HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality was lacking. It did an excellent job displaying the finest detail of HD content. We did note some added edge enhancement processing, but it wasn't distracting. Color accuracy was acceptable, but below that of most models. Color temperature was moderately on the cool side, lending images a bluish tone. Contrast—the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites—was good, so images had depth and dimension. Depth of black level was below average, with darker scenes in particular looking hazy, with little contrast (though quality does degrade as you move to the sides - see viewing angle). This was among the brightest models we've tested (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a very sunny room. A lower backlight setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model did a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There was slight display non-uniformity that created brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. The deinterlacing and film mode operations were excellent on HD content; there was little or no trace of jaggies on the edges of objects for video and film-based 1080i video content, such as from cable.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Hitachi has a narrow viewing angle overall, below-average performance among TVs for this attribute. Only those seated directly in front of the screen will see the best picture quality. When we viewed the TV from the sides image quality degraded significantly. The picture showed a strong loss of color, so flesh tones looked very washed out. Black levels visibly brightened, reducing contrast especially on dark scenes. When viewing the image from above or below eye level to the screen, the vertical viewing angle was good. The picture showed some change in color, contrast, and black level.
4K UHD PICTURE QUALITY. 4K UHD picture quality is very good. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, showed generally very good detail when played back via the TV's HDMI input, but fell short of the better performers. For color, contrast and black level, the TV performs similarly to its HD picture quality.
MOTION BLUR. This Hitachi TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SCREEN REFLECTIVITY. Though not as mirror-like as on some models, this screen surface is glossy and therefore susceptible to reflections from a nearby lamp or window. It does a good job reducing glare from ambient light and maintains contrast in a brighter room environment.
SOUND QUALITY. This model has fair sound quality with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass was lacking as was treble detail, and the overall sound was thin and closed in. The speakers produced a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments and without obvious distortion. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. Hitachi's basic remote offers a traditional button keypad with high contrast labeling, but text is small and not so easy to read in a dimmer environment. It lacks the ability to add custom labels to different input sources. Consider the TV's stand is 44 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This TV does not provide access to the Internet via its "no" portal with access to a library of applications. Also provides support for no devices.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs—one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one "component/composite shared" input (which means you can only use one type or the other at a time) one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out. Analog connections are made via a special breakout cable adapter (included) that attaches to the TV as a single plug.
WHAT'S INCLUDED. A printed user manual. A quick start guide. A remote control with batteries. Breakout cable adapters (one component.). A detachable power cord.
ABOUT ULTRA HD TESTING: We test UHD picture quality using 4K movies, videos, photos, and test patterns to confirm these displays deliver performance to this format's full potential. We check the TV's ability to reproduce 4K image detail, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) for TVs that support this capability. Image quality is tested using a 4K movie player connected to the TV's HDMI input, as well as from files stored on flash drive plugged into the TV's USB port. We also check how well the TV can upscale HD movies to the display's higher UHD resolution while keeping artifacts such as "jaggies" along the edges of image content to a minimum. The best UHD TVs, and HDTVs, present high fidelity images that reveal the full quality of the best source content without degradation.
