Hitachi 43UWX10B 43 in. TV
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- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 4:3 Enhanced 14:9
- Weight: 153 lb.
- Screen Size: 43 inch
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43 FDX 10B not UWX
Pros
Excellent value for the money. Picture is incredible
Cons
none noted
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Value, picture quality and versatility, plus great quality makes this a bargain in this size HDTV.
Not seeing a place to review the FDX model, I am using this UWX spot instead. The 3 Hitachi models for 2001 are the UWX, FDX and DX. They are listed in order of decreasing features and price.
The FDX10B I purchased, at Circtuit City, cost $1650, plus a free DVD player, or take a credit of $100 for the DVD player and use it to lower the price or buy something else. The DVD player was an Apex model selling for $90. I took the $100 credit and bought a Panasonic, model DVDRA60K, reviewed elsewhere.
I also bought the stand that Hitachi makes for this TV. It matches the set perfectly, and you need a stand for a TV of this size. I installed six swivel casters on it to allow me to move it around easily. You need to consider that ability, since the TV is over 140 pounds.
The TV is HDTV ready, meaning it will process digital signals from a DVD player, and broadcast TV (Cable most likely) that is digital in nature.
You need a digital TV (HDTV) tuner to actually process the TV signal though. This TV doesn't have one.
You may have noticed that some shows are broadcast in HDTV format now, but there aren't many. They are during prime time only right now.
At this time most sales people are recommending HDTV capable monitors, not HDTV's with tuners. The extra cost is considerable, and not worth it at this time due to the low number of shows available. Add about $800 to a TV for the HDTV digital tuner.
Back to the TV- I considered the size of my room, and decided that 43 to 47 inches of screen was enough, given that I would not be sitting very far away. I am about 12 feet away. The main viewing chair is further away than the couch, and for visitors I wanted a screen size that would be good for them on the couch also. Another reason to consider a smaller size, unless you have digital signals available, such as digital cable or satellite TV, is this:
The bigger the screen size the more you will see the actual poor quality of today's regular TV signals. Projection TV's make that very apparent. I hope for a better TV picture once digital cable is available in my area.
I chose this particular TV for a number of reasons, beyond price and size. Hitachi actually makes projection TV components for a number of other manufacturers, including Mitsubishi. Their technology is cutting edge, and their quality is highly rated.
This set offers true switchable 1080i and 540p selection, as well as numerous component inputs, great two-tuner PIP, and good sound. Not great, just good sound.
The picture is bright, and very adjustable, both for what you are watching, such as sports, movies, news, etc., and for color temperature. You can set one of 3 temperatures for the picture you want. Choosing different modes, such as sports or movies, also changes how the TV processes sound. I found the sound to be excellent with the speakers in the TV. That's only for TV watching. For DVD's the sound is pretty awful when compared to 5.1 sound.
I also hooked up surround sound, including a sub-woofer, and use that exclusively for movies.
This is where the TV really comes alive. Watching DVDs is amazing. It really is like going to a theater. Many DVDs actually improve on the theater experience by offering many extras.
When considering a projection TV pay attention to whether or not you are getting component inputs, and buy a DVD player and TV that supports progressive scan. This ones does, and it makes DVD playing an incredible experience.
You can set this TV up so that when you turn on the DVD player with the remote, it also turns on the TV and switches its input to the DVD player. Couldn't be easier!!
The remote control will handle just about anything you can throw at it, including your amplifier, CD player, and VCR. I found nothing I had that couldn't be programmed to be controlled by the remote. It is also lighted, meaning that you press the 'light' button and most of the buttons on the remote glow for a short time. Nice in a dim room!
A previous review mentioned the "shimmery" quality of the picture on his 01B set, a 2000 model (not this new 10B, 2001 model).
This set has been available since July or August of 2001.
I saw nothing like the effect he described on my set, either at home or at the store. I think the picture is superb, and I am a very critical viewer.
