Toshiba 42HP66 42-Inch Plasma HDTV

This plasma set features Toshiba's CableClear DNR+ technology, which optimizes poor NTSC signals from antenna or cable sources to eliminate video noise ("snow") for a clean crisp image. It utilizes the digital 3D/YC comb filter to compare frames and determine the existence and extent of video noise. It then applies the needed amount of digital video noise reduction, and the appropriate sharpness adjustment to keep the picture clear. This feature now works on RF, composite and S-Video inputs, and can be selected by input.

The aforementioned 3D Y/C comb filter (4 MB, 10-bit) separates brightness and color signals better in 3D domain to eliminate cross-color, cross-luminance and dot-crawl distortion. It performs field-by-field comparisons of the television image to accurately separate the color from the black-and-white information and remove both horizontally and vertically hanging dots, as well as dot crawl, resulting in a razor sharp image. The Cinema Mode feature performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture. This set also offers five TheaterWide modes that expand letterboxed images--which is particularly useful when watching narrow letterboxed Panavision or CinemaScope films.

The 42HP66 has a 1024 x 768-pixel resolution (XGA), a peak 1200 cd/m2 (candela per square meter) brightness rating, and an amazing 8000:1 contrast ratio. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.)

The GameTimer feature allows parents to set the television to shut off after a specified period of time and stay off until a lockout key code is entered. For optimum display of each type of input source, the Individual AV Settings by Input function allows you to make video adjustments for each type of input, such as RF, composite, S-Video, and each component video input. Other convenience features include color temperature control, closed captioning on mute, sleep timer, tri-lingual on-screen display, video input labeling, channel labeling, channel/video lock, and V-Chip parental controls.

This set has two stereo speakers that provide 10 watts of power per channel (for 20 watts of total power) and SRS WOW virtual surround sound. The StableSound feature maintains television volume within a preset range regardless of the source signal. This helps to eliminate the annoyance of normal program volume being followed immediately by extremely loud commercial messages or drastic volume fluctuations while changing channels.

It's easy to connect to brilliant imagery with the component and HDMI connections--the latter offering pure digital audio/video performance with no degradation of signal from just one convenient cable. This set offers the following connection options:

• Composite A/V: 3 (1 front) in, 1 out
• S-Video: 3 (1 front) in
• Component Video: 2 in
• HDMI: 2 in
• RF: 1 in
• PC VGA: 1 in
• PC audio in: 1
• Digital audio out: 1 coaxial, 1 optical

Tech Talk
HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).

What's in the Box
Plasma HDTV, remote control (with batteries), power cable, tabletop stand, printed operating instructions