Hi All,
I am looking to buy a 42" plasma under $1.5k and from reading this forum it seems that the leading contenders are the Samy 4254 and Panny H42PX75U. Picture quality is the only issue that matters to me. I wondered why i dont see much about the Hitachi P42H401, specifically, whether the higher pixel count panel improves detail compared to the other maker's 42" panels. i will be viewing from 5-7 feet away and like to watch sports in HD (although i think a lot of the sports channels are native 720p). i also eventually will get a HDDVD player
any thoughts? they are all about the same price.
thanks
Ian

don't know about the new ones as they just came out, but I know last years models had a flickering issue. look for hitachi flicker issue bad news thread

I've had the P42H401 for a month now and there aren't flicker issues with it. No issues at all. You'll have to take a look at it yourself to determine if the PQ satisfies you. I'm happy with it myself.

thanks for the replies. still i am wondering about the resolution issue.

thanks for the replies. still i am wondering about the resolution issue.

I own last years 42HDS69 Hitachi Plasma & after the firmware update I'm very pleased. No flicker issues @ all. The newer Hitachi's report no flicker issues as well. No reason to worry about the resolution issue (it's 1080i) & I love my set!

Let your eyes do the picking. Hitachi makes a quality plasma, no question.

Hitachi does make a good plasma. I am still happy with my older model. I was worried initially about the resolution as well. Hitachi uses the ALIS technology to create more pixels on the display and I wasn't sure if it would look as good as other native resolutions.

However, I have been pleasantly surprised with the resolution. Hitachi must use some decent processors because it looks good to me with all input resolutions. Of course, I am inputting everything through the component input, so that helps. If your new model has a DVI connection, that should be even better.

I don't own a Hitachi (or any other plasma) but the last five times I've gone to look at plasmas, I'm always drawn back to the 55HDS69. It isn't as "sharp'' as some other plasmas (at least it isn't calibrated that way in the stores) but I like the colours and I actually like the smoother look (personal preference, I guess--I make no claims to membership in a videophile club). Lately I've been leaning towards a projector setup (was all set to go with one until the nasty tax man ruined that plan), though my room will really only accommodate a 65 inch diagonal screen (smallish for a projector). I borrowed a 4:3 office projector that, within the constraints of my room, could throw a 52 inch diagonal (widescreen) and found that a great leap forward from my 32 inch TV. If the 55HDS69 drops to US prices in Canada by next spring, I may forego the projector option (cheaper per square inch, but requiring more work to set up) and go with the simpler to set up plasma. I just hope they keep making the 55 inch model as 60 is too expensive for me and 50 might be disappointing.