LCD? I'm going to miss those black blacks.


Thanks for any ideas,

Bob



p.s. lennsx, to answer your earlier question, I've never seen any flicker over HDMI, the picture is beautiful...when it works.



EDIT: The only solution I've been able to find is AnyDVD HD, which lets you use any monitor, HDCP-compliant or not. Works like a charm with PowerDVD Ultra. I shouldn't have to pay $79 to watch use my HDCP-compliant TV, but it's cheaper than a new set.

http://www.slysoft.com/en/anydvdhd.html


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Bob Whitefield* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> p.s. lennsx, to answer your earlier question, I've never seen any flicker over HDMI, the picture is beautiful...when it works.



You don't see any flickering because your TV was made by Toshiba.


----------



## ArDarsh

Does this TV have a white fog at the top thru 1080 component? Does it flicker cuz that would stink with PS3 or X360?


Can I play with the service settings to get SD programming with windowboxing to zoom in without cutting off parts of the image? Any reason why the image shifts to one side as it zooms in cuz it doesn't look like the zoom is centered?


----------



## stressboy

I am having a problem with my 32HF72. It is 4 and a half years old, and has worked perfectly until this evening.


What is happening is when powering the tv on, the little power light comes on, then there is a click within the tv, which is normal. Then the little power light flashes, then there is another click. This light will keep flashing until the tv is unplugged. No popping sounds were heard prior to this, and no smell of smoke. We have tried different outlets of course, and nothing has helped.


Is it screwed, and does anyone have any ideas on how much it would cost to get fixed?


----------



## nectardan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> First off, set the screen mode to "Full" and then enter the Service Menu. Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. Use the up/down arrows to navigate and left/right arrows to modify. *Make sure to write down all of your current settings!* I don't want to be to blame if my settings don't work for you. Change the settings to the following values and then press 'menu' on the remote to exit the SM.



Thanks so much for the help on getting into the service menu! I was having certain visual problems with my Toshiba tv that I was able to take care of in the service menu, so now I am extremely pleased with the quality of my CRT tube tv and won't be returning it.


----------



## rs7k




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *ineffable27* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> 
> BUT ... (sigh) ...
> 
> 
> Ever since I made these SM changes, I can see a new problem: hugging the left edge of the screen, there's a half-inch wide, slightly brighter vertical band, and then immediately to its right, about an inch wide, slightly darker vertical band. There's a fainter "echo" of this dark band about an inch to the right. And I think another, barely visible, echo another inch to the right. Even though it's only a slight change in brightness, it can be very distracting in some scenes, eg. bright daylight scenes.



This banding effect is the exact same thing I have. It started appearing over time. It's not too bothersome, but I can tell it's the TV and not the settings.


It's not surprising to say the least. Some people are happy with these Toshiba sets, most aren't.


----------



## huked0nfonicks

hi everyone, i searched through as much of this thread as i could handle, yet didn't exactly find my answer. Im not familiar with much of the vocabulary of HDTVs other than the above-than-basics, (i.e., i know HDMI, component, 1080i, 720p, etc etc). Basically my 26HF15 HDTV flickers with my Xbox 360 using component cables in 1080i. I've set my 360 to 1080i in its settings, and the sharpness in it is much better than when set in 720p (upconverted) or 480p. It looks real nice, and I feel that it runs smoother, but I constantly have a flicker when playing games, such as madden 07. The TV seems to want to autobalance the colors and contrast, so that I get most of the picture turned red when the scene is blueish, and visa versa. I also noticed it flickered when the color was turned down, showing me that it also tried to adjust the darkness and brightness of the picture. PLEASE help, I love this TV and this is it's only flaw, and the difference in picture quality from 1080i from upconverted 720p is IMMENSE, so please help.


----------



## stvnham16

Im sorry to say but the best solution is to run the 360 at 720p. I had another version of this tv and had the same problem. I found the only solution was 720p.


----------



## fugiot

Actually, 1080i works much better for CRT hdtvs. Especially on these Toshiba's, the scaler is not so good and 720p signals lead to artifacts and vibration. 1080i is the way to go.


----------



## huked0nfonicks

well my point is that 1080i IS the best way to run it, especially since the TV isnt 720p native, so it's converting.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *huked0nfonicks* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> well my point is that 1080i IS the best way to run it, especially since the TV isnt 720p native, so it's converting.



Yes, and the 360 has a much better scaler than our poor little ToshOrions...


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *huked0nfonicks* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> hi everyone, i searched through as much of this thread as i could handle, yet didn't exactly find my answer. Im not familiar with much of the vocabulary of HDTVs other than the above-than-basics, (i.e., i know HDMI, component, 1080i, 720p, etc etc). Basically my 26HF15 HDTV flickers with my Xbox 360 using component cables in 1080i. I've set my 360 to 1080i in its settings, and the sharpness in it is much better than when set in 720p (upconverted) or 480p. It looks real nice, and I feel that it runs smoother, but I constantly have a flicker when playing games, such as madden 07. The TV seems to want to autobalance the colors and contrast, so that I get most of the picture turned red when the scene is blueish, and visa versa. I also noticed it flickered when the color was turned down, showing me that it also tried to adjust the darkness and brightness of the picture. PLEASE help, I love this TV and this is it's only flaw, and the difference in picture quality from 1080i from upconverted 720p is IMMENSE, so please help.



Try my ISF settings. Ignore the geometry settings tho. Make sure you WRITE YOUR SETTINGS DOWN! before you change anything.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Since I know I wanted these when I first got my set, I'm going to share my ISF settings with all you 26HF(84/85/14/15/66) owners. We all know that every CRT is different, but maybe these will work or at least head you in the right direction. Also, these are optimized for HD sources.
> 
> 
> 
> First off, set the screen mode to "Full" and then enter the Service Menu. Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. Make sure to write down all of your current settings. I don't want to be to blame if my settings don't work for you. Change the settings to the following values and then press 'menu' on the remote to return.
> 
> 
> 
> Items #2-#23 are Geometry settings and a different for each set. Only use these for experimentation as I can guarantee you they are not the correct settings for your particular set.
> 
> 
> 2. H. POSI - 84
> 
> 3. V. POSI - 1
> 
> 4. H. SIZE - 20
> 
> 5. V. SIZE - 40
> 
> 6. V. LIN - 27
> 
> 7. V-EHT - 4
> 
> 8. H-EHT - 2
> 
> 9. V-BLK P - 31
> 
> 10. V-BLK S - 0
> 
> 11. V. CENT - 31
> 
> 12. V. LIMIT - 0
> 
> 13. V. CORR - 13
> 
> 14. V.S. CORR - 40
> 
> 15. EW PARA - 10
> 
> 16. TRAPEZIUM - 45
> 
> 17. COR. TOP - 16
> 
> 18. COR. BTM - 15
> 
> 19. S. CORR - 17
> 
> 20. CORNER - 16
> 
> 21. C. PARA - 6
> 
> 22. C. SAW - 6
> 
> 23. V. SYMM - 128
> 
> 
> 
> The following are the picture settings and are roughly equal across all sets. They may need slight adjustments, but it will be pretty darned close to perfect.
> 
> 
> 24. R. BIAS - 69
> 
> 25. G. BIAS - 63
> 
> 26. B. BIAS - 93
> 
> 27. R/G. DRV - 77
> 
> 28. B/R. DRV - 60
> 
> Items #29 through #38 are for the 'cool' and 'warm' color temp settings. I didn't include them because they are unused.
> 
> 39. R-Y GAIN - 1
> 
> 40. R-Y PAHSE - 0
> 
> 41. G-Y GAIN - 2
> 
> 42. G-Y PAHSE - 1
> 
> 43. BRI. CENT - 227
> 
> 44. BRI. MAX - 232
> 
> 45. BRI. MIN - 222
> 
> 46. CONT. CENT - 63
> 
> 47. CONT. MAX - 71
> 
> 48. CONT. MIN - 55
> 
> 49. COL. CENT - 42
> 
> 50. COL. MAX - 43
> 
> 51. COL. MIN - 37
> 
> 52. SUB CONT - 0
> 
> 53. TINT - 66
> 
> 54. SHARP CENT - 63
> 
> 55. SHARP MAX - 95
> 
> 56. SHARP MIN - 31
> 
> 57. TILT CENT - 138
> 
> 
> Exit the Service Menu by pressing the "menu" button, press the tv/video button and repeat all settings on all 7 inputs.
> 
> 
> Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.
> 
> 
> 
> Once you have all the service menu set up, set your main menu settings like this.
> 
> 
> S-video(or composite) connection:::
> 
> Brightness - 0
> 
> Contrast - 25(set to '50' for a brighter picture)
> 
> Color - 0
> 
> Tint - 0
> 
> Sharpness - 25
> 
> Cable Clear - Off
> 
> Color Temp - Medium
> 
> SVM - Off
> 
> 
> Colorstream Component:::
> 
> Brightness - 25
> 
> Contrast - 25 for HD(50 for a brighter SD picture, 0 for night HD)
> 
> Color - 25
> 
> Tint - 0
> 
> Sharpness - 25 (set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)
> 
> Cable Clear - Off
> 
> Color Temp - Medium
> 
> SVM - Off
> 
> 
> HDMI:::
> 
> Brightness - 50
> 
> Contrast - 25 for HD(set to 50 for a brighter SD picture, set to 0 for night HD)
> 
> Color - 50
> 
> Tint - 0
> 
> Sharpness - 25(set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)
> 
> Cable Clear - Off
> 
> Color Temp - Medium
> 
> SVM - Off
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, did you notice? All the SM settings are to make the main menu settings easy to remember by leaving most of them at default(25).
> 
> 
> For example, Bright. Max in the SM corresponds to '[email protected]' in the User menu
> 
> Bright.Cent in SM = '[email protected]' in UM
> 
> Bright.Min in SM = '[email protected]' in UM.
> 
> 
> Enjoy! Hopefully they work for you like they do for me. Looks as good as a Sony now....a non-ISF'd Sony.


----------



## huked0nfonicks

damn, they didnt work. our TVs must be different. Im in a real jam here. I bought this TV used, so I don't have the original bill. According to the manual, the warranty is voided without the original bill. Do you guys think I should still spam the hell out of them until I get a replacement?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *huked0nfonicks* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> damn, they didnt work. our TVs must be different. Im in a real jam here. I bought this TV used, so I don't have the original bill. According to the manual, the warranty is voided without the original bill. Do you guys think I should still spam the hell out of them until I get a replacement?



Did the original owner buy this 26HF15 from Costco? If so, you can return it back for a full refund and not deal with this Orioshiba mess. Ask the seller if he or she still has the receipt.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *huked0nfonicks* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> damn, they didnt work. our TVs must be different. Im in a real jam here. I bought this TV used, so I don't have the original bill. According to the manual, the warranty is voided without the original bill. Do you guys think I should still spam the hell out of them until I get a replacement?



Also, you don't have anything hooked up to HDMI, do you? If I'm playing 360 over component and the HDMI input is active with my OTA receiver, it makes the component flicker. So I just shut-off my OTA and it stops.


----------



## huked0nfonicks




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Also, you don't have anything hooked up to HDMI, do you? If I'm playing 360 over component and the HDMI input is active with my OTA receiver, it makes the component flicker. So I just shut-off my OTA and it stops.



nope i dont. does the 360 premium support HDMI cables? if so, I might go ahead and buy some and just complain about the white fuzz.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Did the original owner buy this 26HF15 from Costco? If so, you can return it back for a full refund and not deal with this Orioshiba mess. Ask the seller if he or she still has the receipt.



Ill ask. thanks, good idea.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *huked0nfonicks* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> nope i dont. does the 360 premium support HDMI cables? if so, I might go ahead and buy some and just complain about the white fuzz.



Nope, only the Elite supports HDMI.


----------



## huked0nfonicks




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Nope, only the Elite supports HDMI.



damn. I think I'll jsut have to put up a stink with Toshiba. Or craigslist it...I mena it does work, its just the F'ed up model. haha.


So have we determined that the problem with these models is the component parts on the TV? Thats what I gathered, and if so which parts? I could order them and have someone professionally replace them if I knew the specific parts/part numbers.



bump


----------



## huked0nfonicks

bump


----------



## coach4094

I bought a 30HF85 last August. Thank you for all the information I have read on this thread. It has helped me tremendously. I do still have one problem I am trying to solve and of course Toshiba has not been any help. Anything that is red tends to pixelate during fast motion. The cable company has run all new cable to the tv and the new cable does not have a signal split. They also say the signal strength is fine. I have gone from component to HDMI and the problem is still there, though not as bad. Is this something that is the cable company's issue (Time Warner) or do I need to take the TV in for repair before the warranty runs out. I live 60 miles from the nearest service center and I am pretty sure I will have to take the heavy SOB in myself.


Any other ideas would be appreciated.


Thanks!


----------



## lennsx

In my opinion, the red pixelation seems to be from the cable. These CRTs are great with motion; I get the same effect as you via cable reception but through DVD & HD-DVD (WOW!) there is no pixelation or macroblocking whatsoever.


----------



## Foxarwing42

Hey folks. I'm planing on getting an HD DVD player soon, and I want to upgrade my TV to an HDTV. I really like CRT's but no one at Best Buy can help me out. So I did some shopping online and stumbled across this:


Toshiba MW26H82 26" Pure Flat CRT HDTV with VCR and DVD Player



Is this a good choice? Thanks in advanced!


----------



## fugiot

How much is it? Where did you find it?


I'd say if it's $400 or under, get it. Keep in mind that you MUST get it calibrated, at least a simple Avia or DVE calibration. So be prepared to order a calibration DVD and spend some time on it. THEN you'll be real happy.


----------



## Foxarwing42

It's on Amazon for almost $500. Can't post the link because the fourm won't let me. Just type: "Toshiba MW26H82 26" Pure Flat CRT HDTV with VCR and DVD Player" in Amazon's search and it'll come up.


----------



## fugiot

Well, I know what TV it is. So just make sure you are prepared to deal with the naunces it may have. Look around these forums at the 26HF84, 26HF85, and the 26HF66. You'll get a good idea of what it's like.


----------



## lennsx

Sadly, the white glow is there via 1080i component on HD-DVDs as well.

AND, via HDMI the shadow banding issue is apparent as well, although not

as bad as it is via my cable box. But on a happier note, I watched BATMAN BEGINS

& THE DEPARTED and the image was FLAWLESS (minus the white glow, IE)


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Sadly, the white glow is there via 1080i component on HD-DVDs as well.
> 
> AND, via HDMI the shadow banding issue is apparent as well, although not
> 
> as bad as it is via my cable box. But on a happier note, I watched BATMAN BEGINS
> 
> & THE DEPARTED and the image was FLAWLESS (minus the white glow, IE)



lennsx - I just purchased the Tosh A2 HD-DVD and hooked it up to my set via the component (Colorstream) input. By selecting 720p on the A2, I get a gorgeous picture on my 34HF85 and no white glow. With 1080i selected, I get the infamous glow. I have not tried the HDMI connection yet, but suspect I too would see the banding problems by connecting to my set using the HDMI input. Am watching the Planet Earth HD-DVD series and the PQ is just terrific. Happy viewing and best regards.


