After setup, the 43UWX10B produces a good picture, both with high-definition and NTSC sources. I turned off the automatic advanced scan-velocity modulation (ASVM), black-level expansion, and color-temperature selection to see what the raw picture looked like. I found the upconverted NTSC picture (to 540p or 1080i at 33.75 hertz) to be quite soft at about 450 to 460 lines of resolution. The digital 4MB 3-D Y/C comb filter works very well; I saw no dot crawl on the edges of vertical lines. This makes the picture look crisp, although I would've liked the set to have a little more resolution.

Hitachi has added several good engineering features to this display. Their Magic Focus automatic four-sensor digital convergence system does a good job. The red and green color-purity filters produce better color, while the display's video noise reduction and ASVM create a clearer picture. All of these features are great steps forward and do improve the picture quality.

Hitachi has added engineering features on the high-definition side, as well. The 43UWX10B uses high-brightness CRTs, which—believe me—are very bright. At full contrast, I measured a reading of 171 foot-lamberts, although there was some blooming (video distortion). So, if you want to watch the Super Bowl in your backyard, no problem. Under normal lighting conditions, there's plenty of light output for your needs. I would venture to say that, with this much light output, the CRTs will probably last the full 15- to 20-year life of the set.

The 43UWX10B also utilizes a five-element lens system that adds to the picture's brightness. Gray bars appear on the sides of the screen when you view 4:3 images to prevent the CRTs from burning-in on the sides because of the 43UWX10B's 16:9 aspect ratio.

The set's major downfall is its projection screen, which contains serious spotting and artifacts. When you view the display from four picture heights away, you can see the screen's edging and distortion. I think that the projected image elements are finer than this screen is capable of producing; perhaps a different screen could fix the problem. There are many different custom screens available to replace this one.

This HD display will produce scan rates of 1080i, 540p, 480p, and 480i, and it has 3:2 pulldown. There are four screen-fill modes: normal (4:3), full (16:9), fill (4:3 zoom), and smooth wide (4:3 expanded). The HD picture from the Sencore video HD streamer looked good, and the off-air signal from PBS's digital loop looked very good, considering the presence of screen anomalies.

With proper setup and the right placement, the 43-inch 43UWX10B is a good addition to an existing system or a good starting point for a high-def home theater in a smaller apartment or condo.

Highlights
• High-brightness CRTs
• Five-element lens system
• Digital convergence