0211Whc20 Plasma Group

9/25/02

5:16 PM

Page 70

Home Cinema Screens

Thomson Wysius 42WP94U 5,200
ith a name like Wysius, you half expect Thomsons new 42WP94U plasma TV to appear in The Lord of the Rings maybe as a high-tech replacement for Merlins crystal ball. At the very least, you expect it to be a bit magical. But will it turn out to be a David Blaine or a Tommy Cooper? Thomson is usually one of the most style-conscious companies around. But you wouldnt know it from the 42WP94U. Its simple silvery frame is a ringer for every bog-standard plasma screen in the world, while the tuner box we tested it with is distinctly 1980s-looking. This just goes to show, though, that you shouldnt judge a book by its cover, since the tuner box actually includes a high-tech, resolution-boosting line-doubler and truckloads of sockets, including a digital video input.
Ultimately, the 42WP94Us performance is a little dated
Unusually, though, the good contrast doesnt also make for good colours. Vibrant hues like Heather Grahams red hair and the purply dress of one of the victims look rich but unnatural in tone. Also theres an artificial, processed look to everything, not helped by the presence of over-inky blackness of grey pixel noise. A final slight annoyance is that unlike most of todays plasma TVs, the 42WP94U uses a fan to keep cool, and this can be heard during the build-ups to the Rippers attacks. Ultimately, the 42WP94Us performance is a little dated, suggesting that its high time the company came up with a new, improved version.

Further Info

Call Thomson on or visit www.thomson-europe.com

Grubby realism

Like the JVC panel, this Thomson gets off to a good start by making the grubby, misty, shadowy alleys of From Hells London look eerily detailed and real. The night of the double murder emphasises the good contrast performance that makes such realism possible.

Ratings

Picture Style Tuner Features Value Overall

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Panasonic TH-42PW4
orry people, but were going to start this one with a techy number: 3000:1. Not very interesting in itself, well grant you. But lets put it into context. First, what that number describes is contrast, with contrast being the most important part of a video picture. And the claimed contrast for Panasonics latest plasma screen, 3000:1, is extraordinary in that its well over double what any other plasma TV is claiming to offer. The 42PW4 doesnt wear its cutting-edgeness on its sleeve. Its almost extravagantly bland, with only a slight extra-slimness to the screen frame to distinguish it from the plasma mainstream. The 42PW4 is available either as a screen alone, or with an optional tuner module that gives you all the customary TV socketry.
This Panasonic trounces every other plasma TV
slightly frustrating by comparison. Theres lots of fine detail in the picture, too, evident in the swirling mists and rains of the double-killing sequence. Really, the only downer we could find was occasional colour-banding but this dont amount to a hill of beans compared to all of the good stuff. Basically, the 42PW4 stands astride the plasma world like a colossus, setting a standard others are still finding it seriously hard to follow.
Call Panasonic on 357 or visit www.panasonic.co.uk

Picture perfect

So does that fancy contrast figure we started with amount to anything in the real world? You bet it does. This Panasonic trounces every other plasma TV with its renditions of true black, making From Hell look much more cinematic in the process. Every black 19th-century brick and shadowy figure is visible and with practically no sign of grey pixel noise either. Watching any other screen actually becomes

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What Home Cinema November 2002