This TV offers 5 aspect ratio modes, as well as the 4 previously mentioned theater modes. If you like to adjust your picture, this set will allow you to do that in spades. It also has convergence controls to reset everything to factory levels as the set ages.
I updated this review today, 11-13-02 to let you know that I am still completely happy with this TV. It now costs less of course, but I still highly recommend it.
The FDX10B I purchased, at Circtuit City, cost $1650, plus a free DVD player, or take a credit of $100 for the DVD player and use it to lower the price or buy something else. The DVD player was an Apex model selling for $90. I took the $100 credit and bought a Panasonic, model DVDRA60K, reviewed elsewhere.
I also bought the stand that Hitachi makes for this TV. It matches the set perfectly, and you need a stand for a TV of this size. I installed six swivel casters on it to allow me to move it around easily. You need to consider that ability, since the TV is over 140 pounds.
The TV is HDTV ready, meaning it will process digital signals from a DVD player, and broadcast TV (Cable most likely) that is digital in nature.
You need a digital TV (HDTV) tuner to actually process the TV signal though. This TV doesn't have one.
You may have noticed that some shows are broadcast in HDTV format now, but there aren't many. They are during prime time only right now.
At this time most sales people are recommending HDTV capable monitors, not HDTV's with tuners. The extra cost is considerable, and not worth it at this time due to the low number of shows available. Add about $800 to a TV for the HDTV digital tuner.
Back to the TV- I considered the size of my room, and decided that 43 to 47 inches of screen was enough, given that I would not be sitting very far away. I am about 12 feet away. The main viewing chair is further away than the couch, and for visitors I wanted a screen size that would be good for them on the couch also. Another reason to consider a smaller size, unless you have digital signals available, such as digital cable or satellite TV, is this:
The bigger the screen size the more you will see the actual poor quality of today's regular TV signals. Projection TV's make that very apparent. I hope for a better TV picture once digital cable is available in my area.
I chose this particular TV for a number of reasons, beyond price and size. Hitachi actually makes projection TV components for a number of other manufacturers, including Mitsubishi. Their technology is cutting edge, and their quality is highly rated.
This set offers true switchable 1080i and 540p selection, as well as numerous component inputs, great two-tuner PIP, and good sound. Not great, just good sound.
The picture is bright, and very adjustable, both for what you are watching, such as sports, movies, news, etc., and for color temperature. You can set one of 3 temperatures for the picture you want. Choosing different modes, such as sports or movies, also changes how the TV processes sound. I found the sound to be excellent with the speakers in the TV. That's only for TV watching. For DVD's the sound is pretty awful when compared to 5.1 sound.
I also hooked up surround sound, including a sub-woofer, and use that exclusively for movies.
This is where the TV really comes alive. Watching DVDs is amazing. It really is like going to a theater. Many DVDs actually improve on the theater experience by offering many extras.
When considering a projection TV pay attention to whether or not you are getting component inputs, and buy a DVD player and TV that supports progressive scan. This ones does, and it makes DVD playing an incredible experience.
You can set this TV up so that when you turn on the DVD player with the remote, it also turns on the TV and switches its input to the DVD player. Couldn't be easier!!
The remote control will handle just about anything you can throw at it, including your amplifier, CD player, and VCR. I found nothing I had that couldn't be programmed to be controlled by the remote. It is also lighted, meaning that you press the 'light' button and most of the buttons on the remote glow for a short time. Nice in a dim room!
A previous review mentioned the "shimmery" quality of the picture on his 01B set, a 2000 model (not this new 10B, 2001 model).
This set has been available since July or August of 2001.
I saw nothing like the effect he described on my set, either at home or at the store. I think the picture is superb, and I am a very critical viewer.
This TV offers 5 aspect ratio modes, as well as the 4 previously mentioned theater modes. If you like to adjust your picture, this set will allow you to do that in spades. It also has convergence controls to reset everything to factory levels as the set ages.
I updated this review today, 11-13-02 to let you know that I am still completely happy with this TV. It now costs less of course, but I still highly recommend it.
