Toshiba HX93 vs Mitsubish Diamond vs Hitachi ??

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  • NHT
    Member
    • Mar 2004
    • 93

    Toshiba HX93 vs Mitsubish Diamond vs Hitachi ??

    Hello all. I am at a crossroads in my quest for my next tv upgrade. About 1 1/2 month ago, I initially was planning to buy the SOny LCD projection but was convinced that I should buy a CRT projector instead. Well now Im still in a bind and cant decide between these three sets. I have seen the Mitsubishi 55 Diamond but was not overly impressed by it. Perhaps it was not setup correctly but it just did not have that wow factor that I was looking for. It was hooked up with a Denon 2900(which I also have) but it was they were using $20 dollar component cables and it was not properly calibrated.

    Secondly, I have seen the Toshiba 57HX93 at Conns which is on sale for 2299. I asked them if I could see that set with a dvd source and they went to connect it with composite cables! So I just told them that maybe I would come back and bring my own dvd player to audition it.

    Finally there is the Hitachi sets that I hear so much about but have no idea whatsoever on which set to test so I would leave it up to anyone who can help me with these. There is one thing I do hate about the Hitachi is their aesthetics. They do not win any points for looks but then again its not the cabinetry that I will be watching. But then there is the WAF and she does not like the Hitachi. She thinks they look very cheap.

    I thank whoever gives me some advice. If someone who has been in the same boat as I and has made a decision that they were content with, please lend me a hand. Im all ears. Hope to hear from you soon
  • aud19
    Twin Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2003
    • 16706

    #2
    IMO, The Hitachi and Mitsubishi will have a better picture if you get them calibrated by an ISF tech. They'll also likley be a bit more reliable. The Toshiba will have better stretch modes than the other two if you watch a lot of 4:3 but won't likely look as nice after calibration and generally are slightly less reliable.

    Other than that, specific features and the price you can get for each set will likely be a big deciding factor. One of the things I like about my Hitachi is that it has discrete selection for the inputs, making macro programming much easier. Stuff like that

    Jason




    Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide
    Jason

    Comment

    • Bing Fung
      Ultra Senior Member
      • Aug 2000
      • 6521

      #3
      Humm, while I agree with Jason in that the Toshiba HX93's are a buggar to program into a macro remote like a Pronto, I will have to disagree on the image quality comment based on what I have seen of the HX93 vs a Hitachi G500.

      My Bother inlaw has a 51" G500 Hitachi, and I have the 51HX93. The DVD image from what I seen is highly superiour to his Hitachi. Granted his in not an Ultra Vison, and it could be the difference in cables, DVD players...etc His set didn't seem to have a clarity of image that the HX93 displays. It had the typical pixel crawl of most CRT RPTV's, which I have always hated. The HX93 however does not exhibit this typical pixel crawling and has a very nicely focused image.

      One thing that I certainly realized is the stretch modes of the Toshiba are very superiour to other sets such as the Hitachi. We were watching the masters on my Brother in Laws Hitachi, which was a 4:3 no hidef feed. He had it set to stretch and it had this wierd look in that the center of the screen was focused, but the side (stretched parts) had this very strange soft defocused look. When ever the network camera panned the field of view (golf course), the left and right side of the image had this very disconnected look from the center of the image. It was if the sides had this fake stacge backdrop look. I tried setting the other stretch modes on the TV, but nothing seemed to fix that. So if this matters to you, I could not recommend that Hitachi just for that reason alone.

      I'm very impressed with my HX on good DVD transfers and Hi-Definition Broadcasts from CBS & PBS. At times it looks so beautiful to be unbelievable. It does however seem to punish a less than stellar transfer or crappy NTSC signal.. The Blacks on the HX are very deep and detailed. It should be noted that I calibrated my TV with Avia, but in the end, I found the color was not to my liking as it exhibited too much red push. Skin tones looked too red and the overall image was too saturated looking. I have adjusted it to what I think is correct and I have to say WOW-Zers! It looks nice!

