Customer Reviews

Toshiba REGZA 46XV645U 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I had been looking at and researching HDTVs for a while and had pretty much decided on going with a plasma, due to the better viewing angle and deeper blacks. I was a bit hesitant, though, about picking up a plasma because of all the "burn-in" horror stories that have piled up over the years, so I was still hoping to find an LCD display that would blow me away while still being affordable. When I came across this Toshiba, it appeared that this would be that LCD. I made several trips to the big box whose logo looks like a big yellow tag and spent close to an hour each time comparing a few different models as best as one can in the controlled lighting of the retail environment. I was impressed with the black level, overall contrast, and picture quality of this tv. The image also appeared to be cleaner than others, with very few jaggies or digital artifacts.

I ended up purchasing this tv (great deal with the free 19") and taking it home. The screen size is plenty large enough to see clearly from 10 ft away, but not too bulky to carry inside, unpack and set up by myself . It looks great and feels sturdy. The light-up Toshiba logo is a pretty nice touch, but I set it to off since it's a little distracting. There are a TON of picture adjustments available through a few standard and advanced menu options. A lot of these options are probably only available on most other sets through service menus, which are meant to be navigated by professional calibrating services. I spent the first five hours of Saturday and a few more on Sunday tweaking the picture while watching blu-rays, with my main attention on getting a good, dark black level and accurate skin tones. I got the settings dialed in to what pleases my eye and thought it looked darn good (maybe not a professional calibration, but I was very pleased with it). The sound was not as bad as I've read in some reviews. I never experienced the crackling that others have, but I also never needed to turn the volume up past 30, even sitting 10 ft away. So far, everything was great but naturally, with the good, you get the bad.

The drawbacks that I experienced were more personal annoyances, I suppose, but I've read that they are inherent to LCDs (to varying degrees), and I still could not ignore them after I discovered them. The first of which is the limited viewing angle. After the hours of tweaking, the set looks incredible when viewed head on. This changed, though, when I stood up or watched as I walked around the room. The black areas turn bluish and the overall picture loses its pop. This was the case if I viewed from any other angle than sitting on the couch directly in front of it. Granted, that's where I plan on watching tv from, but if I wanted to watch from the kitchen or have guests over, it wouldn't be as enjoyable. I was kinda disappointed because I had not experienced this in the store. It's not horrible, just something I didn't like. Also, it may have been exaggerated by how good the picture looks head on. The off angle picture may be as good as last year's model, but by improving the head on picture, it doesn't look as good from the sides. Who knows. I'm also coming from decades of watching CRTs where the viewing angle does not change. I knew to watch out for this with LCDs, but I guess you just can't get away from it unless you spend a few grand on one.

My other gripe was with the uneven backlight, or cloudiness, in dark areas, especially along the top and coming from the top corners ("flashlight" effect). Before purchasing this tv, I had found only one account of this occurring with this Toshiba. I had actually forgotten about it and wasn't looking for it when I noticed it myself. I didn't notice it until nighttime when I had the lights dimmed and the screen was supposed to be black. It's more apparent while performing non-viewing actions, such as switching inputs, changing channels, etc., but it is noticeable at certain times while watching movies. I didn't notice this during the day but, again, just something I didn't like. It's also possible I received a faulty display.

All in all, this is a great LCD for the price. I couldn't find one in-store in the same price point that came close. Great picture, super sharp, and lots and lots of picture tweaking options. I didn't have the chance to take home any other LCDs to see if they had the same low viewing angle properties or uneven backlight that mine did, so I don't know if this Toshiba is an exception or not. I did end up exchanging it for a plasma, though, because I felt they suit my tastes better (and it turns out that burn-in is not a huge issue anymore), but for those looking for an LCD and looking to spend $1200, I would highly suggest taking a look at this one.

Recieved TV and delivery was great, even carried downstairs and unboxed it, great service. The picture is great but cabinet is not sufficeintly damped to prevent speakers from causing "buzziness" at volume levels above volume level 25%. I tightened all screws on back of cabinet and then applied sound damper sheet used commonly in car audio installations (I had several sheets left over, purchased from parts express) and it seems to have fixed the problem. If you take you hand and pinch the front bezel and the rear black plastic cover together and buzz disappears then try this method of fixing. Initially very upset but only took a few minutes and two sheets of damper cut up and placed across the back of TV case to fix issue. I contacted Toshiba service and they were accomodating and supplied me with local service provider information but I find it disturbing that these issues are present in a new TV from a major manufacturer. I feel that the company knew about this issue because they had me "troubleshoot" by telling me to pinch TV bezel and cover in to find where noise was coming from. TV picture quality, delivery, excellent.....sound issues are fixed so I am very happy but perplexed Toshiba would allow this level of problem out of the factory.

I purchased this because consumer reports rated it a " Best Buy" Saying it had picture that rivaled many more expensive models. This model beat out Sony, LG, Samsung, Sharp and other big brands in its category.

Reviewers even said the picture quality rivaled LCD's costing over $2,000.

