Mitsubishi Diamond 57 inch WD-57833, 65 inch WD-65833 and 73 inch WD-73833 DLP HDTVs - Review

One distinct impression gained from reviewing the Mitsubishi Diamond 833 series (57 inch WD-57833, 65 inch WD-65833 and 73 inch WD-73833) DLP HDTVs is that they offer a fairly future proof purchase with features such as x.v.Color support, 3D support and the latest 3.1 HDMI connections with Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) implemented. From a less technical, but practical, point of view one should consider that all three 833 series models share Mitsubishi’s super Thin Frame which is at least 25 percent less deep than previous models and can make positioning a larger screen HDTV easier.

Mitsubishi Diamond DLP TV

Everyone looks for a recommendation when making a purchase so it’s worth considering that Mitsubishi won this year’s Gold Award in Pacific Media Associates - North American Dealers Awards. Each year Pacific Media Associates conduct a survey of North American Dealers to rate large screen display manufacturers. The survey requires each dealer to rate each manufacturer on a broad range of relevant factors including products, marketing support, after-sale support, on-time delivery and end-user support. Some 25 different factors are rated and combined for an overall composite rating for each manufacturer.

3-D DLP

The 833 series DLP HDTVs are all “full HD” with a 1080P resolution powered by a Texas Instruments’ 1080P DLP chip. The chip used has over 2 million microscopic tilting mirrors for controlling the light to each of the over 2 million pixels required for 1080p high definition.

The 3D readiness mentioned at the opening of this review is provided by the Texas Instruments DLP chip. Mitsubishi and Samsung have been the first to introduce DLP 3-D Ready HDTVs based on TI’s technology. 3-D is set to be one of the next big “must haves” of large flat panel televisions. There have been several big 3-D cinema releases in the last year or so including Return of Superman, Meet the Robinsons and Monster House.

For 3-D the Digital Micro-Mirror Device (DMD or DLP chip) generates the left and right views required for stereoscopic imaging. This combined with recent technical innovations in shutter glasses allows users to experience high definition 3-D video on their DLP television set. The shutter glasses ensure that the correct left and right views are displayed to the correct eye.

x.v.Color

Another future proofing technology feature of the Mitsubishi Diamond DLP TVs is the implementation of the brand new xvYCC color standard (published 2006) which provides an extended gamut (color space) which supports some 1.8 times as many colors as the commonplace sRGB color space. Mitsubishi and Sony are actually leading the Color Standardization committee within the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association and refer to the xvYCC color standard as x.v.Color in their marketing literature.

There is not much in the way of x.v.Color supported video sources in the market at the moment so this inclusion by Mitsubishi should be considered as some forward thinking to cover changes in the near future.

Deep Color

The Deep Color term, used in Mitsubishi’s literature describing the 833 series features, refers to the use of 30-bit, 36-bit, and 48-bit color in flat panel displays. The extra bit depth (no of bits) is actually required to reduce the chance of posterization which can occur with extended color gamuts such as x.v.Color (xvYCC) mentioned above. Posterization occurs when part of an image with continuous graduation of tones is replaced by a number of regions of fewer tones. It looks somewhat like tidemarks between distinct steps in color. The effect is sometimes referred to as false coloring.

Mitsubishi’s Easy Connect and NetCommand

Mitsubishi’s Easy Connect and NetCommand are implementations of optional features, Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), provided by the use of version 1.3 of HDMI. CEC provides a simpler connectivity and control of HDMI v1.3 enabled audio visual devices. HDMI-CEC allows:

up to ten AV devices to discover and communicate with one another over a HDMI connected system and
global commands with individual CEC enabled AV devices able to command and control each other without user intervention.

Smooth120Hz

Like other HDTV manufacturers, Mitsubishi is combating motion blur by boosting the video processing power and increasing the refresh rate to 120Hz. While Mitsubishi have called their technology Smooth120Hz, Sony have Motion Flow, Toshiba has ClearFrame, LG – TruMotion Drive and JVC call it Clear Motion Drive II. The televisions video processor creates an interpolated frame between each existing frame to achieve 120Hz and make motion appear smoother for the viewer.

Video Processing

High Definition TV picture quality is becoming progressively more dependent on video processor performance. High definition displays magnify any image defects which may include noise and image artifacts caused by poor video processing. Image defects masked by lower resolution displays are evident on a HDTV. Image noise and artifacts can be introduced through the compression required to pack hundreds of channels within limited transmission bandwidth or during deinterlacing which is required to convert NTSC or PAL interlaced signals to progressive-scan for digital display.

Video processors de-interlace and scale video signals to fit native resolution however, they also have algorithms to improve image quality and remove any noise or artifacts. Some of the video processing technologies included in the Mitsubishi Diamond series 833 DLP HDTVs are:

Color 4D Video Noise Reduction is a suite of advanced algorithms filter video noise more efficiently for clean, crisp images.

SharpEdge, an edge-definition signal processing system, enhances horizontal and vertical edges (no jagged edge distortions).

Plush1080 is Mitsubishi’s scaling technology for converting other resolution video sources for display on the 1080p display.

Tru1080p Processing maintains 1080p high definition signals throughout processing (no down conversions).