      The HX really puts out in the light dept as well. In a darkened room, the image is actually way too bright for me and we can still watch it in a brightly lit room. Infact one of the hardest things that I found to calibrate on the HX was the brightness & Contrast. On the gray scale screen, the contrast & brighness could be almost set to 100% with out any blooming of the upper white portion of the test pattern. It seemed that anywhere from 90 and down to 20 yeilded a correct setting, this made it harder set, so I just stet it to where I liked it.

      In my heart, I'm really a Sony man, and would have bet that I would have bought Sony TV's until the day I died. I was even looking long and hard at the LCD Wega as that's what I had my eye set on buying. In the end it was the picture quality of the Toshiba that hooked me. That's not to say the Sony LCD is all that bad. It actually looks nicer than the HX in Hidef signals I have seen on it for they just look crisper, however the realizim is slightly removed with the typical LCD shimmering of pixels. The biggest probelm came during DVD's. When ever I watched a DVD on the LCD Wega, it always had this cloudy, hazy look to it. The image was sharp, but it's as if had no contrast or as if the screen was dirty. Even my 11 year old daughter picked this out the first time we compared the LCD Wega right beside the CRT Wega. I think this is because of the poor blcak level and contrats of a LCD in comparision to a CRT.

      So while I may not be commenting on anything of real comparitive substance, I'm just putting in a plug for the HX93, for it is capitable of very realistic images in Hi-def and very Film like images in DVD. It does have an ugly side though and I think it's the scaler during sub standard images. Generally the internal scaler of the HX93 does a fantastic job. It scales any non 480p signal to 1080i and tests I have done with my Old Sony non progressive DVD player shows they are every bit as smooth as images from my progressive DVD player. It's just that some times during this scaling of images that I have noticed deinterlacing artifacts, especially from crappy NTSC feeds. My HT buddy seems to think this is more a fault of the Shaw cable signal than it is the TV, however, I tend to blam the TV for it shoul ddeal with the crappy signal regardless and smooth it out. So for that I would have to say, I'm not happy with it. It does seem spotty for at times the CBC Hockey games looked acceptable and at times it looked down right unacceptable. I did discover that if I had another 2-3 more feet of viewing distance that most crappy NTSC images would be good. It may just be a case that we are forced to sit to close to the set, 8-9 feet.


      So on HD signals and good DVD transfers, I find it hard to believe the image could look any better than what is currently displayed on the HX93... But I suppose a person only knows what he knows...

      If it helps any, the HX93 was the winner of the Home Theater Guides (magazine) Hidef TV shoot-out. It was rated tops uncalibrated, and once calibrated, edged out the Sony LCD Wega. In it's calibrated state it left the Hitachi Ultra vision and Mitsubitsi CRT RPTVs well behind, so stated something to that effect in the test review

      So my hat goes into the ring for the HX93, because I have seen what this TV is capable of and it's strenghts far outweight it's weaknesses... Although the Control of the TV pisses me off for it's not easy to set up in a Pronto remote, I'm so happy with it on DVD and HiDef, I'm proud that I got it for such a steal of a price.... The HX93's Bang for Buck maybe in a league of it's own.

      I can't comment on the reliability as this is the first Toshiba I have ever owned... I come from a long line of Sony Trinitrons and XBR Wega's.

      Some of the best DVD images I have seen is on my 21" G520P Sony PC monitor.. It is my referance standard, however the HX93 at 30" bigger looks almost as good, if not better for the impact of size.

      I would be very interested in your test of the HX93 with your Denon 2900, as I'm very interested in that player as well. So I would say Do it, take the Hulk, Matrix Revolutions, Fifth Element DVDs along for my sake if you have them Don't forget your component cables too :twisted: I brought my 1 meter Canares along for when I was demoing DVD players to go with the HX93.




