PLASMA
SCREEN GROUP TEST
HITACHI CL32PD2100 £2500
INTRO
Whereas a lot of plasma panels manufacturers have come to
the home entertainment market via the corporate and commercial display sectors
Hitachi’s long history in building televisions for the home is clearly evident
on the CL32PD2100. You don’t have to learn any new tricks, buy any extras, just
plug it in and go. It even looks a like a regular TV – from the front at least
-- the speakers are part of the casework, the instructions are just like a
normal TV manual and it even comes with a smart-looking rotating table stand
attached so just about anyone should be able to get it up and running without
expert help.
OPERATION
A tuner box or AVC unit (audio-video control) is included,
which is just as well as the panel only has one proprietary socket to handle
all of the audio, video and control signals, plus a connector for a mains cable
and sub-woofer output, so installation is very quick On the box there’s three
SCART connectors, variously configured for composite, S-Video and RGB inputs.
There’s also a set of AV inputs on the front of the AVC unit, behind a drop
down flap. Everything is controlled from a very simple on-screen menu display
which makes it easy to set up and use.
FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE
In addition to the multiband TV tuner you also get a NICAM
stereo sound and teletext functions thrown in for good measure. There’s also a
built in 10 + 10 watt stereo amp, to drive the built-in speakers and it is
ViewLink compatible, which means it can communicate with suitably equipped VCRs
for downloading tuner information and make use of facilities like one-touch
‘what you see is what you record’. The
32-inch panel is a silent, fan-less design with a native resolution of 852 x
480 pixels and a good brightness figure of 650cd/m2 but the contrast ratio is
on the low side, at just 300:1 which basically means a great looking picture on
brightly-lit interiors and outdoor scenes but it struggles to render detail in
dark or gloomy sequences, and at the point it gives up darker areas of the
picture descend into a murky mush.
The speakers deliver a crisp and detailed sound but with
very little bass content (it’s worth investing in a sub-woofer); it is fine for
watching TV programmes but you will want to fire up the AV amp for DVD and
serious satellite or tape viewing.
VERDICT
Hitachi has got the teccy side of things and the
presentation well sorted, it’s no more difficult to use than an ordinary TV, in
fact the only significant difference is the separate tuner box but even that’s
a doddle to set up. Picture quality can be very good but like a lot of first
and second generation panels it’s let down by a narrow contrast range, it only
shows up now and again – more so if you watch a lot of gloomy movies – but it’s
liveable, especially in view of the currently low price, though you might want
to check out Hitachi’s new range of plasmas – due out first quarter 2003 --
which have a noticeably crisper picture!
HITACHI CL32PD2100
Price £2500
Screen size 32-inches
Resolution 852
x 480 pixels
Contr. ratio 300:1
Brightness 650cd/m2
Features PAL/SECAM/NTSC
operation, tuner box (NICAM & teletext decoders, owner ID) supplied, VGA,
composite, S-Video & RGB video inputs, 3D sound, built in 10 watt stereo
amp & speakers
Dimensions 974
x 256 x 578mm
Weight 26kg
Contact Hitachi 0345
581455, www.hitachitv.com
SONY KZ-42TS1 £5,700
INTRO
With so much time and effort invested in the development of
the Trinitron picture tube, resulting in some truly classic CRT-based
televisions, it’s not too surprising that Sony has only recently got around to
new-fangled plasma screen technology. It’s been worth the wait though, and Sony
has clearly learned a lot of lessons sitting on the sidelines. One that will be
welcomed by everyone is putting everything into the one box, including the
tuner and giving this very imposing 42-incher a most impressive array of input
and display options.
The elegant eye-catching styling is also very typical of
Sony and the narrow brushed silver surround, with a set of controls on the top
and a row of speakers mounted below the screen, should fit in easily with most
types of contemporary décor. It comes with a tabletop stand; an imposing (and
enormously heavy) matching stand with thick glass shelves is also available.
OPERATION
Having the tuner built-in makes life very easy indeed, just
plug in an aerial, select the auto setup from the on-screen menu and it’s ready
to go in just a couple of minutes. Connection with a very wide range of AV
source components couldn’t be simpler. It has three SCART sockets that can
handle a mixture of composite video, S-Video and RGB signals; there are also
separate AV, composite and S-Video sockets plus a bank of component video
inputs for RGB, progressive scan and high definition video. Sockets are also
provided for a sub-woofer output and Sony’s Proprietary Control S wired remote
control system. The only omission is a PC/VGA input, which probably won’t
concern most home users but may limit its appeal in other display markets.
FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE
The screen is based on a 1024 x 1024 pixel display, which is
a big step up from the near-standard 852 x 480 pixel panels used by most other
manufacturers. Contrast ratio is an unremarkable 500:1 and whilst Sony hasn’t
published brightness figures our early sample suggests that it’s in the higher
than average 500 to 700cd/m2 range. The tuner has a teletext decoder, a NICAM
stereo sound, there’s also pseudo surround plus a very comprehensive set of
picture settings and adjustments.
Picture performance is good, very good in fact for a plasma
screen but not, perhaps, the smack-between-the-eyes quality we’ve come to
expect from other Sony video display devices. Colours can look a bit muddy in
dimly-lit scenes and you are occasionally aware of the heavy-duty ‘Real
Digital’ processing going on in the background, especially when watching DVD
sequences containing a lot of rapid movement or sudden changes in brightness.
Nevertheless it is a great looking picture. It is bright, detailed, colours are
mostly lifelike and there’s negligible noise or artefacts. Sound quality is as
good as can be expected from small, close-set speakers; you will want to make other
audio arrangements but they’re okay for monitoring or watching sonically
undemanding TV programmes.
VERDICT
This is what we’ve been waiting for! As promised the KZ-42
is a genuine ‘plug-and-play’ plasma, with the ‘feel’ of a proper TV. Picture
quality is a definite notch up on most of its rivals and it looks stunning, all
of which is reflected in the price, but if you can afford it, check it out.
SONY KZ-42TS1
Price £5,700
Screen size 42-inches
Resolution 1024
x 1024 pixels
Contr. ratio 500:1
Brightness TBC
Features PAL/SECAM/NTSC
operation, VGA, RGB, component (480i, 480p, 720p & 1080i) & composite
video inputs, Real Digital processing, built in speakers, 3D sound, 100Hz
flicker free, built-in tuner, teletext, smart zoom, timer functions, 2 x 9 watt
amplification
Dimensions 1056
x 764 x 124mm
Weight 37.5kg
Contact Sony 08705
111999, www.sony.co.uk
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Ó R. Maybury 2002,
2711
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