With the announcement of several HDTVs to be available in the coming months, Hitachi is attempting to prove that plasma TVs will not be relegated to history's dustbin without a fight. The Japanese giant has several plasma HDTVs in the pipeline for the next month, coming in at 42 inches and 55 inches and spread across several models. All 42-inch models will be able to display 1080i, the first plasma at this size to offer such a feature.
If you're feeling rich, you might feel like stepping up to the UltraVision models. While you won't get cardboard 3D glasses, the UltraVision models do give you Hitachi's PictureMaster III processor, something the other fellows at the water cooler certainly don't have. The lower-end UltraVision models all have three HDMI and component inputs, while the upper tier models additionally have a programing guide from TV Guide (they're still around?), two IR outputs, a USB photo input, an adjustable color decoder; spending even more cash nets you FireWire and a remote control that should control all remotes in the house. Being UltraVision cool will cost you between $2,499 and $5,299.
Finally, Hitachi also shows some love to LCDs with four models, in 32-inch and 37-inch flavors. Like their plasma brethern, these LCDs are split between those called UltraVision and those not. All LCD models deliver the as-of-yet-useless 1080p. Expect to drop between $2,699 and $2,999 on these LCDs.
Hitachi TVs [Hitachi via Digital Trends]