Archive through December 28, 2004
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 232 Registered: Feb-04 | Mr. Lynch: Welcome to the Hitachi LCDRP long and winding road. Just about when it sinks to oblivion, and it appears it's dead, this Hitachi thread springs to life once in a while. I don't recommend you waste a bunch of time reading through all of this thread, as much of it is concerned with "what did you pay for this TV" and the "factory stand sucks" and "the fan is too loud" and "the standard definition picture quality sucks" sort of posts. Not that any of these concerns are invalid, its just that I was looking for a higher level. But, here and there, some real moments of discovery exist and I'm glad to have been a part of it, as I've learned a lot in the last year of this thread. I've always been a fan of JVC, ever since they invented VHS, and that is why I am happy about your TV, the D-ILA set you own. If there's some serious drawbacks to to either their propriatory 3-chip LCoS, or to the set's ergonomics/reliability, it nevertheless seems to me this is the TV to buy in the next year. An impressive television. But we Hitachi LCD owners on this forum will continue sorting out problems and, occasionally boast about what this TV represents, in spite of its weaknesses, its significant place in the history of video.... |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 21 Registered: Aug-04 | Perhaps you shouldn't expect too much from a thread titled "Hitachi 50V500 LCD RPTV Reviews??"..  That title draws an audience of prospective TV buyers and Hitachi TV owners boasting or blasting the performance of their set. I've learned a lot and hopefully helped a few. I'm amazed at how much traffic this thread gets lately (and how mnay of my friends that come over and see my TV go out and buy a big screen ;) ). Has LCoS resolved their color fading issues? I know the replaceable lamp in our RP TV's is pain, but its also that - replaceable. Systems with integrated lighting are susceptable to fading and loss of brightness over time. The LCoS did look nice at the store though! |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 21 Registered: Aug-04 | Perhaps you shouldn't expect too much from a thread titled "Hitachi 50V500 LCD RPTV Reviews??".. That title draws an audience of prospective TV buyers and Hitachi TV owners boasting or blasting the performance of their set. I've learned a lot and hopefully helped a few. I'm amazed at how much traffic this thread gets lately (and how mnay of my friends that come over and see my TV go out and buy a big screen ;) ). Has LCoS resolved their color fading issues? I know the replaceable lamp in our RP TV's is pain, but its also that - replaceable. Systems with integrated lighting are susceptable to fading and loss of brightness over time. The LCoS did look nice at the store though! |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 14 Registered: Jun-04 | mas, which brand did you see at the store ? I saw the Philips 60" LCos at The Good Guys, before I got the Hitachi. It didn't look good at all. Besides the fact that had a grainy look, it also had a greenish tint. No matter how much I played with the settings, I could not get rid of the green tint. The price was arround $ 3400, not bad for a 60", but it wasn't widescreen, and too bulky. |
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Unregistered guest | ONE YEAR anniversary for my 50V500 today...meter on service menu shows just under 1800 hrs usage which translates to about 5 hrs per day. I remain a pleased and proud owner. I have wowed many friends and visitors with this TV over the past year. Most people end up saying, I've GOT to get one of these!" (I don't have HD cable service in my area yet, so I do my real showoff stuff with DVD's). The only glitch I had in the first year was the pink-hued picture which suddenly appeared on a day this summer (T-storms were closeby), but that was easily corrected by Sears tech who reset a couple of code values on the service menu. I have since upgraded to a better surge protector. I realize there are no guarantees but I am confident enough to go into Year 2 without extended warranty coverage. Boards such as this really help! |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 24 Registered: May-04 | Hey DZ, what kind of surge protector did you upgrade to? I just purchased the monster hts 1000 mkII. I hope I spent enough to protect my investment. It sounded good in all of the promotional material I read. Anyone else have any input???? Thanks...Mark |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 15 Registered: Jun-04 | DZ, I only had mine since May, but you are right: all of my friends and whoever walks in, they all say that they gotta get one of those Yesterday, a customer that came to pick up his computer asked me " whatta hell is that? " I do have HD cable, so I had to show off Of course, my wife rolled her eyes as usual, but she's the one watching TV in the house anyway. The guy called me later on, he was at Circuit City, asking me for the exact model of the TV |
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Unregistered guest | Mark M.: I have a midgrade Power Sentry surge protector rated for 1300 joules. Nothing fancy but better than the cheap power strip I was using originally. Just looked at some of the Monster units online...$$ but real nice. |
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Unregistered guest | Mark M.: I have a midgrade Power Sentry surge protector rated for 1300 joules. Nothing fancy but better than the cheap power strip I was using originally. Just looked at some of the Monster units online...$$ but real nice. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 25 Registered: May-04 | DZ, I bought mine new on ebay for about $80. You can get some pretty decent deals if you watch close and are not in a hurry. That's about half of CC or Best Buy retail. To all: If you have HD service with dish network, and have the 811 receiver you probably have been having "freeze frame" when watching HD channels, and problems with the reveiver booting up. If you are having these problems, contact dish network and complain, complain loudly! I put up with the problems for probably 3 months, assuming it was a bad sattelite signal, but finally called and found out that there is a software problem with the receiver that they have known about for some time, but neglected to tell subscribers about. I am still receiving HD programing, but I refused to pay for it until the problems are fixed. I suggest that anyone with these problems do the same. |
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Bronze Member Username: SchleppyPost Number: 11 Registered: Aug-04 | Yesterday I started to have the little red dot appear on the far right side of my screen. I have read that this is a fairly common problem with this TV. Does anyone know if this can be fixed through the service menu or other quick fix or is this a problem to the degree that the TV needs replaced? On the same note of HD channels, my cable company was supposed to offer 5 new channels on Sept. 8th. To date I am still only receiving 3 of the 5 because of "technical difficulties". I don't understand why these companies pretend to be able to offer services that they can't provide in a reliable manner. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 233 Registered: Feb-04 | FYI---in today's newspaper: "Some cable signals may be interrupted this week because if interference from the sun, cable carriers are warning. As winter approaches and the Earth tilts on its axis, satellites become aligned with the sun, causing momentary interruptions in satellite signals. This interference occurs annually in March and October. "Cable viewers may see white sparkles or color blocks, or some channels may appear to be frozen or streaked for as long as 15 minutes at a time. Different channels may be affected at different times. "The sun outages should begin today and last until Oct. 12. The peak interference is between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m." |
