Hitachi P42H401
Manufacturer: Hitachi America Ltd. Part number: P42H401
-
CNET Editor rating:
Not yet rated
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 23 reviews
- More product information:
- Editors' take
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- CNET did not review the Hitachi P42H401 but we did review the larger model in the series.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |
 |
In stock
|
Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price |
as of 07/08/2009 |
CNET editors' take
Hitachi P42H401
price range: $2,150.00
- Reviewed by: CNET staff
- Reviewed on: 03/06/2008
The bottom line: CNET did not review the Hitachi P42H401 but we did review the larger model in the series.
Quick take: Although CNET did not review the 42-inch Hitachi P42H401, we did review the 50-inch Hitachi P50H401. We expect the picture quality of the 50-inch model to provide a good indication of how the 42-incher will perform. For more information, refer to the full review of the Hitachi P50H401.
User reviews
-
-
Yes a 1080i for under $1300
by firepit1 on May 21, 2007
Pros: Everything but Audio
Cons: Audio, but who buys a HDTV for audio?
Summary: This is my second Plasma TV in 15 months. My first was a Magnavox which died 15 months later and of course the warranty is up. So I bought this ...
Summary: This is my second Plasma TV in 15 months. My first was a Magnavox which died 15 months later and of course the warranty is up. So I bought this TV on sale and it was the best deal out there. If I were to give this TV grades, the Audio, it's a C+, but you don't by an HDTV for its Audio. You have many options with the Audio though and you may find an acceptable setting for you. Everything else is an A+! I have my TV connect to my DirecTV HD DVR and the picture quality is excellent. Please don't fall for the hype that 1080p is so much better than 1080i, save your money and buy this TV. Good luck finding any shows broadcasted in 1080p, good luck seeing a magical difference. The remote is a full remote that is easily programmed for any cable or satellite but I use a Harmony 880 universal which already has the needed codes online. The inputs are easy to change and accessible through the on onscreen menu. Some TV?s you have to scroll through each input which becomes a pain, not this TV. There is a Day and Night button which can easily and quickly adjust your contrast for better viewing depending on lighting in your room. It has an Auto Screen Resolutions setting which is great for over the air broadcast. 3 yes 3 HDMI inputs for easy digital hookup of video and audio in one cable. Even if you don?t catch the sale price, don?t let this TV pass you by without heavy consideration. I winner in my book!
Updated
1234567891012 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
$1200 for a great TV
by sstaylor on June 4, 2007
Pros: Picture, variety of inputs, appearance, price!
Cons: No PiP, SD card slot only for s/w upgrades, slow channel changing, cannot customize input labels, remote just OK
Summary: I spent a lot of time looking for a low-priced opportunity to get an HDTV. I settled on the H401, and have been very pleased with its' performance thus far. ...
Summary: I spent a lot of time looking for a low-priced opportunity to get an HDTV. I settled on the H401, and have been very pleased with its' performance thus far. Picture quality is great on HD sources (OtA-only, so far. My cable provider will be adding HD content this year), and good with non-HD. This TV offers lots of input choices, including 3 HDMI, has an easy-to-use menu scheme, and gives you a good number of preset screen formats.
This TV lacks Picture in Picture, which may be a non-issue in the long run, and is slow on channel changes. The remote is non-lighted, and seems to require a good aim. Hey, it changes the channel, but I may end up trying a different model. I was bummed to find that the SD slot is only for upgrades, but I can just hook up my camera directly via the front-side inputs. While the inputs can be relabeled for easier recognition, you can only select from Hitachi's canned label names, not names you create yourself. I want to label the input from my TiVO as "TiVO", and not PVR.
One thing I learned about HD input is that, at least here in the Atlanta area, HD over the air is great. I bought a Terk indoor antenna, to test HD, and found the reception to be excellent. I ended up returning the Terk, because it was too big for my TV nook, but I'll be getting some type of external antenna to replace it.
Hitachi has a "T" series that has PiP and the SD slot available for owner use. I'm sure that it also has other features, as well. However, I was unable to find one in my area, so I kept the H401. The bottom line was that the screen resolution is the same between the two, so I'm not losing out on image quality.
I emailed and called Hitachi customer support, with questions about feature use and HD connectivity, and was pleasently surprised with their response time, attitude, and knowledge.
Overall, I love the picture quality of this TV. I couldn't find anything better to my untrained eye, even for much more money. It's worth a hard look, whether your looking to join the HD madness, or if you want to add another HD television to your life.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Worth every penny!!!
by joshrooster on April 30, 2007
Pros: Outstanding detail, less "jaggies" than competing models. decent black levels. 3 hdmi plugs, like the flat black clean bezel.
