Hitachi P42H401 42-Inch HD1080 Plasma HDTV
By: Hitachi Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 29
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 On: 2008-07-07
I purchased this item at a Sears for $699 +tax while open a Sears credit card last Thanksgiving. After 8 month, I feel<
Good:
1. No complain for the money I paid.
2. Image is excelent.
Bad:
3. Speekers are not load enough for some TY channels, even I scale to max.
4. No memory to keep last setting, such as sound volum and making black side (when you see 4:3 vedio).
 On: 2008-03-08
I have had this TV for 14 months and so far it is GREAT. Some reviews are right: Read the Manual. it is simple and you will get what you want how you want it. Remember that Plasma uses more power (Watts) and the screen gets warm, which in my case is good to warm up a little our Family Room. The "air-antenna" High Definition channels are incredibly sharp and FREE. The screen has survived a Toddler and a 5 years old, minor hits, ice cream, and all kinds of dirty hands. The remote is OK but we use a Universal Sony Remote. I highly recommend this item, specially if this is your first HDTV, there are many more expensive models with far less capabilities and lower resolutions. Good Luck
On: 2008-02-27
I initially planned to buy an LCD TV (32" to 37")but after bringing home a 32" Memorex LCD from Sears and experiencing some image quality issues and crackling sounds and cloudiness brought about by a poor Comcast cable signal I took the unit back. I want to mention that it was later concluded that the TV (Memorex) was not failing. Instead, it was simply a weak connection at my home. But, because I was already planning to buy a more expensive LCD to replace the Memorex, Sears did not charge me a restock fee for returning the TV. So, as I am perusing and trying to make a decision I scour the back wall showcasing the Plasma TVs. I saw a $1399 Hitachi marked down to $999 (400 bucks off!) and I took note of the size 42" vs my previous targets at 32" and 37". I was already partly sold on the TV because it is Hitachi and I own 2 large Hitachi projection screens already. I have never had any issues whatsoever with either TV. So, after looking at the TV specs and the deep discount, not to mention the size of it for the money, I decided to buy a Plasma. Unfortunately, I had to wait til the next day because my Audi was too small for the enormous box it came in. So, next day I picked it up in the SUV and went home to plug it in. As others have said, the factory settings will need some tweaking to get the best picture for the room you have it in. Afterwards, you will be treated to a gorgeous magnificent picture especially in HD. I love this TV. I was glad to know that Plasma has inherently a better picture than LCDs and that fast action sequences pose no issues for plasma as compared with LCDs. We bought this for our bedroom so bright day lights are not an issue. I didnt even test out the factory speakers since I planned to fire up the 5.1 Onkyo receiver with Polk & JBL speakers. I cant say enough how great a buy this was and the reputation of Hitachi along with the advancements in plasma this is a great deal.
On: 2008-02-27
This Hitachi has really proved itself a great value. When I bought it around Thanksgiving, my head was so filled with contrast ratios and black-level stats that I was worried silly. Turns out that this TV has a great HD picture, it has real depth and sensitivity while being nice sharp and crisp. Sports, especially football look phenomenal, movies, even in standard DV look terrific and it crushes in video games. I have a surround sound system, but the built in speakers are plenty fine for normal tv. Finally the optical audio out works great for channeling the surround sound from multiple sources to your reciever. Overall, love the tv, its a real upgrade and I didnt spend so much that it has to be perfect.
On: 2008-02-20
I purchased the set last Friday and I almost purchased the JVC Model. We I got it home I had to adjust the aspect ratio a little but when I hooked my PS3 up to it I was AMAZED. The picture was outstanding for the price. You get 1080 resolution really cheap. The Bravia has almost the same specs as this set but for 1100 more. All you need is a nice surround system and a couple of good action movies on Blue-Ray and you are set. The only con is you dont get HDMI audio with the set but other than that you will be fine.
On: 2008-01-27
I have had this TV for about a month now and I must say Im truely impressed.The picture is stunning especially when i am watching some of the HD channels on cable.I keep hearing people saying that the 1080i TVs are not true HD but a friend of mine got a 1080p Sony plasma for Chirstmas and Ill be damned if i can tell the difference.He payed 500 dollers more for a TV that is 10 inches smaller and no one will be able to tell me he got a better deal just becuase of a letter in the alphabet-lol
Anyone wishing to take the plunge into HDTV at a reasonable price this is the TV for you..Great deal-thanks Amazon!
