Quick question, I am starting to do the break-in time of the plasma display. I was wondering how do you change the 4:3 bars from black to a grey color? I can't seem to find this anywhere on the menu. I have the 42HDS52 btw. Thanks!

Quick question for those with the Hitachi HDT52 and power swivel stand. I just had mine setup yesterday, and I did not notice until they left, that if you look at the Hitachi Plasma display from the side - the top tilts slightly downward.

In other words rather than being at a perfect 90 degree angle from the swivel stand, and standing dead upright, the plasma display tilts slightly forward from the top of the display.

Is this normal - could others who own this setup tell me if mine was installed correctly or whether i need to call them back?

Thanks.

-- Barr

Mine does too (tilt)

I was wondering if the 55hdt52 series is capable of being used as a computer monitor?

I picked up the Toshiba HDMI upconverting DVD player from Costco on the way home and it does the same flicker thing at the same scenes whether at 720p or 1080i (didn't try 480 but I will now...nope same thing)

Maybe I am somehow spoiled by my EDTV Infocus Projector but it seems much sharper than this Hitachi 55" and with none of this flicker.

I'm really bummed...I will give Hitachi a call tomorrow and see what they say, but I really can't wait around for them to come out with a fix even though it looks like they could upgrade a new firmware pretty quickly via the mmc card slot.

My build date is November 2005 btw.

Am I missing a setting somewhere that might cause this?

Sorry if I seem negative...I really wanted to love this set.

Rich




Rich,

Same thing happens with an HDMI connection. I do not notice it with DVHS through the Firewire connection.

JHellow

I bought the 42hdt52 a couple of days ago and am noticing the flickering quite frequently as well. I was watching some of Kill Bill Vol. 2 tonight when they are burying Uma and it was flickering a lot with the dark night sky. I am getting a second TV early next week as this one has a dead pixel, I am wondering if the relacement might be better?? The one I have now was built in December 2005 so it was right off of the assembly line. I might have to give a Panasonic a try if this can't be minimized or fixed all together. Otherwise the 42hdt52 is a sweet set.

Anyone have any luck getting an external drive (with OS) working on one of these displays? How about a Toshiba Symbio? ...it does rely on the TV Guide....

Hey guys,

I am setting up a service call. I am not sure if they(6ave) will let me return the TV without a tech coming out so I am forced to go this route.

I did also call Hitachi and explained to her I was getting the flicker on mutliple inputs and she said that was not normal and to call some local place for service.

I asked if there was any firmware upgrades and she said no and they were not aware of the problem.

I do think we all need to call Hitachi and report this problem otherwise it will never get fixed...IMO this could be fixed with a firmware upgrade as it almost seems like the the Dynamic contrast or Black enhancer is still trying to do something even though I have it turned off.

Interestingly enough, I got the flicker while playing the first 2 chapter in Star Wars IV in reverse as well...I ran into my basement with the Toshiba SD-K850 to check if I would see it on the projector and I didn't (the pic with the Toshiba)looked pretty comparable to my HTPC btw) Some data from the movie is not being interpreted correctly.

My one last test will be to pick up an HDMI to DVI adapter and try playing some dark scenes through my HTPC (assuming I can get it to talk to the Hitachi)

Rich

OK, so can we safely assume, as per RichP's tech call, that this flickering isn't normal?

I might just exchange it for a Sony 30hs420 CRT and wait for an improvement.

Pardon my ignorance, but this set's native resolution is 1080i, correct? If so, what does that mean for 1080p content? How future proof is this set should I decide to stick with it? Also, I watch ROTJ with my nephew last night and it looked horrible. Granted, I may be spoiled since I came from a 34xbr910, but I expect a vast improvement on this ~$3000 set. Am I asking for too much?


Please post your settings!

Hi guys,

I'm sad to say I returned my 42hdt52 today as the flickering was just too much to tolerate in critical viewing conditions like low light. The salesman wasn't pleased and called my concerns a "minor visual issue".

It's that viewpoint that will prevent the issue from being fixed. I'm really on the fence as to finding something to replace it...

Help folks,

I have a 55HDS52 and a Yamaha DVX-300 home theater system. I set the DVD to 16:9, set the TV to 16:9. When I play a widescreen DVD I still get the black bars. I don't understand, any help would be greatly appeciated.

Thanks

UF22, there are different aspect ratios to movies. If you run a movie that's filmed in 1.85:1 in 16:9 it'll fill your screen, but there are wider film formats, like 2.35:1, which will still produce bars for you since your screen while wide, still isn't wide enough.

Miccos,

Thanks for your quick response. I did play a movie with 1.85 movie and it filled the screen as you said. I checked my other widescreen movies and all the rest were 2.35. Are most movies 2.35 to 1?

Thanks

Are Hitachi really that good for plasma? I went to Sears today and went for plasma shopping, and I saw this 42" for $$$. I am still thinking about if it's worth money to buy that plasma, what do u guys think?

EDIT>>

mod note; no price other than MSRP, please. Thanks

With all this talk of flicker problems, is it safe to say I should HOLD OFF on pulling the trigger on a 55HDT52? Is EVERYONE returning their Hitachi’s? This is really scaring me, and I don’t know what the alternatives are now for a 55inch plasma in this price range….

I have the HDS52 with Directv, an OTA antenna and an upconverting Sony DVD player. I do not have any flicker problems. It remains to be seen if this is a problem with the Hitachi design, a few individual sets or the systems of the effected users, so I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying a Hitachi plasma. Remember, people who don't have problems rarely post on these forums and its easy to presume that all of them are bad.

There have been a few questions asking about the native display and proper digital output to be used on the 1366x768 Hitachi plasmas. I got this answer from a Hitachi tech:

"The native resolution of the TV is technically 768p. This is what every signal is displayed as.

The Virtual HD 1080p II processor takes incoming signals and upscales them to 1080p for processing, then downscales the signal down to 768p for display. Unfortunately, we do not manufacture a TV currently that displays a 1080p picture. We feel that, as of right now, such TVs are uneconomical to purchase and there are not any 1080p signals that would be sent to the TV immediately anyway.

However, it is beneficial to process the picture at the higher resolution. Upscaling the signal to 1080p will give the video processor more information to do things like repair errors from the signal, increase the number of steps per color (our 1080p II processor is capable of displaying over 68 billion colors!), and provide better 3:2 pulldown film enhancement, as well as allowing for improved depth, detail, color, and impact in both bright and dark scenes.

By the way, we decided to go with the 768p native display because it works best with our High-Aperture pixel design. This design reduces the barriers between the picture elements, thereby giving you an even crisper, smoother picture."

By the way, we decided to go with the 768p native display because it works best with our High-Aperture pixel design. This design reduces the barriers between the picture elements, thereby giving you an even crisper, smoother picture."

....that flickers so badly in dark scenes you can't have epileptic friends over...

I have the 55HDS52 and have none of the flicker or other issues I've read here. The PQ is great and I'm really glad I bought it.

I have had a problem with my Motorola DVR box when hooked up to HDMI, it will reboot itself on its own, hooked up to component cable and it seems ok. anybody else had this problem or do you think i just got a faulty box ?
Thanks

Unfortunately, we do not manufacture a TV currently that displays a 1080p picture. We feel that, as of right now, such TVs are uneconomical to purchase and there are not any 1080p signals that would be sent to the TV immediately anyway.

willfine:

it sounds like you work for Hitachi? If so, is there an awareness of the black flicker problem and to what degree does it exist? If someone is seeing it, is it worthwhile setting up a service call to get repair or replacement?

rooster- i believe will was quoting Hitachi when he used "we".

My 42hdt52 has been great from day one, and I've only been able to induce a mild flicker at worst. Wonder if later build panels are coming from a different source ? Mine is an 08/05 build. Seems really odd that such a high proportion of users are experiencing this.

I have had a problem with my Motorola DVR box when hooked up to HDMI, it will reboot itself on its own, hooked up to component cable and it seems ok. anybody else had this problem or do you think i just got a faulty box ?
Thanks
I have a similiar problem with my Motorola DVR box hooked up via HDMI. When the TV is off it cycles through all the channels. I can't figure out if it is retrieving informatino for the TV Guide via the IR Blaster/G Link or just having issues. It still hasn't updated the TV Guide information even though it is hooked up properly. It would be great to get some answers from anybody on this board.

I also have an issue with remote distance for other devices using the IR Blaster.

Asiparks and others not seeing the flicker.

Can you check specific chapters of movies we know it induces it such as Star War IV A New Hope Chapter 1 & 2 (Where it starts with "In a galaxy far far away..." up to when the star destroyer start shooting at the rebel ship)
Probably any movie with mostly dark scenes (I noticed it in Underworld too and Million Dollar Baby)

I heard there is a scene in the Incredibles where they are sitting in the car at night.

It is easier to see in a dark room.

Also, I noticed some of the Panny guys are experiencing this too...they have a different name for it: Black Level Shift and there a few threads on it. Looks like some were able to fix it in the service manual...anyone ventured into our service manual yet?


rooster- i believe will was quoting Hitachi when he used "we".

My 42hdt52 has been great from day one, and I've only been able to induce a mild flicker at worst. Wonder if later build panels are coming from a different source ? Mine is an 08/05 build. Seems really odd that such a high proportion of users are experiencing this.

Ok...

So I finally got my HD box from Comcast. Set it up with the HDMI cable. I still see the flicker everyone once in a while. Not too bad but still see it.

With that being said I called Hitachi about it and their tech support guy said he has never heard of a flicker problem before (for those of you who don't know I have the 42HDS52 model). What he did say though was that he would send a technician out to take a look at it, so that's an option for those of you who are passed your 30 days from CC and now can't return or exchange it or for those who have purchased the extended warranty.

I think I'm going to go back and exchange it for another HDS52 because the picture is so unreal. I watched the Rose Bowl last night on a Sony Bravia XBR (LCD) and its got nothing on the PQ of this Hitachi. Basically for the next 3 weeks I'm going to jump through hoops to make it work. If I can't...then I don't know. I don't think there is a better Plasma with this type of PQ out there.

I'll keep everyone posted.

I disagree - the Panny PHD8UK and Pioneer 4360 have far superior PQ especially when it comes to blacks and shades of gray.

Asiparks and others not seeing the flicker.

Can you check specific chapters of movies we know it induces it such as Star War IV A New Hope Chapter 1 & 2 (Where it starts with "In a galaxy far far away..." up to when the star destroyer start shooting at the rebel ship)



You don't even have to go that far, it's present during the THX intro. RichP, many of these guys that don't see it won't, it's something you're either sensitive to or not as i'm certain it's a problem across all of these Hitachi panels.

Indeed they do Ankur, but there is more to picture quality and living with a set than just those 2 facets. If they are the most important to you, then enjoy your panny/pio. Like many other people I tried a couple of sets at home before settling on the 'tachi and found it's overall PQ preferable. Motion looked smoother, the colors more natural, the setup easy and flexible, the feature set useful- though still no luck finding a functioning external hard drive...and it also looks killer just sat there switched off. Yup the blacks could be blacker, the screen could do with being 18" bigger but neither spoils my enjoyment.

Going to rent Mr and Mrs Smith again tomorrow and try to make my set flicker.
Maybe it's there but neither me nor the missus are sensitive to it...?
Definately not present during the THX promos on Aliens...

I've went through a ton of movies with dark scenes including Star Wars and Lord of the Rings to see the flicker. My wife and I don't see any flicker, just black. This our first plasma so maybe it's our inexperience with plasma issues but overall the the set is performing great.

I have noticed that pretty much every plasma seems to have issues. I could be wrong but It does not seem that Sony has any new offerings as far as plasmas go and I have seen none at the CES for Sony. Perhaps they are abondoning an inferior technology? I am not trying to stir up any trouble or insult anyone. I have been looking for an HDTV for months and feel I am finding too many negatives about plasma to justify the expense, and I should not limit this just to plasma as I really do not like the look of DLP, SXRD or other RPTV's(or LCD). I feel that perhaps there is some other technology on the horizon which will fulfill the promise of superior resolution AND the simply "turn it on and it looks great" simplicity of the best tube-based televisions. It seems to me that people have just begun accepting the inherent weaknesses of plasma (i.e. good black level at the expense of detail, posterization, flickering when a scene changes). I know, you are going to tell me that one can get rid of these problems by adjusting the settings; however, I feel when one does so he is really only masking the problem which is still there and improving one element of the picture while degrading another. And don't tell me PQ is subjective, you are only doing so to make excuses for the aforementioned flaws of plasmas. Again, I am not trying to rain on anyone's parade, just giving my observations. Who knows, I may go out and buy a plasma today seeing that the prices are dropping.

Regards,
Scott

hi,

my hitachi 42HDS52 was delivered today...and here it sits...do i need a "professional" to set it up for me? ;)

asiparks and uf22,

Thanx for trying to see the flicker...try to do it in a dark room as its more pronounced then...I couldn't see it during the day with all the ambient light in my room.

I am waiting for a technician to call me back and schedule a visit....hoping there is some service menu setting that will fix it.

RichP

Indeed they do Ankur, but there is more to picture quality and living with a set than just those 2 facets. If they are the most important to you, then enjoy your panny/pio. Like many other people I tried a couple of sets at home before settling on the 'tachi and found it's overall PQ preferable. Motion looked smoother, the colors more natural, the setup easy and flexible, the feature set useful- though still no luck finding a functioning external hard drive...and it also looks killer just sat there switched off. Yup the blacks could be blacker, the screen could do with being 18" bigger but neither spoils my enjoyment.

Going to rent Mr and Mrs Smith again tomorrow and try to make my set flicker.
Maybe it's there but neither me nor the missus are sensitive to it...?
Definately not present during the THX promos on Aliens...

asiparks, check out the newer thx intros, like the ones on the latest star wars dvds

Sony decided to stay out of the plasma game last year, jumped in bed with Samsung on some projects, and from the sale of plasmas looks like Sony will be regretting that decision. Panasonic and Hitachi stayed in the game and have benefited from sony's decision.

Sometimes the problem doesn't really present itself as a "Flicker", but more of an overall lightning of the screen...like all of a sudden the contrast was dialed up on the TV. It usually seems to happen in dark scenes where there is an area of light that is present. The entire screen will then lighten like the contrast was turned up and will then return when the light goes away or the scene changes to one that isn't mostly black.

Hi everyone!

I've spent almost 2-3 hours reading everything you guys said (btw, thanks for your useful input!), and I've still got a few questions, which I hope someone can help me with.

I've bought a 42HDT52 yesterday (should be shipped in two weeks) and I'm not sure that I did the right thing. Judging from your comments, I might have black levels problems and flickering, which seems like a big problem.

Anyway, I bought this TV because the clerk told me it was a 1080p Plasma set, at an affordable price. Now, from what I've read, it's not true 1080p. I bought this TV to play PS3 games when it'll come out, which are gonna be 1080p. Will I loose quality against a TRUE 1080p plasma TV?

I'll mostly be playing console games (PS2/X360/PS3/GC) and I need a ~42'' plasma set. Which one should I buy (any brand, and I can afford to wait a few months)??

Thanks A LOT for any reply :)

An excellent and most accurate description.

Its almost as if the Dynamic Contrast was having a fit...even when its turned off.

Rich

Sometimes the problem doesn't really present itself as a "Flicker", but more of an overall lightning of the screen...like all of a sudden the contrast was dialed up on the TV. It usually seems to happen in dark scenes where there is an area of light that is present. The entire screen will then lighten like the contrast was turned up and will then return when the light goes away or the scene changes to one that isn't mostly black.

An excellent and most accurate description.

Its almost as if the Dynamic Contrast was having a fit...even when its turned off.

Rich
that's exactly how I would describe it - and will when I get around to making the call to Hitachi.

I've tried DC on and off and notice little difference, but the flicker definitely seems to be related to "finding" the proper contrast in the scene. If it's a static shot (i.e. white text on black) - no flicker. If there is the slightest movement of a light object on a mostly dark field, then the dark area shifts from black to grey.

At this point, after reading everyone's symptoms, I would bet it is a fault in the Dynamic Contrast processor. It seems to be attempting to do it's thing even when it's supposedly switched off.

If that is the case, then theoretically it should be an easy fix.

I love my 42HDT52 and everything about it, less the flicker. I'm even starting to adjust to it now, or it might actually be calming down a bit? Still gonna try and get it properly checked out.

FWIW, the set was purchased early December '05 - is there any relationship between build dates and flicker severity???

I appreciate all of the help! Although CC insisted that the TV was fine (flickering) and tried to charge me 20% (yes, not the usual 15%) restocking fee for damage caused by the clueless teen who cracked the stand and scratched it as he pleased when he removed it from my truck to return to their backstock. Honestly, it was a disturbing sight to see, considering how I had babied the tv all of this time!

I returned the TV and will wait for a 1080p set next year. I came home with a Sony CRT 30hs420... :( I already miss the size and clarity of the 42hds52. Have fun with your Hitachis, folks!

...and thanks for the help and advice!

I too have "the flicker"

Got my 42hds52 this week so it is probably a Dec. 2005 build. I have seen this on every DVD I have tried on it. Including the scene in the Incredibles mentioned by RichP above. It is most noticable when you don't fill the screen with the picture.

