Ummm.......Okay. So if it is a VGA port, why isn't what I am trying to do working?
Based on what you are describing I would try a different VGA cable first - and make sure that the connections are secure on both ends. With analog video connections if all of the pins are not firmly connected (or if there is a break in one of the signal wires in the cable itself) then you will have color dropout - which can look like a faint gray screen (or faint red screen, or blue, etc...).
If you try another cable and it still doesn't seem to be changing, then I would also try dropping your desktop resolution to something like 800x600 or 720X480 if widescreen @ 60Hz at first. It's possible (tho less likely) that the TV is responding to an invalid refresh rate or resolution. If it looks good at that resolution, then try upping it in single increments until you reach the optimal res.
The other thing to make sure of is that (at least at first) you are switching over to the TV completely. You'll need to check your manual for the Toshiba, but usually if you use a combo to switch (like Function+F5 or similar) you have three modes: shared - i.e. desktop extends from the laptop screen onto the TV, cloned - both screens show the same thing, and swapped - your laptop screen is turned off and the TV is used as the only display. I don't know the specifics of the card you have in that laptop - but you might not have enough memory for running in dual-desktop mode at the resolution you're set at. By using the TV as your only display you can at least narrow down that possibility.
If you have another PC around with a VGA output on it - try using it to troubleshoot. If you connect it and it works - it's your laptop video card / laptop settings. If it looks identical to the laptop... then it's the cable or the TV's VGA input. If getting a new VGA cable doesn't change that... then it's DEFINITELY the TV... if it does, well then it was obviously the cable. If you got one of the Best Buy brand cables - I forget the name but the blue blister-packed cables they have all over the store - then it's possible (I would even say likely) that it's the cable. I've never had good luck with anything they sell in their own brand and the prices are ridiculous. Hit up Radio Shack or a Frys or even Walmart and you'll get a better quality cable for less money.
@TLS : BSA's link covered everything I'm sure (didn't look to see for sure) - but basically VGA is ONE of the numerous types of D-Sub connections. D-Sub simply describes the connector type itself... however, VGA is probably the best known with 9-pin serial being the second and 25-pin parallel being the third.
