Toshiba REGZA 40XV645U 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black

(This review is for the Toshiba Regza 40XV645U LCD television.)

Original rating:
If price were no object: 4-Star Rating
Price considering: 5-Star Rating

Update 29Jul2010 (see below):
Following the replacement of the Main Board, I now give this TV a 5-star overall rating.

Update 15Jul2011 (see below):
The Closed Captioning is definitely a problem with this model, and reduced the rating to 4 stars.

Original review:

This is a great TV! All of us in the family really like it. Even the piano black narrow frame around the screen looks great (about 1.5" wide at the top and sides and 3" at the bottom). Even though the frame is a glossy black finish, it surprisingly doesn't disturb the daytime viewing experience at all.

We wanted a second TV in our home for a brightly lit room and we were also limited to a 40-inch screen size because of available space, so we ended up choosing the Toshiba...Read more

I have owned this TV for a few months now and feel that I know it well enough to give it a thorough review. Why I purchased this TV over all the others is worth mentioning. First, and foremost, the price is very attractive at first glance. And, it continue to be an attraction after looking at the reviews of other TVs that cost about the same. I almost bought a Panasonic plasma TV that was, at the time, only $100 more than this TV but was a full 10 inches bigger and had an outstanding review on Cnet. Forty inches was simply more suited for my living space.

Let's look at some of the positive aspects of this TV.
1. 120Hz technology is a plus for those who like it. With that said, using de-judder technology is an acquired taste and is potentially a detriment to picture quality as it may introduce unnatural artifacts. This Toshiba Regza has three options for de-judder - off, standard, and smooth. I find that using the standard de-judder creates a balance between...Read more

So far this set has very pleasing. My only complaint is the clunky remote control which has a physical switch to change modes (TV, Cable/Sat, AV1, AV2). The set has 3 HDMI inputs which is nice though many in this price range seem to have 4.

During initial set-up the set asks a few questions most of which are basic like if the set will be connected to antenna or cable before automatically scanning and adding channels. The first question though is unusual. It prompts for whether the set will be used in a home or as a store display. Selecting home reduces the backlight to 50% power though this can be adjusted later through the video configuration menu.

The set also features advances picture controls many of which I have not had time adjust but should provide enough control to satisfy any one who considers themselves a video guru. Also this TV features basic audio controls (treble bass & balance) as well as features like stable sound, voice enhancing, and bass...Read more