Hitachi 51S500 51 in. HDTV-Ready TV
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Similar in Projection Televisions
- Digital TV Standard: HDTV-Ready
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 14:9
- Weight: 238 lb.
- Built-in Tuner: NTSC
- Screen Size: 51 inch
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User ReviewRead All Reviews »
OK, I cracked and bought one - and I'm loving it!
Pros
Outstanding picture, robust features, good number of inputs and outputs, excellent remote, reasonable price
Cons
Bulky (as all CRT RPTVs are), no 720P capability
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Excellent features, build quality, and usability - if you're looking for a CRT RPTV in the $2k range, then the 51S500 is a serious contender.
I normally like to write a more complete review giving you options, but in this case, it'd require more time and space than I can give you here. In which case, before even considering this set, I'd be sure I knew the following:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of CRT, DLP, LCD and Plasma relative to each other?
- What kind of source will I primarily be watching (HDTV, regular cable/satellite, DVD)?
- What kind of programming do I mainly watch (sports, movies, sitcoms)?
- How long do I expect this set to last?
The world of TV has changed drastically lately. My advice - if you need help answering the above questions, take a few visits to the following websites:
http://www.avsforum.com
http://www.hdtvoice.com
http://www.hometheaterspot.com
Of course, when you're settled on a technology, use Epinions to review the individual sets :)
Back to the review - once you've decided on a widescreen CRT based HDTV capable rear projection set, and you've set your budget at around $2k (give or take, depending on promotions), you've got a few options: Sony, Mitsubishi and Hitachi all make good sets at that price range, with the differences between them being very slim to the average consumer. I eliminated Sony right off the bat, because extended research revealed that their televisions of late have not been very reliable. Since RPTVs are complex devices, and large, servicing them is not very easy or cheap. The decision came down to Mitsubishi and Hitachi.
The final decision was made in a showroom, which is a lousy place to buy a television. Most of them have their brightness/color/contrast settings jacked way up, in order to attract attention under the bright flourescent lights above (my local Circuit City and Best Buy are also both overly hot inside - for some reason, it gave me the feeling of Atlantic City).
The Hitachi ultimately was the most pleasing to me, with vibrant colors that were well metered. Convergance, which is the aiming of the three cathode ray tubes to make sure that they're all in alignment, can be done automatically within seconds (a welcome improvement over my older Toshiba set which had to be done manually and was a pain). The set was packed with features, including edge and black level enhancements (which although I've turned them off, they might be pleasing to your eye), and individual color level adjustments (had to turn red way down!). I don't use the sound on the set, but in trying it out it was excellent, and the set can be used as the center channel of a home theater if you so desire.
The set is loaded with inputs - five to be exact, with three component inputs and one DVI-D input. DVI is the latest input type, not supported by 99% of the consumer electronics on the market today. Depending on where you are, you might be able to swing an HDTV cable box with a DVI output. You can also purchase a DVD player with DVI outputs, but at the present time that will run you about $200, easily double what the average DVD player costs. DVI will become more popular in the next year or two, so you have some protection against the set being obsolete in a year.
HDTV - this set is capable of 1080i and 480p (actually 540p, but it downconverts and upconverts). I can accept a 720p signal, but you'd be watching it converted to 1080i or downconverted to 480p. At this price, a true 720p set is hard to find. I watched both modes, with regular television on 1080i and video games on 480p, and both were incredibly crisp and smooth, with very few artifacts and little banding. The Xbox, which requires a converter (typically $20) to put out HDTV, was simply outstanding. I can't put in words what it could do on this set versus my older Toshiba, and games in widescreen format were awesome.
As much as I love playing my Xbox, and watching HDTV shows, nothing beats DVDs on this set. Combine this with a good home theater sound system, and you're better off than you would be at the movies. Saving Private Ryan came to life on my set, and I've been in love with it since. The set has a 3:2 pulldown feature (called Movie Mode), which really enhances the 'film' quality of DVDs. If a widescreen set is in your future, be sure to only buy or rent DVDs that are widescreen! Fullscreen movies will need to either be stretched or watched with sidebars (the vertical equivalent of the letterbox bars you're used to seeing on 4:3 sets).
