Great picture, great sound, auto-convergence works and good price (just under $2k)

the remote at 20 feet is very directional (not a biggy) an could use another set of rear inputs

DVDs at 20 feet are tough to watch! I needed a bigger picture and decided that digital TV is not in the stars yet.
I set my dollar limit to $2k. The Hitachi always looked good as did the Sony KP-53V80.
The Toshibas had inconsistent quality but good price.
The Sony has more inputs but not really flat on top (I need the surface for equipment).
After watching the set for over three weeks I could not be happier! Even NTSC signals (6:00 O'clock news and adds) looks great.

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move up from 1988 vintage 27" Sony XBR

Haven't seen any yet

Read review summary

Well bought this 53sbx01b 2 days after christmas. Waited a week to get it delivered and when it finally got here the delivery people told me to let it sit for a few hours before turning it on (because of the wintery conditions right now)so i did, matter of fact i let it sit for 4 hours got all geared up for the NFL play offs turned the set on did the cable set up watched about 4 minutes of the game and the dam thing shut off for a minute then came back on by itself
then shut down for good. Refuses to turn back on. So my ratings for this set will be poor hopefully when my new set ( wich will take me another week to get AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH)
will change the rating also noticed before she shut down that my pic in pic were not full screen had big wide gray bands both top and bottom my guess is this had a problem and they shipped it out anyway bad call on hitachi's part dont ya think??

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First RPTV

Picture , features, Noise Reduction Circuit, 3dYC Comb Filter (The BEST), Great Cable reception, great sound quality, 256 point auto convergence, easiest to work on by a technician, accurate colors , excellent resolution , awesome with DVDs, video games, ect, ect.
Has wheels, displays nicely, equalizer, built in surge protector.

Some screens may be warped due to heat depending on your area.
The built in screen protector is great for grubby hands but could have been made of better non warping plexiglass like that found on the Sony V series.
Screen shows glare as do all projection sets in heavily lit rooms.
My remote works great from any distance and any angle , I sit 15 feet away from my set.

VERY IMPORTANT,
Make sure you buy from a reputable dealer like SEARS, I was going to buy from Circuit city but they just have bad reputation.Although I did buy my 32 inch superflat Direct View Tv from them , and it is perfect to this day. I keep that in my bedroom. The reason why I reccomend Sears, my first set had a screen defect (warping in corners) nothing serious but I am anal about my TVs and My other big toys. I had the first set over a month but finally deciding a wanted to exhange it, Sears then sent a crew to pick up my first set and replace with a new set. The new set was perfect and I have not found 1 flaw with it to this day 7 months later. Everyone who sees my TV comments on how great the picture is. :ines are not visible from 8 feet away. The set is just awesome , but one from Sears, and hold your receipt, I guarantee that by the last week of the month, you will not be able to find one reason why you should send this set back. And if you do find a reason cosmetic, defective or otherwise, Sears will support your decision no matter what.

You can't go wrong with Sears, you might pay 100 bucks more but at least you will also have the flexibility to get your money back, your TV picked up at Sears expense and a no hassle policy that is unbeatable. Had I bought this set from Circuit or any other dealer, I am sure I would have been stuck with my first set which in my eyes had a defect in the screen no one else saw but me. Talk about customer service, SHOP SEARS and you will know you are protected.

So for the guy bashing the set, in the last review, use his experience and know that you are better off buying from a reputable dealer who backs their products and supports their customers.

Although there are many sets out there that are cheaper, side by side shows you why this set cost more than the others. Don't settle for lesser quality, this is not the most expensive set but you know you have definitely gotten you money's worth without giving any second thought to your decision.

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Panasonic, Sony , Proscan

Incredible picture

Awkward remote, excessively big on-screen menus

Comparison shopped for several weeks, looking for the best quality analog 50" - 55" TV I could find for $2,000 or less. Based on the picture quality and features, I felt the Hitachi 53SBX01B (number for the 2000 model)was head and shoulders above the others. Best price I could find was about $1,900 at Sears, until I happened to be at Circuit City one afternoon when they had opened an extra one by accident, thinking it was a digital model. Negotiated with the salesman and ended up getting it for $1,650. Would have felt better about Sears customer service, however, I basically ended up getting the 5 year warranty ($299) included for the Sears sale price.