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Unregistered guest | "Cable viewers may see white sparkles or color blocks, or some channels may appear to be frozen or streaked for as long as 15 minutes at a time. Different channels may be affected at different times. "The sun outages should begin today and last until Oct. 12. The peak interference is between 1:30 and 5:30 p.m." This happened to me yesterday (Oct. 7)around 3p.m. MDT while watching baseball playoffs. Both ESPN and ESPN2 blacked out for about 10 minutes; other channels on cable system OK. |
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Bronze Member Username: SchleppyPost Number: 12 Registered: Aug-04 | The service tech came on Friday. He is going to replace the light engine and also the bulb. He said it is taking too long for the TV to power up to full brightness. As far as the frozen pixel, he said according to Hitachi, one frozen pixel is within specs and would not warrant a replacement. He said they usually require it to be 5 or 6 pixels. He is going to replace it anyway. I don't see how they would expect someone to spend $3000-$4000 on a TV and find any frozen pixels acceptable. Hopefullt the new parts do the trick. |
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James B Unregistered guest | Looking for some info. I have the 50v500a, and recently the light engine was replaced due to a smudge (looked like a hand print). The TV came back and the picture was overcharged bright, and colour washed out. I reset the brightness to 0 and it was still too bright. The tech came out and adjusted the brightness overall, and now the brightness is OK, but all the black and dark grey is showing as black... I am pulling my hair out! Anyone else heard of something like this? Thanks, James B |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 28 Registered: May-04 | I am looking to upgrade to the samsung hd841 dvd player. It uses the dvi output, but so does my dish network hd reveiver. Is there any way to connect the dvd player and the hd receiver to one tv without signifigant signal loss? I will check with CC and Bestbuy, but thought this intelligent audience would be able to help. Thanks...Mark |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 242 Registered: Feb-04 | Mark: Since your TV has only one DVI input, an external DVI switch is necessary. Also, read their explanation of DVI swiches vs. selectors. |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 1 Registered: Oct-04 | This has been a fabulous thread. So fabulous indeed that on this past Friday I went out and bought a 50V500 from Video Only with matching stand. As Mike Tyson would say, I'm ecstatic! Comcast cable in the East Bay of SF and HD package. There are gripes of course with the amount of HD programming available, but i'll hold on to Cable until Dish or Directv can come with a more affordable time shifter for HD programming. I've got a cheapo JVC prog scan dvd player that has a great picture via Acoustic Research component cables. Xbox HD pack looks amazing, so amazing that i went to Target today looking for more 720p games. I have STB, DVD and XBOX routing sound through both the TV adn my reciever, Onkyo SR-501 so i can have option on whether to use the reciever or not. Watched teh Day After Tomorrow last night and I was floored by the sights put out by this TV! Problems: 1)splitting the line before the STB allows for PIP, but the HD channels have degraded. I'm getting an AC powered line splitter today from Radio shack, catalogue #15-1170. 2) Perhaps I'm sitting too close. Screen door effect on SDTV. Anyone have a link on when all channels will be required to update to HD? I want to thank all regular posters for the great info. Dont stop! I posted a few messages under the name Darth Brian a couple months ago, and was helped by John S. Its nice to see folks helping each other like this. |
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Ramblin Reck Unregistered guest | I have read the postings for several months and have found them very helpfull. At first, I wanted to look at plasma, but after talking to a sales rep at Conns and reading a lot of info, on this site and others, I quickly decided to go with the LCD or DIP technologies. From there, the LCD seemed to be the best fit for me. I narrowed my selection to the the Hitachi, Panasonic and Sony 50" projections. I ruled out the Sony early, due to the limited outputs. I have read enough on this site and other similar sites to know that my choice is the Hitachi 50v500a. I have a very good 35" RCA, so I am currently waiting until the Thanksgiving sales begin to get a better price and interest free payments as well (might as well use their nickel). The current pricing at CC and Conns is running about $2,700 to $3,000 depending on the week. I figure I can get the set around $2,500 after Thanksgiving. I am still undecided about a maintenance agreement. Unless it includes bulb replacement, I say no. With this much investment, I feel I need to deal with someone like Circuit City or Conns. I live in the San Antonio Texas area. Any thoughts from the experts out there are appreciated. I currently have Dish and I am like a lot of others, I don't know why they are not sending the HD siginal of local channels. The majority of what I want is network TV with the occasional movie. |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 2 Registered: Oct-04 | Question: when i switch to video 2 (my dvd player), even though the dvd is supposedly sending a progressive scan picture, the TV says "480i". Is this supposed to say "480p"? Anyone think I'm doing something wrong? Is the dvd in fact not sending a progressive scan signal? Please advise. Thanks. Brian |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 243 Registered: Feb-04 | Brian: Yes, the TV is supposed to say "480p". Check the owners manual on the DVD player. You have to configure the player to output a progressive scan signal. Good luck |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 3 Registered: Oct-04 | Thanks John. TV now says 480p. However, the picture is not obviously better with prog scan. Its fine, but not better. Perhaps the DVD player is not that great? Any suggestions on a dvd movie that will properly test my system? I've heard that Star Trek: Insurrection, scene 1 is a great test. Any other ideas? Also, i'm struggling with buying a configuration dvd. "Digital Video Essentials" vs. "Avia Guide to Home Theater...". Does anyone have any opinions on this? Much appreciated. |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 22 Registered: Aug-04 | I've got a question for anyone that's messed around with the service menu ... Can you adjust overscanning from there? Is this a universal setting for all inputs? I