The picture is brilliant until the purple haze takes over.

This model has a serious problem that develops after about 18 months. The Hitachi UltraVision Digital® LCD light engine develops a purple haze in the middle of the screen that shows up dramatically in the darker scenes. This cannot be fixed by adjusting the controls and requires that the light engine be replaced. This requires that the TV be taken to a services center and cannot be done in the home.

Unfortunately, this problem does not develop unitl after the warranty period, but there is a long list of users who are experiencing this problem. Hitachi has been very reluctant to share in any of the repair cost even though this problem is pervasive.

excellent picture quality decent remote control with many features to adjust picture. attractive silver design with clean lines sound quality is decent

First unit I received had colour blotches and 2 dead pixels--returned. Screen is flimsy and delicate to clean Compact Flash card reader would only display photos from our newer Canon A85 and not our older HP315.

When my wife not only gave me the green light to finally buy a big screen television, but said she would actually BUY ME ONE--- I didn't know which way to turn. Needless to say, I quickly recovered and began the search in earnest. I liked the Sony grand Wega models. It was difficult to buy one with a matching stand. I found all the DLP tv's to be less involving some how, than comparable LCD models. The DLP models had better black but I found that was not as important to me as the superior colour reproduction of the LCD models. I spent several hours in different stores making this comparison and always came away with the same impressions. What ultimately decided me on the Hitachi 50V500 over other units was the following: (1)picture quality was excellent. (2) the Hitachi came with an excellent factory matching stand--- at no extra cost. (3)the Hitachi came with a photo card reader slot. (4) the warranty was for 2 years as opposed to most other makes 1 year. (5) the aspect ratio changes available on the remote control were more versatile than on other makes.

Similar Products Used:

Sony Grand Wega LCD Epson Living station LCD Samsung and Toshiba DLP televsions

HD Picture Highly customizable picture controls Independent settings for each input Great sound Super form factor - very light and easy to move

Flimsy front panel Not so quiet fan

Fist time I saw LCD projection was the Sony WEGA version of this TV in 60". The prime consideration was form factor as my finished basement has several areas boxed out for columns and service panels. The depth is less than half that of a typical CRT projection, but the first reason a purchase is made is not always the best. I got the TV about a week before the 2004 Super Bowl. Old DVD player and 480P DirecTV signal did nothing to impress me. The analog cable signal was actually better. Then I got the Sony HD receiver and hooked up a pair of rabbit ears to see what I could get. Ohmygod. Ran out and bought a 'high end' DVD player, but HD is another animal. I don't know if it's the showroom settings (probably), the signal (likely), or the lighting, but the recent excursions I've made to the local Circuit City and the giant NYC Sony Style store have done nothing to convince me I could have made a better choice. Out of the box, the picture is really sharp. The reason (as I found out after running Digital Video Essentials) is that no matter how high the contrast settings, the picture will not bloom. Down side is that the blacks will never reach true video black either. More on video settings ... All the standard settings got us through the Super Bowl with the entire neighborhood sitting jaws open staring at the amazing HD-over-air picture. The first DVD "Under the Tuscan Sky" was incrdedible, as was "Kill Bill Vol. 1". But I found the less visual DVDs to be a bit disappointing. I went and got a copy of Digital Video Essentials and started tweaking. First thing I found is that the color setting are each adjustable with a built in decoder. Running the test patterns, I didn't have to use the silly celophane screen as I could simply turn on each color 'gun' to adjust. Then, I could go to a sub menu to adjust the blended colors to optimal settings. The tweaking was minor on the scale, but the results were worth the effort. The TV has proven to be an absolute dream. HD is incredible, especially the Masters tournament. If you like golf, you can say you've seen Augusta. The sound is sweet, though the inputs have dramatically different volume levels (could be the source). Optimal viewing is at least ten feet, but my bar stools are the best seats in the house at about 20 feet and slightly above the horizontal center of the screen. Do yourself a favor and be very honest in your showroom comparisons between flat panels (plasma, LCD) and the slim projection LCD and DLP systems. I believe you can save yourself a couple of bucks and still get a stunning performer. The Hitachi is my winner, but then again I didn't have anything else installed to compare it to.