Projection-TV Reviews

I've had my Hitachi for over 4 years now. I have used it with DVD, VCR, satellite, and broadcast TV (never had cable during this time). Every picture (except bad reception broadcast) has been near perfect. The color is wonderful and the remote's controls are easy to understand. I will say i have a few minor problems with this set:

1) There are only 3 inputs on the back, which meant my VCR had to be connected to the front inputs when i had satellite (running a wire in front of my system looks unprofessional).

2) The writing on the front of the TV (for the front controls) is very hard to read unless you bend down and look closely. Basically, i say stick to the remote.

3) The audio programming for the remote control is too limited to control any but the most basic receiver functions. I still have to use my Onkyo remote for my receiver.

4) The menu is a bit cumbersome (but at least you can watch TV while adjusting it, unlike my Sony VCR).

However, the great features far outweight any of these little issues:

1) This thing can really pump out loud and clear audio! I play DVDs like Terminator II, Predator, Speed, Buffy, Xena, and Star Trek on a regular basis. The sound is CD quality and i've never heard distortion. Using it with a receiver, it can even take the place of a center speaker.

2) When i play CDs, i can use the TV sound in addition to my room speakers. Gives the sound more body.

3) The dual PiP is supreme! I love how you can switch between the big and little pictures and even make the pictures the same size.

4) You can control your VCR, cable/satellite, and CD players with the remote (almost universal).

The only reason i would ever sell this TV is to move up to a digital/HDTV set. It handles all of my other TV needs as is.

I have had this TV for over 2 years now and I couldn't be happier. All you need to do is find a store that has one on display so you can compare the difference in picture quality to other models.

Most people that come to my home assume it's a digital TV but of course it's analog.

I bought this TV few weeks ago and it is amazing. Keep in mind that it offers 1000 (! ) lines of resolution and nothing on the analog market can beat this, not at this price. Because this TV offers DIGITAL filter which you can only find in SONYs for 4000+$, this is by far the best TV for its price. I have my Sega Dreamcast hooked up via S-video and when my friends visit their jaws simply drop. Im not sure how many lines of resolution Sega is putting out, but this TV can handle anything. Any movies on my Sony DVD player look simply amazing, the closest to Digital TV I have ever seen. This TV has Dolby Surround and you can hook up your stereo, wireless speakers and even a subwoofer directly to it. 5 stars no question about it.

In other words, a projection TV that wouldn't break the bank, had a good to excellent picture and didn't have a whole lot of costly extras like V-chip/Dolby/PIP. We were limited in size because the builder of our new home somehow got the idea that large TV's were only 50" high or less, and provided a cutout space with that height. We only found one 50" TV that would in fact fit this space.

We've been extremely happy with this set. It has an excellent picture, especially with the cable channels, VHS and of course DVD. Local broadcast channels, even though carried through cable, aren't quite as good for some shows. Long distance views of sporting events such as football are less than precise (this is really my only complaint about the TV), but the closeup views of plays are awesome. Sound, although not Dolby, is of very good quality and we'll eventually get a receiver and speaker system to upgrade this aspect.

We didn't get the optional Diamondvision protective screen for two reasons. One is that the screen is in a low risk environment (no children) and because we typcally get a lot of light in the room and screen glare can be a problem. There would have been considerable glare with Diamondvision, but there's absolutely none without it.

Great TV. We got exactly what we were looking for.

The current television market is in a state of flux. We keep hearing about HDTV or High Definition Television but what does it all mean to you? High Definition Television refers to a complete product and/or system with the vertical display of 1080i (interlaced) or higher lines of resolution. The aspect ratio has to be capable of displaying a 16:9 image at the minimum resolution level. (All HDTV is in the 16:9 image). The current standard for color television in the United States is called NTSC (National Television System Committee). It is based on 525 horizontal scanning lines capable of displaying a 4:3 image. Many cable companies are resisting the change to HDTV and want to carry only the NTSC standard. The FCC wants the networks to start broadcasting HDTV but they are now also resisting because they can't settle on a conversion system. Currently satellites are carrying a few HDTV signals, but they are far and few in number and show little signs of increasing. Don't forget HDTV signals have to be converted so you can watch them. Then you have Television manufactures who are getting way ahead of themselves. Many are pushing the HDTV formatted screen on most of their projection sets, which is 16:9. If you are still watching cable TV, VHS videos and Laserdiscs you are in big trouble. You are only going to get a picture in the center of your 16:9 set with big black bars on the sides. The best way to go is with a 4:3 projection set, like this one, which is going to give you the full frame. You are going to get the entire screen you paid for.

