Big Screens and Better Prices

Though 42-inch plasma sets are no longer the biggest TVs in size, they are big in popularity. Once the height of exotic electronica, these wide, flat panels are now offered in abundance and at sinking prices. A few models on our chart are still a bit costly at around $5500, but many new models are dropping to $4000 or less. You may see even lower prices, but those are generally for so-called Enhanced-Definition TVs that don't display the 720 picture lines considered the minimum requirement for a high-resolution picture. The eight models in this review all provide at least 720 lines.

One clear message emerged from our review of models from nearly every major vendor: No one plasma has it all. The LG 42PX4D, for instance, handles DVDs far better than HDTV feeds; meanwhile, the NEC PX-42XR3A offers great image quality for all content, but its feature set is truly bare-bones. Though we rank the eight TVs in this chart on overall value, look into each model to decide which set offers the best features for you.