      Bing

      My Home Entertainment Systems
      Bing

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      • aud19
        Twin Moderator Emeritus
        • Aug 2003
        • 16706

        #4
        Humm, while I agree with Jason in that the Toshiba HX93's are a buggar to program into a macro remote like a Pronto, I will have to disagree on the image quality comment based on what I have seen of the HX93 vs a Hitachi G500.
        No worries Bing As I said, IMO, when proffesionaly calibrated by an ISF tech I believe Hitachi and Mitsubishi have superior results duet to higher quality components and better flexibility in the service menus etc. If Nghia has no plans to ever get the set ISF calibrated than this becomes a moot point and other criteria may take precedence at decision time (ie: price, stretch modes, looks etc).

        I am in no way trying to trash Toshiba's. I infact own a SD 4:3 Toshiba that's is quite nice. Really, any of these company's sets should give you a most pleasant viewing experience

        Jason




        Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide
        Jason

        Comment

        • Bing Fung
          Ultra Senior Member
          • Aug 2000
          • 6521

          #5
          Originally posted by aud19
          No worries Bing As I said, IMO, when proffesionaly calibrated by an ISF tech I believe Hitachi and Mitsubishi have superior results duet to higher quality components and better flexibility in the service menus etc.
          Nope, no worries Jason, it's all in friendly and lively discussions 8)

          Is your comment about the quality of components based on statistical data, or is it based on experience or perceptions?

          I just need to understand what brings comments like that about and how are they arrived at?

          I have no experience here for this is the first TV set I have owned that not a Sony. The built quality of the HX93 certainly seems good enough.

          Based on the HX93's image quality, it certainly is tops in it's class, so if that's not an indicator of quality components, I'm not sure I would know what is then. Based on what I have seen of the HX93 in comparison to the other TV's I picked it even over my beloved Sony's.

          In the March Hometheater magazine, they stated the HX93 was tops in it's class right out of the box. All TVs were tested right out of the box uncalibrated on the first day. Its when it was calibrated on the second day of testing that the HX really left all the other Hi-Def TV's behind.

          I'm not saying I'm right in any of this as it does come down to personal preference, however I just want to understand how comments like yours are determined.




          Bing

          My Home Entertainment Systems
          Bing

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          • NHT
            Member
            • Mar 2004
            • 93

            #6
            Thank you so much Bing for taking out the time and for that wonderfully detailed expression of you opinion. You and I are the same animals. I have come from generations of Sonys, from Trinitron to the 32 Wega and now at the 40XBR Wega. I am now upgrading to my first large widescreen tv.

            I have seriously been leaning towards the Toshiba for quite some time now but thanks to your wonderful assessment of this set, I believe you have pushed me over. Ive read the Hometheatermag's shootout. Thats why for quite some time now, I could not decide between the SOny Grandwega and the Toshiba. Tell you the truth, if I hadnt read this review three months ago, I would have never even considered the Toshiba. The Sony Grandwega was actually at the top of my list back then. I auditioned the Sony at several stores and I know exactly what you are talking about it. Even with a Denon 2900 hooked up to it, the picture was a bit undesirable. Its hard to explain. THe picture was clear but it wasnt clear. It was smooth to say the least but it just wasnt sharp and defined. It was like my eyes were trying to focus in on the picture to find the contrast.

            When I looked at the 57HX93 set at my local Conn's, even though they it displayed with regular antenna, my impressions of it was that it was very sharp and bright. There was a sense of 3-d immersion into the picture. THen they hooked it up to a progressive scan dvd player with composite cables and I just lost my appetite and left. Also they were playing Finding Nemo, which makes any tv look good. Im probably going to be forced to take my 2900 into Conns and just see how it looks. Or I could just take the dive and go out and buy it just from reading reviews like yours and Hometheatermag's.

