Just how much fan noise is too much for the 50v500? I mean I hear it alright and I do find the constant hum annoying but how do I know if this is what it is suppose to be like or it is a defect.

I just bought this at Christmas and could certainly get it back within the 30 days but I find it's a great TV and have no desire to repack it.

I haven't seen anything in forums indicating owners should call Hitachi to have it replaced because it is a known defect.

Again, if that is the sound of the fan, so be it - obviously the perfect television has yet to be produced. Or, should I be more concerned with the sound?

Just how much fan noise is too much for the 50v500?

It sounds about the same as a computer fan. If yours is louder than that then you should get it serviced. From the sound of your post I would guess that yours is probably normal. You get used to it...I don't even notice it anymore.

I have tried several sets at home, all of them had similar fan noise and none of them was much better than the others. The only one I didn't get to try was the Sony GW (which apparently does a little better).

While its not a big problem for me, I believe that manufacturers should step up to the plate and put larger diameter, lower RPM fans into these sets. I, for one, would be happy to spend another $10 to make it a bit more quiet.

At least its not as bad as some of the DLPs with that high pitched whine produced by the colour wheel.

Cheers,

Mike Flynn

The fan noise on the VS is nonexistent (yes it is on but only if you put your ear up to the back of the set). Only when the TV powers down do you hear it gear up. So hitachi has done something to correct this going forward.

So hitachi has done something to correct this going forward.

Unfortunately, they have not corrected things for the 50v710 and 42v515, both of which have seem to use the same fan as the 50v500. The team that designed the ergonomics of the VS series got it right....except for the part where they put the highly reflective glass in front of the screen. Otherwise the v500 is par or better IMO.

I wouldn't spend an extra $1000 for a quieter fan that at most costs manufacturing an extra $10. Hitachi should put this in all their sets and make more substantial improvements across their product range to justify the differences in price.

Cheers,

Mike Flynn

I agree with you Mike, I would have expected better from Hitachi with regards to their fans. From what I understand, this company is built on its reputation for using quality parts in their electronics. Having read that the upgraded model from the 50v500 uses a fan, which is such an inexpensive component in the scheme of things that is much quieter, bothers me.

I still spent $4,000 of my hard-earned money on their product.

Does anyone know if replacing the fan is a quick, in-home procedure that might be covered under their warranty? That is, is the better fan the same size, etc as the one in the 50v500?

If customers called Hitachi service and made enough of a stink about this, would this company do the right thing and provide satisfactory customer service?

Well yes, you might get use to the noise and it might just be as loud as a computer fan (which, for the record bothers me as well, but doesn’t come close to what I’ve invested in this television) but knowing that they might have cheaped-out on something that interferes with my home entertainment experience and enjoyment really annoys me.

If customers called Hitachi service and made enough of a stink about this, would this company do the right thing and provide satisfactory customer service?

I'm sure we would get the old 'working according to specs' line from the service department. Remember that Hitachi is not the only company that has this problem. The Panasonic dlps & lcds, LG, and Samsung are among the other members of the 'excessive fan and colour wheel noise' club. I don't know about Sony and toshiba, but I suspect they have similar issues. When the competition does no better, then the manufacturers have us over the proverbial barrel on little details like these.

What I would be willing to do is spend $50 and ask a certified tech to install an upgraded fan and not void the warranty. If my set were past warranty, I might even take a shot at it myself (if the fan was easily accessed).

Cheers,

Mike Flynn

I too would certainly make a nominal investment for a quieter fan - please post info if this is a practical endevour.