Toshiba REGZA 40RF350U Super Narrow 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

I purchased this TV in May and within a month it started having thin vertical lines when first turned on. Over time the number of lines has increased. The TV was picked up by an authorized service center and a new panel was ordered. After a couple of weeks of waiting on the part, I was informed that the panel is on back order and would not be available before the end of December. I called Toshiba Customer Service and asked that they authorize the service center to return the TV to me so that I would have something to watch until the part was shipped; Toshiba refused.
Seems to me if a manufacturer doesn't bother to stock repair parts for TVs still under warranty, they should at least be willing to pay the cost of having the TV returned to the customer until the part is available. My advice to potential Toshiba customers is to have a backup device in case you ever need service since you may be waiting months to get your TV back. Or you could be smarter than me and buy a different brand.

The main reason for this purchase was it's size advantage over a 37 in Toshiba. Salesmen felt this set produced a better picture over the other Toshiba sets. I have been told that it is made by another company, not Toshiba. This set performs well but I do not have another LCD set to compare. I do have a Pioneer Plasma 50 in. that I like much better. If choosing between LCD and Plasma I would go with the Plasma. It is true the LCD is brighter and no glare but when I want to view TV, I find the color, depth and over all experience superior with the Plasma. Do not get me wrong, the Toshiba gives a beautiful picture and perfect out of box trouble free performance.

I have owned this TV for almost one year. Out of the box it was super easy to set up and get connected to HD (cable) content. I purchased it because it was the biggest set at the time to fit in my 39" wide armoire. I paid approximately $1400 at the time, and in hindsight I'd say it was money well spent. The thin bezel is nearly non-existent, the picture is good (not super...read on), and I have no major complaints about overall quality (no rainbows or loss of picture like some--that would suck, admittedly). Oh yeah, QAM tuner is nice too.

My gripes are: 1) slight flashlight effect in corners on dark pictures, and 2) color accuracy is not fantastic. The color issue is well documented in several notable websites that reviewed the set. As a normal TV user that simply enjoys the difference between standard def and HDTV, this picture is great. When watching sports (my main use), or playing on the Wii, I really enjoy the picture quality. I admit that I might think differently if I watched Blu-Ray movies in the dark. Also, it's not a 120hz set, so perhaps the motion performance isn't the best, but I can't tell.

All said, it's an attractive, armoire friendly TV with a streamline form-factor and good sports lover performance!

I hate this television and I despise Toshiba's service. My first 40RF450U had to be replaced due to a line of missing pixels. The second television is missing the entire left half of the screen. I can get a full picture if I stand in front of the TV and squeeze the case. The sides of the picture when viewing full screen is burned in ( what Toshiba told me was 'Hot Pixels'.) and can't be fixed. Toshiba has told me 'Tough Luck' on the half screen viewing. Do Not Buy Anything From Toshiba. It's $1600 down the drain.

I bought this LCD TV back in January and within 9 months I started getting a rainbow colored band of stripes on the left third of the screen which covered that portion of the program. Once the TV warmed, the full picture would sometimes return. It's now been in the shop for about 5 weeks with an "Authorized Toshiba Repair shop" What a joke -- they have no idea of how to fix it. They claim that the part they need is in back order with no estimate of when the part will come in. So basically I threw away $1400 on this piece of junk. My next stop is calling Toshiba directly and either demanding a full refund or a new TV. Wish me luck.