 On: 2008-01-15
This item was purchased August 2007 from Circuit City. It was a good deal for $1099.
Straight out of the box, there was a problem with the picture quality.
There were some color banding/gradient issues. Its evident with skin tone. You can see that the color didnt have a smooth transition .
At first, I thought well maybe Im not feeding it a hidef signal. Originally hooked up to a SOny DVD upconverter. I changed the output from 480p<->720p<->1080i and still same result. Again, I told myself wait till the hidef cable box comes in. Cable box came in and ESPN HD looks great. However, other SD channels were very crappy. It was displaying in 480i and still same gradient issues. Discovery HD was crappy with certain shows. For example, if it was about the underneath ocean scene, the "blue" was so blurry you couldnt tell that it was an ocean.
Eventually, I bought a PS3 and popped a blu ray movie in and still noticed it on different scenes.
And NO i wasnt being picky. My roommate noticed it straight out of the box after it was hooked up. The repair guy also noticed it too. So its not me being picky. :)
After 2-3 months of troubleshooting, I told myself that its gotta to be the TV. I called Hitachi to come fix it. They took the TV away and return two days later. The problem went away for 1 a month and came back. I told them to take it back to fix it (Dec 22nd) and its still at an authorized Hitachi repair center. Someone did call to tell me that a part is backordered and theres no ETA on it.
On 1/14/2008, I went ahead and ordered a new Sony LCD TV (great deal and I used to work for Sony so Im a bit biased) since I cant wait around for this to be fixed. Its been six months since I bought it and it hasnt worked to my expectation. There are other people with the same issues if you were to do a search on www.avsforum.com. My user name there is "mcbk1452". However, there are other people on the forum w/o any problem like mine. The reason for this post is to make other people aware.
My issue maybe a manufacture defect, a bad batch of boards, etc.
I know manufacturing since I was manufacturing/process engineer for 6 years. Stuff like this happens when companies dont have tight tolerances or trying to shove products out the door. They figured that the customer return rate will be minuscule compare to the whole profit. Believe me I had to deal with the bean counters before.
Anyways, I can say that their customer service was very courteous and pleasant to deal with. The three HDMI connection was more than adequate
and had myriads of inputs. I had a hard time configure my Harmony universal remote to learn the Hitachi TV/Video input selection.
Overall, if it wasnt for the defective picture quality out of the box, itll keep it. Would I buy a Hitachi again? Yes, since I know that theyll stand behind their product. However, Id get the extended warranty from the store first so that I dont have to be without a big TV. Plus, my projectors bulb is getting too much used since I dont have a TV in the living room.
 On: 2007-12-28
I was fortunate enough to purchase this item at a Sears for $700 since I used my Sears credit card to get 10% off. The picture is phenomenal with 1080i cable broadcast channels. The TV has 3 HDMI inputs and 2 component video inputs. The only 2 downsides for this TV is that the speakers are small and not too powerful and other reviewers have had issues with the bulb burning out after less than 1 year. The warranty covers this, but if you were to pay out of pocket it would by $200 for just the bulb. Hitachi is not a premium brand (Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Pioneer are), but I think it is better than Westinghouse or Insignia. And this is a plasma TV with a wider viewing angle than a LCD TV.
I mounted it to the wall with Peerless tilt mount and it looks great.
On: 2007-12-25
This is a very good value, the picture is excellent. One caveat: YOU MUST READ THE MANUAL! In order to get the best picture, you need to tinker with the settings.
I am well pleased with the TV, the picture is as good or better than many sets I have looked at that were almost twice the price I paid. I highly recommend this one.
On: 2007-12-09
When I first saw this unit advertised, it was @ SEARS for $773. Great deal huh? I thought so too but I himhawed about it too long and missed out. But alas all was not lost! Nebraska Furniture Mart was Johnny-On-The-Spot with a price match for the same model and beat it by 10% the next day that SEARS ran out! So I was swift enought to catch that one and I got it for $745+tax=$810! That alone was the best deal of the century for me! Now a little about the TV itself.