----------



## lennsx

Frank! Good to hear from ya! You know, I never even thought of setting my A2 to 720p but it makes sense now! The TV automatically upconverts to 1080i anyway!

So, in your TVs setting, do you have the resolution set at 540p or 1080i? I'm assuming 1080i, right? This is great news, because the PQ is PERFECT other than that darned white glow!

I'm going to try it tonight! Thanks again!


----------



## lennsx

Frank, quick question; did you notice any loss of resolution or detail/ any added noise, etc. by selecting 720p as opposed to 1080i via the HD-A2's settings?


----------



## fugiot

Guys, if you are getting the white glow, you have your brightness too high and you are washing out colors as well! Turn it down.


Also, you are losing 300k pixels by running 720p.


On these sets,

720p = 600k pixel resolution

1080i = 900k pixel resolution.


----------



## lennsx

But doesn't this TV upconvert a 720p signal to 1080i? (or I think one can set it to 540p if they choose). I do know for a fact that this TV cannot output 720p; only 540p or 1080i. (540 + 540 = 1080)


----------



## fugiot

Yes, it converts it to 1080i, but that doesn't make it 1080i. You only get as much detail as you put into it. The TV can't magically fill in the missing detail.


It converts 480i to 1080i also, but that doesn't make it HD.


----------



## lennsx

Ahhh, true dat. So if I set my player to output 720p, it's going to "think" that it has to upconvert (and may even downconvert first to do that?) to 1080i, thus with all of that zany overconversion going on, the final image/resolution will be compromised.


----------



## fburch




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Frank! Good to hear from ya! You know, I never even thought of setting my A2 to 720p but it makes sense now! The TV automatically upconverts to 1080i anyway!
> 
> So, in your TVs setting, do you have the resolution set at 540p or 1080i? I'm assuming 1080i, right? This is great news, because the PQ is PERFECT other than that darned white glow!
> 
> I'm going to try it tonight! Thanks again!



lennsx - I do not discern a marked degradation in picture detail or quality at 720p when playing high definition source material such as the recently issued Planet Earth HD-DVD series. I did not do anything to the settings in the 34HF85 -- the CRT settings remain set at 1080i (not 540p). Prior to changing the setting in the A2 HD-DVD to 720p, I was seeing three problems: 1) white glow at the top of the set; 2) seeing some banding artifiacts that were particularly noticeable on blue backgrounds as a moving curtain of diagonal lines across the screen, AND 3)flickering in bright scenes. After setting the A2 to 720p, the image is stable and stunning on my set and there is no white glow, no flickering, and not a trace of banding problems.


I am not doubting fugiot's point regarding the lower pixel resolution, but this is a no brainer for me because, on my set, by adjusting the HD-DVD player to 720p I elimnate a raft of problems. Increased pixel resolution is one thing, but if it comes along with picture noise and uneven brightness as it does on my set, it yields an unsatisfactory viewing experience. I have tried lowering the brightness, but this does nothing to eliminate the banding/noise problems and I find that the picture is too dark for my liking and detail is lost in dark scenes. Lower pixel resolution or not, the 720p is the best solution for me on this particular set with this HD-DVD player.


All of the above concerns using component (Colorstream) connections. I cannot speak to using an HDMI connection yet as I have not tried it in combination with the A2 and my 34HF85. I will experiment with it and report back in a subsequent post. Naturally, if I find that I can leave the A2 settings on 1080i using the HDMI connection and I get no banding or other problems by doing so, that will be a happy outcome. My experience with the 34HF85 using the HDMI input to connect an Oppo upconverting DVD player was reported previously in this thread but, in short, I saw a shadowy curtain of moving diagonal lines when connecting this DVD player via HDMI and setting the Oppo to 1080i. Perhaps the Tosh A2 HD-DVD player will behave differently. I hope it will so that I can experience 1080i using this HD-DVD player without other annoying problems diminishing the experience.


----------



## lennsx

Thank you, Frank. I experimented in my Service Menu last night using Fugiot's settings and managed to lessen the white glow via 1080i by half the intensity. VERY cool. I also took your suggestion and set the HD-A2 to 720p and did notice a slight degradation in PQ but as you stated, it did remove the glow COMPLETELY. So basically, it's a toss-up for me. As for the shadow banding via HDMI, it is (sadly) there just as it is via HDMI w/set-top-box cable reception. I put on BATMAN BEGINS and viola! Banding On The Run, haha. And even though it was oh-so slight, it bothered me too much to HDMI it. If I or yourself can somehow get rid of said issue, we'll let each other know! (Now, as for those crushed blacks.....


----------



## seamus21514

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm an owner of the 27 inch Toshiba HD CRT ( I forget the product code.) The PQ is great, however I do have some overscan on the bottom and sides of it. How do I fix it, seeing as I'm quite new to this.


Edit, I don't mean like a little overscan, I mean like half and inch of overscan. The bottom isn't that bad, it's pretty normal, it's mostly on the left and right. The "bars" on the left and right are smaller than they should be.


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *seamus21514* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I'm an owner of the 27 inch Toshiba HD CRT ( I forget the product code.) The PQ is great, however I do have some overscan on the bottom and sides of it. How do I fix it, seeing as I'm quite new to this.
> 
> 
> Edit, I don't mean like a little overscan, I mean like half and inch of overscan. The bottom isn't that bad, it's pretty normal, it's mostly on the left and right. The "bars" on the left and right are smaller than they should be.



You would need to go into the service menu and adjust the screen. To enter the service menu, turn the volume all the way down to 0. While holding the volume down button at the front of the TV, press 9 on the remote for about three seconds, and then the service menu appears. This procedure works for all Toshiba 27" CRT TVs made after 2001 (2003 if flat-screen). Hope this helps.


----------



## lennsx

Hey guys, when you go into the service menu is there a way to reset

all of the parameters to their original numbers (settings)? Thanks!


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Hey guys, when you go into the service menu is there a way to reset
> 
> all of the parameters to their original numbers (settings)? Thanks!



No, there are no defaut settings. The TVs are set-up at the factory.


----------



## lennsx

OK, I have your original breakdown printed out at home to use as a guide. Thanks!


----------



## huked0nfonicks

ok, so an update (my 26HF15). I borrowed a HD tuner from my friend and watched the 2007 MLB allstar game with it set to 1080i. It was beautiful. No flicker, no white glow, nothing. Yet, when i plug my 360 back in, It does a little white glow (doesnt bother me though) and the flicker. In order to try to convey what is actually going on, ill describe the "flicker" a little better. Also, I have played my 360 on a different TV (an LCD, Westinghouse forgot model #) and it works fine on 1080i. The LCD tv is a 480p 720p 1080i tv, so I tend to run it on 720p anyways. That means my 360 and component cables are fine, its the TV.


Example game, Madden 08. I use the 49ers vs. Cardinals. That means one red team and one white + red team. They play at my stadium, where all the fans have a lot of red. This is a lot of different shades of red, I hope you've gathered. The field is green (obviously) and there are bits of white on the uniforms and the in-game text. Now, when ever there is movement, the flicker starts. It's as if the TV readjusts its colors ever couple of frames. When it gets real bad It's like almost every frame> I have played with the service menu, to no avail (though I might try again) and restored the defaults. I have played with the normal menu enough to get the flicker down to every few frams, not ever frame (I don't know what adjustments make the biggest difference, although contrast helps more than others). I even experimented, using a different game, Call of Duty 3, with the service menu and took out all the color, turning my picture greyscale. Here's where it gets really bad. It also flickers in greyscale, telling me that it both tries to adjusts the lighting every few frames AND the colors. Depending on the game and the environment of the game, it can bad or bearable. In Call of Duty it is unbearable, the most embarrassing times are when you are getting hit, so the screen starts turning this red like, and the tv fills in all the non red areas with blueish. Another example is in either Madden 07 or 08, in the startup screen where it loads and then asks you to press start. The majority of the screen is blue, with white text and white parts of the uniform and logos. Here, all of the white turns a red shade. Note, the whites dont turn fully red, but its as if I turned my tint up a lot on the red side (-).


I called basically every repair shop in the San Francisco area (where I live), and got two places that told me they could fix it. One said he knew exactly what it was, unfortunatley I couldnt understand much of what he said, but seeing as though he said it would cost $300 I doubt I'd do it anyways. The other store basically said he knew what to do, but he would have to see it, I believe for free. The problem there is lugging my heavy CRT down to a shop with my xbox 360 and games, showing him, etc. Im only 16 so that really becomes an issue, not being able to drive and all, then combined with what the price may be. Ill continue my research online, and if anyone here has a clue what the problem might be, or if they actually know for sure, please tell me. My dad knows a couple of guys that are extremely electronic savvy and Im sure if we knew what the problem was they could fix it.


As to why its such a big deal, its because of the drastic picture quality difference between 720p upconverted on this TV and 1080i. Aside from the obvious flicker issue, the 1080i looks great, convining me that i dont want to look into a replacement. 720p looks terrible in comparison, and even without anything to compare to it just looks poor, bearable but pretty bad. PLEASE HELP!!!


----------



## seamus21514




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *InYourEyes* /forum/post/11258660
> 
> 
> You would need to go into the service menu and adjust the screen. To enter the service menu, turn the volume all the way down to 0. While holding the volume down button at the front of the TV, press 9 on the remote for about three seconds, and then the service menu appears. This procedure works for all Toshiba 27" CRT TVs made after 2001 (2003 if flat-screen). Hope this helps.



WOW. Thanks alot. I don't have any filters or discs, so I used CNN, which always has constant graphics to refer to. I got lots of overscan out. At fist the pillarboxes were curved on the flat screen, but I got them straight. I never knew the "ticker" on CNN was so thick! It always was quite thin! I can't thank you enough!


----------



## Rafterman1962

How do you get all the inputs after pressing the TV/INPUT button? I cannot see all the inputs only ANT and COLORSTREAM HD 1. I have a PS2 connected to COLORSTREAM HD 2, but it doesn't work. I am using component cables. I've tried resetting, unplugging it for a weekend. Nothing works, someone please help.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Rafterman1962* /forum/post/11583582
> 
> 
> How do you get all the inputs after pressing the TV/INPUT button? I cannot see all the inputs only ANT and COLORSTREAM HD 1. I have a PS2 connected to COLORSTREAM HD 2, but it doesn't work. I am using component cables. I've tried resetting, unplugging it for a weekend. Nothing works, someone please help.



Try looking through the menu for a "skip" feature. It's probably set to skip all the rest of the inputs.


----------



## Rafterman1962

Still no go. This is frustrating. Nice TV, but can't use any of the other inputs.


----------



## fugiot

Have you tried looking for "video label" or "input label" or something like that?


----------



## shimmer11

I was wondering if anyone has experienced their HDTV CRT tubes making strange sounds. The picture is fine, but it worries me. The sound is hard to describe, but it almost sounds like a hard drive spinning very loudly. I have check the audio and my DVR, and those are not the culprits.


-Andy


----------



## The_Deported

Hey,

I was wondering if anybody had the original service menu original values for my Toshiba 30hf86c? That would be a great help...


Thx


----------



## fugiot

Somebody posted them in this thread already.


----------



## The_Deported

All i could find was code for 26hf or 34hf, not the 30hf. Is the 30hf85 the same TV as the 30hf86c? Can the same code be used?


----------



## huked0nfonicks

GAHHH doesnt ANYONE know why the picture "flickers" (for lack of a better word) on 1080i component on my 26hf15? Anyone have a clue? ANyone have a clue what settings int he service menu would might solve the problem!?


----------



## asburrows

hooked:

Are you referring to those horizontal black bands appearing in scenes with strong contrast (for instance when character standing in front of a white wall)? Try feeding 480p and let Toshiba upscale to 1080i.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *asburrows* /forum/post/11691044
> 
> 
> hooked:
> 
> Are you referring to those horizontal black bands appearing in scenes with strong contrast (for instance when character standing in front of a white wall)? Try feeding 480p and let Toshiba upscale to 1080i.



Then it won't be HD anymore.


----------



## huked0nfonicks




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *asburrows* /forum/post/11691044
> 
> 
> hooked:
> 
> Are you referring to those horizontal black bands appearing in scenes with strong contrast (for instance when character standing in front of a white wall)? Try feeding 480p and let Toshiba upscale to 1080i.



I don't think so. I think I know what that problem is but it hasn't been tremendously evident on my set. I'll try to figure out some way of recording or something what I'm talking about. I have a post above describing in-depth. I'm going to call Toshiba again soon and just b**ch a lot...


----------



## tmuirheid




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *The_Deported* /forum/post/11671530
> 
> 
> Hey,
> 
> I was wondering if anybody had the original service menu original values for my Toshiba 30hf86c? That would be a great help...
> 
> 
> Thx



Those default setting in the zip file a couple of pages back in this thread were extremely useful in correcting my geometry issues. The color setting are still too hot for my tastes but the geometry has improved immensely.


----------



## Rafterman1962

Nothing works. I would be nice to be able to use the other inputs without having to unplug my DVD player.


----------



## Rafterman1962

Can't find anything like this.


----------



## othelloears

I have a 34HF85. The board was just replaced and now my HD picture sucks! It is grainy, almost snowy, particularly in the background. The Tech came in on warranty and told me that there is no adjustment to improve. I have the service manual. Does anyone know which adjustment would deal with improving the image.


----------



## ytwokr32




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *othelloears* /forum/post/11957198
> 
> 
> I have a 34HF85. The board was just replaced and now my HD picture sucks! It is grainy, almost snowy, particularly in the background. The Tech came in on warranty and told me that there is no adjustment to improve. I have the service manual. Does anyone know which adjustment would deal with improving the image.




I also have a 34HF85. I just applied the Service Menu settings posted by Fugiot in this thread - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=1175 .


My picture is dramatically improved, with the exception of the colors looking a little "flat". I'll probably do some more tweaking. You might want to try those settings though.


----------



## Rooster2007

The latch on the front panel of my toshiba 30hf66 just stopped working and won't close anymore. Is there any easy way to remove and replace or fix the latch mechanism without disassembling the entire TV?


----------



## kozmo64

I had the problem with flicker and/or ghosting with HDMI connected to cable box, or when connected to my upconvert DVD player. It's probably too soon to tell, but I simply changed the input signal from DVD and cable box to 720p and voila, the interference is gone!

I only looked at it for a short while, but to confirm, I changed back signal input from cable box and DVD to 1080i and noticed the "ghosting/interference" once again.