I was thinking maybe I needed to upgrade my DVD player. I am using a progressive scan Panasonic player with component cables but it is an inexpensive model from a few years back. Any thoughts on this? Is anyone using a player that can upgrade the signal to HD? If so, how does the PQ look?

I also see considerable banding in everything I have watched. Particularly the sky in LOTR, and the characters faces in the Incredibles. Is this common with DVD signals?

55HDX62 Wait Time?

What's the wait time been for those with the 55HDX62? Was originally told a week and half, now being told a month. Feedback appreciated considering cancelling my order and getting my card credited back. Thanks.

Considering these "flicker" issues, maybe it wasn't meant to be.

Hi. I've been reading this thread since buying my 55HDT52 just before Christmas. I must say I love this TV but the Contrast/Brightness stepping during dark scenes is driving me nuts. I can almost tolerate it during the day but at night when the room is dark this problem is unbearable. I contacted Hitachi shortly after setting it up. The service rep was very well informed about the technology of Plasmas and this model as well. He asked some very specific questions about the problem and had me change various parameters and settings in the menu's. I was very impressed with his knowledge of the set. He apologized for the inconvenience and said he would forward the info to the engineering department for further investigation. I got a call from Hitachi today and they informed me that they were FedExing me a memory card with updated software that will hopefully fix the flicker problem. I'm hopeful it does the trick as I would hate to have to return the set. I love the overall picture quality and am impressed with the SD performance. I have rarely seen a plasma with decent SD picture quality. The video processing evidently upconverts 480i/480p signals to 1080p and then displays them as 1080i. I should get the upgraded software in a day or two. I will post my results. Keep your fingers crossed!

GZAP,

That is great news!!!

Can you tell us what firmware version you have now?

I have a service appoinment scheduled for Sat Jan 21 but I would like to try and call Hitachi again to get this updated firmware.

Do you have a name for the tech you spoek with?

Rich

Hi. I've been reading this thread since buying my 55HDT52 just before Christmas. I must say I love this TV but the Contrast/Brightness stepping during dark scenes is driving me nuts. I can almost tolerate it during the day but at night when the room is dark this problem is unbearable. I contacted Hitachi shortly after setting it up. The service rep was very well informed about the technology of Plasmas and this model as well. He asked some very specific questions about the problem and had me change various parameters and settings in the menu's. I was very impressed with his knowledge of the set. He apologized for the inconvenience and said he would forward the info to the engineering department for further investigation. I got a call from Hitachi today and they informed me that they were FedExing me a memory card with updated software that will hopefully fix the flicker problem. I'm hopeful it does the trick as I would hate to have to return the set. I love the overall picture quality and am impressed with the SD performance. I have rarely seen a plasma with decent SD picture quality. The video processing evidently upconverts 480i/480p signals to 1080p and then displays them as 1080i. I should get the upgraded software in a day or two. I will post my results. Keep your fingers crossed!

A month sounds about right...when I purchased mine end of December there were only 2 left (for 6Ave) and was told it would be a month and a half till they got more.

The flicker will get fixed!


55HDX62 Wait Time?

What's the wait time been for those with the 55HDX62? Was originally told a week and half, now being told a month. Feedback appreciated considering cancelling my order and getting my card credited back. Thanks.

Considering these "flicker" issues, maybe it wasn't meant to be.

bbidding- I have a Denon 1920 that upconverts to 1080i over HDMI. There is a definate improvement in detail and resolution, noticable in things like the opening battle in Revenge of the Sith- more debris and smoke is visible and the color looks a little more vivid. It's not a huge difference though. If you have a BB near you try a couple out such as the samsung 845, sony nsv 70 and whatever the toshiba one is...see if you notice a difference. I went with the Denon because I listen to a lot of stereo music and the Denon did that rather well. the PQ was, as far as I could tell, on par with the Samsung. With all of these you'll need to buy an HDMI cable to enjoy 1080i output. Monoprix.com is a good source.

As far as the banding, no, that's not usual. Make sure that your dvd is set to 16:9...

No flicker on the THX promo on RotS y'all. Hope it is just a firmware upgrade...

Ive loved all about my HDX but I have the lip sync issues on a variety of HD channels. Mainly the "major" broadcast channels like abc, cbs and nbc. When watching HD espn, I and HDnet etc, I have no problems. Im on Insight (same as Comcast I believe) and using the Motorola DVR. I have the issues on these channels whether im using the direct cable into the tv or watching through the DVR...what is the official line hitachi is giving? btw, stnd tv is just fine. and picture quality is stunning...as it was from day 1

I just purchased the Hitachi 42HDT52A 3 weeks ago, first time to purchase a Plasma TV. The picture is great and I am still learning all the ins and outs of what this set can do. The blacks look great to me and the picture is stunning in HD. DVD picture is fantastic as well. I am having a problem with the power swivel though. It appears that one of the connections is faulty, I am turning this set in for a replacement. Hitachi has indicated that they will send someone out to fix it but for the price I paid, Video Only which is where I purchased it is going to replace it. I would buy another one in a heart beat. I also purchased a BOSE Acoustimass 6 system and a new JVC RX-D202B receiver. Sounds awsome. Hope this helps.

Gomariners116

RichP thanks for the response. Maybe I'll hold tight.

6th Ave. has it in stock now. However the price over the phone was a little high. I think I have to go to a store to get a better price.

A month sounds about right...when I purchased mine end of December there were only 2 left (for 6Ave) and was told it would be a month and a half till they got more.

The flicker will get fixed!

I haven't been able to see a director's series screen. Is the Anti-reflective effective? Would you put it on par with say an SXRD matte screen? Glare is big on my concern list. If there really is a firmware cure for flicker, I may be set -

[QUOTE=GZAP1] I got a call from Hitachi today and they informed me that they were FedExing me a memory card with updated software that will hopefully fix the flicker problem. I'm hopeful it does the trick as I would hate to have to return the set. QUOTE]

I was excited when I read this that there might be a solution for my 55HDS. Called Hitachi and was told I already have most recent software version (0101.0001) with a Sept production date. Service call was only recommendation they had. Thy are at least admitting to getting a "few" calls on this issue where they were saying they had never heard of it before. I still love the set for screen size and great picture most of the time Only get irritated about 5% of the time. Would rather have that be 0% though, so will probably go with service call just to check it out.

Where is the production date shown on the 55HDS52? Sucker is too heavy to be taking on and off the wall.

I haven't been able to see a director's series screen. Is the Anti-reflective effective? Would you put it on par with say an SXRD matte screen? Glare is big on my concern list. If there really is a firmware cure for flicker, I may be set -
Well I have the HDX, and have no flicker issues, never.

The anti glare as reported by others does do a good job. I have large windows hitting the screen from both sides throughout the day. and its no problem...well id say, better than no antirefelct

ON the lip sync, it apperas that many other manufactures units are doing the same thing on the same HD channels, this leads me to believe there is some issue with the cable companies signia;s

Went home for lunch and found a FedEx package at my door! 5 minutes later I was flicker free!!!!! I plugged the SD card in the slot, went to the setup menu and selected upgrade. Then selected upgrade now. A minute or so and it was done. Unplugged the TV from power and waited 10 seconds. Powered up and played the Mines of Moria scene from the first Lord of the Rings movie. This sequence caused horrible flicker before the upgrade. Not anymore. I hope this proves to be the fix over the longhaul. I only watched 10 minutes or so but I think they got it right. What a joy to watch this Plasma without the threat of breaking into flicker induced seizures. I am impressed with the way Hitachi handled the situation and am happy I bought their product. I have my Contrast at 45, Brightness at 33, Color at 16, Tint at center, Sharpness at 40, color temp at Standard, black enhancement at Low, Contrast mode normal, Noise reduction Low and auto movie mode on. Give Hitachi a call and let them know you need the V0102.0006 of the software. I'm the first to offer feedback to Hitachi on this so I hope everyone else has the same result.

I'm glad your flicker problem is solved. The V0102.0006 version GZAP1 is different than the one Rooster55 had (V0101.0001) and from the numbers, newer.

It goes to show that technical support can be a crap shoot, depending on how well-read or updated the person is who you get on the phone or who reads and responds to your e-mail.

Everyone should do as GZAP1 suggests and give the Hitachi support person the correct software version number, referencing this board.

That is fantastic news.

Now I have to go buy another.........GZAP, can you post this firmware file please? Also can you let us know how it performs as you test it more on different material.

Thanks!

Hi,

I just contacted Hitachi support regarding my 55HDT52 problem and the reported firmware update. As you would imagine, they initially had NO idea about the new version and stated that the 0101.0001 was the latest (which is technically correct). I pointed him to the forum, and after doing additional research on their side, indicated the following:

The new version posted (0102.0006) is still in engineering and has NOT been officially released. They are still verifying whether the fix will correct the 'flickering' problem before releasing it.

He indicated that he would keep my file open and when the new version of the firmware becomes officially available, they would mail it to me.

So...the first to get the publically released version of the firmware, please let the rest of us know so we can 'bug' Hitachi. Or better yet, get your case on file with them and they should hopefully send you upgrade card when it becomes available.

Good luck! I'm feeling better about my plasma already!...now, onto the next hurdle, 5.1 speaker installation...

This firmware stuff is GREAT news. This may be the panel for me. I have to drive over an hour to see a Director's Series, according to the dealer finder...

Anyway, I looked at the 55HD52 at CC (which I can't buy due to glare). and they had the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory DVD playing the Oompa-Loompa section. It looked like crap! Jaggedly lines, washed out colors. The 42" hitachi playing the HD loop seemed OK, but that DVD on the 55 was downright scary. Any 55" owners have better luck with DVD?

hey fellow hitachi owners -

i was selected for a research group in the sf bay area for hitachi flat panel tvs. i own a 42hds52 myself and besides the "flicker" issues with the PDPs are there any other issues you would want me to bring up? please let me know so i can bring it to their attention. my panel works great so i have no issues with it. i meet with them next week and i visit this tread often.... jake

This firmware stuff is GREAT news. This may be the panel for me. I have to drive over an hour to see a Director's Series, according to the dealer finder...

Anyway, I looked at the 55HD52 at CC (which I can't buy due to glare). and they had the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory DVD playing the Oompa-Loompa section. It looked like crap! Jaggedly lines, washed out colors. The 42" hitachi playing the HD loop seemed OK, but that DVD on the 55 was downright scary. Any 55" owners have better luck with DVD?

Bad source material is going to look BAD... I have a Pioneer DV45-a using progressive ( 480p ) component video out and the picture is great! The superbit version of Lawrence of Arabia is stunning. Ditto the superbit of the Fifth Element. Feed good stuff to the Hitachi and you will be rewarded. I run HDMI at 1080i out of my HD Motorola box with excellent ( think Mr. Burns ) results. Don't expect HD quality from current generation DVD. Ain't gonna happen.

I just called Hitachi about my 42HDS52A and gave them all of the information including the software upgrade discussed on this board. Well, just like mgholami said, they had no idea about new firmware. After much discussing they said that there doesn't appear to be an updated firmware in the works for the 42HDS52A, but they would keep my file open and gave me a service number in case I wanted to have someone come look at it. I think that anyone who has the 42HDS52A should try and call them so they have some more reports on this problem for our model.

After reading about this firmware business, I've done the same. Just got off the phone with Hitachi (btw excellent CS, very informative and helpful) and basically got the same response that others have. There looks to be a firmware upgrade in the works, but it hasn't been officially released yet.

This is exciting! :D

hey fellow hitachi owners -

i was selected for a research group in the sf bay area for hitachi flat panel tvs. i own a 42hds52 myself and besides the "flicker" issues with the PDPs are there any other issues you would want me to bring up? please let me know so i can bring it to their attention. my panel works great so i have no issues with it. i meet with them next week and i visit this tread often.... jake

Thanks for the offer. It'd be great to have an inside line to Hitachi!

I'm still trying to find out a way to adjust the overscan when in any of the 4:3 stretch/zoom modes. It seems like too much of the edges are being cut off and it would be nice to be able to reduce the picture size so it more accurately fills the screen.

This is on a 42hdT52, but I'm sure it's the same across the line.

Otherwise, it's a fantastic display - especially if the flicker is fixable!!!

Bad source material is going to look BAD... I have a Pioneer DV45-a using progressive ( 480p ) component video out and the picture is great! The superbit version of Lawrence of Arabia is stunning. Ditto the superbit of the Fifth Element. Feed good stuff to the Hitachi and you will be rewarded. I run HDMI at 1080i out of my HD Motorola box with excellent ( think Mr. Burns ) results. Don't expect HD quality from current generation DVD. Ain't gonna happen.

GZAP1
Could you please tell me what is the exact model # of your motorola box, I'm on my second one with still some issues, first one kept rebooting on its own, the second one wont work on hdmi and tries to tell me the input is dvi and my set does not have dvi and the box is hooked up to hdmi.
Thanks

GZAP1
Could you please tell me what is the exact model # of your motorola box, I'm on my second one with still some issues, first one kept rebooting on its own, the second one wont work on hdmi and tries to tell me the input is dvi and my set does not have dvi and the box is hooked up to hdmi.
Thanks
Motorola DCT 6412 III.

Where is the production date shown on the 55HDS52? Sucker is too heavy to be taking on and off the wall.

Hitachi CS rep gave me prod date from serial#.

Hope this new upgrade works and is available to all of us soon so we can all just enjoy our panels.

Thanks for the feedback asiparks!

I set up an exchange for my 42hds52 for this coming Monday. I saw false contouring in everything, including HD input through an HDMI cable, so I don't think it was my DVD player. I am hoping the new unit will not have this problem. Also hoping the flicker is not there but at least it sounds like Hitachi is working on that problem. I am going to report the flicker that I experienced to them to try and push the firmware upgrade along.

I called again as well yesterday afternoon...before I knew about the new version number (I have 0101.0001) was told that was the latest...but I did get the tech to take down the movies and scenes I was seeing it in.

If anyone that has the flicker hasn't called Hitachi, please do...I think we will get the new firmware release faster when they know more of us have the issue.

Rich


Hi,

I just contacted Hitachi support regarding my 55HDT52 problem and the reported firmware update. As you would imagine, they initially had NO idea about the new version and stated that the 0101.0001 was the latest (which is technically correct). I pointed him to the forum, and after doing additional research on their side, indicated the following:

The new version posted (0102.0006) is still in engineering and has NOT been officially released. They are still verifying whether the fix will correct the 'flickering' problem before releasing it.

He indicated that he would keep my file open and when the new version of the firmware becomes officially available, they would mail it to me.

So...the first to get the publically released version of the firmware, please let the rest of us know so we can 'bug' Hitachi. Or better yet, get your case on file with them and they should hopefully send you upgrade card when it becomes available.

Good luck! I'm feeling better about my plasma already!...now, onto the next hurdle, 5.1 speaker installation...

I did manage to get my Linux HTPC MythTV box connected yesterday via DVI-HDMI at 720P. The picture looks great but I do have some overscan...haven't worked on that yet. The input/info on the TV showed DVI and 720P

I will continue to work at eliminating the overscan which really isn't too big of a deal with movies/recorded tv.

I would also like to second the way to adjust the overscan when in any of the 4:3 stretch/zoom modes. I would like to expand the "widescreen" SciFi channel Friday nights to fit the 55" but it cuts off just a little bit off the tops of the heads.

Also, see if you can find a fix for the false contouring observed on mine and others' 55HDT51.

Hey all - I was wondering if the 55HDT52 would function well as it's own center channel, in a 5.1 setup? Anyone doing this?

THanks

Hello. I appreciate the information I have been able to obtain from this thread. I keep going back to CC to look at the 55 inch. So many positives. Anxiously awaiting the verdict on the firmware. My only other issue of note and the one I wanted to ask about is glare. Although all of the panels are reflective, this one seems particularly so. In part, it seems it might be the width of the black edging, which is like a mirror to me. The one at the CC by me is mounted high and tilted, and CC suggests that part of the glare is just a function of the lighting in that area (yes, I asked him to kill the light, but can't be done). Can anyone comment on whether this panel is especially reflective? Thanks.

BTW, the only other panel in contention with this one is the NEC 50XR5a, but that requires a leap of faith because you can't look at one anywhere. The reviews on this site of the NEC have been stellar, however.

Motorola DCT 6412 III.

Thanks GZAP
Got my new box today and so far so good !!!
One more question
Do you know what your cable box is set to in 4:3 mode(overide)
I think there is 4 options, off 480i 480p and stretch
Thanks again

Before I go for a 1 1/2- 2 hour drive to see a Director's Series, has anyone here compared the two? The anti-relective panel is the only feature that I need over what the other have here locally. I have a Tivo, so TV Guide doesn't matter to me. I have a big window behond my viewing couch, and one to the side of the panel. I've seen the regular 55" at CC. Pretty reflective. Is it enough of a difference to spend the extra money?

I'm thinking about having an ISF calibration. Is it really worth it?

Thanks

I'm thinking about having an ISF calibration. Is it really worth it?