Cons: greens could be better, not true 1080p, won't mount itself on the wall.
Summary: purchased at video only for less than most online prices and they threw in a free wall mount and misc. hdmi/component cables. I stepped up from a 30" samsung ...
Summary: purchased at video only for less than most online prices and they threw in a free wall mount and misc. hdmi/component cables. I stepped up from a 30" samsung crt 1080i television and the difference is stunning. I hate to talk it up so much since it's not PERFECT but what piece of tech is? Easily the best purchase I've made in the last few years. No buyer's remorse. Could have gotten slightly better black levels, or marginally better greens, but after calibration and the money I saved, I would have been foolish to pay more for another set.
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
less than a month before first service
by roninbydiscord on September 22, 2007
Pros: Potential picture quality/ TV Appearance
Cons: Grainy shading and color gradients/ slow menu operations/ no backlit remote
Summary: This TV is used as a bedroom TV. At first this TV seemed sharp,however after a few hours of watching and flipping through different channels, it became obvious that ...
Summary: This TV is used as a bedroom TV. At first this TV seemed sharp,however after a few hours of watching and flipping through different channels, it became obvious that there was something wrong. Shadows and shading on all SD and over the air HD Channels were showing distortion. At first I thought it was the cable signal so I procastinated a few weeks. Finally, I hooked up my DVD player to verify and it still looked like garbage. I contacted the store I had purchased it from and since it had been 38 days they would send out a technician. I will update once the tech shows up on Monday 9/24/07. He was going to try some TV settings in the software and if that didn't work (he did not think it would) then he would need to take the TV and get hitachi support.... Stay tuned.
4 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great Price and Great Quality
by allied1987 on January 30, 2008
Pros: Great Picture
Cons: Speaker Quality and sound
Summary: I bought this a month ago when looking for something to add a little spice to my bed room. I have had a 53 inch HD hitachi projection that is ...
Summary: I bought this a month ago when looking for something to add a little spice to my bed room. I have had a 53 inch HD hitachi projection that is going strong still. When i bought this tv it was only 899.99 and for the quality and price i could not pass it up. The HD dvds look awesome and looks great standard tv looks better on it then it does on my 53 inch projections tv. The HD quality far surpasses the projection by color sharpness. It does the 1080i witch most lcds and plasmas still have not accomplished and has 3 hdmi inputs, digital sound out put is just awesome. The only thing i have had a problem with is the speakers is not that strong but for a plasma you don't really buy the tv for the sound. For a great name and a great price and one hell of an awesome picture you cant pass it up
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great TV, Unbelivable deal.
by kenrwal on December 11, 2007
Pros: Price, Picture, Finish.
Cons: Stand, Setup.
Summary: WOW, amazing TV,just a hassle to finally get it. Bought it from Sears online for $699 + tax and took 3 weeks to get. I have installed 3 other HDTV'...
Summary: WOW, amazing TV,just a hassle to finally get it. Bought it from Sears online for $699 + tax and took 3 weeks to get. I have installed 3 other HDTV's for friends and family so I some experience with setup and pic quality/comparison. This TV compares to any other TV I've watched. Its no longer on sale for the $699 but I've seen it for around $1000 at Circuit City on sale. It holds up well againt any TV in the sub $1500 price range. I watched a few hours of HD programming from TW cable and watched Die Hard 3 and Spidey 3 with an upconverting DVD. They both looked great and I was especially paying attention to the "blacks". I didn't notice a problem with the black levels as others have reported. (I did use the THX optimizer to adjust the pic before I watched anything)
I like the titanium or any dull finish on TVs. It doesn't look as nice as the shiny finish while the TV is off or on the showroom floor but when in a semi-dark room with any light sources in the background the shiny finishes reflect everything like a mirror.
The stand is kinda wobbly and the sound is average at best when turned up but I have a surround sys so thats not an issue for me.
The setup was confusing since it made me go through a channel scan even though it was hooked up to my HD cable box. It did not pick up the HDMI feed the first time but after I powered it down in frustration and then restarted it everything worked fine.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
So far, so good.....i've only had it for 5 days
by gusburnz on October 24, 2007
Pros: Easy setup, great picture, tv itself looks good
Cons: seems to run hot, rickety stand
Summary: love the picture, easy to set up, probably 10 minutes to get out of box and set up and running fine...........only minor complaint is that it does seem to ...
