Hitachi 57SWX20B 57 in. TV
Out of stock |
Similar in Projection Televisions
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 4:3 Enhanced 14:9
- Weight: 265 lb.
- Screen Size: 57 inch
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
JUMP RIGHT INTO THE ACTION!
Pros
Excellent Clarity, High Resolution, Advanced Settings Functions and connectivity options
Cons
Stretch Modes may take some getting used to
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is the BEST TV you can find in its price range, and in some cases will beat others in higher price ranges.
We (my fiance and I) purchased the Hitachi 57SWX20B in October of 2002 because we wanted to replace our existing 53" Sony analog rear projection TV. After amassing in excess of 200 DVD titles, 99 percent of which were wide screen version, we decided it was time to shop for a wide screen TV. Due to the size of our family room, we knew we had limitations as far as the size of the TV we could purchase. At our 9' seating distance, we decided that a 57" would be the perfect fit to give us the true movie-going experience.
In our search, we looked at the Toshiba 57HDX, the Sony KP57WV600 and the Hitachi 57SWX20B. We didn't want a built in HDTV receiver due to the changing nature of these products. Future connectivity was also a concern, so we decided to look for a television that included either DVI or firewire/IEEE1394. The Hitachi beat out the Sony because of the Sony's much more apparent "grain" in the picture. It was harder to decide between the Hitachi and the Toshiba because both offered excellent depth, clarity and color saturation. So why the Hitachi? The sharper focus of the hybrid wide-neck CRT's, along with the greater adjustment capabilities ultimately lead us to the Hitachi.
We purchased our Hitachi from Circuit City and had them deliver it the following weekend. We paid $2400, which included delivery. Yes, we haggled and got a great price. It helps having three major electronics chains within two miles of each other ;)
Initial reactions to our new TV were mixed. While most sources looked o.k. or the same as our previous TV, the DVD quality had greatly improved. We decided to let the TV "break in" as it had helped our previous TV's picture quality. We initially performed calibrations with AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD. I highly recommend use of this DVD or the "beginner" geared DVD, Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-UP, otherwise you are not getting the full quality out of your home theater. There were some adjustments needed to get full potential out of the TV, and this was easily accomplished using the built-in "ISF mode" section of the service menu. Use of the Magic Focus System will also help improve your picture as it keeps the convergence in spec.
One of the major benefits of this TV is that the Movie Mode option of the video menu allows you to take advantage of the built-in 3:2 correction. This, in combination with the TV's advanced line doubler, basically removed the need for a progressive scan DVD player.
Some of the many other features include VirtualHD, which converts any non-HDTV broadcasts to either 540p or 1080i resolution (the native display rate of the TV), a robust audio section which will rival most small bookshelf speakers and the ability to use the TV's speakers as your center channel in a 5.1 surround sound setup. In addition, numerous inputs provide a wealth of connection opportunities. The inputs are as follows: 1 DVI, 2 Component/Colorstream, 3 S-Video (1F/2R), 3 Composite (1F/2R), and 2 Coaxial. There are two IR blaster connections, which will route IR transmissions from your remotes to their respective components. The "monitor out" ports can be used to record to TIVO or VCR and the "audio out" will send a left and right channel to your receiver for stereo or Dolby Prologic surround.
The TV comes with two remote controls, however, I cannot comment on the functionality of these, as we programmed their functions into our MX500 universal remote and they are now sitting in a drawer.
There are a total of 6 stretch modes available for use with this TV: 4:3 standard, 4:3 expanded, 4:3 zoom1, 4:3 zoom2, 16:9 standard and 16:9 Zoom. The available stretch modes will be dependent on which type of signal you are feeding to your TV. All HD signals will limit the TV to the 16:9 and 16:9 zoom. Cable, satellite, VHS and DVD will have all available stretch modes. 4:3 expanded is what we find to be the most comfortable mode for normal viewing, as other modes tend to either distort or crop too much of the picture. 4:3 only removes a slight portion of the top and bottom of the picture and then stretches horizontally. This sometimes can cause a "fish bowl" effect on fast pans. 16:9 is the most natural for viewing sports, as it stretches everything evenly, however,it tends to make people look short and stocky.
While the VirtualHD and the strechmodes can make for an enjoyable cable or satellite viewing experience, the set's true power shines with DVD or HD. We recently purchased an HDTV receiver and this has greatly added to the value and experience of owning this TV. We actually watch network broadcast TV shows, that we would have otherwise never watched, simply because they are presented in HD. Picture quality has improved dramatically over time, as it now rivals the highly regarded Pioneer Elite line of TV's at a fraction of the price.
In our search, we looked at the Toshiba 57HDX, the Sony KP57WV600 and the Hitachi 57SWX20B. We didn't want a built in HDTV receiver due to the changing nature of these products. Future connectivity was also a concern, so we decided to look for a television that included either DVI or firewire/IEEE1394. The Hitachi beat out the Sony because of the Sony's much more apparent "grain" in the picture. It was harder to decide between the Hitachi and the Toshiba because both offered excellent depth, clarity and color saturation. So why the Hitachi? The sharper focus of the hybrid wide-neck CRT's, along with the greater adjustment capabilities ultimately lead us to the Hitachi.
We purchased our Hitachi from Circuit City and had them deliver it the following weekend. We paid $2400, which included delivery. Yes, we haggled and got a great price. It helps having three major electronics chains within two miles of each other ;)
Initial reactions to our new TV were mixed. While most sources looked o.k. or the same as our previous TV, the DVD quality had greatly improved. We decided to let the TV "break in" as it had helped our previous TV's picture quality. We initially performed calibrations with AVIA Guide to Home Theater DVD. I highly recommend use of this DVD or the "beginner" geared DVD, Sound & Vision Home Theater Tune-UP, otherwise you are not getting the full quality out of your home theater. There were some adjustments needed to get full potential out of the TV, and this was easily accomplished using the built-in "ISF mode" section of the service menu. Use of the Magic Focus System will also help improve your picture as it keeps the convergence in spec.
One of the major benefits of this TV is that the Movie Mode option of the video menu allows you to take advantage of the built-in 3:2 correction. This, in combination with the TV's advanced line doubler, basically removed the need for a progressive scan DVD player.
Some of the many other features include VirtualHD, which converts any non-HDTV broadcasts to either 540p or 1080i resolution (the native display rate of the TV), a robust audio section which will rival most small bookshelf speakers and the ability to use the TV's speakers as your center channel in a 5.1 surround sound setup. In addition, numerous inputs provide a wealth of connection opportunities. The inputs are as follows: 1 DVI, 2 Component/Colorstream, 3 S-Video (1F/2R), 3 Composite (1F/2R), and 2 Coaxial. There are two IR blaster connections, which will route IR transmissions from your remotes to their respective components. The "monitor out" ports can be used to record to TIVO or VCR and the "audio out" will send a left and right channel to your receiver for stereo or Dolby Prologic surround.
The TV comes with two remote controls, however, I cannot comment on the functionality of these, as we programmed their functions into our MX500 universal remote and they are now sitting in a drawer.
There are a total of 6 stretch modes available for use with this TV: 4:3 standard, 4:3 expanded, 4:3 zoom1, 4:3 zoom2, 16:9 standard and 16:9 Zoom. The available stretch modes will be dependent on which type of signal you are feeding to your TV. All HD signals will limit the TV to the 16:9 and 16:9 zoom. Cable, satellite, VHS and DVD will have all available stretch modes. 4:3 expanded is what we find to be the most comfortable mode for normal viewing, as other modes tend to either distort or crop too much of the picture. 4:3 only removes a slight portion of the top and bottom of the picture and then stretches horizontally. This sometimes can cause a "fish bowl" effect on fast pans. 16:9 is the most natural for viewing sports, as it stretches everything evenly, however,it tends to make people look short and stocky.
While the VirtualHD and the strechmodes can make for an enjoyable cable or satellite viewing experience, the set's true power shines with DVD or HD. We recently purchased an HDTV receiver and this has greatly added to the value and experience of owning this TV. We actually watch network broadcast TV shows, that we would have otherwise never watched, simply because they are presented in HD. Picture quality has improved dramatically over time, as it now rivals the highly regarded Pioneer Elite line of TV's at a fraction of the price.
