296wv08 Thomson 37PB220S4

27/5/05

10:50 am

Page 056

On test
37in plasma TV G Approx price: 1,500

Fact file

I 1,024 x 1,024 resolution I ALIS I Hi-Pix HDTV processing I Virtual Dolby I HD Ready

Also Consider >>

PHILIPS 37PF9986 This 37in LCD is more than twice as expensive and has connectivity issues, but its pictures are first class Reviewed: Oct 04 HITACHI 42PD5200 This excellent older 42in model can be found going for under 2k Reviewed: Jun 04

Thomson 37PB220S4

Details

FEATURES

Screen size & shape: 37in, 16:9 Tuner: analogue Sound system: Nicam stereo Resolution (pixels): 1,024 x 1,024 HD Ready: yes Quoted contrast ratio: 1,000:1 Quoted brightness: 1,100cd/m2 Speakers: yes Screen dimensions: 1,128(w) x 597(h) x 119(d)mm Weight: 30kg Other features: picture-in-picture; Hi-Pix HDTV; contrast booster; noise reduction; film and photograph modes

SOCKETS

Rear: Component video inputs; 3 Scarts; DVI with HDCP; 2 stereo audio inputs; PC VGA jack; RF jack; SIDE: S-video input; composite video input; springclips for optional external speakers; subwoofer line out; stereo audio line out

CONTACT

www.thomson-europe.com

TEST DATA

For a full explanation of test data, please see page 118
Test Colour Geometry Frequency response
Rating Good Excellent Excellent
he 37in screen size is really growing on us. It strikes just the right balance between film-enhancing size and not overwhelming your living-room.Take Thomsons new 37PB220S4. It looks ample for giving your viewing an extra dimension, but the bodyworks simple, unfussy lines and subtle colour scheme mean it wont draw your eye unnecessarily when its turned off. Connectivity is very pleasing too. It includes component video inputs for analogue HD and progressive sources, and an HDCP-enabled DVI jack for digital HD sources.Add to this a native widescreen aspect ratio of 1,024 x 1,024 and compatibility with all the necessary formats, and youve got one of the few screens currently around that can truly claim to be HD Ready. The quoted 1,024 x 1,024 resolution shows that the 37PB220S4 uses Alternate Lighting of Surfaces (AliS) technology and that therefore its core panel is probably sourced from Fujitsu/Hitachi. Also included is Thomsons Hi-Pix HDTV processing, which adds twice as many lines of detail and richer colours to pictures. Its backed up on the features front by a contrast booster, noise reduction, flesh tone enhancement and some handy picture-in-picture facilities. Accessing all the sets features is pretty straightforward,thanks to
some supremely attractive onscreen menus and a remote control thats well laid out and spacious.

performance

The 37PB220S4s picture gets off to a good start with a combination of eye-catching brightness and appealingly vibrant colours colours which stay, for the most part, very natural in tone, too. The screen also achieves levels of black beyond the ken of many a budget rival.Whats more, theres enough grey-scale talent on hand to ensure that dark areas dont look hollow or forced, while bags of fine detail ensure that pictures look deep and textured. Unfortunately,however,the 37PB220S4 has a serious,multifaceted Achillesheel: picture noise. Unusually,this problem is at its worst with high-definition and progressivescan sources,which suffer so much with dot-crawl and plasmas common green dot noise that they look like theyre being attacked by a swarm of tiny flies.Deep green or grey parts of the picture also seem plagued by a low-level blocking interference. The 37PB220S4 is much better with ordinary TV footage,which looks considerably less noise-ridden and a whole lot more natural as a result. But even here theres still evidence of the green dot crawl,as well as traces of fizzing over moving objects,and haloing around harsh edges.

Sonically,the 37PB220S4 is decent enough provided you run it loud. Keep things quiet and the screens speakers seem oddly flat; ramp things up and the soundstage opens up a treat,with plenty of bass,a healthily unrestrained mid-range and adequate treble detail. We really wanted to like the 37PB220S4. Its size and price both tailor it for success.Yet ultimately, while it passes muster with basic TV fodder, it falls well short of many rivals when fed anything more high-spec I John Archer

Ratings

WHATS GOOD
Colour tone; black levels; TV pictures; price; connectivity

WHATS BAD

Green dot noise; dot crawl; HD pictures; sound; edge haloing
Picture Sound Features Ease of use Value
##### ##### ##### ##### #####

OVERALL VERDICT

Good with ordinary TV, but struggles with HD or prog scan
056 I What Video and Widescreen TV I Issue 296

15WP 06 Thomson FT

4/7/05

11:23 am

Page 22

Size matters

Rival buy
We dont come across many 37in TVs, but Sharps LC-37GD1E is definitely worth hunting down. It is HD-ready and boasts stunning images though it is a bit pricey (3,500).

