TEST BENCH FOR WEB by David Katzmaier

Unless indicated otherwise, all tests were conducted with 1080i-format signals via the TV's HDMI input. Color temperature (Standard color temperature, Night mode before/after calibration) Low window (20-IRE): 6,398/6,505 K High window (80-IRE): 6,906/6,511 K Brightness (100-IRE window before/after calibration): 61.9/39 ftL

The Hitachi 42HDT52 performed well on the test bench. Its out-of-the-box color temperature came reasonably close to the standard of 6,500 K, measuring slightly red in the darkest areas near black, but overall was somewhat bluer than the ideal. Its grayscale tracking was quite linear, however, and after calibration the results were excellent: it came within a few kelvins of 6,500 K at most brightness levels and varied by an average of only 62 K from brightest to darkest. (Calibration needs to be performed by a qualified technician, so discuss it with your dealer before purchase, or contact the Imaging Science Foundation at imagingscience.com or 561-997-9073.)

Compared with many other plasmas, the Hitachi's peak brightness wasn't blinding, although it's capable of producing a bright enough image for any normal viewing situation. It maintained a consistent level of black with varying picture brightness and didn't "crush" or obscure details in dark areas as other areas of the image became brighter - a problem with some plasmas.

Multiburst resolution patterns revealed typical results for a panel of this horizontal resolution, but noticeable flicker intruded on still vertical resolution patterns with all sources via all inputs - likely a result of ALiS's interlaced scanning method and largely invisible on moving material. The 1080i sources appeared sharpest, and component-video sources were, as expected, slightly softer than HDMI, although the two inputs gave closer results than with many plasmas. Color decoding for standard-def sources via component video showed significant de-accentuation of green and minor de-accentuation of red, while high-def appeared more accurate, with only the green still under-saturated. No edge enhancement was visible via any input when sharpness was reduced to zero. Overscan was less than usual, measuring an average of 2.5%. Geometry and overall uniformity, as expected with any plasma, were superb.

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