Thanks


It depends on the plasma and how picky you are about the PQ. You can easily improve the PQ by setting contrast, brightness, and to an extent the saturation and tint, with a simple calibration disk like AVIA or DVE. However if the grayscale tracking is off, it can only be typically adjusted through the service menu and requires a colorimeter to set properly. A easy way to check out the greyscale is to put on the horizontal gray ramp test pattern from AVIA or DVE. The pattern should be smooth with no banding or color shifts. If is not, it will cause problems like posterization, banding, and false contouring. An example of this is in the picture below from a last year's 55HDT51 which would definitely benefit from an ISF calibration. That being said, the picture shows numerous narrow bands and color shifts in the pattern and it very hard to remove these as grayscale adjustments are made in a limited number of discrete steps along the way which can improve the overall "average" grayscale performance but not take out these narrow bands.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showphoto.php/photo/17374/size/big/ppuser/12035

Whew! At last I finished reading all 20 pages of very valuable, interesting and sometimes intriguing observations and experiences Hitachi owners have.

Well, I too, decided to purchase Hitachi 42HDT52 (December 2005 mfg. date) and have been enjoying it for two weeks now. I am happy to report that I have not observed the problems other owners report. No noticeable flicker, no black level problem, just pure enjoyment.

Great set.

I finally bought this set too (42HDT52). Call me crazy, but I choose this one instead of the Pioneer 4360HD because of the features and the PQ seemed almost on par with the pio and better than the pana (to me anyway).

There are a few things that are still bothering me, like side bars when I play GC/PS2 games, some minor (really minor) flicker problems in dark games (like splinter cell) and I think there's some kind of mini-lag when playing games, but that could be due to the poor cables. I'm still waiting for my component cables to arrive (bought them from ebay) so I'll let you know if the problem comes from the TV or the cables. It can get pretty frustrating when playing rythm games like guitar hero. Anyone else is experiencing this problem?

Everything else works great, I love the number of inputs and SD quality is great. Most of my GC/PS2 games look like crap using RCA cables but I hope it'll be better soon.

Great set!

Sometimes the problem doesn't really present itself as a "Flicker", but more of an overall lightning of the screen...like all of a sudden the contrast was dialed up on the TV. It usually seems to happen in dark scenes where there is an area of light that is present. The entire screen will then lighten like the contrast was turned up and will then return when the light goes away or the scene changes to one that isn't mostly black.


I have a 42HDT52A and I didn't think I had (or didn't notice that I had) flicker issues until it was described like this.

In the opening chapter of Star Wars IV, it's very apparent from when the text is moving off the screen, through the ensuing battle. (I noticed it a little in the THX promo as well.

For me, I don't think it's a big enough issue to exchange the set, but we'll see. I still have 2 more weeks to decide. My girlfriend didn't notice it until I pointed it out to her, and even then, it didn't bother her.

If the "flicker" or "black level shift" gets fixed, I would say that I couldn't be happier with the purchase. I do wish the black levels were a little deeper, but I thought that some of the other perks this set has outweighed my slight disappointment with the black levels.

There are a few things that are still bothering me, like side bars when I play GC/PS2 games...........

Everything else works great, I love the number of inputs and SD quality is great. Most of my GC/PS2 games look like crap using RCA cables but I hope it'll be better soon.

Congrats! You'll see a major improvement by upgrading those cables to component. I figured my PS2 would look pretty bad using the standard composite cables, but I was really shocked at how bad it really was. :( It was very disappointing. Anyway, after upgrading the cables I was astonished. BIG improvement! :D You'll love it.

Try changing to a widescreen setting within the games setup/options to get rid of side bars. A lot of games incorporate this, but not all.

cooley

Hey thanks for the reply!

I've read somewhere you have to press some buttons when loading a game to get progressive scan. What do you have to do, and do you have to do it every time?

Also, could you submit your TV settings for your PS2 input? I guess it can be useful for new HDTV owners like me!

Can't wait to get the cables, I'm sure I'll love it. Right now, every game looks like 2nd/3rd generation PSone games :) I was affraid I'd have to get the latest XBox to play nice looking games on my new set, but looks like there's still hope!

Thanks again for the reply!

Anyone have color uniformity problems with the 55HDS52? In white scenes or when I go to the 'wipe' screen in the setup>screen saver menu there is a wide faint band of magenta and a thinner band of aqua on the screen.

I've read somewhere you have to press some buttons when loading a game to get progressive scan. What do you have to do, and do you have to do it every time?

Also, could you submit your TV settings for your PS2 input? I guess it can be useful for new HDTV owners like me!

Can't wait to get the cables, I'm sure I'll love it. Right now, every game looks like 2nd/3rd generation PSone games :) I was affraid I'd have to get the latest XBox to play nice looking games on my new set, but looks like there's still hope!

Thanks again for the reply!

Yeah, I've read that too. Can't remember the button combo (or if it is even the same combo for each game?). My understanding was that the combo needs to be entered each time the game is started, and not all games incorporate this feature (pretty sure the GTA series doesn't support it :( )

I haven't had a lot of play time, so not much time tweaking settings either. The only thing I did for my PS2 input was change contrast to around 70 and brightness to 35 (after break-in, ofcourse).

My brother brought in his xbox360 over Christmas, so I did get a short sample of how that console looks on my TV (55HDS52 at 1080i). The color and clarity were really nice. I was particularly impressed with the details and crisp edges on screen. No jaggies. Can't wait for the PS3 now :D

cooley

Stay strong. Resist the XBox! PS3 - Hitachi (hopefully) for me too...



My brother brought in his xbox360 over Christmas, so I did get a short sample of how that console looks on my TV (55HDS52 at 1080i). The color and clarity were really nice. I was particularly impressed with the details and crisp edges on screen. No jaggies. Can't wait for the PS3 now :D

cooley

Hi everyone;
I was wondering if anybody knows where Hitachi Plasma service manuals are sold? I have the 42HDT52. After sending an e-mail to Hitachi customer service, the reply was:

"Please contact our National Parts Distributor, Global Electronics at 1-800-668-8776.
They will be happy to help you with availability and price.
Please have your model and postal code ready when you call."

This is in Canada, by the way. I called these guys several times and they still don't have it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

RosenAV,

Here are some links where you can find your manuals for the 42HDT52 online:

http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/plasma/plasma/42hdt52.shtml

http://merchant.satisfusion.com/library/manuals/owners/42_55HDT52_42HDT52A.pdf

http://merchant.satisfusion.com/library/manuals/owners/42_55HDT52_42HDT52A_Part2.pdf

https://merchant.satisfusion.com/sf/WarrantyCenter/registration/secure/Hitachi/Manuals/ModelNumberManualLinks.jsp?masterModelOID=SF-1124725115-61920&random=1137338257213


Good luck with your set,
Mark

Thank you for the effort, Mark, but I need THE SERVICE MANUAL. Unless I didn't see it but I only found the owner's manual pdf. Anyway, these are good links and some day someone may need them.
Thanks again.
Best regards
Rosen

Gzap, any chance of you posting the firmware update?

Gzap, any chance of you posting the firmware update?


Yeah, I'd love to be able to download that too. I have two weeks to decide whether to keep this plasma or exchange it for something else. By the sound of things I won't be able to obtain the update directly from Hitachi by the deadline.

If you don't have the ability to post it, I'd be willing to do it if you'd send it to me. I'd even FedEx the card back to you if you like.

I just checked my software version on my Hitachi 42" Director Series and its was version V0101.0002. i just got in end of Dec. I have not see any flicker problem yet .

Sorry about that RosenAV, I misread your original post...

Mark

Some posters have referred to a "Director's series" model of Hitachi Plasma. How is that different from say, the HDT52 series?

I don't see the Director's series on the Canadian site. Is that only available in the US?

Ive loved all about my HDX but I have the lip sync issues on a variety of HD channels. Mainly the "major" broadcast channels like abc, cbs and nbc. When watching HD espn, I and HDnet etc, I have no problems. Im on Insight (same as Comcast I believe) and using the Motorola DVR. I have the issues on these channels whether im using the direct cable into the tv or watching through the DVR...what is the official line hitachi is giving? btw, stnd tv is just fine. and picture quality is stunning...as it was from day 1

I have seen the same thing on my HD42S, only the HD channels, and not all of them...mostly the major networks, cbs, fox, nbc. I have cox communications as my cable provider. It has been a minor annoyance til today during the footbal games it was occuring frequently to the point I sent email to the cable company and left phone message. I am thinking ot may just be weak signal in my case, as the problem is not always present.

I'm about 100% positive that the lipsync problem you are seeing is a network/local station or cable provider problem. We used to have that problem a lot when we first started using HD here, but thanks to our local HD forum here on AVSForums, and our local Time Warner Rep that is dedicated to this forum, we haven't had any problems in a long time.

Good luck,
Mark

Is the Hitachi noticably inferior to the Panasonic or Pioneer in clarity and blacks? How about the SXRD? I know it's apples to oranges in that case. I seem to be between the Hitachi and an SXRD for screen size. The only thing I've eliminated is the Bravia 40" fo being too small. Plus my glare worries, but that's another thread.

How do you check your software version?

Is the Hitachi noticably inferior to the Panasonic or Pioneer in clarity and blacks? How about the SXRD? I know it's apples to oranges in that case. I seem to be between the Hitachi and an SXRD for screen size. The only thing I've eliminated is the Bravia 40" fo being too small. Plus my glare worries, but that's another thread.

I have been an XBR guy for all my TV-viewing years until recently when I purchased Hitachi 42HDT52A. I too, like most people researched, read a lot about them, compared, looked at showrooms and demos, compare features, etc. I decided on Hitachi and I have not seen a more accurate and natural colors after calibrating it using DVE. I am happy with my purchase. The PQ is stunning.

Thanks for response - I've been a sony for all my years too. Good to hear that you like the hitachi coming from that as well. Is your plasma in the same place you had your XBR?

I have been an XBR guy for all my TV-viewing years until recently when I purchased Hitachi 42HDT52A. I too, like most people researched, read a lot about them, compared, looked at showrooms and demos, compare features, etc. I decided on Hitachi and I have not seen a more accurate and natural colors after calibrating it using DVE. I am happy with my purchase. The PQ is stunning.

How do you check your software version?

Menu / Setup / Upgrade

It's listed on the screen after you press upgrade in the setup screen.

Mine is V0101.0002 just like the person with the director series with the same version. Although he/she wasn't experiencing the black level shift (flicker) like I am.

Thanks for response - I've been a sony for all my years too. Good to hear that you like the hitachi coming from that as well. Is your plasma in the same place you had your XBR?

Yes.

The XBR had to be relegated to the basement ;)

Hey everyone, I've had the 55HDS52 for about a week now. I love it. But I've noticed a problem when I use my original XBox. It seems like there is a one second delay between me hitting the button on my wired xbox controller and the action happening on screen. For instance, imagine you're playing a baseball game and you hit the button to swing at the pitch, but batter on screen doesn't swing when you hit the button, he swings a moment later.

I called Hitachi about this and they told me to not use the svhs connection and go back to the old rca audio and video plugs. I did as they said and the same problem was still occurring.

Is there anything in the settings of the tv that could possibly cause this?

I have an xbox360 hooked up and that works fine, but the original xbox is causing this problem.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Thanks GZAP
Got my new box today and so far so good !!!
One more question
Do you know what your cable box is set to in 4:3 mode(overide)
I think there is 4 options, off 480i 480p and stretch
Thanks again

I have the HDMI set to 1080i and the 4:3 set to 480p. These settings seem to give the best results for me.

Gzap, any chance of you posting the firmware update?

Unless given permission by Hitachi I would not think that would be appropriate. Hitachi has been very responsive to my concerns about the flicker problem and have treated me well. They asked that I return the SD card with the prepaid shipping label they provided. I plan on doing so tomorrow. The card is 32mb. I stuck it in the card reader of my laptop and saw 1 file about 12mb in size. I would reccomend that owners with broadband connections ask Hitachi customer service to email them the upgrade. That is if you have an SD card and a means to transfer to it. Otherwise maybe its possible to connect straight from a laptop to the TV thru an RS-232 connection. By the way, I am still very pleased with the upgrade and have yet to experience any adverse effects. Flicker is a thing of the past and I'm loving this set more each day. I think it blows the competition away especially when you compare the price to 50" sets from other manufacturers! Also after setting the brightness and contrast to a calibration disc I am very pleased with the black level performance. Improper settings definitely can cause dark grey blacks.

Unless given permission by Hitachi I would not think that would be appropriate. Hitachi has been very responsive to my concerns about the flicker problem and have treated me well. They asked that I return the SD card with the prepaid shipping label they provided. I plan on doing so tomorrow.


Disappointed, but I understand.

I called Hitachi, got the usual "you have the most current software" "I haven't heard of flicker issues" type responses.

He said that if new software was in development, that it wouldn't be released in the next couple of weeks.

The more movies I watch, the more the black level shift is bothering me. (watched "Red Eye" last night, very bothersome...) So, since I won't be able to verify that this new version fixes the flicker on the 42's, it's going to have to go back to the store. Unfortunate, but I don't want to roll the dice with this type of purchase.

Hey everyone, I've had the 55HDS52 for about a week now. I love it. But I've noticed a problem when I use my original XBox. It seems like there is a one second delay between me hitting the button on my wired xbox controller and the action happening on screen. For instance, imagine you're playing a baseball game and you hit the button to swing at the pitch, but batter on screen doesn't swing when you hit the button, he swings a moment later.

I called Hitachi about this and they told me to not use the svhs connection and go back to the old rca audio and video plugs. I did as they said and the same problem was still occurring.

Is there anything in the settings of the tv that could possibly cause this?

I have an xbox360 hooked up and that works fine, but the original xbox is causing this problem.

Thanks in advance for any input.

I have a first gen XBOX hooked up to mine (42HDT52), and I don't notice any delays. I don't have a baseball game, but I tried a few other sports games, and a couple action games, and I don't notice any delay in the controls.

I would just try a process of elimination to determine the source. Different controllers, different controller ports, different games, xbox video settings to output widescreen, 480P, 780P, and 1080i (don't know what bearing that could have, but you never know...) and I guess finally, hooking back up to your old TV. If that is the only thing that corrects the problem, I would be shocked, but stranger things have happened...

I have my xbox hooked up using component cables, but I was using the S-Video before, and there wasn't a delay, so I don't think it could be that.

If none of the above suggestions work, and if it works normally on your old tv, then I would think it has to be one of the video settings on the plasma.

Good Luck.

One advantage I noticed of the SRDX when viewed against plasmas is that the standard def looked much better. It seems like the plasma makers are going through all kinds of gyrations to improve standard def quality, but on the SRDX, the std def was smooth (I wouldn't say crisp) but it didn't have the same "blotchiness" and funny movement of the picture that you get with plasma.

Am I imagining things?

Can anyone who has compared the 55inch Hitachis to 50inch pannys or the SRDX comment?

That's unfortunate to hear GZAP. Needless to say, I won't be purchasing another 42hdt52 in the hopes that support may or may not supply me with the same firmware. I've seen too many negative responses by Hitachi support on this forum in regards to the problem.

If the firmware existed and it would help the rather large base of disgruntled owners who have spent thousands of dollars on this set and are on this forum, I would most certainly post it.

Is there a new all-around thin bezel monitor version of the 55" planned to replace the 55HDM71?

Unless given permission by Hitachi I would not think that would be appropriate. Hitachi has been very responsive to my concerns about the flicker problem and have treated me well. They asked that I return the SD card with the prepaid shipping label they provided. I plan on doing so tomorrow. The card is 32mb. I stuck it in the card reader of my laptop and saw 1 file about 12mb in size. I would reccomend that owners with broadband connections ask Hitachi customer service to email them the upgrade. That is if you have an SD card and a means to transfer to it. Otherwise maybe its possible to connect straight from a laptop to the TV thru an RS-232 connection. By the way, I am still very pleased with the upgrade and have yet to experience any adverse effects. Flicker is a thing of the past and I'm loving this set more each day. I think it blows the competition away especially when you compare the price to 50" sets from other manufacturers! Also after setting the brightness and contrast to a calibration disc I am very pleased with the black level performance. Improper settings definitely can cause dark grey blacks.

I can't pry upgrade out of Hitachi reps I talk to for anything. They act so dumb. You give them the version #, tell them to check with someone else, tell them you'll be a beta test, whatever... still won't acknowledge existence let alone availability.
Frustrating.

GZAP1,

Maybe if would be helpful if you could give us a specific contact at Hitachi?
Or maybe you can tell Hitachi about this forum/thread and the rest of us who are having the problem.


Rich





Unless given permission by Hitachi I would not think that would be appropriate. Hitachi has been very responsive to my concerns about the flicker problem and have treated me well. They asked that I return the SD card with the prepaid shipping label they provided. I plan on doing so tomorrow. The card is 32mb. I stuck it in the card reader of my laptop and saw 1 file about 12mb in size. I would reccomend that owners with broadband connections ask Hitachi customer service to email them the upgrade. That is if you have an SD card and a means to transfer to it. Otherwise maybe its possible to connect straight from a laptop to the TV thru an RS-232 connection. By the way, I am still very pleased with the upgrade and have yet to experience any adverse effects. Flicker is a thing of the past and I'm loving this set more each day. I think it blows the competition away especially when you compare the price to 50" sets from other manufacturers! Also after setting the brightness and contrast to a calibration disc I am very pleased with the black level performance. Improper settings definitely can cause dark grey blacks.

Instead of calling Hitachi to get the firmware upgrade from them I would suggest calling to report the problem and scheduling a technician to come out and look at the problem. This can then be worked through Hitachi's normal support process. I would assume this is the approach that GZAP1 took. My experience with Hitachi support is that they are very willing to work through problems but you have to follow their procedures which is fine by me, but it does require some patience. I've spent countless hours on the phone with them concerning a variety of things and they have always been thorough and fair to work with.

