Mitsubishi 55-inch Widescreen TV
September 2002
Big And Easy
By Grant Clauser
Televisions are tricky things, and good ones can be the trickiest of all. However, some TV manufacturers have figured out that people want great performance, but don't want to have to work too hard for it. Mitsubishi has met this challenge of making an easy-to-use TV that also is easy to enjoy.
The TV reviewed for this issue comes from Mitsubishi's new Gold Plus line. In terms of features and price, it falls exactly in the middle of the company's product lineup. At $3,199, it is certainly not the cheapest rear-projection, high-definition monitor on the market—Mitsubishi uses the term HD-upgradeable—nor is it the most expensive. But it has features not found on some manufacturers' top lines; most notable is the System 4 Home Theater Control, which makes this TV work with existing A/V devices for easier integration.
My first impression of the WS-55411 was that the TV was solidly, but elegantly, designed. The diagonal lines and subtle speaker cloth on the front, plus the sturdy finish on the sides and top of the TV, deviate from the hastily built look of many of today's televisions. This TV, like all those in Mitsubishi's line, is a debonair, flat-finished black. It doesn't aim for the flashy modern silver look that many manufacturers have adopted. I was also pleased to find a full-sized shelf/platform on top of the TV. Many rear-projection TVs are trying to appear slimmer by sloping back from the top and cutting shelf space to just a few inches. That may look good in a showroom, but at home, you're faced with finding a place for your center speaker and set-top boxes.
Mitsubishi is quite generous with inputs available on the back of the television. The rear panel includes two sets of composite A/V inputs, two S-video inputs, two antenna inputs and three component inputs. All three component inputs accept progressive-scan DVD players or high-definition set-top boxes which use component outputs. The input labeled "DTV" also has jacks for the horizontal and vertical signals, or can be configured for RGB sync-on-green signals. All that gives you a huge amount of versatility in hooking up your equipment. You could use one component adapter for your HDTV receiver, one for your DVD player and the third for JVC's high-definition D-Theater VCR, or a Microsoft X-Box. I would have liked a third S-video input, but that's being picky. In addition to all those audio and video inputs, you'll find two IR (infrared) emitter repeater inputs. With included IR repeater cables, these jacks allow you to control other pieces of equipment in your A/V system with one remote by transferring the IR signal from your TV into another device.
The front of the TV gives you easy access to the basic functions: volume, power and channel, plus an input button and an A/V reset button. This last button is a bit frightening to see so easily accessible, as pressing it resets all the audio and video settings for the entire television. (Keep small, curious hands away from this button!) You'll find typical A/V composite and S-video inputs, but no headphone jack.
Turning on the TV brings you to a set-up mode, which allows you to easily identify all inputs used, make a few adjustments and scan your cable or antenna for available channels. This process is simple, actually, it is a little easier than the same process used with the Loewe TV also reviewed in this issue. The remote can be configured to control other components by entering the device codes listed inside the owner's manual. In fact, a number of the most common codes are printed on the backside of the remote itself—a nice touch. If you want to use the System 4 feature, you must connect the IR emitter cables to the TV, then place them underneath or in front of the component you want to control. You can then place those devices out of sight. Use either the original remote or the TV's programmed remote to control a hidden device, because the IR signal is passed through the TV's IR receiver into the emitter cable, which triggers that device. It's a simple idea, but very practical. System 4 can also automatically switch your TV's video inputs and your receiver's audio inputs by simply switching the remote from TV mode to DVD etc., which means less button pushing.
Tweaking the picture settings of this TV takes little effort. First, you'll want to check the convergence, as the three 7-inch CRTs may need different alignment in your home from that required in the factory. For quick convergence, there's a single point option, but you can fine-tune that at 64 points if you want to be really accurate. There is no auto- or one-button convergence found on televisions from Hitachi, Toshiba and others.
