Digital Trends

Toshiba 52HM84

November 7th, 2004 | by Dennis Barker

Evaluation Cont'd

High Definition images seem to produce a truly “life-like” 3-dimentional effect on the viewer as HD adds a considerable amount of depth — not to mention realism — to any image.  The images “pop” right off the screen.  This is especially true for DiscoveryHD Theater, which a friend of mine has dubbed “the bug channel.”  Insects and all of nature never looked more realistic.  Of course, sporting events in HD are the “crème de la crème” of HD images, as they need to be seen to be fully appreciated.  For example, you can easily count the blades of grass in Yankee Stadium (Yankee/Red Sox 2004 playoff games) or discern the rubble on asphalt on NBC-HD's NASCAR racing.  Unbelievable!  Watching a football game made me feel that I was sitting right on the fifty yard line.   Standard definition NTSC signals looked as good as they could get at 480p from DirecTV

Using this set as a video monitor for a DVD player (with the Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai as a reference progressive scan universal DVD player featuring component video out capability), the projected images were just as compelling as if you were watching the movies at your local cinema — only better!  Here, you're watching movies as they are meant to be seen — in widescreen and with progressive scan!  Watching films like Van Helsing, The Star War Trilogy, Beauty and the Beast-Special Edition, The Day After Tomorrow, Hellboy or even the multi-disc set of Babylon 5: Season Five, for example, portrayed a display device that could easily distinguish subtle color shading and hue reproducing colors as accurately and realistic as possible.  Black levels, which are the Achilles' heel of all Micro-Display sets, were better than other HD sets previously viewed.  While DVDs never looked better, it's really the HD images displayed from both DirecTV satellite and the over-the-air antenna that produced the most stunning, startling, and most compelling images ever seen by this reviewer in a production sample display device.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Toshiba's TheaterWideHD 52HM84 combined with the RCA's DTC-210 DirecTV HD Receiver produced and reproduced some of the best regular over-the-air HD, Satellite, Satellite HD, and DVD signals possible.  This is a set that has to be seen in all its glory to be fully appreciated.   In many ways, it's superior to its competitors in both design and function.  Here is a television with the capability of showing each type of signal in the best possible way.  While it's somewhat pricey, it produces some of the best images on the planet!  And, as the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” 

Since the 52HM84 is a HD capable television with all of the right connectors (including HDMI), you're set for many years to come.  And, you don't have to pay extra for an integrated HD tuner.  It gives you the choice of going either to HD satellite or Digital Cable to receive those pristine high-definition signals.  So, get comfortable.  You'll be receiving and watching the most pristine and compelling HDTV signals on this or any other planet!  Clearly, it's your new window onto the world, and just the ticket for watching your favorite TV shows in HD and viewing your growing DVD collection.  Pass me the popcorn!