Personally, I have not reported the black flicker problem as I have been working with them on another issue and until the other issue is resolved it makes no sense for me to discuss the black flicker problem with them. That being said, the minute my current issue is resolved, I will discuss the black flicker problem with them and expect a technician to have to come out and view it if they have not officially released the upgrade.

Rich

Hello everyone

I wanted to let you know that I just got off the phone with Hitachi customer service (the support guy was REALLY nice, great support for a first time caller like me) and asked about the flicker problem and the firmware upgrade.

The firmware should be ready in a week (supposed to be the end of the month, but he said it should be ready sooner), and it's the only problem the firmware should be solving. They've had a lot of calls he said (thanks to you guys I guess!! GREAT!) and the upgrade should solve the problem, they're working on it as hard as they can.

If you guys have more problems, maybe we could talk about them here and place a lot of calls to Hitachi support like we did with the flicker issue because they seem to be ready to help! For those who want the upgrade, you should call in a week to get it shipped. I know I will : )

I also asked if he was aware of other majors problems but he thinks everything else is working fine. There might be a problem with 1080p when the media content comes out, but right now we should have a good working product. I asked the question here a while ago about VirtualHD, and if you want to know, it should be a bit better than 1080i but the difference between VirtualHD 1080p and TRUE 1080p should be noticable, mostly on 55'' TVs.

Which makes me think, the firmware upgrade is for both 42'' (42HDT52) and 55'' (55HDT52). They both have the flicker problem.

Sorry for the bad english (at least Hitachi also has French support!) but I hope this will be helpful for some of you!

That's unfortunate to hear GZAP. Needless to say, I won't be purchasing another 42hdt52 in the hopes that support may or may not supply me with the same firmware. I've seen too many negative responses by Hitachi support on this forum in regards to the problem.

If the firmware existed and it would help the rather large base of disgruntled owners who have spent thousands of dollars on this set and are on this forum, I would most certainly post it.

I gave my word to a Hitachi engineer that I would return THEIR SD card and that is what I intend to do! They warned me that the software was not field tested and was at a very preliminary stage. I have not experienced any Bugs but I don't have weeks worth of extended viewing hours under my belt yet either. I spoke with engineering a week after explaining the problem to a customer service rep. An engineer called me and explained that I was the first one they had sent the upgrade to. I'm sure they want to make certain they did it right before releasing it on a large scale. I know I just lucked out that they happened to send it to me and that it worked properly. I don't think anyone would be too happy if they rushed it out the door and fixed one problem and then caused other new ones.

At this stage I would inform customer service that the set is going to be returned if they don't send the upgrade ASAP. Tell them to talk to the Engineering Department about V0102.006 and demand a callback! At the very least they should stop playing dumb. At this point it's just insulting.

Or as I said, just wait a week for the firmware to be released. Make it two weeks before you receive it, that's not that bad!

Also, I think GZAP1 did the right thing, support was very helpful with me today and I don't think releasing a beta firmware on the internet without their permission would've helped having a better support from them next time we have a problem. They know their sets as a problem, and they're trying to fix it as soon as they can (and btw, I don't work for them or anything, I just think some people should be a little more patient and grateful that at least they're trying to fix it.)

I think it's nice that at least someone got hold of the firmware before everyone. At least we know it solves the problem and that a solution is almost available. If there's a problem with the firmware which breaks GZAP1 TV, they will only have one set to replace, so I think it's wise from them not to release and advertise it before it's 100% tested.

Just my 2c...

Oh and for the people reading this thread before buying their new set (that's what I did for a while before posting), I think this is a great set. When the flicker problem will be solved, I won't have much to complain about (unless 1080p support has problems...).

PQ is awesome with good cables and appropriate settings, and I don't think the blacks on either the pio or the pana are marginally better. I've seen those sets a few times after buying my TV, and I think Hitachi is still the best overall package, and it's less expensive with more features.

Don't hesitate to buy this set while waiting for affordable SED 55'' : )

Hey everyone, I've had the 55HDS52 for about a week now. I love it. But I've noticed a problem when I use my original XBox. It seems like there is a one second delay between me hitting the button on my wired xbox controller and the action happening on screen. For instance, imagine you're playing a baseball game and you hit the button to swing at the pitch, but batter on screen doesn't swing when you hit the button, he swings a moment later.

I called Hitachi about this and they told me to not use the svhs connection and go back to the old rca audio and video plugs. I did as they said and the same problem was still occurring.

Is there anything in the settings of the tv that could possibly cause this?

I have an xbox360 hooked up and that works fine, but the original xbox is causing this problem.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Hadrion, I'm having the same problem with my 42" Hitachi. My original Xbox has the delay. I can't play Halo 2 online anymore because the delay is so bad. I'm thinking maybe because I have the composite RCA's hooked up and not the component? I don't know. I don't have an xbox360 (yet) but my buddy is bringing his over this weekend and I can't wait to see how the game play is. I don't want to go by the component for the original Xbox since I'm going to get the 360 soon so it may be a problem for the history books if the 360 works fine. From your post I'm assuming it's fine?

I too have the flicker issue on my 55HDT52 set which was manufactured in the beginning of December 2005. Thanks to the helpful information on this thread, I gave a call to Hitachi support - though the initial person I spoke with was not aware of the issue - after presenting the information made available here - they did some checking and have placed me in the queue for a firmware update when available. I provided them with the serial number, software version and the details contained in GZAP1's email and based upon this they placed me in the queue. It really is well worth the time for anyone impacted by this issue to give a call to Hitachi, my experience with their support department was positive.

I too have the flicker issue on my 55HDT52 set which was manufactured in the beginning of December 2005. Thanks to the helpful information on this thread, I gave a call to Hitachi support - though the initial person I spoke with was not aware of the issue - after presenting the information made available here - they did some checking and have placed me in the queue for a firmware update when available. I provided them with the serial number, software version and the details contained in GZAP1's email and based upon this they placed me in the queue. It really is well worth the time for anyone impacted by this issue to give a call to Hitachi, my experience with their support department was positive.

I had this problem with the 42HDF52 as does another person I know who purchased the same set. I'll spare everyone the whole story, but I bought the HDF from my friends store knowing I would return it for the HDT. After the flicker with 480p content and the dot crawl I would receive with 720p images (also mentioned on the HDT in Sound & Vision's recent review) I decided to play it safe and purchase a Panasonic.

.. I decided to play it safe and purchase a Panasonic.

Over at Panny thread, they talk a lot about "black level shift" too. I guess that's their version of what's referred to here as "flicker".

So I don't know how "safe" a purchase that would be, but then again, one always makes a decision based on what he perceives to be of better value to him.

I purchased 42HDT52 and I guess fortunately for me, I don't experience the "flicker" that others do. Very satisfied Hitachi owner here.

The firmware upgrade appears to be available now. I just spoke with Hitachi service and they are sending me the same version of the formware mentioned by GZAP1. The technician indicated I would receive it by Friday or Monday.

JHellow

The firmware upgrade appears to be available now. I just spoke with Hitachi service and they are sending me the same version of the formware mentioned by GZAP1. The technician indicated I would receive it by Friday or Monday.

JHellow

Great, let us know if it solves your problem!

One advantage I noticed of the SRDX when viewed against plasmas is that the standard def looked much better. It seems like the plasma makers are going through all kinds of gyrations to improve standard def quality, but on the SRDX, the std def was smooth (I wouldn't say crisp) but it didn't have the same "blotchiness" and funny movement of the picture that you get with plasma.

Am I imagining things?

Can anyone who has compared the 55inch Hitachis to 50inch pannys or the SRDX comment?

I'm wondering this exact question, as well as how effective the Director's Series anti-glare actually works. I can't pull the trigger on one without seeing for myself, but it will be at least a 2 hour drive to see a DS. I'm assuming this firmware will ease my flicker concerns.

Evidently the firmware is for last years models too. I have a 55HDT51, and called Hitachi, and they said that the firmware upgrade was available for it as well. They are sending it out to me so I'll have it by Friday.

Hi,
The model Hitachi Plasma popular here in Australia is the 42PD8800TA. It's HD 1024 X 1024 and has the remotely controlled swivel base.
Just interested if anyone on this forum has this plasma. If so, I would love to know your picture settings.

Kind regards

I just purchased the 42HDS52A. The PQ is great and I love all of the features on the television. However, I am experiencing a few problems and I'm not sure if they are related to the cable provider, Brighthouse, or the TV itself. I have my tv hooked up through HDMI cables. When I turn on the television large black boxes appear in the middle of the picture and disappear as soon as I change the channel. Also, when changing channels, sometimes the entire screen changes from black to pink/magenta and then back to black before loading up the new channel (this whole process takes less then one second). I'm not sure if this is a problem. Any thoughts???

Additionally, occasionally when I change the channel, I see what almost appears to be a computer glitch. It almost appears to look like something from the commodore 64. What is this caused by?

These problems are very small problems and other then this, the television is incredible, I just want to know if it is a cable provider problem or my television problem before the 30 days from CC ends. Please provide me with any info.

I'm wondering this exact question, as well as how effective the Director's Series anti-glare actually works. I can't pull the trigger on one without seeing for myself, but it will be at least a 2 hour drive to see a DS. I'm assuming this firmware will ease my flicker concerns.


I have the 55HDX62. The AR coating on my 4 year old NEC 50MP1 was more effective than the AR coating on the Hitachi. That being said, the Director's series AR coating is more effective that on the HDT and HDS. It's not a big issue as long as you do not have a window or lights directly across from the screen.

JHellow

Hi,
The model Hitachi Plasma popular here in Australia is the 42PD8800TA. It's HD 1024 X 1024 and has the remotely controlled swivel base.
Just interested if anyone on this forum has this plasma. If so, I would love to know your picture settings.

Kind regards

The Hitachi 42HDT52 has the same features you mentioned - 1024 x 1024 and remotely controlled swivel base. Because each input can be configured differently, it is possible to have differently settings depending on what device or source is connected to these input.

I think i saw what everyone is calling the flicker in my set tonight. I was watching a dvd with all black background and noticed some changes in color or flickering. i only notice this in an all black background. Is this what everybody is talking about ??

this sounds like a Closed Captioning thing. Go into your menu and check to see what, if any, CC options are selected.

I've seen this on other sets and it seems that if a certain type of CC is selected, you will get the black boxes you describe. I know some people have CC set so if the TV is "muted" it will appear, so you might try different combinations if you want that feature.

of course, I could be completely wrong... :o

I just purchased the 42HDS52A. The PQ is great and I love all of the features on the television. However, I am experiencing a few problems and I'm not sure if they are related to the cable provider, Brighthouse, or the TV itself. I have my tv hooked up through HDMI cables. When I turn on the television large black boxes appear in the middle of the picture and disappear as soon as I change the channel. Also, when changing channels, sometimes the entire screen changes from black to pink/magenta and then back to black before loading up the new channel (this whole process takes less then one second). I'm not sure if this is a problem. Any thoughts???

Additionally, occasionally when I change the channel, I see what almost appears to be a computer glitch. It almost appears to look like something from the commodore 64. What is this caused by?

These problems are very small problems and other then this, the television is incredible, I just want to know if it is a cable provider problem or my television problem before the 30 days from CC ends. Please provide me with any info.

I have the 55HDX62. The AR coating on my 4 year old NEC 50MP1 was more effective than the AR coating on the Hitachi. That being said, the Director's series AR coating is more effective that on the HDT and HDS. It's not a big issue as long as you do not have a window or lights directly across from the screen.

JHellow

Thanks J - I do have a very large window directly opposite where the panel will be (large bay window behind my couch) I was hoping that the anti-reflective would be enough combined with a slight tilt mount. For the most part, I need it to be effective enough to block reflections at night. The window faces east, so reflections would come from a lamp on the same wall as the plasma causing the curtains and white wall behind the viewing area from reflecting back. I'm not always able to turn the light off. I don't have a "home theatre". Will the panel block that type of reflection at night?

I think i saw what everyone is calling the flicker in my set tonight. I was watching a dvd with all black background and noticed some changes in color or flickering. i only notice this in an all black background. Is this what everybody is talking about ??

Yep, that's flickering. The rep told me all of their sets had this problem, so even if you don't see it most of the time, call for the upgrade because it can be a big problem with some movies/games.

Can someone give me quick directions to disable the tv guide on my 42hdt52a...can't seem to figure it out

Can someone give me quick directions to disable the tv guide on my 42hdt52a...can't seem to figure it out

Change your options as follows:
1. Set the zip code to 00000.
2. Answer No to "Do you have a cable box connected?" (Manuel page 50, screen 4)
3. Answer No to "Do you have an antenna connected?" (Manuel page 51, screen 12)

There is also a setting the the TV Guide setup that will enable/disable the TV Guide on Power On, you probably want to turn that Off.

Can someone give me quick directions to disable the tv guide on my 42hdt52a...can't seem to figure it out

In addition to what bobbart2000 said, you also have to disable in setup something about IEEE1394 being used when your TV is off. I am away from my TV so I can't check the exact wordings. It's in the setup.

After reading several of the posts about obtaining the new version of the software/firmware, I made another call to Hitachi technical support this morning hoping to get this thing fixed. (They have always been very friendly.)

He read through my file we talked briefly about the flicker issue and this forum, (neither of which he indicated he was familiar with) and he insisted that I have the most current version of the software.

He asked if the people on this forum that were receiving the .0006 version of the software all had 55's instead of 42" because apparently, there is a big difference. I couldn't remember if there was anyone that had a 42 that reported getting the software. Do you all have 55's? If anyone has a 42 and obtained the upgrade, do you have the name of the person that helped you at Hitachi?

So anyway, the only thing that resulted from this is that I requested a service call, but sadly I'm afraid that things won't materialize before my 30 day exchange policy expires and the plasma has to go back to the store. Even if they do come out next week, I'm concerned that a 3rd party service tech might not be any better informed than Hitachi's own technical support. We'll see, I guess............

Em Gee,

IMO, if the flicker is the only reason you would be sending the set back then I would keep it. If they fix on the 55" they will also fix it on the 42" but maybe it will take another week or two.

If you have other issues you are not happy with...then of course send it back.

Honestly, I think Hitachi got a fix for this fairly quickly.

Rich

PS: Does anyone have Hitachi's phone number handy...I want to call again and see if I can get the upgrade card sent to me for my 55"
I have a service call scheduled for Saturday, but will cancel if I can.






After reading several of the posts about obtaining the new version of the software/firmware, I made another call to Hitachi technical support this morning hoping to get this thing fixed. (They have always been very friendly.)

He read through my file we talked briefly about the flicker issue and this forum, (neither of which he indicated he was familiar with) and he insisted that I have the most current version of the software.

He asked if the people on this forum that were receiving the .0006 version of the software all had 55's instead of 42" because apparently, there is a big difference. I couldn't remember if there was anyone that had a 42 that reported getting the software. Do you all have 55's? If anyone has a 42 and obtained the upgrade, do you have the name of the person that helped you at Hitachi?

So anyway, the only thing that resulted from this is that I requested a service call, but sadly I'm afraid that things won't materialize before my 30 day exchange policy expires and the plasma has to go back to the store. Even if they do come out next week, I'm concerned that a 3rd party service tech might not be any better informed than Hitachi's own technical support. We'll see, I guess............

After reading several of the posts about obtaining the new version of the software/firmware, I made another call to Hitachi technical support this morning hoping to get this thing fixed. (They have always been very friendly.)

He read through my file we talked briefly about the flicker issue and this forum, (neither of which he indicated he was familiar with) and he insisted that I have the most current version of the software.

He asked if the people on this forum that were receiving the .0006 version of the software all had 55's instead of 42" because apparently, there is a big difference. I couldn't remember if there was anyone that had a 42 that reported getting the software. Do you all have 55's? If anyone has a 42 and obtained the upgrade, do you have the name of the person that helped you at Hitachi?



Em Gee,

I have a 42HDT52A. My firmware version is V0101.0002. I don't experience the "flicker" that others have reported. Is that the same version as yours, and is yours manufactured in Dec. 2005?

I have a 42HDT52A. My firmware version is V0101.0002. I don't experience the "flicker" that others have reported. Is that the same version as yours, and is yours manufactured in Dec. 2005?

Yours is the same as mine - V0101.0002, Dec '05 build (well, purchase, so it could be built earlier). I do have the flicker. It seems to be less than it was (or I'm more used to it). I haven't called Hitachi yet, but plan on doing so very soon. Other than the flicker, the set is fantastic.

Em Gee, like the others have said - don't let the flicker scare you away from this display. It seems that flicker problem is fixable. Everything else is among the best if not The best out there. I don't regret buying mine for one second. My only regret is the 55 was too big, and I settled for the 42!!!

What is different between the 42HDT52 and the 42HDT52A versions? I have the non-A with a firmware version of V0101.0001 and have never seen anything that I would describe as "flicker".

I wonder if it was something that was only introduced in the .0002 version of firmware in the 42HDT52.

dogday:

Try lowering your settings to not more than 50% for Contrast and Brightness. Also, try changing your contrast mode from dynamic to normal. I set my black level to either off or low.

Hope that would help.