            I do have to say that for years I have been spoiled by the perfectly flawless and beautiful image of the SOny Wegas. When shopping for a tv, I find myself comparing all of them to the Wega and I know thats an unfair comparison. But I will take your word for it that it looks almost as good as your 21 inch screen. Thats a bold statement. Youve pretty much got me sold. Thanks again.

            BTW...what is this I hear of numerous complaints about the white line issue? This is the only thing thats holding me back. Are you having this problem with yours?


            Also, my seating distance is about 11-12 ft away from the screen. Im strongly considering a 57 incher. Could I go larger? Ummm....maybe 65?

            Comment

            • Bing Fung
              Ultra Senior Member
              • Aug 2000
              • 6521

              #7
              Hey Nghia, Thanks, you're more than welcome...

              I'll have to say seeing you're coming from a 40"XBR, that it's pretty tough to find something that can replace it in image clarity and color accuracy... I have always loved the Sony CRT image and color.

              My last TV was the 250XBR 36" non Hi-def. Even though it was not a Hi-def, it still generated one of the best DVD images around. With the Anamorphic squeeze, you would be hard pressed to tell that it was a non progressive image. Infact that was the only tell tale of a less than stellar image transfer, was the faint scanlines that would showup from time to time during a less than stellar transfer. Otherwise it was still a stunning set to watch. My perfect Ideal TV would be a 57" Widescreen Sony CRT Direct View with 600lb glass tube. The Aperature grill design of the Sony's is still a Standard in my books for image clarity and color accuracy. However I think the geometric distorsions of a 57" glass tube would be insane. Plus you would need concrete piles in your HT room to support the TV, so I guess scratch that idea... :LOL:

              My HT buddy who has a Sharp Z9000 DLP projector and Stewart Filmscreens Firehawk, always talked me out of trying to buy a new set. He would always say to me, "Your XBR still has one of the best DVD images I have seen, don't upgrade unless your going to a front projector..." We always go looking at HT and computer stuff together. When I last told him I have to get a newer set for HD-TV and progressive scan DVD, He stated "If you must.." to which he accompanied me to view the sets I was interested in.

              I had actually had set out in my mind that I wanted the Samsung DLP or the Sony Wega LCD TV, even dispite the less than stellar black levels these sets are typically known for. We were at a HT store in Calgary that carried all 3 brands of TVs. What was funny was I dragged Cam right to the Samsung DLP and we both sat down infront of it. It wasn't long before a sales guy came up and asked if he could help us. Soon he was running all sorts of material for us on the Sammy. The funny part came when he popped in a DVD image and then asked "It's a sharp picture huh...?" To which Cam and I looked at each other, looked at the picture again and at the same moment said "uhhh, not really" :rofl: We chuckle about that to this day as it was one of those price less moments. The picture was full of deinterlacing artifacts, and actually had a soft look to it.

              Anyway, were I'm going with this story was in Cam's and my assesement of all the TV's we looked at, the Toshiba HX83 (they didn't have the HX93) was the best looking TV set on the showroom floor that day. As much as I wanted to like the Sony LCD over the HX83, I couldn't in my gut, pick it over the HX83, even in my bias to Sony TV's. My heart was wanting the Sony LCD or Sammy DLP, but that voice in the back of my head was telling me otherwise. It was not a question of price as I was ready to plunk down the money for the Sony or Samsung. In the end I chose the Toshiba, because of my experince with it, Cam's experience with it, Trevor Schell's experience with it and the test reviewers experience with it and Jason's comments. Every indicator was this is the TV to buy regardless of price if you want the best picture quality available.

