HP plasma TVs
A complete, side-by-side comparison of all of the models of this TV type from this manufacturer.
Price range (MSRP):
$2,000 to $4,300
Initial release dates:
Now
Size range (inches):
42 to 50 (diagonal)
Highlights:
Two iLink ports
HP's 2005 line of plasma TVs shares a slick, piano-black finish as well as speakers that are concealed within the frame, and its pricing falls toward the high end of plasmas today. The exception is the full-featured EDTV model, which seems like a bargain next to its high-resolution step-up brothers. The three models below are not the first plasmas HP has offered, but they will replace the
PE4240N and
PL4245N.
We reviewed PL4200N from this lineup and came away impressed. Our reviewer cited the panel's very good picture quality but noted that its pricing wasn't commensurate with a lot of the competition--namely, Panasonic's. For more information, refer to the
full review of the PL4200N.
The HP lineup
From entry level to top of the line, with the step-up features that distinguish each line from the previous ones highlighted.
The PE4200N is HP's entry-level EDTV
plasma. This set has a
native resolution of 852x480, which is plenty for DVD but not enough to take full advantage of high-def sources (
more info). HP included a built-in
ATSC tuner for over-the-air high-def. Its connectivity is highlighted by an
HDMI port, a VGA-style PC input, and two component-video inputs. The 42-inch PE4200N ($2,000) is available now, and its price and feature set compete with models such as the
Panasonic TH-42PD50U.
- 852x480 native resolution
- ATSC HDTV tuner
- One HDMI port
- One VGA-style PC input
- Two component-video inputs
The PL00N series is HP's high-resolution plasma offering. It includes two models, of 42 and 50 inches with 1,024x768 and 1,366x768 resolutions, respectively. These higher native resolutions will allow the sets to display more detail with HDTV and computer sources. As step-up models to the PE4200, these sets are also equipped with a CableCard slot that gives them
Digital Cable Ready compliance. Other additions include a digital photo viewer, an extra set of front-panel A/V inputs, picture-in-picture capability, and an "ambient light adaptation" feature that dynamically adjusts the picture to compensate for room-lighting conditions. We haven't found such ambient sensors to work well in the past, but the other features--especially the additional resolution--may be enough to entice people to spend more for these step-up models. The 42-inch PL4200N ($3,300) and the 50-inch PL5000N ($4,300) are available now and compete with models such as the
Panasonic TH-PX500U series. For more information, refer to the
full review of the PL4200N.
- 1,024x768 or 1,366x768 native resolution
- ATSC HDTV tuner
- Digital Cable Ready
- One HDMI port
- One VGA-style PC input
- Two component-video inputs
- Memory card reader (SD and PCMCIA)
Home Phone and Internet $60/mo
Editors' top HDTVs