What is different between the 42HDT52 and the 42HDT52A versions? I have the non-A with a firmware version of V0101.0001 and have never seen anything that I would describe as "flicker".

I wonder if it was something that was only introduced in the .0002 version of firmware in the 42HDT52.

Like I said in my previous post, mine is v. 0002 and I don't have the flicker. The difference between an A and non-A is the build date. "A" is newer.

I went back to CC to gawk at the Hitachi and the 60" SXRD. The Hitachi was playing some animated dinosaur clip along with every other panel, finally not on that god-awful Charlie and the Chocolate factory DVD. I'm much happier after seeing something good at the store. The panel still looks really reflective, maybe more that the other plasma's, so I guess I'll have to wait to go see a Director's next month. A friend of mine can get me a good price on a Pioneer 5060HD or the SXRD. Either would be waaay less than the elusive Director's, and less than the HDS Hitachi. I loved the pic on the Pio, but I think the 55" of the Hitachi would be too sweet to pass up. SSE is keeping me from going Sony, glare is hurting me from the CC Hitachi.

Three thoughts:

*Get the 50" Pio, live with the smallish size, move it to bedroom when SED is under 5 grand.

*Get the SXRD, stop watching from the dinner table/card table area, give up on wall mounting fun. Have a huge form factor that I would have to sell when SED comes out.

*Get the Hitachi, don't watch in daytime, and stop bothering everyone!

Em Gee,

IMO, if the flicker is the only reason you would be sending the set back then I would keep it. If they fix on the 55" they will also fix it on the 42" but maybe it will take another week or two.

Yeah, I'm happy with everything except for the flicker. That's the rub! Do I gamble that it is indeed resolved and just wait for the upgrade? I know it may not seem like much of a gamble, but if there were any issues with the upgrade, and I have to end up living with the flicker problem, I would be EXTREMELY upset. I understand that it's LIKELY that everything will be cool in a month or so, but it's tough to roll the dice with a purchase of this magnitude.

Sarhento - Yeah, I have the same version that you have with a Dec 2005 build.

I asked the "A vs. non A question" before and someone posted that the A had French language menu's for the Canadian market. Don't know if that's indeed the case, I never looked in my menu's for French language menus, but I think I do remember reading about the option in the manual.

My 55HDX62 has the .0001 firmware and it has the flicker issue. I should have new firmware by Friday or Monday at the latest.

JHellow

Thanks J - I do have a very large window directly opposite where the panel will be (large bay window behind my couch) I was hoping that the anti-reflective would be enough combined with a slight tilt mount. For the most part, I need it to be effective enough to block reflections at night. The window faces east, so reflections would come from a lamp on the same wall as the plasma causing the curtains and white wall behind the viewing area from reflecting back. I'm not always able to turn the light off. I don't have a "home theatre". Will the panel block that type of reflection at night?

I doubt that would be a problem. I notice the window in day time viewing. That window is 30 feet away in my kitchen and with subdued light in the kitchen at night I do not notice a reflection from the offwhite shade on that window.

JHellow

I am trying to decide on which warranty to purchase. Should I purchase the extended warranty through Hitachi or should I purchase the one through Circuit City? What are the reasons for choosing either one?

It's not on their website (yet), but Home Theater Mag has a review (kind of a "system review", with the Hitachi 42HDT52, Yammy RX-4600 Receiver, Yammy DVD-S2500 DVD player, and Polk RM40T speaker system) of the Hitachi 42" plasma.

Their are separate write-ups and testing for each component, including the Hitachi. The write-up is pretty favorable, but the testing includes the resolution test (which the Panny had problems with in a review by the same mag; that one is available online); the Hitachi did better than the Panny, but still not what I would have expected: 480 Lines on 480P, 720 lines on 720 P, but only 850 lines on 1080i (I would have thought it'd be 1024; or maybe 512 depending on how the test works due to the quasi-interlaced nature of the AliS panel).

The measured contrast was: Full on/off: 447.1; ANSI: 360.1

The black level after cal appears to be .043 ft-L, and the full-field 100 IRE white 19.22 ft-L. And this comment: "With a 100-IRE window the 42HDT52 produced 72.96 Ft-L". I don't understand all the implications of these measurements, but for the curious, there they are. I'm sure this will be posted on the HT Mag website , but I don't know how long they wait to post new reviews.

In case anyone's interested, here (http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasmadisplays/1205panasonic/index2.html) is the Panny results; the summary for the res test for the Panny is:

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446:
480: 480 (per picture height)
720p: 380 (pph)
1080i: 680 (pph)

Measured Contrast for the Panny:

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—779:1; ANSI Contrast Ratio—364:1

And here (http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasmadisplays/106pioneer/index2.html) is a similar test for the Pio PDP-5060. The res test portion for the Pio:

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446:
480: 480 (per picture height)
720p: 720 (pph)
1080i: Out to the limits of the 1280 by 768 panel

Measured Contrast for the Pio:

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—611:1;
ANSI Contrast Ratio—1,135:1

Cool info Enigma/Hal

I'm not sure what all of those measurements/numbers mean, but I'm sure I'll be able to find all the answers here in the forum.

On another note.......

I spoke with Hitachi's authorized service people and described the issue that I was having. He said there was nothing wrong with the set that he would be able to fix. I told him that was fine, but without him coming out to diagnose the issue as a PROFESSIONAL that has contact with Hitachi engineers, the issue would not get the proper attention. He mentioned that Hitachi didn't even have service manuals on their website, and him coming out to see first hand what I was describing over the phone wouldn't help get anything fixed. This made me think that these guys don't really play a role at all with Hitachi except that they are "authorized" to fix broken power supplies and the like. Whatever........

It's not even the length of time that I'm concerned with. I think I've got adequate patience. If Hitachi told me that yes, a guaranteed fix for the 42" plasma flicker problem will be released in 3 months, I would be satisfied. I can wait. I just don't want to keep this plasma with the HOPES that it'll get fixed, when I have the opportunity to legitimately exchange it. For them to not acknowledge the issue (at least with me) and for their service people to essentially tell me "there's nothing I can do" without even looking at it, I'm a little leery of keeping it.

**Edit**
I guess I should learn to spell....

leary
n : United States psychologist who experimented with psychoactive drugs (including LSD) and became a well-known advocate of their use (1920-1996) [syn: Leary, Tim Leary, Timothy Leary, Timothy Francis Leary]

I've going for the 55 inch Hitachi after ruling out the SXRDs and all the 50inch Plasmas... Now the question is which 55 inch Hitachi to buy. The 55HDX62 has some valuable features, but I'm finding the prices are a substantial premium over the HDT52. I'm trying to avoid price talk per the forum guidelines but the delta appears to be about 17-20% premium for the HDX, and that's a lot! I believe a good portion of the price difference is simply that the HDX isn't as commonly found at stores.

Here are the addt'l features over the HDT:

(1) More image tuning capability
(2) Deep black anti reflective glass screen
(3) Simple remote
(4) RS-232C interface
(5) High gloss black finish
(6) Extra year on the warranty-- 2 years vs. 1 year

As a plasma newbie, it is hard for me to determine if these features are important. I'm wondering if the addition image control means that I will be required to have a professional calibration done or if I'll be able to handle it myself. I'm thinking the anti-reflective glass could be important to have in my family room where it is bright in the afternoons. I have not idea what I would use the RS-232C interface for.

Of course, if I could get this stuff for a 5% premium over the HDT, I'd go for it.

Advice?

dogday:

Try lowering your settings to not more than 50% for Contrast and Brightness. Also, try changing your contrast mode from dynamic to normal. I set my black level to either off or low.

Hope that would help.

Thanks for the tip, but I have tried all sorts of settings of both Contrast & Brightness. I have always run contrast mode at normal and black level off. The flicker appears to be related to the dynamic contrast processing, as if it is still trying to run in dynamic mode even though it's turned off (I see little difference if it's on or off). The only way I can get the flicker completely gone is if I turn the contrast down so far that all detail in dark areas disappear.

Like I said, I'm getting used to the flicker and it's really only noticeable in scenes with large areas of darkness. I still would like to get rid of it and still plan on giving Hitachi a call. I can't believe there isn't a way to fix it - especially if the firmware patch worked on the larger displays.

ZinMe, we are having the same exact shopping list, except I'm looking at the Pioneer as my 50". What made you rule out the Panny and SXRD? I'm having a hard time paying 20% more for the HDX too, as I only need the anti-reflective feature, which should be on every freakin plasma anyway...

I've going for the 55 inch Hitachi after ruling out the SXRDs and all the 50inch Plasmas... Now the question is which 55 inch Hitachi to buy. The 55HDX62 has some valuable features, but I'm finding the prices are a substantial premium over the HDT52. I'm trying to avoid price talk per the forum guidelines but the delta appears to be about 17-20% premium for the HDX, and that's a lot! I believe a good portion of the price difference is simply that the HDX isn't as commonly found at stores.

Here are the addt'l features over the HDT:

(1) More image tuning capability
(2) Deep black anti reflective glass screen
(3) Simple remote
(4) RS-232C interface
(5) High gloss black finish

As a plasma newbie, it is hard for me to determine if these features are important. I'm wondering if the addition image control means that I will be required to have a professional calibration done or if I'll be able to handle it myself. I'm thinking the anti-reflective glass could be important to have in my family room where it is bright in the afternoons. I have not idea what I would use the RS-232C interface for.

Of course, if I could get this stuff for a 5% premium over the HDT, I'd go for it.

Advice?

The firmware upgrade appears to be available now. I just spoke with Hitachi service and they are sending me the same version of the formware mentioned by GZAP1. The technician indicated I would receive it by Friday or Monday.

JHellow

I called this morning and still no luck in getting upgrade. Confirmed test software exists but not releasing. Anyone particular or anything you said particular to have them send to you? Anyone else having luck getting upgrade?

I ruled out the SXRD because of the depth-- the rear of the unit is huge and its very visible in the room as I have it set up. I would have to buy an enclosure which I don't want to do. I'm also a bit concerned about brightness-- the room we use for TV viewing is very bright in the mid afternoon. But I have to say, for overall sharpness and clarity, I thought the the SXRD was slightly better than the plasmas I saw.

I am not pursuing the 50inch panasonic because we want a bigger screen. We view from 12-13 feet from the screen and want a bigger HT experience. The extra five inches on the Hitachi translates to a big size difference in my opinion- around 20% extra area.

You can read the "Why do you guys like Plasma" thread for more discussion on Plasma vs. projection-- there are serveral very positive comments about the Hitachis.

ZinMe, we are having the same exact shopping list, except I'm looking at the Pioneer as my 50". What made you rule out the Panny and SXRD? I'm having a hard time paying 20% more for the HDX too, as I only need the anti-reflective feature, which should be on every freakin plasma anyway...
your forgetting you get a 2 year warranty FROM hitachi, not some shady 3rd party ny/nj warranty

your forgetting you get a 2 year warranty FROM hitachi, not some shady 3rd party ny/nj warranty

Good point!

I just got off the phone with Hitachi (1-800-448-2244) after talking to Joe. He said there is an upgrade in engineering for the 55HDT52 but it is not available for release at this time. He even checked for an update while I was on hold. He did admit they are aware of the issue, hence the update in progress. There is no release date at this time according to him. I told him about the other experiences from this forum but he was unaware of any update being released. For those of you who successfully ordered the update, are there any other people specifically to call at Hitachi or is it just random luck as to who you get when you call?

My same thinking on the SXRD size of cabinet. We sit about 12-13 feet from the wall, so 50" plasma may be too small. That 20% more could very well keep me happy until SED is under 4000.

I ruled out the SXRD because of the depth-- the rear of the unit is huge and its very visible in the room as I have it set up. I would have to buy an enclosure which I don't want to do. I'm also a bit concerned about brightness-- the room we use for TV viewing is very bright in the mid afternoon. But I have to say, for overall sharpness and clarity, I thought the the SXRD was slightly better than the plasmas I saw.

I am not pursuing the 50inch panasonic because we want a bigger screen. We view from 12-13 feet from the screen and want a bigger HT experience. The extra five inches on the Hitachi translates to a big size difference in my opinion- around 20% extra area.

You can read the "Why do you guys like Plasma" thread for more discussion on Plasma vs. projection-- there are serveral very positive comments about the Hitachis.

Hi,

I just received (this morning via next-day air UPS) firmware upgrade for 55HDT52. It was labeled V0102.0006

I actually called Hitachi 2 days ago when I heard the firmware had been released on this forum. He pulled up my file, said it was already in processing to be shipped (I had called them last week to make sure my case was on record as having the 'flickering' problem). He did not mention that this was beta version or that I was part of a test group. My inclination was that it should have been a general release version. I would continue to try Hitachi if they tell you there is no firmware upgrade yet.

Now, on another note, after I did the firmware upgrade, per instructions, I verified the upgrade, and it gave me version 0102.0001 (not .0006), even though the Memory Card was clearly labeled with .0006

For those who have done the upgrade already, can you verify what your 55HDT52 says for the current firmware version? THANKS!

PS. I got the package on my way to work, so haven't actually verified that it solves the 'flickering' problem, but I'm sure it does based upon other postings.

Their are separate write-ups and testing for each component, including the Hitachi. The write-up is pretty favorable, but the testing includes the resolution test (which the Panny had problems with in a review by the same mag; that one is available online); the Hitachi did better than the Panny, but still not what I would have expected: 480 Lines on 480P, 720 lines on 720 P, but only 850 lines on 1080i (I would have thought it'd be 1024; or maybe 512 depending on how the test works due to the quasi-interlaced nature of the AliS panel).

The measured contrast was: Full on/off: 447.1; ANSI: 360.1

The black level after cal appears to be .043 ft-L, and the full-field 100 IRE white 19.22 ft-L. And this comment: "With a 100-IRE window the 42HDT52 produced 72.96 Ft-L". I don't understand all the implications of these measurements, but for the curious, there they are. I'm sure this will be posted on the HT Mag website , but I don't know how long they wait to post new reviews.

In case anyone's interested, here (http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasmadisplays/1205panasonic/index2.html) is the Panny results; the summary for the res test for the Panny is:

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446:
480: 480 (per picture height)
720p: 380 (pph)
1080i: 680 (pph)

Measured Contrast for the Panny:

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—779:1; ANSI Contrast Ratio—364:1

And here (http://www.hometheatermag.com/plasmadisplays/106pioneer/index2.html) is a similar test for the Pio PDP-5060. The res test portion for the Pio:

Measured Resolution with the Leader LT-446:
480: 480 (per picture height)
720p: 720 (pph)
1080i: Out to the limits of the 1280 by 768 panel

Measured Contrast for the Pio:

Full-On/Full-Off Contrast Ratio—611:1;
ANSI Contrast Ratio—1,135:1


I'm not sure I understand all that it means. What does it means that it only does 850 lines on 1080i? Are there any other Plasma that does 1080 lines or more on this test (seeing as panny and pio results seems worse than Hitachi).

Also, what about contrast ratio? Everyone on the forum keeps praising Panasonic's black levels, but the ANSI contrast ratios are similar. What is the full-on/full-off ratio, is it more important?

Final question, according to these tests, which would be the best plasma to get? (still find it strange they're comparing a 42'' Hitachi against a 50'' pioneer, and not their 43'' model..)

Thanks for sharing this with us!

Hello Hitachi plasma owners!

I do not own a Hitachi plasma, but I have learned from very good sources that these are the current "official" software versions:

42HDX, 42HDT52 112.0002
42HDX62A, 42HDT52A 101.0002
42HDS52 110.0002
42HDS52A 100.0003
55HDX62, 55HDT52 102.0006
55HDS52 102.0006
42HDF52 0.86-2975 Not a Card
42, 55HDT51 140
42, 55HDX51 140

Good Luck,
Duke

Could you please verify the most current versions of software for the 55HDT51?

Thanks,

iraweiss:

140

Duke

I'm not sure I understand all that it means. What does it means that it only does 850 lines on 1080i? Are there any other Plasma that does 1080 lines or more on this test (seeing as panny and pio results seems worse than Hitachi).

Also, what about contrast ratio? Everyone on the forum keeps praising Panasonic's black levels, but the ANSI contrast ratios are similar. What is the full-on/full-off ratio, is it more important?

Final question, according to these tests, which would be the best plasma to get? (still find it strange they're comparing a 42'' Hitachi against a 50'' pioneer, and not their 43'' model..)

Thanks for sharing this with us!

I don't understand it all, either. I'd seen some comentary on the Panny's lack of resolving the full 720P signal, so when I saw this test I thought it was interesting. Would seem to me that this indicates a possible issue with the scaler, but it's still better than the Panny (the Pio scaler resolves out to the limits of the panel).

There was no comparison published of these three panels, I just quoted the Hitachi numbers, then supplied the Panny and Pio info for comparison purposes, including links (as these are available online). All were done by the same magazine, presumably using the same methodology and equ't, so the comparison was interesting to me. This mag didn't test the Pio 43; so I posted the 50 numbers (agree that the 43 would be a better comparison, but it wasn't available).

There seems to be some amount of disagreement over which contrast ratio better represents image quality; if you go by ANSI, then, as you said, the Hitachi and Panny are similar, with the Pio much better. If you go by full on/off, then the Panny and the Pio are fairly close, and the Hitachi is a step or two down.