              Like you coming from Sony's all my life, it took me a bit to settle into this set. I found that the biggest gripe with it was that regular NTSC can look very bad on this set. I even have to submit that regular NTSC looked bad on my XBR as well, but the HX93 was worst, only because it is a bigger display, and as such it will only magnify the flaws in regular NTSC programing. What I did find though is that if I had another 2-3 feet viewing distance, that regular NTSC could infact look very good. I was watching the Hockey game one night (regular NTSC) and the players were looking pretty fuzzy in broadcast view, but when the camera cropped in tight to the players, they actually looked very crisp and clean. I started to play around with adjustments on the set. Knowing that I had read the Tosh was better liked when the viewing distance was correctly, I rotated the TV away from the wall and watched from a distance further away than my standard room set-up would allow. Well if the crappy regular NTSC hockey game didn't take on a cleaner 3 dimensional look that was so apparent on this set during HD programming or DVD playback.. I then resolved to the fact it's may be my smallish room, and not the HX's fault entirely....

              The HX93 has really sifted though my DVD collection and showed me what is truely a poor DVD transfer. The XBR always made most DVDs look stellar and of reference quality, as does my 21" Sony PC monitor. However the HX93 at it's bigger size has shown me the light. DVD's that I use to think had a great image are now "meh" to bad. It disheartening somwhat as most of my +300 DVDs were bought because I though the picture looked great. I hope most of them are not crap now Referance DVD's like Hulk, Desparado, Shakespeare in Love, Still look fantastic to stunning, others that I use to think were reference like Contact, Undercover Brother..etc are now just mediocre.. Give it a good transfer though and man does this set ever look good on a good DVD... I'm just using a cheap Panasonic S35 DVD player that I picked up because it was progressive scan. However like I had said earlier, I plugged in my old Sony DVP550 nonprogressive DVD player and the image was just as good as any of the 4 progressive DVD players I tried and took back to the store. I think the 1080i scaling of any non 480p signal is excellent if my DVD player trials / test is an indicator.

              My wife and I were watching Cold Case in hi-def last night. It was so beautifully crisp and clear, I actually blurted out "man this TV kicks ass!" to which Christine smiled and said "it does look good doesn't it?" We then started to watch "In the Cut" on DVD and from what we seen, the image is almost as good as Hi-def, a person would be hard pressed to tell the difference. It still had the dimensional depth and crisp clarity with beautiful color range. I was patting myself on the back for spending so little and getting so much... Which is typically not me. I can't wait to get a better DVD player like your Denon 2900, however I would like to demo something like that in house to see if the image could be improved upon... I almost feel it could be a case of diminished gains in the PQ dept, however I would pick up SACD and DVD-A with that so it would still be a winning situation :P

              I have not seen the White line nor the Jail bars that I have read about that others Toshiba owners have experienced. And I have been scrutinizing my set very hard. I do get a very faint 60hz hum bars that can barely be seen on poor analog stations. This is not a fault of the TV rather more a fault of my AC power lines. I only see it on poor NTSC signals, and have not seen it on DVD, HD, or most of the other channels. This is typical of a ground fault. I have a power conditioner coming so hopefully that will clean it up, if not, I'll have to fix the house wiring.

              For the seating distance, I don't know what to tell you other than look at this site that Jason provided me HT Distance Calculator In the calculator it stated I should be about 6-7 feet away from my 51". I'm actually 8-9 feet away and it is perfect for DVD and HDTV. For regular NTSC I could stand to be a foot or 2 further back so that distance could help to anti-alias or smooth out the image somewhat.

              On a image comparison basis to the Sony's you and I have grown to love, you will not be disapointed, once set up properly it is capable of fantastic images! On a contol basis, I really do miss my Sony's. I have always like Sony's HMI more than any other manufactuer. Others may not feel the same way, and tend to think Sony's is over done. I can accept that, but after using one brand all your life, you become accustomed to it's family genetics, so much so that it's strange, wierd and can be frustrating with anothers HMI. I still miss my XBR in many regards... I gave it to my sister, so at least I can still visit it from time to time, or go over there and play with it.

