ViewSonic VPW425 42-inch Plasma Television Review
MSRP: $4,499

Quick Take:

ViewSonic is a Silicon Valley company that has specialized in computer monitors and displays since 1987. They have quickly built a reputation for offer top of the line image quality at affordable pricing. Their computer monitors have often been voted amongst the best in class. ViewSonic has recently expanded to offer other products as well, including Plasma TVs like the ViewSonic VPW425.

Unfortunately, ViewSonic's leadership in computer monitors has not carried over to this Plasma TV, as the VPW425 offers only average image quality performance. It is priced attractively (around $3,000 street), and includes built-in TV tuner and speakers, as well as digital input (DVI) support. Although we cannot generally recommend the VPW425 over the cheaper Akai PDP4290, it is still a decent choice amongst lower end Plasma displays.

Pros:

- The Viewsonice Plasma TV offers good overall colors; vibrant and lifelike
- Above average brightness
- DVI input supports latest DVD players and set top boxes
- Built-in TV tuner and speakers make the VPW425 ready to go right out of the box

Cons:

- Some calibration of color settings needed out of the box
- Below average display of standard definition (broadcast and cable both) signals
- Dark and black tones appear murky with certain video sources
- Dark tones also suffer grayscaling issues under quick motion with DVD sources