Hitachi 42HDF52 42 in. HDTV-Ready TV

Pros: Colors, resolution, multitude of inputs and source settings, weight and remote universal remote.
Cons: Screen is subject to "burn-in"and the universal remote is complicated to program.

This HD receiver has excellent capabilities, a multitude of connection options, and is easy to set-up. The picture is sharp and crisp and the colors are rich and well defined with no discernible halo. Although I have mine is routed through my home ...

Pros: Very crisp picture. Narrow.
Cons: Takes 8 sec. to acquire the signal when first powered up.

I picked this set only because it was the only 42" Plasma that would fit into the space (40") I have. In the store (Future Shop) the picture didn't look as vivid as the Panasonic next to it. But it still looked good enough. Once hooked up at home, I ...

Pros: Best value in 42" screen for this price level. Sounds great even without surround sound.
Cons: Cheesey remote could have been better, maybe more intuitive or integral with other systems.

I was considering a low end EDTV since the prices dropped, but sooner or later they will have HD on every channel, so I figured it was worth the extra cash to get a real deal HDTV ($2399), and this is it. Hitachi gives the set a 60k hour life, (20 yrs). The shadows and darks come through better than most in its class, and the speakers are much better than expected. Nice to have the TV tuner built in, though I'll probably never use it. If you buy it locally (shipping from online stores will not be cheap), Best Buy doesn't have it, but Circuit City does. You need a vehicle big enough to transport, as they say it should not be shipped flat. Also, this unit is HEAVY at 103 pounds, so make sure you have a friend or two for help. Check that your wall is sting enough to hold it, if you'd rather do it that way (wall mount is extra).