| Overall Rating |    |
| Picture Quality | |
| Value For Money | |
Toshiba Regza 46XV645U Review
The Toshiba Regza 46XV645U
If you’re looking for an affordable HDTV, you should take a look at the entry-level models. The Toshiba Regza 46XV645U, for example, comes for as low as $800 but offers some excellent features of its own.
Design
The Regza 46XV645U may not be an eye-catching piece, but it remains attractive enough. Its glossy black frame is less than two inches thick and accented only by the Toshiba logo - which can be turned off - and a silver strip at the bottom known as the Deep Lagoon design, which adds a third dimension to the set. Its tabletop stand lacks swivel capability but blends in nicely.
Its clicker is fairly light and can handle up to four devices. It has glow-in-the-dark buttons, too, which make up for the absence of a backlight. The on-screen menu is pretty much the same as other Regza models and is user-friendly enough, although you’ll have to dig deep to find some important functions, like the advanced picture settings, and try out each function to understand it due to the lack of explanatory text.
Screen/Picture Clarity
The Regza 46XV645U is highly touted for its Resolution+ technology. Unfortunately, this only adds edge enhancement to standard definition images and does little to improve the picture quality overall. Indeed, the colors remain subdued compared to those of other HDTV sets, the black levels are not as deep and the shadow detail isn’t that impressive, either. Still, most people won’t notice these, especially after some calibration.
As for video processing, this Regza HDTV comes with a 120Hz ClearFrame function, allowing it to deliver good motion resolution for sports programming or watching fast-paced movies. It properly displays, de-interlaces and up-converts other sources, too, and has a Cinema Mode for 24p sources.
Features
Like most low-cost HDTVs, the Toshiba Regza 46XV645U does not have an interactive suite. It has a number of picture adjustments, though, to help you achieve the best images, and an AutoView function which automatically sets the ideal parameters based on the incoming signals. It also allows you to freeze a frame and instantly reduce the volume by half, while its DynaLight function automatically adjusts the backlight to suit the viewing environment. Three HDMI inputs, two component-video inputs and a PC input are provided.
Clearly, the Toshiba Regza 46XV645U is not as impressive as many other HDTVs in the market. Then again, it’s not as expensive, either, so if you’re not too particular about the image quality of your HDTV or don’t mind the lack in interactive features, this Regza HDTV is sure to save you some money.
<< Click HERE to Read The Latest Toshiba Regza 46XV645U User Reviews >>
The TV looks nice and crisp. My xbox 360 was plug and play with no tweaking. DVDs and video games look great. The menus are mostly easy to use, though I hardly changed anything out of the box. I like the ability to label inputs or even have the TV skip unused inputs. Viewing photos off a USB drive is very intuitive and easy. There are tons of connection options, even one (seemingly rare) s-video port.
My only disapointment is the VGA port. For some reason, it does not allow resolutions higher than 1280×1080 to be viewed (as listed in the manual), leaving garish black bars on the side of the screen. Worse, the normal zoom function that can be used when watching TV or HDMI sources doesn’t work as well with the VGA port. It only lets you stretch the image horizontally instead of “zooming” in, so even if you change your computer to output a widescreen format, you can’t get it to fill the screen. A bargin basement Insigna I’ve used takes full 1080 inputs just fine. If you plan on connecting a computer to a VGA port, look somewhere else or plan on upgrading your video card to output DVI andusing a DVI-HDMI cable (something I cannot do with my laptop).
This is not related to the product, but I got my TV shipped by CEVA Logistics and it was the worst delivery experience I’ve had. Delivery took more than a week longer than estimated and was not white glove. Once I hooked everything up myself, I noticed that the box was taped together and the manual and remote were missing (thanks to Toshiba for providing free replacements), leading me to believe CEVA destroyed the packaging, lost the contents, and took a week covering up their mistake before getting it to me. I would have rathered paid the sales tax and bought from a brick and mortar store instead of dealing with them. My rating doesn’t reflect my shipping experience.
I purchased this from Buydig, great deal at about $790.
