HDTV Reviews

I bought the HDV420 to go with a new 30", 16x9,HDTV , Toshiba 30HF83. I bought the inexpensive Zenith antenna, the Silver Sensor. The system work VERY GOOD. From my house, the indoor antenna/receiver combo gives me Washington and BAltimore station: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, WB.

Back to the unit:
1) Previous reviewer correction - the output resolution cannot be controlled by the remote, but directly on the front panel. This is a small (-).
2) Signal strength meter very nice and handy when directing the small indoor antenna.
3) Nice squelch action. DTV signal is either ON or OFF.
4) Remote cannot control my Samsung DVD, but can do the Toshiba TV. Likewise, my Toshiba TV remote cannot control the Zenith STB, but can control the DVD!
5) 10dB attenuator. You use this in series with the antenna (F) input when scanning for channels. I tried the scan with and without the attenuator. With the attenuator, I got 11 channels, 10 without.

I bought my unit "new" on EBAY. However, the supplied A/V cables and component cables were cheap. I bought new ones (not Monster) for the unit.

You can operate this unit without a remote. What you lose is password access to program V-chip menues. Everything else can be done via the front panel. I don't know if a cheap universal remote can change these channels on the HDV420 unit. After set up, all you need the remote for are channels, and maybe aspect changes. To change the output format, you are on your feet and pushing buttons, and can do the aspect there too.

Let me tell you, DTV 480p is like good cable that kicks 480i OTA (booty). DTV 720p and 1081i is HDTV kicking 480p butt. Get an HDTV monitor, and a HDTV receiver. For me, it is now ALL FREE!

I purchased this unit used just in time for the Superbowl and was blown away. The unit picked up 6 of 10 local channels witha cheapie indoor antenna. I upgraded to the Zenith/Gemini Silver Sensor antenna and got 9 of 10 channels, all with good signal quality. Reception with these is highly dependent on location so your antenna requirements may vary. The HDV420 is easy to setup and easy to use. Unlike many other units, you can change the resolution from the remote. Also, the unit has both optical and coaxial digital out which allows for flexibility. The only down side, no DVI out. Most probably won't care but if you absolutely must have DVI, look elsewhere.

I just upgraded to this HDTV receiver from a Samsung. Before Samsung I used an RCA receiver. I was going to get another Samsung but I figured for [$] more this one was worth it. This receiver blows both of my old ones away. It was child's play to set up. It scanned for all of the channels and got every channel automatically. The menu is very well laid out. The exterior looks very modern and high tech with the reflective panel and the brushed metal. It also has coaxial and optical digital output so that I can now watch TV in Dolby Digital (when the program is in DD). It has component out for HDTV. It also has 15-pin computer VGA out. I hooked it up to my regular 15-inch computer monitor and the picture was too small. However, it looked even better than my TV! The remote is very simple. I like it that way but that's a matter of choice. The best feature is that you can change the display format just by the push of the button. Next I am going to buy a wireless transmitter to send the HDTV channels to the rest of my TV's in the house through the analog out. I highly recommend this. ...

I have this tv and it has a better picture than my friends 65" mitsubishi, 40 to 45 for hd is optimal.

When my friend bought this HDTV , i thought it's not going to be that good . From now i can tell this much , it's really good and really good price for it also. You should get one for your self ...!

This is the best HD-Ready set that is made. This is the only direct view set that has Svga/vga inputs and Wideband Component inputs. The set also does the anamorphic squeeze where many hd-ready sets can't. Unlike the RCA mm36100 or Toshiba 36x81 this set can display a true high definition image in a 16x9 frame. That makes this a true HDTV. The set also includes a built in line doubler.

I am very satisfied with this product. It produces images of the quality and definition you might expect to see only on your pc monitor. In fact, it's equipped with front and rear VGA ports which allow direct connection to a pc and will display at full 640x480 or 800x600 resolution. This is the perfect tv for pc gamers who want to play on big screen, and if you have a Sega Dreamcast system, hook it up with a Madness Gameware DC VGA adapter and you'll be in for a real treat for the eyes. One thing I don't like is that the video adjust menu blocks out most of the screen, making it difficult to see the effects of color and tint adjustments. This is only a minor quirk in an otherwise excellent product.

