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Photograph: Chris Manners
Vizio P42 HDTV
- Spec Navigator
- Screen Specs
- Broadcast Standards & Resolutions
- Dimensions and Weight
- Interface Connections
- Other Features
- Adjustments
- Aesthetics
- Included Hardware
Screen Specs
| Diagonal screen size | 42 inches |
| Display type | Plasma |
| Maximum resolution | 1024 x 768 |
| Contrast ratio | 10,000:1 |
| Brightness | 1200 cd/m^2 |
| Horizontal viewing angle | 170 ° |
| Vertical viewing angle | 170 ° |
Dimensions and Weight
| Width | 43 inches |
| Depth | 11.4 inches |
| Height | 31 inches |
| Weight | 104.5 pounds |
| Wall-Mountable | Yes |
Interface Connections
| Other Interfaces |
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| Input |
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| Output |
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- Lab Tested
- How We Test HDTVs »
Pros
Bright screen with good image quality
Inexpensive for a full-fledged HDTV
Cons
Somewhat oversaturated green tones
Bottom Line
A bright screen helps this budget model achieve competitive image quality at a cost that trounces rivals' prices.
Vizio P42HDTV
P42 HDTV Review, by Christopher Null July 17, 2006
Never mind the unfamiliar name; check out the Vizio P42HDTV in person. You may be shocked by its impressive picture, particularly its surprisingly bright screen. Then take a look at the price tag of $1599 (as of 6/6/06); you'll have a hard time finding better image quality at this price level.
Our jury found the Vizio's image quality on a par with, and occasionally superior to, other recent 42-inch plasmas in most respects. Both high-definition and standard-definition content got middle-of-the-road scores, while DVD-viewing scores were a bit higher. The Vizio garnered most of its praise for its bright screen and impressive contrast, ranking only slightly behind the LG 42PC1DA on these scores. If you frequently watch TV in a bright room, the P42 would be a very good choice. Color quality was less impressive, skewing toward oversaturated green tones.
If you require simplicity, the P42HDTV won't disappoint. The remote and the menu system have few frills, and the set offers only a limited set of customization options. In addition to giving up some deep-tweaking features, you'll find working through the on-screen menus slow-going, as the menu display and refresh are poky and unresponsive. Making matters worse, the remote requires near-perfect aim in order to register on the TV.
The P42HDTV covers the basics, though. The set offers multiple picture-in-picture viewing formats, and the internal speakers are loud and clear--a rarity on a set this size. Note, however, that the set has no CableCard slot (so you'll need to use an external tuner box) or DVI input (for use with a PC). But unlike Vizio's P50 HDM, this is a full-fledged HDTV, with both analog NTSC and digital ATSC tuners, instead of a stripped-down monitor with key features missing. The Vizio is the real deal, despite its low price.
Setting up the TV can be tricky, as accessing the cable ports is difficult: They're lined up in a row along the bottom of a panel sticking out from the rear of the TV: Access requires some serious crawling around and fumbling for ports, which face downward. Fortunately, ports are color coded and the manual is written in plain English.
Fans of this set's display aren't likely to mind the extra headache and scraped knuckles that come with setting up the TV: At such a fantastic price and with generally above-average image quality, a few headaches are to be expected. While we take some issue with the color performance, we otherwise have few serious concerns to keep us from recommending the Vizio P42HDTV.
Christopher Null
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
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74
-
78
-
75
- See Complete Lab Results »
74
77
79
80Performance
| Brightness and Contrast | Good |
| Color Quality | Fair |
| Detail | Good |
| DVD Image Quality | Good |
| High-Definition Image Quality | Good |
| Image Quality Under Bright Lighting | Good |
| Interface Tested | HDMI |
| Overall Quality | Good |
| Standard-TV Image Quality | Good |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Vizio P42 HDTV
3 Reviews Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 3 reviews
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Reviewed by: kf4pif
Duration of ownership: 6 Months
Strengths: Bright colors with excellent saturation. Plenty of inputs for more any setup.
Weaknesses: Remote has a limited angle of usefullness. You have to point the remote in a straight line to the TV to make it work.
Overall: I love it and I enjoy watching it. Even non HD DVD's look good. The zoom feature allows you to expand video, expecially DVD video to fill the screen. I never thought I would be able to afford a decent Plasma TV, but this Vizio made it possible, and it cost under $1000.00.
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Reviewed by: simple
Duration of ownership: 0 Year
Weaknesses: This monster consumes 380 watts of electric power! It generates so much heat that you cannot use it in the summer unless you install an air conditioner in the same room. Plasma monitors are not as durable as the liquid crystal monitors. Last, but not least, autostereo displays (3D, no glasses required) are already available and will soon render all existing 2D TV sets obsolete. More info about the autostereo displays: http://www.stereo3d.com/displays.htm
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Reviewed by: rdsitwm
Duration of ownership: 3 Months
Strengths: Very goood HDTV image qualiy, easy to use, has plenty of input sources including HDMI.
Weaknesses: Analog TV quality not the best, does not have a wake up function.
Overall: I've been quite impressed with the performance of this excellent priced HDTV. The quality of High Definition TV is excellent - one of the best seen while shopping for the unit. The display's casing is very elegant and the functions are readily accessible. Excellent choice for budget-conscious buyers.
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