35% off Dell's Most Popular Laptops
Entered CNET Catalog: 01/25/2003
SKU: 0802789094092
Manufacturer: Sampo Corp.
Manufacturer description
Featuring a full wide screen which includes a wide viewing angle, lightweight design, and the capability of displaying high-resolution pictures, the PME-42S6 plasma display delivers CRT-like contrast and brightness from computer and video sources. Equipped with dual component video inputs ((Y/PB/PR), (Y/CB/CR) auto detect) and attachable tuner, you can enjoy the vast analog programming available today, without limiting the digital program options. Using a multi-scan system, RGB and DVI connectors, PME-42S6 is capable of displaying up to SXGA (1280x1024) resolution. Experience computer games and computer-based entertainment like never before.Product summary
The good: Inexpensive for a plasma; accurate color decoder; solid video processing with 3:2 pull-down; excellent connectivity; HDTV compatible.
The bad: Significant artifacts in material at or near black.
The bottom line: This is a reasonably good performer at an extremely competitive price.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/06/2003
Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more.
The PME-42S6, like most plasma panels, has a high-tech and minimalist look and feel. It sports a thin silver border around its big piece of glass, and it comes with a pair of feet with which it stands on a tabletop. With its 3.7-inch depth, the S6 can be easily wall-mounted, but hardware isn't included.Some of the more commonly used functions--such as power, input, menu, and volume--appear on the panel's right side. A pair of built-in speakers faces upward on the top rear, so they're invisible when you look at the set head-on. The remote is large for holding in your hand but comprehensive in its functionality. None of the buttons is backlit, and many useful controls are concealed under a sliding door, which makes operation more awkward than necessary. Sampo endowed its least-expensive panel with the exact resolution required for wide-screen DVD: 852x480 pixels. High-definition TV formats 1080i and 720p, as well as all other incoming video, are scaled to fit that pixel array.
We were happy to discover that the PME-42S6 can remember picture adjustments for each input separately--a real plus if you want to customize its settings for different sources. In addition to the obligatory picture-enhancement options, such as selectable color temperatures (6500D, Low, Mid, and High) and multiple aspect ratios, the S6 also has quite a few convenience features not normally found on plasma panels. PIP (picture in picture) and POP (split screen) are in attendance, along with a built-in TV tuner for non-high-definition channels. The S6 doesn't have an internal cooling fan, so it's completely silent during use.
Further adding to the S6's "regular TV" appeal are a 10-watt internal amplifier driving two small, upward-firing speakers at the rear; a subwoofer output; and SRS sound processing. SRS simulates the surround-sound experience using just a set's left and right stereo speakers.
The jack pack around back is chock-full of options. Two broadband component-video inputs ensure enough capacity for connecting a progressive-scan DVD player and an HDTV receiver simultaneously. A 15-pin VGA-style RGB input and a DVI input are on tap for computer hookup--note that the DVI input lacks HDCP copy protection, so it won't work with newer HDTV receivers. There is also one S-Video and one composite-video input, as well as an RS-232 port for use with touch-panel control systems such as Crestron and AMX. This 42-inch panel's precalibration picture quality was typical, which is to say severely overdriven. We had to reduce the contrast quickly to prevent permanent damage to the plasma element. On the other hand, the 6500D color-temperature setting came impressively close to the 6,500K broadcast standard. At the top of the grayscale, it measured 6,500K on the money; at the bottom, it measured 6,000K, or slightly minus blue. Postcalibration results were also excellent: the grayscale was very linear from top to bottom.
The color decoder, usually one of our biggest pet peeves from a performance perspective, was spot-on, yielding well-saturated colors, especially with component DVD and HDTV sources. The video processing is also quite good. Watching the opening sequence of Star Trek: Insurrection, we saw clear evidence that the PME-42S6 has the all-important 3:2 pull-down, which nearly eliminates motion artifacts in film-based video.
The one big negative in the S6's performance is its black level: false-contouring artifacts show up in material at or near black. The very dark opening scenes of E.T. clearly revealed this weakness; the fog was riddled with moving patches of artifacts and green splotches. After calibration, chapter 31 of Charlotte Gray looked pretty good, but it had a bit more noise than we saw on the higher-resolution PME-42X6.
The S6's display of HDTV material is acceptable but worse than the X6's. Dark scenes were again the trouble; for example, false contouring was readily discernible at the beginning of X-Men on D-VHS. These kinds of artifacts pose a problem for many plasma panels, particularly the less-expensive units, although they barely registered on our reference Panasonic PT-42PD3-P.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 User Rating: 
8/10
Has worked great for a year now!
Pros: Trouble free, picture is good, don't see any troubling artifacts.
Cons: Contrast in very dark scenes could be better. Wish it had a standard built-in tuner.
User Rating: 8/10
Just Plain Fantastic, why spend more?
Pros: I cant say anything bad about this unit, I have used it 10hours a day for the past 2 years and it has worked flawlessly!!!
Cons: I cant think of anything? Maybe a TV tuner and it would be 100% complete
User Rating: 
10/10
A great plasma with no surprises.
Pros: Everything works and tunes very easily. There are some subtle picture aspects that are about the same across high end products. Have used over 2 years and have not found a product that I like better.
Cons:
User Rating: 
9/10
worth its price
Pros: owned it for over a year and its turned on for about 20hrs a day with no issues, no noize because of no fan ++
Cons: remote control is big and not fond of the slider cover, difinatly needs a surround sound for better quality sound
User Rating: 
6/10
13 months and the picture dies
Pros: Affordable Plasma, Costco purchase
Cons: One month after warranty expires I'm looking at a 6 inchs horizontal black band where the pixals have gone out. I've seldom used this TV and I'm out all this money or I'll have to pay $1900.00 to have it serviced...
User Rating: 9/10
It's the best tv I had so far!
Pros: Lots of inputs. Good picture quality. Sleek design.
Cons: This tv burns out and I have to replace it everytime I used my Sega Dreamcast.
User Rating: 8/10
Value, Value!
Pros: Free stand and wall bracket, all the inputs & outputs you could use. Adequate picture - extreme ease of use. Unless money is no object, why would you buy anything else. I've had mine for a year without any problems.
Cons: only EDTV. The DAC could be better.
User Rating: 8/10
I bought it, I love it!
Pros: This display does dang near everything that you could ask for. I bought mine off ebay new, and spent 2250$. It's straight forward, easy to hook up, and has a great picture.
Cons: When there is high white content in the picture, you will notice a buzzing from the display. It can get annoying, but all in all it's nothing to stop you from using it.
User Rating: 10/10
Same as Gateway's 42" plasma
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