I really can't tell a difference in picture quality from 720p to 1080i, so why bother? If it corrects the annoying image interference, I'm all over it. Try it!

I really do love the Toshiba for color and picture clarity and now that I think my image problem is corrected, I'm a happy boy!


PS I read somewhere in this forum that 1080p and 1080i are basically the same because of bandwith and limitation of a 60 cycle signal. If so, do we need more than 720p? Just asking.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kozmo64* /forum/post/12153404
> 
> 
> PS I read somewhere in this forum that 1080p and 1080i are basically the same because of bandwith and limitation of a 60 cycle signal. If so, do we need more than 720p? Just asking.



1080i and 1080p still give you a higher resolution, twice that of 720p. On these Toshiba's(which do not display full horizontal resolution), it's a bit different.


The Toshibas have a screen resolution of 853x1080. So they can't display the full horizontal resolution, but they can display the full 1080 lines of vertical resolution.


Feeding it a 1080i signal(1920x1080) = 853x1080 = 921,240 pixels


Feeding it a 720p signal(1280x720) = 853x720 = 614,160 pixels


That's a 50% resolution increase.


----------



## mroneeyedboh

i was wondering if you have the service screen settings for a MD30H82 tv. i went in there and i totally messed them up. i didnt write down the factory settings like i should have. Thanks


also, if ya have any information to point me into the right direction that would be good too. i have joined several forums and posted, so maybe ill get some help there too. thanks


----------



## asburrows

Just like ytwokr32 (couple of posts above) I also applied Fugiot's service codes on my 30HF86. Result is significant improvement in PQ (although colours are indeed a little flat). Then I tried to tinker with geometry, made some things better but then screwed up royally. Any suggestions how to tweak geometry? Order of steps, etc. Thanks.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *asburrows* /forum/post/12161869
> 
> 
> Any suggestions how to tweak geometry? Order of steps, etc. Thanks.



Do the positioning and sizing first using a 1.78:1 DVD, then adjust the bowing and angles. Man, I hate doing geometry.


----------



## fugiot

Everyone who has been using my SM settings have been doing something very wrong. Sorry, i forgot to update the setting from a long time ago!


HERE ARE THE UPDATED SETTINGS!


SUB CONT should be ZERO! Not 15!

This affects the CONRAST which is now 63 across the board

and COLOR which is now 43 across all inputs


Brightness should also be 223 for HD and around 216 for SD!













Since I know I wanted these when I first got my set, I'm going to share my ISF settings with all you 26HF(84/85/14/15/66) owners. We all know that every CRT is different, but maybe these will work or at least head you in the right direction. Also, these are optimized for HD sources.



First off, set the screen mode to "Full" and then enter the Service Menu. Turn Volume to "0", hold the 'volume down' button on the front of the set and then hold '9' on the remote until the service menu appears. Make sure to write down all of your current settings. I don't want to be to blame if my settings don't work for you. Change the settings to the following values and then press 'menu' on the remote to return.



Items #2-#23 are Geometry settings and a different for each set. Only use these for experimentation as I can guarantee you they are not the correct settings for your particular set.


2. H. POSI - 84

3. V. POSI - 1

4. H. SIZE - 20

5. V. SIZE - 40

6. V. LIN - 27

7. V-EHT - 4

8. H-EHT - 2

9. V-BLK P - 31

10. V-BLK S - 0

11. V. CENT - 31

12. V. LIMIT - 0

13. V. CORR - 13

14. V.S. CORR - 40

15. EW PARA - 10

16. TRAPEZIUM - 45

17. COR. TOP - 16

18. COR. BTM - 15

19. S. CORR - 17

20. CORNER - 16

21. C. PARA - 6

22. C. SAW - 6

23. V. SYMM - 128



The following are the picture settings and are roughly equal across all sets. They may need slight adjustments, but it will be pretty darned close to perfect.


24. R. BIAS - 69

25. G. BIAS - 63

26. B. BIAS - 93

27. R/G. DRV - 77

28. B/R. DRV - 60

Items #29 through #38 are for the 'cool' and 'warm' color temp settings. I didn't include them because they are unused.

39. R-Y GAIN - 1

40. R-Y PAHSE - 0

41. G-Y GAIN - 2

42. G-Y PAHSE - 1

43. BRI. CENT - 223

44. BRI. MAX - 227

45. BRI. MIN - 216

46. CONT. CENT - 63

47. CONT. MAX - 63

48. CONT. MIN - 31

49. COL. CENT - 43

50. COL. MAX - 43

51. COL. MIN - 43

52. SUB CONT - 0

53. TINT - 66

54. SHARP CENT - 63

55. SHARP MAX - 95

56. SHARP MIN - 31

57. TILT CENT - 138


Exit the Service Menu by pressing the "menu" button, press the tv/video button and repeat all settings on all 7 inputs.


Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.



Once you have all the service menu set up, set your main menu settings like this.


S-video(or composite) connection:::

Brightness - 0

Contrast - 25 or higher

Color - centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - centered

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


Colorstream Component:::

Brightness - 25 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 or higher for HD(0 for night HD)

Color - Centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - 25 (set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off


HDMI:::

Brightness - 25 for HD(set to '0' for SD)

Contrast - 25 or higher for HD(set to 0 for night HD)

Color - centered

Tint - centered

Sharpness - 25(set to 50 for slightly enhanced sharpness)

Cable Clear - Off

Color Temp - Medium

SVM - Off



Yes, did you notice? All the SM settings are to make the main menu settings easy to remember by leaving most of them at default(25).


For example, Bright. Max in the SM corresponds to '[email protected]' in the User menu

Bright.Cent in SM = '[email protected]' in UM

Bright.Min in SM = '[email protected]' in UM.


Enjoy! Hopefully they work for you like they do for me. Looks as good as a Sony now....a non-ISF'd Sony.


----------



## mroneeyedboh

now i did those, but ive got an updated one for the 30" that ive got. i went to the store and used the remote to retreive the settings there. they are decent and get the job done for the geometry part. but the color seems to have more red in it then i like. but ive got a sears guy comin by tuesday to get it fixed, or let alone adjust it


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mroneeyedboh* /forum/post/12164318
> 
> 
> now i did those, but ive got an updated one for the 30" that ive got. i went to the store and used the remote to retreive the settings there. they are decent and get the job done for the geometry part. but the color seems to have more red in it then i like. but ive got a sears guy comin by tuesday to get it fixed, or let alone adjust it



Change SM items #39-42 to fix the red issue.


----------



## mroneeyedboh

now what about when i goto the top of the screen bends inward? ( the sides of the screen, right and left )


----------



## lennsx

Will this alleviate the black crush?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/12195238
> 
> 
> Will this alleviate the black crush?



Not entirely, but yes. It fixes the black crush problem(mostly) and the washed out colors.


I found that the black crush is the worst part of these TVs and is impossible to get rid of entirely.


----------



## lennsx

I agree. That, and 1080i shadow banding through HDMI. Man, does that SU*K.


----------



## lennsx

So for the SUB CONT being set to ZERO; I need to do this for every input that I want corrected, correct?


----------



## ytwokr32




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/12195789
> 
> 
> I agree. That, and 1080i shadow banding through HDMI. Man, does that SU*K.



fugiot... thank you for posting the updated settings, made a big difference.


I have not noticed the 1080i shadow banding since switching to fugiot's settings. Like most people... 1080i from my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD was unwatchable, I opted for the standard fix of just passing 720p.


Applied fugiot's settings and watching 1080i happily from my Scientific Atlanta!


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/12196704
> 
> 
> So for the SUB CONT being set to ZERO; I need to do this for every input that I want corrected, correct?



Yes, make sure all inputs get changed to zero. The best way to do that is check one in the SM, exit the SM, switch to another input and enter the SM again.


Merely switching inputs while still in the SM doesn't save the settings sometimes.


----------



## asburrows

Couple of questions:


1) what is black crush?

2) what is shadow banding?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *asburrows* /forum/post/12208058
> 
> 
> Couple of questions:
> 
> 
> 1) what is black crush?
> 
> 2) what is shadow banding?



1) Black crush is when different shades of black get "crushed" together into the same shade resulting in loss of detail in dark scenes. The remedy is usually to raise the brightness(to separate the blacks), but this results in washed out colors. So you have to choose the lesser of two evils, wash out your colors or lose black detail.


2)Shadow banding occurs when a bright spot on the image enters or exits the edge of the screen(due to camera panning) sending a horizontal streak of "shadow" across the entire screen. I personally have never seen this on any other TV and it only occurs over HDMI.


----------



## Zeno McDohl

I have a Toshiba 30HF85. I want to fix the overscan problem, so I figured out how to get into the service menu. (Trying to fix overscan on Xbox 360, 1080i)


Can anyone tell me what options I should change for overscan? I already wrote down all the default settings. I don't think I need to change more than one or two settings...


[EDIT] Adjusting V-EHT seems to have fixed the vertical clipping (set it to max: 7), but H-EHT won't go up beyond 7 so the left and right sides are still getting cut off. Even using 720, I still can't fix the left/right being cut off.


[EDIT 2] Found this:
http://www.captiveworks.org/forum/co...scussionID=989 

The comments seem to say it's impossible "The only relevent options to the overscan issues are "V-EHT" and "H-EHT" I had to max both of mine out, and overscan was still unacceptable." and that's the same problem I have. Am I screwed here?


----------



## Bob Whitefield

Zeno,


I have a 34HDX82, so I'm not sure this applies to your set, but these were the service menu items I adjusted to minimize overscan:


HIT height

WID width

HPOS horizontal position

VPOS vertical position


I couldn't eliminate overscan entirely, as reducing WID enough to do that caused a green line to appear at the left of the screen. But I was able to reduce overscan to about 2% measured with the Avia disc. Looks great on Blu-ray.


Hope that helps.


Bob


----------



## Zeno McDohl

These are mine (along with default settings):


> Quote:
> 00 OSD H: 5
> 
> 02 H. POSI: 80
> 
> 03 V. POSI: 1
> 
> 04 H. SIZE: 41
> 
> 05 V. SIZE: 29
> 
> 06 V. LIN: 27
> 
> 07 V-EHT: 4
> 
> 08 H-EHT: 6
> 
> 09 V-BLK P: 31
> 
> 10 V-BLK S: 0
> 
> 11 V. CENT: 36
> 
> 12 V. V. LIMIT: 0
> 
> 13 V. CORR: 2
> 
> 14 V.S. CORR: 30
> 
> 15 EW PARA: 13
> 
> 16 TRAPEZIUM: 57
> 
> 17 COR. TOP: 13
> 
> 18 COR. BTM: 10
> 
> 19 S. CORR: 16
> 
> 20 CORNER: 21
> 
> 21 C. PARA: 7
> 
> 22 C. SAW: 7
> 
> 23 V. SYMM: 128



I would assume your HIT would be my H. SIZE. Strangely, changing that doesn't seem to do anything (that I notice).


----------



## Bob Whitefield

H. SIZE and V. SIZE should do exactly what you want. I googled 30hf85 overscan and found a couple of old avsforum posts where people did just that. Are you using a test pattern?


----------



## Zeno McDohl

I tried changing H.SIZE (as well as V.SIZE) from 0 to 80, and while I did I noticed no difference. This is while using a test pattern. Either the change is so small I can't notice it, or it's not changing. The image does change while I'm changing it right? I don't need to turn off & on the TV or anything, do I? I know V-EHT changed without turning off the TV.


----------



## Bob Whitefield

Sorry Zeno, I don't know what the problem is. When I change service mode parameters the effect is immediately visible.


----------



## Zeno McDohl

Ah, found something out. H.SIZE does change, but only on TV channels. It doesn't change it for video output (like for my Xbox 360). Any idea what I should do? Is there a way I can change that?


----------



## rfin16

I am thinking about buying a DVD recorder which upscales DVDs to 1081p. How good should that look on the 1081i of th Toshiba 30HF86C? Thank you for your help.


----------



## Bob Whitefield

Just my personal experience, but 1080i upscaled video from an LG LST-3510A was definitely inferior to the 480p picture from my old Panasonic DVD-CP72 player. The 1080i picture had noticeable jaggies while the Panny's picture was smooth. Detail might have been a little better upscaled, but the 480p picture was definitely more realistic and watchable. The LG was connected to the DVI port of my 34HDX82, the Panny used component input.


Granted, the LG is basically an HDTV tuner with a DVD drive thrown in, while the Panny has the legendary Sage-Faroudja chip set. So it really depends on how good the scaler is in your DVD recorder.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *rfin16* /forum/post/12481893
> 
> 
> I am thinking about buying a DVD recorder which upscales DVDs to 1081p. How good should that look on the 1081i of th Toshiba 30HF86C? Thank you for your help.



You must get a good player. I had a Philips DVP5960 which had a really poor 1080i picture, compared to it's own 480p picture quality.


----------



## rfin16

I now have a Sony RDR HX750 HDD DVD recorder (SD) attached to the HDMI input of the 30HF86C. The picture actually looks great, much better than component or coaxial on DVDs, SD channels and connected SD VCR which are all upscaled to 1080i. No more moire effects but with very occasional dark lines across bright scenes.


The key problem now is that this Toshiba does not let you adjust picture size on its HDMI input. So some DVD movies and HD channels appear with black bars at top and bottom of the screen (which we were able to adjust for on component input). This loses much of the advantage of the widescreen effect.


Is there any way to adjust it or is it inevitable with a) HD broadcasts via SD channels and b) DVD movies in certain widescreen aspect ratios other than the TVs 1:85? Sony has no answers so far.


Thank you for your help.


----------



## fugiot

True widescreen movies are still wider than HDTVs. Any movie that it 2.35:1 or 2.40:1 will have black bars on top and bottom. If you adjust the screen to get rid of them, you are just strecthing the picture and distorting the movie.


----------



## rfin16

Thanks for your reply. Even if you lose resolution, can it be stretched in any way using this TV? our only other choice seems to be to revert to a DVD connection via S-video which would lose much of the 1080i advantage anyway.


PS has anyone had problems with audio clarity over HDMI? We had some blaring sounds as if the speakers were damaged, but it does not occur on our other inputs? Also why would closed captioning not work via HDMI?


Thanks again for charing your knowledge and advice.


----------



## John.

Hi everybody !


I am not sure if I am posting in the right section , but I have a problem with my Toshiba TV . I am not sure if this can be corrected or not .


I own a 34hfx83 Toshiba HD model , manufactured 2004 . The TV works fine except that when there is a light coloured background in the picture . The screen seems to have what it looks like dirt on the screen . I really notice it alot more when the action moves onscreen .


It just looks like there is dirt on the screen , but I have cleaned the screen and the problem is still there .


