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Consumers are up in arms over Hitachi’s decision to sell 1080i Plasma and LCD TVs as Full HD. Following our story last week when we revealed that Australia’s largest retailer had demanded TV manufacturers clarify their Full HD TVs after Hitachi was caught passing off 1080i TV as being Full HD, several consumers and resellers of TVs have contacted SmartHouse highly critical of Hitachi’s actions.
Many have phoned SmartHouse while others have written emails. See original story at:
http://www.smarthouse.com.au/TVs_And_Large_Display/Industry/D3K2C3V7
Erik Hermo wrote: “It is not full HD at 1080i. As the owner of a PS3, I am looking for a TV that can show 1080p. I will not be buying any Hitachi product for a long time. Full HD should mean 1080p. End of story”.
Jason Cosgrove the owner of an Hitachi projector wrote: “Your article is spot on, shame on Hitachi for trying to defend such blatant misleading information anyone who knows anything about HD knows that 1080p is commonly regarded as full HD, 1080i is no better that 720p for picture quality, the fact that they are trying to defend it and stop you from reporting on their status shows just how unscrupulous they are. My Hitachi projector will now be my last Hitachi purchase in support of this article”.
John Braggins National Business Development Manager for HPM wrote: “Hitachi management have obviously thrown their toys out of the cot over recent Smarthouse reporting. Their overseas owners should seriously question their actions – they have taken quite an arrogant approach in response with their damage control, which, I am sure, their competitors are laughing about around the water cooler this morning. Hitachi have obviously lost the plot, and are keen to fling the mud around, rather than work towards solving their own business crisis”.
“As a layman to this HDTV issue (my bag is lighting technology), I am reading with interest, and discovering that perhaps the industry, rather than a particular supplier is confused on what defines HD”.
He added: “I don’t believe the industry will ever have the courage to define it too clearly though. Flat panel market demand, and the aggressive pricing strategies employed over the past two years globally means manufacturers will never kill off, by definition, the 1080i format, as this is their get-out-of-jail range solution for the big boys for when this industry hits the wall.
I also now wonder, when a manufacturer market their sets as “HD ready”, as they do in the New Zealand market, what does this mean? Sure that 1080i is HD-capable, but is this really any better a picture than the progressive scan formats of CRT screens? The layman’s expectation of HD broadcast is to view the best possible visual results – not just be capable of receiving the signal”
Top quality viewing for me is not watching the telly, but viewing as if through an open window to what is beyond.
Tony Murphy of Melbourne wrote: “When one walks into the likes of Harvey Norman or JB HiFi one expects that the information one is provided is accurate. This is why we have consumer protection laws. 1080p is Full HD, 1080i is not and to present it as being the Full HD is blatantly wrong”.
He added: “Today TV technology is complicated at the best of time and what Hitachi is doing is playing on the lack of knowledge among consumers to sell them a TV that will not deliver a full HD or 1080p picture from a Blu ray or HD DVD player. What we need is legislation or a standard to fix this problem. Good on Harvey Norman for being pro-active”.
“I whole-heartedly agree with your position that Hitachi should NOT be marketing their flat panels as Full HD.
By doing so, they are attempting to fool consumers who do not fully understand the difference between 1080i and 1080p (which unfortunately is the majority of consumers) into thinking that when they purchase an Hitachi flat panel they are getting the highest picture quality available”.
Congratulations on bringing this to light.
Mark Whittard, Toshiba Australia’s information systems division general manager said “Full HD is 1080p. Two weeks ago we got a letter from Harvey Norman on this issue and we responded. We identified the Toshiba models that are 1080p.”
Toshiba which also own the patents to HD DVD also confirmed that their understanding of the issue is clear and that is that Full HD is 1080p and not 1080i as claimed by Hitachi.
SmartHouse has not received one email or telephone call supportive of Hitachi.
