Gone are the Days of Expensive and Small, Welcome to Affordable and Big!
Written: Feb 03 '04 (Updated Feb 03 '04)
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Pros: Gorgeous Set - Extremely Detailed Picture - Price
Cons: Weighs more than the 50" Sony Grand Vega
The Bottom Line: Definitely worth both the price and a good look
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| vandalz's Full Review: Hitachi 50V500 HDTV-Ready TV |
Hitachi has long been an industry leader in electronics, and they continue to show it again and again each year. This year they decided to jump on the LCD/P (Liquid Crystal Display / Projection) bandwagon. They have introduced the 50V500A onto the market and not a moment too soon.
When I first crossed this television I was in awe. I had previously seen the Sony Grand Vega 60", and had been totally immersed in it, when I discovered the 50V500A by Hitachi. I immediately began to inquire about this television, and soon became a fan of the Hitachi. The first thing to catch my eye was the solid and clean looking display of the Hitachi. The front is solid silver with very few lines, but the lines weren’t as rounded, giving a more aggressive front display panel.
Now do not get me wrong, the Sony Grand Vega is not a slouch when it comes to LCD/P, but I just find myself happier looking at the 50V500A by Hitachi.
-- F E A T U R E S and R U N D O W N --
Cosmetic Styling
This unit is completely wrapped in silver from head to toe, with a blue LED (Light Emitting Diode) for the power light, and a black screen when not turned on. This unit is not boxy, but it is nothing like the Sony Grand Vega. The 50V500A is more aggressive with less contrast between screen and the unit molding.
Dimensions and Weights
This unit measures in at 35 ½ inches high, 54 3/8 inches wide, and 16 3/8 inches deep. The Sony Grand Vega 50” measures in at 36 ½ inches high, 54 ¼ inches wide, and 17 ¾ inches deep. The Sony weighs in at 82.2 pounds while the 50V500A by Hitachi weighs 112 pounds.
Viewing Angle
You should not have any trouble seeing this unit from almost any angle in the room. This set has nearly a 140-degree viewing angle with the ability to be seen from almost 160 degrees before the picture disappears. So if you are watching the game, and you have to leave the room for a minute, do not worry, you should still be able to see that unbelievable play and tell everyone else who left the room for a minute what they missed.
In comparison to the Sony Grand Vega, this set has about 10 degrees more viewing angle to work with.
Anti-Reflective Shield
Projection sets have been plagued with the problem of high glare when lighting is present, and finally they are making sets with an Anti-Reflective shield or cover. No more problems when there are normal to low light configurations, but if you are around high lighting situations such as a retail store, then you may come across some blurred glare; nothing huge but still not as attractive. By using this the images are easier to see, and sometimes even clearer.
Hitachi has incorporated the Anti-Reflective Shield into this unit, and it seems to work fairly well. When the lights in the Home Theater room is down on low, there isn’t any glare, but if the lights are at their fullest potential, then you can see some blurred images of lighting on the screen. This is still nothing like the old screens that literally you couldn’t see an image due to the reflection of lights in the picture.
Picture Quality
The picture quality is absolutely amazing. I have only seen one set that outperforms then unit when there is a high definition signal being sent to it, and that is the Samsung 43” DLP. This set is almost flawless when producing detailed, crisp, and accurate images without any distortion or artifacts.
The up converting feature built into this unit does extremely well, making even standard cable look like a low line DVD player signal. Run a progressive scan DVD player to this bad boy, and you are looking at near high definition quality once again. This set is truly extraordinary, but again the Samsung 43” DLP does have a bright and more defined picture with even less points of pixelation and a slightly larger viewing area in low lighting situations.
Sound
The sound is not extraordinary, but rather normal. If you expect a mind-blowing experience from two small speakers, then you are highly disillusioned. These speakers are better than those found on any 36” television, but they just do not have the accuracy of a home theater system. These speakers were designed to play everything properly, but not well. The highs are not very clear at higher volumes, and the lows are almost completely inaudible unless you crank it up for distortion to set in.
Inputs / Outputs
As if you had to ask this unit comes loaded with inputs to play with. Included with this set you have 2 Coaxial Inputs, 2 Component Inputs, 1 DVI Input, 2 RCA Analog Inputs for Audio / Video, and only one Audio / Video Monitor Out.
Setup
Setting this wonderful piece of equipment is not hard at all. It is only a matter of minutes and you should have this beauty working and ready to show off to the world. I have now set two of these units up myself, and let me tell you it is nothing to do.
You will need two people, of course, because this unit is by no means small. The both of you will un-box the unit, and begin to unwrap the Styrofoam surround around the television. You will then lift the unit out of the box and set in somewhere safe and sturdy. Then you will prepare a place to set this unit and set the unit in that place. Connect the power cord, and all additional connections according to their hookups, and then turn the set on. Total time elapsed should be around five (5) minutes.
Warranty
Hitachi offers you a manufacturers one year full warranty against all defects in workmanship. As long as the set fails due to something on their end, you are okay, but if they determine that it is your fault that the set isn’t working, or lack of maintenance on your part, you are out of luck and probably money.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2999.99
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vandalz
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Location: Pascagoula, MS
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Freelance programmer finishing up a project shortly. Watch for updates!
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