The Good:
The unit is a 1080i (which as you may have read in many other post you will not see from the broadcasters due to bandwidth issues.) However, paired with a Up-Converting DVD (or if you dare to invest in a Blue-ray or HD-DVD player) and whoa baby! Great picture! The menu is quite easy to get through although abit slow. Pleanty of connections in the back (and front) for whatever you may have. Very clean look and feel. I also like the fact that it senses other inputs so that when the TV is off and you start something like the DVD player in my example it turns on and switches to that input. Really neat feature. I havent fully explored this yet.
The Bad:
The speakers just plain suck.., you could install a set of PC speakers and they would sound better. But hopfully you have a HomeTheater system of sometype and this wont be an issue.
This unit is quite heavy. Over 80lbs, and when I installed the mounting bracket for the wall mount, it was touching on 95lbs. I mounted this unit above my fireplace in brick. I would highly reccommend that this unit not be installed on a studded wall unless you pay someone to do it. I am very comfortable with anchoring things in brick/stone/concrete so I was able to install this unit myself with some help from my brother-inlaw and nephew to lift it into place.
Slow menu reaction.
Overall:
I think for the money invested it was a great bargin, but if I had to pay full or regular sale price on this unit I would have considered other options. Not that I would not have picked this one still.
I gave this unit only 4 stars due to the sound, I think had I paid more for this I would have been very disappointed.
On: 2007-12-02
I got this unit locally for $770 just before thanksgiving; I didnt feel like like paying $1100 for the Panasonic or staying up all night to pay $900 on black Friday.
I agree with pretty much all of the reviewers; its not top notch but it is very good. It does seem to need a fair amount of involvement to get the best performance. Some observations:
Hidden power switch. The on/off button on the remote and the front panel is not the REAL power switch. I thought mine was DOA until I called Hitachi support. See pg 12, bullet #7 in the manual. Sheesh.
The sound is pitiful. Yes, you can boost bass & treble, switch on loudness, but thats lipstick on a pig. I dont want to fire up my 800 watt 6.1 sound system just to listen to the news (which looks incredible in HD!).
Video adjustments: The factory presets are not quite right, but Im not sure how to set for the best results. Day-dynamic blows out the whites (its the default when the set is powered up). Sometimes I see banding in gradations and facial tones. Theres plethora of zoom settings, which are non=linear; peoples heads are slightly squashed or crawler are faster at the edges. I wish all the channels were widescreen (not the tvs fault).
Channel change speed: It will be slow if you press the channel #s or go up/down and just wait. Its waiting for you to press "select". Try it; its immediate.
Ive NEVER seen this for a straight price of $400-500. I imagine you have entire garage full of these if that were true.
Overall, Im happy with it for the price. The high def is brilliant.
On: 2007-11-28
Very solid unit with great picture. This may be nit picking, but my only complaints are: tiny channel number text, only one non-digital audio output, and the long amount of time it takes to switch between channels (although this might be true for all plasma tvs....)
On: 2007-11-25
I just purchased the H42h401 for $700.00. Before I remove it from the box, I would like to know if the TV is worth it.
On: 2007-11-19
i showed my brother my tv and hes like i just got a hd tv to but mines widescreen, and my brother in law today was checkin it out and said he wants to get a new wide tv and hes like huh yours is wide?
so why are they trippin saying its not wide, i measured my dads widescreen downstairs and if my calculations are right mine should be 3 inches shorter in height, so are not all widecreen tvs "true widescreen" and does anyone know which other hd plasmas are true wide, i might get a different one
On: 2007-11-18
Looked at a LOT of HDTVs before deciding on this one. Did a lot of side by side comparisons in the store with other more expensive sets. Picture, sound, features are all comparable to the more expensive sets. You simply will not find a better bargain priced HDTV on the market today. I have had this TV for only a week now and I am loving it. It is hooked up to DISH HD and the picture is truly remarkable. DVD quality is awesome and hooked up with surround sound.....WOW!!! You will love this TV I guarantee it.
On: 2007-11-18
Looked at a LOT of HDTVs before deciding on this one. Did a lot of side by side comparisons in the store with other more expensive sets. Picture, sound, features are all comparable to the more expensive sets. You simply will not find a better bargain priced HDTV on the market today. I have had this TV for only a week now and I am loving it. It is hooked up to DISH HD and the picture is truly remarkable. DVD quality is awesome and hooked up with surround sound.....WOW!!! You will love this TV I guarantee it.