haven't ventured into my set's service menu for fear of touching something unintentional.. however I've read that is the best way to get 1:1 (or close) pixel mapping to the source - which is my goal for my HTPC (running Windows Media Center 2005). I am currently using powerstrip, a custom resolution of 1200x670 and powerstrip position adjustments to get rid of overscan and center the image. Why isnt this good enough? Well if the native res of this set is 1280x720 then I'm definitely not getting 1:1 pixel mapping, or even close. (This can be observed by dragging a dithered image across the screen. You'll notice that some of the 'grey' pixels dont really move.) Another odd behavior I've noticed with this set is that when you attempt to shrink the screen using powerstrip, the TV represents it by moving down - not shrinking it. (This is why i had to resort to the lower res.) So has anyone poked around in the service menu? What are my options? Should I bother? Cheers! /Mas |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 244 Registered: Feb-04 | BrianGee: Progressive scan will not be seen as a huge improvement over interlace scan. The improvement will be more subtle, with better detail and a more "filmlike" result. Computer monitors have been prog for many years now for the same reasons. I own three AV setup discs: Sound & Vision's Home Theater Tune-Up, the Avia Guide to Home Theater, and Digital Video Essentials. To me, the Avia (1999) is the grandaddy of these, with an excellent introduction to HT for the rank beginner, plenty of video tests (comes with three color filters) and a very good audio setup (though Dolby Digital only). It is particularly useful in adjusting X-over and level settings on subwoofers. Although pricy, ($50, less for used) it still does an excellent job on both video and audio. It remains one of the industry standards. The Sound & Vision disc (2001) is an abbreviated version of the Avia, with fewer video tests (comes with blue filter only) and less audio tests as well (but does DTS as well as DD). It is still, however, a very good value for most people at about $20 new I think. My pick, for video setup at least, is the Digital Video Essentials (2003). I can't add anything to the review on this link, except to say the audio setup on this disc seems rather perfunctory. The disc does do DD and DTS 6 and 7.1, however. DVE is an excellent value at $25. Hope this helps. |
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DJ Unregistered guest | Hey Gang, happy friday! it's DJ here, you may remember me for my scathing posts back in August about the quality of the 50v500 and it's variants. after circuit city indicated they could not fix my 50v500 in a reasonable time (to them, reasonable is at least 8 or more weeks), they gave me a full replacement opportunity. i got the samsung 5063W, and have now had it for 60 days or so. i much happier, the colors are much better, the HD is excellent, and the SD is not bad at all. i use ota hd and d* hd, with d* sd. if you are not enjoying your hitachi, i highly recommend this set. the blacks are deeper, which gives an overall better contrast. great inputs on the samsung too, including DVI and HDMI (nothing plugs into that yet) but also RGB. hooked my PC up the other day to fiddle and ended up playing C&C Generals ZH on it all day! the pic is absolutely amazing from a PC. but, it's a matter of choice. i'm starting to like the DLP stuff better because of the inherent issues in LCD, including burn-in. my application is probably not the same as yours, my TV is on probably 18 hours a day. so it's high usage. under those conditions, the hitachi simply could not keep up. it started having problems starting up after only a few months, and pic started to diminish after 6 mos. by 10 months, the set was unrepairable. oh yeah, and there is absolutely ZERO FAN NOISE! just my .02 |
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Bronze Member Username: Mr_lynchSeattle, WA Post Number: 99 Registered: Sep-04 | DJ- Glad to hear your having good results with your new set. You said: "including DVI and HDMI (nothing plugs into that yet)" There are quite a few upscaling DVD players with HDMI output. Toshiba, Sony, LG, and Denon all have new models with HDMI output. I personally use the Toshiba SD-5970 and the picture is amazing. If your in the market for a new DVD player, any one of the listed above should amaze you with how good DVDs can look. |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 29 Registered: May-04 | DJ The LCD's do not experience "burn in" anymore than DLP's do, but glad to hear that you are happy with your replacement. I am looking at getting an upscaling dvd player, but want to look around and get the right one. Thanks for the info. Mr. Lynch. I will look into the manufacturers you noted. If anyone else has experience with the upscaling players, I would like to hear your feedback. Thanks...Mark |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 23 Registered: Aug-04 | Lol. the Troll is back! DJ, were your firt 20 or 30 posts not enough? Your experiences have been duely noted several times now. No need to start making up stories (like LCD has burnin. hah!). So if anyone comes here asking about worst-case scenarios, we'll be sure to send him your way |
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Ramblin Reck Unregistered guest | Ok. I got my 50v500 today from CC. I think it was a pretty good deal. I was checking the CC website and they had the TV for $2,510 and two hours later it was $2,879. so I figured it was an error, but I had printed the page and the local store matched the price. Regular tv with my Dish network looks great, but I had problems with a very green DVD signal. I remember your guys talking about green before, but that was many posts ago. Finally I switched from Vid2 to Vid1 (I'm using composite monster cables) and that solved the problem - the picture is great. Now for my new problem. I use headphones and the sound is great with regular TV (Vid3), but doesn't work at all with the DVD hooked up to vid1 or vid2. The sound works great with the TV speakers, but not with the headphones. I have the headphones hooked up to the output jacks with piggyback cables to my Surround system. A odd think happen, I pulled the red video cable out by mistake and the headphones worked, when I pluged them back in, they didn't work. Maybe I need to switch to S video and use Vid4 and see if I get both good picture and sound through the headset. Also, It just occured to me I need to check the surround sound with the DVD, I had checked it earlier while I had a Vid3 signal going. |
