Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  An outstanding buy

  by madman1883 on June 8, 2009

  Pros: Colors are stunning, and black levels are better than any LCD in its price range. Lots of inputs, easy to use and adjust. 42" set at 40" price. Simple, elegant design with no gimmicks -- ideal for those who find the "touch of red" distracting.

  Cons: PC input does not support resolution above 1280x1024. An occasional "screen door" effect (in TV mode), though it resolves quickly. Highly reflective glossy surface, though that's why the blacks are better than similarly price matte-screen sets.

  Summary: I've had this set for nearly a month and have been scrutinizing it closely. Overall, I'm thrilled. I'll admit, it's my first big-screen LCD (after a ...

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  Summary: I've had this set for nearly a month and have been scrutinizing it closely. Overall, I'm thrilled. I'll admit, it's my first big-screen LCD (after a 25" tube), so I'm blown away by the genre as a whole. But I did a lot of research, and compared first-hand every major model up to $1500 (including Samsung, LG, Sony, and Sharp). This was my favorite set, with the possible exception of the much pricier Samsung B650. CNET's review is full of good information, but I think their hesitation about its black-level performance is skewed by their reference point. They're comparing this TV to other 240hz sets, like the Samsung B750 and the Sony XBR9, but the B750 (40") currently sells for $1699 on Amazon, and the XBR9 is $2179. This Toshiba is currently listed at $1058 on Amazon, and I found it slightly cheaper. Most manufacturers that make a 240hz tv make it a top-of-the-line model, with better performance in many areas. If you want that and can pay for it, by all means, go for it. But the Toshiba set, as CNET notes, is not a true 240hz model. It's something of a 120/240 hybrid. Compare it with the top-notch 240 sets and you may be disappointed with its black levels, but compare it to 120hz sets and you'll find this to be one of the very best. Samsung's B650 may be better, but also runs about $400 more, even after recent markdowns. Closer to its price range is the matte-screen LG LH40, and black levels on that are not even close to those on the Toshiba. I had planned to buy the LH40, thinking I wanted a matte-screen, since my TV faces a large picture window. But then I saw them side by side. The LG was fine, but after comparing the two, I couldn't help but try the Toshiba, and as it turns out, the reflection isn't as bad as I'd anticipated. If you watch most of your television at night, you shouldn't have a problem unless you've got a lamp reflected right in it; in the day, you may find some reflections bothering you in dark images, though it hasn't bothered me watching baseball or tennis (which don't have a lot of dark colors). I think it's worth a little reflection for the sake of deeper blacks and richer colors, but it's really a personal preference.
  
  A couple of other minor effects to note. I do see an occasional "screen door" effect -- grid-like lines on an image -- immediately after a new image appears in a show or movie. I don't know if this is typical, but it disappears after a split-second. The Toshiba seems to resolve it just fine, and I don't notice it unless I'm looking for it. Also, shows in 4:3 resolution sometimes have a thin flickering line at the top or on the side of the image, by the black bars, but this disappears by shifting the resolution from "native" to "full," without any distorting effect (with 4:3 images, "full" just makes the image slightly larger and eliminates the lines). Neither of these is anything to worry about, in my view.
  
  My only real disappointment is that my PC won't display in widescreen. The TV's top resolution on the PC input is 1280x1024, which gives you about a 32" diagonal picture with black bars on each side. Disappointing for streaming TV and movies (from sites like Netflix and Hulu). An HDMI output might fare better, and you can buy a VGA-to-HDMI converter box on Amazon for about $50 -- I'll update this review if I try it. I'm surprised at this, but not disappointed enough to spend another $400 or more for a Samsung.
  
  All in all, a jaw-dropping television for the money. Nothing else in the vicinity of $1000 comes close, so if that's your budget, I recommend it highly.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Outstanding LCD TV for this price point!

  by Bugsy04 on May 6, 2009

  Pros: Picture Quality both HD & SD
  Black Level and Color
  Sound Quality
  Connection options
  Picture tuning and setup features
  Picture stretching options
  Swivel Base
  Individual picture settings for each input
  Very nice looking bezel

  Cons: A concern not a Con - Gloss Screen See Summary
  The bezel is a little too wide
  Little too much Red push - This is adjustable however

  Summary: After some careful research to upgrade my existing Philips 37? LCD TV, I narrowed it down to the Toshiba 42zv650u. My choice was right on the money!!
  
  This LCD TV ...

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  Summary: After some careful research to upgrade my existing Philips 37? LCD TV, I narrowed it down to the Toshiba 42zv650u. My choice was right on the money!!
  
  This LCD TV is worth every penny I paid for it, no disappointments at all.
  
  The set is loaded with connection options and more tuning and setup features than I think I will ever use. You can use the basic adjustments (Backlight, Color, Contrast, Tint, Brightness?.) or if you feel adventurous, advanced settings ? Individual color settings (Hue, Saturation, Brightness), detailed color temperature settings??.
  
  The picture stretching options are excellent. The Theater Mode 2 does a fabulous job in stretching 4:3 source content to fill the screen with out creating major distortion. Your Favorite News Anchor does not look like they gained 100 lbs.
  
  Picture Quality:
  HD: Outstanding. Excellent Black Levels and rich deep colors - realistic and not over-saturated.
  SD/DVD: Very Good. From about 8 to 10 feet back it looks like HD quality.
  There is no ghosting or jagged edges. I am impressed on how this TV handles SD content via my HDMI connected cable source.
  
  Sound Quality:
  Excellent for a flat panel TV; Voices are very clear and no distortion even at high volume levels.
  
  Some Nice Features:
  Very nice looking bezel however it is a little wide.
  Individual picture settings for each input
  Input labeling
  A built in media player ? Pretty basic: Pictures and some supported video
  Easy to get to connection inputs
  The remote is laid out well - Universal
  Swivel Base ? Approx 30 Degrees right or left
  
  The preset picture settings are OK but you will probably need to make you own adjustments based on your room environment and how you like to watch TV. I am still tweaking the settings but I am close! DVE (Digital Video Essentials) Calibration DVD did help me out a lot with this set.
  
  One word of caution, this set does have a glossy screen. There are pros and cons to a glossy screen. It will give you a much richer looking picture, excellent contrast and picture depth. However, glare could be a problem depending on the lighting in your room.
  
  The Bottom-line is for this price point, you will be getting a feature rich TV with a great picture - what else can you ask for.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  best lcd for the price

  by piti1811 on January 24, 2010

  Pros: vivid and brilliant colors,good sound for a tv

  Cons: no phone jack,no big deal

  Summary: i was set and ready to buy a sony or samsung 40 inch lcd,then came across this toshiba at the store,after comparing then side by side i like ...

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  Summary: i was set and ready to buy a sony or samsung 40 inch lcd,then came across this toshiba at the store,after comparing then side by side i like the picture quality of this tv better,that and the fact that this tv was 300 dollars cheaper and 2 inches longer was a no brainer for me.cnet reviews complaint about black levels on this tv.i have no clue why.the black levels on this tv are as good as any lcd tv i have seen. i highly recomend this tv.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Horrible Anti-Glare

  by tvmomma10 on April 9, 2010

  Pros: Great picture in a dark room.

  Cons: Horrible anti-glare for an LCD. The window glare is as bad as a TV with no-anti glare...seriously. If you have a sunny room, you don't want this TV. The Sharp Aquos anti-glare is great by comparison.

  Summary: great tv, but not for sunny rooms

  Summary: great tv, but not for sunny rooms

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