COMPARING THE BEST NAMES ON HDTV PROJECTION TV'S, THIS HITACHI MODEL HAD THE BEST PICTURE AND THE BEST FEATURES. WITHOUT A DOUBT IT WAS THE BEST VALUE. 53'' WIDE SCREEN IS LIKE HAVING YOUR OWN SMALL MOVIE THEATER. HDTV IS PERFECT AND THE DVD MOVIES ARE OUTSTANDING. THE SOUND IS EXCELLENT AND THE MANY FEATURES ON THIS TV MAKE IT A GOOD VALUE. THE SWIVEL WHEELS ARE GREAT TOO. CHECK IT OUT AND ENJOY THE MOVIES.

After viewing different rear projection tv's at Best Buys, Circuit City, Stereo Advantage I came to a conclusion that this television was perfect for our home the picture was clear and it had more features than many other products also had great sound and the right size 53" next up was a sony 51" but was a little on the small size and did not have all the bells and whistels and the price was about the same .
Happy viewing

I purchased my Hitachi after doing several comparisons. The fact that Hitachi makes their own components is a huge reason their TVs are the best. They have control over the entire process of building the sets.
DVDs are simply fantastic. My DVD/Home Theater system is not a progressive scan system yet I would challenge anyone to notice the difference. Cable is acceptable and usually depends on the signal quality which determins how good the picture is for analog. VHS tapes are okay but I can hardly wait til I can go DVD recording and dump my VCR( after I transfer my tapes to DVDs). Sound is also VERY good. All in all I'm extremely pleased with the set.

It was between this one and the Sony V600 model. Lucky for us we were able to compare them side by side at a local store and Hitachi was clearly the winner. Every type of signal was compared and the only signal that looked better on the Sony was the air antenna. When we received it, the picture did not seem as good as it did on the showroom floor, but after reading the manual and making some adjustments the picture was terrific, even on analog cable!

This is one great television. It has firewire, DVI and a built in tuner. Because of the built in firwire port and tuner you will be able to record HDTV programs off of the air if you have a compatible DVHS VCR. The black marble case is beautiful. I did a lot of research on different televisions and this seemed like the most future-compatible HDTV in it's price range. Highly Recommended!

If you have a normal living room, you must get a TV with anti-reflective. And this screen has one of the best I've seen. I have it in a white room, lots of big open windows, and I still don't have to turn up the brightness during the day.

Very nice having both the DVI and Firewire inputs for maximum expandability. Great sound and very easy menus. Most importantly, my wife liked this one best out of all the ones on display also!

I still spend weekends window-shopping. PANASONIC and SONY still manufacture the best tube televisions as far as I can discern. When entering into the tube TV market (20 inches and above) your best bet for uniform picture quality and consistent performance is PANASONIC and SONY. Both of these manufactures still stake their reputations on this market. Both manufacturers also still have a loyal following of satisfied customers who return time and again to their Televisions. I used to sell audio and video products. A returning PANASONIC customer settles for nothing but another PANASONIC television. A returning SONY customer settles for nothing but another SONY television. That's the way it was. From my point of view PANASONIC and SONY still make the best television sets utilizing a conventional picture tube. Price range aside, my criteria for choosing a set is simply how well the picture looks to me. I look for picture definition, sharpness and color consistency. Personally I found SONY to have a slight edge over PANASONIC in picture definition and sharpness. PANASONIC televisions offer great definition with a slightly softer looking image than SONY. However, I do find that PANASONIC still has better control over color consistency. A color picture is made up of Red, Green and Blue signals. Reds are the hardest to reproduce and control because they have a tendency to over-saturate and "bleed." From the many sets that I have observed PANASONIC controls this "bleeding." PANASONIC keeps the Red signal at the same level and consistency of the Greens and Blues, which is more pleasing to the eye. In order to compare sets I always use the same video source, which is usually, a DVD player (I use the same player as well as the same software). My point is that I saw a discernable difference in the PANASONIC 32-inch sets compared to Sony's 32-inch sets. The Panasonic CT32SX31 32" Diagonal Stereo Monitor-Receiver Pure Flat TAU is an incredible set.

