Mitsubishi isn't a major player in plasma, but it offers a couple of new models for 2005. The company is marketing only HD monitors this year, so they lack both an ATSC tuner and a CableCard slot, standard features among other companies' plasma lineups. We don't expect these sets to be popular among comparison shoppers, but then again, there's probably someone out there who is totally psyched about a plasma with two PC inputs.
The two-model PD-65 series is Mitsubishi's update to the current PD-50 series, and it's mostly similar with a few significant differences. Like most similarly sized examples of their kind, the 42-inch model has a native resolution of 1,024x768, and the larger, 50-inch set has a resolution of 1,365x768. Note that this series does not have an
ATSC tuner or a CableCard slot, so you'll need extra equipment to receive over-the-air HDTV and digital cable. The lack of a CableCard slot might not be that much of a drawback, considering that current Digital Cable Ready TVs use the first-generation CableCard technology that cannot handle video-on-demand or electronic program guide services (read more about
CableCard's drawbacks). Connectivity is highlighted with an
HDMI port, two component-video inputs, and a pair of PC inputs. The 42-inch PD-4265 ($4,300) will be available in September, and the 50-inch PD-5065 ($7,000) will be available in August.
- 1,024x768 or 1,365x768 native resolution
- One HDMI port
- Two component-video inputs
- Two PC inputs