Hitachi 57SWX20B for $2600 is it a good price?

[HDTVnewbie]

hi this is my first time here (hdtvnewbie) lol

i've been looking for an hdtv for months now and finally i believe i've found my new hdtv set, but im not sure its the best price.

are there any other places that is cheaper?

so far i've been looking at:

sony KP-57WS500

toshiba 57HDX82

but none of them support all these formats 1080i, 720p, 540p, 480p, 480i, 1280 lines except for hitachi.

$2600+$125 tax=$2725 is it worth it? and should i buy a extended warranty plan?

thanks for looking

[57U]

Welcome to the forum. The Hitachi you are looking at is certainly an excellent set. I have a couple of clarifications regarding your format statement, just so you'll be clear.

1. The Hitachi will "accept" 720P, but the signals will be upconverted to 1080i. There are only a handful of RPTVs that actually display (natively) in 720P and I believe they all have 9" guns and are quite expensive.

2. The numbers you gave are vertical "scan lines/formats", except for the last number - 1280. This number is the maximum horizontal "resolution" of this set.

Since it appears you're close to having a new HDTV, check out the FAQ section, 6th one down on the home page, especially the post "What you need to do to your new HDTV".

[HDTVnewbie]

thanks 57u ..great site you got here. i should've found this site earlier (i would have my hdtv by now =) ) anyhow since i read your FAQ forum i now considering a 51swx20b since my living room is only 15 feets long.

thanks for the headup 57u

[Taco]

15' should be fine for a 57". If you're viewing the full length, then your distance may be in the 10-12' range (given the depth of the set and your chair). Don't short change yourself now, and then kick yourself later for not buying bigger. You will get used to the big size, even if it seems too large at first.

[goodrich]

you paid $100 less than i did. i have a 57swx20b and i sit a little more than 10' from the screen and it's fine. i bought the extended warranty because everything i buy turns to crap.

[kook]

May I ask where you are getting that price from? I'm going to stick with a local outfit - be it Circuit City, Sears, or whatever. The ALL seem to be stuck at $2999 for this model (which is one of the ones I am seriously considering).

[goodrich]

I got that price at CC. Don't let them bullshit you into thinking they won't move on that price, there is a huge markup on those sets. All i did was go back and forth between CC and sears until they got sick of seeing me. I told them i wanted the tv, warranty, delivery, componet cables, (2) dvd players...one was mom's gift, and i wanted it all added up and 10% taken off. just tell them that's what the other store is prepaired to give you but that you like their warranty better because yada, yada, yada....get the picture? They work on commission so greed should take over quickly when you call their bluff. Most of the time this works but if it does'nt then try going back to the store when that particular salesman is off for the day. There is no reason to pay sticker price for this tv!! Let me know what happens....good luck!

[kook]

LOL - I'm not the best BS'r, but I'm game for it. :D

[Sketch]

That's basically what I got mine for too... at Circuit City. After reading these posts I probably should have fought for more of a discount but oh well.. I just wanted the new set and didn't want to deal with it.

I got the 4 year plan - I did get the guy to give me a break on that... I think I got the 4 yr for price of 2 or something like that.

I would say YES - get the warranty. For this much money, it's worth the peace of mind. And, at the very least, you can have a guy come out and align/clean whenever you need.

[JBalz]

After price shopping for the 57swx, I too paid right at your price. I have had my TV for a little over two months and I couldn't be happier.

On a side note I just had my set ISF Calibrated and the colors seem to be much truer. The tech came out and spent about 3 hours calibrating using a test pattern generator, along with a color comparator. What was found, was from the factory the Red and Blue guns were very active while the Green gun was barely being used. Using the color comparator the tech dialed in the color temparture for the Reds, Greens, and Blues.

I do not consider myself a Videophile, but I found Calibrating my set to be an educational experience. The tech pointed out things I generally wouldn't have seen, and the differences made, even though they might seem small, has enhanced the color quality of my set.

ISF Calibration might not be for everyone, but having spent a few grand on my 57swx, a few extra bones to make sure my TV was calibrated to a standard has been worthwhile to me.

[goodrich]

i was thinking of getting my set calibrated but i was wondering if the cost was worth it. i just got TWC HD the day before the superbowl so that was the first time i watched HD through the set in my living room. i don't see how the tv could look any better than it did when i watched the game...it was incredible! i wish i knew exactly what the difference would be before i spend the money. i have nothing to compare it with. i think i would like to see how much it would change the PQ on the DVD player. some DVD's look to dark and some have the red push everybody talks about. i have a few phone numbers to some well known calibrators so i think i'm going to call and ask some questions before i make any decisions. CC said i could get one of their techs out and have them do some calibration but i don't know if i trust their experience. it's covered by the extended warranty as long as you say that you're NOT SATISFIED with the picture and not "hey i need a calibrator to tweak my set". thanks for the info on the calibration...it's hard to find some one that has my same set and has had it calibrated. i'll let everyone know what happens.

[JBalz]

In having my set calibrated it started as a "peace of mind " issue. But once I started researching and asking questions, every home theater company I talked to said you should always have your set calibrated to get the best color quality out of your set. This may have been a sales technique, but the publications that graded the Hitachi' s also started with calibrated tv's.

The calibrator that worked on my set said the biggest misconception people have, is that the calibration would improve the picture quality. While it will improve the color quality, picture quality is dependent on the source.... cable, Sat etc. The calibrator can also remove some artifacts in the set as well. The biggest issue is that the color is set to a standard reference. Overall the calibrator I worked with was impressed with the 57swx20. He mentioned that the color processor was "spot on" and processing correctly.

After calibration I can see the difference......

Here's a link I found very informative:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/thread?forumid=213962&messageid=1036344035&lp=1043809861

The link to find a ISF certified calibrator is:

http://www.imagingscience.com/isf-trained.cfm

As I mentioned I'm not a true Videophile, but just a guy trying to get the most out of my 57swx.

I hope this helps.

[DavePL]

I strongly agree with the advice to get your set calibrated. I would add that everything I've read in this forum and others suggests that you wait til you've got at least 100 hrs of use on it.

[Far Side]

So I guess new buyers should tack on $500 to the price tag of their new HD's for calibration.? Perhaps the sellers should offer free or reduced calibration as a selling tool?

So, that's 20% of the purchase price of a $2,500 set. That's like buying a $150K Ferrari 360 and doing a $30,000 500-mile maintenance!

I hear all of you on the tech benefits of calibration but the economics of this is very wrong... even to be on the bleeding edge. Something is not right with this equation.

[57U]

Far Side, Cars need PDI (predelivery and inspection) as well as tune-ups/maintenance.

Think of HDTV "set ups" as the PDI you pay for on your car, except it's "post" delivery on your TV to optimize the setup for your home.

Also, performing the occasional setup with a calibration DVD is like a car "tune-up". (I know cars don't need tuneups like they used to, but regular maintenance is appropriate, as it is for your TV.)

You don't need to get your set professionally callibrated if you perform the setup yourself with a setup DVD. You can get "most of the way" to a good setup with a small investment in time and money. Even if you just get rid of "torch mode", as recommended in the FAQ "what you need to do to your new HDTV".