As far as black levels, there is a difference between contrast ration and black level; high contrast ratio can be achieved with very dark blacks or very bright whites, or a combo. So even though some of the CR meas are similar, the Panny definitely measures best as far as black level: .043 Ft-L for the Hitachi; .033 Ft-L for the Pio, and .027 Ft-L for the Panny.

Here is a quote from the Pio test which addresses the Pio BL (I guess in this case they did sort of compare the 42 Panny with the 50 Pio):

The black level on this Pioneer is noticeably improved. How much improved? Well, I can't give you numbers, as our last Pioneer review was before we started measuring contrast ratio. But, what was once much higher than Panasonic is now just a little higher. The Panasonic TH-42PX500U I reviewed last month had a black level of 0.027 foot-lamberts and a full-on/full-off contrast ratio of 779:1. This Pioneer's black level is 0.033 ft-L. That difference may seem trivial, but it's some 22 percent higher. To the eye, it's a little higher but much improved. The PDP-5060HD's contrast ratio of 611:1 is not terribly impressive.

As regards the CR comparison (Panny to Pio), they had this to say:

What should really catch your eye in that measurements box is the staggering ANSI contrast ratio, which is more indicative of what you'll actually see on the screen. Now, 1,135:1 is impressive. This is because the Pioneer can be very bright, but, like all plasmas, its full-screen light output (which is what we use to measure full-on/full-off) is restricted. Images have a lot of punch, and, on most video, the black level appears lower. (In fact, in most of the black boxes on the ANSI test, the black level actually was lower than it was during the full-on/full-off testing.)

As far as the Hitachi, they didn't address the BL and CR in the same level of detail (I suspect because Pio has always had inferior BL, and the new panels are supposed to be much improved, thus the detailed comparision of numbers). In the measurements section they pretty much listed the measurements with no addtional comments (on the Hitachi review); and in the text all they said was:

I was impressed with the black level, along with the pallet of colors that balanced the line between realistic and overly saturated, which I've seen on some digital displays. The detail was very sharp, and only a minimum amount of noise in color backgrounds.

It's also worth noting that both the Panny and Pio reviews were done by the same guy (Geoffrey Morrison), but the Hitachi review was done by Rebecca Day.

The measurements appear to be all done by Geoffrey Morrison, or at least all three measurement sections are signed "GM".

Hi,

I just received (this morning via next-day air UPS) firmware upgrade for 55HDT52. It was labeled V0102.0006

I actually called Hitachi 2 days ago when I heard the firmware had been released on this forum. He pulled up my file, said it was already in processing to be shipped (I had called them last week to make sure my case was on record as having the 'flickering' problem). He did not mention that this was beta version or that I was part of a test group. My inclination was that it should have been a general release version. I would continue to try Hitachi if they tell you there is no firmware upgrade yet.

Now, on another note, after I did the firmware upgrade, per instructions, I verified the upgrade, and it gave me version 0102.0001 (not .0006), even though the Memory Card was clearly labeled with .0006

For those who have done the upgrade already, can you verify what your 55HDT52 says for the current firmware version? THANKS!

PS. I got the package on my way to work, so haven't actually verified that it solves the 'flickering' problem, but I'm sure it does based upon other postings.

I am in the same boat. Just did the upgrade and the version on my 55HDX62 now indicates V0102.0001, instead of the .0006 indicated on the card and letter. I will not know until tonight whether it fixes the flicker problem.

Also, the card indicates that the fix is for both 55HDX and HDT models.

JHellow

Hi,

I just received (this morning via next-day air UPS) firmware upgrade for 55HDT52. It was labeled V0102.0006

I actually called Hitachi 2 days ago when I heard the firmware had been released on this forum. He pulled up my file, said it was already in processing to be shipped (I had called them last week to make sure my case was on record as having the 'flickering' problem). He did not mention that this was beta version or that I was part of a test group. My inclination was that it should have been a general release version. I would continue to try Hitachi if they tell you there is no firmware upgrade yet.

Now, on another note, after I did the firmware upgrade, per instructions, I verified the upgrade, and it gave me version 0102.0001 (not .0006), even though the Memory Card was clearly labeled with .0006

For those who have done the upgrade already, can you verify what your 55HDT52 says for the current firmware version? THANKS!

PS. I got the package on my way to work, so haven't actually verified that it solves the 'flickering' problem, but I'm sure it does based upon other postings.

I checked the upgrade menu in setup and found 0102.0001 as well. A typo by someone I guess. The important thing is that it works. Have not had any flicker since install and no other problems have surfaced. I love this set!

Thanks jhellow & JZAPI for the confirmation.

I've verified that the flicker issue has been resolved on my set as well. I actually called Hitachi and stated that the version #s didn't match. They stated that they would keep the case open and have someone contact me.

Based upon your comments, it probably is just a typo. I will confirm when they contact me.

Thanks.

I am in the same boat. Just did the upgrade and the version on my 55HDX62 now indicates V0102.0001, instead of the .0006 indicated on the card and letter. I will not know until tonight whether it fixes the flicker problem.

Also, the card indicates that the fix is for both 55HDX and HDT models.

JHellow

Not the HDS? Any help on who to talk to at Hitachi to get upgrade?

From a reliable source, these are the current "official" software versions:

42HDX, 42HDT52 - 112.0002
42HDX62A, 42HDT52A - 101.0002
42HDS52 - 110.0002
42HDS52A - 100.0003
55HDX62, 55HDT52 - 102.0006
55HDS52 - 102.0006
42HDF52 - 0.86-2975 - Not a Card
42, 55HDT51 - 140
42, 55HDX51 - 140

Duke

Received a surprise from Hitachi today and can confirm what others have said:

No flicker and version on TV says V0102.0001 not .006

For those trying to get the upgrade, make sure you call Hitachi and open a case with them...then call back about a week later for a status...this is what worked for me.

I canceled my service call for tomorrow.

Dark scenes still look "grainy" to me...will have to see if this can be tuned out.

Rich

Thanks jhellow & JZAPI for the confirmation.

I've verified that the flicker issue has been resolved on my set as well. I actually called Hitachi and stated that the version #s didn't match. They stated that they would keep the case open and have someone contact me.

Based upon your comments, it probably is just a typo. I will confirm when they contact me.

Thanks.

Nice to know the update worked for you guys.

As for myself, I decided to switch to the dark side. I switched my 42HDT55A for the Sony 50'' Grand Wega SXRD. I'll be receiving it in about a week, and I hope I won't regret this! Don't want to bore you with a long post, but if you want me to post on this thread why I did the switch and how the SXRD compares, let me know.

Nice to know the update worked for you guys.

As for myself, I decided to switch to the dark side. I switched my 42HDT55A for the Sony 50'' Grand Wega SXRD. I'll be receiving it in about a week, and I hope I won't regret this! Don't want to bore you with a long post, but if you want me to post on this thread why I did the switch and how the SXRD compares, let me know.

I wouldn't mind hearing the reason for the switch and how they compare...

Thanks in advance!

Just got off the phone with Hitachi CS for the third time, and finally got some information. The CS rep confirmed that the current firmware for my set (55HDS52) is "102.0006 or 102.0001". I wasn't just being unattentive; those were his actual words ("version 102.0006 or 102.0001"). So apparently there are 2 current official versions? That doesn't make much sense....

Regardless, the version I have now is 101.0001 so I'm anxious to see this issue fixed. The rep said I should get my upgrade by Tuesday. Sweet! :D

55HDT52 Computer Compatibility

After lots of research I'm ready to buy a 55HDT52 plasma. The last unknown for me is with the inputs stated in specs (RS232C, IEEE 1394 and USB), will I be able to do any of the following:

Use the TV as if it was a computer monitor?

If not full monitor capability, can I display files like jpegs from my computer onto the TV screen?

An excellent sale ends Jan. 25, 2006 and I hope to get answers by then. If I can't do the things mentioned above I probably won't buy it.

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Ron

I've going for the 55 inch Hitachi after ruling out the SXRDs and all the 50inch Plasmas... Now the question is which 55 inch Hitachi to buy. The 55HDX62 has some valuable features, but I'm finding the prices are a substantial premium over the HDT52. I'm trying to avoid price talk per the forum guidelines but the delta appears to be about 17-20% premium for the HDX, and that's a lot! I believe a good portion of the price difference is simply that the HDX isn't as commonly found at stores.

Here are the addt'l features over the HDT:

(1) More image tuning capability
(2) Deep black anti reflective glass screen
(3) Simple remote
(4) RS-232C interface
(5) High gloss black finish
(6) Extra year on the warranty-- 2 years vs. 1 year

As a plasma newbie, it is hard for me to determine if these features are important. I'm wondering if the addition image control means that I will be required to have a professional calibration done or if I'll be able to handle it myself. I'm thinking the anti-reflective glass could be important to have in my family room where it is bright in the afternoons. I have not idea what I would use the RS-232C interface for.

Of course, if I could get this stuff for a 5% premium over the HDT, I'd go for it.

Advice?
Update- Yesterday I looked at both displays. The HDX was at Magnolia, the HDT at a discount dealer called Video Only. The HDX is priced 40% above the HDT no matter where I look (the cost of the best on line price + shipping matches the Magnolia price.)

The HDX at Magnolia looked great. They hadn't calibrated professionally, but it seemed like they had played around with the settings enough to get the picture nicely adjusted. I played DVDs on the 55inch but had to look at the 42 inch for the HD and standard def feeds. They did not have an HD or std def feed to the 55inch. Clarity, color and black levels looked very good (interesting to note that the standard def on the 42 inch looked better than the panny/pioneer 50inch.)

The HDT at Video Only looked good too-- good color, good clarity, and sharpness was good but not quite as sharp as the HDX. For some reason they didn't have a very good DVD player connected to the HDT. It only supported DTS via component--I'm not sure how much this matters. They had OTA HD which looked superb. It is very frustrating that for these expensive devices, they can't hook up all three types of feeds using the latest connecting technology and also put them side by side with other makes.

I guess I'm going to go with the HDT, because the price is great and the HDX doesn't appear that much better, but I don't feel entirely certain I'm making the right decision. I expected that the clarity/sharpness on the two would be virtually identical but that the color on the HDX would be better due to the additional image control. I found that the color was about the same, but sharpness/clarity on the HDX was slightly better. Based on the specs of the displays, I don't think this is supposed to happen.

Still looking for advice here.

Anyone have color uniformity problems with the 55HDS52? In white scenes or when I go to the 'wipe' screen in the setup>screen saver menu there is a wide faint band of magenta and a thinner band of aqua on the screen.Just to follow up this my previous post, I returned my 55HDS52 and tried another one. The second set also had the same magenta/aqua discoloration in addition to the flicker issue. So, I returned it and got the 60" Sony SXRD. The SXRD is alot thicker than the plasma, of course, but it has very impressive picture quality in addition to the extra 5 inches.

55HDT52 Computer Compatibility

After lots of research I'm ready to buy a 55HDT52 plasma. The last unknown for me is with the inputs stated in specs (RS232C, IEEE 1394 and USB), will I be able to do any of the following:

[QUOTE=rjones2568]Use the TV as if it was a computer monitor?

I believe you can using a DVI>HDMI connection.

If not full monitor capability, can I display files like jpegs from my computer onto the TV screen?

Yes, you can connect an external device where your jpeg files are stored and use the USB connection to view them.

The IEEE 1394 is handy for devices such as camcorder, STB and D-VHS machines .
I use this connection to view some of my D-theatre tapes. Stunning PQ.

Hi There.

I've been thinking about the Hitachi 55" as well, but one thing has stopped me from getting it so far: Lack of true computer input (i.e. VGA or DVI). I believe the following to be true (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

[QUOTE=rjones2568]55HDT52 Computer Compatibility

After lots of research I'm ready to buy a 55HDT52 plasma. The last unknown for me is with the inputs stated in specs (RS232C, IEEE 1394 and USB), will I be able to do any of the following:



I believe you can using a DVI>HDMI connection.


Sure this will work, but the problem is that the set only accepts consumer resolutions via HDMI (i.e. 720p). Then the internal scaler will scale that res to the panel's native resolution. This will look ok for movies, pictures, but as a computer display text will be hard to read.

The ideal plasma for computer display should have a VGA/DVI port that will accept the panel's native resolution. It looks like Hitachi removed this feature in the current models :confused:

Can someone post the difference between models 42HDS52 & 42HDS52A. Thanks

Can someone post the difference between models 42HDS52 & 42HDS52A. Thanks

42HDS52A is the Canadian model with the English/French menu and user guide.

There's no difference in quality between those two models.

I actually emailed Hitachi and inquired if there is a difference between the "A" and non-A units. Their answer is the difference in build-date. Both are identical. Nothing to do with where it's marketed - Canada or US.

I have had mine for One Month now- I Love it. I do not have the Flicker Issues listed here at all. I have played a bunch of refrerence grade DVDs on it- such as Gladiator, Batman Begins etc... I also do not notice a problem with the blacks. Batman Begins (A Dark Movie if you have not seen it) looked fantastic! I am also playing my XBOX360 on this thing- and let me tell you it looks very impressive! Better than any LCD I have seen... you must see this plasma for gaming. Here is a good one: I actually had the 37" Panny in my home for two weeks.... The picture WAS NOT more detailed or any sharper than the Hitachi- simply no way. I had also noticed that gaming with the 360 on the panny was lousy (For Real Folks). I had a dreaded green smear every time a guy turned in Call of Dutty 2. I then swapped out the New XBXO 360 HD cable for another thinking this was the issue...nope...same thing. And I also could not get the picture bright enough while gaming?? odd- movies were fine. Now with the Hitachi I feel like I am gaming on a very sharp LCD. My panel has a build date of October 2005? DVD Content on the Hitachi looks sharp and detailed for me (Monster Component Cabling with JVC Progressive scan DVD Player) . This Hitachi is the winner for me.

Just got off the phone with Hitachi CS for the third time, and finally got some information. The CS rep confirmed that the current firmware for my set (55HDS52) is "102.0006 or 102.0001". I wasn't just being unattentive; those were his actual words ("version 102.0006 or 102.0001"). So apparently there are 2 current official versions? That doesn't make much sense....

Regardless, the version I have now is 101.0001 so I'm anxious to see this issue fixed. The rep said I should get my upgrade by Tuesday. Sweet! :D


The fix works, even though once you update the firmware version will read V0102.0001. In addition, blacks seem richer, deeper and contain more detail. I am really curious as to what they did with this update.

JHellow

I brought home a new 42HDS52 and there is a serious problem with it. The whites are so white it washes out the picture. Used the brightness and lowered to 0 and no change it does not go black looks like it is still at 50. As a matter of fact there is very little change from top to bottom of the adjustment on both the Brightness and Tint. I lowered the contrast and still no change. The football field on the HD Seahawks game looked like it had snow on it. The white uniforms were a blur and face shots were wiped out. Anybody have an idea? Would it be to my advantage to go into the service menu and make changes or is there something that needs replacing?

I actually emailed Hitachi and inquired if there is a difference between the "A" and non-A units. Their answer is the difference in build-date. Both are identical. Nothing to do with where it's marketed - Canada or US.

Weird because I also got this response (US 52 and Canada 52A) when I contacted their support by phone to ask about the flicker issue. :)

Update- Yesterday I looked at both displays. The HDX was at Magnolia, the HDT at a discount dealer called Video Only. The HDX is priced 40% above the HDT no matter where I look (the cost of the best on line price + shipping matches the Magnolia price.)

The HDX at Magnolia looked great. They hadn't calibrated professionally, but it seemed like they had played around with the settings enough to get the picture nicely adjusted. I played DVDs on the 55inch but had to look at the 42 inch for the HD and standard def feeds. They did not have an HD or std def feed to the 55inch. Clarity, color and black levels looked very good (interesting to note that the standard def on the 42 inch looked better than the panny/pioneer 50inch.)

The HDT at Video Only looked good too-- good color, good clarity, and sharpness was good but not quite as sharp as the HDX. For some reason they didn't have a very good DVD player connected to the HDT. It only supported DTS via component--I'm not sure how much this matters. They had OTA HD which looked superb. It is very frustrating that for these expensive devices, they can't hook up all three types of feeds using the latest connecting technology and also put them side by side with other makes.

I guess I'm going to go with the HDT, because the price is great and the HDX doesn't appear that much better, but I don't feel entirely certain I'm making the right decision. I expected that the clarity/sharpness on the two would be virtually identical but that the color on the HDX would be better due to the additional image control. I found that the color was about the same, but sharpness/clarity on the HDX was slightly better. Based on the specs of the displays, I don't think this is supposed to happen.

Still looking for advice here.

Not wanting to lose my oppty to get one of the inbound HDT units, I placed my order for the 55HDT52 today. I can still upgrade to the HDX if needed prior to opening the box on the HDT. If anyone can help verify whether there are any sharpness or clarity differences between the 55HDT52 and 55HDX62, I would still appreciate the input. Thanks.

55HDT52 Computer Compatibility

After lots of research I'm ready to buy a 55HDT52 plasma. The last unknown for me is with the inputs stated in specs (RS232C, IEEE 1394 and USB), will I be able to do any of the following:

Use the TV as if it was a computer monitor?

If not full monitor capability, can I display files like jpegs from my computer onto the TV screen?

An excellent sale ends Jan. 25, 2006 and I hope to get answers by then. If I can't do the things mentioned above I probably won't buy it.