I have done a search and I have not found much except for one thread . The thread was from , I believe 2004 . The thread seemed to just end and there was no solution to fix the problem . One person mentioned something about the Invar shadow mask ? , or something like that .


Here is the link , I hope I do this right . I do not use a computer much .
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/s...hreadid=398696 


Anybody have any suggestions as to how I can fix this , or do I have to live with it ? .


It is a shame , this TV in high def is great , except that wierd dirty effect .


It would be nice if it was just the glass screen that needs to be cleaned on the inside , but I don't think I would be that lucky . Would it probably be right inside the picture tube itself ? .



Any suggestions out there that could help me ?



Thanks all !!


----------



## saintsaints

I have a htpc connected to a 34HD82 and the radeon video card has option of 30, 60 and 72hz refresh rate. It's at 60 after installing drivers, but will 72hz do anything?


----------



## kelly711

i'm not sure if i'm in the right forum or not, but i have either a 32hf72 or 36hf72 toshiba tv. my child got ahold of the remote and somehow ended up on a white/grey screen. the first line was "16:9" and the last line said "restore factory settings" or something like that. one of the options was closed captioning which ended up getting switched on. i now have closed captioning on everything and can't figure out how to get it off. the regular menu settings for the tv show the closed captioning as off, but it's still there. any ideas? it's driving me crazy!


----------



## jedimastergrant

saintsaints,


I can't answer your Q, but I have one that you may be able to answer. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to try to use an hd crt like this one to play pc games on.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16889253019 


Do you use a DVI to HDMI connection? What resolutions can the tv accept from a pc? And what resolution will it output? Will it always output 1080i? Are there any other important things I should know? Does anyone have any experience playing pc games on these monitors?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kelly711* /forum/post/12662237
> 
> 
> i'm not sure if i'm in the right forum or not, but i have either a 32hf72 or 36hf72 toshiba tv. my child got ahold of the remote and somehow ended up on a white/grey screen. the first line was "16:9" and the last line said "restore factory settings" or something like that. one of the options was closed captioning which ended up getting switched on. i now have closed captioning on everything and can't figure out how to get it off. the regular menu settings for the tv show the closed captioning as off, but it's still there. any ideas? it's driving me crazy!



That's not your TV, that's your cable box. Turn it off and then press "menu" to get that screen and change things back.


----------



## Zeno McDohl

Anyone know how to turn off Digital Noise Reduction?


I have a Toshiba 30HF85 30" Flat CRT HDTV.


----------



## dpd347

Hello all, I've got a 34hd82 which I've had for about 4 years. Ever since I've owned it, it has had a 1" vertical white ghost line down the center of the screen. Anyone familiar with this and is there possibly some way to fix it? It is most visible when there is a light colored background.


Thanks


----------



## Bob Whitefield

dpd347,


That stripe is a well-known problem with these sets. Everyone has it. I could tell you about another problem, but then you'd start noticing it as well.


I have the 34hdx82, and other than the minor screen defects, it's been a good set. Too good: it won't die so I can get a 50" plasma...


----------



## Mojo_AVS

Recently my Toshiba 30HF85 has developed a distortion across the top of the screen. I'm not sure if it's related but for the past month I've had all the rear ports filled with game systems (xbox, xbox360, and Wii). I've had multiple systems on at the same time. Again, not sure if this has anything to do with it though. I've attached some reference pictures.


Any help with identifying the issue and thoughts on typical repair cost would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## theovermind99

I also have a question regarding my 30hf85 tv. I'm planning on buying a PS3 for myself and was wondering if anybody here has had any problems with the combination (ie. overscaning, resoultion problem). If you have had some problems with the two together, how do you solve them? Thanks in advance


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *theovermind99* /forum/post/13158562
> 
> 
> I also have a question regarding my 30hf85 tv. I'm planning on buying a PS3 for myself and was wondering if anybody here has had any problems with the combination (ie. overscaning, resoultion problem). If you have had some problems with the two together, how do you solve them? Thanks in advance



You're probably going to have problems with HDMI, so use [email protected] for your PS3.


----------



## shimmer11




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *John.* /forum/post/12642835
> 
> 
> Hi everybody !
> 
> 
> I am not sure if I am posting in the right section , but I have a problem with my Toshiba TV . I am not sure if this can be corrected or not .
> 
> 
> I own a 34hfx83 Toshiba HD model , manufactured 2004 . The TV works fine except that when there is a light coloured background in the picture . The screen seems to have what it looks like dirt on the screen . I really notice it alot more when the action moves onscreen .
> 
> 
> It just looks like there is dirt on the screen , but I have cleaned the screen and the problem is still there .
> 
> 
> I have done a search and I have not found much except for one thread . The thread was from , I believe 2004 . The thread seemed to just end and there was no solution to fix the problem . One person mentioned something about the Invar shadow mask ? , or something like that .
> 
> 
> Here is the link , I hope I do this right . I do not use a computer much .
> http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/s...hreadid=398696
> 
> 
> Anybody have any suggestions as to how I can fix this , or do I have to live with it ? .
> 
> 
> It is a shame , this TV in high def is great , except that wierd dirty effect .
> 
> 
> It would be nice if it was just the glass screen that needs to be cleaned on the inside , but I don't think I would be that lucky . Would it probably be right inside the picture tube itself ? .
> 
> 
> 
> Any suggestions out there that could help me ?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks all !!



I am one of the original forum posters regarding this "dirty" issue with the 34hfx83. I have lived with this issue since December of 2003 with no real solution. I love the TV except for this what I call defect with early HDTV models from Toshiba. This experience has changed the way that I purchase all of my electronics. Do your research first!


Does anyone else have any solution to fixing this "dirty" screen problem with Toshiba CRT's?


-Andy


----------



## Guinness77

Hi,

I was wondering if anybody would know what the problem is. I have a 36" Toshiba HD CRT, and while watching HD cable (Comcast), when text pops up on the screen the picture flickers like crazy. It is most noticeable while watching Jericho, when the girl signs they put the text on the bottom of the screen. It flickers like crazy until the text it gone. It does it quite a bit on commercials too.


Any ideas?

I have just replaced all my interior cable with Belden 1694A, but that did not fix anything. I have it hooked up via component.


Thanks,

Jamie


----------



## mattldm

I have hte Tpshiba 34 HFX84 HDTV and I will probably be using the Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player with it in my upstairs system. Is it worth it to connect this analog CRT with HDMI or should I use components, or does it matter?


----------



## lennsx

I have the 34HF84 and there is a lot of shadow banding/flickering via HDMI through my HD STB & my (now sold) HD-A2. So...I'd personally stick with Component for any HD use.


----------



## mattldm




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *lennsx* /forum/post/13299723
> 
> 
> I have the 34HF84 and there is a lot of shadow banding/flickering via HDMI through my HD STB & my (now sold) HD-A2. So...I'd personally stick with Component for any HD use.



Thanks, I've always wondered what the advantage could be to using a digital connection with an analog TV. I would imagine that the video D/A conversion in the HD_DVD player would be better than in the TV, so components are probably the way to go. I guess?


----------



## Afrikan

I'm thinking of buying the 30" MD30H82....the one with a built in DVD player.....

I planned on mainly using this T.V. for my PS3 games as well as BluRay movies.... so I would use HDMI...but I keep reading that these Toshiba's have promblems with their HDMI outputs.... should I pass on this T.V.


These 30" Toshibas fit perfectly in my cabinet... (I had a 26" Panny crt before) .... so I want a larger T.V...... but I also what to stick with a crt... anyone have any advice...... there are no other 30" crt that would fit this cabinet.....


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Afrikan* /forum/post/13344016
> 
> 
> I planned on mainly using this T.V. for my PS3 games as well as BluRay movies.... so I would use HDMI...but I keep reading that these Toshiba's have promblems with their HDMI outputs.... should I pass on this T.V.



Just get it and use Component inputs. It will look great after some calibration.


----------



## hoffo

I have a Toshiba 30HF66 build date of May 2006 and assembled in the USA which has no issues over HDMI with my Toshiba HD-A3 hd-dvd player. Very happy with this tv.


----------



## dgk

I have a 26HF66 that just started making loud static sounds and the picture goes away. Then it comes back (after 15 seconds or so) and is fine for another few minutes, then it goes out again. It's 18 months old, and even with the credit card extending the warranty, that's only 6 months labor.


I wrote asking Toshiba to fix it under warranty. It costs $70 or so just to have someone come over and look at it. If Toshiba won't fix a $550 TV that dies after 18 months, I'm unlikely to buy another Toshiba product. I carry a grudge.


I posted about this in a new thread but then found this one. I guess it belongs here.


Any guesses as to the problem would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dgk* /forum/post/13426937
> 
> 
> I have a 26HF66 that just started making loud static sounds and the picture goes away. Then it comes back (after 15 seconds or so) and is fine for another few minutes, then it goes out again. It's 18 months old, and even with the credit card extending the warranty, that's only 6 months labor.
> 
> 
> I wrote asking Toshiba to fix it under warranty. It costs $70 or so just to have someone come over and look at it. If Toshiba won't fix a $550 TV that dies after 18 months, I'm unlikely to buy another Toshiba product. I carry a grudge.
> 
> 
> I posted about this in a new thread but then found this one. I guess it belongs here.
> 
> 
> Any guesses as to the problem would be greatly appreciated.



Wait, it's still under warranty and Toshiba won't fix it? That sucks, but don't base your view of Toshiba quality on the 26HF series TV. They are poorly made(decent components though) by an outsource company named Orion.


Or maybe it's because there's three 6s in the model number...


----------



## dgk




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/13436051
> 
> 
> Wait, it's still under warranty and Toshiba won't fix it? That sucks, but don't base your view of Toshiba quality on the 26HF series TV. They are poorly made(decent components though) by an outsource company named Orion.
> 
> 
> Or maybe it's because there's three 6s in the model number...



No, the only thing under warranty is the picture tube and I've been assured by a service center that the picture tube is not the problem. What sucks is that Toshiba has a warranty of 3 months (labor) for a product that sold for $540. That does not indicate much confidence in their product. I base my opinion of their quality on their willingness to stand behind their products. That appears to be non-existent.


In fairness to Toshiba, at least one other company (Sharp) has an identical warranty. What I think we need to do is to force companies to issue longer warranties. What might be reasonable? Any product that has a suggested retail price over $300 must have at least a two year parts and labor warranty?


----------



## InYourEyes




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *dgk* /forum/post/13456652
> 
> 
> No, the only thing under warranty is the picture tube and I've been assured by a service center that the picture tube is not the problem. What sucks is that Toshiba has a warranty of 3 months (labor) for a product that sold for $540. That does not indicate much confidence in their product. I base my opinion of their quality on their willingness to stand behind their products. That appears to be non-existent.
> 
> 
> In fairness to Toshiba, at least one other company (Sharp) has an identical warranty. What I think we need to do is to force companies to issue longer warranties. What might be reasonable? Any product that has a suggested retail price over $300 must have at least a two year parts and labor warranty?



That TV has a full 1 year parts and labor warranty. It states very clearly at the back of the owner's manual. Manufacturers are required by law to honor them. Try calling Toshiba's customer support again with a different rep. If it does not work, then try calling Orion's customer support at orionsalesinc.com and mention to the rep that the TV set was made by Orion, and you would like to find an authorized repair center that works both Orion and Toshiba TVs. If it still does not work, you are allowed to open a small claim against Toshiba with the court. Good luck.


Is your TV less than 12 months old or more than 12 months old? Your previous post said 18 months.


----------



## hoffo

I have a Tosh 30HF66 and just recently noticed some small purple splotches at the 2 bottom corners which are really only noticeable when the display is showing a very light shade such as white. The one on the left side is slightly larger. They seem to have gotten smaller from turning the tv on and off a few times (the internal degaussing circuit) but haven't completely gone away. I recently ordered a handheld degaussing wand and was wondering if it's ok to degauss these sets and if there is any risk that degaussing would mess anything up? Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *hoffo* /forum/post/13624709
> 
> 
> I have a Tosh 30HF66 and just recently noticed some small purple splotches at the 2 bottom corners which are really only noticeable when the display is showing a very light shade such as white. The one on the left side is slightly larger. They seem to have gotten smaller from turning the tv on and off a few times (the internal degaussing circuit) but haven't completely gone away. I recently ordered a handheld degaussing wand and was wondering if it's ok to degauss these sets and if there is any risk that degaussing would mess anything up? Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?



I wouldn't say it's a common thing, but you can definitely damage your TV with a degaussing wand. Be careful and do it right.


----------



## WJonathan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *hoffo* /forum/post/13624709
> 
> 
> Also curious if the purple spotting toward the bottom corners on a widescreen CRT is a common thing?



If it's old and hasn't been used in a while, yeah. They still may clear up after some more power cycles.


----------



## hoffo




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/13635243
> 
> 
> I wouldn't say it's a common thing, but you can definitely damage your TV with a degaussing wand. Be careful and do it right.



What would being careful and doing it right consist of? I may just leave it be rather than risk messing it up...


----------



## weekendtoy

I have the 34HF85 and run all my stuff (both anoalog and digital) through my Denon AVR 2807 and then run one single HDMI cable to my monitor.


I have not had any HDMI issues so this may be a solution for those that are having problems.


----------



## hubs99

My Toshiba 30hf66 emits a very high pitch sound. The really unfortunate aspect is that it happens very sporadically and only for minute or so before disappearing for awhile only to come back sporadically again. I have been unable to induce it but it seems to happen more often when scenes are extremely red.


The TV is still under warranty but the first repair place I brought it to claims there is nothing wrong and that they did not hear any sounds from the television. They replaced "a part" and sent it back to me. Now a new repair place is going to drive to my house to look at the TV again. My worry is that they will be at my house for such a short time that they will not hear the sound.


Any ideas on how to isolate or reproduce the sound or record the sound to play back for the technician would be highly appreciated.


Thanks,

Justin


----------



## hoffo

How old is the set? That sort of high pitched whine is common with CRT sets and has something to do with the high voltage output but i'm not exactly sure what causes it and what you can do to fix it. Hopefully someone else here knows more about this type of problem. I do have the same set as you do the 30hf66 so i'm curious as to how long you've had it as mine is trouble free so far.


----------



## hubs99

I bought the set in July 2006, The problems started in before April 2007. I have been trying to get Toshiba to fix it since then. I am becoming more and more frustrated by them. They have twice called me and said that it was no longer their problem and I have had to fight with them for weeks to get them to pay for this next repair company to come out and diagnosis the problem and repair it.


Thats why I am so worried that they will come out, not hear anything and will leave saying nothing is wrong and I'll be back at square one.


I was thinking I'd record the TV with my camcorder, but I do not think the pitch will come through on the recording since it is such a High frequency. Any ideas on how to do this would be appreciated since I want to have recording in hand to show the techs when they show up.