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Anonymous | DJ the fact that you need to still feel the need to post on this thread is sad. Is it that you need to make yourself feel better about winding up with Samsungs lower line DLP. The one that only uses one chip(with only 640X720 mirrors), creating unnatural colors, eye strain, and rainbow effect. You could've at least bought a higher end HD2+ chip if you want to brag like that. Also just so that you know the store that I work at never one TV with the problem you described. The fact that you've had to resort to talking about other issues like fan noice and smudges, instead of your own, proves your set to be an isolated incident. I think the personality and attitude you show on this forum tells us why no repairman could order your parts for 8 weeks. Especially considering there was never a shortage of parts. In fact Hitachi is the only manufacturer, in the store I worked at, that could keep up with the demand of MDs. We got shipments of those TVs in at least once every three weeks, so how could they have had a national shortage of parts when they never stopped shipping whole TVs. SO quit trying to give people advice and say things like your "application may be different then theres." That Samsung bulb will go out soon enough at 18 hrs a day. I know you're hoping to change just one mind about the quality of Hitachi in order to make yourself feel better, but unfortunantly your ignorance has shown to much during posts on this thread. Nobody's biting so quit bashing these people's TV. |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 4 Registered: Oct-04 | All hater-ism aside (DJ go away)... question regarding audio inputs, perhaps not appropriate for this thread: Is there any way for two sources (Xbox and DVD player) to share the same optical input jack on my receiver? I am fresh out of optical inputs and it seems like its hard to find a receiver that allow for more than two sources. The alternative is to run the 5+1 analog cables from my dvd, which i would like to avoid. Thanks. Brian |
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New member Username: Erik_dWashington Post Number: 8 Registered: Aug-04 | Brian, I thought I saw an optical splitter at radio shack recently. Seems like you could try that...and I think it was pretty cheap. |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 5 Registered: Oct-04 | Thanks Erik. Went to check it out and it was for 1 input split into 2 outputs. Not what i need. I'll keep looking. Another question! Input 1 has both the DVI and component inputs. If i input cable into the dvi and my dvd player to the component, how will the tv know which signal to use for video 1? The manual is not clear on whether there is an automatic override on the DVI input. What I'm asking (in a very confusing way), is: If i have sources plugged into both component and DVI, will the tv ignore one signal and always default to the other, even when no signal is coming through? Has anyone tested this yet? Implication is that we could have potenitally 3 HD/progressive sources instead of just 2 (cable and dvd on input 1, and xbox HD pack on input 2). Thoughts? Brian |
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Silver Member Username: Mr_lynchSeattle, WA Post Number: 114 Registered: Sep-04 | BrianGee- Maybe one of these will solve the problem: |
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Billy O Unregistered guest | I recently purchased the hitachi 50v500 and love the hd programs. My question is that when i put in a dvd movie that says widescreen edition, I have bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Why is it like that?when i watch HD programs the whole screen is used. Thank you |
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Silver Member Username: Mr_lynchSeattle, WA Post Number: 116 Registered: Sep-04 | A 16:9 widescreen TV like yours is 1.78 to 1 (width vs. height). Widescreen DVD movies are not filmed at any standard ratio. A lot of movies use a ratio of 1.85 or 2.35. The bigger the ratio, the larger the black bars will be. Checkout this website for some good examples. [link removed] |
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Ramblin Reck Unregistered guest | I guess no one wants to talk to me. I solved my out problem to the headphones. When you have component input, the output on the TV is blocked, so no sound to my headphones or surround system. Simple fix was piggy back audio cables from the DVD and now I have sound to my set and also to my headphones and SSS as well. Just by passed the output on TV I have had this set only three days, but I love it. I hope I don't have the problems that some have had, but that is why I bought the CC 4 year maintenance. I use the TV a lot and I figure I will have at least two bulb replacements, which will pay for it and also give me the piece of mind. The fan noise is a little annoing, but not enough to call CC. At night, when prime time starts, the picture is excellent. Although my dish is digital, the stations are in HD, so it really looks great. During the day, the network channels are a little grainy. The DVD is super as everyone has said. When Dish gets with the program and sends HD quality network signals, it will be super. For now I have a much better picture than before and I ahd a really good 35" RCA. |
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Anonymous | I have read through many pages of this thread and cannot believe how much "wrong" information is being disseminated here on the Hitachi r/p LCD. There is some useful information, but 3 out of 4 posts here have inaccurate data in one form or another. Please be careful when you post because others will unfortunately see it as fact. Have a great day. |
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Sean K. Unregistered guest | What gives a better picture, a plasma tv or a tv show broadcasted on HD on a hdtv? |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 6 Registered: Oct-04 | Sean, pic quality on the plasma will be a function of 2 things: resolution (HDTV vs. EDTV) and incoming signal. A SD signal will almost never look as good as a HD show on an HDTV, and a high definition signal will generally look better on a HDTV compared to an EDTV (many lower-cost plasmas are enhanced definition instead of true high definition). If you've got several thousand dollars collecting dust, go for the HDTV Plasma! If you want the most bang for your buck, I suggest you look to the LCD/DLP/LCOS RPTVs rather than a similarly priced EDTV plasma. Happy shopping! Brian |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 16 Registered: Jun-04 | To the Anonymous dude: Could you at least care to explain to us, simple mortals the "wrongs" we wrote about this TV ? Three out of four posts are wrong ? Why not 9 out of 10 ? And what makes you the leading authority and ever knowledgefull all mighty ? When you write a statement like the one you posted, make sure you have something to back it up. |
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G. Atkinson Unregistered guest | About a month ago there was a post from Contecsol with a possible UPS to use with a 50V500. A few months ago I was looking for a similar device to protect my 60V500. After contacting Hitachi, I was promptly informed that a UPS should not be used to protect this type of tv due to the square wave output produced by the UPS (as opposed to the sine wave output from the wall). The recommended purchasing a good surge supressor instead. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 245 Registered: Feb-04 | EA: Thanks for calling out the above Anon poster! Let him back up his opinions, or let him go away. |
