Toshiba or Hitachi

[ayou]

I am new to this site and just want to say it's got tons of useful info. So here is my question:

I am a newbie looking to get into a HD set. Narrowed down to the Toshiba 50H81 or H82 and the Hitachi 51UWX20B.

Are there any current owners out there that has an opinion on either of these models? Which one of these models has a better anti-glare screen? Which one renders DTV signal better? It looks like they are both available at Sears so I plan to scour the internet for the lowest price and see if they will do a price match.

BTW, Circuit City also offers in-home delivery and free pick ups. Has anyone had any problems with them or how do their service compare to Sears?

Thanks in advance, Allen

[57U]

ayou, welcome to the forum. You may wish to check out --> This Thread (http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1343) if you haven't done so already.

This thread lists a couple of features that TVs have or don't have. I understand that the Toshibas do not have direct access to the various inputs (requires more than one button push).

I also believe that the Toshiba does not "remember" the aspect mode for the input. For example you may want your DVD input to usually be "full" stretch mode, while your antenna input be in "smooth stretch". My understanding is that Toshiba keeps the aspect ratio you are currently watching when switching inputs, rather than switching inputs and aspects. This can be frustrating because not only do you need to press at least two buttons to change inputs, but you then have to press two more buttons to change the aspect. With the Hitachi, this is one button (direct access to the input and the input remembers the last aspect ratio it was on)

I am in no way trying to denigrate the Toshibas - it's simply another way of operating that frustrates some users, who switch inputs a lot. This feature may be totally meaningless to you...

Some "gamers" are frustrated if the set does not have 720P input, etc... Check out the features and remember, no TV is perfect.

I believe that the glare from the Hitachi will be more noticable. I believe the next model up (G?) has a better anti glare screen?

Good Hunting...


You may wish to check out the other posts in FAQ section (6th one down on the home page).