[h3rmes]

Hello Everyone,


I hate to say it but I am returning the Hitachi 57XWX20B a second time to Circuit City. Based on all of the postings here, it would appear Hitachi is the king of the hill. My experience with 2 identical sets leads me to believe otherwize.


On both units there was a clear PASTEL color problem and nasty reds with artifacts. Tried Avia, red push fix, lime green fix. Nothing works to get rid of the pastel coloration or red push. This happens with all inputs and the HD tuner.


Michael TLV is right on about the 20B problems. Can't believe professional reviewers think this TV is on par with the Pioneer Pro Elites, or for that matter a cheap Panny, Toshiba, or a Sony.


For people thinking about Hitachi because of reading this forum, don't do it. The Hitachi is a patently awful television. Save yourself the grief and inconvenience of having this set delivered and returned twice.


Regrets,

H3rmes

 

[steviec]

I think your imagining things.If you look at anything long enough you can find some flaws ,but hitachi still blows the socks of any of any the rptvs in any store ,just doing a side by side comparision.Good luck.I hope you find a display that can meet your standards, but I kind of doubt it.

 

[needspeed]

I got no clue what you are talking about, I have seen many Hitachi's and not seen this problem. I could have bought almost any set out there and I bought one and am very happy. So don't use your personal experience to bash the whole Hitachi line.


If you read enough posts, you will see that all manufactures sets are great and they suck. Every one of them gets great reviews while at the same time some people have problems.


Plus there is no perfect RPTV available anywhere in our solar system, they all have tradeoffs. Good luck, sooner or later you will find something you can live with......Steve

 

[Dammit!]

I've seen the problem on about 8 Hitachis myself. You're not hallucinating.


Did you try hooking anything up to the DVI input? The problem is completely gone for me when using DVI.

 

[ugabuga]

Hitachi sets are for the most part fine.....a few defective ones out there no biggie every company had some bad units.

 

[DLB]

Quote:

Originally posted by h3rmes Hello Everyone, ...For people thinking about Hitachi because of reading this forum, don't do it. The Hitachi is a patently awful television. Save yourself the grief and inconvenience of having this set delivered and returned twice. Regrets, H3rmes

WRONG! The consensus is that the Hitachis are a good value and have fewer "bugs" than most RPTVs - yes, I said fewer "bugs" - all RPTVs are going to have some problems, but to say "patently awful" is a statement of a idiot who is not a savant.

 

[mnc]

I've seen more problematic Hitachi's than any other brand. And why does everyone bash the Sony's? I think the 600 and 700 are two of the best RPTV's I've seen. Every time I've looked at a Hitachi, the Sony blows it away!

 

[bayrider]

I have had 2 Hitachis now, a 51 SWX for 2 months and then I traded up to a 57 XWX. Both are outstanding in my opinion, the 57 combined with an inexpensive Panasonic XP-30 has awesome PQ. They are particularly good with NTSC DirecTV feed. Although I hear a lot of complaints about the quality of satellite broadcasts many of the movies I watch on PPV or HBO and many other channels are near DVD quality, very cinematic. You will see some blurring on say moving faces in the background but nothing that significantly detracts from the viewing experience. I chose these sets based strictly on NTSC feeds in the store, IMHO they were superior PQ to all other sets that I saw. I think that was a smart move on my part because some sets that looked great in HD sucked in NTSC (Mits in particular) Since I can't live without Tivo and it's not HD yet I watch almost all NTSC.

I did the red push fix on the 57, it clearly seemed overly red after being used to the 51 which did not seem to have the red problem. The first DVD I watched on the 57 was XXX (sucks!) that DVD in particular seems to be way oversaturated with red which got me doing the red push fix, it cleaned it up very nicely.

In Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon the bamboo forest seemed a little too vibrant green to me on both sets, perhaps I will try the green fix also and recheck that but it could just be the source as I do not remeber seeing that anywhere else. For the most part though I do not see problems with the vast majority of sources. I run the color level somewhat lower than a lot of people, about 20-25.

Most DVDs are unbelievably beautiful on this set, this thing rocks! Sorry you had a bad experience but the sets I had/have been patently great! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Hitachis to anyone.

