DLP Rear Projection HDTVs
'xxHM84' range of Rear Projection Toshiba HDTV Sets

The 'xxHM84' series of DLP rear projection HDTV's from Toshiba covers three different screen sizes - 46", 52", and 62", all in 16:9 wide screen format.

This range of DLP rear projection TVs practically shares the same features and full technical specifications - including the same HD2+ DLP chip in their light engine and a higher speed seven-segment color wheel - as the Toshiba 'xxHM94' series of rear projection Televisions, but...

The real significant difference between these two Toshiba HDTV ranges is that while the HM94 series includes a built-in HDTV tuner, the HM84 series of HDTV products do not. The HM84 tuner is standard NTSC.

In addition, there is no Cable TV card-slot as present on the HM94 series. This means that you would need an extra set-top-box to receive a HDTV broadcast or digital cable signal.

Other minor differences between these two Toshiba ranges include the lack of a memory card slot and an IEEE Fire-wire port on the HM84 range of rear projection TV products, though the xxHM84 still includes a HDMI™ interface as standard.

Other than these shortcomings, the HM84 series represents good value for money. It is feature packed and thanks to the use of the latest developments in DLP micro-display projection technology, the 'xxHM84' series of Toshiba HDTV sets are capable of delivering exceptional picture detail even in dark shadowy scenes, with deep blacks that lacks nothing in comparison to the picture quality produced by flat screen direct-view CRT TVs.

In addition, though not as slim as a wall hanging Plasma TV, yet these Toshiba projection TV sets are stylish, lightweight, and slim - requiring no more than 15 to 18 inches in depth - depending on screen size. For example, the Toshiba 52HM84 52" Theater wide rear projection TV takes no more than 15.25" in depth - this is practically the same as a 15" CRT computer monitor!

However, the real big seller for these Toshiba HDTV sets is the price.  The 52" 52HM84 Toshiba HDTV Ready Projection DLP TV already referred to earlier on, is presently selling at less than $2,000 online.

Similarly, the Toshiba 46HM84 46" TV is selling online at around $1,800 while their bigger brother - the 62" Toshiba 62HM84 is selling for less than $2,500 at amazon.

These prices contrast heavily with the prices of flat-panel plasma TV sets, which at $5,000 and up for a new 50-inch HDTV plasma television, renders plasma still out of reach of many households budgets.

A never ending list of features and enhancements for the 'xxHM84' series of Toshiba HDTV's!

'HM84 Toshiba HDTV Sets' Product Specs - A Detailed Analysis:

All three models in the series of 'xxHM84' DLP rear projection Toshiba HDTV sets come packed with identical features and specifications except for a different screen size; more specifically, the 46HM84  comes with a 46-inch 16:9 wide screen, the 52HM84 has got a 52-inch screen, while their big brother, the 62HM84 comes with a 62-inch wide 16:9 wide screen.

Texas Instruments HD2+ DLP Chip: To start with, these Toshiba HDTV sets make use of the latest generation of micro-mirror digital technology DLP chip from Texas Instruments -  using the HD2+ in place of the HD3.

Though both HD2+ and HD3 DLP chips have got a native resolution of 1280x720p (progressive), yet the HD2+ is  physically larger than the HD3 chip at 0.8" instead of the 0.55" of the HD3. The HD2+ offers increased switching speed and a reduced pivot point for a higher reflective surface area. The result is improved contrast and brightness. The Plus version  also utilizes double mirror speed for a 9-bit system that significantly reduces any dithering noise. The result is a bright, deep, clear, and true to life image.

TALEN™ DLP Engine: This stands for 'Toshiba Advanced Light Engine' and is designed to maximize the brightness and contrast of the Texas Instruments HD2+ DLP chip used in these Toshiba projection TV sets. Thanks to this DLP technology, Toshiba projection TVs challenge direct-view CRT TVs when it comes to reproducing deep blacks and crisp details in dark or shadowy scenes.

HDTV-Ready: This means that though there is no HDTV tuner built-in, yet if you feed in a HDTV signal from an over-the-air broadcast or digital cable, you can enjoy the full benefits of HDTV.

It is worth mentioning here that these Toshiba HDTV sets are also capable of making a good show out of a standard-definition video signal, thanks to Toshiba's multistep PixelPure video processing system, which optimizes the picture resolution, contrast, and color.

