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GROUP TEST

HITACHI 55PMA550E

he 55PMA550 easily catches the eye with its looks. Super-sized screens commonly look as dull as dishwater, but this Hitachi glories in a stunning ultra-glossy black screen surround sumptuously offset by silver trim and features. Unexpectedly its connections include a Scart socket; theres only one and it isnt joined by a tuner input. As well as the solitary Scart, theres two sets of component video inputs (able to handle high def and prog scan signals), a movie and computer-friendly DVI jack, plus composite, S-video and PC VGA options. In terms of cutting edge technology, it uses Hitachis new e-ALiS system. Based on Hitachis original ALiS technology, which discharges the electrodes in the plasma panel more efficiently to boost brightness and definition. In addition, e-ALiS uses progressive scan to illuminate pixels, rather than the old interlaced method.

THE FLAT FACTS

I 55IN 16:9 PLASMA TV I 7,000 I RESOLUTION 1,366 x 768 I DIMENSIONS W: 1,394 H: 857 D: 105 (mm) I SPEAKERS: OPTIONAL (300) I TV TUNER: NO I SCARTS: 1 (1 RGB)

Performance.

Given that the 55PMA550 is Hitachis first attempt at a truly giant screen, we hadnt really expected it to live up to the already impressively high standards of its smaller sets. But, the exciting truth is that it is in fact even BETTER! Its most amazing achievements are the vitality and naturalism of colours. The picture looks fantastically rich and vibrant, yet at no point does even the trickiest of skin tones look anything less than sublimely believable. The 55PMA550 also boasts first-class contrast, actually resolving a level of black that makes the quoted contrast ratio figure of 900:1 look pretty pessimistic. Whats particularly impressive about this contrast performance is that its achieved without sacrificing anything in the way of brightness. In fact, the 55PMA550 is blisteringly bright by large-screen standards. Nor does the 55PMA550 fail when it comes to resolving fine detail. Its pictures are sensationally sharp and textured and theres not even the slightest trace of grain visible. Dot crawl is at a minimum too, not least because it suppresses those common plasma problems of colour banding, fizziness over horizontal motion, and grey pixel noise. Some of the strengths are only achieved with high quality sources, namely high definition and progressive scan some low-quality Sky broadcasts and most composite feeds look far less impressive but if youre going to buy a screen like this youre not going to then feed it a dodgy source, are you? The speakers we used are optional extras (which will set you back a further 300), but if youre not using the screen with an external sound system theyre worth considering, since they surprised us with an impressive show of power and an almost hi-fi standard dynamic range. With this mammoth 55in screen, Hitachi has struck plasma gold yet again. In fact, especially once youve taken its price into account, we reckon the 55PMA550E is one of the finest super-sized plasma screen weve yet seen from anyone, and thats not bad going, is it? WP0

ISSUE 4

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MAKE MODEL:

SPECIFICATIONS

Screen size: Resolution: Dimensions(w xh xd): Speakers: TV Tuner: Price: Tel: Web:

Fujitsu P55XHA30

55in 1,366 x 768 1,378 x 810 x 123mm No No 7,www.fujitsu-general.co.uk

Hitachi 55PMA550E

55in 1,366 x 768 1,394 x 857 x 105mm Optional (300) No 7,www.hitachidigitalmedia.co.uk

Samsung PS50P3HX

50in 1,024 x 768 1,210 x 724 x 98mm No Yes 6,www.samsungelectronics.co.uk

Pioneer PDP-504HDE

50in 1,024 x 768 1,270 x 737 x 98mm Yes Yes 6,www.pioneer.co.uk

FEATURES

Contrast ratio: Brightness ratio: Progressivescancompatible: High definition compatible: 900:1 1,000cd/m2 Yes Yes 900:1 1,000cd/m2 Yes Yes 1,000:1 1,100cd/m2 Yes Yes 1,100:1 1,000cd/m2 Yes Yes

CONNECTIONS

Scarts HDMI input: DVI-Dinput: D-Sub input: 1 (1 RGB) No Yes Yes 1 (1 RGB) No Yes Yes 2 (1 RGB) No Yes No 3 (2 RGB) Yes No No

VERDICT

Picture: Sound: Looks: Features: Ease of use: Value:

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OVERALL

And the winner is. Pioneer PDP-504HDE
rdinarily separating the screens in a group test like this requires a photo finish, so close are the results. This test resulted in two screens streaking ahead of the pack, although in the end the decision to choose one over the other wasnt that tricky. The clue appears at the end of the review where we quite clearly state that we Absolutely LOVE this screen going on to proclaim it as currently one of the most downright desirable plasma TVs on the planet. Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the 50in+ round-up is Pioneers PDP-504HDE. Having already shown signs of early promise with its PDP-434HDE TV in the past, we were expecting big things from the 504 and we were not disappointed. The impressive feature list, flexible selection of sockets and beautiful styling are only matched by the screens simply breath-taking performance. Perhaps the most immediate charm of the
PDP-504HDE is the naturalism of images. Colours are devastatingly vibrant and solid, fine details are about as accurate as it is possible to get and theres nothing in the way of video noise or interference. In case you havent already guessed, we think its a bit of alright. When it comes to the also-rans, Hitachis 55PMA550E comfortably romps into second place with a performance that sets it apart from the Fujitsu and Samsung offerings. Despite also offering a performance that has to be seen to be truly appreciated, the screen is let down more by what it doesnt offer than by what it does. The lack of tuner and stingy offering of only one Scart come as a major let down. The Samsung and Fujitsu, meanwhile come quite close with the Sammys TV tuner and cheaper price just giving it the edge. Both have their failings, in the Samsung case its the colour reproduction that disappoints, while the Fujitsu suffers from an overly soft image.

96 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

ISSUE 5

0410HCC06 Hitachi 55PMA550*P_v1

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PlasmaTV
HITACHI 55PMA550 N 6,000 (APPROX) N 760 N www.hitachidigitalmedia.co.uk
Hitachi king-size takes plasma throne
Hitachi makes king-sized plasmas more affordable with its 55in 55PMA550 but will it have John Archer raiding his piggy bank?

RATINGS

Highs: Picture, sound, looks, price Lows: Only one Scart; not especially forgiving of poor sources
lthough we couldn't nail a precise price down due to its unavailability for sale at
D-Sub PC input and DVI digital options. The DVI jack is HDCP compatible, ensuring full compatibility with DVIcarrying DVD players. Despite forcing you to use a bizarrely low-rent remote control, the 55PMA550 provides a foolproof operating system, even though it's stuffed to the rafters with features When it comes to pictures, you can choose from several presets, as well as toying with three contrast modes, standard noise reduction, colour noise reduction, a Film Mode that adjusts movie playback to make it smoother, a PAL comb filter for reducing noise on composite feeds, line transient and colour transient improvers for enhancing general picture and colour sharpness, a black level booster, and individual adjustments of the red, green and blue picture elements Phew! More utilitarian features include picture-in-picture facilities and a number of anti-screenburn measures. Despite the grand size, this screen enjoys a fan-less design, so theres no distracting noise when it powers up.
Picture Sound Features OVERALL
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the time of writing, it appears that the maximum Hitachi's new 55in 55PMA550 plasma TV will cost is 6,000. This makes it a genuine super-sized screen that can be yours for the same money as many 50in plasma screens. Traditionally, plasmas bigger than 50in carried five-figure price tags partly because of inherent difficulties in manufacturing panels so large, and partly because of a lack of mass production economies of scale. On paper, then, the 55PMA550 is a seriously attractive proposition. Hitachi certainly hasn't skimped on the 55PMA550's looks it's gorgeous. Excellent Average

All natural

It's clear that Hitachi hasn't skimped on features to keep the 55PMA550's price low. And it turns out that it hasn't skimped on picture quality either. The first thing that strikes you is the exceptional naturalism of the colour tone. If anything I felt that the 55PMA550's colours, particularly when it comes to skin tones, are more natural than those of Hitachi's current smaller screens! The firm quotes 16.77million possible colour combinations. The fact that the 55PMA550 also boasts an excellent black level response does the colours no harm. Hitachi specifies a contrast of 900:1. Our Highbury Tech Labs rate the real world contrast of the panel at 190:1. The lustre to dark scenes also made us appreciate how unexpectedly bright the picture is for such a large screen a claimed 1,000cd/m2. Unlike previous Hitachi screens, this model uses e-ALiS technology (Extended