I already have a Toshiba and a sharp Aquos. I love my aquos so much and didnt think picture could get much better on an LCD.......well I was wrong. This Regza blew it out of the water. The Blu-rays look stunning.

I wish more channels broadcast in full 1080p. Most HD channels broadcast in 720p which is a rip off by the industry and short changes us who invest on great LCD's for optimal viewing.

I love playing Nintendo WII, Playstation and X-box on this...the 120hz technology keeps blazing fast picture crystal clear and not blurred as you would see with regular 60hz sets.

I just watched the movie 300 on blu-ray on this set to see how good the effects could be and I was Blown away.

I couldnt be happier and out of my 3 LCD TV's this is my number 1.

I did a lot of research before purchasing my first LCD television. I decided on the Regza, and was very please with the picture quality. I haven't seen any other LCD that surpasses the picture quality, but MANY that fall far short of the quality of the Regza. Given my level of satisfaction with my first Regza, I purchased another larger set for the new home. Again, very satisfied with the picture quality.

I only have one complaint. The right speaker vibrates to certain tones. Strangely, it seems to be tied to a certain level or quality of recording, because it's not always vibrating. But, let's say I'm watching a program on the Discovery channel. For the entire program, the speaker will frequently vibrate. Then, I'll watch a baseball game on ESPN and will not hear a vibration through the entire game. Anyway...I've got external audio system hooked up, so when I REALLY want the quality I can just mute the TV and turn on the receiver.

This problem is probably a one-off, so I will not let it affect the overral rating here. I just don't want to deal with the hassles of returning the darn thing and waiting for ages to get the new one.

That said, I highly recommend the Toshiba Regza!

Jonathan Almquist
Minneapolis, MN

had this tv for about 2 weeks now. it replaces an existing tube tv (also toshiba). got this from best buy when they had it on sale for 1099. delivery was straightforward with original packing. tv came already assembled on the stand inside the box -- all you have to do is lift and set it on your tv stand.
standard definition (SD) channels look ok -- imo, all TVs (lcds, plasmas) should be able to produce SD signals as good as tube TVs. it's like software being able to support earlier versions.
HD channels look very good but I just don't think there're enough of them out there yet.
initially i had a strange problem via the HDMI connection where it'll prevent the remote to control the cable box the first 10 min after turning on the tv and cable box. after 10 min, everything's resumes. scour the web for similar issues and found one post but no solution. my eventual fix is to connect both the coaxial and the hdmi cable and the problem went away.
another surprise with hdmi connection is it does not carry closed caption info, so i can't turn this feature on and off with the TV remote. This is not an issue with coaxial connection. googled it and the solution seems to be hidden inside the cable box settings: to get to it, you have to turn the cable box off leaving the tv on. hit the menu button on the cable box remote to access the closed caption options.
so far my transition to hdtv has not been as smooth as i had expected but in no part the tv's fault.
other things i love about the tv is the base it sits on is very wide so it looks extremely stable. the matted screen is great -- no more unnecessary glare/reflections. Overall, the tv feels solidly built just like my old toshiba tube.

I purchased this set to replace an old CRT model and have been blown away by the quality of the picture. Truly one of the best bang-for-the-buck models out there. That said, there are two common problems that people have experienced with this set and others in the Toshiba Regza series. I had both, but have found solutions.

1. CABLE REMOTE CONTROL INTERFERENCE

When the TV is in "auto-view" mode (the default), it emits an IR signal to measure ambient light, and adjusts the TV's backlight brightness accordingly. This signal can cause remote controls for certain cable boxes (in my case, a Motorola DCH6416 from Suddenlink) to work intermittently or in some cases not at all. From what I've read, remote controls for some other devices (satellite boxes, audio systems, etc.) can also be affected. The solution is simply to switch the TV from "auto-view" to one of the fixed modes such as "standard". Granted, this is not a perfect fix as you are disabling an advertised feature of the TV that you've paid for. Some others have reported that separating the TV and the affected device by several feet will eliminate the issue as well, although this may not be practical depending on the physical setup of your system. For me, disabling AutoView solved the problem and I'm satisfied with that.

2. AUDIO DISTORTION/ECHO USING HDMI INPUT

Search the web and you'll find this to be a common issue as well: after several hours of use, the sound can become distorted and tinny, with a buzzing sound and an odd "echo" effect. This affects the TV's own speakers as well as the signal coming from the set's audio output jacks. Toshiba has known about this problem for some time; from their web site (dated 3/26/10):

"To ensure the satisfaction of our customers and to maintain the integrity and quality of our products, Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. ("TACP") is posting this notice about the 40XV645U, 40XV648U, 46XV645U, 46XV648U, 52XV645U, 52XV648U, 42ZV650U, 47ZV650U, 55ZV650U, 46SV670U, 55SV670U TVs. This is not a safety issue.

Recently, it has come to our attention that users of a small percentage of those model TVs that we have shipped and are used in connection with a set top box via HDMI may experience a random audio echo while watching programming. If this were to occur, it would only be after many hours of continuous viewing and can be temporarily resolved by turning the TV off and on again.

If this audio echo is interfering with your enjoyment of your TV, please contact TACP Customer Solutions at 1-800-631-3811."

The permanent fix is to upgrade the firmware from ver 6.1.43 to 6.1.45 by downloading from Toshiba's support site at [...]. This admittedly is not for the technically challenged, as it requires downloading the firmware executable, extracting the contents to a USB flash drive, then finally applying the patch to the TV via a somewhat convoluted procedure. I initially had some problems, and it wasn't until I manually changed the directory structure of the flash drive to put the boot image file in the root (instead of a sub-folder as created by the upgrade installer) that I was able to get it to work. But then again, I'm a tinkerer with a fair amount of computer knowledge, and I was determined to figure it out by myself. Those not so inclined would probably find that Toshiba's tech support would walk them through the process, and I've even heard in some cases they will send you a flash drive with the patch pre-installed -- all you have to do is insert it into the TV's USB port and turn it on.

These two issues aside, I'm very pleased with this set.

I purchased the Toshiba HDTV after reading reviews in Amazon and Consumer Reports and checking the price. Consumer Reports rates the TV as a best buy. It is one of the least expensive televisions that Consumer Reports rates highly.

Amazon delivered the television ahead of schedule. The shipping agent called ahead to schedule a day/ time for delivery. Very easy to set up. Picture quality is excellent.

The TV performs equal to or better than the comments noted in other 5 star ratings. We have used the set with both Dish and DirecTV over the past few months and are impressed with the picture clarity in all formats from 480i to 1080i. We have not yet used it in the 1080p format.

Setup was easy since it was a replacement for a 32 inch Toshiba set. Amazon scheduled shipment originally for after Christmas, but the set became available much earlier and was received in early December. White Glove delivery was made exactly as scheduled, the set was installed, the deliverer made sure it was operating to our satisfaction, he gathered the boxes, cleaned up, and was attentive to our requests throughout.

We did learn in the setup process that the HDMI cable used on our 32 inch, 60hz set was inadequate for the 120hz set. Upon replacement with a category 2 cable, picture quality became flawless. Picture quality to the edge of the screen is uniform and there are no errant pixels anywhere on the screen.

Started my research before Black Friday, hoping to snag a deal on which ever TV that I decided on. Little did I know that comparing HDTV's is much like comparing the old apples and oranges. Reviews are usually mixed, for even the highest priced models. I needed a matte screen, as the TV sits next to a huge picture window (which meant a plasma wouldn't work)and I wanted a headphone jack for my wireless headphones (excellent sound and I can watch my action movies without bothering my wife). I also wanted a brand that I had luck with in the past. Well, I didn't make a decision in time to take advantage of either Thanksgiving or Christmas deals. When I saw Amazon had the bundle deal that included the Blu-ray player for the Regza, which was on my short list, I pulled the trigger...finally!

It arrived today. Kind of an ordeal, as I attempted to schedule both the TV delivery and the cable people to switch me to DVR/HD box. I wanted the TV here first so the cable guy could hook it up. It took lots of phone calls but it worked out. CEVA delivered...but almost didn't. I was outside when he drove down my dead end road, backed into my driveway, then drove away as I ran after the truck yelling and waving my arms like an idiot. Did I mention that I have a heart condition and really didn't need to run the 440 in 20 degree weather? Anyway, caught the guy and still don't understand how he missed the house (he had GPS and I have huge address numbers on the house). At the drivers recommendation, we did not turn on the TV to check it out because of the cold. I let it sit a couple hours. This was quite the gamble because the TV arrived with two big taped over holes toward the bottom of the box, almost as if a small fork lift stabbed it. All is well that ends well...no damage to TV. The picture is amazing and I don't know what all the complaints were in the reviews...sound is fine, no buzzing, ghosting or any other issues that people mentioned. I did follow calibration settings from a website and I like them, except I notice flesh tones are a touch too yellow. Will work on that tomorrow.

If you have made looking for an HDTV a second career...just stop it and buy this TV. I know it's early, only having it on for five hours so far, but I have a really good feeling about it. I will update if I find any "surprises".

i bought this TV on some sale amazon had for 868.00, and i am positively thrilled with it. The screen is gorgeous and my blu-ray movies have never looked better. Plus, playing my xbox 360 or Playstation 3 in 1080p is priceless. It came virtually assembled, so pull from the box, plug in and away you go.

I DID have one issue. I own a DirecTV HD DVR, and for some reason or another, the TV interferes with the RF signals from all of my remote controls. A bizzare issue to say the least. I thought my DTV box was damaged, but it wasn't. After some internet research, I had learned that certain TV's can do this. If you disable this TV's auto-brightness setting (and you can do this by changing the overall picture scheme from auto to standard, or game or movie) it stops the sensor which causes the issue. I am tech savvy, but not an engineer, so I dont know why it does this. Apparently, certain Samsung TV's do the same.

Amazon did a great job getting it across the country as well. My wife and I love this TV!