Hitachi was pulled up recently by Australia's largest consumer electronics retailer, Harvey Norman, which said that the Japanese consumer electronics company was presenting its 50-inch plasma screens by calling them full HD when in fact they are only 1080p the difference being the superior picture quality that full HD delivers.
Though the difference between the two TV engines is small compared to the difference between SD and HD quality screens – small enough that the average consumer might not notice the difference – Hitachi and other manufacturers are obliged to correctly label and promote their products, according to a spokesperson from the ACCC.
"We deal with consumer rights, shopping and refunds," said ACCC media director, Lin Enright.
"If someone is misrepresenting a product they could be found in breach of section 52 of the Trade Practices act which deals with misleading and deceptive conduct, along with section 53a and 53aa which deal with false claims about the standard, quality, value, style or model of a product," Enright told SmartHouse News.
