Zenith P42W46X 42" Flat Panel Plasma ED-Ready TV with NTSC Tuner

Zenith's big-screen, 42-inch, gas-plasma P42W46X features abundant inputs and a widescreen, picture-flat display with an incredible 5,000:1 contrast ratio and daylight-rivaling 1,000 cd/m2 brightness--perfect for doing double duty as both a PC monitor and a centerpiece for your home-theater. The P42W46X uses an EDTV (enhanced-definition TV) screen, which means it's a step closer to high-definition (HDTV) than regular TVs. When used with a progressive-scan DVD player (or 480p-output DTV set-top box) you'll get seamless, razor-sharp images from your favorite movies and concert videos.

With a plasma screen you get vivid colors like you've never seen before, extremely wide viewing angles (wider, even, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the P42W46X is less than 4 inches deep, perfect for desk placement (on the supplied stand) or wall mounting (with Zenith's PWMT200, sold separately).

Brightness tends to be extremely uniform across plasma screens, which are also impervious to the picture distortion and negative color balances that afflict CRT monitors when placed near lighting or sound systems. You do, however, need to be wary of image burn-in (wherein long-held stationary images leave a permanent impression in the screen), but the P42W46X offers built-in picture orbiter and whitewash functions to prevent this occurrence.

The P42W46X's screen offers 852 x 480p resolution for an extremely detailed image. RS-232 controls as well as high-definition DVI (with HDCP copy protection), NTSC (composite-video, S-video, and high-definition component-video), and RGB (15-pin type-D connector for VGA, SVGA, XGA, or SXGA) inputs ensure the P42W46X's compatibility with DTV set-top boxes, DVD players, VCRs, computers, and other video sources.

Additional features include aspect-ratio correction (intelligent resizing of video and computer images to 16:9 widescreen or conventional 4:3 aspect ratio) and Faroudja DCDi deinterlacing and line doubling to seamlessly translate interlaced TV video for enhanced-definition viewing. The unit offers an onboard 10-watts-per-channel stereo amplifier and 2 speakers, and its fan-free, noise-free operation positions you to appreciate your audio all the more.

What's in the Box
Plasma TV, remote control, remote batteries, a 15-pin RGB cable (15 feet), a DVI cable (6 feet), a user's manual, a power cord (6 feet), and warranty information.

1 Broke the logjam for me
Quite happy with this set. I was totally stuck on my HDTV purchase - bought a used Sony 42B2 and sold it 2 weeks later because it had lousy blacks and was noisy noisy. I was thrashing around trying to decide on a used CRT RP but worried about burn in and resale (as well as the simple bulk and viewing angle problems) Finally a friend told me about this set which is available at goodguys in the stores in the SF bay area for $1999. (oddly it's $2299 online and $2199 at bestbuy.). For that price this is a great unit. Blacks are rich, it's very bright, has a lot of excellent inputs (VGA & DVI as well as component and S-video) - computer output looks extreemely good. SDTV is not great (but I had such high standards because the scaler in the 42B2 was really really good.) Still deciding how much I like DVD output - sharp and contrasty but not smooth in the subtle tones - I have to do more tweaking before I want to say for sure how I feel about it. But apparently this is an LG set under the covers, so it seems like a really good deal.

2 Caveat emptor
There are scrupilous sellers out there that claim to sell this item for less than $1,000 and ask you to email them for details. Please dont buy from these people - they claim to be from Romania and ask you to send money to their country. Here are some of the questionable sellers: boschi26, scapen242 haicuverzisorii

I am buying this item elsewhere (possibly at best buy) and I thinkthis is a very good system. They nomally cost around $2,000).

3 Superior EDTV performance rivals HDTV!
Update, I now have bought this EDTV. I have been agonizing-plasma shopping for over half a year, it boiled down to the affordable edtv models, this zenith and the panasonic TH42PWD7UY. For the time being, I rest easy because I am confident this is the best value for an (EDTV) plasma on the market. So many pro's to this TV. I first saw it in Good Guys and Best Buy, next to other HDTV monitors, it still stood out against many others on the same composite video feed. The HDTV Discovery signal looked really good. Not only does this Monitor have a built in TV Tuner, but inputs for virtually every video feed you can feed it, decent speakers, slim profile, included stand, and best of all, great picture! 5000:1 contrast?! Faroudja chip in it? These are features embedded into higher priced hdtv models. Very happy with the TV so far, Looking forward to the new HDTV satellite service to be hooked up!