              I think if I was to do it over again, I would pick the HX93 even at more money... However that story maybe different once the next gen LCD's and DLP come out. Given the fact that the HX93 was so little in cost, yet so big in performance, it maybe some time before I have to upgrade for a better image. Sure I could upgrade anytime for convenience like a smaller foot print, but look at my PC desk.. I'm not a person that typically gives up performance for convenience, thats why I have more than 160lbs of glass on my desk. I have LCD PC monitors, but those are used in secondary and terciary PC's. As much as I try to love LCD monitors, I'm not ready to give up my Sony CRTs just yet.... Someday, just not now....

              Sorry for the long post.. I know I have rambled on, however, I'm very pleased with my choice, even if it was not a Sony. I have not told my other friends that have once stated all they ever hear from me is Sony, Sony, Sony.... :twisted:


              BTW, I bet I would love your 2900 and NT7's Those Speakers are so sweet!




              Bing

              My Home Entertainment Systems
              Bing

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              • NHT
                Member
                • Mar 2004
                • 93

                #8
                Thank you Bing. I do oh so love my speakers. I had the 602.5 S3 before and the CDM series blow them out of the water. There is just no comparison. Im just trying to reach the stage of content with my system and I think Im halfway there.

                I gather from all that youve written that you love your tv. It is the top of the line that Toshiba makes. But with cost aside, have you compared it with the top of the line that Hitachi makes? Maybe the T750 or S700? To tell you the truth, my skepticism is still there. Reading on other forums, I hear so much more about Hitachi than I do about the Toshiba. However the higher end Hitachi sets are harder to get than the Toshiba. Hitachi owners swear by their sets but there are many quality issues with Toshiba. I really want to make the right choice. THanks again

                Comment

                • aud19
                  Twin Moderator Emeritus
                  • Aug 2003
                  • 16706

                  #9
                  Hey Bing, you writing a novel? :LOL:

                  Is your comment about the quality of components based on statistical data, or is it based on experience or perceptions?
                  Now to be honest my opinion is based on information from last spring/summer when I was shopping for a TV. So certainly new models etc could skew things a bit. However from my research I learnt that Toshiba generally has slightly lower quality components like smaller CRT guns compared to Hitachi/Mitsubishi. I mean let's face it there's a reason their sets cost less. Is it a major difference no. IMO on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best CRT RPTV out there, the quality of parts used in Hitachi/Mitsubishi sets would be around 7-8. The quality in Toshiba sets is around 6-7. (You don't want to know what the 9-10 sets cost! I checked 8O ..lol)

                  I also talked with a few ISF techs who all prefered the components and the "tweakability" of Hitachi/Mitsubishi. They stated it's easier and more likely to get a better picture out of the better components and better setup options. They also mentioned and I confirmed this with consumer reports (who have assanine reviews of equipment but keep great repair stats ) and owners that Hitachi and Mitusbishi have slightly lower rate of repairs/warranty work/QC issues.

                  I ended up with my Hitachi and have equally glowing things to say about it. The picture is stunning after doing a bit of DIY tweaking in the service menu and calibrating with V.E. I've even gotten quite used to Hitachi's not quite as good as Toshiba's stretch modes. Even NTSC looks pretty good on the "good" channels. (No TV will make bad NTSC look good. Besides you should judge a set by how it displays the best signals, not the worst .) The colours, resolutions, black level/detail are all outstanding. I can't wait until I can actually get the set ISF'd!

                  I'm not saying don't buy the Toshiba, I'm saying make sure you equally compare all three sets and if you still prefer the Toshiba, especially considering price, then by all means purchase it. As I stated they're all excellent companies and definitely above the quality of the RCA's etc that are out there. Just be aware that IMO, you might not be able to get as good of a picture after a ISF calibration as with the other sets. Will it be bad? No. It will probably be something like 95% as good which is still pretty damn good and for less money. The Toshiba might even look better after a DIY AVIA/V.E. calibration than the others....? You could even argue that you could get the Toshiba ISF'd vs. the other two not ISF'd for about the same price. I'm sure the Toshiba would outperform them in those circumstances. But if money isn't the prime concern....