FIRST TEST

We see a lot of 42in plasmas, so the 37in Thomson is a slight break from the norm. There are now some screens that are even more unusual, like this 42in LCD from Philips.

FEATURES

Hi-Pix HDTV processing; Virtual Dolby sound processing; HD-ready; Noise reduction processing; 1,000:1 contrast ratio; brightness 1,100cd/m2; picture-in-picture CONNECTIONS DVI with HDCP; component video in; Scart x3 (2 RGB); stereo audio in x 2; PC VGA jack; RF jack; S-video in; composite video in; springclips for optional external speakers; subwoofer line out; stereo audio line out CONTACT www.thomson-europe.com
The Thomson produces bright, vibrant and natural colours. and close-ups are filled with detail

Thomson 37PB220S4

A 37in, HD-ready plasma for just 1,500 so whats the catch? THE FLAT FACTS

I 37IN 16:9

lasma screens are always 42in and above, right? Wrong! Admittedly, aside from a novel 32in effort from Hitachi last year, weve not come across many below that giant size but this 37in offering from French manufacturer Thomson seems like a great solution for a normal-sized living room.
PLASMA TV I 1,500 I HD-READY: YES I RESOLUTION 1,024 x 1,024 I SPEAKERS: YES I TV TUNER: YES I SCARTS: 3 (2 RGB)

Smooth operator

It looks the bees knees, sliding onto our test benches all sleek in silver and black. And as well as whatever you watch on it being deliciously framed, youll also be able to subscribe to Skys planned HDTV service next year thanks to a DVI input, which is happily HDCP compatible. While Sky has just announced that its initial HDTV receiver will come equipped with both HDMI and component video outputs, the latter will disappear on the second batch of receivers. This means you simply must buy a plasma or LCD with a digital input that is HDCPcompatible. That way, your TV will definitely be able to show all copyright-protected high-definition footage and that means Hollywood movies. So, the DVI input means a 20 adaptor will bring the joys of HD to your lounge next summer, and the screen also comes with the usual home cinema connections such as RGB Scarts and component video.
Features-wise, the 37PB220S4 boasts Thomsons Hi-Pix HDTV picture processing which aims to boost colours and detail while the panel itself comes from Fujitsus stable of ALiS plasma screens (few manufacturers actually make their own plasma panels). The set is also endowed with measures to reduce picture noise and better reproduce skin tones, so we were expecting hot things from the 1,024 x 1,024 native resolution screen.

Hitting the right notes

Initially at least, we werent disappointed. A run-through of our test disc, Ray, showed the Thomson to produce superbly bright, vibrant and natural colours. Moreover, the picture was mostly though not completely clean, and close-ups and even dark areas of the image were filled with detail. The same goes for high-definition footage, which, as expected, showed more clarity and detail. Sadly however, there is a big, unpleasant price to pay for this: picture noise. Close-ups in particular something that really should be high-definitions bread and butter were dominated by dot crawl to a distracting extent. There were also some problems with horizontal motion (rare for a plasma these days), and edges were hardly as well defined as we expect of HD.

Still, pictures from the built-in TV tuner are okay, so its just high-definition where this plasma falls down. This is more than a little odd, because while we can understand that a manufacturer might come up with a TV so focused on HD that DVD is overlooked, why would someone create a specifically HD-ready TV that wasnt up to HD? At least the speakers are up to the job, providing a bass-heavy, detailed soundstage with both movie soundtracks and music. This isnt the first HD-ready plasma to disappoint with the footage it is designed to master, but that doesnt make it any less disappointing. Hi-Pix HDTV better shape up if HD is going to catch on as its should. WP

RATINGS

PICTURE.###$$ SOUND.####$ CONNECTIONS.##### FEATURES.####$ EASE OF USE.####$ VALUE.###$$ Looks like an HD-ready bargain until you check out high-def footage

VERDICT ###$$

22 WHAT PLASMA & LCD TV

ISSUE 15