AOC A42HD84 42" HDTV Plasma TV

I am happy to own this 42 inch Plasma television / monitor since the end of 2006 when it was delivered to my house. Plasma has come to define the modern living room and media center. Aside from a separate movie theatre in one's home which probably is dominated by a projection setup, Plasma is THE choice for entertainment.

This glass-sheathed, 85-pound electronic wonder has found a prominent place in my home. It's lovely cabinet really sets it apart. A steel border above and below caps a formal shiny black frame around the screen. The picture is impressive; especially when viewing higher resolution sources such as DVDs on my progressive player or HDTV broadcasts. Some sets have separate color temperature adjustments. Reviewers turn their noses up on this set because it doesn't. Frankly, I really doubt most people would miss let alone use such a feature. I like how I can easily switch wide screen modes quickly with my remote to cater to the source material. I have read reviews that slam the speakers as being very poor. I disagree. The sound is quite full and will easily fill most normal American sized living rooms. The speakers are located on the top rear of the set and do nicely reflect off the wall and ceiling. My only accession to those that slam the speakers is that the stereo separation is poor. However, I prefer the clean front lines of the Plasma display rather than speakers slapped onto the left and right sides of the display. For the money I spent on this Plasma, I am quite content. I don't feel like I got a steal on it nor do I feel like I was taken. If I were to buy a Plasma again, I may pay a little more attention to some features that are lacking on this model and perhaps buy a set that has them provided the price is not significantly higher.

This Plasma does have good, basic features but no super fancy bells or whistles. The remote control is small, simple and easy to understand. It is moderately sensitive to the position you use when pointing it at the Plasma set to activate functions. But, perhaps simple is better to many people. There is no picture in picture (PIP). I have a standard television with this feature though I have rarely used it. As with many consumer electronics, connectivity is a key point. This Plasma has six connector groups on the rear: Two groups of component video input and RCA audio inputs, One group of DVI and VGA inputs with audio in jacks and Two groups of either Super Video / RCA video inputs with stereo RCA input jacks. There is of course a coax antenna input too. It is lacking future connectivity HDMI input capability. It would be very, very nice if it had an audio OUTPUT jack so I could connect it to my component stereo system. Some Plasmas have USB ports to view images directly from your keyfob USB drives. This one does not.

These minor drawbacks aside, I am quite pleased with the value. That is the operative word. I would highly recommend you consider an AOC branded Plasma. The future will undoubtedly include a greater proliferation of the AOC brand as more consumers discover the merits of the manufacturer.