With the 55-inch 55VS69, Hitachi utilizes LCD projection technology to create a big-screen HDTV that is both lightweight and relatively compact. This widescreen tabletop model presents a sharp high-definition picture without taking up your entire living room. Considering its size, it has a small footprint thanks to stereo speakers placed below the screen. Control buttons and handy composite video inputs are located on the side of the monitor, while the remaining inputs and outputs are placed on the back panel.

This UltraVision set has ATSC, NTSC and QAM tuners, along with a CableCARD slot, so no additional receivers are necessary to receive over-the-air and cable digital TV and HDTV (a CableCARD is available from your cable provider). The three-panel LCD design and antireflective screen present high-definition images at 1,280X720, and a 4MB 3-D Y/C digital comb filter cuts down on rainbow effects and dot crawl. The result is a crisp, accurate picture, and the 55VS69 can display up to 68 billion colors. Automatic 3:2 pulldown ensures that movies are presented without the uneven motion that can result from the film-to-video conversion process.

The compact speakers produce a total of 24 watts of output, and audio options include simulated surround sound and a bass boost. You can also use the 55VS69's speakers as the center channel in a complete home theater speaker system. Parental locks let you keep the kids' eyes away from inappropriate content. Additional convenience features include sleep and on timers, closed captions, a two-level mute and memory for day and night settings for each input, along with a timer that can automatically switch between the day and night settings at preset times.

Given the large screen, you will likely add a range of components to the 55VS69, so the input and output selection is important to consider. In addition to the front-panel input, the rear panel provides an RF input, four composite video inputs, two S-video inputs, two component video inputs, an HDMI interface, the center channel input, an optical digital audio output and a fixed/variable audio output. The remote control is a universal model that can manage several associated components, such as a VCR, DVD player and cable box, among others.

The Hitachi 55VS69 is a competent entry in the world of big-screen projection HDTVs.


Pros:  Compact design, day/night settings, realistic picture
Cons:  Only one RF input, PIP features require second video source

Warranty
1 year parts and labor