The picture is simply incredible, even at relatively close distances, although you'd probably want to allow a minimum of 10' for normal viewing. Our non-digital cable looks better than I expected, but DVD's really look amazing. Unless a person is truly a "videophile" or is without a budget, I can't imagine how he/she could justify paying at least 50% more for a comparable size digital set.

The universal remote is somewhat awkward to get used to (large, unusual layout and cumbersome to hold), however, after using it for a couple weeks, I'm starting to get used to it. I had no problem setting it up to control my receiver, DVD and VCR. My only other negative comment is that most of the on-screen menus (for adjusting video, audio, etc.) appear on a gray background that covers up most of the screen. Not a big deal, but an annoyance.

I am very particular about buying electronics and other products and I think this an exceptional value for the money.

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None, first projection TV

Superior picture and sound.

None.

This is the set I have always wanted. Could not be happier. I use standard cable and the picture is still great.
Hitachi is well above all of its competitors.

Picture Quality, High Quality Projection Hardware

None so far

I love this set. I was worried because of the room layout I would only be 9 feet from the screen - less than the optimal distance of 10-18 feet. The salesman convinced me to try it and I could always return it. NO WAY ! With a brand new Toshiba DVD player connected via component video jacks the picture is amazing. On cable TV it depends on the channel...I will be looking into satellite, because I have seen how good the picture can be with DVD. With the built in Dolby Pro Logic surround sound (real, not simulated) you can add rear speakers and a sub woofer and get Pro Logic without a seperate receiver ! I'll upgrade to a Dolby Digital receiver later when the prices drop even more. I have a VCR and DVD and have enough jacks for one more input device. Circuit City was the only store in my area that had any left as it seems "everyone" is buying this set. Price has dropped below $2000 because of the new digital sets. Use the $1000+ price difference and buy DVD, RECEIVER, and other stuff and in a few years the digital sets will get much better and much cheaper !


I highly recommend this product.

Features, Picture Quality, Sound, Sub in/output

none

I bought this excellent tv from circuit city for $1999....
wanted the HDTV model but my funds were low so i bought this one.........Very pleased......Built-in screen protector....
automatic convergence.............

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Mitsu, RCA, Proscan

Great picture, excellent focus, great audio/video options, very good built-in sound

Remote input selection (have to cycle thru about 6 modes)

What can I add to all of these reviews. They are all bang-on. I sit about 10' away and the picture is great!

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panasonic

flawless picutre (as far as I can tell), awesome sound, different modes and features, nice styling

remote; on-screen menu is a bit clumsy

After extensive research (including the reviews here) I finally bought a big-screen TV. I didn't feel like paying 3k+ so I passed on HDTV, but I wanted hi-quality at a low price. In the 50-57" non-HDTV range, I don't think there is a better TV than this one. I have seen none of the problems that some here have mentioned. I am not an expert by any means, but so far the picture and sound has been absolutely flawless. And I took a risk (I suppose the risk is still there) in that I bought this "factory reconditioned". I have had good exp in past with factory reconned electronics and this has been no different. The unit looks and is performing flawlessly. From what I've seen on here I paid the lowest price yet at $1,420 including shipping (no sales tax). All of the sub-$1,500 big-screens I have seen in the stores are the junk Samsung or RCA type models that look lousy even in the store. I have only had the TV for 3 weeks now, but so far I have 0 complaints, other than that of my wife who can't drag me from this bad boy!

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none

excellent picture, easy to use remote.

Problems with pip and theater menu screen.

The TV has a phenomenal picture with a large viewing angle. I am having problems with the theater menu screen however, if someone could assist me I would greatly appreciate it. The menu screen does not show the other options on the left hand side. All i can choose from are the movie, sports, etc. modes. there is no matrix, dolby options. Also the equalizer does not appear and I have no control over speaker volumes (except for main volume). also my picture in picture displays the channel # but it does not show the other channel(land line cable). I apologize if I have overstepped the boundries of this forum, but I really believe that this si an excellent TV if I can figure out what I am doing wrong! thanks