----------



## Akrokos

hey guys, i think i have a problem with overscan with my Toshiba set - 34hfx83 and GTA4 on xbox 360 - i know there are many people with other tvs with this problem but the writing on both sides of the screen is cut off a bit and its annoying. Is there any setting on the tv to get the text better centred? anything i can do before (hopefully) rockstar releases a patch? thanks. I am using 720p on the xbox and the componet cables in the back of the tv.


----------



## b_scott

a friend of mine is looking for reference settings for the 30hf85 without using the service menu.


can anyone help? thanks!


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *briansemerick* /forum/post/13848821
> 
> 
> a friend of mine is looking for reference settings for the 30hf85 without using the service menu.
> 
> 
> can anyone help? thanks!



What do you mean reference settings? Do you mean to calibrate the picture quality? If so, it's impossible to get good results without using the service menu. Tell him not to worry about going into the service menu, it's not THAT scary and then search for other threads made by me. You will find one with all of my service menu settings for a properly calibrated picture.


----------



## andy_j

I believe I am having the same flicker/banding/glow issue with my 30HFX85 unit as well, but wasn't evident until I started using a Comcast HD box w/ my tv. As stated previously in this thread it seems to be something wrong internally w/ the Television trying to auto color correct/brighten the picture. Something interesting is the problem only seems to occur when the source video is HD.


For example, watching LOST last night in HD, colors were going haywire, but during commercials that were sourced from standard def no problems occured. Obviously the commercial has been upconverted back at the Comcast office or through ABC somewhere along the line, so it's in 1080i. So the problem does seem to be with the TV. Which also may explain why my upconverting DVD player didn't cause the television to have errors (through both compontent and hdmi).


Another thing to mention is that I'm experiencing these problems over component, where as a lot of the problems here seem to be w/ HDMI.


My main question is, do the ISF settings that Fugiot posted correct these problems? Or were those just posted to correct more minor picture complaints?


----------



## jrsu37

Okay...strange issue here. I have a 30hf66 and yesterday I unplugged it from the wall and unplugged the coaxial cable so I could install a new entertainment system. When I plugged it back in and did the channel set up I only got the HD Channels! None of my regular analog cable channels. It's almost as if it's not recognizing the analog signal. Is there a setting or a reset that I can do? If I miss Adult Swim again I'm going to start breaking stuff...starting with the new entertainment center thinggy.


Thanks,


jrsu37


----------



## fugiot

Check for a switch from "antenna" to "cable".


----------



## alan713

Hi, I own the Toshiba 26HF66. It overscans while I play the ps3. I was wondering how to fix it. I'm reading from previous posts that you have to alter the settings, but I cant seem to get to the service menu. Can someone help me? Thanks in advanced.


----------



## saintsaints

Is it better to set pc games at 1280 720 and have the tv upscale to 1080i or set games at 1920 by 1080.

Toshiba 34HD82 and Nvidia 9800 GTX.


----------



## Bob Whitefield




> Quote:
> Is it better to set pc games at 1280 720 and have the tv upscale to 1080i or set games at 1920 by 1080.
> 
> Toshiba 34HD82 and Nvidia 9800 GTX.



Depends on the game. You'll get more detail at 1920x1080, although the graphics card won't perform as well at the higher resolution. Not that you have many performance concerns with that card.


You may actually find the fuzzier look of 720 more realistic, especially if it improves frame rate or lets you turn up AA/AF settings. Or you may prefer the greater detail at 1080, you should try both.


BTW, I have the 34HDX82, and although I don't play games, I use my laptop to watch Blu-ray movies on it. Calibrating the DVI input with Avia was essential to resolving as much detail as the tube is capable of. See if you can make out 8 point text at 1920x1080.


----------



## cpc

Hello,


I am looking at grabbing a used Toshiba 34HF81 to use for a while for watching dvd's. Does this set have SVM and can I disable it without any fancy footwork? I can't find it in the downloadable owners manual. Also, is this a decent set? Just want to use this instead of a 27" or 32" 4:3 TV for a while. Front projector home theatre is on hold for a while.


----------



## Bob Whitefield

I don't own the 34HF81 (I have a 34HDX82), but I'm pretty sure all you have to do is put it in movie mode to disable SVM. That's how my set works. Keep in mind the 34HF81 doesn't have DVI.


Here's a review of the 34HF81:

http://www.avguide.com/file-download?review=787 


My Tosh is too good, it simply refuses to die so I can get a 50" plasma...


----------



## cpc




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Bob Whitefield* /forum/post/14223584
> 
> 
> I don't own the 34HF81 (I have a 34HDX82), but I'm pretty sure all you have to do is put it in movie mode to disable SVM. That's how my set works. Keep in mind the 34HF81 doesn't have DVI.
> 
> 
> Here's a review of the 34HF81:
> 
> http://www.avguide.com/file-download?review=787
> 
> 
> My Tosh is too good, it simply refuses to die so I can get a 50" plasma...



Yeah, lack of DVI does kinda suck, but it's not the end of the world. As a temporary fix, for around $300, I think the set has potential for DVD watching. I may be able to use a DVI to component adapter for 480p and 1080i...but I'm not sure it'll be in the right format. I think it needs to be transcoded to component Y-PB-PR to work with the set. I'm trying to see if my DVDO VP50 can output Y-PB-PR via the BNC outputs (which I'll adapt to RCA connectors).


----------



## twstedroads

I have a Toshiba 26hf84 and i screwed with the system menu settings and I would like to get the picture back to what it is set at when it's at default. Can anyone please list all of the factory settings for the system menu so i can get this thing looking decent again? thanks!!!


ps - to access the system menu, hold the volume button on the tv until it reaches zero and then press and hold the number 9 on the remote while still holding volume down on the remote.


thanks again!


Alex


----------



## wjbomatt

Help please. I have a Toshiba 30 HD85, and the remote sensor has stopped working. Any idea how to get to the inputs WITHOUT a remote control? My tv is stuck on the ANT input, and my cable box is on HDMI.


----------



## twstedroads

bump


please help me out, it's driving me crazy!!! (two messages up!!) ^^^^


thanks again!


-a


----------



## Bob Whitefield

Alex, unfortunately there are no system defaults, settings are unique to individual sets, determined at the factory during calibration. That's the nature of analog CRTs, and why you're warned to write down settings before changing them.


In practice, settings are probably very similar between sets. Maybe someone with a 26hf84 will help you out. I have a 34hdx82, I doubt that would help.


Your other option is to learn a lot more about calibration and fix it yourself. This site is very helpful, although some information is specific to rear projections sets:

http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brand...hiba_tips.html 
http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/brand...rvicemenu.html


----------



## saintsaints

Toshiba came out with a new upconverting dvd player XD-E500 that has 1080p/24fps 24p support. Will this make dvd look better on crts?


----------



## hoffo

Yes it should given that my dvds upconverted on my Toshiba HD-A3 to 1080i look better than they do normally played at 480p or allowed to upscale to 1080i through the tv upscaling. Granted you won't be able to take advantage of the 1080p or 24 fps at all but even at 1080i the difference should be pretty clear.


----------



## stephn

I bought a Toshiba 30HFX85 a couple years back and it has been perfroming quite well in non hd formats. However I recently bought an Xbox 360 and have never been to successfully use it in HD with this TV. I try using the 1080i output from the Xbox to a Colorstream HD In with 1080i selected in the display format settings, annd I end up with large areas of the outer screen being clipped and cut off. I have tried countless tests of other modes on my Xbox an TV but have not had any luck. I was really hoping not to have to buy a new LCD but after reading past posts in this thread I am beginning to hope there is a solution, be it in my TV's calibration or Xbox settings.


I would very much appreciate any help as I would very much like to save $1000 in buying a new TV, and I'd also like to finally be able to play my Xbox 360 in HD.


----------



## eonaxes

I just bought a 30HF66 and almost all of the inputs do not work. The only thing that works is the video 3 "video" input (the "audio" inputs for video 3 does not work). Ive also tried component 1, component 2, video 1, video 2 and these do not give any signal. I have not been able to try S-Video or HDMI yet.


Anyone have a clue what the heck is going on?


----------



## DCBud

Hey fugiot do you have an updated version of your service menu settings since your last post of them, I was just wondering what your current settings look like. Thanks in advance


----------



## joestef

Fugiot,

What calbration equipment and software did you use for your Toshiba ?

I have been working with ione Pro and Calman 3.1.

Also how do I turn off "Cable Clear" ? when in HDMI

Joe


----------



## twstedroads

yeah, i screwed up - i didn't write down anything before changing my service menu... can someone send me their default settings for their 26HF84 and i will just use that as a guideline because as of now, it's all messed up. very frustrating!!


thanks everyone...


----------



## Rengrave




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *stephn* /forum/post/14547325
> 
> 
> I bought a Toshiba 30HFX85 a couple years back and it has been perfroming quite well in non hd formats. However I recently bought an Xbox 360 and have never been to successfully use it in HD with this TV. I try using the 1080i output from the Xbox to a Colorstream HD In with 1080i selected in the display format settings, annd I end up with large areas of the outer screen being clipped and cut off. I have tried countless tests of other modes on my Xbox an TV but have not had any luck. I was really hoping not to have to buy a new LCD but after reading past posts in this thread I am beginning to hope there is a solution, be it in my TV's calibration or Xbox settings.
> 
> 
> I would very much appreciate any help as I would very much like to save $1000 in buying a new TV, and I'd also like to finally be able to play my Xbox 360 in HD.



I have nearly the exact same problem. I also have a 30HFX85, and all was fine until I got an XBox and tried playing games in 1080i. I changed the setting in the TV's menu to 1080i, but I get dark horizontal banding. The same happens whether the XBox uses component cables or an HDMI connection to the TV. Is there a setting somewhere I need to change? Is there a problem with the TV that I can get repaired? I'm really unhappy that my nice new TV can't display the HD images I was sold on.


Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!


-Ren


----------



## Dale from eme

Here is an older review from my electronicsme site...


"The Toshiba 30HF85 comes from a good family. After the success of last year's success in the 26, 30 and 34 inch HDTVs, Toshiba is ready for another great year.


Simply put, this is a very good television. Fully loaded with features, the 30HF85 is under-priced and ready to perform. It has selectable display resolution and a great sound system to give all the best you deserve in home entertainment.


When compared to other HDTVs, the Toshiba holds its own. Although the colors were not as rich as some of the other televisions, the crispness of the picture was excellent. The black levels were outstanding and provide superb contrast without loss to the brightness of the picture."


Read more of this Toshiba 30HF85 review ?


----------



## asburrows

Hello,


My 30HF85 is just over a year old and it was working fine (except banding). Unfortunately, tonight it started stretching the picture. I'm connecting XBOX360 and Motorola DCT6400 to Onkyo 605 and then to Tosh, all via HDMI. Same thing is happening when receiver is bypassed. (Of course, when 30HF85 input is HDMI, picture size cannot be controlled.)


Is there something I can do, or is it time to activate extended warranty?


----------



## redusomo

Hi all, i have a question about my TV. Its a Toshiba 30HF85C, its like 3 years old now but I was thinking of hooking up a HTPC to it but after reading the manual it says "Never connect this TV to a personal computer (PC)". So is my TV not going to work if i connect my computer to it or something worse is going to happen?

oh and i was planing to plug in my computer though the hdmi port if that helps in any way.


----------



## mcjasonb

this forum is great! i have a 30HF85 and when i hooked my new PS3 up to it right away i noticed that i was getting a lot of the picture chopped off on the sides. it has bothered me for the past couple weeks but decided today to do a search on here. i simply typed in the model number in the search and found some great results. found out how to get into the service menu and un-stretch the picture so now i can get the whole picture!










i know this TV is getting pretty outdated now but it works great for me and no sense in upgrading till it dies. i've had it about 3 years now i think, and so far so good other than the picture being stretched to wide the whole time, but the ps3 made me realize it.


----------



## WJonathan




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mcjasonb* /forum/post/15143672
> 
> 
> ...and so far so good other than the picture being stretched to wide the whole time, but the ps3 made me realize it.



GTA IV, right?


----------



## mcjasonb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *WJonathan* /forum/post/15143967
> 
> 
> GTA IV, right?



nope. i don't have that game. i noticed it first on High Velocity bowling where it was very obviously chopping off a lot of text. i figured it was the PS3 or just the ps3 not getting along with my receiver or tv, until i stumbled upon this thread and messed with some hidden geometry settings.


i also changed some other settings just now(wrote down my default settings first of course for backup). got the picture looking much sharper and cleaner. never noticed the reds being overpowering until it was mentioned here.


she sure looks like an HDTV now especially when playing blu-ray and games.


----------



## mcjasonb

i actually do have one more slight problem. not sure what to make of it but here goes:


why does my Toshiba 30HF85 intermittently do this?










it's like doubling the picture and it's flashing really fast while doing it. like maybe its interlacing incorrectly or somethings not lining up. i don't know. its flashing so fast that when i tried to take a picture of it i had to use a long shutter speed to even catch it. it doesn't do it all the time. just now and then. does it both on cable tv and on the PS3. never did it until i got the PS3 though, so i don't know what that means. could just be a coincidence.


everything goes through my receiver using component cables (no HDMI anywhere), so i guess it could possibly even be the receiver doing it.


it doesn't really bother me much. cause all i have to do it just change in input signal and then go back and it always fixes it. but if its the TV itself and its on its way out that kinda stinks.


----------



## brownmanking

hey i got toshiba 27afx55, i got it over 3 yrs ago so warrenty wont help with my problem

my problem is that i can see my pictures on my tv as in reguler cable images but the colour is all messd up as in something that is one colour is another colour instead its like a tiedie colour thing and its really messing with my gaming and my tv shows

can anybody help me with this problem

plz and thanks


----------



## kristiavery

Help me! I bought this TV new from Best Buy about two years ago, and suddenly when I got home yesterday it will not work. I push the power button and it turns on for literally 1/2 a second and turns back off. I have tried unplugging the unit for several hours to do a power reset, and it still isn't working. Does anyone have any advice for me?


----------



## jsntrmn

I apologize if this issue has _finally_ been resolved earlier in the thread, but after about 25 pages, I just couldn't bear to continue reading.


I've got a 34HFX85 (December 2005 build) that has the oh so incredibly infamous banding issue at 1080i over HDMI. Has anyone found a fix for this yet? Right now I'm using the "set your STB to 720p" workaround.


I've managed to get my PQ to look pretty sexy via a myriad of service and user menu tweaks, so if I can just get this one last bug squared away I can stop feeling like a fool for not having read through the majority of this thread prior to my warranty expiring. :]


----------



## tomahawktim

Hi folks,

I just picked up a decent 26HF84 for $120.

With a June 2005 build date, the previous owner said he had the tv for 2+ almost 3 years.


