A while ago I posted about this plasma display on the "XBOX360 on Plasma or LCD TV, which is better" thread. At the time I was deciding between this plasma display and the Panasonic PT-AE900 projector. Unfortunately the room that's supposed to be converted to AV room has now become the guest room and storeroom. So that rules out the AE900.

Originally the seller only advertises the 4202TW and 4222TW which were EDTV (852 x 480) plasmas. I inquired about the 4203TW which supports HDTV resolution at 1366x768 and he confirms he can get this model also.

I did some research and managed to find info about the Plaxio brand and AIC. This display goes by a few different names. Plaxio, Disteck, Techview are the ones that came up during my research. The panels are either LG or Samsung plasma panels. To cut a long story short, I placed the order for the 4203TW.

I picked up the plasma about 2 weeks ago. Upon unpacking everything I saw the brand that I got is Disteck, meant for US market. I noticed something else also, the sticker at the back says this is model 4202TW, not 4203TW that I ordered. The packing box and manual also says this is the 4202TW. A quick call to Frankie (the seller's LYN nick) and he assured me that except for the stickers, that is the 4203TW.

To test and confirm that the plasma that I received is indeed the HDTV capable 4203TW I plugged in my notebook to the VGA port, enabled dual screen and lo and behold Powerstrip detects the display as having a max native resolution of 1366x768. I also plugged the XBOX 360 to the VGA port and the display output to 1280x720p. The plasma detects this and set itself to 1280x720. I ran a series of 720P test images and confirmed that the display is indeed the 4203TW.

First order of business is to break-in the display. Plugged my DVD player to the component input and ran the break-in SVCD for plasma display for 16 hours. Links at the bottom of this post. Once that is done I calibrated the display using AVIA dvd. For Component input I can only adjust the brightness, contrast and sharpness. There are no adjustments for hue and saturation. Brightness and contrast can be adjusted in 100 steps while sharpness is limited to 5 pre-set settings (Softest - Soft - Normal - Sharp - Sharpest). When using the VGA input, there two extra adjustments, phase and frequency. Strangely, you can adjust hue and saturation (color and tint) on the S-Video input.

As with most plasmas, you can get burn-in issues. With this plasma I do notice slight burn-in from time to time. This is especially noticeable when the plasma displays a dark or black background, such as game intro/loading screens when launching from the dashboard, where you can see the outlines of the dashboard on the screen. Fortunately it's not permanent. Once the game is running it's gone.

For 5k, it's not bad display, I'd say a generation or two behind current plasma display technology. The display is nice and sharp, even at about 2-3 feet distance you don't notice the mask/filter grid. You do get limited adjustability when it comes to tweaking the display, and only 1 component input. No HDMI input, but DVI is there, along with VGA, S-Video and 2 SCART input.

This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 3 2006, 03:21 PM

On to the photos.

All photo's taken with Canon EOS 300D DSLR with Tamron SP AF28-75MM F/2.8 XR Di lens at 28mm, F2.8, speed 1/30 without flash. Handheld.

Post-editing only limited to resizing and cropping the photos to fit. No levels adjustment made.

XBOX360 is attached to VGA input. DVD Player attached to component input.

XBOX360 dashboard


DVD playback.





Cars Trailer at 720P, played from XBOX360




This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 3 2006, 03:39 PM

Links.

Product page at AIC
LYN Bulk Buy thread
Plasma Display Burn-in/Break-in thread at AVSForum

This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 3 2006, 03:31 PM

cool 5k plasma waiting 4 photos... so u will encourage mce user to take a look at this plasma? i hav mce set up at home connectin to a front projector, not bad la but very mafan when power on it, hav to wait
good job on the short review

wow,it actually looks great as those 10k plasma's great choice dude

very cun lah the pictures

omg.. this is so hawt...

dude u should link this page to the bulk to get more ppl to take this plasma

If only I had 5k...

for HDMI can always get hdmi to dvi input

which iam getting to cope with my "future" PS3

dude!.. post more picture for 360 when gaming..

I connect my Xbox360 to my Panny 42PV500 plasma with component cable, the image is superbly and fantastic. If only Xbox360 supports HDMI then it should be perfectly.