This TV is very light for the size, has a nice case design, great picture
and sound, lots of useful connectors in the back including 3 HDMI, one PC
input (the PC works great). The remote is simple but practical.
DVDs look sharp with my upscaling Teac system using the HDMI connection.
I decided for this model because it looked great in the store compared to the Samsungs,
LGs and other brands and because it is a BEST BUY according to Consumer Reports magazine.
I still have to try it with Netflix when I get my Roku box.
The TV performs equal to or better than the comments noted in other 5 star ratings. We have used the set with both Dish and DirecTV over the past few months and are impressed with the picture clarity in all formats from 480i to 1080i. We have not yet used it in the 1080p format.
Setup was easy since it was a replacement for a 32 inch Toshiba set. Amazon scheduled shipment originally for after Christmas, but the set became available much earlier and was received in early December. White Glove delivery was made exactly as scheduled, the set was installed, the deliverer made sure it was operating to our satisfaction, he gathered the boxes, cleaned up, and was attentive to our requests throughout.
We did learn in the setup process that the HDMI cable used on our 32 inch, 60hz set was inadequate for the 120hz set. Upon replacement with a category 2 cable, picture quality became flawless. Picture quality to the edge of the screen is uniform and there are no errant pixels anywhere on the screen.
The picture quality is pretty good.
The sound is acceptable without any sound system.
But it has a plastic/electronic smell that I am always a little worried some circuits got shorted and burning. First I thought it was because of the new-set smell thing. But after a month, the smell is still there. So I am not sure.
After already owning (and being quite satisfied) with a previous Toshiba Regza (42hl67) - when I decided to get a larger lcd, I certainly put Toshiba at the top of my list. I did some research on LG, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba and weighed the cons of each television that suited my preferences. The LG televisions I was comparing to this Toshiba have been known to have lip synch issues, while this particular Toshiba line has audio distortion problems over hdmi. I chose the Toshiba over the LG because I felt the lip synch problems with the LG would be more of a nuisance for me.
Sony and Samsung had good sets, but at a higher price, and they certainly didn’t seem anymore immune to failure than Toshiba or LG. I’m sure some brands are more susceptible to breaking down, but just paying more for a television doesn’t mean that it’s going to last longer. I’ve owned my previous Toshiba for a little over 2 years without any major issues, so this of course had a big impact on my decision.
I purchased my TV from a local BB on sale. I purchased the insurance and my total with taxes was just over 1K. Reading some peoples’ experiences who paid up to $2000 on other televisions and then have them break down in 3-6 months was a scary thought, so I paid a bit more for peace of mind.
On the 46xv645 itself:
The user interface is a mixed bag, very easy to change inputs, picture size, mostly due to the functionality of the remote. Digging through the menus is a different story, I have a lot patience with settings and will usually keep at it until I find what settings are useful to me. There is an abundance of color adjustments that I’d rather not deal with unless I have a proper calibration disc or other aid.
The picture quality after some rather basic adjustments is fantastic, at least compared to my previous Toshiba. Some settings such as noise reduction seem to work poorly with HD satellite channels, I turned both of the settings off. The Resolution+ setting also doesn’t seem fit for HD channels, but I did use it at a low setting for gaming. At first it seemed that the extra 4 inches for this tv seemed like a bad thing for HD stations - I couldn’t quite get as natural a picture as I was getting with my 42″. After some more adjustments, this TV really does look a lot better than my first lcd.
The second day of owning the TV we experienced the dreaded audio issue over hdmi. Since I was aware of the issue and I based my purchase on many combined factors, I was disappointed but willing to put up with it. I can just use my surround system if the speakers get intolerable.
Gaming is fantastic on this TV, this (and I’m sure blu-ray as well) is where the TV really shines. I never experienced delayed reaction with my other Toshiba, and this one is no different.
Once this series (xv645) is unavailable, Toshiba will be stepping up to LED back-lit models. Many stores are already out of the 46xv645 and those that have them are probably low in stock. If the audio issue is not deal breaker for you, then this is really good tv to keep in mind if you are looking to getting a good sized lcd in the very near future.