Besides having a good picture this is an excellent Projection TV in the 4 by 3 aspect ratio. Don't pass this one up! Manufacturers are moving toward the 16 by 9 aspect ratio. For conventional antenna, cable or satellite TV broadcasts and VHS playback this is the one of the best Projection sets available. Get them while they are still around, 4 by 3 aspect ratios that is. Many people going with the 16 by 9 sets are not happy because there are very few HD signals out there at least for the next 4 or 5 years. 4 by 3 is the way to go right now. People are complaining because when viewing a widescreen program on a 4 by 3 set you get black bars on the top and bottom. On 16 by 9 sets you get black bars on the left and right sides of the screen all the time unless you watch a wide screen program! That means that you are going to get black bars on the sides for over 90 percent of what you are going to be watching for the next 5 or 6 years. You see, the FCC, the major Broadcasting Networks and Cable companies still can't agree on how they are going to broadcast High Definition Television signals. And that decision does not look like it is gong to be made any time soon! Stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio like this Projection set has. You can't go wrong and you will be much happier.

I was hesitant to purchase this HDPTV, based on the size and the cost. I was scared I would be purchasing a lemon...This is not the case, I love my TV, it is very user friendly and shows a great picture...It has different viewing options for movies, If doesn't have a any glare, it's light and very easy to relocate if needed. You will not be disappointed in your purchase.

Even though not a widescreen TV, very good picture and quality.

all i can say is the picture and sound are superb.i veiwed many others before buying it and i am very satisfied.

This projection TV is good but not great. PiP setting is a little difficult (probably happen to all PiP function TVs).

Sound is very good, but not great too, 28W plus 5.25 inches speakers sounds loud, especially for bass. And matrix sounds works very well. But human voice volume sometimes too low.

The last thing I need to mention is this TV's speakers can be used as central channel speakers for 5.1 channel DVD movie and you control it's volume through receiver. Although quality is not great, but It will make home theatre looks nice without an extra speaker on the top of the TV. But the in order to use it you have to turn the physical switch on the back panel of the TV, why they don't put it on remote control?

This t.v. surpassed my expectations. I wasn't sure the picture would be all that great do to the fact that you usually get what you pay for. But, to my amazement, this t.v. surprised me. We put it in the living room and only use it for DVD, VHS and Video game use. We hooked up a 5.1 Pioneer Elite Digital/DTS receiver with Polk Audio speakers and WOW, perfect home theater (heck, I could've bought 2 of these t.v.'s for the price of my receiver and speakers alone). The anti-glare screen really works well due to the fact that our living room is very bright. For the price, I think I got one heck of a deal!!! This t.v. really gives you more bank for your buck.

This is an excellent Projection TV in the 4 by 3 aspect ratio. Don't pass this one up! Manufacturers are moving toward the 16 by 9 aspect ratio. For conventional TV and VHS playback this is the best Projection set available. Get them while they are still around. Many people going with the 16 by 9 sets are not happy because there are very few HD signals out there at least for the next 4 years. 4 by 3 is the way to go right now. This set has a 'S' input so you can get up to 400 lines with an S-VHS VCR. The picture will look excellent.

Being a first time buyer of a big screen TV, I did some major research. And the Hitachi 53" HDTV-ready 53SDX89B was by far the best.
What sold me most was the available viewing angles. I have seen many projection sets where you have to be almost directly in front of the tv, and level with it to view it with any clarity. With this TV, you can be way off on either side, lying on the floor, or standing tall - it doesn't matter, the picture will look crisp and bright.
The menu is easy to use and the tint, color, brightness, etc adjustments are incredibly precise.
This is a HDTV well worth the money.

Fantastic picture quality when connected via component video to DVD player. HDTV ready when set-top box ships. Great value compared to other HDTV-ready projection TV's.

