Digital Trends

Mitsubishi WD-57831 January 7th, 2007 | by Dennis Barker

Features and Design

Mitsubishi’s WD-57831 is a 57W widescreen 16:9 HDTV, designed to produce exceptional images from all (both standard and high definition) video sources. The WD-57831 is certainly a crowd pleaser! If ever a TV was designed for watching high definition programming (standard definition images aren’t too shabby either), enjoying Home Theater, viewing movies, or watching stills from your digital camera, this is the one! Happily, it’s not just the size of the screen that impresses, but the images displayed on it. The set includes dual antenna RF inputs, two rear A/V/S-Video inputs, three HD-level component video inputs, two HDMI w/HDCP inputs, two IEEE 1394, one A/V/S-Video, one component video, and RF outputs. Convenience features include twin-tuner PIP (picture-in-picture) and TV Guide On Screen (that worked flawlessly with my local cable system, Cablevision).

Mitsubishi’s WD-57831 is a striking example of a fully-integrated HDTV with an ATSC (over-the-air) HD tuner, Cable HD QAM tuner, and a standard definition NTSC tuner. This model is also Digital Cable Ready, featuring a CableCARD slot. What this means is that if your cable company offers CableCARDs, the TV will allow you to receive all programming provided by the cable company (including HD) without a cable box. What you can't do with CableCARD is buy programming or movies via your remote. If you utilize your cable company's video-on-demand (VOD) or pay-per-view (PPV) services, you might be better off using a cable HD set-top box that would also include an integrated DVR (Digital Video Recorder). Whatever your preference is, this Mitsubishi set offers both possibilities.

Mitsubishi has added several color enhancement features with the 831 series including Tru1080p processing and 4D Video Noise Reduction. All Mitsubishi 1080p DLP HDTVs process 1920 x 1080p DLP inputs without any down-conversion. What this does is deliver the full bandwidth of the incoming signal directly to the screen for a true 2 million pixel image. Mitsubishi’s 4D Video Noise Reduction further adds an extra dimension to picture performance by using advanced algorithms to filter video noise more efficiently, yielding clean, crisp images. It upgrades and converts all incoming signals to 1080i (including non-HD signals of 480i or 480p) to achieve optimum picture quality from both analog and HD sources. Since high definition video is shot in 1080p, the WD-57831 presents those images as they were intended to be seen, giving those images the true look and feel of 35mm and 70mm film.

Audio power is rated 10-watts per channel from twin bottom-mounted speakers without any further audio enhancements. The set does, however, include simulated stereo and artificial surround sound settings. To receive the complete surround sound effect, though, it is highly suggested to include a separate AV Receiver with high-quality speakers. For this evaluation, I used a Pioneer Elite VSX-84TXSi AV Receiver with six 700 Series B&W loudspeakers. Video sources included the Oppo Digital DV-981HD Universal DVD player, Toshiba HD-XA1 HD DVD player, and the Sony PlayStation 3 that features an integrated Blu-ray Disc player. All HDMI switching was accomplished via the Pioneer Elite receiver and utilized one HDMI input on the back of the Mitsubishi TV, which allowed for the full enjoyment of HD DVD, Blu-ray, and PS3 HD games.

Mitsubishi has also included an average 45-button, illuminated, universal remote that will control the TV, a VCR, Cable/SAT box, DVD player, and Audio Component via a top-mounted slider. The remote is dark gray. As you press any key, it illuminates, which is a smart idea for easy recognition in a darkened room. To access video inputs, simply press the INPUT button for the appropriate video source (I left the video input on HDMI 1 for ease of use, though).

Front A/V/S-Video jacks and one IEEE 1394 input with DV Decoder are located under a hidden flap in the center of the set. These inputs are included for the easy attachment of a camcorder or other external video source. The set also includes a memory card reader that accepts several types of cards including SmartMedia, CompactFlash, MicroDrive, MultiMediaCard (MMC), SD, MemoryStick, and MemoryStick PRO.

The WD-57831 is housed in a beautiful piano-black cabinet. An optional matching (and quite attractive, I might add) base is available that features bottom storage on two shelves for all of your gear. What is surprising about the base is that it comes fully assembled, which is a godsend and perfectly complements the WD-57831.

Image Courtesy of Mitsubishi