0211WHC08 System Group

9/26/02

12:52 PM

Page 20

Home Cinema Systems

Panasonic SC-DT100
One of only a few one-box systems on sale today with separate DVD player and amp/receiver, this Panasonic is a black beauty. But how does it perform?
ts rare to find a complete home cinema package that oozes this much class. The SC-DT100 breaks the mould of the classic one-box home cinema system and is housed in two shiny, micro-sized boxes, separating the amplifier and DVD-player duties. While there may be some technical benefits to splitting the two components, it also means the units can be placed on top of each other, or side by side, depending on the amount of space available and your personal taste, of course. The chrome casing is complemented by a mirrored front panel and exudes an air of funky minimalism. Even the button count on the front panel is low and is very subtly backlit by tiny icons to identify their function and add a splash of colour to what is an otherwise Spartan, yet classy, fascia.
Despite the SC-DT100s very compact dimensions, it can go extraordinarily loud
The classy looks are carried through to the piano-black speaker system. But while the high-gloss cabinets look stunning, they are magnets for sticky fingerprints. Panasonic is clearly trying to break with convention, and, unusually, the front main speakers are much larger than the supplied cube-shaped centre and rear surround speakers, while the subwoofer is small and squat and looks like it has been sat on.

Test Timecodes

Lord of the Rings

Chapter 1 Time 2.36

The screeching of the dreaded Orcs reverberates around the room

Cmon feel the noize!

Despite the SC-DT100s very compact dimensions, it can go extraordinarily loud; your neighbours will never suspect that the tiny package you have just taken home is responsible for shaking the foundations. Great things do indeed come in small packages. And while its not equipped with the latest Dolby Pro-Logic II surround processing or a Scart socket (for easy connection to a TV), it has enough tweaks to make sure you get the best sound possible not that the SC-DT100 needs much in the way of tweaking. The DVD player brings the awesome world of The Lord of the Rings alive with Chapter 2 Time 10.50
Detail is fantastic on the Panasonic, showing almost every blade of grass as Gandalf arrives at Bilbos home

Chapter 12 Time 48.38

As Frodo arrives at The Prancing Pony, you are surrounded by the inns atmosphere. It is so convincing, you can almost taste the ale
What Home Cinema November 2002

9/25/02

11:40 AM

Page 21

Recommended Screen Buys

Panasonic TX-36PL30 CRT

A monster TV from the same company, this is almost as big as it gets for regular cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs (Loewe sells a 40in model)
the kind of reality that is usually reserved for more upmarket models. Colours are stunning and perfectly natural as the camera pans over the magnificent countryside of the Shire, showing almost every blade of grass and leaf on the tree. Fine detail in dark scenes allows you to go even further into the gloom of Gollums cave, so much so that you can almost smell the rotting fish.
Panasonic TH-42PW4 plasma
Again, a Panasonic product to match and why not, when its a plasma this good. Arguably the best plasma on the market, this is home-cinema heaven

Superb surround

But its the SC-DT100s surround sound performance that really excites. From the moment Cate Blanchett begins to utter the first words of the prologue, you know you are in capable hands. Her voice cuts through the tiny centre speaker, conjuring up her presence in the room with you. As the story unfolds and the movie moves towards the battle scenes, the subwoofer springs to life with just the right amount of bass. It fills out and underpins the soundtrack as the ring is severed from the Dark Lords hand and falls to the ground with a resounding thud. From explosive fireworks to a rousing musical score, the SC-DT100 balances subwoofer and satellite speakers perfectly

Sony KP-44PS2U RP TV

A rear-projection TV is another option. Well worth considering for full-on movie magic
it is among the most coherentsounding models we have heard. Surround effects transport you straight into the heart of the movie, and as Frodo Baggins arrives at The Prancing Pony, you can almost taste the ale as you are immersed in the inns chatter and laughter. The system wont let you down when it comes to music either, and will play most formats, with the exception of Super Audio CDs and DVD-Audio discs. Eminems Without You shows just what the system is capable of, but it can also handle the more acoustic sounds of Oasiss Heathen Chemistry. Its hard to imagine a more compact and complete package. The Panasonic SC-DT100 is the classiest-looking home cinema model around today. And that goes for its performance, too.

Further Info

Call or visit www.panasonic.co.uk

Good Points

We love the SC-DT100s awesome looks and its spectacular movie and music performance. Its easy to set up and is so small, it can be placed anywhere

Bad Points

It is rather short on connections and the lack of Dolby Pro-Logic II may disappoint some people, but the SC-DT100 has very little to criticise

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall

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