One of the best flat screen TVs out there. When I was shopping for a good 32 inch flat screen TV, I started with Sony Wega, this one and few other brands (like JVC, Samsung). When I compared this one with wega (kept right next to each other), I liked picture on this one better. Images where crisper and brighter. Featurewise both sets were almost at par. (Including BBE sound, PIP, number of component outs and so on). This one is slightly cheaper than Sony but not by much ! I was watching travel channel programming the other day (South Florida beaches...) It was so much fun to watch on this TV! Sound is great as well !! If I have to complain about one thing, that would be design of remote control. Its too compact and some of the buttons feel too small. (May be I was used to my old Sony TV remote!) But this should be almost a non issue, given the fact you get universal remote with almost every VCR/DVD/Cable box these days. Plus, not to mention those hi tech universal remotes sold by sony under 100$. Overall 2 thumbs-up!

I am using this tv to it's fullest: Progressive scan DVD, and HDTV, and the perfomance is amazing! You can't beat the price, I highly reccomend this television.

I did research for almost 3 months before deciding on an HDTV-ready TV. For HDTV-ready CRT TVs, this is one amazing product! Shipping was very fast, I ordered it on a Sunday and received a call from the local delivery company the following Wednesday to have it delivered. I only found it in one retail store for a bit cheaper, but it is worth it because it is delivered to your doorwithout any hassles.
Setup is a blast, it has a total of 4 RCA inputs, one component input and 2 S-video inputs.

Don't get me wrong, I am extremely picky when it comes to picture quality, but you have to see it to believe it! The colors are incredibly vibrant. It is time to put your DVDs to test with this TV! It has a bunch of sound options, including virtual surround, as well as 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio options (the TV itself is 4:3).
For this price the quality and functions you get are almost rediculously extensive. I am surprised I didn't read any other review for this product anywhere else. The best fucntion of it is, it takes the analog signal and completes the lines available in NTSC, so you don't see any lines in your broadcast picture. Pixelation is very minimal.
I haven't purchased HDTV service from my cable company, but I am sure a TV that has such incredible abilities for analog pictures can also do a great job in handling HDTV. For the price, it is definitely a best buy!

Well this wasn't my first HDTV of choice. I originally ordered Toshiba 51h83 51 inch Widescreen from Amazon. After 3 weeks they backordered, then the next day they cancelled my order for this product has been discontinued. I wasn't happy about it at all, because I was getting that TV for $1396.00 and that included shipping. Now it was time to start shopping again. I am so happy I had a chance to buy this Philips TV. This thing is a beast at 55 inches. The HDTV picture is incredible. Even playing VHS tapes off my VCR produces a great picture. I haven't hooked up a progressive scan DVD player to it yet, it is due to arrive in a few days. I am sure it will produce nothing less than a great picture. I am also into sound and I have not hooked my surround reciever up to it yet. I have been using the TV audio and it is great. This TV will overwhelm you with all it feature and size. I would tell anyone shopping for a Widescreen HDTV to concsider this one. You won't be dissapointed.

Great set and price!
Got all the conections, DVI, HDTV inputs, etc.
Eagle delivery is great too!

I shopped till I dropped but this TV had the best depth perception of all of them. Also I could view it at different angles it didnt seem like the light was centered in the middle. Great TV!

This TV is fantastic. The picture is exceptionally good, even in smaller rooms. It doesn't give off the typical glare during the day and can be viewed clearly from even wide angles. The room we have it in is a medium sized family room. The picture is great anywhere in the room but if your room is big the picture is just awesome. I am so pleased we purchased this TV.