LAB REPORT

Colour Geometry Contrast Frequency response Colour temperature (pre-calibration, low setting) (post-calibration) Luminance (pre-calibration) (post-calibration) Contrast ratio (pre-calibration) (post-calibration)

The application of a glass-fronted jetPoor black screen surround offset by silver trim isn't exactly original; Panasonic, JVC and Pioneer have adopted similar looks. But there's something about the sheer scale of the design applied to the 55in screen that makes your heart beat faster. The screen's connectivity is also impressive thanks to the free inclusion of a video board, which equips the 55PMA550 with an RGB Scart socket, two sets of component video inputs and composite and S-video alternatives if you are not able to access the higher quality connections. There's no tuner input,
9330K 6630K 11.8fL 12.4fL 185:1 190:1

FEATURES

Specifications: 55in plasma TV; e-ALiS processing; Film Mode; YNR; CNR; LTI; CTI; black level boost; contrast mode; Matrix surround option; screen wipe and rotation screensavers; on/off timers; multiple aspect ratios; Picture and sound presets; PAL comb filter; auto colour system; colour decoding; SRS Trubass; Perfect volume; 1,000cd/m2 brightness; 900:1 contrast; 1,366 x 768 native resolution; HD and progressive scan compatibility; picture-in-picture; freeze picture Connections: DVI input; D-Sub 15-pin input; RGB Scart; two component video inputs (one RGB); three stereo audio inputs; two PC audio inputs; subwoofer output; three composite video inputs; one S-video input Dimensions: 1,394(w) x 857(h) x 105(d)mm Weight: 63.5kg

SIGNAL COMPATIBILITY

DVD (NTSC) 480i DVD & DVB (PAL) 576i NTSC/PAL progressive 480p/576p High definition 720p High definition 1080i G G G G G
though maybe the thought of a dodgy analogue source appearing on its lovely screen was just too much for Hitachi to bear! The 55PMA550 also sports a 15-pin
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Tried&Tested
The 55PMA550 offers a level of picture refinement thats at the top of its game
Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) a progressive display method developed for 50in and larger screens which illuminates all the pixels in the panel simultaneously. The 55PMA550 also has a prodigious fine detail response. This, together with the black level talent, ensures lots of texture and depth to its images. Remarkably, the impressive fine detail is achieved without generating any serious grain or dot crawl issues either; the panel driver also suppresses green/grey dot crawl and colour banding. These achievements are rendered more impressive by the fact that they're achieved on a screen as large as this. However, the sheer size of the screen can catch the 55PMA550 out with low-quality sources. With relatively low bitrate digital broadcasts, for instance, the screen can emphasise the artefacts inherent to the broadcast. Noise in the picture also

increases exponentially with a composite feed. However, if you're careful with your setup, you can keep these sourcedependent issues under control. Finally, it cannot be overstated just how cracking a job the 55PMA550 does with progressive scan DVD or highdefinition sources they look breathtaking. There may have been controversy over the pros and cons of the original, interlaced ALiS panels, but theres no doubt that Hitachi has sidestepped the argument here. The optional (250-300) speakers turn out to be more than mere side dishes to the main picture feast. They've got a wider frequency response than their slender dimensions lead me to expect,
combining a mid-range with the sort of well-rounded treble details that separate the very good from the average. If it's audio tweaks you're after, the 55PMA550 offers a number of presets, plus SRS TruBass, Matrix Surround and an excitingly named Perfect Sound feature, which turns out to be an auto volume leveller.

Conclusion

Hitachis 55PMA550 is more than just a super-sized plasma at a great price. Its a screen of genuine sophistication, offering a level of picture refinement thats at the top of its game. Actually, Id venture to say this is Hitachis best plasma yet, and Id urge everyone to try and track down a demo. This king-sized set is royalty I
The AV connections are found at the bottom of the panel
A truly uninspiring remote belies the great aesthetics of the set
The glass-fronted screen may not be original, but it looks great
You can also use the Hitachi panel as a giant PC monitor
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