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Great TV until it dies
I have the same problem many others are having with Toshiba.....Screen goes blank. After I turn it on I briefly see the picture 2 times and then nothing but sound. Many have been fortunate for this to happen before the warranty expires, I did not. Less than a month out of warranty and I now have a dead TV and I agree with the complaints about Toshiba's customer service....I really got the impression that they know this is a problem but really don't care. Save yourself the headache and the waste of money....DO NOT BUY A TOSHIBA!!!! At this point I can not even afford to fix it. It was truly a waste of 0.00

Don't Buy At Any Price!
I don't recommend buying anything from Toshiba. It has been my experience that Toshiba produces a shabby product and treated me in a shabby way, here's why: On January 23, 2008 I purchased a REGZA 32HL67U32" LCD HDTV (predecessor to the current model)for 0. By the last week in March 2009, the main panel failed and I was told by the repair center that the replacement panel would cost B00140R17A,900.

I contacted Toshiba and I was told by a customer service supervisor that since the breakdown occurred 15 months after the purchase, they would pay 50% of the replacement part (0), if I paid the other half, plus labor.

Their offer made no financial sense; first of all, why does a replacement part cost nearly 3 times the amount of the original TV? They had no answer to that question. Secondly, using their logic, they could ship me a new TV and save themselves 0!

It is clear that by using an artificially high replacement part value, they are dodging responsibility for the quality of their product. The TV is a total loss to me after such a short period of time.

I will never do business with Toshiba again!

Okay product until it broke, poor customer service!
We purchased our TV almost 1 year ago and at first LOVED it. It had good sound, a good picture, and was very user-friendly. But then...


It acted up starting about 6 months in. The video display would go black upon start up and we would have sound but no picture. The problem would correct itself when the TV was power-cycled. More recently, the TV picture went blank and never came back on. We called for a repair since the product was still under warranty and it's been more than a month since it broke and we still do not have a suitable fix!

Now they want to replace the display board - which costs more than the television itself! And...its going to take more than 3 weeks to get the part in and installed!

The broken TV may be a single case out of many good reviews, but the customer service I've been receiving has been horrible. To me its unacceptable that the TV has been out of service for more than a month and I'm still waiting. The good news is that the TV broke while under warranty!

I'd really watch the company you buy the TV from. They are ultimately honoring their warranty, but the customer service is poor and the timining is worse!

Can't beat it
I've had this TV for nearly a year now and I have absolutely no complaints, except that since I live in the boonies, I can't get the DirecTV HD Satellite so I can't take advantage of that feature. However, the picture is so much better than the one on my old Zenith 27" that I feel as if it is HDTV anyway. Easy setup, flawless performance, bright and sharp picture--and the prices are down now from what they were when I bought it last year. Compare it to the SONY, which has a similar picture quality and it's a no-brainer. Go Toshiba!

Only Worked for 2 Days
This television only worked for 2 days, then it would not turn on. The advice from Toshiba was to unplug it and plug it in again--did not work. This brand new TV has now been out getting fixed for 2 weeks and we have been told that it will be another 2 weeks to order another part. Not happy with this TV at all.

Great Television
This tv is wonderful. It is clear and has great sound and is the perfect size for my room. This is the second sony I have bought recently and will buy this kind again.

Another Milestone for TV Design
Many things impress me about this set. The picture quality is incredible once you get it tweaked the way you like it. As good or better as any TV I've ever seen, including the 42" plasma Panasonic we got a while back. The blacks are amazing for an LCD and colors are true no matter what color temperature you choose. The reception was startling. I got only a few channels off the air before. None of them were ever clear. With this set and an old pair of rabbit ears I got about twenty channels and they all looked better than DVD's. I had no idea digital TV was going to improve things this much. At first I only set up the analog channels and they were fuzzy just like before. Then I realized there was another step to the auto programming and did it again. This time the ATSC channels were picked up and like I said, I was stunned. I'm in a rural area so I never expected it to be this good.

As people said before, the sound is quite good. Also better than any small TV I've had before and plenty good enough I don't feel a need to add speakers. Lots of inputs including HDMI, well placed controls and a well placed headphone output. The menu is easy to use and the remote is wonderful, uncluttered and has every function you could need. I found I could get everything on my cable system without the need for their box (except on-demand and pay per view). They (comcast) use some funky locations though. The set picked up the same channels on several different bands. I don't know why they do this but it makes it hard to remember where stuff is. I took the time to write down the numbers for every channel as a reference, using the first band they appeared on. I pretty much only watch news and weather so the favorites menu is a godsend, though I wish it had more than eight presets.