Further more, all incoming signals are unconverted by the built-in 'scaler' to match the DLP chip's 720p resolution. Toshiba proprietary TheaterFine HD Super Fine Pitch screen feature reduces the physical space between the lines on the lenticular screen, resulting in a finer, sharper, more detailed picture.

Use of Advanced Video Technology: The 'xxHM84' rear projection Toshiba HDTV sets are capable of excellent picture quality - thanks to the use of a number of Toshiba proprietary advanced video processing circuitry.

Among these is the use of HD Dynamic Contrast - where intelligent circuitry analyzes both the dark and bright areas of the picture, and separately optimizes the dynamic range in each area. This results in sharper, deeper image with rich colors and more life-like pictures.

PixelPure™ - makes use of a suit of eight different digital video processing circuits that combine to create a consistently clearer, deeper, and more accurate picture. Used in Toshiba Plasma, LCD, and DLP™ TVs, it also allows Toshiba to have consistent picture quality across different display technologies.

Other interesting video features worth mentioning include:

CableClear DNR+ digital noise reduction which optimizes poor NTSC signals from antenna or cable, by minimizing video noise - often referred to as snow - for a clean, crisp image.

Cinema Mode circuitry (3:2 pulldown), which identifies original film-based content from DVDs, to reassemble the frame sequence to more accurately reproduce the original 24-frame-per-second material.

A 3D Y/C (4 MB, 10-bit) digital comb filter with Vertical Contour Correction - this helps eliminate dot crawl and color bleed and significantly reduces detail noise, seen as shimmering or flicker, in complex or intricately detailed scenes.

Color temperature controls allow you to adjust white balance. The 'Warm' setting reduces the color temperature to an NTSC-standard 6,500 degrees Kelvin and delivers a redder image that is ideal for display in a dimly lit room. 'Medium' and 'Cool' provide a progressively bluer image for the best picture as light levels are increased - e.g. when viewing under day-light.

These DLP Toshiba HDTV sets make use of a high quality 120-Watt DC lamp which supports instant restart allowing the TV set to be turned on immediately after shutdown. In addition, the use of Toshiba Radiance Lamp ™ feature helps extend the lamp life by allowing the user to easily shift between a high brightness mode and low power 100W mode - suitable for viewing in a darkened room.

TV Audio: For those who would not be using a dedicated home theater receiver, these DLP Toshiba projection TV sets come with a 20-watts-per-channel stereo speaker system, and offers a number of enhanced audio features.

'SRS WOW' combines SRS 3D (simulated surround sound) to create a wide virtual three-dimensional sound field, while TruBass boosts bass frequency perception for a more dramatic low-frequency effect; the Focus feature helps raise the perceived sound image vertically to clarify voices - thus greatly enhancing home-theater sound.

StableSound maintains television volume within a preset range regardless of the source signal - this eliminating drastic volume spikes e.g. when changing channels or during a commercial break.

The Toshiba HDTV 'xxHM84' series uses Multi-channel Television Sound (MTS) standard for stereo sound and SAP (secondary audio programming) for receiving a second audio track in another language.

Inputs and Connections: The 'HM84' series of Toshiba HDTV's come with plenty of inputs for connecting all your audio and video components. Rear connections include two RF, two composite, two S-video, and two HD ColorStream components, as well as a HDMI digital input. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is an uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface that supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus 8-channel digital audio - all on a single cable. A set of front composite and S-video inputs make hooking up a game console or camcorder a snap.

Other Features: Other features include HD Window dual-tuner POP (picture-on-picture) with PIP sound for listening to two programs simultaneously, individual audio/video settings by input type, sleep and wake timers, Real Speed progressive scanning to create smoother diagonal lines, channel labeling, multi-language (French, English, Spanish) menu, and V-chip support.

These Toshiba HDTV sets also include a 'TV Guide On Screen'; this is an interactive program guide that offers simple, user-friendly channel surfing.

These Toshiba HDTV sets come with an illuminated universal remote that supports up to four different devices e.g.  TV, VCR, Cable box, and DVD player, a standard 1-year parts & labor limited manufacturer's warranty, and user's manual.

Product Dimensions and Weight:

As already indicated earlier on, all products in this series of DLP Toshiba HDTV sets share the same technical features and specs, except for product dimensions and weight; the latter are being summarized in the table below: