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 Plasma perfection
THOMSON 42WS92E
Thomson's 42WS92E, aka the Wysius, is an
elegantly simple plasma display, typical of this style-conscious French company
and a fine flagship to its range of designer TVs. Although the visible screen
is the standard 42in 16:9 variety, the 3in of black border surrounding it makes
it appear larger than the others. At 39kg and 99mm depth, it's the chunkiest
and heaviest on test too, but there is still no contest when you compare it to
conventional CRT sets.
Thomson is one of the few manufacturers
producing its own displays and has developed proprietary plasma technology for
the Wysius. Incorporated in the front glass is the Capsulated Colour Filter,
which blocks any imperfect colours. It certainly worked to full effect on the
opening scene from A Bug's Life where the Wysius demonstrated fabulously
vibrant and consistent colours. The lush blues and greens of the landscape
looked too good to be true but, even with more natural source material like the
Aquarium DVD, the colours are convincing.
Using a signal generator and test cards
confirmed the screens perfect geometry, high resolution and excellent colour
consistency. The only area with room for improvement was the contrast - but the
picture does not suffer as a result.
Given a high quality source, the Wysius
rewards with a stunning picture, but the trade-off is an unattractively
grainy-looking picture from an average or poor analogue source - an unavoidable
result of such a large and revealing screen.
There are connections to the rear for
various AV inputs, including composite video, S-video and RGB, of which RGB
gave a markedly superior picture and VGA inputs facilitate the connection of a
PC or Mac, making it ideal for presentations or gaming.
The Wysius may not be the slimmest here, but
the stylish screen offers remarkably rich, natural colours and searing detail
that combine to give a very impressive picture.
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SPECIFICATION |
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Display : 42in, 16:9
Pixels :
853 x 488
Colours : 16.7 million
Features : Composite
video, RGB video and S-video in; MAC and PC interface; PAL/NTSC/SECAM
compatible
Audio output : 2 x 8W
Dimensions : 1084(w) x
684(h) x 99(d)mm
Weight : 39Kg |
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Jim Hill, Home Cinema Choice, July 2000
ROUND-UP CONCLUSION
This item reviewed in the July 2000 plasma screen
round-up. Tested items were:
For many of us, this plasma round-up may
just be an entertaining trip into the realms of fantasy, where we imagine what
life would be like if we could afford such luxuries. But before you return to
the real world, take heart from the progress that has been made and how much
more affordable plasma screens could become.
Ignoring the price of course, the advantages
of plasma displays over conventional CRT sets are obvious - the space saving,
hang-on-the-wall concept is highly desirable, not just in business, where
office space is money, but to anyone with an eye for style. And if that wasn't
enough, plasma displays also suck up less electricity and the physical
constraints that limit CRT to 36in don't apply. As for picture quality, it is
pretty clear from the four models tested here that the initial teething
problems which dogged early generations of plasma screens have been turned
around. Of the examples tested here, all four possess the captivating quality
that makes everyone who sees one want one.
Starting with Thomson's stylish Wysius, this
is certainly an attractive set. With lush, natural colours, pin-sharp
definition and exemplary multi-media applications, the 42WS92E is a tempting
proposition for business and home use.
The Panasonic TC-42PD1, on the other hand,
offers the boldest colours and sharpest contrast, resulting in a striking
picture that is utterly enthralling. And the same goes for its little brother,
the slightly more affordable 37in version, which may also show that the
manufacturers are thinking seriously about targeting home cinema enthusiasts.
Next up, NEC's outwardly minimal design
serves to highlight the vivid screen image and makes it highly desirable, but
it still gives away some detail to the Panasonic.
Overall though, it's the Visionery DD42 that
is the most interesting display here as it marks a significant breakthrough in
plasma technology. Using a digital video feed, the DD42 achieved a level of
picture clarity that the other analogue sets cannot match. It provides the most
accurate, detailed image yet seen on a plasma display but the downside is that
there are few corresponding source components currently available and it
carries a pretty hefty price tag. For these reasons, even though the DD42 has
won our Best Buy badge, we still have slight reservations about recommending
it. But if it's plasma you want and you've got enough tokens stored in the
bank, it's worth every penny.
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Thomson 01732
520970