By far the one aspect of this set that impresses me the most is the styling. Sony has always been an innovator in both picture technology and TV set design. Their XBR series was a milestone when it was introduced. At that year's CES show the Toshiba Rep told me it would take the rest of the industry years to catch up to Sony (again). One of the cool things about the XBR is it didn't look like every other TV being sold at the time. It even came in a rose color (I think they called it Mauve). This 19" LCD is another example of the brilliance of Sony design. If you look at the TV's sold here at Amazon, they all have a pedestal base and a wide aspect ratio with a black frame around the display. They all look the same, and in fact, they all look exactly like all the computer monitors being sold today as well. This set is beautiful and doubly so because of its uniqueness. The 16x10 ratio (as another review pointed out) is a perfect choice, making 4:3 full screen look a lot less distorted. The 16x9 HD images have only a slight bar above and below the picture (thanks to the incredible black this set produces it's almost unnoticeable). The square look with the radius corners is very classy and very appealing aesthetically. The opening along the bottom gives the impression the TV is floating. The set's cabinet is heavy and very high quality. I got the black one and was surprised to see the cabinet is white. It's a beautiful combination with a slight white line around the black front, like a graphic design. The TV is very stable with the bracket in the back. It will stand up straight in a vertical position and feels plenty solid. The bit about a strap to secure it probably comes from the fact that Sony's US headquarters is located in Brisbane, only about 60 miles from the epicenter of the Lomo Prieta Earthquake in 1989. I was an electronics retailer at the time (much closer to the epicenter) and we lost everything in the store. A 100 lb. 32" Sony flew about ten feet and smashed itself on a counter. I think everyone in three counties lost their TV. After that quake everyone was advised to strap their TV's, bookcases and the doors to cabinets securely. Sony btw was the best of all our vendors in helping us recover. They are a class act in every way, and the innovative styling of TV's like this one deserves a place in the Museum of Industrial Design.

I love it. Highly recommended.

Brilliant Picture
I purchased this TV for my kitchen where I did not want a TV to be the focal point of the room. It is the perfect size, and because of the unique design (speakers hidden, "bounce" sound off bottom bar) it can be set up just about anywhere and look and work great. Instead of having a stand under it, it has an easel-style back, giving it a small horizontal and vertical footprint. The picture is outstanding (connected to Uverse via HDMI cable), sound is great, and the setup a no-brainer. It is a great set at a very good price.

Typical Sony Quality & Great Reception
This is the second 19-inch LCD HDTV that I have bought, and the first Sony for this size.

I bought this white Sony to place in my kitchen where I have had a black Sharp 19-inch LCD HDTV (which I moved to a bedroom). Well first I found that the color is bright and the blacks are solid giving it an excellent picture. This white Sony is also a very attractive unit and perfect to have in a nice kitchen. It is also solid and easy to adjust how straight it stands up.

Plus, using the exact same rabbit ears from the Sharp HDTV it's replacing in my kitchen, for over the air digital channels, the Sony has much better reception. I'm able to pickup more digital channels then I could with the Sharp.

I would certainly buy this Sony HDTV again.

Just OK
This Bravia replaced a Sharp Aquos counter top model which developed a shadow on the screen after about two years of use. It is larger (about 4") picture wise than the Sharp and was the largest set I could find that would stand on the counter and fit under an overhead cabinet. It runs off a Direct TV, non-HDTV signal.

Factory preset picture settings were just awful with a very dark picture and odd glossy flesh tones. I tried to adjust the picture a number of times but finally realized I was trying to get the colors and resolution I was used to on the Sharp, which the Bravia apparently won't do. If my set had true factory picture presets I can guarantee anyone else buying this set will be spending a lot of time trying to adjust the picture.

In addition, unless you are viewing the set from directly in front and at set level the picture washes out excessively which is annoying since a kitchen set is usually viewed from a number of angles.

I would definitely recommend viewing and comparing this set in a store before purchasing. I will probably be looking for a replacement set and relegate this one to a guest bedroom.

My 2nd Sharp HDTV
I already had a 42" Sharp Aquos for my main tv at home, so when I saw this 22" incher going for 9 at the Navy Exhchange, it was no brainer...it is great for my office, and the picture is a serious upgrade from my sdtv 13" I had before.