For a bedroom tv, it's a nice improvement over the 20" Sears 4:3 crt.


Utilizing a set-top-box atsc tuner and connecting via hdmi, the high definition picture quality is fantastic.

(over-the-air CBC HD, Toronto)


Of course, I owe many thanks to everyone who has posted here.

Based on your opinions, I felt comfortable buying this tv. Thank you.

*fugiot*,

Your service menu tweaks have been a huge benefit. Thank you, sir.



May I enquire regarding your post #1229, page 41, quoted below?



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/12163823
> 
> 
> 
> SUB CONT should be ZERO! Not 15!
> 
> This affects the CONRAST which is now 63 across the board
> 
> and COLOR which is now 43 across all inputs
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> 
> 46. CONT. CENT - 63
> 
> 47. CONT. MAX - 63
> 
> 48. CONT. MIN - 31
> 
> 49. COL. CENT - 43
> 
> 50. COL. MAX - 43
> 
> 51. COL. MIN - 43
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> 
> Then, exit service menu, change to "Theater Wide 3" screen setting, enter service menu again and change V. SIZE to 50. This is ideal for widescreen 4:3 viewing from SD sources. Make sure "TheaterWide 1" is set exactly the same as "Full". "TheaterWide 2" is unused.



You mention, "...63 across the board..." however, you list 48. CONT. MIN as 31. Did you mean for CONT. MIN to be 63 also?


Secondly, regarding the "Theater Wide 3" screen setting; do you mean for this "V. SIZE to 50" adjustment to be made on all inputs?



Thanks for taking the time to respond. This tweaking for picture quality is fun and rewarding.


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *tomahawktim* /forum/post/15767695
> 
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> I just picked up a decent 26HF84 for $120.
> 
> With a June 2005 build date, the previous owner said he had the tv for 2+ almost 3 years.
> 
> 
> For a bedroom tv, it's a nice improvement over the 20" Sears 4:3 crt.
> 
> 
> Utilizing a set-top-box atsc tuner and connecting via hdmi, the high definition picture quality is fantastic.
> 
> (over-the-air CBC HD, Toronto)
> 
> 
> Of course, I owe many thanks to everyone who has posted here.
> 
> Based on your opinions, I felt comfortable buying this tv. Thank you.
> 
> *fugiot*,
> 
> Your service menu tweaks have been a huge benefit. Thank you, sir.
> 
> 
> 
> May I enquire regarding your post #1229, page 41, quoted below?
> 
> 
> 
> You mention, "...63 across the board..." however, you list 48. CONT. MIN as 31. Did you mean for CONT. MIN to be 63 also?
> 
> 
> Secondly, regarding the "Theater Wide 3" screen setting; do you mean for this "V. SIZE to 50" adjustment to be made on all inputs?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to respond. This tweaking for picture quality is fun and rewarding.



Hey, Tim


The Contrast min. should be at 31 so you will still be able to lower the contrast from the main menu. Set only Contrast cent and max at 63. This will mean that the center contrast value on the main menu is the perfect setting and prevents you or anybody else from raising it any higher in the main menu, which will make the picture look worse, shorten life span, use more energy and can even damage the tube. Meaning, even if you raise the contrast above the center level on the main menu, nothing will happen.


Yes, I meant for you to change the V.size to 50 on all inputs but ONLY for the Theater Wide 3 mode. This will help you watch standard def widescreen stuff without the black bars on top and bottom. It will not affect HD stuff at all.


----------



## mcjasonb

Fugiot: i have a 30hf85 and i tried all those settings you listed and they didn't work to well at all. i wrote down all my original settings 1st thank god, so i just went back to them then messed around myself with stuff.


one of the problems i have is with the black crush everybody has. what does the SUB CONT do exactly? any clue where i should have it set? if i raise the brightness control everything starts to look washed out and then i get the white glow at the top of the set.


the other problem is that i have no idea where to set my contrast. i have an AVIA disc and no matter what i do in the regular menu it never gets bright enough to bloom. i know blooming is not what we want anyway but i just have no idea where my contrast should be set.


on HD stuff like PS3 games, Blu-ray discs and good HD cable programming the picture looks great other than the black crush i sometimes see.


i kinda wish this thing would die so i can get new bigger tv, but i don't want to give away or throw away a perfectly good tv. lol


----------



## fugiot




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *mcjasonb* /forum/post/15782459
> 
> 
> Fugiot: i have a 30hf85 and i tried all those settings you listed and they didn't work to well at all. i wrote down all my original settings 1st thank god, so i just went back to them then messed around myself with stuff.
> 
> 
> one of the problems i have is with the black crush everybody has. what does the SUB CONT do exactly? any clue where i should have it set? if i raise the brightness control everything starts to look washed out and then i get the white glow at the top of the set.
> 
> 
> the other problem is that i have no idea where to set my contrast. i have an AVIA disc and no matter what i do in the regular menu it never gets bright enough to bloom. i know blooming is not what we want anyway but i just have no idea where my contrast should be set.
> 
> 
> on HD stuff like PS3 games, Blu-ray discs and good HD cable programming the picture looks great other than the black crush i sometimes see.
> 
> 
> i kinda wish this thing would die so i can get new bigger tv, but i don't want to give away or throw away a perfectly good tv. lol



Hey,


The settings will not work with all TVs as all TVs come out of the factory a bit differently. And yes, the black crush is a MAJOR problem on these TVs. It's either a bit washed out or a bit crushed, pick your poison.


The sub-contrast is gamma control and is best set at zero. It is closest to the 2.2 standard there.


Contrast can be tricky to set on a CRT, but you're looking more for linearity than blooming. I have an excellent 1080p WMV test pattern that you can view on an X360(maybe PS3?). It will help you dial in contrast, but really, I'm almost positive that the contrast should be at 63 in the service menu. Set cent. and max. contrast settings to 63 in the SM and then set the regualr menu contrast to 50% or higher.


You may not be used to a calibrated picture and need time to adjust your eyes, or it may just not work so well with your particular TV.


----------



## mcjasonb




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *fugiot* /forum/post/15789252
> 
> 
> Hey,
> 
> 
> The settings will not work with all TVs as all TVs come out of the factory a bit differently. And yes, the black crush is a MAJOR problem on these TVs. It's either a bit washed out or a bit crushed, pick your poison.
> 
> 
> The sub-contrast is gamma control and is best set at zero. It is closest to the 2.2 standard there.
> 
> 
> Contrast can be tricky to set on a CRT, but you're looking more for linearity than blooming. I have an excellent 1080p WMV test pattern that you can view on an X360(maybe PS3?). It will help you dial in contrast, but really, I'm almost positive that the contrast should be at 63 in the service menu. Set cent. and max. contrast settings to 63 in the SM and then set the regualr menu contrast to 50% or higher.
> 
> 
> You may not be used to a calibrated picture and need time to adjust your eyes, or it may just not work so well with your particular TV.



alrighty. thanks for your help.


----------



## Paski

I was wondering if anyone can assist me with a problem I've been experiencing with my Toshiba 36HF72 television. I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD cable box/DVR via Time Warner. When I hook the box into either ColorStream HD-1 or HD-2 port, I get a very high pitched humming/whining noise, similar to what you'd experience during a hearing test. The noise seems to be coming from the green (Y) video cable, because it disappears when I pull out the cable. I don't get the hum if I use the Video-1 or Video-2 ports, however. I also do not get the hum if my Toshiba Progressive Scan DVD player is hooked into either ColorStream port. At first, I thought the noise was from the cable box, but when I swapped it out, I still had the same issue. The hum remains, even if I power off the cable box, so I know it's coming from the television and is there about 75 % of the time. The HD picture is excellent, even for this older model TV, but the humming noise drives me crazy, especially at lower volume. It's like torture. Has anyone heard of this problem?!? Thank you.


----------



## Bob Whitefield

Paski,


Make sure the 8300HD is in HD mode, if it's in SD mode, it outputs composite video on the Y/V (green) connector. That might cause the sound you're hearing.


Bob


----------



## Paski

That seems to have done the trick! Thanks Bob, I really appreciate it ...!


----------



## Bob Whitefield

You're welcome Paski, glad I could help.


----------



## Joseph Dubin

Is there anyway in the service menu to adjust the temperature for a circa 2003 Toshiba 27-inch non-digital CRT? There is no owner adjustment and the temperature seems to be hot when I'd like to adjust it to cool.


Thanks so much,


Joe


----------



## mhwilson

I recently purchased a Toshiba 36HF71 for a reasonable $29.99 and it was playing a DVD perfectly via a S-Video cable and would paly a VHS tape via the antenna input when I bought it. I brought it home and now it looks like a letterbox format, then jumps to full screen, then back to the two black bars across the top and bottom. I can switch it to either antenna input and the same happens. I can go to either of the RCA red, yellow, white and the same thing happens. I have tried a WII on it via the RCA jacks and it works sometimes and not others. Sometimes the smaller screen is steady, then others the bottom is jittery. I haven't tweaked anything. I haven't tried anything with an S-Video output to see if it changes as the RCA and antenna inputs do the same. I can shut it off and turn it back on, it may or may not be the correct size for the screen. Regardless, it won't stay large or small. I have allowed it to "warm" up thinking that may make a difference, but it hasn't. When the screen is in the "small" mode it appears to be "leaning" backwards a little as the top of the picture is narrower than the bottom. I didn't joust it around or anything, but I can not get the same picture that the resale center had. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. I'm not afraid to try things and pretty elctronically oriented, I'm just not much of a TV troubleshooter.


Thanks,

mhwilson


----------



## jdre

If you are watching an analog TV channel on cable, some may be letterboxed, and change from letterbox show, to full screen commercials, back and forth. DVDs often are letterboxed. But it sounds like you are just watching a stable full screen input and it changes suddenly. May be poor soldering in the vertical output area of the board or power supply area.


----------



## mhwilson

I can turn on the set and just have noise as the input. I still get the letterbox looking display. I don't have to have an input to the TV and get the letterbox looking screen. I hae tried a Xbox 360 on the component input and the screen will change whenever it likes. It may be full screen then go to half screen, or it may be the other way around. Back and forth. It has nothing to do with commercials.


----------



## joecapero

I'm curious if anyone has any information regarding the warnings in the Toshiba manual regarding PC connectivity. I can't figure out what they are warning against: Screen burn-in? Something else?


I never had any problems using it as a HTPC monitor with Mac or PC over a DVI->HDMI cable.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## joecapero

Here's the response I got from Toshiba customer service regarding connecting a PC to the CRT.


----------

Thanks for writing!


I apologize for the inconvenience.


You may connect your personal computer (PC) to your TV only if the TV has a PC Monitor Input (15 Pin D-Sub Connection).


You may not connect your PC to the TV using the HDMI or DVI connection.


If the Television does not have a PC Monitor Input, then the television was not designed to display images from personal computers (PCs) or similar devices. Toshiba cannot guarantee compatibility with such devices and connecting such devices may cause interference with signal quality and/or cause interference with other devices. In addition, connecting the TV to a PC with a high refresh rate may cause damage to the Toshiba product and void the manufacturer's warranty.


Any damage or problems that arise from connecting a PC to a Toshiba television without a PC Monitor Input (15 Pin D-Sub Connection), will void the warranty on the product.


For further assistance, I recommend contacting our Customer Solutions Department at 1-800-631-3811. They are available Mon-Fri, 8AM to 7PM Central time.


Brendon


Toshiba Customer Service


----------



## charmingtedious

Joecapero: I would love to know what settings you used to successfully connect your tv to a mac--i've had no luck!


----------



## frazier360

I have a 36AF42. Lightning struck our telephone wiring (which was connected to our Dish receiver connected to the TV) and now I can not get any picture from any inputs. I can see all TV display items (menus, volume, channel, input selection) but no actual source picture. Is the TV shot at this point or do you think it can be repaired?


My insurance already covered a new TV. Just trying to see if I can salvage this before I trash it. I loved this TV too, great picture










Thanks for any help


----------



## hillsj2

is it possible to change the inputs on the 30hf85 without the remote. tv is no longer responding to universal or original remote. i will order a new remote receiver and hope it is not something further downstream. there is absolutely no response from remotes, vol, chan, pwr, etc. I can get to the setup menus by holding both volume keys on the front panel but till no input selection.


----------



## HomeAppraiser

We got a cheap universal remote with an "input" button to solve our lost remote problem. Four years later and the 30hf85 is still running. Mostly used for SDTV, PS2 games and upscaled DVDs which look the best on it. We have also recently connected our PC through the HDMI to watch YouTube and Hulu. Text from the PC can be hard to read, but video is good.


The back up remote is a GE brand we got from Big Lots for $6.


----------



## westfordPete

Our HD reception is find for DVD's, HBO, and most Comcast cable channel broadcasts. However, for some live HD broadcasts, like Celtics or Red Sox, the screen is unwatchable jumpy, as if it has lost horizontal sync.

Also, HD broadcast of the weather during the news causes similar jumpiness. Comcast has been to the house and tested the cable signal and determined that the problem is the TV. Any ideas how to fix it?


----------



## CABBAC_74

Hi -

I'm hoping someone can help me - I've tried searching the forum, to no avail. I have a Toshiba 46XV648U bought less than a month ago. The current software is 6.1.37.0. After turning on the set, approx. 90 minutes into viewing, the sound will go echo-y and have massive distortion. The sound does not increase. It only affects TV viewing and is not limited to HD channels. It does not affect PS3 or DVD viewing. The distortion goes away on its own after 4 minutes or if the set is turned off. This is actually my second set (I returned the first one after 2 weeks). On the original set and this one I have tried a software UG from the Toshiba website but was unsuccessful every time.

The interruption/inconvenience is minor, but annoying nonetheless. Anyone have any ideas?


----------



## TiminIL

I cannot correct the tilt on my toshiba 34hfx83. I tried the tilt adjustement on the nmenu and nothing happens whn I go from -10 to +10. What is wrong and how expensive of a fix is this?


----------



## Holmezboy

I'm just wondering if anyone here knew the Service Menu default settings for a Toshiba 36HF72? I adjusted mine and hate how it turned out on when playing my Xbox, so I was curious if anyone knows the defualt settings or where I can get them from? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated


----------



## dobbsa

I have a Toshiba 34HDX82 TV. It is about 8 years old, and has been a great TV. Over the last few months it has developed a problem. When I first turn it on, the picture is real "jerky" with angled lines for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then it is fine. After it settles down, I can watch it all day and it doesn't have any further issues. Once I turn it off and let it cool down and then turn it on again, it does the "jerky" thing for a few minutes again, and then is fine.


Is this something that can be reasonably repaired, or is this fine TV ready for replacement?


