Archived Expert Review


This review is from our archive. The manufacturer has informed us that this model has been discontinued. However, it might still be available for sale. The MSRP and warranty were valid at the time the model was discontinued. We hope you'll find our other Plasma TVs reviews and pricing useful.



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Expert Review
Hitachi 55HDX62 55-inch UltraVision plasma HDTV

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Expert Rating:  4  (what's this?)

Expert Review

Hitachi 55HDX62 55-inch UltraVision plasma HDTV

Date Published: 10/26/07

The 55HDX62 is a high-performance 55-inch plasma HDTV and a member of Hitachi's UltraVision CineForm Director's Series. This top-end widescreen model has side-mounted stereo speakers, and the control buttons are lined along the side of the monitor where they are out of sight yet still easy to reach. The included tabletop stand can be removed for mounting the monitor on the wall (additional hardware required), and Hitachi even offers an optional motorized swivel stand for the ultimate in luxury and ease of adjustability.

Images displayed on the 55HDX62's anti-reflective screen appear stunningly crisp and clear, with truly lifelike colors. Film content is adapted with automatic 3:2 pulldown conversion, and there is a special black-and-white film setting. A 3-D Y/C digital comb filter virtually eliminates dot crawl and rainbow effects. The 55HDX62 sports six aspect modes for viewing standard TV content, while widescreen content can be viewed in three modes.

The internal stereo system boasts 40 total watts of output, and audio options include simulated surround sound and enhanced bass tones. The twin-tuner 55HDX62 offers multiple PIP options that are functional without the addition of a second video source. TV Guide On-Screen provides a program guide for those with standard or digital cable. Other convenience features include a selection of screen savers to prevent burn-in, a side-panel USB input for viewing digital photos, and memory for the audio and video settings for each input, with day and night settings for each. The 55HDX62 can even serve as the center channel of a larger home theater speaker system.

The 55HDX62's selection of inputs and outputs is generous to a fault, with five composite video inputs (one on the side panel), three S-video inputs (one side), two RF inputs, two component video inputs, two HDMI inputs, a FireWire input, DV and USB inputs (on the side panel), a combination composite video/S-video output, two IR outputs for AV Net IV, a subwoofer pre-amp output, a center-channel speaker input, and a CableCARD slot. The 55HDX62 comes with a large universal remote with roll-and-click controls, as well as a small 12-button remote that covers only the basic functions. The warranty also goes above and beyond, offering 2 years of coverage for parts and labor.

Warranty
2 years parts and labor, in-home service



Expert Rating Scale

 
   Value
   Is it appropriately priced?
   Performance
   How well does it work?
   Ease of Use
   How easy is it to operate?
   Features
   What's included?
   Overall
   What does Consumer Guide® think?




Product Specs

Width
59-1/2 in.
Depth
17-3/4 in. with stand, 4-1/4 in. without stand
Height
36-3/4 in. with stand, 33-1/8 in. without stand
Weight
139 lbs. without stand
HDTV
yes
Screen size
55 in.
Watts per channel
20 watts X2
Comb filter
3-D Y/C digital
DVI/HDMI interface
HDMI X2
Display capability
768p
Nbr. of speakers
2
Parental control
yes
PIP/POP
yes








Magic Debugger

release: 8.4.3-qa1
content_id: 263599
type: review
category: l4-cp-plasma-tvs

brws title: Hitachi 55HDX62 55-inch UltraVision plasma HDTV Review: Powered by ConsumerGuide and HowStuffWorks

meta d: Hitachi's top-notch 55HDX62 produces an amazing picture on its 55-inch plasma screen. Learn more at Consumer Guide.

url: http://shopproducts.howstuffworks.com/Panasonic-TC-P42S30-42-HDTV-Plasma-TV/productId=110185166