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

Ron


I'm not sure that a plasma is the right kind of technology to use as a computer monitor. Computer programs have lots of static images like tool bars and menu bars that could easily result in burn in. I'm wondering if that's why Hitachi has not provided the optimum input capability for that use.

I've transferred digital photo's from my laptop to a USB jump drive and viewed them on the Hitachi with excellent results. The slide show option is handy if you're viewing lots of pictures. The pix from my ancient Canon 2 MP camera look awesome.

I am using my 55HDX62 with my HTPC.

Currently, I am sending 720P via an HDMI-DVI converter.
(Of anyone need the Linux modeline I am using let me know)

I do get a bit of overscan (can't see several pixels on the top/bottom and sides) but the picture looks fantastic.

I wonder if there is a service menu where you could adjust the overscan.

I haven't tried sending anything at the native 1366 x 768 (768P) but may get to it eventually or I will just try to tune it from the Linux end of things.

RichP


I'm not sure that a plasma is the right kind of technology to use as a computer monitor. Computer programs have lots of static images like tool bars and menu bars that could easily result in burn in. I'm wondering if that's why Hitachi has not provided the optimum input capability for that use.

I've transferred digital photo's from my laptop to a USB jump drive and viewed them on the Hitachi with excellent results. The slide show option is handy if you're viewing lots of pictures. The pix from my ancient Canon 2 MP camera look awesome.

Does anyone know of another "consumer" display manufacturer that lets you upgrade the firmware? When I saw that the unit had an upgrade slot, it sealed the deal for me.

[ Also after setting the brightness and contrast to a calibration disc I am very pleased with the black level performance. Improper settings definitely can cause dark grey blacks.[/QUOTE]

can you help me guide how to calibrate my 55hds52 with a calibration disc? following are my questions:

who sells calibration discs
whose calibration disc should i buy
what do i do with the disc? since it is a disc i assume i will need to put it in the dvd player
what do i do after that?
is there is menu on the disc?

thanks for your help.

Not wanting to lose my oppty to get one of the inbound HDT units, I placed my order for the 55HDT52 today. I can still upgrade to the HDX if needed prior to opening the box on the HDT. If anyone can help verify whether there are any sharpness or clarity differences between the 55HDT52 and 55HDX62, I would still appreciate the input. Thanks.

Hitachi's website lists no dealers for Director's Series sets North or East of New Jersey. Hitachi Customer Services says to buy them at Sears or CC, obviously wrong.

Does anyone know if or when these sets will be available in New England?

can you help me guide how to calibrate my 55hds52 with a calibration disc? following are my questions:

who sells calibration discs
whose calibration disc should i buy
what do i do with the disc? since it is a disc i assume i will need to put it in the dvd player
what do i do after that?
is there is menu on the disc?

thanks for your help.

What I'd suggest is for you to have your set professionally calibrated. It would be money well spent.

Hi all,

After much deliberation I have (finally!) chosen my HDTV, and it is the 42HDT52 Hitachi. I am in awe of the HD channels on offer from my provider now (Shaw cable Vancouver) and can stare at the great PBS feed for ages.

I have a question about the burn-in possibilities, I don't really like watching SDTV 4:3 in either the stretched or the 4:3 "expanded" mode, will there be an issue if I watch this type of tv very often? I have been doing a "wipe" in the screen saver menu for a couple minutes after watching that before I turn it off in order to get any lines from the sidebars off.

Any tips on the proper method to get the tv properly broken in? For the most part I have been doing the "stretch" mode on 4:3 or just watching HD content. Probably soon I won't be able to watch the SDTV content anymore anyway, HD just looks so much better.

I want to keep this tv looking great for years, so any tips would be great for the first-time plasma buyer that I am.

For infos sake, I had also been strongly considering the panasonic 500u and the sharp aquos 37" LCDs, but this set's combination of inputs (2 hdmi! excellent!), price and picture quality won me over pretty easily. I would say the only set I looked at with a better quality picture was the fujitsu, at a much higher price.

Thanks a bunch for any info, and I'm pretty excited about my new set! (Can't you tell?) ;)

EDIT: Oops, I just saw the "Burn-in" thread sticky in this forum.. So, disregard the questions for that, but if there are any hitachi-specific tips.. Sorry! (noob!)

Hi all,

After much deliberation I have (finally!) chosen my HDTV, and it is the 42HDT52 Hitachi. I am in awe of the HD channels on offer from my provider now (Shaw cable Vancouver) and can stare at the great PBS feed for ages.



Congrats on your acquisition. That's a great TV you got there.

Hitachi's website lists no dealers for Director's Series sets North or East of New Jersey. Hitachi Customer Services says to buy them at Sears or CC, obviously wrong.

Does anyone know if or when these sets will be available in New England?

Have you had any luck? I'm on LI. I've been waiting close to 4 weeks for my 55HDX62. I'm getting fed up and will be canceling my order and asking for a refund by this weekend.

The store owner told me that several ppl at hitachi got fired [for incompetence]. :eek: However, this is probably a line of BS. :rolleyes: Time to move on or miss viewing the Super Bowl and Olympics w/ an HDX.

1)I agree that the remote is not the best. Get a Logitech Harmony, they work great and they do Macros. Can't live without it

2) Not having a PC input is not a big deal. I am running a HTPC with a NVIDIA 6600 with component out to the TV running at 720p and it looks great. The card's software takes care of over/underscan. I have not tried the DVI to HDMI, but I would think it could be done too with even better results.

I have the 42HDs52 and can not get teh swivel to work. It worked fine in teh store. I go to menu, hit swivel. side arrow to unlock then which button swivels the tv?? Feel liek a fool here, the user's manual is no help. THanks tons....

I have the 42HDs52 and can not get teh swivel to work. It worked fine in teh store. I go to menu, hit swivel. side arrow to unlock then which button swivels the tv?? Feel liek a fool here, the user's manual is no help. THanks tons....

Did you plug the cable in?

Well I received my firmware flash upgrade today from Hitachi. The label on the card was:

V0102.0001

It original had V0102.0006 on it, but the 6 was crossed out in pen and replaced with a 1.

The upgrade went fine and am very pleased to report this resolved the flicker issue on my HDT52 set.

I am very pleased at Hitachi's responsiveness to resolving this issue.

-- Barr

I got my 42HDT52 back in early september and I have been nothing but thrilled with its performance. I far prefer it over any of the panasonic panels in looks, performance, PQ and audio performance. I have never noticed any of the 'flicker' effect that I read about on this thread but I may still get the new firmware when it is released just to be sure. I would say the worst problem with the picture I have seen in the darker scenes is that it may get slightly 'grainy' from time to time.

btw, the manufacturing date on mine is Aug 2005 and the software version is 0110.0001

I have the 42HDs52 and can not get teh swivel to work. It worked fine in teh store. I go to menu, hit swivel. side arrow to unlock then which button swivels the tv?? Feel liek a fool here, the user's manual is no help. THanks tons....

If it's connected correctly, just press the left or right directional buttons on the remote.

Well I received my firmware flash upgrade today from Hitachi. The label on the card was:

V0102.0001

It original had V0102.0006 on it, but the 6 was crossed out in pen and replaced with a 1.

The upgrade went fine and am very pleased to report this resolved the flicker issue on my HDT52 set.

I am very pleased at Hitachi's responsiveness to resolving this issue.

-- Barr

I also received the upgrade yesterday exactly as above and installed. Problem is definitely solved and I couldn't be any happier with my choice for this display now. Wouldn't trade the 55" size for any 50" regardless of what some may say about blacks or other benefits.

I got my 42HDT52 back in early september and I have been nothing but thrilled with its performance. I far prefer it over any of the panasonic panels in looks, performance, PQ and audio performance. I have never noticed any of the 'flicker' effect that I read about on this thread but I may still get the new firmware when it is released just to be sure. I would say the worst problem with the picture I have seen in the darker scenes is that it may get slightly 'grainy' from time to time.

btw, the manufacturing date on mine is Aug 2005 and the software version is 0110.0001

Try enabling the Noise Reduction feature and see if that helps reduce noise in the black area. I don't notice it in mine.

I notice this grainy look too during dark scenes...its almost the same effect as when you take a digital picture without a flash and its too dark.

I will try setting the Noise Reduction on mine tonight to see if that helps...but I doubt it.


Try enabling the Noise Reduction feature and see if that helps reduce noise in the black area. I don't notice it in mine.

Hi,

I've had the latest 55HDT52 firmware (V0201.0001) installed for over a week and it has definitely solved the 'flickering' issue.

However, and this is a minor inconvenience compared to the 'flickering' issue, but it seems to have created another problem. I post this to see if anyone else has seen this issue.

When watching a commercial (I think it was for Volkswagon), the commercial had an all-white background with the car in the middle and all-white background with text, and during that commercial the Plasma screen flickered from the commercial, to all-black, to commercial, all-black, etc. Not a contrast shift, but rather the entire screen kept changing (kind'a like the old CRTs that didn't get a good signal and would 'roll')

At first I thought it was the commercial (and not my Plasma), but I've now seen it 3 times, and each time on that Volkswagon commercial.

The good news...not too many scenes with mostly white that this happens on.

For reference, I was viewing in 4:3 Aspect with the Grey side-bars when it happened. I had the commercial on my Comcast DVR, so I tried it in other aspect ratio's and it still occured.

Take care.

Wife just called me at work to tell me I got a package from Hitachi. :) Just my luck that it would come in when I have to work late. Better late than never though... I'll post my findings tonight. :D

firmware upgrade for 42HDX62A

has anyone got the upgrade for a 42" yet ?
my current firmware is V0101.0002

Thanks

My 42HDT53 is V110.0001

Purchased on Dec 29th...

i got my 42HDS52 delivered today by circuit city, but it turns out its a 42HDS52A. I dont understand why i recieved a 42HDS52A since im in FL, and im under the impression that this is the canadian version of this TV.

1.) Is there any difference between the two?

2.) Most importantly, is there any disadvantages to owning a 42HDS52A over a 42HDS52 (ie. less or no software upgrades)?

Any info is appreciated and I hope to be a contributing member to this forum. This thread has been a great read!

i got my 42HDS52 delivered today by circuit city, but it turns out its a 42HDS52A. I dont understand why i recieved a 42HDS52A since im in FL, and im under the impression that this is the canadian version of this TV.

1.) Is there any difference between the two?

2.) Most importantly, is there any disadvantages to owning a 42HDS52A over a 42HDS52 (ie. less or no software upgrades)?

Any info is appreciated and I hope to be a contributing member to this forum. This thread has been a great read!


An 'A' revision is alway better, right?? I have the 42HDS52. Maybe 'A' stands for an americas version of the device. I'm more inclined to think that your unit is better.

Congrats! Welcome to the club. Any technology you buy quickly gets obsolete. I bought this unit because of the great connectivity features and the infamous upgrade SD slot.

i got my 42HDS52 delivered today by circuit city, but it turns out its a 42HDS52A. I dont understand why i recieved a 42HDS52A since im in FL, and im under the impression that this is the canadian version of this TV.

1.) Is there any difference between the two?

2.) Most importantly, is there any disadvantages to owning a 42HDS52A over a 42HDS52 (ie. less or no software upgrades)?

Any info is appreciated and I hope to be a contributing member to this forum. This thread has been a great read!

As I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the difference between "A" and "non-A" is the build date. "A" is newer. Contrary to what others posted "A" does not refer to Canadian model. That's the official word from Hitachi Canada when I emailed them enquiring the difference between the two model numbers.

Ok.. I'm sold on a 55HDT.. can someone give me a hand on where I can find one?

Hey Guys,

Does anyone know for sure that the 55HDT52 doesn't have a VGA input for computer use? I have the 55HDT51, and it does have the VGA input. I use it for a HTPC, and get absolutely no overscan... It is the prettiest computer display I have ever seen. I ran DOOM3 on it last night for the first time...amazing!

OK. The oord is plugged in. Now, walk me through this...I press Menu, go to Swivel, push select. When I push the left/right arrows next to the select button.... the screen simply changes reading from locked to unlocked. Are these the directional arrows that should swivel the Set??? Walk me through this PLEASE.....it is getting frustrating. If I can not get this to work, I will return this set to CC tommorrow for the Panny if I can not get this to work. My partner has the panny, the television is not nearly as beautiful looking, but the picture, the blacks..yes they are sharp. Thanks...

OK. The oord is plugged in. Now, walk me through this...I press Menu, go to Swivel, push select. When I push the left/right arrows next to the select button.... the screen simply changes reading from locked to unlocked. Are these the directional arrows that should swivel the Set??? Walk me through this PLEASE.....it is getting frustrating. If I can not get this to work, I will return this set to CC tommorrow for the Panny if I can not get this to work. My partner has the panny, the television is not nearly as beautiful looking, but the picture, the blacks..yes they are sharp. Thanks...

The menu item just enables it, make sure it is unlocked.

Outside the menu, press the left/right arrows. . . .ok?

I kept trying to swivel it from within the swivel menu. Works great....Thanks

Hi all,

Loving the tv so far, PBS HD looks amazing!

Question about watching DVDs, when I watch widescreen I notice the bars at the top and bottom do show up a bit when changing back to fullscreen (non letterboxed) content. They go away pretty quickly, but this temporary burn in concerns me. Anyone have any tips on how long I should try to just run fullscreen (stretched or HD channel) content? I've heard numbers on the burn-in thread from 100, 200 to 1000 hours in order to properly "break in" a plasma. I wanted to know if anyone had Hitachi/ALiS specific numbers or estimates.. I have the contrast and brightness set really low for now too..

Also, anyone ever hookup an ieee-1394 drive to record content? I don't have the cablecard but I would be really interested in hearing someone's experiences with that..

Thanks!

James

Hello all,

As I had a bad experience with the black level retention, and got tired of waiting, I picked up an HP LC3700N.

What a difference.

The blacks are deep, dark, and stable. The picture and colours are fantastic. Sharp and bright with no false contouring whatsoever. I cannot recommend this set highly enough.

Anyone sitting on the fence with the 42hdt52 and doesn't mind giving up a few inches in panel size, give the HP lcd a try. I don't regret it one bit and I can finally enjoy the image instead of worrying about the black flickering or side bars burning in.

That's right, no need to zoom into 2.85 material either. It's also less expensive.

Love it.

What are you calling black level retention? It sounds to me like you've got some mis-conceptions wrt plasma and burnin. I've had a 42" Sony plasma for almost 5 yrs now, using an earlier version of this same 1024 x 1024 Hitachi-made glass (panel); and I've never had an issue with burn-in. Watch 2.35 movies with no zoom, 4:3 with no stretch, etc. Just take resonable precautions (don't leave static images up indefinitely; don't run in "torch mode", etc) and you won't have issues. Temporary image retention is just that, temporary, and goes away with playing normal program material.

I know that the Hitachi doesn't have the black levels of the Panny or new Pio; but I have a hard time believing an LCD has blacker blacks. Not saying it's impossible, but it seems pretty unlikely.

Anyway, enjoy your choice.

There is no VGA input on my 55HDX62...pretty sure the same on the 55HDT52

I outputting via DVI->HDMI @ 720P and it looks great but i have about 5% overscan.

I tried outputting at native resolution(768p) and the TV thought it was some messed up 1080i resolution.

If you are using Powerstrip, can you tell me the Linux modeline from powerstrip(I'll try that)

Rich

Hey Guys,

Does anyone know for sure that the 55HDT52 doesn't have a VGA input for computer use? I have the 55HDT51, and it does have the VGA input. I use it for a HTPC, and get absolutely no overscan... It is the prettiest computer display I have ever seen. I ran DOOM3 on it last night for the first time...amazing!

Hey Rich,

I didn't have to use Powerstrip. My 55HDT51 has a VGA port, and all I had to do was plug my computer into it and go. I can't believe Hitachi took that off the next gen units. That would definitely stop me from buying another Hitachi... I'll have to look into that, because I'm planning on buying a 42" for the bedroom soon.

What are you calling black level retention? It sounds to me like you've got some mis-conceptions wrt plasma and burnin. I've had a 42" Sony plasma for almost 5 yrs now, using an earlier version of this same 1024 x 1024 Hitachi-made glass (panel); and I've never had an issue with burn-in. Watch 2.35 movies with no zoom, 4:3 with no stretch, etc. Just take resonable precautions (don't leave static images up indefinitely; don't run in "torch mode", etc) and you won't have issues. Temporary image retention is just that, temporary, and goes away with playing normal program material.

I know that the Hitachi doesn't have the black levels of the Panny or new Pio; but I have a hard time believing an LCD has blacker blacks. Not saying it's impossible, but it seems pretty unlikely.

Anyway, enjoy your choice.

Enigma,

The black level retention issues, or black "flicker" have been discussed ad naseum in this forum. The panel's inability to hold it's black level in dark scenes is a big issue and is not yet fixed on the 42hdt52.

Image retention is something i've never enjoyed or been comfortable with, but that's just the way I feel about the burn in/retention issue.

In regards to black levels, by all means check this panel out, deep inky blacks you won't believe till you see them.

