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21/7/04

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ON TEST

THE FLAT FACTS

I 42IN 16:9 PLASMA TV I 3,500 I RESOLUTION 1,024 x 1,204 I DIMENSIONS W: 1,030 H: 636 D: 91 (mm) I SPEAKERS: YES I TV TUNER: YES I SCARTS: 3 (2 RGB)

Hitachi 42PD5300

Take one of the best plasma displays in the business and add a media box and youve surely got the perfect recipe for success, havent you?
22 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

ISSUE 3

11:35 am
A highly impressive performance when treated right and given the proper feeds
An end to unsightly wires thanks to the new addition of a media box
So far, so good but now for the sticky issues that can only have been implemented while the Hitachis designers were suffering a particularly bad hangover. The number of component inputs has strangely been reduced from two to one, and the remaining connection has been removed of its hi-def compatible status. The culprit is the older generation media box that has been included from previous Hitachi displays, and the package as a whole suffers for its omission. High definition is not necessarily important for us right now, as relatively few people have access to any content. Whether this is the reason for its omission, well let you decide, but remember if you think youre being short changed, the best way to vote is with your wallet. Other sets are still without high definition compatibility, so looking at it on the markets terms, the features list is comprehensive. Gone is the Picture-inPicture mode from the 42PD5200 in all but PC mode, but there are enough picture tweaks to make your eyes bleed at first glance. Whereas other manufacturers pick their picture presets seemingly at inning many plaudits when it random, Hitachis are context-specific first arrived on the scene, the and extremely well judged, Colour 42PD5200 proved to be a cocky Transient Improvement and Chroma and little upstart that actually had the balls Luminance noise adjustments being two to back its Purist moniker. Not content to highlights of a comprehensive package. rest on the superb picture standard set by As ever, Hitachis standard-setting ALIS its older brother, Hitachi has equipped panel does a remarkable job, its new 42PD5300 with a multimedia box particularly on movies. This is now to offer more comprehensive connection further complemented by a Film mode possibilities. The box also makes to tweak the screens scanning switching between sources easier A bespoke remote that makes towards an overall better looking and reduces the number of wires at menus easy to navigate final presentation. the rear of the set. Apart from this addition, what we essentially Performance have is the exact same display as the previous Given the screens size, the 42PD5300s internal model. What that lacked in particular was Scart jiggery-pokery would have to work very hard not sockets, offering only one, but design-wise it was to throw up even the smallest visual deficiencies, more than capable of impressing. and in this respect low quality sources prove to The three Scart inputs (two RGB) should be be disappointing. Up to the level of a Freeview enough for a Sky/Freeview box, a games console, box fed via RGB, there is terrible dot crawl and and a DVI or component-outputting DVD player, if graininess, with digital TV suffering ever so youre lucky enough to own one. Complementing slightly in a lack of detail. This is possibly down this addition are 15-pin D-Sub PC, RF, component, to the source itself, and this isnt an integrated composite and S-video input terminals, while a digital television; but a DVD player gives good DVD cable feeds all this to the screen itself. results via the same input method.
With superb contrast and brightness to fall back on, plug a component or DVI feed into the set and youll be rewarded for making the effort. Its a very natural brightness level that pulls the remarkable detail and colours together, because scarcely anywhere else have we seen such a solid looking picture overall. Of course, an impressive contrast level is also helpful, but overall we could barely find fault with detail levels, sharp edge handling or motion blur. This truly is a highly impressive performance when treated right and given the proper feeds. Finally, the sound reproduction is also topnotch. Knocking out both enough raw power to handle action movies right through to impressive details when asked to perform vocals (except if you happen to have Pop Idol on). Were still rather miffed that Hitachi didnt go the distance and create what could have been the perfect plasma. For the time being, its a fine performer as long as you have the other quality components to complete the jigsaw, but the lack of a high-def input is regrettable. So while we do love the 42PD5300, we cant help but think that most people would be better off with the 42PD5200 minus the media box. Scart splitters are relatively inexpensive, plus youll be getting extra component terminals thrown in too. WP