Summary: love the picture, easy to set up, probably 10 minutes to get out of box and set up and running fine...........only minor complaint is that it does seem to get very hot, however, this is my first plasma, so i'm not really sure if this is to be expected
very pleased so far
got on sale at sears for $899 less a $150 rebate for using my sears card, so $749, net price1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Fantastic buy for a large HD plasma set
by jrock83 on September 24, 2007
Pros: Great value, wonderful picture, 1080i set
Cons: Not a 1080p, flimsy stand
Summary: I just stumbled upon this set online on a retailer's site when I wanted to check (for curiosity's sake) how much the price had fallen on lcd/plasma ...
Summary: I just stumbled upon this set online on a retailer's site when I wanted to check (for curiosity's sake) how much the price had fallen on lcd/plasma TV sets. I'm glad I did because I happened upon this plasma 42 inch set for less than 1000 dollars. My previous TV was a 32 inch LCD so of course the larger screen at such a low price interested me. The picture produced by this plasma is crisp, clear, and looks fantastic when playing my playstation 3 or watching a Blu-ray movie. The screen is impressive to look at and produces vibrant colors and has a pretty decent speaker system built in too. The video is 1080i and it looks great. While not a 1080p, this 1080i set is great and the only reason I give this TV a 9 instead of a 10 is because of the included table-top stand. For such a large set (strictly due to being a 42 inch TV - the weight is around 80 lbs I believe), the stand is really not very supportive and I was a little worried about front and back movement causing a fall. So far, I haven't had a fall, thankfully, and I don't REALLY anticipate one but it would have been nice if the stand was more sturdy. However, all things considered, to get a 1080i plasma HDTV for less than 1000 dollars, this is a MUST BUY. Highly recommended!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
So far so good
by nizack05 on September 17, 2007
Pros: Picture is good, especially in HD. Not that different than the DLP I used to use.
Cons: no big ones.
Summary: I got this for 1000 and for the price I doubt I could find a better size and quality for the price.
Menu is slow, takes a 1-2 seconds for ...Summary: I got this for 1000 and for the price I doubt I could find a better size and quality for the price.
Menu is slow, takes a 1-2 seconds for the menu to come up after pressing menu. it has nice day/night settings for the screen. There is little to no glare from the screen. The built in HD receiver is pretty good. It'll auto scan for channels in your area, and I got a $10 antenna (only plugs into the tv - no power) and it gets the hd channels in area, and the picture is great. Don't let the text/picture 'noise' fool you. In the stores you're standing about 2 feet from the screen so you can see that stuff and sometimes it looks bad, but from a realistic distance it's not that noticeable.
I gave it an 8 because I don't think it's the best and I've only had it for a week, but so far it's been good to my college and nfl football likes - especially in HD.
Viewing angles are good. I have it above the couches on a fireplace, So from a lower view and side view the picture is still really good. Hands down better than a projection. I like it better than DLP as well.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
This TV is 1080P IF run through HDMI!
by MrNapaul on May 7, 2009
Pros: I work in electronics retail sales and have sold LCD's and Plasmas for almlost 4 years. The tv at the time it first came out was one of the best and to this day is still an exellent choice for someone who wants a GOOD quality TV that will LAST!!
Cons: The only con is when you turn on a video component the tv does not automaticaly switch to the activce input for you.
Summary: There is one bad misconception about this tv. That is everyone says it is 1080i and if its hooked up through componants it is! But it CLEARLY states in the ...
Summary: There is one bad misconception about this tv. That is everyone says it is 1080i and if its hooked up through componants it is! But it CLEARLY states in the manual for the set, that if it is hooked up through HDMI inputs It will run 1080P!! Also It will say it on the screen when you run a 1080P source such as a PS3 or Blu-Ray! I own the Tv myself. It has a better picture than most of the tvs available on the market today brand new. This is an awesome buy for anyone and Hitachi is an exellent brand. For instance there the only electronics company that owns there own nuclear reactor! Seriously! ;) Look it up!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Hitachi America Ltd.
- Part number: P42H401
- Description: The 42-inch P42H401 model offers unrivaled clarity and seamless picture performance using exclusive technologies. This model features an all new black industrial design with subtle titanium gray trim, emphasizing the picture and de-emphasizing the frame. The model uses discrete speaker venting below the screen to ensure high quality audio, yet maintain the widescreen appearance for a clean, modern look that compliments any living room.