This post has been edited by chtan: Apr 3 2006, 04:14 PM

The games picture all came out blur, since I cannot pause the action. Will try and get more snaps this weekend.

Pictures would be good.

My PC LCD that I'm using right now, a Neovo, is pretty good and sharp. Got it at a pretty cheap price. Only 17" though, but perhaps I'll try using it for my future 360

my Samsung LA27T51 doesnt quite make the same greatness of urs...maybe cos its smaller but our resolutions are the same

the only thing it lacks is HDMI and Scart inputs...oh well

how march ar this plasma?

It's in the first post. Penat2 jer dia type

March? I don't know... it's April already....

hmmm its very 20%march 70%april 5%december 3%june 1% for february and january respectively

MK84 : Browncoat?

marauderz: Yup hehe.... you like Wash eh... hehe

This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 3 2006, 04:54 PM

Nope.... it's just my philosophy when I fly through Geometry Wars

LoL.. good anology.

It just clicked the moment everything started surrounding me and I needed to find a way out.

MK84,

the price listed in his bulk at 5k is the 4202.. and you got your 4203 for that price also?

Yup. Before the 4202 was RM4800.

any1 know if this plasma got display at any shop?
wana see the quality la

Wow... 5k for 42"plasma is a damn good deal man...

This post has been edited by Pepperboy: Apr 3 2006, 09:32 PM

Hi everyone,
Good Day!! I am the seller who is doing this Plasma Bulk Order.. firstly, thank you to MK84 for such a good review on the Plasma TV from a gaming perspective and nice pics over there.. I am gonna hook up my P4222TW to my PC and seen how the games are.. ehehe
It's a quality buy as seen from the price and pics itself... So, let me know if anyone is interested in this great Plasma TV. I will try my best to make a hassle free deal for ayone who is interested in buying it. The link to the bulk order is as below.
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=254446&st=0

Hurry while stocks last!!

Ok I did research before I got my LCD. Please note the following:

What's the Right TV Set for Gaming?

Plasma


It is hard not to love the look of a plasma TV. It is ultra thin, super bright, and provides an image that is simply unbelievable (provided you have the right source material). Refinements in the technology have lowered the price considerably, and early issues like off-axis viewing have been corrected.

Plasma has been the leader of big-screen flat TVs for a few years now, and the prices have reached a level mere mortals can almost afford. What was once a fantasy has become but a dream, and soon it could be a reality; and more so for videophiles and movie buffs it has been worth the wait. These thin sets provide better black levels and truer colors than the rival LCD format. Additionally, while LCDs are starting to get truly big, this year's Consumer Electronics Show saw the introduction of 76" and 80" plasma displays, with sets that were still a mere two or three-inches deep. These nearly six-foot wide sets also feature full 1080 pixel vertical resolution.

Of course, plasma technology still has a few issues that greatly need to be resolved. It isn't an ideal display for those in high altitudes, where the sets emit a low level but audible hum. Likewise, the thin sets give off a lot of heat and can even shut down at times during hot summer days if you decide to forgo the A/C. The biggest pitfall of plasma remains the fear of burn in of static images, like those that you'll find as part of video-game display. The burn-in starts with simple ghosting that lasts for a few minutes and generally fades away but eventually becomes permanent.

However, this problem has been addressed by many of the manufacturers, and today the sets are designed to actually "move" the pixels slightly in a way that is virtually indistinguishable by the human eye. This brief readjustment is meant to reduce the likelihood of unnatural wear by constant images. If you did decide to invest a couple of month's worth of rent in this type of set you should probably try to run an few hours worth of programming following any lengthy game playing. Considering that plasma has about 20,000 hours to reach half-life where the picture will reach a noticeable amount of loss of brightness, you'll have plenty of time to make sure you don't wear out the set too quickly.

Pro for Gamers: Wall-mountable; bright picture.
Con for Gamers: Phosphor burn-in; expensive.
Recommended Plasma: Hitachi 42HDT51; Price: N/A
Features: 42" widescreen display; HDMI; IEEE 1394; wideband component; four AV (front/rear), two S-Video (front/rear) and RGB D-sub 15 pin inputs; 1024x1024 resolution; 1080i high-definition display.