To evaluate the picture, I set the color temperature to low rather than medium, because the owner's manual stated that the low setting matched the 6,500 K standard. (Usually the medium or warm setting is 6,500 K.) I made sure the black-level enhancement and film mode (for 3:2 pulldown) were set to on, and that the velocity-scan modulation, which can add false edges to some images, was turned off. All of the standard settings (contrast, brightness, sharpness, tint and color) can be accessed by pressing the video button on the remote. This is a nice feature because it frees you from having to jump through several onscreen menus. Using a Sencore video signal generator and a test-pattern DVD, I adjusted the video setting for a few of the inputs. The adjustments are saved in separate memories for each input—another nice feature.
The picture of both DVDs and an HDTV tuner looked fantastic. The front-surface mirrors and Quad Field Focus CRT system provided a sharp, detailed picture. Movies were strikingly smooth, with no noise or rough edges. The HDTV images, brought in with a Samsung HD tuner and a Zenith Silver Sensor (an extraordinary and inexpensive indoor antenna), were particularly compelling. A local PBS station was running a high-definition demonstration loop; close-up shots of flowers and animals exhibited a realism with which conventional TV can't compare.
What is this TV missing? For starters, it doesn't include either of the two new digital video inputs, FireWire or DVI. Mitsubishi supports FireWire, but only on its Platinum series and above lines, which are all integrated HDTVs. In those TVs, the FireWire input is useful for connecting to Mitsubishi's HD VCR. The nearest equivalent TV model is the WS-55511, which sells for $600 more than this one—about the price of an HDTV receiver. The WS-55411 lacks an auto-convergence feature mentioned earlier. Potential users also might like to see some spring clips for external speakers, though I doubt that many people would use this TV without a full surround-sound system. It doesn't have the variety of video presets that some brands build into their TVs. Including video settings, such as movie, sports, animation, etc., might make the TV seem a bit easier to use than others, but those setting are largely inaccurate, so I often suggest they be ignored. Aside from those few items, some of which you'd never miss anyway, this TV has everything most people need.
You can go out of your way to get your TV to perform well, and to integrate it into the rest of your home theater or entertainment system. Or you can buy a TV like this one, which makes the whole process easy, and gets you to the enjoyment part a lot faster.
Visit www.mitsubishi-tv.com
By Grant Clauser
Televisions are tricky things, and good ones can be the trickiest of all. However, some TV manufacturers have figured out that people want great performance, but don't want to have to work too hard for it. Mitsubishi has met this challenge of making an easy-to-use TV that also is easy to enjoy.
The TV reviewed for this issue comes from Mitsubishi's new Gold Plus line. In terms of features and price, it falls exactly in the middle of the company's product lineup. At $3,199, it is certainly not the cheapest rear-projection, high-definition monitor on the market—Mitsubishi uses the term HD-upgradeable—nor is it the most expensive. But it has features not found on some manufacturers' top lines; most notable is the System 4 Home Theater Control, which makes this TV work with existing A/V devices for easier integration.
My first impression of the WS-55411 was that the TV was solidly, but elegantly, designed. The diagonal lines and subtle speaker cloth on the front, plus the sturdy finish on the sides and top of the TV, deviate from the hastily built look of many of today's televisions. This TV, like all those in Mitsubishi's line, is a debonair, flat-finished black. It doesn't aim for the flashy modern silver look that many manufacturers have adopted. I was also pleased to find a full-sized shelf/platform on top of the TV. Many rear-projection TVs are trying to appear slimmer by sloping back from the top and cutting shelf space to just a few inches. That may look good in a showroom, but at home, you're faced with finding a place for your center speaker and set-top boxes.
Mitsubishi is quite generous with inputs available on the back of the television. The rear panel includes two sets of composite A/V inputs, two S-video inputs, two antenna inputs and three component inputs. All three component inputs accept progressive-scan DVD players or high-definition set-top boxes which use component outputs. The input labeled "DTV" also has jacks for the horizontal and vertical signals, or can be configured for RGB sync-on-green signals. All that gives you a huge amount of versatility in hooking up your equipment. You could use one component adapter for your HDTV receiver, one for your DVD player and the third for JVC's high-definition D-Theater VCR, or a Microsoft X-Box. I would have liked a third S-video input, but that's being picky. In addition to all those audio and video inputs, you'll find two IR (infrared) emitter repeater inputs. With included IR repeater cables, these jacks allow you to control other pieces of equipment in your A/V system with one remote by transferring the IR signal from your TV into another device.
