Big-screen, flat-panel plasma TVs have never been more affordable. Case in point: SVA's widescreen HD4208UII, a 42-inch set with 852 x 480 native pixel resolution. The set gives you true EDTV (480p, progressive-scan) resolution alongside inputs compatible with full-resolution 720p and 1080i HDTV signals (optional set-top box decoder/receiver required) and analog PC signals up to 1,600 x 1,200 through a VGA input.

A plasma screen gives you 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 HD4208UII is a mere 3.5 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. The HD4208UII offers 160-degree viewing angles, high 550:1 contrast, and typically luminous 500 cd/m2 brightness.

The HD4208UII also offers single-tuner picture-on-picture, which lets you view any video input atop the PC input. The 24-bit real-color display can realize 16.7 million colors, and the set's stereo speakers are powered by 5 watts per channel.

Inputs consist of the above-mentioned VGA computer input, 2 composite-video, 1 S-video, 2 component-video (1 HD, 1 SD), and 4 accompanying stereo analog (left/right) RCA inputs.

Features:

High 550:1 contrast ratio, luminous 500 cd/m2 brightness
852 x 480 native pixel resolution; accepts 720p and 1080i HDTV signals
PC input with image scaling for up to 1,600 x 1,200 resolution
Wide, 160-degree viewing angles; single-tuner picture-on-picture (video-on-PC)
42-inch plasma display with EDTV (up to 480p) native pixel resolution; 49.2 x 28.7 x 11.4 inches (W x H x D) with stand