I did considerable price shopping before buying. The picture quality is excellent and I could connect both my DirecTV box and my DVD player with HDMI. The sound quality is not quite as good as the DLP it replaced, but the picture is better and the price is right.
The TV works just as advertised. The setup was extremely easy and worked right out of the box. The speakers on the TV are terrible, but that was well documented in most places like Consumer Reports, so I knew this going in. You don’t buy tv’s like this though for the good speakers that it comes with though, usually you add your own speaker system so this is a problem that will go away as fast as you get your system hooked up.
All in all a nice TV for the price.
After reading the many positive reviews for this TV and considering its price point, I bought it and couldn’t be happier. This TV definitly lives up the consumers reports best buy or maybe best picture quality for the price rating (don’t remember) as it has a great picture even though I am still currently using it on standard digital cable and not HD. At $880 when I bought this TV this really was comparatively a fantastic value for the quality of this product. I gave no rating under gaming as I have not used it for gaming yet.
Bought the TV in January. Good picture, for a decent price. Started having problems immediately. Remote wouldn’t control TV. TV control panel wouldn’t control TV. Toshiba sent me a new remote. Didn’t fix the problem. Had their authorized service center order a new power board. Didn’t fix the problem. Have to turn the TV on and off with a separate power strip. TV goes off on it’s own, for no reason. Techs came to install another new power board, and a main board, then decided that wouldn’t fix the problem. They are now ordering a new sensor and control panel for the TV. Four months later, still not working right. And forget Toshiba customer service…they are a bunch of corporate shills, reading off the same response…”we are sorry you are having problems and can understand your frustration…blah, blah, blah.”
I’m calling the Better Business Bureau and the Ohio Dept. of Consumer Affairs.
I purchased this set to replace an old CRT model and have been blown away by the quality of the picture. Truly one of the best bang-for-the-buck models out there. That said, there are two common problems that people have experienced with this set and others in the Toshiba Regza series. I had both, but have found solutions.
1. CABLE REMOTE CONTROL INTERFERENCE
When the TV is in “auto-view” mode (the default), it emits an IR signal to measure ambient light, and adjusts the TV’s backlight brightness accordingly. This signal can cause remote controls for certain cable boxes (in my case, a Motorola DCH6416 from Suddenlink) to work intermittently or in some cases not at all. From what I’ve read, remote controls for some other devices (satellite boxes, audio systems, etc.) can also be affected. The solution is simply to switch the TV from “auto-view” to one of the fixed modes such as “standard”. Granted, this is not a perfect fix as you are disabling an advertised feature of the TV that you’ve paid for. Some others have reported that separating the TV and the affected device by several feet will eliminate the issue as well, although this may not be practical depending on the physical setup of your system. For me, disabling AutoView solved the problem and I’m satisfied with that.
2. AUDIO DISTORTION/ECHO USING HDMI INPUT
Search the web and you’ll find this to be a common issue as well: after several hours of use, the sound can become distorted and tinny, with a buzzing sound and an odd “echo” effect. This affects the TV’s own speakers as well as the signal coming from the set’s audio output jacks. Toshiba has known about this problem for some time; from their web site (dated 3/26/10):
“To ensure the satisfaction of our customers and to maintain the integrity and quality of our products, Toshiba America Consumer Products, L.L.C. (”TACP”) is posting this notice about the 40XV645U, 40XV648U, 46XV645U, 46XV648U, 52XV645U, 52XV648U, 42ZV650U, 47ZV650U, 55ZV650U, 46SV670U, 55SV670U TVs. This is not a safety issue.
Recently, it has come to our attention that users of a small percentage of those model TVs that we have shipped and are used in connection with a set top box via HDMI may experience a random audio echo while watching programming. If this were to occur, it would only be after many hours of continuous viewing and can be temporarily resolved by turning the TV off and on again.
If this audio echo is interfering with your enjoyment of your TV, please contact TACP Customer Solutions at 1-800-631-3811.”