On: 2007-11-17
Just got it last night and it is INSANE! We have been looking at flat panel HDs for a while and found tis at a great price, hooked it up and was completely blown away! You will not be sorry! I dont know why the other few had negative reactions to it, but I think it is OUTSTANDING! With our Wii hooked to it and the 1080 Up-converting DVD player thru HDMI, I am ecstatic!
On: 2007-11-04
This is my first HDTV and I couldnt be any happier. I researched HDTVs for over a year before I made my decision to purchase this model. The picture is crystal clear and the HD channels look gorgeous on it. You will need to spend some time tweaking the picture to your own specifications for each input the TV has. Just make sure you read the manual when you first use it... ESPECIALLY if you have never owned a plasma screen before. It will tell you how to avoid things like "burn-in". There has been no evidence of this in my TV and Ive had it going about 7-8 hours a day for the 3 months that Ive owned it. I would highly recommend this unit for anyone looking for a great HDTV at a price that wont absolutely kill your budget.
On: 2007-10-15
Just bought tis T.V. last night and was completely satisfied. All the reviews and research meant nothing when I got it into my living room. My Xbox 360 looked great. You must adjust factory settings to get full viewing experience. I fully reccomend this T.V to anyone upgrading from a standard T.V. Great price for quality
On: 2007-10-07
I had been searching for a new plasma TV and was all set on buying the ever popular Panasonic 42" 720 plasma from Best Buy. They had a sale for $1099.00 (actual just saw the Panasonic model on Amazon for $959.00 just now)
Anyway, while at Best Buy I noticed that the Hitachi here was on sale too but for $979.00! The sales guy said it was the best deal in the store. I asked "Why so cheap?" He said Hitachi is clearing out their line to introduce their new models with new techology. He said Hitachi ranked high and was a great buy at that price.
Being price conscious and knowing going to 1080 resolution meant having to upgrade my DVD and cable box, I thought, "Get it and save some dough."
Well, I got home, set it up and was disappointed at the picture quality and audio. I immediately came to Amazon to look over the reviews and saw the same concern by the one reviewer. Face tones were pasty. Audio was very weak and very flat. Man, was I bummed!
Then I saw another reviewer that said, "Read the Manual!" This was EXCELLENT advice. My Hitachi has many settings for the picture quality and audio. Well, come to find out, the first thing ya gotta do is find the command that asks if you want to "RESET to Factory settings". Choose "YES". Turn your TV Off then On. WOW! What a difference! Picture and audio is just AMAZING! I have no regrets and would recommend this Hitachi to anyone! I know 1080 is not suppose to make a difference in screens 50" or smaller, however, when you use the ZOOM feature to fill the screen the picture stays sharp which I really like!
On: 2007-09-11
I bought this TV at Circuit City for $999.00. Sure there may be better Plasma TVs but this thing is awesome. I use it with with DishNetwork HD. The picture is stunning, the sound is excellent and the setup and remote contol is easy. This is my second big screen Hitachi. Ive had great success. I love my HD!!!! Hope this helps.
On: 2007-09-06
My husband researched and had me return a different plasma tv. We went with this because it was a good price and had free shipping. It arrived and because we werent ready to install, the shipping co left the tv in the box (normally theyll unpack take packaging) Of course always check for price drops within your 30 days, I did and saved an additional $250
The picture quality with our regular DVD player is great. I have not yet switched my Directv to high def, but picture is still better than our old projection style tv.
On: 2007-08-26
Ordered this TV set through Amazon. Arrived quickly; in fact four days before the estimated delivery. Picture is amazing. Easy to set-up, although reading the manual is required. While the picture quality is not quite like that of the higher cost Panasonic (blacks in particular), the average user will have little to complain about. The number of features and conveniences offered in this set make it appealing to either the average or the very serious viewer.
Very pleased with the bargain price Amazon provided on this model. Same sets are selling for $400 to $500 in retail outlets. Delivery by Eagle was quick and included unpacking and hauling away packing materials.
Recommend this set to anyone interested in a plasma TV with numerous features and connectivity, and high quality picture.
Will add a 5.1 surround sound system to enhance the entertainment value of this TV.
