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Entered CNET Catalog: 01/25/2003
SKU: PME-42V3
Manufacturer: Sampo Corp.
Manufacturer description
Sampo is one of the leading manufacturers of household electronics, multimedia and electronic components worldwide. Sampo has been guided by a seemingly simple motto, which has sustained it in the face of adversity and has been a source of inspiration and pride over the past 25 years - namely, sincerity, innovation and competitiveness. PRODUCT FEATURES: 42" Ultra bright Plasma display (580: 1 contrast ratio); 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i signal compatibility; 16: 9 wide screen cinema aspect ratio; Ultra-thin design (5" deep); Progressive component video input; Multi-scanning PC monitor support up to 1280x1024; Digital Visual interface (DVI).Product summary
The good: A big, bright wide-screen picture.
The bad: Low resolution; video quality suffers.
The bottom line: If you need a thin TV at a low price, this model will do. But rear-projection sets give you a better picture in a larger package.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/12/2001
A few pixels short
The native resolution of the PME-42V3 is just 852x480 pixels. While this is pretty common for low-end plasma panels, it falls short of true high definition. Inside, a video scalar converts all your input signals such as TV, DVD, or HDTV to display properly at the screen's resolution. However, we saw lots of de-interlacing artifacts watching TV and movies, which indicates that the PME-42V3's scalar is not so hot. Even HDTV material showed artifacts, since both 720p and 1,080i images are scaled down by 33 percent and 56 percent respectively to fit the screen. A good external line doubler or video scalar is a must with this panel; it will noticeably improve your viewing experience by eliminating these artifacts, as well as minimizing noise and grain.
This panel is also plagued by false contouring, a video artifact frequently seen on plasma displays, which resembles creeping moss and occurs in dark to near-dark parts of an image. You won't notice this problem as much with brightly lit movies such as Austin Powers II, but videophiles will be driven to distraction by the problem during dark, moody films.
We also plugged in a PC and surfed the Web. But when we set the PC's reolution to 1,280x1,024 there were too many artifacts, making text difficult to read. We had much better luck when we reset the PC's graphics card to 640x480. The panel's built-in aspect-ratio controls allow you to stretch 4:3 images to fit the full width of the screen. The panel automatically detects and displays HDTV signals in wide-screen mode, but you'll have to manually select the correct screen size for your DVDs.
Plug and play
Setting up the panel and all your video inputs couldn't be easier. The screen ships with its stand assembled and mounted. You can plug in composite, S-Video, and both DVD and DTV video sources. This panel will also accept signals from your personal computer or DTV tuner through a 15-pin VGA jack, a row of BNC jacks, or a digital video interface (DVI) jack.
Readying the picture controls was easy as well, but be warned that this is a powerful panel, capable of producing more than 30 foot-lamberts (fL) of screen intensity with a white test pattern. By turning down the contrast and brightness a bit, you'll still get a good picture with lots of contrast and prolong the life of your investment. There are also three selectable color temperatures. We measured the warmest setting at just less than 7,000 degrees, not far off from the 6,500 degrees specified by the American television system. Many consumer TVs don't come nearly that close. The supplied remote is a nice size and very easy to use, with a good range. You'll also have access to all operating and menu controls from the lower front of the panel.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 User Rating: 
1/10
No parts available!!
Pros: You get what you pay for!!
Cons: I have a Sampo 42" that is less than 2 years old! According to the company who I've called numerous times. The set isn't even paid for yet and they don't make parts for it. Buy a Brand name, from a local dealer, It will cost more, but I have to throw a
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9/10
Can not go wrong!!
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User Rating: 9/10
CNET GOT IT WRONG
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8/10
Best Deal You're Gonna Get!!
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User Rating: 8/10
Not Bad for the Buck!!
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7/10
price/performance=A+
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3/10
too much for too little..
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6/10
Affordable
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