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Unregistered guest | 60V500a on the way...price really dropped locally (I think Circuit City had too many with new models coming out)--got a price to match the best PriceGrabber ones (and without shipping)..probably not as well as I could do, but I'll take it. Anyway, to a post below, I also called Hitachi and asked about UPS protection...they, in fact, don't recommend them due to sine vs. square wave output (I guess UPS uses solid state switching from DC which would generate a square wave). Good to know and saves a buck or two. Also, I have a cable signal booster in my home now...anybody know if there are issues with this TV? |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 17 Registered: Jun-04 | Todd, the only issue I have is with my wife. I got the 50" instead of the 60" |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 7 Registered: Oct-04 | Hi folks, I had the following question earlier that nobody responded to... Can you have 2 HD inputs going into video 1 since there are component inputs as well as a DVI? Will the tv default to source one over the other if they are both plugged in? Will it cause the tv to explode? Has anyone even tried this? The reason i ask is b/c i have 3 HD sources and i want to feed them all directly into the Big HIT if possible. |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 24 Registered: Aug-04 | Sorry to have missed your question Brian Yes you can do this, and no it won't blow up your TV. (At least mine hasn't YET!). Here's my setup: Media Center PC hooked up through the Video 1 DVI port. XBOX hooked up through Video 1 Component input. HD Cable box in Video 2 Component. I have to turn off the DVI source in order for the component input to show up. What HD inputs do you have? And on a different subject - can anyone tell me what is technically wrong with using the UPS? Why is the square waveform so bad for the unit? I bought a 1500W UPS with automatic voltage regulation and high clamping speeds specifically for this TV (and MCE) and have been using it for a few months. I'll unplug it in a second if its that dangerous, but its already spared the TV more than a few brownouts and outtages giving the fan time to cool off the bulb and such. Cheers, Mas |
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Anne S. Unregistered guest | I'm ready to buy a HDTV, but please be honest with me, is it really worth it to spend an extra $1000 for the LCD? Will I really notice a difference? |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 18 Registered: Jun-04 | Anne, extra $ 1000 compared to what ? A normal TV tube ? And when you mention LCD... there are two types: rear projection LCD ( which is this Hitachi ), or flat LCD panel ( which is about $ 1000 more for a 42" ). Which one are you asking about ? |
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Bronze Member Username: 78vette2Augusta, Ks. US Post Number: 31 Registered: May-04 | Todd G. and Ann S. I have the 60v500a. I have had it since March, and have had no problems. Ann, I don't know if you were asking about a true LCD flat panel, or a LCD projection (big difference). I would highly recommend the LCD projection to this point, but you need HD programming, and preferably an upscaling dvd player to enjoy this set. Regular tv is nothing to brag about. I can't wait until more stations broadcast in HD. I have dish network, and the selection is sparse to say the least, but the set is awsome when used to it's limits. Mark |
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Anne S. Unregistered guest | Sorry I wasn't specific, I was curious about a big screen hdtv lets say costs $1800 but a big screen hdtv LCD costs $2800, is it worth the extra $1000? |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 25 Registered: Aug-04 | You are still being a bit too vague.. Are you asking about the difference between a CRT RPT TV and an LCD RP TV? (From the costs you mention that's what I will assume). The LCD is going to have a crisper image and a much thinner enclosure. Wider viewing angle, no need to calibrate the guns, and no need for professional ($$$) tune-ups every few years. The CRT can reproduce natural images and SD content a bit better, typically supports 1080i (as opposed to 720p on most <$3k LCDs these days) and is a tried and true technology with years of invested research. You can get a 60" CRT for < $2k and if you have the space that's hard to beat. (Of course be prepared to pay for the maintenance which aids up quickly.) Is it worth the price difference? It was to me, and anyone else that bought this TV . One friend of mine saw my TV and went out to get a new TV. (He ended up getting CRT for cost reasons.) My other friend (Erik on this forum) bought the new 42" so it was worth the cost difference. Only you can decide young Sky Walker, /Mas |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 8 Registered: Oct-04 | Thanks for the help Mas. I've got Comcast HD cable, which i'll run through the DVI, an HD pack upgraded Xbox which will be video 1 also, and a DVD player on video 2. I actually just bought a new DVD player - $129 Pioneer DV-578A, a step-up from the crappy $89 JVC dvd player i bought a few weeks ago and returned this weekend. Whoever said that your system is only as strong as your weakest component hit the nail on the head. The Big HIT hated the old JVC b/c of weak 3:2 pulldown and subpar prog scanning. I think this new one will do until the HD-DVD players come out late next year (please dont let format wars slow it down!) Anne, i strongly suggest you go read some literature. reviews.CNET.com is an excellent source for learning the differences between LCD, LCOS, DLP and CRD RPTVs. Also a great resource for audio/video nuts. I know i go there at least once per day just to check updates. By the way, they gave the Big HIT 50V500 great ratings which, along with the folks on this thread, gave me all the reasons i needed make the plunge into video heaven. Brian |
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brianwat Unregistered guest | http://www.highdefforum.com/ Anne..another good place to find info on HDTV's. BrianGee summarized the relevant issues very well. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 249 Registered: Feb-04 | By the way BrianGee, in case you are still wondering about plugging two HD sources into Input 1, check out bryan barber's post on this question. |
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James B Unregistered guest | Hi all, I am looking for wisdom and experience from the group. Has anyone had a professional color and grey scale calibration done to thier Hitachi RP LCDTV. I have the 50v500a and using Digital Video Essentials has made a huge improvement for only $25. I am curious if the pro calibrations, specifically to grey scale and rgb will produce an even better picture. It is about $400 cdn to have a Hitachi specialist come in and do it, so I do not want to spend this money if I do not think it will have a great result. Any opinions? |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 250 Registered: Feb-04 | In all fairness I have to say that I've not had professional calibration done. However it still seems to me that $400 (US or Cdn) is a lot of money to fix something that ain't broke. Of course, if any technician could wring signicantly better black levels out of this set, I would pay it. But I seriously doubt that will happen.... |
