Compare Prices : Hitachi L42VP01

Review summary: A 42-inch LCD TV designed first and foremost to hit a low price, the L42VP01 nevertheless manages to include full 1080p high definition, a staggering 10,000:1 contrast ratio and two HDMI inputs. It cuts corners with its standard-def performance, but ...

Pros: Very affordable for a 'Full HD' 1080p 42-inch TV ; HD pictures aren't bad, there are quite a few features to explore ;

Cons: Colours are slightly muted ; standard definition playback isn't the best ;

Verdict: Provided you can manage to feed it plenty of high-definition fodder, the L42VP01 is a fair value big-screen option. But if you're still stuck in a standard-definition world, the L42VP01's HD bias means you should probably look elsewhere for your next TV

Review summary: Few companies have been as vociferous in their support of plasma technology as Hitachi. Indeed, as recently as last year, the brand joined forces with those other arch plasmaphiles, Pioneer and Panasonic, to finance a huge marketing campaign

Pros: Full HD resolution, Fair connectivity

Cons: Standard-def playback not the best, Limited feature set, Average looks

Verdict: It's affordable and competent, but isn't going to change the pecking order in the LCD ranks

Review summary: Aesthetically, the L42VP01 is probably best described as functional rather than flash

Pros: Good price ; Nice HD pictures ; Fair feature count ;

Cons: Can struggle with SD ; Colours seem a little flat ;

Verdict: Clearly the move is one tinged with market realism. Demand from Hitachi's dealerships, driven by consumer demand, will be high, and from a manufacturing point of view it's actually probably getting easier to build an LCD TV of this size than a plasma