Big Screens and Better Prices

Many 42-inch plasmas now cost less than you might expect.

Liane Cassavoy and Sean Captain

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Last Rated: June 07, 2005	1. LG Electronics 42PX4D 42 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i input, Two HDMI and two component inputs, One analog tuner and one digital tuner with CableCard slot, Seven video presets, Price when ranked: $4000 Bottom Line: Fully equipped TV provides great sound and fine quality for DVDs, but only middling performance with HDTV content. Full Review • Test Report •
Last Rated: June 07, 2005	2. Philips PHILIPS 42PF9966 37 42-IN. HDTV PLASMA TV 42 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i input, One HDMI and two component inputs, Two analog tuners, Six video presets, Price when ranked: $3400 Bottom Line: Bright, color-rich images wowed our judges. Ambilight backlighting system enhances screen content. But the set lacks an HDTV tuner and doesn't provide enough digital inputs. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated: June 07, 2005	3. Pioneer PDP-4350PU 43 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i input, Two HDMI and three component inputs, One analog tuner and one high-definition tuner with CableCard slot, Five video presets, Price when ranked: $5500 Bottom Line: Elegant, well-equipped panel handles DVD and standard-definition content ably. HDTV performance failed to impress our judges, however. Full Review • Test Report • Manufacturer Url

Last Rated: June 07, 2005	4. NEC PlasmaSync 42XR3 42 42 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 1035i, 720p, 625p, 625i, 576p, 576i, 525p, 525i, 480p, 480i input, One DVI and two component inputs, No tuner included, Six video presets, Price when ranked: $3500 Bottom Line: Bare-bones panel lacks TV-tuning capabilities and several other amenties, yet it delivers stunning image quality--especially with HDTV content. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated: June 07, 2005	5. Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P 42 42 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 480p input, One HDMI and two component inputs, One analog tuner and one digital tuner with CableCard slot, Four video presets, Price when ranked: $5500 Bottom Line: Hulking TV provides respectable image quality. Sound system handles most content quite well, with the exception of bass-heavy material. Gawky design. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated: June 07, 2005	6. Dell W4200 42-inch High Definition Plasma TV with 1-year Onsite Exchange Service 42 inches, 1024-by-768-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i input, One DVI, one HDMI, and three component inputs, Two digital tuners and one analog tuner, Five video presets, Price when ranked: $3499 Bottom Line: This handsome TV's great design features include plentiful ports, intuitive menus, and a slim but very functional remote. Unfortunately, color quality is poor: Your choices are too red or too blue. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices

Last Rated: June 07, 2005	7. Sony KDE-42XS955 42 42 inches, 1024-by-1024-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i input, One HDMI and two component inputs, One analog tuner and one digital tuner with CableCard slot, Three video presets, Price when ranked: $5500 Bottom Line: This Sony nicely smoothed out image noise, such as in the faces of movie characters. But our judges noted that the color quality was simply too weak compared with that of the other TVs. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices
Last Rated: June 07, 2005	8. Fujitsu P42HHA40US 42 42 inches, 1024-by-1024-pixel screen, Supports 1080i, 720p, 480p input, One HDMI and two component inputs, No tuner included, Five video presets, Price when ranked: $5499 Bottom Line: This panel had acceptable image quality. The price is too high for a bare-bones model, though, and its menu system suffers from a cryptic interface. Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices	Check Latest Prices