You probably don't consider Polaroid when thinking about flat-panel HDTVs, but this household name (albeit for instant cameras and imaging products) has produced a basic yet very functional plasma set with its 42-inch PLA-4248. While it lacks some common features and can't compete with the picture quality offered by more expensive flat-panel sets, the PLA-4248 still produces a lively picture at a very affordable price.

The PLA-4248 is an attractive TV with some innovative design elements. The included pedestal stand is detachable, so you can mount the very thin 3-1/10-inch monitor on the wall. Silver stereo speakers flank the glossy black cabinet, and you can detach these as well, routing the audio to a home theater system via the TV's optical digital audio output. On the other hand, one design quirk we found rather annoying was the control buttons' placement along the bottom edge of the monitor, so you have to operate them by touch more than sight.

Blacks are deep on this plasma TV, and images are bright enough to stand up to most lighting conditions. However, the native resolution is only 1,024X768, so the PLA-4248 can't resolve every pixel of 720p high-definition broadcasts. Instead, HD content is scaled to fit the screen. A 3-D digital comb filter helps keep edges sharp, and reverse 3:2 pulldown conversion eliminates the uneven motion in movies. The PLA-4248 offers three color temperature settings and four picture format modes.

While it has the detachable speakers, the audio system is otherwise unremarkable, producing 10 watts of output per channel. There are four audio presets, as well as the usual simulated surround sound and automatic volume leveling.

Convenience features on the PLA-4248 are what you would expect from an inexpensive plasma HDTV, including a picture freeze, V-chip parental controls, closed captions, an adjustable sleep timer and a universal remote control. There are no PIP/POP functions, and the PLA-4248 doesn't have a QAM tuner or CableCARD slot, so it isn't digital cable-ready.

The rear jack pack is not extensive, but it should be sufficient to accommodate most common home entertainment components. There is an RF input, an HDMI input, a pair of composite video inputs, an S-video input, a pair of component video inputs, a set of speaker outputs and the optical digital audio output. As a bonus, the PLA-4248 sports a D-sub PC input for displaying computer content on the big screen, and an RS-232C control connection lets you link the TV to a broader home theater network.

If you must have a plasma HDTV but lack the budget for a high-end model, a more affordable choice like the PLA-4248 makes a smart compromise.


Pros: Removable speakers, PC input, affordable
Cons: Can't fully resolve 720p HD content, no PIP functions, odd control button placement, basic features

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor