Group test: Plasma vs LCD 42in TVs

LCD

Overview Price comparison: Philips 42PF9831D More info: Philips Size (on stand): 1279(w) x 932(h) x 290(d)mm Weight (inc stand): 40kg Native aspect ratio: 16:9 Claimed max contrast ratio: 4500:1 Claimed max brightness: 550cd/m2 Connections: Two scarts, both RGB, two HDMIs, Component video input, digital audio input, composite video input, S-Video input, Ethernet port, CA slot, VGA plus audio, Stereo and digital audio output, Headphone jack, RF input, Memory card slot Philips 42PF9831D The 42PF9831D is Philips' flagship flat TV, so it's no surprise that the good times start to roll right away with the 42in LCD's extravagant aesthetics, which combine a black bezel with a really unusual white, recessed 'outer rim' to dazzling effect. This white outer rim is used to highlight the set's 'Ambilight Surround' feature, where light coloured in sympathy with the image you're watching spills from all four sides of the TV. Cute. There are far too many other features on this TV for us to cover here, but highlights are ClearLCD, Pixel Plus 3 HD, and a spectacular array of connections. ClearLCD is a new backlight/processing system designed to tackle LCD's twin problems with black levels and motion smearing. Pixel Plus 3 HD is the latest version of Philips' near-legendary image processing engine, which improves on its predecessors with some crucial new noise reduction strategies. And connectivity accompanies two HDMIs, a component video input, Scarts and so on with a 7-in-1 multimedia card slot, USB jacks, and even an Ethernet port for streaming files directly from a PC. Thankfully, all the technology Philips has thrown at the 42PF9831D is spectacularly evident in its picture quality. High definition pictures look sublime, combining sensationally vivid colours with some of the deepest black levels the LCD world has produced, as well as jaw-dropping clarity and sharpness thanks to Pixel Plus 3 HD, and some genuinely sharp, blur-free motion handling. What's more, Pixel Plus 3 HD also helps the TV deliver the goods with standard definition sources, which look far sharper and cleaner than is common in the LCD world. Add to these picture glories a thumpingly good sound performance, and you really have got a TV to die for. Provided, that is, you can rustle together the substantial of £3K sum to buy it…

Verdict Plus points Mostly sensational pictures, stunning design, amazingly flexible connections, features galore, great sound Minus points The design is rather large and imposing if you prefer your TVs subtle, and the price is 'challenging'

Overview Price comparison: Sharp LC-42XD1E More info: Sharp Size (on stand): 133(d) x 709(h) x 1029(w)mm Weight: 37kg Native aspect ratio: 16:9 Claimed max contrast ratio: 6000:1 Claimed max brightness: 450cd/m2 Connections: Two HDMI inputs; PC VGA input (with adaptor for component video input); two Scarts (one RGB); composite video input; stereo audio inputs; analogue/digital tuner input; PC audio input; RS-232; headphone jack Sharp LC-42XD1E Sharp arguably has more experience with LCD TVs than any other brand, so we had high hopes that unrivalled experience will bear considerable fruit with its latest high-end model, the 42XD1E. It certainly looks the part, with a smart gloss black bezel combining a treat with a 'wavy line' of silver speakers along the bottom. It's got two HDMIs too, but oddly no dedicated component video input. Instead you must use a provided adaptor to get component video input feeds into the TV's PC socket. This isn't the end of the world, but it does mean you can't connect a PC and a component source simultaneously. The 42XD1E is the only screen in this group test with a 'full HD' native pixel count of 1920x1080. What's more, it's unusual even by full HD standards in letting you map 1920x1080 HD sources on a true 1:1 basis. Another intriguing trick includes a proprietary image processing system called truD, which sets out to improve contrast and sharpness while also making motion look smoother. After a run of good rather than great LCD offerings, the 42XD1E's picture quality comes as a huge surprise - in a good way. One particular strength is the sharpness of high definition pictures. The spectacular clarity and detailing must owe something to the high pixel density of the 1920x1080 resolution, but it also says a lot for the TV's superb handling of practically all video noise. Black levels are also terrifically deep for an LCD TV, joining the Philips in revealing just how far LCD has come in conquering this traditional weakness. Colours, too, are aggressively rich and vibrant, but also natural in tone, overcoming yet another old LCD issue. You can make pictures a touch messy if you're not careful with some of the tweaks available, but provided you're sensible this TV can produce pictures almost as good as those of the Philips 42PF9831D - even though this Sharp model is a grand cheaper.

Verdict Plus points Superb picture quality, lush design, bags of features, and great value Minus points PC and component sources have to share a connection, you can mess pictures up if you don't take care

Final verdict The best news here is that all four of the TV's we've featured can be considered very fine performers, especially with high definition, meaning that really any one of them would make a great centrepiece for a home cinema system. That said, they're not all quite equal, and we've managed to put them in some sort of pecking order. Bringing up the rear by the narrowest of margins is Samsung's PS42Q7. At £1,300 this set is sensational value considering that in many ways its pictures are really very good. But with the quality of the competition we can't ignore either the slightly noisy appearance of the Samsung's pictures, or the slight flatness of its audio presentation. In third place we've got our other plasma contender, Fujitsu's P42XHA58. With high definition this is an absolute dazzler, but its lack of any tuner or Scarts together with a slightly average standard definition picture performance make it less flexible than its rivals. It's a bit on the costly side too. In second place we've put the Philips 42PF9831D. This isn't because of its performance, though; in fact, its pictures are actually the best overall in this group test. And it's got more features than we've had hot dinners. The only reason it didn't romp home across the finishing line in first place is its price, which in our opinion is just too high for comfort, no matter how much quality you're getting. So that means Sharp's 42XD1E is our winner this time. With its full HD resolution and 1080p compatibility it's the perfect partner for the burgeoning high definition age - especially as its picture quality also happens to frequently be nothing short of breathtaking. And don't forget that all of this is yours for comfortably under £2,000. There is, of course, one final important conclusion to draw from this group test: that LCD appears to be no longer a second-class citizen in AV performance terms. Our two LCD contenders have scooped the top two places in the final league table, meaning that however much plasma supporters might still try to argue that plasma technology is more consistently good for AV use as a whole, when stand-out LCD models get it right, they can be a match for anything else out there.

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