02.01.2010 Updated Information:

I took the TV to a local TV repair man, and after an evaluation he said I probably had cracked solder, and the "Input" board need to be rebuilt. He wanted $450.00 for the job. I decided to take the TV home, and just leave it on (using the on/off of the cable box for picture/no picture). It has worked fine so far, and I will use it until it goes out completely, and then purchase a new TV.


----------



## jelder49

my screen just started jumping all around and now we can"t watch this tva, any idea what is causing this?


----------



## jelder49

this is what ours was doing for a while, and now it has graduated to constant jumping around and never warms up.......good luck


----------



## dobbsa




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *jelder49* /forum/post/18040437
> 
> 
> my screen just started jumping all around and now we can"t watch this tva, any idea what is causing this?



I had a similar problem with my Toshiba 34HDX82. I took it to a repair man, and he said it had cracked solder, and needed a new/rebuilt "input" board. Total cost of about $450.00.


My TV only had the jumping screen for the first 5 - 10 minutes, and then worked fine after warmed up. So, I decided to just use the TV (leaving it on, and using the on/off of the cable box for picture/no picture) until it went out completely, then purchase a new LCD TV.


----------



## jdre

My theory (no first hand experience with Toshiba but with others) is you have some tired capacitors in your sets that heat up and then work.


----------



## iScott




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *westfordPete* /forum/post/17536395
> 
> 
> Our HD reception is find for DVD's, HBO, and most Comcast cable channel broadcasts. However, for some live HD broadcasts, like Celtics or Red Sox, the screen is unwatchable jumpy, as if it has lost horizontal sync.



I get flicker for a few seconds on my 32HF73 on almost all broadcasts. It seems to happen on sharp transistions from light to dark. The screen gets messed up whenever the tv rating box shows for a few seconds at the start of a show, for some movie credits, glittery commercials, or for extremely dark scenes. It also happened a lot during the Olympic opening ceremonies due to the high percentage of morons with flash cameras in the audience.


Toshiba's site ( http://www.tacp.toshiba.com/televisions/product.asp?model=32hf73 ) mentions a DFine setting that sounds useful, but I can't find it on my TV menus, TV buttons or in the user manual. I haven't found a site with a service manual. I'll be happy to open the thing up and cut some trace if it will fix it. For the first couple years with the TV we watched almost no HD; now it could be close to 50% of shows, but I have to switch over to one of the SD channels if this flicker happens too much.



> Quote:
> DFine/Adjustable DFine Hi-Speed Velocity Scan Modulation
> 
> Definition: Velocity Scan Modulation (VSM) creates sharp well-defined edges on black to white transitions by adjusting the scanning speed or the electron beam. The DFine feature increases the scanning speed for even greater detail. With Adjustable DFine, the usercan choose betweem High, Low and Off settings.



Does anybody know how to turn off DFine????


----------



## stephn

I'm having a problem with my Toshiba 30HFX85 that I have been unable to solve. On some channels and on video input channels I will get what looks like parallel lines of light that span the very top of the screen. The lines are not visible if there is black on the screen and the problem is at it's worst when I first turn the TV during the day as that there are more lines spreading further down.


I mentioned I only see these lines on certain channels. That is when I am viewing in a Picture Size of full. When I change to any of the other aspect sizes I will see lines on all channels. These lines appear on both standard cable (non-hd) and the other video inputs (hd) which leads me to believe it is a problem with the set and not the video source.


These lines only appear about a month ago and have steadily worsened. I have read that it could be vertical blanking or a bad capacitor but I do not know much about these. Though I'm not sure the sets symptoms match these possible causes.


----------



## Django Style

Toshiba disappoints again. I don't know why I keep coming back to Toshiba as a brand; they have way too many issues.


I just picked up a slightly used 26HF85c cheap. Mainly to watch DVDs, but I also hooked up an HD cable box and sure enough I have the 1080i flicker, it's less noticeable over hdmi than component but it is driving me nuts. 1080i is noticeable sharper than 720p on this set.


Has there been any resolution to this over the years? I'll try Fugiot's settings -- but do they actually resolve the flickering issue? I am happy with everything else.


I also own the Toshiba xde-500 DVD player and it's 4:3 hdmi stretching issue (Tosh has been working on that issue for two years too...) has made me realize that Toshiba is a brand to avoid when it comes to HD.


----------



## verhoeven

I've found with mine that I have to use 720P. It might be a little less sharp but the quality is a *lot* better. No flicker. The only flaw is a slight light band at the very top of the screen that's only sometimes visible.


Does anybody know if changing the picture size settings in the service menu for one input will automatically affect the other ones? I recently optimized my 26hf15 (same as the 26hf85) for 720P, picture size "full", on HDMI. Now when I play a PS2 game in 480i through component there are black bands on the sides of the picture. Is it possible to adjust the 480i / component picture size separately?


----------



## HomeAppraiser

Remember those "scan lines" I was talking about 5 years ago? Well it may have been the source. The TV did not seem to have a problem with HDMI input from DVD or Blurays, and my new 1080p Panasonic plasma is showing the scan lines when fed by our TiVO through an RCA cable. I guess it is time for an HD DVR.


----------



## gyrfalcon16




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Mojo_AVS* /forum/post/13151432
> 
> 
> Recently my Toshiba 30HF85 has developed a distortion across the top of the screen....Any help with identifying the issue and thoughts on typical repair cost would be greatly appreciated.



I'm sure you've moved on to better and nicer displays, but could I ask what is displaying the overscan/geometry pattern on the pictures you posted?


----------



## YO-Q

So I have a Toshiba 34hfx83 in the year 2010. and I bought a 1080p LG Plasma returned it a week later, it could not touch the quality of this TV. I had one issue for the last 1.5 years it had overscan when i hooked up my xbox 360. It was annoying but I dealt with it.


Today I decided to look further into the issue and discovered from the site service menu after an hour of researching I have successfully eliminated the over scanning issue. After reading the cautions from here I made note of the default settings. I found on a different site what the abbreviations meant, that corresponded to my issue, Basically I had to reduce the width of the image and adjust the horizontal position.


My TV is beautiful when gaming everything fits perfect no more over-scan! I really love this tv, all though I do suffer from that Jerky issue when I first turn it on in HD mode (x box 360) the TV will jerk every few minutes for the first 10 minutes then its gone.


I have seen a few plasmas and LCD's and just have yet to see anything that matches the quality of my set. Everything is so crispy and the blacks are wonderful. I don't know if I am going to upgrade anytime soon as long as this T.V don't fail on me.. even so, I would probably see how much to fix it or buy another one off of craigslist or something for 300 bucks! I am a gamer it is very important I get no lag and everything looks great. I heard the Panasonics Plasmas were great and good for gaming on, that was last year, this year apparently they suffer from some black issue! Not upgrading!


only other issue that I notice is when the screen is what I call "standby mode" like between images the blank screen has like lines and isnt as black. It is only brief but why does it do that? I am using component by the way. when the blacks do kick in they are nice and dark.


When I played BioShock though, even on some stages the blacks were looking like the "stand by" blacks and that was a little concerning to me. Do I have feedback or is that how my model of TV is.



I get people want the flat panel look, the sleekness, but they lose quality! I rather stay at 34 inches Big ol TUBE tv with the current Quality I am getting then 42-50 inches of inferior ness


----------



## gyrfalcon16




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *YO-Q* /forum/post/18545288
> 
> 
> So I have a Toshiba 34hfx83 in the year 2010. and I bought a 1080p LG Plasma returned it a week later, it could not touch the quality of this TV. I had one issue for the last 1.5 years it had overscan when i hooked up my xbox 360. It was annoying but I dealt with it....



How does the geometry look? What percent over-scan did you adjust it for... 5%?


----------



## makarsharl

Hi guys I have a toshiba plasma screen model number 42WP66E and i have the red and green snow all over my screen to be exact around the dark areas of the screen.

I dont know how to fix it but I read on a website that i could play around with the R drive in the service menu !! dont know if thats correct or not ??


please help guys !!!


oh and I played with other stuff in the service menu and forgot to write them down now I feel that I have messed stuff up !! so please anyone please give me the default settings of the service menu thankyou


----------



## Leedogg

I have an 26HF84A and I used fugoit settings which made the picture quality look great. But I have a small problem. The picture is slightly slanted going down. Right to left, is there a way, I can push the left corner side up??


----------



## JR365

hey everyone just got 26hf84... love the tv but the component inputs are messed up... anybody have any clue as to how much this would cost to get fixed?


currently im on the fence about picking up a sony kv-24fv300 or a toshiba 27af45... which do you guys think is better and maybe more reliable?


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## netconcepts

TV is 7 years old.

I think there is something wrong with the 1080i connection via component cables. The screen looks as if there is nothing but noise, inputs at 480p is OK. If I set the TV from Letterbox to compressed on the HD input screen, the screen is watchable but the top 3 inches flickers with short horizontal lines along the left and right top of the image.


I am going to try to reset the TV back to factory defaults to see it it will help. Any clues to the cause will be helpful.


Thanks.


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## SBMongoos

Could use some help. Buddy of mine lives in the mountains. Was a fire not long ago off a ways and something went wonky with the power for an hour or two. I continued to cycle off and on fairly rapidly. Went to watch his Toshiba 34HD82 and the picture is now messed up. First, it's no longer centered. The picture is now off about 4" down and to the left. Second, when anything moves the picture blurs. Color appears off a bit now to. Is there a hard reset that might help or is this thing hosed.


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## m750

It seems like the problem with 480i via component is fairly common, with the hf series of tubes, anyone know of a fix? It worked fine for oh, 5-6 years. The picture is still nice for non 480i content.

AO


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## InYourEyes

Well, after a few years now, I wonder if old users here still have a Toshiba.


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## Ratman

Hi Walter!


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## music_to_my_ear

Hey guys


New to the forum, ( Ola! ) i think the site absolutely rocks. No profanity or rude comments at all that i normally see on other techie forms. Its great!


But onto my question:


Im in the midst of making a deal with a friend for the Toshiba 34" HD Ready Widescreen TV (34HF83)


Doing my research over the past couple of weeks, ive read about convergence issues, banding issues, geometry issues, white glow, 1080i hdmi issues with the toshiba 34HF83. To be honest, i have an idea of what these issues but is this with every toshiba 34HF83 set? Like, im soo confused. Im a techie and all, but even this is slightly boggling to me. Can someone briefly explain this to me? Should i continue searching for the best crt hd tv? Or just get this model? I just want a realiable HD CRT tv for my games and movies. Thats all. No hassles.


My friend told me his tv was particularly good and has had no issues at all. I've yet to test it out my self according to my standards










Ive considered the sony xbr960 or the XSS models but they're extremely difficult to find in Toronto, Canada.


SO, my question is, IS this model, 34HF83 any good? Is it realiable? Is it worth the $220 price tag ( its being sold with stand and home theatre, Omega speakers and a Reel subwoofer)


Im gaming with it - HDMI - DVI converter by HDfury. I really dont want to have any of those issues, convergence, banding, etc. If i do, i'd be really upset if that was the case. I've also heard the HDMI outlets on the toshiba and sony models give owners a real hard time. Was there a partcular model in a certain year that didnt have these problems at all? Maybe a 'perfect' model?


Just plainly, someone tell me, from your experiences and knowledge, is this tv worth it for what i want? Or should i keep looking?



Any replies would be greatly appreciated, im desperate for my gaming tv and im very impatient with all this searching and reading. Its been nearly two months already! Please help!


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## amarshall

Another 34HF83 owner. Building my theater right now and having a hard time justifying buying a new TV. The only competition for my TV I've seen is a Pioneer Elite plasma.


Would love to figure out a legit way to incorporate HDMI


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## efball




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *music_to_my_ear* /forum/post/20006842
> 
> 
> Im in the midst of making a deal with a friend for the Toshiba 34" HD Ready Widescreen TV (34HF83)
> 
> 
> Doing my research over the past couple of weeks, ive read about convergence issues, banding issues, geometry issues, white glow, 1080i hdmi issues with the toshiba 34HF83. To be honest, i have an idea of what these issues but is this with every toshiba 34HF83 set? Like, im soo confused. Im a techie and all, but even this is slightly boggling to me. Can someone briefly explain this to me? Should i continue searching for the best crt hd tv? Or just get this model? I just want a realiable HD CRT tv for my games and movies. Thats all. No hassles.
> 
> 
> SO, my question is, IS this model, 34HF83 any good? Is it realiable? Is it worth the $220 price tag ( its being sold with stand and home theatre, Omega speakers and a Reel subwoofer)



I have the 34HF81 (two years older than the '83) and it's still going strong.

It won't sync on 720p, and the internal deinterlacer is crap, but otherwise it looks great. I feed it a 1080i signal and do my de-interlacing in my PC, cablebox, or blu-ray player. It's good enough I'm not going to upgrade until the prices for good 55" LCDs come down a little more.


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## DBCooper

All was well this afternoon; I watched Netflix via Blu-ray on the HDMI input. Then I powered down. I vaguely recall hitting the "input" button about the same time and wondering whether it would power up in HDMI or the next sequential input.


Surprise! It powers up in digital input and says there are no channels, then demands I hit "channel up" to search for them. Well, that's fruitless, I have no cable or satellite TV receivers. But I can't move to the next input, much less to HDMI. I tried pressing "reset" twice, but that does nothing.


Anyone seen this problem? What else can I try - short of calling a TV repairman? Frankly, this 200-pound tube TV is so inferior to the new LCDs that I'm tempted to go into debt to buy a new set. But I can't afford to be hasty if there's an inexpensive solution to recovering my HDMI port.


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## hoffo

Quote:

Originally Posted by *efball* 
I have the 34HF81 (two years older than the '83) and it's still going strong.

It won't sync on 720p, and the internal deinterlacer is crap, but otherwise it looks great. I feed it a 1080i signal and do my de-interlacing in my PC, cablebox, or blu-ray player. It's good enough I'm not going to upgrade until the prices for good 55" LCDs come down a little more.
How can you de-interlace something (thus making it progressive scan) and then output it again at 1080i? That doesn't make any sense. Also if any of these HD CRTs have de-interlacers wouldn't they only function in 480p/540p mode since that's the only way to display a progressive signal on an HD CRT (720p input is displayed at 1080i).


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## efball




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *hoffo* /forum/post/20054284
> 
> 
> How can you de-interlace something (thus making it progressive scan) and then output it again at 1080i? That doesn't make any sense. Also if any of these HD CRTs have de-interlacers wouldn't they only function in 480p/540p mode since that's the only way to display a progressive signal on an HD CRT (720p input is displayed at 1080i).



The internal deinterlacer was used to convert 480i to 480p, and it's crap. The reds on video sources bloomed out and smeared. Your right I don't de-interlace to get 1080i. I use use a DVDO Ultra to convert 480i to 480p. Most of my sources these days are 1080i.