FEATURES

White balance adjust; audio presets; SRS trubass; on/off timer; screen saver; screen wipe; standby white; film mode; PAL comb filter; picture and sound presets; contrast mode adjust; noise reduction; chroma noise reduction; black enhancement; line transient improvement adjust; colour transient improvement adjust; teletext; autotuning Weight: 34.9 kg SOCKETS Three Scarts (two RGB); S-video input; S-video output; composite video input; composite video output; stereo audio input; stereo audio output; headphone jack; component video inputs; DVI output plus AV controller jack; RF input; centre channel line input; subwoofer output on screen CONTACT Hitachi www.hitachidigitalmedia.com TEST DATA Colour: excellent Geometry: excellent Frequency response: excellent Contrast: excellent

RATINGS

FOR Brilliant picture when given a good source; solid design, great value AGAINST Lack of hi-def for AV purists; poor pictures with low-quality sources PICTURE.####$ SOUND.####$ LOOKS.##### FEATURES.####$ EASE OF USE.####$ VALUE.####$ A good value set that really shines, particularly with digital sources

VERDICT ####$

WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV 23

0407HCC11 Hitachi 42in Plasma P

4/5/04

1:51 PM

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PlasmaTV
HITACHI PLATARA PURIST PLUS 42PD5300 N 3,500 (APPROX) N N www.hitachidigitalmedia.com

The odd couple

HITACHI ADDS AN EXTERNAL MULTIMEDIA BOX TO ONE OF ITS BEST PLASMA DISPLAYS SO WHY ISNT JOHN ARCHER COMPLETELY COCKAHOOP?
42PD5200. This screen built impressively on Hitachis award-winning previous plasma generation, living up to the rather high expectations raised by the cocky addition of the word Purist in its title. So were more than a little excited to have before us today the Platara Purist Plus 42PD5300, which adds an external multimedia tuner and switching box to the 42PD5200s all-in-one spec. Excellent Average
arly 2004, Hitachi topped a Home Cinema Choice plasma shoot-out with its Platara Purist
42PD5200, the 42PD5300s component jacks cant take high-definition signals. High-def isnt the only feature gone AWOL from the 42PD5300. Also missing are the 42PD5200s picture-in-picture tweaks (except in PC mode), split-screen picture freeze, a Panel Life Extension option that adjusts the contrast to extend panel life, and a Picture Inversion anti-screenburn measure. The culprit is the multimedia box. Disappointingly, this is essentially the same box shipped with Hitachis previous generation of plasma screens.

RATINGS

Highs: Picture with strong sources, design, price, sound Lows: No high-def compatibility; fewer features than on cheaper model, pictures with low-quality sources
Picture Sound Features Overall ####12 ### ###12 ####

Lab Report

The external multimedia box option Poor gets round the plasma dilemma of loads of wires straggling out of the bottom of the screen and overcomes the 42PD5200s only slight weakness a shortage of connections (especially Scarts). Aesthetically, the 42PD5300 screen is, unsurprisingly, no different to the 42PD5200. The ultra-slender, glassG G G fronted design is pure class. The external multimedia box is a bit ugly by comparison, though.
(Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) addresses the problem of dead picture lines in traditional plasma structure, thus illuminating picture segments that would otherwise be dark.

FEATURE PACKED

Even with these high-profile omissions, though, the 42PD5300s feature-count is decent. Particularly striking is its comprehensive suite of picture adjustments. Options available include a series of unusually well-judged presets for different types of source material colour transient improvement; contrast boosting; line transient improvement; chroma and luminance noise adjustments; and a Film Mode for tweaking the screens scanning to boost the presentation of DVD movies. Also worth a mention is the latest incarnation of ALiS. In short, ALiS
Colour Geometry Freq response Contrast

AGAINST THE GRAIN

Happily, the 42PD5300s pictures look every bit as accomplished as those of the 42PD5200 at least with high-quality sources. We have to stress this latter point because, with lower-rent fodder (effectively analogue tuner and VCR feeds), they arent that great, thanks to the appearance of grain and dot crawl. Give the 42PD5300 a decent, RGB-fed Sky Digital or progressive DVD source,