Christmas Present for my daughter
The TV is very nice - I got it for my 18 year old daughter for Christmas. She uses it to play music channels and games on the XBox 360. The sound quality is ok, but becomes degraded when it's turned up louder.

I looked and looked... and now i have Found!
I spent 2 years holding back until i found a TV worth the money... and it is this TV.

NOTHING compares to the picture quality of Local Dimming and Scanning LED BACKlit LCD displays. No Sidelit, or CCFL can match the quality... and personally I think this model beats the XBR8 and the New LGx. Toshiba and Vizio are playing Catchup right now, but i doubt they will reach the pinnacle that Samsung has with this 55A950.

Get this at the great price while you still can...

(Do not buy if you want a "thin" or "slim bezel" TV, only get it if you want the best PICTURE and MOVIE quality on the SCREEN itself. If you like Plasma thats fine too, this is not an LCD vs Plasma review.)

-Jimmy

LN55A950 Review
I've wanted a High Def TV for several years and wanted to replace a CRT in the bedroom and living room. I spent way to many hours reviewing TV's online and in stores but decided to take the plunge for the bedroom needs first. I had the choice boiled down to 3 sets, the Sony 40W4100, 40XBR4 and the Samsung LN40A650. Ultimately I pikced the samsung and have not regretted the choice. I have been very impreseed with the black levels (50K to 1 contrast) as well as the most important feature, non high def picture. The set has incredible off angle viewing as well as a myriad of picture settings. I am a techno junkie and have tested almost every variant of picture adjustments they offer. In the end I just set it on Dynamic mode and let it do its thing.

In December of 2008 I decided the address the living room needs and again went back to study all the options. In the 3 month gap from obtaining the bedroom setup Samsung released the A950 series. The list price was shocking but not as shocking as Sony's XBR 8 Series. While the Sony has received great reviews I ultimately choose the LN55A950 and paid a little under 4K from crutchfield. (they will negotiate if you send them links to other etailers)

I have to say this was absolutely the right choice. This unit is coupled with a Samsung BD-P2550 Blue Ray player and is outright the best picture for the money on the market today. Even Samsung's new LED TV (actually still and LCD) does not get the rave reviews as the A950. I highly reccomend you look at this TV is your in the market.

The Samsung LN55A950
One of the best HD-TV sets on the market (if not the best)
with top of the line auto motion plus 120Hz and an
amazing 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.
Its sleek design is impressive as is its astounding picture.
Full 1080p HD videos look better on this unit than on any other
HD-TV.
Out of the box the first thing you notice about this set is
its stylish design, the "Touch of Color" red that
accompanies the edges of its frame compliment its glossy
black exterior.
One should note that the series 950 is very slim for a 55 inch
LCD which is a plus for my particular media cabinet.
At its core the colors of the 950 are definitely more vivid
than on those of previous models such as the Samsung series
540 or even the ever popular Samsung LN46A650.
Once the unit is powered on a simple musical tone is played and
from there it takes only seconds (3-4) for the unit to display its first image.
Be aware that some have referred to seeing reflections or
a "halo" which occurs around the
upper glossy frame of the set under certain lighting.
While I have seen this myself I should note these instances are rare and will not distract you from the image on screen so for me this is a non issue.
Oddly the 950 also includes a built-in
hard drive (1 GB in size) and comes pre loaded with games,
recipes, work-out tips, and even gorgeous HD art.
While an interesting feature, this exercise is meant only
as a preview of the potential uses of TV's in the future
as all the included material is mostly forgettable.
You can also attach your own USB hard drive to this TV via wiselink.
To take advantage of this feature I purchased the
Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player. With it I can see the full potential of 1080p HD videos such as Blu-ray but without the hassle of discs or the need for a disc player.
Finally any one looking to purchase a new HD-TV set should
seriously consider this one as I have yet to see any model
top the 950.

Great LCD with Hi Tech Features
This is my second Samsung TV and I am very happy with this purchase. Sure its a pricey TV but its also loaded with great features, tons of settings, and the latest LED backlight technology which provides black level that takes LCDs into Plasma territory without the power demands or heat of plasma. This new 55 inch takes less power than my old 40 inch LCD panel due to the smart backlight which turns down (or off) LEDs in dark areas of the displayed image.

Overall I think its picture quality is up there with the high end Sony (LDC) and Pineer (plasma) displays. Samsung has really made a name for themselves in the last few years with there continually improving line of LCDs. I really like how each input saves its own settings so you don't have to adjust whenever you switch inputs.

For gaming: Like other LCDs, in its default configuration there can be some trouble with some games with latency and image blur. I had one major issue with Rock Band when the animation behind the scrolling notes made the notes blur. You can use "E-Mode Game" to fix this but I found a better solution. Because you can not change the brightness/contrast or backlight with "E-Mode Game", I used HDMI2 input for the Xbox 360 and changed the label on HDMI2 to "PC". This tells the TV that you have a PC hooked up to HDMI2 and skips some of the color and image processing just like the "E-Mode Game" but you can now control brightness/contrast and backlight. This only works on HDMI2 and its briefly mentioned in the manual but it makes a much better low latency game mode than the "E-Mode Game" that Samsung provides.

For Movies: Much better than any other LCD due to the great black levels. Deep blacks and good dark detail can be seen with this TV with the right settings. With LED backlight and a Blu Ray player, blacks are actual black instead of dark gray and the black bars on widescreen movies disappear from view. And because its and LCD, bright seens have much more punch than even the best plasma displays.

For TV: If its standard definition don't expect too be impressed. I think the scaler and standard def TV feed looks good for what it is and you can use the LOW setting of dynamic contrast and auto motion plus to make it palatable. But if you have HD TV it should look great on this TV.

Negatives: There is only one real negative to this TV but for me its a very, very minor one. When viewed from an angle, you will loose the inky blacks even from just 30 degrees off axis. Its not a big deal for me for two reasons. The couch is directly on-axis and it looks great from any seat on the couch. From the side chair (about 40 deg) it still looks great and you would probably not even notice you were losing some black level until you move to the couch. Off axis, this TV still looks as good as any high end LCD I have seen. So if you will often need to watch off axis, you do lose some of the benefits of the LED backlight and maybe you should go for a plasma because all LCDs have this issue and most have it much worse than this TV. I just think its noticed more because the on axis blacks are so good. That is why it is often mentioned in reviews. Then only other minor issue is that the stand does not swivel. That would have been a nice touch but with a TV of this size, I probably would not move it much.

For Geeks: This TV is great. The number of different settings you have to play with are unbelievable. You can even do both color balance and grayscale calibration with this TV without needed to go into the services menu. You are provided with full grayscale setting (RGB Gain and Cut) and Color (RGB and YCM) from the standard settings. I really like this because I can try to calibrate it myself without the worry of messing up the service menu settings.

So, you pay a lot for this TV but I think its worth it for the picture quality and a chance to check out LED backlight technology before all the other LCDs get it, and they will! I think LED backlighting is a breakthrough for flat panels and will continue to improve over the next few years and become standard for LCD. So, I just paid a premium to see it now.

UPDATE: I found that the issue with some games was with the "LED Motion Plus Setting" Best to turn this off for most games. Still, its nice to have that PC mode as well to reduce latency.

A week with the LN55A950
I did recently purchase the Samsung LN55A950 and must say it has been a remarkable TV.

I rarely write reviews on anything. I don't love LCD or hate plasma. I have no desire to persuade anyone to buy this TV. I am just a guy who ditched a 20-year-old Trinitron because it was, well, time. When it comes to new purchases on anything I wait... wait...wait... and then buy the best I can afford.

I went with LCD over plasma because even though plasma image retention and burn-in issues are declared to "resolved", I frankly was not interested in pampering, break-in or TLC of any kind for a television. I watch - and will continue to watch - a lot of non-16x9 content with black bars at the sides or top/bottom. Also my room is quite bright with a lot of windows and I wanted to be able to crank this puppy up whenever I needed to. I was a bit concerned about potential glare issues on this set but I have had absolutely no problem.

To me, this set has the contrast of a plasma and the "pop" of an LCD. I had a chance to see this set in a store environment prior to purchase (it was set in "dynamic" torch mode, of course). Still, I was immediately struck by the inky blacks of the LN55A950 as compared to any of the other LCDs. This is due largely to the LED backlighting instead of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) used in most large LCD displays. Actually, most LCDs have nice black levels to my non-videophile eye but the LN55A950 was in a category of its own and rivaled any plasma I saw in terms of inky blacks.

At home, I haven't done any calibration yet but out of the box it looks just great. Blu-ray content is spectacular. I also have been quite pleased with the up-scaled quality of standard broadcast and typical DVD content.

