Based on the price that I paid, the Hitachi P50V701 50 Plasma Television is an excellent value. The television has a wide array of features not found on a lot of models and a wide selection of inputs that allows for a
significant number of devices.
Pros
Very nice picture, good SD output and great HD output.
Very customizable options including color, temperature, brightness, etc. on a per input basis
A lot of input to allow for a significant number of devices
Well designed remote control makes the television easy to use
Features, like Picture-in-picture and screen saver modes, that add value to the television
Cons
The television can function as the center speaker, but the function does not work well
Muting the television does not mute the digital audio output
Moving between inputs seems kind of slow, no direct buttons to get to specific inputs
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Ive had this television for 5 months and have nothing but positive thoughts on it. As an overall package, it is spectacular.
Picture quality on the 701 is excellent, with deep, rich colors and a vibrant picture. Naturally, the factory picture settings are not ideal for most home settings, but for those who dont wish to individually fine-tune the color, brightness, and contrast, the menu includes three default display settings - night, day, and dynamic - it is almost guaranteed that one of these will be a very close match to what the viewer wishes. Even the dim, low-contrast settings provide rich detail and color. Hitachis video processing adds extra quality, with 1080p upscaling that improves any standard picture, notably cable tv, standard-def movies, and video games and added features such as video smoothing that further enhance the stellar quality of this display. Naturally, if you dont like the smoothing or other processing, it can be turned off.
The television is solidly constructed, with quality sturdy connectors located on the rear and within a very subtle closing panel on the front of the unit. All connectors are labeled correctly and are titled exactly as indicated on the TV menu. The TVs anti-glare screen is a definite improvement over earlier screens, although glare will still be visible, just much less noticeable. If you still have a trouble glare spot, just rotate the TV with the swivel stand! This feature is most useful to me on those rare occasions when I need to access the rear of the TV or something else back there and dont want to move everything out, but it also comes in handy for viewing from different rooms, angling glare away from the viewer, and easily impressing all your visiting friends. You can view this unit from essentially any angle, and it still looks great.
As a plasma, the potential for burn-in remains, but even after extended viewing of movies with black bars, games with still images, and other potential burn-in causes, only a few minutes of full screen viewing will eliminate any short-term pixel memory, and occasional judicious use of the TVs built-in screen whiteout will ensure long life with no burn-in.
The televisions menu system is intuitive, with features being easy to find and use. The television will remember different settings for different inputs, and allows for renaming of each input from a list of potential video devices, and removal of unused inputs from the input selection button.
The only negative Ive found is that the televisions video processing does result in a very slight video lag. This can be noticeable against audio, and also when video gaming as a slightly sluggish response. However, the TV includes features to overcome this, with an audio delay option, and a video game mode that reduces the lag to nothing, presumably by limiting the amount of processing, but I havent noticed a decrease in quality utilizing it.
In summary - this television delivers everything desired with only a couple minor shortcomings that can be easily overcome with the built-in features. Excellent picture, excellent extra features and video handling, and a GREAT value. |