For a projection set from a quality manufaturer such as Panasonic you would expect that the picture would be ultra sharp. Unfortunately it is not. It's really not a bad set but Panasonic just can not deliver a sharp picture in a 51 inch screen. The fact is you need a very very large room to really get the best use out of this set. If you sit too close to the screen the picture is just not going to look sharp.

Besides having a good picture this is an excellent Projection TV in the 4 by 3 aspect ratio. Remember that term: 4 by 3. Don't pass this one up! Manufacturers are moving toward the 16 by 9 aspect ratio. For conventional antenna, cable or satellite TV broadcasts and VHS playback this is the one of a handful of the best Projection sets available. Get them while they are still around, 4 by 3 aspect ratios that is. Many people going with the 16 by 9 sets are not happy because there are very few HD signals out there at least for the next 4 or 5 years. 4 by 3 is the way to go right now. People are complaining because when viewing a widescreen program on a 4 by 3 set you get black bars on the top and bottom. On 16 by 9 sets you get black bars on the left and right sides of the screen all the time unless you watch a wide screen program! That means that you are going to get black bars on the sides for over 90 percent of what you are going to be watching for the next 5 or 6 years. You see, the FCC, the major Broadcasting Networks and Cable companies still can't agree on how they are going to broadcast High Definition Television signals. And that decision does not look like it is gong to be made any time soon! Stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio like this Projection set has. You can't go wrong and you will be much happier. Many people are returning their 16 by 9 projection sets according to an area dealer because they can't stand the black bars on the right and left. Remember to stay with the 4 by 3 aspect ratio!

I just reated myself to the Panasonic P51SX30 and I couldn't be happier. This television puts you right there in the action with its great big screen. It's got a 3-D surround sound , digital comb filter and a clear viewing screen. The component video inputs provide awesome resolution and color accuracy and it has that picture-in-picture function. I don't know all the other technicalities of this T.V, what I do know is that it looks great, it's very well priced and I know I can trust the Panasonic name.

The 16 x 9 aspect ratio of these widescreen monitors is great for dvd movies and other shows formatted to it. However since most broadcast shows are in 4 x 3 format you must stretch your picture to fill the screen. This does cause some distortion. Because watching the tv constantly with the black bars can cause screen burning you need to fill the screen image. This cannot be done, however, when watching from a component feed. Only with coaxial or s link will the remote adjust your picture. Freeze also does not work with component. It seems a shame that the high definition hookup with component feed ( supposedly the best method) does not allow these features. I must say however that the picture with an s cable is excellent. DVD picture is excellent as well although slow motion is average. Owners manual is average and needs more detail. This unit fits in a corner, taking up less space, than any of the other major brands I examined. In short, widescreens require more adjustments so keep the remote handy.

I searched for the best prices on the net and had HH Gregg match it. They Did & I saved $400.
The TV is great, the detail of the picture is betond my expectations.
You need a HD receiver or Direct TV to really see the quality.
It's worth every dollar you pay.
No I don't work for RCA or Thompson.

I bought my TV this weekend and the first movie I put in was Black Hawk Down the helocopters were like they were right thier I hooked a souround sound system with dvd and with the cristal clear Big Screen and my system it was I was in a digital theater.
The extras like auto convergance is a plus and the digital filtering and auto format of the picture this is a high end TV without speending the $...
I work on simulators and deal with barco projectors for a living the picture I get from this TV has me realy impreased at what technoligy has put out for the consumer.
Lets see great picture great sound pluse great price what a deal.

This set is adequate among the big screens, a good value for the price on an HDTV system. It still requires that the room be darkened for the best picture. The viewing angle is 120 (60 off center each way) not really any more.

I bought it for the HDTV features and most of the time it plays back a progressive scan DVD player. That's good because the HDTV tuner failed before the cable company could upgrade my cable. My family has waited now over two months for a replacement tuner from RCA. They sent the wrong one after we waited the first few weeks for a repairman.

This poor service may be a local situation, but I'd be cautious that RCA is having a problem with these tuners since it's taking a while to get a replacement.