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New member Username: Gary_hPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-04 | I am sure this has come up in this forum but could not find it. I am trying to decide what size to get? Hitachi 715 series between 42" or 50". My room is only 11' front of tv to viewing spot around 8'. I realize the 50 would give a better theatre feel but if I am trying to get a good ballance between movies and regular tv is the 42" a better fit or do you think 50" is ok? Thank you for the help on this as I can not make my mind up. Gary |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 26 Registered: Aug-04 | I view my 50" from about 11 - 14ft away and thats about right. 8ft might be a bit close for that size. (The only time I'm that close is for Xbox\Halo2 =D) 42" is probably the better fit in your case - unless you plan to expand the room or something. More UPS Questions So if the problem with a UPS and A/V equipment is the square vs sine wave then what if the UPS says it has "Simulated sine wave 120vac,+|-10%" ? Is that safe? Cheers all, /Mas |
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New member Username: Gary_hPost Number: 2 Registered: Nov-04 | To Mas or enayone who plays video games on these. I got and hooked up a 42v715 and was playing PS2 Socom II online and the dark maps were way too dark to play. I already have the default settings in the game on bright I am assuming Halo and other games have dark maps, how is your tv doing on these? I am sure I have a bunch of other tweaks and diferent wiring I will need to get to take advantage of the set. I will get the HD box from Tine Warner tomorrow but so far the wife does not like the picture as it is not clear for as much money as we have paid. I will search through this forum to ensure I have the best of everything for the set but what about the gaming? Thanks, Gary |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 9 Registered: Oct-04 | Gary, I have been playing Halo 2 for the past week and I too have struggled with dark areas, but I'm not sure its darker than what would be considered normal. I would suggest you get a hold of Digital Video Essentials or some other tool to properly calibrate your dark levels. Its strange that you have problems with the TV being too dark. Usually folks have issue with LCD RPTV's not being dark enough. This may be a contrast issue rather than a brightness issue. Again, seek out a calibration tool. You may find that its the fault of the 480i signal delivered by your subpar PS2 gaming console. Before even knowing what the issue is, I would suggest dumping the PS2 in favor of an XBox so you can take advantage of the Big HIT's HD capabilities. Playing ESPN Baseball 2K4 in 16:9 720p 5.1 DD is simply mindblowing. |
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New member Username: Gary_hPost Number: 3 Registered: Nov-04 | Thanks Brian, I actually have both PS2 and Xbox, my favorite game is Socom II and I just found out that the game has progressive scan capability which is evidently not as common in PS2 as xbox and what a dif. All I can say is awsome. Tomorrow I will go get the cables for Xbox and check those games out. Thank you for the help. Gary |
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Unregistered guest | I have a 60v500A and recently had some issues when I turned the TV on. Rather than seeing the picture from the source that was on the TV the last time I turned it off, I saw a repeating set of vertical blue / gray bars. The remote did not function... (pressing menu or display did not yeild any results) I turned the TV off and tried it again, but the same thing happened. I then unplugged the set for ~60 seconds to reboot it and then it worked fine. My concern is that this has happened more than one time over the past month. I called Hitachi and they were less than helpful. I tried my local service guy and he said that unless the same thing happened while he was on site, it would be difficult to pinpoint the problem. So... has anyone else run into this before? What did you do to fix it? I have the set plugged into an APC power bar that has a very high Joule rating and I don't believe that we've had any power spikes recently. Please help! The set is only 3 months old and I shudder to think what it will cost to repair when it is not under warranty. Thanks, Tom |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 251 Registered: Feb-04 | Tom: My guess--and it is only a guess--is that this TV needs about 30 seconds to sort itself out before it can deal with an active video signal. This problem has been brought up somewhere on this long thread, and I think letting the set warmup before sending a signal into it solves the problem. This means that your cable/sat box, DVD player and any other video source must be off at the time you turn on the TV. Hope this helps. |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 19 Registered: Jun-04 | I get sort of the same problem, although very rare. I don't get vertical blue / gray lines, but I get some picture in picture split screen, running the same exact channel, with gray sorrounding both pic in pic. I blame it on the cable box, not the TV, since changing the channel on the box fixes the problem. It happened three times in the last month, must be due to upgrades that Comcast keeps doing at 4 AM. I haven't seen any "improvement" as to quality of the signal, except for the above anomaly. |
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Unregistered guest | Thanks John & EA... I'll keep a better look out for what my other components are doing when I turn the set on. |
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Contecsol Unregistered guest | Mas, I must have opened a can of worms about the UPS situation. I called APC and asked them the question about the square sine wave. They told me that some of their units produce a stepped sine wave and some produce an aproximated stepped sine wave. Their explanation was that electronics that have motors are what they have seen that require the true sine wave. I am not completely versed in this area so I suggest anyone who is interested might make a call to APC their number is 800-555-2725. I always use an uninterruptable power supply on all my electronics except laser printers and the like. I have received much information from this thread and wish everyone here Happy Holidays! |
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brianwat Unregistered guest | Any suggestions for best Video settings for best 3d type picture in a relatively bright room for the 50v500? |
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Bronze Member Username: MasPost Number: 27 Registered: Aug-04 | Thanks for the note Contecsol. I've been doing some sniffing around and it sounds like the simulated sine wave is "good enough". Its only on that when the UPS is actually providing backup - which is infrequent. I just want it there for the occasional spike/brown out or in the case of a failure I can shut everything down gracefully. You can always spend more $$ and get true sine-wave ($600 seems to be the lowests of the low) which I was not willing to do. Btw, apparently the square-wave is bad because akin to turning the power on and off ~60 times a second. Doesn't sound good! cheers, /Mas |
