BEST PICTURE PERIOD

Author's Rating:

Pros: Features, design, price, Actual HDTV picture is Flawless like Glass! Remote. DVI.

Cons: Extra cost of stand, which all TVs have, and seems unfair.

The Bottom Line: 
This is the best of the LCD TVs when actually being used with HDTV. Looks better than in the showroom, when in your home.

Author's Review
I had this TV before I upgraded to the 60" model. And with HDTV everyone who came around was impressed. It has alot of options that are not hard to play with, and easy to reset if you error. With the UPconvert DVD players thru the DVI port, the picture at 1080i is flat out stunning. I looked long and hard on this one, it was easy just to buy the second one. Everything had to be Sony before this with TVs. However I was impressed with Hitachi and what I read about them, and what read was almost an understatement.

For a LCD it does well in daylight, there appears to be an antiglare covering, which also is useful.I'd never sit any projection, LCD, DLP or plasma TV near sunlight. But unlike most in indirect sun, you have a wonderful picture.

Without getting technical, advantages here, are ability to adjust 7 not 3 colors, ability to connect to current technology , UNbeliveable HDTV picture, Value and styling. While not trendy, this looks flat out impressive. The design has class and looks modern, almost Art-Deco and many TVs are a bit overdone for most rooms, in the sense they seem not to fit decor.

Compared to rival TVs, this one seems to be best at details in the picture quality, and when paying this much, one assumes you want HDTV, not just basic cable, and this is the area Hitachi delivers.

Simply put, you go out you look at a TV in a showroom, get it home, and you wonder why the picture never looks as good, in this case, the oppsite is true, you hook it up to cable HDTV, and you will never want to watch anything else. It is like looking thru glass, at the world. And that is value.

While not DLP, it still has a better picture, in actual use.
I will add the picture when not used with HDTV or a DVD UPconvert scaling player is not on the level it can be. This however is changing all the time with new channels added, to HDTV, and more widescreen programs. ASLO the 4:3 Expanded does a GREAT job of making Full screen into Widescreen.

I had this TV for over a year, no lamp fade, no problems. I suggest an extended warranty on anything with a high price tag, just in case. However I am having the same positive luck with it's larger 60" brother.

Hitachi will a bit harder to find in all stores is worth looking for, and it is the first brand that made me stray from my Sony world. Just more bang for the buck, and frankly
a flat out better design for any home. With the added bonus of the best picture.

Note: If you have a HDMI or need a HDMI connection, the DVI to HDMI converters worked perfect witt this TV.

Note: There is one interesting thing I have found, that comparing this the 60V500A to my 50V500 that the picture here is brighter, and more vivid, being a year newer model, am sure this is in the technology, the only trade off, you give up when going from the 50" to the 60" is a slight loss of detail, however this is only seen with DVD, not HDTV. You gain size and the picture is truly amazing. This seems to be the case with most larger TVs, however none compare to the Hitachi picture, none at all.