General
- Product Type 42 in Plasma TV
- Series Picture Master
- TV Tuner 1x analog, 1x digital
- Video Interface HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite
- PC Interface VGA (HD-15)
- HDCP Compatible Yes
- Dimensions With stand
- Width 42.1 in
- Depth 15.4 in
- Height 30.7 in
- Weight 84 lbs
Display
- Diagonal Size 42 in - Widescreen
- Technology Plasma (PDP)
- Resolution 1024 x 1080
- Display Format 1080i
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
- Progressive Scan Progressive scanning (line doubling)
- Widescreen Modes 16:9, Zoom, Zoom 16:9, Conventional 4:3
- Comb Filter 3D-Y/C digital
- V-Chip Control Yes
- Color Temperature Control Yes
- Additional Features SimplayHD, On/off timer, On-screen menu, Dynamic contrast, Video noise reduction, Anti-reflection coating, 3:2 pull down compensation
TV Tuner
- Analog TV Tuner NTSC
- Stereo Reception System MTS
- Secondary Audio Program (SAP) Yes
Digital TV Tuner
- Digital TV Tuner ATSC
Video Features
- HDTV Ready Yes
- Input Video Formats 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i
- Parental Channel Lock Yes
- Closed Caption Capability Yes
Remote Control
- Remote Control Remote control - Infrared
Audio System
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Surround Mode Yes
- Sound Effects Bass Boost
- Audio Controls Bass, Treble, Balance
- Speakers Included 2 speakers
- Output Power / Total 20 Watt
- Additional Features Mute button, Balance control, Bass & treble control
- Speaker(s) 2 x Right/left channel speaker - Built-in - 10 Watt
Connections
- Connector Type 2 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Rear, 1 x HDMI ( 19 pin HDMI Type A ) - Front, 1 x Serial ( 9 pin D-Sub ) - Rear, 2 x Component video input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 2 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 ) - Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear, 1 x Composite video/audio input ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Front, 1 x S-Video input ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - Rear, 1 x S-Video output ( 4 pin mini-DIN ) - Rear
Stands & Mounts
- Stand Included Yes
- Stand Design Tabletop
Compliances
- Compliant Standards FCC Class B certified
Miscellaneous
- Antenna None
Power
- Power Device Power supply - Internal
- Power AC 120 V
- Battery None
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Dimensions & Weight Details
- Dimensions & Weight Details Panel without stand - 42.1 in x 4.8 in x 28.1 in x 70.1 lbs
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Hitachi America Ltd.
Specs: Plasma TV, 42 in, 1024 x 1080, 16:9
-
Manufacturer: Hitachi America Ltd.
Specs: Plasma TV, 50 in, 1280 x 1080, 16:9
Accessories
-
CTA - Video / audio cable - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 6 ft - shielded twisted pair (STP) (S5234240)$1.99
-
Monster Cable Monster 300 for HDMI HDMI300-1M - Video / audio cable - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 3.3 ft - triple shielded (125843)
-
Monster Cable HDMI 500HD Standard Speed MC 500HD-4M - Video / audio cable - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 13 ft - triple shielded (127664)
-
Monster Cable GameLink 360 Standard HDMI Cable GLX360 S HDMI-6 - Game console audio / video cable - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 6 ft (123855)
-
Link Depot - Video / audio cable - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 19 pin HDMI (M) - 3.3 ft - shielded (HDMI-1-HDMI)
-
Adcom GFR-700 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel - black, silver (GFR-700)$1,343.30
-
Adcom GFR-700HD - AV receiver - 7.1 channel - black, silver (GFR-700HD)$1,887.00 - $2,899.00
-
Denon AVP-A1HDCI - AV network receiver - 9.3 channel (AVP-A1HDCI)$5,695.00 - $7,499.99
-
Denon AVR-1507 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel (AVR-1507)$203.98
-
Denon AVR-1508 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel (AVR-1508)$139.99 - $199.44
-
URC Complete Control MX-650 Omega - Universal remote control - infrared/radio (MX-650)$217.99
-
Logitech Harmony 550 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (966208-0215)$93.00 - $119.97
-
Logitech Harmony 720 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (CNETLOGITECHHARMONY720)$99.99 - $149.99
-
Logitech Harmony 670 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (915-000003)$105.74 - $152.49
-
Logitech Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote - Universal remote control - infrared (915-000052)$165.56
Manufacturer info
- Hitachi America Ltd.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Hitachi America Ltd. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.hitachi.com
- Address:
2001 Ruppman Plaza, Peoria, IL 61614 - Phone: 1-800-Hitachi