Don't get me wrong, I love the hitachi and wanted to be able to tolerate its shortcomings so badly I almost kept it even though it drove me crazy.

firmware upgrade for 42HDX62A

has anyone got the upgrade for a 42" yet ?
my current firmware is V0101.0002

Thanks

I just brought my 42hdx62 home yesterday. My firmware is V0112.0002. I had the HDT52A for 2 weeks and was unhappy with the color. This set has 4 different menus to adjust the color. If I adjusted color above 37 on the hdt52a everyone looked sunburnt. On the new set I have color at 50 with flesh tones looking totally natural. I love this tv.

Also, if anyone wants to get into the service menu on the HDT52A or 42HDX62 you just have to press Menu+Menu+8+Select. Write down your settings before trying anything in the service menu. You could screw up the whole damn thing.

It's official. The flicker is gone and this is now a perfect TV (IMO).

I upgraded last night and immediately tested the Moria scene from LOTR. This entire scene would really make the black levels flicker like crazy before the upgrade. But no more I say!! The problem was completely gone.

Originally, I had version 101.0001 and the firmware I received was 102.0001


problem solved :D


cooley
55HDS52

Also, if anyone wants to get into the service menu on the HDT52A or 42HDX62 you just have to press Menu+Menu+8+Select. Write down your settings before trying anything in the service menu. You could screw up the whole damn thing.

Hi,

Any interesting adjustments you have made in the service menu that you can share with us? I'd love to try it myself. Thanks.

If one happens to "mess up" tinkering with the service menu, do you think that's gonna void the warranty?

Hi,

Any interesting adjustments you have made in the service menu that you can share with us? I'd love to try it myself. Thanks.

If one happens to "mess up" tinkering with the service menu, do you think that's gonna void the warranty?

I didn't screw around with the service menu. I was just wondering if I could get in and did. The 42HDX62 has all sorts of color adjustments you can mess around with. The color management feature lets you adjust individual colors such as Magenta, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Green and Blue. You can also adjust those colors to appear brighter, darker, deeper or normal. There is also 2 other color adjustment screens that I haven't even really played around with yet. Luckily there is a reset button at the bottom of each screen.

I'm not gonna mess with the service menu. My screen is looking terrific right now. I will say that the blacks on this set are far superior to the 42 HDT52A that I had.

Anyone have an opinion on the best match for the 42HDT52 with an upconverting DVD player? Or is an upconverter even necessary with this display? Would a good prog-scan player work just as well?

Trying to decide on a new player and am feeling overwhelmed by the choices. Looking to not spend a lot (<$200) while getting the best match for my display. Right now looking between the Sony DVPNS70H (although concerned with the shift issue), the Panny S77 (macroblocking?), the LG 511, and the Oppo.

Any thoughts, opinions, experiences much appreciated. Thanks.

hello, folks. thanks for clearing up my previous question. i have a 42HDS52 and im having trouble getting the awesome PQ yall are talking about, especially is SD. I have an HDMI cable hooked up from the cable box.

Q: When i watch HD channels in 16: 9 Standard in 1080i, it is not showing the entire screen. For instance, when watching Discovery Channel HD, the screen cuts off at the middle of the Discovery Channel logo. Is there a way to change this? Does anyone know why its doing this?

hello, folks. thanks for clearing up my previous question. i have a 42HDS52 and im having trouble getting the awesome PQ yall are talking about, especially is SD. I have an HDMI cable hooked up from the cable box.

Q: When i watch HD channels in 16: 9 Standard in 1080i, it is not showing the entire screen. For instance, when watching Discovery Channel HD, the screen cuts off at the middle of the Discovery Channel logo. Is there a way to change this? Does anyone know why its doing this?

Aside from changing the TV aspect from the remote, you might also check your output aspect ratio in the cable box setup. Example: I use directv, and there is an apect setting for the receiver as well. I had to set this to "widescreen" or "16:9" or some such......... just an idea

My HDT52 does the same - its kind of annoying having a widescreen TV, as most sources aren't yet in WS, even if they are HD. Even a lot of widescreen movies aren't really widescreen (for a widescreen TV). So you are left stretching or zooming the screen (which kills PQ) or living with the bars. Unless I am missing something? I am connected directly OTA. I usually go with zoom as I find expanded (zoom) extremely annoying, and I'm not a fan of the bars either (plus its not good for the screen).

I think HDT52 series are better than HDS52 one's and i can get it cheaper than HDS52 units in california.
T52 have TV guide and firewire inputs and its the ultravision series of HITACHI which is also a better one.

malay

Anyone have an opinion on the best match for the 42HDT52 with an upconverting DVD player? Or is an upconverter even necessary with this display? Would a good prog-scan player work just as well?

Trying to decide on a new player and am feeling overwhelmed by the choices. Looking to not spend a lot (<$200) while getting the best match for my display. Right now looking between the Sony DVPNS70H (although concerned with the shift issue), the Panny S77 (macroblocking?), the LG 511, and the Oppo.

Any thoughts, opinions, experiences much appreciated. Thanks.


DVPNS70H is a ggood DVD player................
malay

It's official. The flicker is gone and this is now a perfect TV (IMO).

I upgraded last night and immediately tested the Moria scene from LOTR. This entire scene would really make the black levels flicker like crazy before the upgrade. But no more I say!! The problem was completely gone.

Originally, I had version 101.0001 and the firmware I received was 102.0001


problem solved :D


cooley
55HDS52

Same update for the 42HDS52?? Because I just purchased it this weekend and noticed the flicker as well.

After reading this entire thread I am a little confused as to whether the 42" model uses the same update as the 55".

EDIT: Just spoke with Hitachi and there is a firmware upgrade for both the 55" and 42" models.

AVS forum coming through!!

Do the upgrades/versions increase numerically - and are they different for Canada? Reason I ask is my version is 110.0001 which is much higher than any versions I have seen posted here.

I don't have flicker, but do notice the lack of black detail in extremely dark scenes....

Do the upgrades/versions increase numerically - and are they different for Canada? Reason I ask is my version is 110.0001 which is much higher than any versions I have seen posted here.

I don't have flicker, but do notice the lack of black detail in extremely dark scenes....

Kevin,

Could you check your version number again? I thought it starts with "0101" and not "110".

My 42HDT52 has a version number V0101.0002.

Kevin,

Could you check your version number again? I thought it starts with "0101" and not "110".

My 42HDT52 has a version number V0101.0002.

It is 110 - I checked a couple times to make sure - that is what has me confused...

Update- Yesterday I looked at both displays. The HDX was at Magnolia, the HDT at a discount dealer called Video Only. The HDX is priced 40% above the HDT no matter where I look (the cost of the best on line price + shipping matches the Magnolia price.)

The HDX at Magnolia looked great. They hadn't calibrated professionally, but it seemed like they had played around with the settings enough to get the picture nicely adjusted. I played DVDs on the 55inch but had to look at the 42 inch for the HD and standard def feeds. They did not have an HD or std def feed to the 55inch. Clarity, color and black levels looked very good (interesting to note that the standard def on the 42 inch looked better than the panny/pioneer 50inch.)

The HDT at Video Only looked good too-- good color, good clarity, and sharpness was good but not quite as sharp as the HDX. For some reason they didn't have a very good DVD player connected to the HDT. It only supported DTS via component--I'm not sure how much this matters. They had OTA HD which looked superb. It is very frustrating that for these expensive devices, they can't hook up all three types of feeds using the latest connecting technology and also put them side by side with other makes.

I guess I'm going to go with the HDT, because the price is great and the HDX doesn't appear that much better, but I don't feel entirely certain I'm making the right decision. I expected that the clarity/sharpness on the two would be virtually identical but that the color on the HDX would be better due to the additional image control. I found that the color was about the same, but sharpness/clarity on the HDX was slightly better. Based on the specs of the displays, I don't think this is supposed to happen.

Still looking for advice here.

Another update-- price gap is growing between the 55HDX62 and the 55HDT52-- the HDX is now 43% higher than the 55HDT52.... getting harder and harder to justify. The deal on the HDT is fantastic.

Another update-- price gap is growing between the 55HDX62 and the 55HDT52-- the HDX is now 43% higher than the 55HDT52.... getting harder and harder to justify. The deal on the HDT is fantastic.

Sounds like you getting only a few hundred off MSRP. The price should be a lot lower than that. But I think you might be right about the price difference.

I finally got my 55HDX62. Great picture, but I'm not quite sure about the anti-reflactive coating. I can still see quite a bit of reflection during the day. In hindsight: if I could get the HDT for $500 less, than I probably could have gone that route and been just as happy.

I must say though, this TV adsolute clobbers my 42" pana EDTV. And the screen is ridiculously huge. And the swivel stand... sweet.

just bought a 42HDF52 over the weekend...amazing picture

I was really worried about the black flicker, but with my Panasonic S97 set at 720P, i saw nothing but a beautiful, clean image...I love this TV!!

Sounds like you getting only a few hundred off MSRP. The price should be a lot lower than that. But I think you might be right about the price difference.

I finally got my 55HDX62. Great picture, but I'm not quite sure about the anti-reflactive coating. I can still see quite a bit of reflection during the day. In hindsight: if I could get the HDT for $500 less, than I probably could have gone that route and been just as happy.

I must say though, this TV adsolute clobbers my 42" pana EDTV. And the screen is ridiculously huge. And the swivel stand... sweet.

Yes, I'm having a harder time finding HDX dealers so the discounts aren't so good. The discount on the HDT is substantial. I would pay more for the HDX if I knew the PQ was going to be noticeably different. When I compared the two at different stores, the PQ on the HDX was in fact slightly better, but it also had a better set-up-- Denon DVD player with HDMI connection vs. an older JVC DVD player with component. The HDT improved as I played with the settings, so it could be tuning/calibration as well. If I could find an HDX at a reasonable premium ot the HDT, I'd probably buy it for the peace of mind as I plan on keeping this TV for 10+ years.

Yes, I'm having a harder time finding HDX dealers so the discounts aren't so good.

Check Hitachi's website and specific your HDX. Or else CC and Sears will show up. They have a list of your local dealers.

Same update for the 42HDS52?? Because I just purchased it this weekend and noticed the flicker as well.

After reading this entire thread I am a little confused as to whether the 42" model uses the same update as the 55".

EDIT: Just spoke with Hitachi and there is a firmware upgrade for both the 55" and 42" models.

AVS forum coming through!!

I saw this post, and I was very excited because Feb 3rd is the day that I have to decide whether or not to accept the flicker and hope that it gets fixed, or exchange it for a different set.

I immediately got on the phone to Hitachi Customer Support and inquired about a new firmware release for the 42's.

I wasn't really that surprised to hear them tell me that V0101.0002 (which is the version on my 42HDT52A) was the most current release. Maybe I'll call back 4 or 5 times and see if I get the same answer.

Oh well.........

id like to point out to everybody who has recently bought a 42HDS52 that circuit city has just reduced the price quite a bit, and they will refund you 110% of the difference if its within the time limit (30 days i believe). id encourage all recent buyers to check their set's current price as they have some nice deals during the superbowl.

I saw this post, and I was very excited because Feb 3rd is the day that I have to decide whether or not to accept the flicker and hope that it gets fixed, or exchange it for a different set.

I immediately got on the phone to Hitachi Customer Support and inquired about a new firmware release for the 42's.

I wasn't really that surprised to hear them tell me that V0101.0002 (which is the version on my 42HDT52A) was the most current release. Maybe I'll call back 4 or 5 times and see if I get the same answer.

Oh well.........

Same story here. Although I have a different version on my 42HDS52A: V1000.0003.

Which Hitachi told me was the most current version, which makes no sense. If they are releasing upgrades now for this issue how the hell does my December build have the most updated version?

He also told me that the update would most likely not fix the problem. I referred to this thread and he told me, "they probably dont know what they are talking about." :rolleyes:

And when I asked about what the difference between the A and non A model the guy wasn't really sure. I asked him if the A's were made for canada and he said no. Although when I took the TV out of the box the sheet that tells you about burn-in was taped so that the French side was displayed (french on one side and english on the back).

I have a dvd player connected with an HDMI cable to a HDMI-to-DVI converter on my plasma. Unfortunated the HDF wont allow me to adjust many of the settings (i.e. contrast, etc etc) while in DVI mode (dubbed PC mode). Is there any way arround this? A hidden menu that will allow me to adjust all the same settings as in video mode?

Related question: if there is no way arround this, what is the performance impact of switching to Component video cables to my DVD player? The dvd player i have has upconversion, but ONLY over HDMI...but I cant adjust the settings on DVI, so I cant really optimize the image via Avia or DVE...


All input is most appreciated

Has anyone used an external HD and the firewire port -- sort of like a PVR setup? What equipment do you have?
I have the dish 811 (HDTV receiver) through HDMI. Would I be able to record shows using this?

I have a 42hdt52.

Does anybody know how to reset the RGB to factory default in the service menu?

I messed up with the menu and the colors are washed out. I can get the colors right for a few seconds but the they don't stay that way.

I would like to try and restore without calling the service tech.

Thanks,
Sam

I have a 42hdt52.

Does anybody know how to reset the RGB to factory default in the service menu?

I messed up with the menu and the colors are washed out. I can get the colors right for a few seconds but the they don't stay that way.

I would like to try and restore without calling the service tech.

Thanks,
Sam


When I owned my 42hdt52 I played around with the service menu. I only messed with the medium setting and the original values were Red:ff Green:bf and blue was aa

hope this helps

I have a dvd player connected with an HDMI cable to a HDMI-to-DVI converter on my plasma. Unfortunated the HDF wont allow me to adjust many of the settings (i.e. contrast, etc etc) while in DVI mode (dubbed PC mode). Is there any way arround this? A hidden menu that will allow me to adjust all the same settings as in video mode?

Related question: if there is no way arround this, what is the performance impact of switching to Component video cables to my DVD player? The dvd player i have has upconversion, but ONLY over HDMI...but I cant adjust the settings on DVI, so I cant really optimize the image via Avia or DVE...


All input is most appreciated

bump

I am planning to buy a 42HDT52. I would like to connect its 'optical audio out' to the sole digital input of my old Bose home theater. Now, some plasmas (like Pioneer) are not designed to give out a digital audio out, when the input is HDMI. Does anybody think 42HDT52 has such a handicap? Somebody must have tried this... :confused:

I am planning to buy a 42HDT52. I would like to connect its 'optical audio out' to the sole digital input of my old Bose home theater. Now, some plasmas (like Pioneer) are not designed to give out a digital audio out, when the input is HDMI. Does anybody think 42HDT52 has such a handicap? Somebody must have tried this... :confused:


I have optical out going from the set to my receiver for the OTA HD signal.

Currently I have my DVD player hooked up via component cables and my receiver has multiple optical ins, so I have a separate optical from the DVD to the receiver. I don't have an answer for you but............I ordered an HTPC from 2partsfusion.com and it's supposed to arrive Friday. That has a DVI to HDMI hookup which I intend to use, so I guess I could tell you by this weekend if someone can't answer your question before that.

**Edit**
I'm not really sure what I was thinking there, but I won't be able to give you an answer, by running a DVI to HDMI connection.

I did thumb through the manual and it APPEARED that you could output digital audio via the optical out when using the HDMI input. But someone else will have to answer this definitively. Sorry.

I am planning to buy a 42HDT52. I would like to connect its 'optical audio out' to the sole digital input of my old Bose home theater. Now, some plasmas (like Pioneer) are not designed to give out a digital audio out, when the input is HDMI. Does anybody think 42HDT52 has such a handicap? Somebody must have tried this... :confused:

I can't answer your question, but I'm a bit confused as to why you would want to do that.

If your plasma is connected to a home theater setup (receiver or pre/pro & amp, speakers, etc); then while you are watching a dvd, cable or sat box, etc with HDMI out you will normally be sending audio to your receiver or pre/pro either by hdmi or optical (or coax). The video will either be going direct via hdmi (assuming you are using hdmi and not component), or to a switching or transcoding input in an hdmi based receiver, which will then send the video on to the display. There is no need for an optical digital out of the display in this situation, as the audio is going direct to the receiver or pre/pro.

If you are watching the plasma as a "self-contained" tv set; using built in speakers, etc, then, again, you won't need a digital out.

The time that you will need a digital out is if you want to watch something which is coming into the plasma itself (that is, the internal tuner) which you wish to send to the home theater setup. So if you are watching HDTV using the internal ATSC tuner or cable card you can send the sound out to the home theater. In that case hdmi doesn't come into play as the panel is not being fed by any hdmi source.

What is the scenario where you feel you need an optical digital output while the hdmi input is being used?

EDIT: My Bad; I see what the issue is; you have only one digital input on your home theater reciever; which the plasma will be conncected to. Sounds like maybe it's time to upgrade the receiver to something with a little more connectvity (or adding a optical digital switcher, such as the Audio Authority 1177, which has 4 optical inputs and 1 output; or a cheap rat-shack manual switch).

Sorry for the confusion :o

Enigma / Hal

I think he wants to route OTA HD and his DVD player to his single optical in on his receiver.

He cannot route directly from the dvd to the receiver without excluding optical audio for OTA HD.

And if the set prevents optical out when viewing from HDMI, then he would HAVE to route it directly to the receiver, once again excluding OTA HD or having to manually plug and unplug the two outputs when wanting to switch between the two sources. (not a viable option in my opinion)

But like I said in my edit of the earlier post, it appears that it'll work fine base on my interpretation of the owners manual. I think they even have the manuals online at the Hitachi site if one were curious.


***Edit***
LOL, your edit was faster than my post. .......Nevermind......