Hitachi 42LDF30U LCD TV

keithwales

Full HD (1080p).
Integrated digital (Freeview).
42in (106cm) widescreen TV with 106cm visible screen size.
£429.99

This is in an Argos as a special at the mo. Looks really good to me. Have looked on AV forums for a review but none for that model.
Anybody know about this?

captainbeaker

the argos reviews are good, a little limited in the connectivity dept, 2 scarts and 2 HDMI slots, but for a fulld HD 42 inch under £430, that is a very good price.

pauldm

Yep Looks good. I too Googled the model number & found no info; maybes they're pulling that old trick the other mainstream retailers used to; in that they would state that if one could buy that model anywhere else for cheaper they would re-emburse the purchase price! The downside was that they got the manufactures to make models specific to that retailer. Say the retailer was called "Meteor" An "M" was added to the end of the product to make it unique to that store. One could buy that model from anywhere else! :rotfl:
I also tried Google shopping filter to compare the price from all retailers. The search responded with only one retailer> Argos. But I am not in any way attempting to say they are pulling that scam (they are not offering any false promises) perhaps thet are the first UK retailer to stock that model.
I was about to jump in & buy that TV; what with Chistmas :snow_laug on the way; when I researched just what the specification numbers actually mean. I went no further when I read that QUOTE
[from > Lcdtvbuyingguide.com

Note: Some audio-visual critics have observed that fixed-pixel displays tend to show their pixel structures at closer viewing distances, so one might notice a sandy texture to the screen when the set is viewed too close. This underscores the importance of maintaining an appropriate viewing distance between you and your LCD monitor when configuring your viewing area.
The right distance depends on the size of your TV:
For 20 to 27-inch displays, you should be able to watch comfortably from 2.5 to 5 feet away.
For 32 to 37-inch TVs, you should sit back 6 to 8 feet from the screen itself.
For 42 to 46-inch TVs, you'll need 10 to 14 feet between you and the screen.
50-inch LCD displays look best when viewed from 12 to 16 feet away.
______________________________________________________________
I would struggle to stay 10 to 14 feet away from a 42 inch TV in my living room. Maybe that’s why I've been unimpressed :think: with the picture quality at most TV cramped displays in the High street. I think for most modest UK sized livingrooms a 37 inch TV would give better quality viewing. These TVs are produced for the global market & I'm sure more suited to larger rooms over the pond. Your thoughts Y'all? Yee Hah! :money: First Post!

Inactive

Remember that Hitachi do not actually make any TV's these days, they are just re-badged stuff from cheap suppliers.

brewerdave

Important point that Pauldm makes about viewing distances;my sister in law has "upgraded" to 42" screen - the problem is that she only has a small sitting room, and I found that I was getting a headache/eyestrain trying to focus on such a large display from about 6 feet.
When I replace my current 32" set I won't be tempted to go any bigger than 37" as a result of that experience.

sevmccaig

i have the 32" version i bought from argos and i have to say its a pretty good tv. well worth the money

pauldm

I found a long discussion on the TV at hotdeals.com unfortunately as I'm a noobie on this forum I'm not allowed to post links. But if ones googles> "hotdeals Hitachi 42LDF30U" its the fist link found to the forum.
To summarize they say that "HITACHI is not the standard it was in the 70's ..... much more now in the BUSH/ALBA bracket, sadly."
Better option to pay anther £80 for a TV from a renowned supplier such as the Toshiba Regza 42AV635DB from Amazon.co.uk
Personally I'm going to check out John Lewis they're offering free 5 year guarantees on TVs

boristbear

I got this TV from Argos and it is very good value. I cannot imagine the average user wanting any more connectivity and I have no problem at all with the picture quality. Easy to wall mount, I cannot tell the difference between this picture and £1000+ LCD TVs. I would recommend, especially if you can still get for £429 delivered as I did.

There is one thing I'd like help with - when I turn it on the volume defaults to a reasonably high setting. It's not a major issue and even if this is not changeable I'd recommend the TV but I'm pretty sure there is a way to change it, it's just I can't work out how (and I have even read the manual!). So I'd like some help from anyone in the know. I'd like it to come back on at the last used volume or, if that's not possible, to lower the default volume.

Thank you kindly.

boristbear

boristbear wrote: »

I got this TV from Argos and it is very good value. I cannot imagine the average user wanting any more connectivity and I have no problem at all with the picture quality. Easy to wall mount, I cannot tell the difference between this picture and £1000+ LCD TVs. I would recommend, especially if you can still get for £429 delivered as I did.

There is one thing I'd like help with - when I turn it on the volume defaults to a reasonably high setting. It's not a major issue and even if this is not changeable I'd recommend the TV but I'm pretty sure there is a way to change it, it's just I can't work out how (and I have even read the manual!). So I'd like some help from anyone in the know. I'd like it to come back on at the last used volume or, if that's not possible, to lower the default volume.

Thank you kindly.

I’ve been searching the internet to see if I can change the default volume on the TV but all I find is my own post here! As said above I would still recommend the TV even if it is not possible to alter the default volume but it seems unlikely that it would not be possible to change it so if anyone does know how I change it I would be grateful to know how to do it.

Also I would have to dispute the comments on viewing distances above. It fine to view from any distance.

Capistan

Inactive wrote: »

Remember that Hitachi do not actually make any TV's these days, they are just re-badged stuff from cheap suppliers.

I got a 32" Hitachi from Comet, I though £350 wasa good price for a 1080 HD,
however I could have got 40" for £400.
However I only have a small room so this one is fine.
It has the same 'chip' inside as my parents 'unbranded' German TV, I am not to keen on the design of the remote control and menus for advanced functions but the picture is fab. It has loads of connectivity ports, I have used it as a computer monitor too!! :j

CSHANK

boristbear wrote: »

I’ve been searching the internet to see if I can change the default volume on the TV but all I find is my own post here! As said above I would still recommend the TV even if it is not possible to alter the default volume but it seems unlikely that it would not be possible to change it so if anyone does know how I change it I would be grateful to know how to do it.

Press "MENU" on remote
Scroll right to the audio settings.
Set the volume you require when the tv turns on
Scroll to Bottom highlite "Store"
press the OK button on the remote.