 

[h3rmes]

Quote:

Originally posted by DLB WRONG! The consensus is that the Hitachis are a good value and have fewer "bugs" than most RPTVs - yes, I said fewer "bugs" - all RPTVs are going to have some problems, but to say "patently awful" is a statement of a idiot who is not a savant.

The very reason I put up with the inconvenience of having this set delivered and returned twice is because of this forum. I could not believe the consensus of people here to be wrong, so I tried the Hitachi a second time.


What more can I do as a consumer? Live with the pastel problem and the nasty red push? Tweak the hell out of it to make it look good? I do not have the time like many of you here seem to have. Hell I even tried all the tweaks here, ***************, and Keohi and found that the tweaks don't help the PASTEL problem or the red push.


What I find surprising is the immediate backlash from Hitachi owners defending the brand. Why? Is there something you want to hid from prospective buyers of RPTVs? Or is there a hidden agenda within the RPTV forum to push the Hitachi brand? I simply can't figure out the angle here.


I have always relied on the forums to help me guide my decisions on my purchases, but this experience with fellow forum members leads me to really question their true motives.


I think Hitachi has a genuine quality control problem here and I think it is irresponsible for a manufacturer to turn a blind eye to it. It is even worse that certain ISF calibrators join in the lie by writing up glowing reviews of this TV, eventhough they know better. I'm with Michael TLV on this one. SOMEONE IS PAYING PEOPLE TO PUSH HITACHI. There is no other reasonable explanation and it is disgusting that people engage is such nepotism even here on the Internet.


There is absolutely NO WAY even the proverbial Joe Six Pack would tolerate the PASTELS and red push of the TVs I had in my home. Both experts (ISF calibrators) and friends and family all noticed the problem immediately (I purposely did not mention the problem, they mentioned it themselves without prompting).


All I can say is thank god I bought the TV at Circuit City! Had I bought this sorry excuse for a TV on the Internet, I would be stuck with it.


Regrets,

H3rmes

 

[Dave Vaughn]

h3rmes,

I don't mean to flame you, but if you did the tweaks posted here and have set your colors correctly using AVIA, you should have zero red push at all. If anything, you should have a slight green push (less than 5%). It is your decision to return it, but you don't need to flame Hitachi saying that all of their sets are bad. They are just bad to your eyes. I kind of relate it to this....I think thin women are beautiful, I have a friend who thinks "big" women are beaurtiful...Which one of us is wrong?


DV



PS If you have read Michael LTV"s update on Keohi, he says that he has pretty much fixed the ghosting issue and green problems and he is much more satisfied with the set.

 

[ugabuga]

"I think Hitachi has a genuine quality control problem here and I think it is irresponsible for a manufacturer to turn a blind eye to it. It is even worse that certain ISF calibrators join in the lie by writing up glowing reviews of this TV, eventhough they know better. I'm with Michael TLV on this one. SOMEONE IS PAYING PEOPLE TO PUSH HITACHI. There is no other reasonable explanation and it is disgusting that people engage is such nepotism even here on the Internet.


There is absolutely NO WAY even the proverbial Joe Six Pack would tolerate the PASTELS and red push of the TVs I had in my home. Both experts (ISF calibrators) and friends and family all noticed the problem immediately (I purposely did not mention the problem, they mentioned it themselves without prompting).


All I can say is thank god I bought the TV at Circuit City! Had I bought this sorry excuse for a TV on the Internet, I would be stuck with it. "


HAHA nice of you to assume that all the sets out there are defective and that all the owners,ISF, and reviewers do not know jack and your refined eye can spot supposed problems. LOL well move on to another brand and be happy with it so we do not have to hear your whining! Oh and btw i wish i was getting payed to enjoy my set but sadly its the other way around, I am the one paying CC monthly payments so once again your statements are false with no backing and are nothing more than utter bs.

 

[gambrelw]

This is getting frustrating. Everybody with a grayscale problem assumes they have every problem ever written concerning color. There is not a quality control problem with the Hitachi from a color stance. I am noticing an increase in the flickering problem among the SWXs.