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New member Username: Erik_dWashington Post Number: 9 Registered: Aug-04 | Just a heads up. Since I upgraded to the new comcast DVR box there have been no audio drop-outs / interuptions that were evident before on HD channels 104, 105 & 113. Now if we can just get CBS to stop screwing around and provide their HD station to comcast I'd be happy. (I hear CBS wants comcast to take some home shopping channels with the HD channel or no deal...) Anyway 4 months along and the 42V710 has been awesome. Later, Erik. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 254 Registered: Feb-04 | Here in my area, we've had CBS/NBC for a long time. There's even some NPR HD programs on the cable. Our problem is no ABC or Fox. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 255 Registered: Feb-04 | Well, the 50V500A is one year old today...what a learning curve I've had on this thread, and the whole forum too. I turned on the service menu for the first time, and I'm almost embarrassed to say that I've logged a whole 457 hours on this set (no serious problems other than smudges early on). I don't get downstairs to the HT as much as I'd like.... Sometime, when I fugure out how to, I will post a picture of my HT. |
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Strati Unregistered guest | Happy Anniversary John...Ha! Ha! Ha! Nothing to be embarrassed about. Personally it's embarrassing if you had posted 1457 hours. That would mean you had no life outside of being a couch potatoe! I'm glad to hear your 50V500A is running well, and even better, that you took the time to post a positive comment. I find most people will come to the forum when they have problems. |
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New member Username: Erik_dWashington Post Number: 10 Registered: Aug-04 | John, Oooh no fox HD that would suck, you gotta have NFL games in HD (well I guess you get the CBS covered games..) Just bought a HDMI to DVI cable yesterday (comcast box has only DVI and HT has HDMI). I have to say HD (and SD) programs look slightly better over my previous component cable hook-up. Not much, and the wife can't tell the difference, but I think I can... How did you turn on the service menu to see total hours again? (I know it's somewhere in this string, but I'll never find it!) Erik. |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 20 Registered: Jun-04 | Erik, here it is, pasted from Simon: "To display the service menu, have the TV off and be sure the cooling fan has cycled off. On the TV front panel, press and hold the INPUT button and the POWER on/off button at the same time. (My set was on ANT B when the tech worked on it, so I don't know if ANT A/B makes any difference) As soon as the picture comes on with the service menu overlaid, let go of the buttons. If you hold the INPUT button too long it will remove the service menu after a couple of seconds. That's also how you turn off the service menu by pushing the INPUT button again which serves as an exit." |
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paul11 Unregistered guest | I am about to purchase the 50v500. Seems to be the best for features/picture combo. Is there a particular set-up or calibration Disc I should purchase. And what is the best way to go for a DVD player. |
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paul11 Unregistered guest | After reading these posts, I am still set on the Hitachi as my LCD toy. There are some negative experiences but I suspect this is a small percentage compared to the amount of 50v500s sold. Take a look at some of the Samsung boards. It almost sounds like a class action suit is on the way. It does look as if the 50v500 is old technology. Is that so? Does Hitachi still build these sets or is it strictly the 810 series if I want to pick-up the newest. Are there different versions of the 50v500 (are they improving on this set or just design a new 810 series)? I love the picture on the 500 series but is the 810 supposed to be Hitachi's newer version of the 50v500 or is it supposed to be the higher end model? Also, is the fan noise a cronic problem on all Hitachi's (engineering) or is it from random defective fans? Can anybody help? |
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MAGICEJS Unregistered guest | Hitachi newer version is 50v710 or 50v715, one is silver the other darker look titanium. They both have intergrated tuner and cable card ready. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 258 Registered: Feb-04 | paul11: As an owner of a 50V500, I haven't kept up with the specific differences between the 500 and the newer 700 or 800 series sets, except to say the newer models have HDMI inputs instead of DVIs. Most of the early complainers about fan noise were people used to the relative silence of their older CRT-based TVs not hooked up to an external sound system. Yes there is some background noise produced by the fan. But, some owners did experience some noisy defective fans in early models, which has now been corrected. Please see my post on home theater setup discs earlier in this thread. |
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Unregistered guest | Majicejs and John, I appreciate your help. I have not seen the 700 series here in Calgary but the 800 series is sold around town. Having said that, I will be purchasing the 50v500 on Boxing Day. I see some post referring to the 50V500 and the 50V500A, are these the same model or is one different from the other. |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 21 Registered: Jun-04 | Paul, if I were you, I'd go with the newer models. the 50V500 is about a year old now. I am sure that the newer models, in addition to having an HD tunner incorporated, have also improved the quality of the LCD. Here are all the specs on all the TV's: http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/lcd/lcd_index.shtml Note that the 50V500 is not listed anylonger. |
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Bronze Member Username: Bryan_bNew Bern , NC Post Number: 61 Registered: Mar-04 | John S, Happy to hear yo made it to 1 year...sad to come to realize I have no life...900 plus hours total between the 2 sets.... I have no life... |
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Bronze Member Username: JedimasterLos Angeles Post Number: 22 Registered: Jun-04 | I just checked mine also..... 1360 hours. Probably about 1000 of those just at the store since it was a floor sample and I got the TV in May. In August I didn't even turn it on once, I redid the flooring and the TV sat in the dining area unplugged. Still looks good tho. |
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brianwat Unregistered guest | Re: 810, Have seen Posts oin another forum complaining about the highly relective nature of the screen. They say it's very distracting. Love my 500v50. |
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Unregistered guest | Found this forum while doing a Google search for Hitachi 42v715. I am replacing my old 27" Sony in the near future and am looking at the Hitachi. I pretty much have made the decision to so with LCD projection and was led to the Hitachi by the salesperson at HHGregg. My concern is that the image I see at the store may not be available to me in my home. I have Adelphia cable that is currently split once (to provide a good signal for computer access) before running one of the splits into a Radio Shack amplifier to feed 4 tv's in my house. I currently have regular cable as my area was just rewired to provide digital cable service so I need to get up to speed with that. How can I predetermine the quality of the signal I will be feeding a new LCD set before I lay down my money and bring it home. Thanks for your time and input. |