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## hoffo

I have a 30HF66 and it will only display in 540p if you are providing it a 480p signal which is the way they designed it. If you input a pure 480i signal and you select 540p you don't get 540p it just stays in 1080i mode (you can tell because you don't see the screen resync and in menus you can tell it's still showing interlaced). In that sense the DVD player or whatever your source is would be doing the deinterlacing wouldn't it? Are the older Toshiba sets more advanced in that they will truly show a 480i input as 480p/540p?


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## music_to_my_ear




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *efball* /forum/post/20056819
> 
> 
> The internal deinterlacer was used to convert 480i to 480p, and it's crap. The reds on video sources bloomed out and smeared. Your right I don't de-interlace to get 1080i. I use use a DVDO Ultra to convert 480i to 480p. Most of my sources these days are 1080i.



Efball, so you only de-interlace with your 480i sources? Dvds only? Why else would you need to de-interlace on this tv? And since you have to de-interlace using an external device because apparently the tvs processor is sub-par, would it be best to use a dedicated video processing unit for home theatres?



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *hoffo* /forum/post/20057128
> 
> 
> I have a 30HF66 and it will only display in 540p if you are providing it a 480p signal which is the way they designed it. If you input a pure 480i signal and you select 540p you don't get 540p it just stays in 1080i mode (you can tell because you don't see the screen resync and in menus you can tell it's still showing interlaced). In that sense the DVD player or whatever your source is would be doing the deinterlacing wouldn't it? Are the older Toshiba sets more advanced in that they will truly show a 480i input as 480p/540p?



Thats also my question hoffo, i also want to know if thats the case - if the source is doing the de-interlacing, you dont need to rely on the set at all for de-interlacing - which means - the picture is just stunning?


Also, do you guys think anything not de-interlaced through an external device, will suffer? What about a ps3 or xbox 360? Will it suffer the same fate?


Also, have you guys tried hooking up a pc to the device? I purchased a hdmi to dvi cable, waiting to test this out myself


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## music_to_my_ear

Haha, no answers? I knew my questions would be too hard


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## hoffo

Recently my Toshiba 30HF66 is emitting a high pitched squeal after it has been running for a few hours (after it heats up). I bought it new in 2008 so it's only 3 years old and hasn't seen a ton of hours just fairly light usage over that period of time. Sometimes when switching from 1080i to 540p or vice versa the squeal will go away. Is this something to be concerned about? Possibly a failing component or just a loose coil somewhere that is resonating after the set warms up?


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## hoffo

^^^ anyone?


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## neccrttv

Just replaced a flyback problem on one. Could be that but I doubt it. Usually, it's a transformer inside or a coil that is loose. If you know what to do, you could open the back cover and try to diagnose where the squeal is coming from. If it's from the flyback, it could be going bad. Mine was ASTI part number 3943 but it was a 34HF85C. Usually, a coil or some other transformer's magnet is loose and with some silicon or epoxy you can solidy it. Of course, this should be left to a tech but if you find where it's coming from you should DIY.


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## hoffo

Great thanks for the info. I'm leaning toward something loose because it only happens after the set has been on for 2-3 hrs or more. Seems to be something expanding due to heat and then it starts making some noise. It's intermittent in how loud it is and when it comes and goes. I'll think I'll just let it go and hope it lasts a while despite the annoyance. I don't have enough skills to open it up and do it myself safely.


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## cyber02000

(i originally posted this on "dont dump your rptv thread")



i have a problem with my toshiba rptv 43jh9um(dont look it up on google its nowhere on the internet its east asia specific)


well anyways the problem is, it has been with me for 5 years without any problem but recently this thing happened that when i switch it on it does produce that chinnnng sound when you open a TV and then after i think 2 secs it goes dooop just like when you stand-by your tv but the red light on the tv keeps on.... other thing is when it sometimes does get on after a while i get black flickers on the screen they grow and suddenly the tv goes on standby and does not open again...!!!! i called the people from service center and literally they were idiots....first they dint know how to open the t.v then they fried up the fuse ! then they said i have a problem in my main-board and the fee is huge 60% of the original cost..!!! i ask them to provide me the service manual but they wont...some policy they said..!!!


so i want to know what can be done , should i dump it or can something useful be made out of it..!!!


Any kind of help will be greatly appreciated


Thanks,

Talha


i know its an old thread but i cant find any post much more matching to my problem then this one..!!! thank you


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## packmule


I recently bought a Toshiba 16 x 9, HD tube TV, model # 30HF85 on the cheap to replace a 24" Sony tube TV(SD, 480p only) in my back office room. I hooked up this TV to A T & T U-Verse cable box and set the resolution setting to 720p. (would 1080i be a better setting?) I have the cable box hooked up to TV using component video cables and a Blu Ray player hooked up to this TV by HDMI. Blu Rays look okay on this TV but seem I get some faint looking wavy flutter(not noiticeable much but just enough to be annoying).

 

I am totally satisfied with how cable looks in HD on this TV but was wondering if this issue with Blu Rays is something that can be corrected? Or is it due to the TV being older(it's a 2005 model) and other technical reasons?

 

I'm not a tech savvy person  but I am trying. Any help and/or advice and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have a larger, more expensive flat screen(1080p) in my living room but can't afford another one in my office room right now hence trying to get by with this older Toshiba HD tube TV for now.


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## Floydage

Make sure the BR is set to put out a higher resolution. Brightness too low can also make some waviness in dark scenes stand out (at least what I think you're referring to and what I see on my Panny CRT HDTV - do you see it in all scenes?). Coupled noise is also a possibility.

I'd try the BR on component if it has component and see what happens. Also try the U-V on HDMI.


720p will be better for motion but 1080i higher resolution, of course on this size TV you probably won't notice the res difference. But I don't know of a CRT TV that can actually display 720p, I suspect this one converts it to 1080i (could be a menu setting to pick the conversion output). I'm surprised it can even accept 720p, not many could.


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## LiquidSnake

I got the 26" model, 26HF85, a few weeks ago. I have the original manual and remote. The manual mentions a 540p mode. Also, just a little googling shows _a lot_ of complaints from owners back in the day about a "jittery," "unstable," "wavy," or "just plain weird looking" picture early in its life cycle. I haven't had the chance to put mine through a battery of tests yet, but I would try 1080i as that set scales to that resolution when it is used. Also, try the 540p mode, when using either 720p or 1080i. I know, I know, not the highest resolution, but there is a chance its appearance may be more stable than the others. I'm guessing that may be the reason this feature was included with this line of TV.


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## packmule




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Floydage*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1350#post_24315666
> 
> 
> Make sure the BR is set to put out a higher resolution. Brightness too low can also make some waviness in dark scenes stand out (at least what I think you're referring to and what I see on my Panny CRT HDTV - do you see it in all scenes?). Coupled noise is also a possibility.
> 
> I'd try the BR on component if it has component and see what happens. Also try the U-V on HDMI.
> 
> 
> 720p will be better for motion but 1080i higher resolution, of course on this size TV you probably won't notice the res difference. But I don't know of a CRT TV that can actually display 720p, I suspect this one converts it to 1080i (could be a menu setting to pick the conversion output). I'm surprised it can even accept 720p, not many could.


I adjusted the brightness setting. No change. I tried watching a Blu Ray on this Toshiba TV last night and got the same dark, horizontal shadow that flutters and moves up and down the screen. It's just noticeable enough that it makes trying to watch a BD on this TV impossible to enjoy. I also tried playing a standard DVD on this TV in the Blu Ray player and got the same wavy, shadowy horizontal lines. I tried both 540p and 1080i settings and got these lines playing both a Blu Ray and DVD in the Blu Ray player on this TV.

 

I then played a DVD in a multi region DVD player also connected to this Toshiba TV...and saw no shadowy horizontal lines. My conclusion is that this TV will display HD cable programming fine and also plays standard DVDs just fine...but not Blu Rays.

 


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LiquidSnake*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1350#post_24318830
> 
> 
> I got the 26" model, 26HF85, a few weeks ago. I have the original manual and remote. The manual mentions a 540p mode. Also, just a little googling shows *a lot* of complaints from owners back in the day about a "jittery," "unstable," "wavy," or "just plain weird looking" picture early in its life cycle. I haven't had the chance to put mine through a battery of tests yet, but I would try 1080i as that set scales to that resolution when it is used. Also, try the 540p mode, when using either 720p or 1080i. I know, I know, not the highest resolution, but there is a chance its appearance may be more stable than the others. I'm guessing that may be the reason this feature was included with this line of TV.


I tried both the 540p and 1080i resolutions and continued to have the issue of dark, shadowy, horizontal lines popping up intermittently while playing a Blu Ray in my BD player. When I played a DVD in my multi region DVD player the lines were gone.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep this TV as a back up unit and simply look to purchase an HD flat panel TV for my back office room in the near future.


----------



## Floydage




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *packmule*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1350#post_24360612
> 
> 
> I tried watching a Blu Ray on this Toshiba TV last night and got the same dark, horizontal shadow that flutters and moves up and down the screen.



Based on that movement description it's probably pointing more to 'Snake's reply. Mine was more of a contour outline around images like dropping a pebble in water.


I don't know if your reply meant you tried this: "I'd try the BR on component if it has component and see what happens. Also try the U-V on HDMI."


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## LiquidSnake

Does your BluRay player perhaps have a "deep color" mode? With an option to turn it off? This is an advanced feature that harms the image when using it with older televisions that do not support it.


----------



## packmule




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Floydage*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1380#post_24361522
> 
> I don't know if your reply meant you tried this: "I'd try the BR on component if it has component and see what happens. Also try the U-V on HDMI."


Neither of my two Blu Ray players has component video connections, only HDMI ports.

 


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LiquidSnake*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1380#post_24363763
> 
> 
> Does your BluRay player perhaps have a "deep color" mode? With an option to turn it off? This is an advanced feature that harms the image when using it with older televisions that do not support it.


I went into the Blu Ray player connected to the HD Toshiba TV and adjusted the resolution to 1080i and turned off the "deep color" setting. Result: a faint but noticeable, thin white line moving rapidly from left to right when the TV is dark(or darkened between bright scenes while a BD is playing). I then adjusted the resolution to 720p and resumed BD play on this TV. Result: no issues at all and the BD plays fine.

 

It would appear that I neglected to adjust the Blu Ray player resolution to 720p before playing BDs on this TV.


----------



## Floydage

OK, did you try the other one - U-verse box on HDMI?


Yeah that's odd as the TV should be fine with 1080i. Sounds like that potential aforementioned Toshiba issue or your Blu-ray player is faulty. Me, I'd prefer 720p over 1080i on this small of a screen (motion vs. resolution) if the TV actually 'natively' displayed 720p (doubtful).


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## packmule




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Floydage*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1380#post_24397320
> 
> 
> OK, did you try the other one - U-verse box on HDMI?
> 
> 
> Yeah that's odd as the TV should be fine with 1080i. Sounds like that potential aforementioned Toshiba issue or your Blu-ray player is faulty. Me, I'd prefer 720p over 1080i on this small of a screen (motion vs. resolution) if the TV actually 'natively' displayed 720p (doubtful).


I have connected the U Verse cable box into the '05 Toshiba HD tube TV...and the image looked fine with the TV set to either 1080i or 720p resolution. I typically connect my cable boxes to my HD TVs using the component video cables. Why? Back in 2008 when I switched to U-Verse(from Comcast) the U Verse field techs(there were two) both told me that their cable boxes are sometimes "twitchy"(prone to malfunctions) when connected to HD TVs via the HDMI ports(each cable box has one). I asked for specifics and both techs said it had to do with overall picture stability: connecting my TVs to their cable boxes with HDMI cables might prompt pixelation and/or picture "freeze" or lock up issues. I did experience some intermittent(though not what I would call frequent) pixelation when I had one of my TVs connected to a cable box via HDMI just out of curiosity. Afterwards I simply connected both of my TVs to my cable boxes using the component video cables and have experienced no issues at all.

 

Currently my 30" Toshiba flat screen HD tube TV is connected to a U Verse cable box using component video cables and is connected to a Blu Ray player via HDMI. (the TV has a single HDMI port in back). I have the TV's resolution set to 720p for cable reception(no issues) and I have adjusted the connected Blu Ray player so its "deep color" mode is OFF and the selected resolution is 720p. I have played two(2) Blu Ray movies on this older HD Toshiba TV with the BD player's deep color setting off and the resolution at 720p and the image of both Blu Rays looked great with no issues at all. FYI


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## Floydage




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *packmule*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1380#post_24400130
> 
> 
> I have connected the U Verse cable box into the '05 Toshiba HD tube TV...and the image looked fine with the TV set to either 1080i or 720p resolution.



That looks to point to an issue with the Blu-ray player or interoperability with the CRT (HDMI cable? but seems unlikely since everything else works OK). But glad you have a solution worked out.


I would think the newer U-verse boxes resolved that "twitchy" problem unless it's specific to CRT HDTV's. I mean everything is pretty much HDMI these days, some TV's don't have component inputs anymore. You may be missing out on anything HDMI-specific like digital audio (assuming the TV's are capable of decoding it). I think my mom has gotten U-verse replacements no charge when she had problems; seemed like one they did just to get her stuff updated, I know she's been thru a few remotes.


----------



## packmule




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Floydage*  /t/575786/toshiba-hd-crt-tv-owners-...services-discuss-them-here/1380#post_24401714
> 
> 
> I would think the newer U-verse boxes resolved that "twitchy" problem unless it's specific to CRT HDTV's. I mean everything is pretty much HDMI these days, some TV's don't have component inputs anymore. You may be missing out on anything HDMI-specific like digital audio (assuming the TV's are capable of decoding it). I think my mom has gotten U-verse replacements no charge when she had problems; seemed like one they did just to get her stuff updated, I know she's been thru a few remotes.


I've had A T & T U Verse since May, 2008. I've had my livingroom cable box since the U Verse field techs first came out and installed everything. It's a larger, silver colored box with a DVR built in. I have a newer, wireless cable box(black colored) in my back office room of my basement apartment. There's a small, black colored gadget by my router(gateway device) which has a label with the words "WAP(Wireless Access Point)" on it-this device apparently controls the signal to my wireless cable box.

 

In the nearly six years I've been with A T & T U Verse(for cable and internet) I've had to replace one remote(replacement was sent to me free of charge), one router(the tech said it simply went bad) and the cable box in my back office room. I've found U Verse to be much more reliable than Comcast(who I had before) and they are more service oriented than Comcast as well.


----------



## NANMANME

Does anyone know just how to get to the input selections with no remote for the 30HF85? I already tried to program a universal remote for it, but only the volume and channel buttons will work (which is useless to me, really). I do know it CAN be done manually, because I got it on for a split second (the input options) with a double-button random press, but then it vanished. If anybody could help me, I’d be highly appreciative! Thank you!


----------