As you may or may not know, Rca (Thompson electronics) has put alot of money in the development of HDTV products, and it is starting to show. I have the MM52110 with the DTC100 stb and progressive scan dvd player...with sattelite as my "over the air " viewing source...Wow!! What a picture !! I went to ...several... stores to get an comparison....and to my surprise the RCA had the clearest, fullest looking picture of them all...I was surprised that the colors,clarity, etc...were better than the Sony, Toshiba, etc.....this was based on seeing in Hi-Def. In regular 480i (line doubled) they all had their pluses and minuses. But over all the RCA looked best...I was surprised. Place after place my wife and son....with out being bias....chose the RCA each time. Every person that comes over our house is amazed by the picture, etc. But most importantly, I am pleased with the picture. Now for the quick review: With the DTC100 stb I get full, vibrant, beatiful HD and the box also acts as an line doubler (up-converting from 480i to 540p) which is an odd scan rate and may cause some "artifacts" during viewinf of certain channels of "poor" feeds. This is my only complaint about this system. I view everything either line doubled or in HD...thus eliminating ugly scan lines. I woul reccommend getting an progessive scan dvd player with true 3:2 pulldown...will make a big difference...Sony and Toshiba or any dvd player with dvdo chip is also a good choice. All NTSC signals (480i) standard viewing is good...but as with any large tv you will have ugly scan lines...but overall the picture is good. The tv runs very close to the 6500k...the digital focus is accurate and good. Auto convergence is also a good feature. 7" crts put out a solid picture....but once again I would strongly reccommend a line doubler either by I-scan (DVDO) or buy the DTC100 box to get HD and line doubling and directv in one package....also, if you can get sattellite, do it . The picture clrity is far superior to cable.(at least in our area) Over all, I am very pleased with this tv...But don't take it from me. Research and compare side by side, and don't follow the crowd, buy what is in your budget and looks good to you.

This TV-set gives you enjoy possibility shocking scene, which only can give DVD Format. Progressive-scan (newest technology!!), HDTV-Ready Multimedia Projection TV RCA MM52110 52"(Biggest size screen!!!) will give you to the ful to feel itself in the centre occurring. And all this on the price below ...,- plus RCA progressive-scan DVD-video player such as RC6000P or RC6001P (hurry - acts before July 8!!!).

TV is good. Have had mine for 2 years now. One problem as with all these types of TV's, I would put on gray bars to put it to 4:3 size when watching regular TV and the bars started burning into the screen. You must always view in widescreen to avoid this, also, have the service plan if you can and have someone come out a align the projections every year. Makes a difference. Picture is great as a whole and DVD movies are really nice via componet video with progressive scan. Getting a deal on it, then I would grab it.

I picked this unit up at [the store] because the picture was great on the floor, and it is at home to. If the absence of surround sound on this unit bothers you dont buy it, sound on board is good. I like it so far and is awesome with widescreen movies, sitting anywhere in the room is a pretty good viewing spot,but not to close. Remote is not super great in terms of sending signals. I had for 6 months and I love it so far.

Used primarly for video games, I've had it almost a year now & no problems. It has a rich & colorful picture that can be scene no matter where you are in the room. I just want it to be bigger.

It's a good TV with very bright and clear picture but unfortunately it does work with my Pioneer DV-434 Progressive Scan DVD Player when I turn on Progressive Scan.

Fantastic quality, the screen is very sharp, clear, and crisp! While this is sold as an analog tv, it uses High Definition components. Some of the reviews actually indicate it is HDTV ready. I saw it first at Best Buy, and bought it here. Delivery was prompt and the setup and trash removal (carton) feature of the delivery was very nice.

I'd recommend it highly!

We have been using this for 2 weeks. It has a very good picture. I setup a custom preference, which I saved in the setup menu. I tweaked the color, contrast,brightness, ....). The TV comes with predefined schemes, but my custom setup looks quite a bit better. As far as progressive scan goes, I am not even sure what it is (see previous review). The Image with DVDs is excellent and very good with cable. I looked at a local chanin store and the images were horrible looking, I almost deceided to wait a couple years to buy a large screen, but I am glad that I didn't. The sound system in the television is pretty decent as well. I am still mulling the extended warranty about $400 for 4 additional years. The paper work is included with the television.

In summary, if you are looking for a fairly inexpensive, but nice projection television. This is a good one.