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tnbubba Unregistered guest | i think your cable co should have a meter to measure strength and decide whether he needs to add signal enhancer and where. call them and ask for a guy to stop by. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 259 Registered: Feb-04 | Vector: Just because it is called "digital" cable does not necessarily mean you'll automatically get High Definition channels. Nor does it mean you'll get better picture quality on the regular channels. This thread and the whole forum is full of complaints about the PQ on Standard Def channels on HDTVs. Digital cable yields more channels plus digital multi-channel audio on some of them. Of course digital cable also enables the transmission of HiDef video, but at this point you must sign up and pay extra for those channels. tnbubba is right--only the cable guy can determine signal strength. So, you should plan to upgrade your cable service as a part of your HDTV purchase. Hopefully you'll get a competent cable guy to do this for you. The sooner you get true HD signals into any HD ready TV (regardless of make, model or system type you choose) the happier you will be. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 260 Registered: Feb-04 | bryan: Good to hear from you again! I gather things have settled down regarding your problems with the TV. Happy Holidays! Too bad about the NHL strike....  |
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Unregistered guest | I'm hoping someone can help me with a color issue on the Hitachi 50V500. Normally, a great picture and I love the TV, but for the second time now in six months, the color across all inputs has developed a pink hue. First time, technician came out and reset some codes using his laptop in about 10 mins or less. This time a different tech came out, scratched his head and left?!! Is there any way to get into the service menu and adjust this? Any ideas as to why the TV develops this problem 'out of the blue'? Really appreciate any insights! |
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New member Username: BriangeeDublin, CA Post Number: 10 Registered: Oct-04 | cigamd, I've read posts in this forum describing the same problem, and i've experienced it myself on my HIT 50. I dont know what causes it, but others have called technicians and had their HITs replaced. My pink hue problem went away on its own after a couple of hours and i havent seen it again since then. If you wish to venture into the service menu to fix it yourself (at your own risk), read the post by Simon on Tuesday, September 07, 2004 - 11:40 am. Otherwise, call a tech. Good luck! Brian |
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cigamd Unregistered guest | Thanks, Brian. I read the post by Simon (9/7/04, original post 8/18/04), but after adjusting those three settings still had the pink hue. The technician couldn't make it back out, but had found Hitachi's service bulletin on this known issue and faxed me the fix (with the same warning about accessing the service menu myself). In addition to the three adjustments referred to in Simon's post, there are actually six other fields in that same LCD Drive menu that had to be reset to get my great PQ back. Its likely not a permanent fix, as I don't know what causes the software to lose the default values, but now this 5 minute fix seems to work and sure beats waiting days for a technician. Per the other warnings, its not for the faint of heart (and could be a very bad idea if you change the wrong values), but here's the full set of default values under the LCD Drive adjust that should eliminate the "pink hue": SIG-C-R '01D' SIG-C-G '01D' SIR-C-B '01D' BRT-RO '000' GAIN-RO '0BC' BRT-GO '000' GAIN-GO '0BC' BRT-BO '000' GAIN-BO '0BC' Again, I'm sure its best to leave this to your local service technician, but if you're not getting satisfaction that route and are comfortable accessing the service menu (or desparate enough), this is the interim fix. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 262 Registered: Feb-04 | cigamd: Printed the above post for future reference which I hope I will never have to use. Thanks |
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New member Username: OntarffPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | I have a 1-year old 50V500. Recently I have noticed pink ghosting on the left side of most images. Particularly while viwing HD signals. The ghosting is also seen when viewing DVD as well. It is easily seen when black text is displayed on a white backround. Does anyone know the fix for this problem? |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 263 Registered: Feb-04 | Danny: Please read through the last dozen or so posts above yours. It's an electronic convergance adjustment in the service menu called "ghost-R" I think. Good luck.... (I would call a service tech before playing around in the service menu myself.) |
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New member Username: OntarffPost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-04 | Thanks John. I read the entire thread. There was no mention of the precise procedure to use in the service menu to correct the problem. I was just wondering if I should call out a technician to perform the fix. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 264 Registered: Feb-04 | Danny: Since I haven't had the nerve to play around with the service menu, I cannot give you specific advice on what to do once in it. But I gave someone the same advice on another forum and he apparently had success. |
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New member Username: OntarffPost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-04 | I read about how to access the service menu on this thread. On the other thread Getwyred stated, "it took a little of messing around to find the ghost adjust...". He wasn't specific either. I don't want to go in and mess around. Thanks John. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 265 Registered: Feb-04 |  This is "My Cave" I'm not posting this into the bragging area because all the stuff in the electronics rack needs to be upgraded, and I need to clean up the wiring, too. |
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cigamd Unregistered guest | Danny, While working on my 'pink hue' issue (a couple of posts back), I also wandered into the ghost area to try to fix a very slight ghosting I was seeing, particularly on HD channels. It was highly successful. Again, a qualified service tech is the best way to go, but if you're comfortable in the service menu.....toggle down thru the adjust mode to 'LCD Adjust' and then right toggle to enter. You'll find 'ghost' at the top of this menu. Right-toggle again and your screen will change to a white background with a black box in the center. Simply adjust by using the toggle until the black box is perfectly clean with no ghost edges. Use the exit button on your remote or TV (input/exit button) to return to regular viewing. Enter at your own risk, and best of luck in any case! |
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New member Username: OntarffPost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-04 | While in "Input A" I startup holding the input-power buttons in. I get a menu in the snow(My DirecTV sat receiver is on the digital input STB). I toggle through the menu to "LCD Adjust". When I right toggle on "LCD Adjust" another menu appears. V. Com 0 NRSH 0 Gamma 0 C.Unif (min) 0 C.Unif (midl) 0 C.Unif (midh) 0 C.Unif (max) 0 No black box appears! Now what? |
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