The front of the TV gives you easy access to the basic functions: volume, power and channel, plus an input button and an A/V reset button. This last button is a bit frightening to see so easily accessible, as pressing it resets all the audio and video settings for the entire television. (Keep small, curious hands away from this button!) You'll find typical A/V composite and S-video inputs, but no headphone jack.
Turning on the TV brings you to a set-up mode, which allows you to easily identify all inputs used, make a few adjustments and scan your cable or antenna for available channels. This process is simple, actually, it is a little easier than the same process used with the Loewe TV also reviewed in this issue. The remote can be configured to control other components by entering the device codes listed inside the owner's manual. In fact, a number of the most common codes are printed on the backside of the remote itself—a nice touch. If you want to use the System 4 feature, you must connect the IR emitter cables to the TV, then place them underneath or in front of the component you want to control. You can then place those devices out of sight. Use either the original remote or the TV's programmed remote to control a hidden device, because the IR signal is passed through the TV's IR receiver into the emitter cable, which triggers that device. It's a simple idea, but very practical. System 4 can also automatically switch your TV's video inputs and your receiver's audio inputs by simply switching the remote from TV mode to DVD etc., which means less button pushing.
Tweaking the picture settings of this TV takes little effort. First, you'll want to check the convergence, as the three 7-inch CRTs may need different alignment in your home from that required in the factory. For quick convergence, there's a single point option, but you can fine-tune that at 64 points if you want to be really accurate. There is no auto- or one-button convergence found on televisions from Hitachi, Toshiba and others.
To evaluate the picture, I set the color temperature to low rather than medium, because the owner's manual stated that the low setting matched the 6,500 K standard. (Usually the medium or warm setting is 6,500 K.) I made sure the black-level enhancement and film mode (for 3:2 pulldown) were set to on, and that the velocity-scan modulation, which can add false edges to some images, was turned off. All of the standard settings (contrast, brightness, sharpness, tint and color) can be accessed by pressing the video button on the remote. This is a nice feature because it frees you from having to jump through several onscreen menus. Using a Sencore video signal generator and a test-pattern DVD, I adjusted the video setting for a few of the inputs. The adjustments are saved in separate memories for each input—another nice feature.
The picture of both DVDs and an HDTV tuner looked fantastic. The front-surface mirrors and Quad Field Focus CRT system provided a sharp, detailed picture. Movies were strikingly smooth, with no noise or rough edges. The HDTV images, brought in with a Samsung HD tuner and a Zenith Silver Sensor (an extraordinary and inexpensive indoor antenna), were particularly compelling. A local PBS station was running a high-definition demonstration loop; close-up shots of flowers and animals exhibited a realism with which conventional TV can't compare.
What is this TV missing? For starters, it doesn't include either of the two new digital video inputs, FireWire or DVI. Mitsubishi supports FireWire, but only on its Platinum series and above lines, which are all integrated HDTVs. In those TVs, the FireWire input is useful for connecting to Mitsubishi's HD VCR. The nearest equivalent TV model is the WS-55511, which sells for $600 more than this one—about the price of an HDTV receiver. The WS-55411 lacks an auto-convergence feature mentioned earlier. Potential users also might like to see some spring clips for external speakers, though I doubt that many people would use this TV without a full surround-sound system. It doesn't have the variety of video presets that some brands build into their TVs. Including video settings, such as movie, sports, animation, etc., might make the TV seem a bit easier to use than others, but those setting are largely inaccurate, so I often suggest they be ignored. Aside from those few items, some of which you'd never miss anyway, this TV has everything most people need.
You can go out of your way to get your TV to perform well, and to integrate it into the rest of your home theater or entertainment system. Or you can buy a TV like this one, which makes the whole process easy, and gets you to the enjoyment part a lot faster.
Visit www.mitsubishi-tv.com
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