Hitachi 42HDS69 Review

What the reviewers like:
Reviewers say that Hitachi 42HDS69 is one of the most feature-rich plasma TVs available, with picture-in-picture, CableCard compatibility and three HDMI inputs. The 1024 x 1080 pixel native resolution is higher than most 42-inch plasma TVs. Connectivity is better than with most other plasma TVs as well. The color is accurate, and the TV has a nice-looking frame. Furthermore, the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma TV is a good value.

What the reviewers don't like:
Reviews don't have too many complaints about the Hitachi 42HDS69. Black levels aren't quite as dark as competing plasma TVs and some tests say black levels tend to fluctuate with the image content. Other reviews say the green color spectrum is a little off.

Hitachi 42HDS69 review highlights

According to reviews, the Hitachi 42HDS69 42-inch plasma TV is one of the better choices in its size range. Strengths include great connectivity and a strong lineup of features. However, reviewers note several flaws that that make the picture quality of the Hitachi 42HDS69 merely good instead of great. The competing Pioneer PDP-4270HD (*est. $1,700) has better image quality, but costs more. The Panasonic TH-42PH9UK (*est. $960) also has great picture quality and costs less, but it doesn't have any tuners. Therefore, some reviewers conclude that the Hitachi is a good balance between the two.

We found the best professional review for the 42-inch Hitachi Ultravision 42HDS69 at CNet.com, which tests and compares more plasma TVs than any other website. Sound & Vision Magazine's review of the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma TV is long and detailed, with lots of technical information, but since plasma TV sets are not rated, there's no way to compare test results. The Hitachi 42HDS69 has also been tested by Consumer Reports, but this review is not as detailed. We found a lot of user feedback on the Hitachi 42HDS69 at Amazon.com, CircuitCity.com, Epinions and AVSForum.com

Also see full report: Plasma TV

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. CNet.com
Hitachi 42HDS69 Review
Kevin Miller
Sept. 14, 2006

In addition to this detailed and balanced review of the Hitachi 42DHS69, users are invited to leave their own comments. So far, nearly fifty owners have done so. So altogether, this article gives us the results of professional testing along with real-world evaluations from CNet.com readers.

2. Sound & Vision Magazine
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Hitachi 42HDS69 42-inch Plasma HDTV review
David Katzmaier
Oct. 2006

This review by David Katzmaier of the Hitachi 42HDS69 is long and detailed, yet it’s also an easy read. There's plenty of technical detail here for those interested in nuts and bolts, but not so much as to overwhelm more casual readers. Unfortunately, there's no comparison to other sets, so it’s hard to judge how the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma TV stacks up against the competition.

3. Consumer Reports
>> Details/Subscribe
Plasma TV Reviews
Editors of Consumer Reports
Feb. 2007

Consumer Reports regularly tests plasma HDTVs -- including the Hitachi 42HDS69. The testing is thorough, but the discussions are very short -- no more than a few sentences at best. There's a good accompanying article on plasma TV basics as well as a ratings chart. You must be a subscriber to read this report.

4. AVSForum.com
Plasma Flat Panel Displays
Contributors to AVSForum.com

This discussion site has lots of information for home-entertainment enthusiasts, including a forum dedicated to plasma TVs. You can find lots of mini-reviews here about the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma HDTV, covering topics such as specifications, features, problems, fixes and more. As with all forums, it takes some time to weed through all the comments.

5. CircuitCity.com
Hitachi 42
Contributors to CircuitCity.com

CircuitCity.com has tons of user feedback for the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma TV, including more than 200 ratings overall. The sheer volume of user reviews makes this site an excellent place to read about owner satisfaction and real-world performance of this Hitachi plasma TV.

6. Amazon.com
Hitachi Ultravision 42HDS69 reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

The Hitachi 42HDS69 is the subject of a couple of dozen owner-written reviews at Amazon.com. While there are some thoughtful comments here about the plasma TV itself, many of the negative comments revolve around service or delivery issues rather than performance.

7. Epinions
Hitachi 42HDS69 reviews
Contributors to Epinions

Epinions is not the best place to read user reviews of the Hitachi 42HDS69 plasma TV. There are currently too few reviews to give much of a user consensus. Try Amazon.com or CircuitCity.com instead.

Also see full report: Plasma TV