Regular cable television is a bit of a downer - word of advice, don't use the component inputs to take in standard cable signals, as the extra resolution will make the signal look horrible! (not the sets fault - you don't realize how bad your TV signal is until you spend some time watching good quality signals like HD and DVD). Most television content is still in 4:3 format, but luckily, the Hitachi has a stretch mode that will eliminate the need for sidebars. Stretch mode on the Hitachi was incredible (you can barely tell there's stretching going on), and you realize how good it is when you have another component that also stretches (my HD cable box does, and the resultant picture is horrendous). With the press of a button, you can switch between aspect ratios and incoming HD processing (1080i or 540p).
The remote is user friendly for a very feature filled set. The manual is decent, but you should read it once carefully, then read it again! No sense in paying for great features if you don't know how to use them.
Build quality with the Hitachi was outstanding - the set is very solid (and incredibly heavy!), and Hitachi's reputation of reliability is well known in the industry. The set comes with a one year warranty, but you have the option of purchasing an extended warranty through a retailer for anywhere from $200-400. Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of extended warranties for many things, but a RPTV is one of them. Because they're very large, and the internal components are expensive - you could easily end up paying 50-70% of the cost of the set repairing it if it breaks. Electronics generally either break early on in their life or at the end of the expected lifecycle, but in this case, one year of warranty didn't impress me (although, to be fair - it's the industry standard - Sony and Mitsubishi also both offered one year). It's here that you have to be a smart consumer - check to see if your credit card offers warranty protection (all major CCs offer some type of free or paid warranty extension, with coverage for repair by an authorized repair center and even replacement in some cases). You'd be surprised how many people get an extra year of warranty without even knowing it, and never leverage it!
To sum up - this is a beauty of a set. It's well constructed. It's feature packed. It has plenty of inputs (for the plethora of devices that put out TV signals these days), and is relatively easy to use for such a complex set. The bottom line is this though - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and ultimately, you're the one who will be beholding this set. Words can't do justice to the picture of this set IMO - you need to go see it for yourself. All I can do is stress that if you've decided on a widescreen rear projection television, and are set on spending around $2k (with tax and delivery included), do NOT overlook this set.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of CRT, DLP, LCD and Plasma relative to each other?
- What kind of source will I primarily be watching (HDTV, regular cable/satellite, DVD)?
- What kind of programming do I mainly watch (sports, movies, sitcoms)?
- How long do I expect this set to last?
The world of TV has changed drastically lately. My advice - if you need help answering the above questions, take a few visits to the following websites:
http://www.avsforum.com
http://www.hdtvoice.com
http://www.hometheaterspot.com
Of course, when you're settled on a technology, use Epinions to review the individual sets :)
Back to the review - once you've decided on a widescreen CRT based HDTV capable rear projection set, and you've set your budget at around $2k (give or take, depending on promotions), you've got a few options: Sony, Mitsubishi and Hitachi all make good sets at that price range, with the differences between them being very slim to the average consumer. I eliminated Sony right off the bat, because extended research revealed that their televisions of late have not been very reliable. Since RPTVs are complex devices, and large, servicing them is not very easy or cheap. The decision came down to Mitsubishi and Hitachi.
The final decision was made in a showroom, which is a lousy place to buy a television. Most of them have their brightness/color/contrast settings jacked way up, in order to attract attention under the bright flourescent lights above (my local Circuit City and Best Buy are also both overly hot inside - for some reason, it gave me the feeling of Atlantic City).
The Hitachi ultimately was the most pleasing to me, with vibrant colors that were well metered. Convergance, which is the aiming of the three cathode ray tubes to make sure that they're all in alignment, can be done automatically within seconds (a welcome improvement over my older Toshiba set which had to be done manually and was a pain). The set was packed with features, including edge and black level enhancements (which although I've turned them off, they might be pleasing to your eye), and individual color level adjustments (had to turn red way down!). I don't use the sound on the set, but in trying it out it was excellent, and the set can be used as the center channel of a home theater if you so desire.
