Toshiba 42H83 42-Inch TheaterWide HD High-Definition Projection TV
A great set - but one glaring problem
I purchased this set and was extremely happy with the picture quality, brightness and features.  However, after setting it up, I found that if there is any ambient light source directly in line with the set and the viewer (in our case an overhead living room light), there was a large white glare in the center-top of the screen.<br />This glare was so pronounced that it made viewing in a non-dark room unacceptable.<br />I went to the local electronics dealer with a flashlight and did some experimenting with different light sources on different sets.  I found that all rear projection sets have this glare to some degree or another (there was some speculation on the electronics' rep's part that this is caused by back scattering reflection from the lenses in front of the projectors), but the 42H83 was easily 10 - 20 times worse than any other set.<br />To see the problem, stand in front of the set with a standard flashlight and shine it directly at the screen.  Start in the lower left corner, and sweep the flashlight to the right, then up, etc... - you'll find one spot (about 1 foot by 5 or 6 inches) where the reflection from the flashlight is significantly brighter than anywhere else on the screen.<br />If your home theater room has no overhead lighting in line with the viewer and the screen, then this set is fine - but in the case of an overhead ceiling fan light, you might be dissapointed.<br />I called Toshiba technical support and asked about this - the rep denied that a problem existed, and that if there were manufacturing defects, the warranty would cover the problem.  I asked about design deffects, and he pretty much said that was my problem not theirs.<br />Needless to say, I returned the set immediately - I think it says a lot when a company is not willing to stand behind their product, even if it has a design defect...<br />I hate to knock a product that has such fantastic features/price point, etc... but this one design problem, at least in my living room, was a deal killer.