Color Adjustments

Mitsubishi have provided a couple of means to get the on-screen colors just right for the discerning viewer.

PerfectColor provides the ability to adjust the intensity of six separate colors independently of each other and separately for every input.

PerfecTint allows one to adjust the tint of six separate colors independently of each other and separately for every input.

Contrast Ratio

A high contrast ratio is an important factor for a sharp, clear image. Mitsubishi have applied a couple of technologies to dynamically improve the on-screen contrast ratio.

DarkDetailer uses a dynamic aperture system improves contrast ratio by more than four times, giving you a wide array of colors and shades that are essential for optimal viewing of dark, dramatic scenes while also providing maximum brightness.

DeepField Imager constantly adjusts brightness and contrast for optimum settings in all areas of the picture. It can scenes containing both dark and bright areas as it analyzes 135 sectors of the picture in real time for optimum blending of contrast and brightness settings. Mitsubishi’s algorithms dynamically adjust for areas that are too high or low in contrast and/or too dark or bright displaying the best balanced picture in every scene.

Connections

Mitsubishi have generously included three rear HDMI 1.3 inputs and two rear component inputs for HD connectivity. There is also a front HDMI 1.3 input and a front component video input for easy connection of HD video sources such as a game console. Both a FireWire interface and a USB input for up to 5 Mega Pixel pictures are also provided. These connectivity options allow the flexibility to, for example, plug in a USB drive and start viewing your images on the large screen. A RS232C input is also provided.

User Reviews and Price Comparisons

Mitsubishi Diamond Series WD-57833 - 57″ rear projection TV ( DLP ) - 120Hz - widescreen - 1080p (FullHD) - HDTV

Mitsubishi WD-65833 65″ Diamond Series 1080p rear-projection DLP HDTV

Mitsubishi WD-73833 73″ Diamond Series 1080p rear-projection DLP HDTV

Extended Service Plan

Mitsubishi Diamond 833 Series WD-65833 65 Projection TV - 65 - DLP - ATSC - 16:9 - HDTV

Mitsubishi Diamond 833 Series WD-73833 73 Projection TV - 73 - DLP - ATSC - 16:9 - HDTV

Specifications for Mitsubishi 1080p DLP HDTV Models: WD-57833, WD-65833 and WD-73833

Screen Size	57-inch 65-inch 73-inch
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (widescreen) 16:9 (widescreen) 16:9 (widescreen)
Height (Physical)	35.0˝ 39.5˝ 43.6˝
Width (Physical)	51.3˝ 58.2˝ 65.2˝
Depth (Physical)	w/o foot 13.9˝ 15.4˝ 17.5˝
Weight (Physical)	62.4 lbs. 78.1 lbs. 98.0 lbs.
Power Consumption Operating	275 Watts 275 Watts 275 Watts
Power Consumption Standby	< 25 Watts < 25 Watts < 25 Watts
Power Consumption Low Standby	< 2 Watts < 2 Watts < 2 Watts
Display Type	1080p DLP
Mitsubishi Exclusive Processor	6-Color
Pixel Resolution (horizontal x vertical*)	1920 x 1080
Lamp Power	180 Watts
Dynamic Contrast	Dark Detailer
Video Format Conversion	Plush1080p
x.v.Color	Yes
Deep Color	Yes
PerfectColor	Yesv
PerfecTint	Yes
DeepField	Imager Yes
SharpEdge	Yesv
Video Noise Reduction	Color 4D
Picture Format Modes	(4:3 sources) 6
Picture Format Modes	(16:9 sources) 2
Smooth120Hz	Yes
TV Guide On Screen	Yes
Easy Connect	Yes
NetCommand	Yesv
ChannelView	Yes
AV Adjustment (memorized by input)	Yes
Color Temperature Control (by input)	High/Low
Video Modes:	Brilliant/Bright/Natural/Game
Full Screen Image Freeze	Yes
Split Screen (with external second source)	Yes Audio
Internal Loudspeakers	Stereo Full Range
Speaker Size	5 1/2˝ x 2 1/4˝
Output Power (watts/ch.)	10W x 2
Level Sound (dynamics limiter)	Yes
Digital Output (PCM) for All Analog Sources	Yes
Combined Tuner (Analog/Digital/Cable) In The Clear	1
2
Front component video input	1
Rear Component Video Inputs (480i/480P/720P/1080i)	2
Rear A/V Inputs with S-Video	2
Front USB Input (5 Mega Pixel Photo)	1
Front HDMI™ 1.3 Inputs	1
Rear HDMI™ 1.3 Inputs	3
480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i (60Hz)	Yes
1080p (24Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz)	Yes
Digital Audio Output (Dolby® Digital / PCM)	1 (coaxial)
640 x 480, 898 x 480, 800 x 600, 1064 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 720, 1365 x 768, 1280 x 1024 @ 60Hz	Yes
1920 x 1080 @ 24Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz	Yes
Stereo Audio Output	1 (fixed)
Record A/V Output	1
NetCommand® IR Emitter	1
3D Ready Emitter	1
Remote Control	Fully Illuminated
5 Device Multibrand Illuminated Remote	Yes
Direct IR Input Selection	Yes
Direct IR Format Selection	Yes
Independent IR Power ON / OFF	Yes
RS-232C	Yes