Bill

 

[Dave Vaughn]

gambrelw,

What type of flickering problem are you seeing? I have not had any type of flickering problem at all. The only problem that I have had is my set shut down on me once for no reason at all (there were a lot of people in the house at the time and maybe a kid jumped on the floor or something). Very weird though. Hasn't happened again.


Dave

 

[gambrelw]

There are a few folks noticing a flickering problem at the very top of the screen. A couple service techs have come out and mentioned that the CRTs (seems green is most common) need replacing. I haven't seen it myself, but a few are reporting the problem. It seems consistent on the SWX only.


Bill

 

[Yosh70]

On a few 2.35 aspect ratio DVD's, I notice a sort of rainbow at the very top of the screen in the black bar...is this what you're talking about? It gives me a little cause for concern but I have lots of warranty and havent decided what to do yet. Mine is a 57" GWX btw.

 

[bayrider]

Quote:

Originally posted by h3rmes Or is there a hidden agenda within the RPTV forum to push the Hitachi brand? I simply can't figure out the angle here. SOMEONE IS PAYING PEOPLE TO PUSH HITACHI. There is no other reasonable explanation...

Damn, you're on to us. It was Saddam, I got a check from him in March. You must have bought yours in April. Oh well...

 

[bayrider]

Quote:

Originally posted by h3rmes it is disgusting that people engage is such nepotism even here on the Internet. Regrets, H3rmes

Yes, Saddam is my Uncle. Better look up that word.

 

[DRS]

I have seen this pastel problem and I thought it was a byproduct of the 480p->540p upconversion. I didn't have HD at the time because I only kept the set for a week.


It really is strange that so many professional reviewers glow about this television series given this problem. I'm not so sure I buy into the conspiracy theory though. Maybe it affects only certain manuf. dates and SN ranges?

 

[h3rmes]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Vaughn h3rmes, I don't mean to flame you, but if you did the tweaks posted here and have set your colors correctly using AVIA, you should have zero red push at all. If anything, you should have a slight green push (less than 5%). It is your decision to return it, but you don't need to flame Hitachi saying that all of their sets are bad. They are just bad to your eyes. I kind of relate it to this....I think thin women are beautiful, I have a friend who thinks "big" women are beaurtiful...Which one of us is wrong? DV PS If you have read Michael LTV"s update on Keohi, he says that he has pretty much fixed the ghosting issue and green problems and he is much more satisfied with the set.

NO!


I am not complaining about GREENS or GHOSTING problems. Hell I liked the vibrant greens the TV was producing. There was NO ghosting with the TV. Accuracy was DEAD on.


I am complaining about the fact that the face of every person I see on the TV is a PASTEL color. I am complaining about the fact that every red I see has a blurred artifacting color to it with NO detail.


DISAGREE!


When a ISF trained expert and the uninitiated (my friends and family) spot the same problem IT IS NOT a MATTER OF INTERPRETATION. It a statement that says, Hitachi you goofed on 2 consecutive units built on September 2002.


Do I really need to go through 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 TV sets to find a TV that is NOT DEFECTIVE? Give me a break! I don't have the time or the will or the fanatism of some of the people here to the Hitachi brand to go through that.


Like I said before, I can understand a set being defective, but 2 IN A ROW built on the same date? THIS IS A TRUE QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEM and HITACHI probably does NOT CARE as the XWX/SWX 20Bs are END OF LIFE products.


I am willing to agree that perhaps the initial run of these sets might have been SUPERB, but at the sunset of the XWX/SWX series is around the corner, Hitachi management does not care nor do the people building them.


The Hitachi is going back to CC.


Regrets,

H3rmes

 

[h3rmes]

Quote:

Originally posted by DRS I have seen this pastel problem and I thought it was a byproduct of the 480p->540p upconversion. I didn't have HD at the time because I only kept the set for a week. It really is strange that so many professional reviewers glow about this television series given this problem. I'm not so sure I buy into the conspiracy theory though. Maybe it affects only certain manuf. dates and SN ranges?

YES.


I agree. It has got to do with a specific number of units sourced from a particular location. Both of my units was built in Tijuana, Mexico on September 2002.


As for the conspiracy theory, what can I say. I feeled played and manipulated by the people here and the so-called experts in the Home Theater trade rags.


Regards,

H3rmes