 On: 2007-08-23
Well, the only thing I have to say is that Im really sorry that I did not repurchase the 42HDS69 like I originally had before it was stolen. I thought I would get the same quality of picture and sound from this model, but not the case. Believe me, the quality of picture on this model is not as crisp as it was on the 42HDS69. Also, someone told me that the volume/sound coming from the bottom speaker of the plasma tvs was suppose to be better than the volume/sound coming from the speakers on the side. Not true. I liked the sound from the side speakers better. I now have to add more speakers to this model to get the quality of sound Im accustomed to. As for the poor quality of picture, I guess Ill have to live with that too or sell this one and purchase another one. In a nutshell, Im truly disappointed with this purchase.
On: 2007-08-20
BUY A SHARP AQUOS LCD - THEY ARE MY NEW, FIRST RECOMMEND! If I could do it over again I would!
Let me begin by saying that Im a technophile - work at Google currently - have worked at Oracle and Microsoft previously... I know technology!
I bought this particular set because of its features and technology... however; it broke 3 months after purchase! After some very annoying back and forth with first line Hitachi customer support, an "authorized Hitachi repair person" came and took my Plasma away - this was near 4 WEEKS AGO, and counting. I have been without ANY TV for near 4 weeks! Buy "authorized Hitachi repair person" I mean some guy - no uniform, loaded my Hitachi in the back of an unmarked, open pickup truck - and left me with some generic service repair ticket.
Customer service is completely inept, uncaring, and without any authority to assist. Its borderline criminal - I originally went with a name brand to avoid this very thing. There is definitively no CARE in Hitachi Customer Care.
Someone at Hitachi viewing this can view my support ticket by last name: Greene, and Zip 94103.
ADVICE: DONT BUY HITACHI!
On: 2007-08-15
Satisfied with overall performance, cable is broadcast in 480I in my area so I didnt get the full benefit. When using the remote, the channels could have changed a little faster for me. DVDs looked really good. I had some problems with the right speaker. The speaker seemed to work intermittently. I sent it back to Amazon for replacement, but they didnt have one available.
On: 2007-08-05
If you click (See all my reviews) next to Mr. Hung-yen Chengs name below youll see that hes not talking about this product. Just that he has had an issue with an HDTV product of Hitachis, and hes trying to slander their name and products. Im trying to get people to look at reviewers other posts if available, before they make decisions about a product.
On: 2007-07-28
After extensive research, I decided on the Hitachi 42" Plasma. Hitachi is the leader in Plasma televisions, and they show why in this set. The set gives you a 1080i signal (wont get into that), and at the time, the set was on sale for less than the Panasonic and Samsung TVs that I was comparing to. You get far more features and inputs than those sets right out of the box for less price, not to mention the quality of the picture. I bought an Oppo upconverting DVD player to go along with this set, and the picture is nothing short of astounding. Someone else mentioned that the longer the set is used, the better the picture seems to be. There are two things I would like to point out. Ironically, the set has so many features and adjustments, it will take you a very long to tweak the set, and the amount of memory it retains for each input may drive you crazy. Plan on spending some time with this set. Also, the TV speakers are very tinny and almost take away from the overall beauty of the set, but Im sure everyone will agree that if you are buying a TV of this quality, you are surely running it through your stereo system. That is open for debate, but that would be my only complaint. When watching cable TV, I dont normally run it through my system, but, I didnt buy this TV for its sound. The picture is fabulous, and please be sure to get yourself an upconverting DVD player to take advantage of the astounding picture this set gives you. Highest recommendation.
On: 2007-07-27
Really nice TV, especially for the price. Lots of configurable options and the picture looks amazing...I dont have surround sound speakers yet but the built in audio for this TV sounds nice as well.
On: 2007-06-28
My Hitachi HDTV is still broken after 4 repair attempts. Phone support flat out lies to me telling me they dont offer refund or exchange. After escalating it to her supervisor, got him to admit that exchange is an option. Now waiting for them to call me back with their decision. Not holding my breath.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-05-30
So, we just bought this TV last night, and I have to say, it looks incredible. The picture is so crisp and the colors are amazing. I watched LOTR with the 1080i up converter we also bought, and it looks better than it did in the theater. Its surprisingly light, but it will take two people to install it. THIS IS A GREAT TV FOR THE PRICE!
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