Great TV, but HD service is required
I saw this TV in a big electronics store in February while visiting friends in San Diego and was really impressed with the quality of the picture. I had researched TVs in Consumer Reports a year ago and had decided that a 720 p was all I needed because of the limited number of programs being transmitted in HD and the increase in monthly service from Direct TV for the HD signal. But I put off the purchase and now a year later I had a hard time finding a 42" TV that wasn't 1080. I was also impressed with the 120 Hz vs the 60 Hz. The TV arrived and as soon as I hooked it up to my Standard Def Direct TV DVR I was very dissatified with the fuzzy pictures. All the SD programs that I was paying for looked aweful because the screen was so much larger than what we had before. So I called Direct TV and upgraded to HD service. After installation of a new oval dish and a new HD DVR, the picture quality is fantastic, even for programs that don't appear on the Direct TV program guide as coming in HD. The only problem I'm having is that I can't get the TV remote to recognize the brand new Direct TV DVR. Instead we programmed the DVR remote to recognize the TV but the DVR remote can't do all the functions that are on the TV, so we still need both remotes.

Excellent TV, even better when you figure in the low price!
I purchased this television locally, and I absolutely love it! The picture is incredible, especially on my Playstation 3 (games and movies). I haven't even tweaked the settings much yet, and it is a beautiful picture. I can't believe the number of features crammed into this television for the price (I paid 99). This set had many more features than similarly priced Sony, Samsung, or Sharp models. The setup was incredibly easy, also. I just plugged everything right in! I have a DVR, digital cable box, PS3, and home theater system, so I was surprised how well it went. One nice thing is that this set has both analog and digital audio inputs. A friend bought a Philips 47 inch LCD and had problems because it only had digital audio. He had to use the headphone jack to use his home theater (I only add this to show the number of features). The user interface on this set is great, as well, I found it easy to move between inputs, adjust settings, etc. All in all, a wonderful set, and an excellent value at this price!!

Don't look solely at the rating on this, as there are several idiotic reviews that have nothing to do with the television itself!! Read for yourself and you will see that nearly all of the real ratings for this set are 5 star.

Love my t.v.
I have had this TV for about 2 months and I love it! The high def is fantastic. We have yet to see any of those digital squares to come up during football games or action movies. I can't wait to see what the pictue will be like with a BlueRay player.Everything is supper crisp! The sound is great I don't even need to hook it in to my stereo. Our other TV is a 32 in. Regza also. Not as good as this it a 720i but it has lasted well and is now in the bedroom. It was in the living room and had been banged on by little children and sippy cups. That TV is still in great condition and have no problems with it. I believe the Toshiba to be a great long lasting sturdy product. It seems to be a great value. I would recommend the Toshiba to anyone.

The Green Monster!
I saw this LCD at Costco for $[...] and it looked much better than the Vizio's and Panasonic plasmas lined up next to it so I bought it along with a Panny Blu Ray player. I also auditioned the Samsung's and Sony's at Sears and decided that the Toshiba was at the right price with all the features of a Samsung or Sony (which cost $[...] more than the Regza at the same screen size).

I then realized that the Regza has a serious green over saturation problem that CANNOT be fixed by adjusting the green color controls in the Color Master settings. The greens are especially amplified when you look at blonde hair or certain light skin tones - like faces - and they all look green!!! Even on Blu Ray this is happening!

I then found that other people noticed this as well on AVS forum as well as a professional review of 46" version of this LCD - CNET - I believe. Once I knew this, the greens became EXTREMELY apparent and annoying to the point it was distracting me from my movie watching. So, I returned the Toshiba to Costco for a full refund. Thank goodness I didn't order this online from some e-tailer.

So, point of the story is : even though the 42xv540u is a great tv and has all these wonderful features like 120hz and 10bits at a great price with a bright screen, the fundamental picture i.e. color of things will always be skewed - FOREVER. So, if your gonna spend a GRAND or so on a TV that you want to last you at least a few years, DON'T CHEAP OUT AND GET THIS TV, spend the extra dough and get a Sony or Samsung or something else.

Line in picture
Got the television and on hooking it up noticed a dark grey vertical line about 1 cm wide in the middle of the picture. Called toshiba, the rep could not resove it over the phone. I asked for a new nondefective replacement. Toshiba refused and said my only recourse was to have it repaired under warranty by our local Toshiba repair facility. They repaired it and the picture and sound are now fine. How long it will last, time will tell. The repair shop said the "panel" was bad and commented how "cheaply" the TV was built. I paid 50 for it from Amazon. It cost 00.00 to repair it.