Product Description

Sony's new 42" Plasma WEGA Television will change the way you view television. The KE-42M1 offers the all-in-one convenience of a built-in NTSC tuner, a tabletop stand for placement flexibility and a sleek, bottom speaker design that will compliment any home theater system. This flat panel TV has several step-up features, including a re-engineered panel driver, Direct Digital Circuitry II, Digital Reality Creation picture enhancing circuitry, an HDMI connection and an SRS TruSurround audio system, all adding up to an outstanding flat panel home theater experience. The KE-42M1 raises the bar in entry level flat panel TVs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86302 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: KE42M1
• Number of items: 1
• Display size: 42

Features

• 42-inch plasma television with built-in speakers, pedestal and NTSC tuner; 42.32 x 29.53 x 4.33 inches (W x H x D) without stand
• 852 (H) x 480 (V) native pixel resolution; compatible with 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i video resolutions
• Offers HDMI digital-video input; enhancements include Sony's Digital Reality Creation and Direct Digital II Circuitry (DDC)
• CineMotion Reverse 3:2 pulldown technology lets you watch progressive-scan movies in their native 24-frame format
• Stereo speakers with 10 watts per channel; SRS TruSurround simulated surround sound and BBE sound enhancement

Amazon.com Product Description
Sony's M-series KE-42M1 42-inch plasma WEGA EDTV monitor offers more screen for the buck than just about any plasma TV out there. The flat-panel set packs a re-engineered panel driver (which heightens the contrast range and picture depth), Sony's Direct Digital II Circuitry, Digital Reality Creation picture-enhancing circuitry, and stereo speakers powered by 10 watts per channel.

With a plasma screen you get vivid colors like you've never seen before, extremely wide viewing angles (wider, typically, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the KE-42M1 is a mere 4.33 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. You do have to be on guard against image burn-in, however.

Direct Digital Circuitry II optimizes incoming video signals to minimize video artifacts for cleaner signal processing, while Digital Reality Creation MultiFunction circuitry bit maps any NTSC source (DVD, VHS, DBS, Cable, etc.), creating a picture that rivals high definition resolution.

Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p and 720p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

The KE-42M1 also employs CineMotion Reverse 3-2 PullDown technology (often called 3:2 pulldown), a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movies in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

Connections include 1 component-video input, 3 composite- and 2 S-video inputs (1 each on the front panel for ready connection to a camcorder or gaming console), and an RF coaxial inputs for hookup with an older VCR, cable box, or antenna. In addition, the set features an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) input with HDCP (High Definition Multimedia Interface with High Definition Copy Protection), for a direct digital connection with an HD source like a DTV set-top box, supporting both uncompressed high definition video and multi-channel digital audio through a single cable. A headphone jack affords private listening.

The set comes with a built-in NTSC tuner, a tabletop stand for placement flexibility, and a sleek, bottom speaker design to compliment any home theater system. Sony's Center Speaker In function lets you use the TV's built-in speakers as a center-channel speaker when the set is connected a multi-channel audio/video receiver.

What's in the Box
TV, remote control (RMY-1003), remote batteries (2 AA), a 75-ohm RF coaxial cable, clamp screws, a cleaning cloth, an AC power cord, plug holder for AC power cord, a user's manual, a quick-setup guide, and warranty information.

Customer Reviews

Great Performance TV
I got this 2 days back. By this I moved from 29" to 42" - what a jump - life looks pretty cool now!!!

This TV is just great. Picture resolution is good. Easier to hook. Little heavier than I thought. My wife had to give me a hand and she struggled too. Easier to install.

Pros:

1. Very slim.
2. Various view modes
3. Can use TV speaker as Center speaker for the receiver - GREAT!! This itself saved me straight $200+
4. Parental locking feature seems to lot advanced - havent used it yet
5. Digital input and HDTV ready.
6. Affordable price - good bang for the buck
7. Picture off feature is great.... You can use the speakers but not burn the plasma screen unnecessarily.

Cons

1. No Picture in Picture - not sure if it is a standard in all plasma TVs
2. Lack of SD Card kind of input - Took one star out for this...
3. Gets hotter quickly - not sure if all Plasma have this problem
4. TV remote doesnt seem to work with other equipments - maybe I did it wrong....

(...)
Mahesh

Image is great, annoying hiss/noise very aggravating
We have three SONY televisions in our home and one digital camera. This is the only SONY dud we have ever encountered. Shortly after purchase it began to hiss and whir and whine. TV is in the living room and we can hear that incessant noise in the kitchen. Using the home theater with surround sound cranked up barely masks the noise.

We purchased a three year service contract through Circuit City. Tech came out and claimed this model is known for fan noise and that we MUST LIVE WITH IT.

When I hear the noise this beautiful and expensive plasma unit makes I get sick to my stomach. I will never be foolish with my money again. Have learned some valuable lessons here.

EDIT: I called SONY on 5/27/05 and they offered to send a tech from a different repair vendor out to the house. I asked them what this vendor could do that the other could not. Stated I wanted this TV returned and swapped for a new one. No way. Wont even go into detail as to how they messed up the repair appts over these past few months.

So I figured what the heck. Called Circuit City. THE NEXT DAY they gave me a TV worth five hundred more and called it an even swap. I cannot believe how great circuit city stood by me and how awful SONY treated me. I got a hitachi and the picture AND the sound is great.

Now we listen and watch in comfort and feel GLAD about our purchase.

Consider purchasing a different model.
After owning this unit for just over one month it developed an annoying hiss.

Sony's repair service initially diagnosed the problem as a faulty video board. A new video board was installed but proved defective.

The repair service man plans to return to put in another video board, but they are no longer sure that this will solve the problem. The repair service gentleman's second guess is that the annoying sound may be coming from two internal fans, in which case they say that we'll just have to live with the problem.

Beware of this unit. The hiss that we hear can be heard from two rooms away and is a constant reminder that we purchased an inferior product.

p.s.
In case you think that we are bashing Sony, think again. In the past we have enjoyed many of Sony's products. While we may purchase other Sony products in the future, we recommend that others stay away from this particular unit.