Compatibility

DVD DVD & DVB NTSC/PAL progressive High definition 720p High Definition 1080i

HCC Practical Tip

One of the biggest choices you may have to make when buying a plasma TV is whether to go for one with a built-in tuner and AV connections or one which uses an external AV box like this Hitachi. Usually, this simply boils down to simple questions of screen position and secondary AV kit. If you intend to wall-mount the display and have several picture sources you want to attach to it, an external AV box is usually best. If youre just going to use it on a stand like an ordinary TV but dont have much other kit to connect, you may be able to save money with a nonexternal box option. However, as this Hitachi remind us, you also need to find out if the only difference between a manufacturers built-in and external box screens is the number of inputs.

WELL CONNECTED

But what this box lacks in style, it makes up for in connection flexibility. Sort of The chief improvement is the provision of three Scarts rather than just one especially as two of them can take RGB. The multimedia box also retains a tuner jack, component video, S-video and composite video inputs, a 15-pin S-Sub PC input, plus S-video, composite video and DVI video outputs (the latter of which is used to connect the multimedia box to the screen). Its not all good news, though. The multimedia box curiously only has one set of component video inputs where the supposedly less hardcore 42PD5200 has two. Whats worse, unlike the

FEATURES

Specifications: white balance adjust; audio presets; SRS trubass; off timer; on timer; screen saver (picture mover); screen wipe; standby white; film mode; PAL comb filter; pic and sound presets; contrast mode adjust; noise reduction; chroma noise reduction; line transient improvement adjust; colour transient improvement adjust; black enhancement; teletext; 1,024 x 1,024 resolution (ALiS); autotuning Connections: Three Scarts (two RGB); S-video input; S-video output; composite video input; composite video output; stereo audio input; stereo audio output; headphone jack; component video inputs; DVI output plus AV controller jack; RF input; centre channel line input; subwoofer output on screen Dimensions (without speakers or stand): 1,030(w) x 636(h) x 91(d)mm Weight: 34.9kg
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J U LY

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Tried&Tested
Its picture is among the best currently to be found in the plasma firmament
though, and the screens talents suddenly burst forth. The noise disappears (except for a little residual grey dot crawl), leaving you free to revel in the screens strengths. The hottest of these is the sheer brightness and vibrancy. Critically, though, this brightness isnt achieved at the expense of unnatural colours or poor black level. Consequently, the picture is unusually deep, natural and solid-looking. Fine detail levels are superb, too, and backed up by impressive edge-handling that doesnt show a trace of ghosting, haloing, colour seepage or jaggedness. Also impressive is the lack of solarisation in the picture, and the general lack of dotty interference during camera pans.

The 42PD5300s sound rocks, too. The speakers have the sensitivity to deliver exceptional amounts of treble detail (important in painting a vivid, threedimensional soundstage) and the sheer power to handle impressive amounts of bass at high volumes. Your ears will have caved in long before the 42PD5300 starts to distort.
As expected, the 42PD5300 is a deeply attractive plasma TV. Its picture and sound quality are first-rate, it looks delicious, and its very affordable by plasma standards. And yet it comes close to being spoiled by Hitachis decision to partner its latest cutting-edge screen with a last-gen control box. The feature limitations this imposes arguably make the cheaper 42PD5200 the better bet for AV purists, given its extra set of component jacks, longer features list and high-definition compatibility. After all, if the 5200s lack of Scarts bothers you, you could always get a Scart adaptor and this wouldnt cost you anywhere near the 500 more that the 42PD5300 costs. I

SOUND AND VISION

With the right sources, the 42PD5300s picture is among the best currently to be found in the plasma firmament. And it might have impressed us even more if only it would have let us try high-definition video on it
The multimedia box adds a TV tuner and broad input flexibility
The remote is much like a regular TV handset
Composite, S-video, Scart and component are catered for
Theres no flash design on show, just clean, classy lines
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