The permanent fix is to upgrade the firmware from ver 6.1.43 to 6.1.45 by downloading from Toshiba’s support site at [...]. This admittedly is not for the technically challenged, as it requires downloading the firmware executable, extracting the contents to a USB flash drive, then finally applying the patch to the TV via a somewhat convoluted procedure. I initially had some problems, and it wasn’t until I manually changed the directory structure of the flash drive to put the boot image file in the root (instead of a sub-folder as created by the upgrade installer) that I was able to get it to work. But then again, I’m a tinkerer with a fair amount of computer knowledge, and I was determined to figure it out by myself. Those not so inclined would probably find that Toshiba’s tech support would walk them through the process, and I’ve even heard in some cases they will send you a flash drive with the patch pre-installed — all you have to do is insert it into the TV’s USB port and turn it on.
These two issues aside, I’m very pleased with this set.
I bought this TV around Thanksgiving of 2009 for around $1k. At that time it was the best value by far for a 46″, 120hz HDTV. It can be bought today for $700 and for that price it is an outstanding deal. I just bought another one for our son as no other HDTV at that price point available today can match it for picture quality verses screen size.
The black levels for this set are about the best you can find in an LCD TV. The screen is low gloss which all but eliminates reflections. The menu has a wealth of settings and options. The picture quality is so good it almost looks like 3D.
This set is being closed out and can be had for a fantastic price. The fact it still competes so well with newer TVs while at the end of its manufacturing run shows just how good this HDTV is. If you are looking for a good deal then snatch one of these up before they are all gone.
I have had my Toshiba 46XV645U TV for about a week now. It replaced an old RCA projection TV that was HD “ready” and actually had a decent picture in HD bur nothing like the newer tv’s I had seen. I was lucky enough to find the TV at Walmart for $699 plus tax with free shipping to my house. It was packaged very well with the factory carton inside a very heavy shipping carton. Delivery was by FedX. The TV is ready to place where you want it when you get it out of the shipping carton’s as the stand is already attached to the TV. While my wife put the batteries in the remote, I plugged it in and attached the HDMI cable from my Directv HD DVR and was ready to go.
After a short read of part of the manual, and determining that the picture setting should be on “native” for the best HD picture, we both were amazed at the picture quality. I went to the Direct web site and found the code to program into my Direct remote for the TV. The only issue, as has been discussed on several of the reviews, was after a short time, the remote stopped working until the TV was turned off and back on, and then everything worked OK for another bit, and then it did the same thing. I couldn’t get a lot of help from online sources but when reading the TV manual a little closer, found where it stated that some issues were possible with HDMI equipment connected to the TV. I began experimenting with the settings and finally found the one that solved the problem for me. It was the speed setting for the on /off on the TV. I set mine to the fast setting and have had no problem since. I think the other setting was constantly emitting a signal that interfered with the Direct receiver.
The sound for us is ok as we weren’t using a theater system on the other TV although I am considering at least a sound bar. It seems silly to have the capabilities of this TV and not use them. All in all, I am VERY pleased with everything from the price, shipping and operation of the TV.
We bought this TV 1 1/2 years ago and it decided to act up 2 days after the 1 year warranty was up! Once we checked on the warranty, we kept hoping that it was the fact that we weren’t using an HDMI cable - so we bought one. THat didn’t help the main problem we were having. The first thing that showed up was a red line down the left side of the screen, eventually turned green and blue. This was the problem that seemed to be solved with the HDMI cable… and FYI: the Topshiba Service people are clueless!
THe MAJOR PROBLEM is the double images, lines and un-viewable picture which we were also hoping was going to be fixed with the HDMI cable. NOPE! Just tapping the TV lightly on the back seemed to help for a while but NOW, it is always there. You can’t watch the TV. We are now going to have to take it to an authorized service center. Every TV that I have ever had ATLEAST lasted me 7 years - most 10 years…. BUT C’mon, 1 YEAR! HORRIBLE!!!!! Be Careful - and if it isn’t the money, I would recommend a Sony or LG. If it is money, a Vizio or Sanyo with do this same job and last a heck of a lot longer.
We purchased one ~ 2 months ago and had it delivered. Now at random intervals, the picture flickers when it is turned on. Turning off and then back on again fixes the problem, but I’m still going to send it in for repair/ replacement.