The set is loaded with inputs - five to be exact, with three component inputs and one DVI-D input. DVI is the latest input type, not supported by 99% of the consumer electronics on the market today. Depending on where you are, you might be able to swing an HDTV cable box with a DVI output. You can also purchase a DVD player with DVI outputs, but at the present time that will run you about $200, easily double what the average DVD player costs. DVI will become more popular in the next year or two, so you have some protection against the set being obsolete in a year.
HDTV - this set is capable of 1080i and 480p (actually 540p, but it downconverts and upconverts). I can accept a 720p signal, but you'd be watching it converted to 1080i or downconverted to 480p. At this price, a true 720p set is hard to find. I watched both modes, with regular television on 1080i and video games on 480p, and both were incredibly crisp and smooth, with very few artifacts and little banding. The Xbox, which requires a converter (typically $20) to put out HDTV, was simply outstanding. I can't put in words what it could do on this set versus my older Toshiba, and games in widescreen format were awesome.
As much as I love playing my Xbox, and watching HDTV shows, nothing beats DVDs on this set. Combine this with a good home theater sound system, and you're better off than you would be at the movies. Saving Private Ryan came to life on my set, and I've been in love with it since. The set has a 3:2 pulldown feature (called Movie Mode), which really enhances the 'film' quality of DVDs. If a widescreen set is in your future, be sure to only buy or rent DVDs that are widescreen! Fullscreen movies will need to either be stretched or watched with sidebars (the vertical equivalent of the letterbox bars you're used to seeing on 4:3 sets).
Regular cable television is a bit of a downer - word of advice, don't use the component inputs to take in standard cable signals, as the extra resolution will make the signal look horrible! (not the sets fault - you don't realize how bad your TV signal is until you spend some time watching good quality signals like HD and DVD). Most television content is still in 4:3 format, but luckily, the Hitachi has a stretch mode that will eliminate the need for sidebars. Stretch mode on the Hitachi was incredible (you can barely tell there's stretching going on), and you realize how good it is when you have another component that also stretches (my HD cable box does, and the resultant picture is horrendous). With the press of a button, you can switch between aspect ratios and incoming HD processing (1080i or 540p).
The remote is user friendly for a very feature filled set. The manual is decent, but you should read it once carefully, then read it again! No sense in paying for great features if you don't know how to use them.
Build quality with the Hitachi was outstanding - the set is very solid (and incredibly heavy!), and Hitachi's reputation of reliability is well known in the industry. The set comes with a one year warranty, but you have the option of purchasing an extended warranty through a retailer for anywhere from $200-400. Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of extended warranties for many things, but a RPTV is one of them. Because they're very large, and the internal components are expensive - you could easily end up paying 50-70% of the cost of the set repairing it if it breaks. Electronics generally either break early on in their life or at the end of the expected lifecycle, but in this case, one year of warranty didn't impress me (although, to be fair - it's the industry standard - Sony and Mitsubishi also both offered one year). It's here that you have to be a smart consumer - check to see if your credit card offers warranty protection (all major CCs offer some type of free or paid warranty extension, with coverage for repair by an authorized repair center and even replacement in some cases). You'd be surprised how many people get an extra year of warranty without even knowing it, and never leverage it!
To sum up - this is a beauty of a set. It's well constructed. It's feature packed. It has plenty of inputs (for the plethora of devices that put out TV signals these days), and is relatively easy to use for such a complex set. The bottom line is this though - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and ultimately, you're the one who will be beholding this set. Words can't do justice to the picture of this set IMO - you need to go see it for yourself. All I can do is stress that if you've decided on a widescreen rear projection television, and are set on spending around $2k (with tax and delivery included), do NOT overlook this set.