                  A couple of things to note for testing and viewing after purchase (whichever set you choose ).
                  -When testing, take your calibration disc in with you and calibrate each set.
                  Bring some varrying DVD's(colours and direct-digital: Finding Nemo, black levels: Matrix etc) that you're familiar with.
                  -Connect them all with the same cables and player if remotely possible.
                  -Make sure you turn off all sharpness or "picture enhancements" like noise reduction or scan velocity modulation.
                  -Dowload the sets manuals off the company's web page to become familiar with the functions and features of the sets. (This and performing the set up in-store will give you a very good indication of which HMI you prefer too )
                  -When setting peak white level most RPTV's I've used can have white levels ridiculously high without any blooming etc. I find setting it as low as you can while retaining a "white" colour (before getting grey) is better. The added bennefit of setting it as low as possible is that it will extend the life of the guns and your set besides giving you the best PQ.

                  Good luck (Yes buying a TV is almost like a second job )

                  Jason




                  Need a new display? Questions about new display technologies? Visit RPTVs, plasmas, and other monitors @ HTguide
                  Jason

                  Comment

                  • Bing Fung
                    Ultra Senior Member
                    • Aug 2000
                    • 6521

                    #10
                    Heh, I guess I do tend to go on don't I...?

                    Nghia, I'm not so sure I'm in love with my set. Other than I put up with it :twisted: It's control still gets to me. On image quality, I like it very much, more so than the other sets I looked at, and I looked at a lot. I think I wrote as much as I did for I just wanted to show my though process of selecting what I did.

                    I have not compared it to the Hitachi Ultra Visons, as I eluded to before, I'm not really a fan of CRT RPTVs, I just ened up with this TV for it looked solid compared to all the other TV's in the sam class and size. I was looking to buy a Sony LCD or a Samsung DLP. What strangely happened along the way was I discovered the Toshiba HX93 for the low price of $2800. This turned into a stop gap TV for I was very dissatisfied with the issues I seen of the LCD & DLP TV's. It became an issue of That I could forgive the Toshiba for it's faults at $2800, however I could not forgive the Sony LCD or Samsung DLP of it's faults at $5000. So I ended up taking the Toshiba home for what could be considered in the range of an impulse buy. I though, at this price the image is good enough, and actually better than what I was looking at originally. Making the right choice to me was not as critical at $2800 than it was at $5000.

                    Looking back now, I think I made the right chioce for now, but I suppose we'll see in a years time, once the quality issues start to become a factor, if they do.

                    Jason, I can see why you say to have level playing fields for testing sets in comparison, although I think that is more of an Idealist's stance on it. Even if a person was able to perform that type of undertaking, the logistics of it would still cripple the comparison with availability of the sets beside each other, same room lighting, reflections, etc... I'm not saying your suggestion would not work, rather it's to idealistic to be laughable. I think as long as a person plays something he is familiar with, with equipment that is typical of his own, and adjusts the sets through the ranges of the settings to see if a desireable picture is obtainable. Looking for things that you don;t like to see and looking for things that you do like to see. In the end it doesn't matter what Avia, VE, or ISF tells you what the image should look like, at the end of the day , you have to like it. That's not to say Calibration has no bearing, rather its a starting point... However I'll tweak what ever I deem needs to be tweaked to obtain what I like. I understand what your saying, but the consistency of it may be inmeasurable unless the sets are all side by side. Thats why I place more weight on tests like the HT HDTV Shoot out for they have basically done all the work for me. The missing link is seeing the test with my own eyes, however it can be surmised that it's pretty close, and those results can then be correlated to a persons own findings.

                    Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a "I love my Tosh" type of affair, far from it... I just wanted to state what I have found in my quest for a new TV, that I took a jog in the road or path that I typically travel. Maybe in my mind I'm just trying to rationalize why I bought such a cheap set when I was ready to pay $5000 for a TV? What ever it is, I'm very happy with the image at the price I paid, and even if the set was priced higher.

