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Hewlett-Packard PE4240N 42" EDTV-Ready Flat-Panel Plasma TV

Hewlett-Packard PE4240N 42" EDTV-Ready Flat-Panel Plasma TV

List Price: $2,999.99
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Product Info Reviews

Features:
  • 42-inch gas-plasma EDTV with widescreen aspect ratio; 40.9 x 27.9 x 9.7 inches (W x H x D) with stand
  • 852 x 480 pixel resolution; compatible with 480p, 720p, and 1080i HDTV signals (scaled for 480p viewing)
  • DVI-D digital-video input with HDCP, 1 HD component-video inputs, 1 PC input; 2-tuner PIP allows simultaneous viewing of 2 channels
  • Offers stunning 3,000:1 contrast ratio
  • 5 watts per channel x 2 rear speakers; SRS WOW and BBE ViVA sound modes; 10 wpc x 2 amplifier for use with optional side speakers


Description:

HP's 42-inch gas-plasma PE4240N offers 852 x 480 resolution and compatibility with the latest high-definition formats, including 720p and 1080i sources (scaled for 480p EDTV, enhanced definition). The widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) set offers both a high-definition component-video input and a cutting-edge DVI (Digital Visual Interface), which maintains digital signal integrity from your compatible DTV set-top box right up to the PE4240N's internal digital-to-analog converters.

Integrated dual NTSC tuners give you picture-in-picture or side-by-side viewing of 2 programs (or 1 program and 1 input) simultaneously, while a rear-panel PC input lets the set double as a computer monitor. The screen boasts a contrast ratio of 3,000:1 for deep, lifelike blacks.

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 PE4240N is a mere 4.3 inches deep, perfect for desk or wall mounting. 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).

The PE4240N's image enhancements include DCDi video processing by Faroudja (the acclaimed DCDi algorithm detects low-angle lines and smoothes out staircases and jagged edges, bringing greater realism to sporting events and movies), Fine Detail Enhancement (which identifies a picture's areas of fine detail, such as skin and hair, and enhances them to a more lifelike appearance), and motion-adaptive noise reduction (which enhances the quality of standard-definition and off-air programming). A 3D digital comb filter enhances the color purity of composite-video and S-video input sources, reducing cross-color artifacts like dot crawl.

FilmMode processing with 3:2 and 2:3 pulldown accurately reproduces film-originated content from video sources. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2/2:3 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

Inputs include a DVI-D terminal with HDCP (High-Definition Content Protection), which permits pure digital connections to DTV set-top boxes and DVI-enabled DVD players and PCs. The set also offers 1 HD (480p/720p/1080i) and 1 SD (480i) component-video input, a VGA computer input, an RF antenna/coaxial input, and 2 each composite- and S-video connections for additional component hookups.

A stereo RCA analog audio output lets you feed a surround receiver independently to bypass the set's internal speakers. The TV's onboard rear-firing speakers are driven by 5 watts per channel, and the set also sports clip-type speaker outputs providing 10 watts per channel to a pair of external speakers, either your own or an accessory pair made by HP which affix directly to the sides of the PE4240N (sold separately).

Two user-selectable features enhance the set's sound system, whichever speakers you use. BBE High Definition Audio improves speech intelligibility and musical realism, while SRS WOW processing creates a perceptually larger sound field, enhancing vocals and instilling a sense of deep, rich bass even without the use of a subwoofer.

What's in the Box
TV, detachable stand, a remote control, remote batteries, a quick-start guide, a user's manual, a 75-ohm RF coaxial cable, an AC power cord, and warranty information.

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