Sony is arguably the most powerful brand name in television. The Trinitron is the premiere picture-tube technology known to two or three generations of TV buyers. But what has Sony done for us lately? In front and rear projection, the company has mustered SXRD, a visually credible version of silicon-based liquid-crystal technology. Only in flat panels, the subject of this review, has Sony yet to earn a commanding role.

Everything about flat-panel monitors is growing—from panel size to market size. A flat-panel display can utilize one of several different technologies, and Sony has chosen plasma technology for their newest flat panel, the PFM-42B1. Not too long ago, 16:9-shaped plasma displays measured only 38 inches and cost close to $18,000, but times are changing. Like all plasmas, the 42-inch PFM-42B1 is only a monitor—it has no built-in TV tuner. However, it does have one of the highest pixel counts of any plasma display on the market: 1,024 by 1,024. And, in order to get plasma technology into the home, Sony has priced this display at $7,999 for both the consumer and commercial markets.

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value

A number of years ago, I wrote an article about putting together a backyard home theater using an inflatable front-projection screen from Sima. It was a blast—and more than just a blast of air from the pump that inflated the Michelin-Man-dream-date, 72-inch-screen-covered blimp in less than 6 minutes. I took the setup to a friend’s house one Saturday during my “research” where we had a three-family movie night on the patio in his backyard. Sodas and margaritas flowed freely that evening. Much popcorn was popped. I don’t think any of us remember the actual movie, but to this day none of us has forgotten how much fun we had—more fun, as a matter of fact, than we’d ever had watching a movie the proper way inside the house.

So you've saved up your pennies and are ready to buy a swanky new 32-inch LCD HDTV. You've picked out the perfect place on the wall to mount the TV; its streamlined aesthetic complements your room's clean lines and minimalist approach. Before you head to the local retailer, ask yourself one important question: Have you also picked out the perfect place to put all of those clunky boxes that feed signals to your flat-panel beauty?

Now that HD DVD is off its plate, Toshiba can concentrate more of its corporate energy on LCD TVs—not that it ever slacked off in that regard. Despite the silly marketing moniker REGZA (Real Expression Guaranteed by amaZing Architecture), Toshiba has been a heavyweight in the LCD TV realm for many years.

With the format war behind it, Toshiba is now concentrating on improving the look of standard-definition content on high-def displays. A new upscaling-enhancement technology called SRT (Super Resolution Technology) is now available in some of Toshiba's latest LCD TVs, including the top-of-the-line Cinema Series.