Hitachi UT37X902 Review

Model: Hitachi UT37X902 37" Ultrathin HD Monitor
Reviewer: Jack Burden
Date: July 2008

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INTRODUCTION

First off, KUDOS to Hitachi for bringing a 1.5" television to the marketplace! There were many superthin LCD and Plasma televisions on display at CES 2008, but Hitachi is the first manufacturer to deliver on the promise. This is the first ever review of one of these super thin LCDs and we were glad to have first crack. Certainly, there was a lot of engineering that went into producing this TV. Some of the engineering challenges were overcome while others may have proved daunting. For instance, there is only one HDMI input included as the sole input port for video sources. Other challenges were apparent with audio output capability, and some input source sync issues. On the flip side, Hitachi has managed to produce this unit with a high quality LCD panel with good viewing angles, excellent video processing.

PICTURE QUALITY RATINGS: 86/100

Test Viewing Distance: 10 feet

Benchmark Picture Testing: We derived mixed result from this LCD on benchmark tests. During the Video Resolution Loss test the LCD performed well with one vertical box shimmying. The TV also did a very good job during diagonal filter testing showing very little stair stepping effect even around the horizontal axis. And it was exceptionally competent in HD noise testing with little to no background noise. However, film resolution loss testing revealed dithering motion in boxes 1,2, and 5 or 60% of available test material in both horizontal and vertical test patterns. This weakness was also revealed in the recent Blu Ray release of Benchwarmers – as the ballpark fence in the background flashed with a strobing effect.

HD sources on the UT37X902 appeared crisp and clean

720p/1080i/1080p High Definition Picture Quality: HD sources on the UT37X902 appeared crisp and clean as the internal processing of the LCD got out of the way of high end source signals. Color information was plenty vibrant but leaned too much to yellow/green tones – causing problems with flesh tones reproduction. Blues also took on an unnatural violet tone at times. Dark matter detailing was muddy at times as blacks become oversaturated and the backlight seems to have a hard time producing subtle light conditions – especially from film sources. There were sync issues with this LCD. At times the Hitachi would not display an image from or test sources – displaying the message NO SYNC. This issue was overcome by turning off both the monitor and the input source then turning on the monitor first, then the input source. It's a quirk worth mentioning and might cause the user some annoyance.