                    When I set the peak white, levels I did exactly that. Seeing as it did not bloom, I just turned it up to a point when the white no longer looked gray.

                    As for the Sharpness, I don't think my HX has an actual Off rather it has a range of 0-100 30-40 seems to be the sweet spot where the test pattern does not pixelate. Below or above these levels and the test pattern displays settings that are to soft and defocused, or too artificailly enhanced.

                    Good luck with your choices Nghia!




                    Bing

                    My Home Entertainment Systems
                    Bing

                    Comment

                    • Trevor Schell
                      Moderator Emeritus
                      • Aug 2000
                      • 10935

                      #11
                      NHT,,
                      If you are looking into the Hitachi brand, then it's the X-Series
                      that you want to research. That is apperantly Hitachi's Caddy
                      of the RPTV's.
                      Unfortunately the X-series is unavailable in Canada.

                      Bing!,,Great job in describing your experience with your new
                      HX93. I knew you would like it.
                      We love ours and still can't believe how the Hi-Def image is so
                      3 dimensional. Amazing :yesnod:

                      Anywways Bing,,Readig your review has me wanting to buy
                      another set!! :P




                      Trevor
                      My HomeTheater S.E.
                      Sonically Enhanced
                      C5
                      Trevor



                      XBOX 360 CARD

                      Comment

                      • NHT
                        Member
                        • Mar 2004
                        • 93

                        #12
                        Thank you again Bing and no, please ramble on brother. Its thoughtful advice and input like this that makes this hobby great. To share great or less than great experiences is providing invaluable assistance to those of need of help like me. Pat yourself in the back for me.

                        Trevor, from my understanding, you have the HX93 also. What is your take on this? ANy suggestions? I need all the feedback I can get. My room is 14x12. Do you think the 65 incher is too big?

                        Comment

                        • Shane Martin
                          Super Senior Member
                          • Apr 2001
                          • 2852

                          #13
                          NHT,
                          Yes a 65" is too big. I'm sitting exactly 12 feet away from my Set and 55 seems too big but its just right.

                          The last few months I was pretty focused on the Toshiba line. I was almost ready to buy when I did some emailing back and forth between the various ISF techs and ALL of them recommended the Mits or the Hitachi over the Toshiba. That was a telling story and led me towards Mits.

                          My main objection was the cost as the Mits was more than the Toshiba but after doing some negotiating I was able to get a Mits for the same $$ as the Toshiba and the Hitachi was still $300 more.

                          The fact the Hitachi upconverts to 540p and it was more expensive was the deal killer for me. The lower level Hitachis were unacceptable picture wise to me. The Ultravision was too expensive.

                          I really do love my Mits. Their stretch modes have been totally improved this year ALOT.

                          Comment

                          • BlazeMaster
                            Senior Member
                            • May 2004
                            • 644

                            #14
                            Hey guys, keep the discussion going. I'm also looking between the Toshibas and Hitachi's top end models. One thing that caught my attention is that Hitachi's actually supports 720P while the Toshiba's don't. My living room is about 14 ft long so minus the depth of the TV I'd be sitting about 12 ft away from the TV as well. I think the 57 inch models is on the border line of being too big. I think the 51 in should be perfect for me. I do like the fact that both models come with split cabinet design which makes it so much easier to move one of these hunk of TVs. Too bad the Hitachis dont make a 55-51 model that has the split cabinet design. My main concern is how your guys past experience with the split cabinet design of both companies. Are the cabinet alot harder to put together than it seems? I think that's going to be the deciding factor between the 2. The 720P capability of the Hitachis does add couple more points to the Hitachis. I thank anyone that can give me any kind of suggestions and take the time to read this. I dont think any of us has too much patience to read long posts after reading Bing's. :

                            Comment

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