Toshiba H82 vs. Hitachi 57UWX20B vs. Mits. 55411 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Bollman]

I am in the market for a RPTV to replace my 36" Panasonic Tau direct view. Can anyone give me some pro cons on the tv's I have listed above. I have narrowed it down to these based on cost primarily (around 2500). I will spend most of my time watching TW digital cable, some HDTV, and a good deal of DVD's. I do not have a home theatre audio system at this point so if all as were equal I would want the one with better audio. From the manufacturers specs it would appear that the toshiba h82 is the way to go. However, everyone I talk to says go for Mitsubishi. On the other hand my parents just got the Hitachi and it looks really good.

Can someone please help me narrow it down for me.

Oh and one last thing I have pretty much made up my mind to purchase it at a B&M store. I am in the Houston area and was wondering if anyone can make a recommendation for one that has good prices?



Thanks,

Mike B.

 

[MichaelFusick]

Here's how I see it:

Mits- Good set, but it is entry level (411) and only uses 4 element lenses compared to the Hitachi and the Toshiba which use 5 lenses. The Higher end Mits also use 5 lenses (but cost more too) It also has some RED PUSH, that at this time there is no FIX for. 511 and up has a fix for this, so I guess thats the lowest model Mits you should consider buying because atleast to my eyes, RED PUSH is very objectionable and this alone will degrade your picture. NO DVI

Toshiba- I always had problem with Toshiba mentally, I guess I read alot of quality control and repair issues with them. They are not rated as High as Mits or Hitachi, which are the two best/most reliable RPTV, with Hitachi #1 and Mits #2, followed by Sony I think. The Toshiba has a very good color decoder and color accuracy, but it also lacks details and resolution on DVD's that Mits and Hitachi have. It does have the best stretch mode for 4:3 material. It will probably have the speaker hissing issue too. NO DVI

Hitachi- Good set for the money overall, but not perfect. Rock solid reliability, but seems like screen defects plauge it so it's not completley perfect. Has best upconverter for 480i material compared to the others. Also has a wider viewing angle than the others. Has a stretch better than Mits, but not as good as Toshiba. It does have DVI.

None of the three Sets are perfect in my mind, but that's the comprimise you make at the price point. To me, the Hitachi does the least amount of things bad, so I would recomend it.

 

[wayne-sun]

Spend a long time researching set's myself and ended up with the Toshiba. The mits was not available in my area so it was not an option. The toshiba has very good stretch modes as compared to any of the other sets that I saw. As well the hitachi just didn't seem to have the same crispness as the toshiba when viewing the same source material. I was able to view both these set's as well as the panasonic 47wx52 in a viewing room with the same source feeds. My opinion the Toshiba is the best value. Also check this out for another view.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/hot...?ArticleID=167

 

[Jan Strnad]

I like Toshiba. If you have speaker hiss, that's a defect and they'll send out a service tech to fix it. On the new sets, it isn't likely you'll notice any sharpness difference on DVDs between Tosh and other makes, unless you're looking at a high-quality test disc and test patterns.

There is a slight red shift on the Tosh as you move to the right of the screen, most noticeable on black and white material. Other RPTVs also have a color shift, though (since the red lens will be closer to the right, the blue lens closer to the left), so look at the picture and see if you can see it on whatever sets you investigate.

Good luck,

Jan

 

[JimC_A]

I looked at the same sets you did. I chose the 50H82. I don't use the tv speakers, so the hiss isn't a factor. The picture is great on dvd's and HD HBO. Digital TimeWarner is hit or miss. Some channels are very good and others aren't. Take your time and do your shopping in a nice place that let's you bring your own material for reference. Get Monsters Inc or Shrek and test the rptv's out. That's what I did and found it helpful. Good luck.

 

[Mike Bollman]

Thanks for the replies everyone I really appreciate the honest feedback, both good and bad. I plan on going around this weekend and checking them out for myself to try and narrow it down a little.

I think right now I am primarily interested in the hitachi and toshiba, but I am still open minded.

Another question, how important is dvi or firewire to have and what does it do for me?

Thanks again,

Mike B.

 

[VicQ]

A correction regarding the mits is that the 5411 has 5 elements, according to the specs and the 311 has 4.

-Vic

 

[MichaelFusick]

Your right... 311 has four lenses

411 has five

 

[Mike Bollman]

ok how about the Hitachi 57SWX20B, it is the upgraded model over the uwx. What is different and is it worth the extra 500 dollars?

Thanks again.

 

[MichaelFusick]

The CRT's are much, much better.

Here is a quote from ThePerfectVision Magazine (this months)

"Let me start with the new HD-WIDENECK CRT's. These tubes are manufactured by Hitachi and have been redesigned for optimum performance in its 16X9 projectors, with 17% greater useable area. Other improvements include a narrower tube funnel (29.1mm) for greater deflection control, and a 36.5mm neck for a significantly larger electron gun, which increases focus and beam size by and average of 10%. The green CRT has an improved phosphor formulation that is optimized for HDTV. The set is also more resistant to uneven ageing (BURN IN) and reduces burn in. The lenses (also designed and built by Hitachi) are all new, with five larger diameter elements for a 20% improvement in contrast over last years models and a whopping 43% more brightness; they also 30% sharper than the "industry standard lens"