LCD

Often confused with plasma at first site, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a very different technology at heart. While it is also an ultra-slim panel, LCD is not plagued by some of the same troubles that affect plasma. The liquid crystal sets are immune to burn-in, but it should be stressed that there are other equally troublesome worries that resemble this problem, most notably pixels that get stuck or wear unevenly. This problem supposedly is already being resolved and most manufacturers are also closely watching the issue of dead pixels, which don't illuminate at all and thus appear as black spots on the display.

However, even with all these issues, LCD could eventually prove to be the flat panel set of choice. The picture is super bright and absolutely crystal clear. LCD also has the potential of supporting even higher resolutions than plasma, such as a potential 1080p format. Although there is no content for such a format today, things change very fast in the world of consumer electronics and it would be nice to have a TV that will stick around for a while. Likewise, the lifespan of LCD is also likely to be a bit longer than plasma, meaning it might be worth the extra money.

The downside is that today LCD sets are expensive and carry prices equally to, and often greater, than the prices of the same size plasma displays five or six years ago. Hence a 42" plasma is likely to be around $10,000. Additionally, LCD TV sets, like the flat-panel LCD monitors, are finally addressing the response rates that are practically requisite for gaming. Until recently, LCD's biggest issue was that fast-moving motion and animations tended to blur a bit because of a slow response time. Faster response times with the current generation of TVs has greatly improved things, and mid-sized TVs in the 17" to 30" category are becoming a bit more affordable. While still several times more expensive than CRT sets in the same categories, LCD just looks 21st century, and the games won't look much better than on these ultra-chic sets.

Pro for Gamers: Wall-mountable; immune to burn-in.
Con for Gamers: Very expensive, some motion-blur issues.
Recommended LCD: Sharp Wireless AQUOS LC-15LIU-S; Price $1800.
Features: SmartLink digital Wi-Fi (802.11b) let's this set be taken on the go up to 50 feet from the base receiver (though you're likely to experience some lag with faster games). 15" widescreen display; 170-degree viewing angle; S-Video inputs


Now with Projection TV you shouldnt even bother cause of burn ins and tube replacements as well as no sound and dark environments.

Ok so what LCD did I get?????

Well Microsoft officially recommends Samsung because of its high response rate 8ms and dNIe color. See Link and Pics.

MS and Samsung Team UP!

I have a LA26R51B LCD as below:

Details:
Place of Manufacture- N/A
Screen Size- 26Inch/ 66cm
Resolution- 1366x768
Widescreen- Yes
Progressive Scan- Yes
HD Support- Yes (1080i/720p/576p/480p)

Terminals (inputs/outputs):
AV In (2 Rear)
S-Video Input (1 Rear)
Component Video Input (2 Rear)
VGA Monitor in (1 Rear)
HDMI port (1 Rear)

Picture:
View Angle 170/170
Brightness 500
Contrast 3000:1
Response Rate: 8ms
Tuner- Yes

Sound:
SRS Trusurround XT
5W x 2 (stereo)
Headphone Jack

Size:
(WxHxDmm)/Weight (without stand)- 662.0 x 94.0 x 497.8 /~15kgs

Additional Features:
DNIe, My Colour, Dynamic Contrast, Brightness sensor, Auto Power off, TTX (1000 pages), Digital comb filter for 3D (games), Zoom: Wide/Panorama/Zoom1, 2/4:3, Picture in picture, Split Screen, Still Picture, Plug and Play, Sleep Timer, Wall mount

Good:
This is a solid quality High-Definition LCD that has excellent picture and wide viewing angle. It's great for DVDs, and xbox games played in progressive scan. Its fast response time, high contrast, rich display of colours, dark black tones, and a solid resolution in one collective package are a rare thing for LCDs within its price range (Oct 2005).

The remote is functional with numerous features and essential buttons are of sufficient size. The system menu is one of the easiest I have navigated with plenty of options. Tuning in TV stations is easy and can be automated.

Being an LCD the TV is very light and easy to move about. Its thin and sleek style is also very pleasing on the eyes. If you are looking for an LCD for the X360 this one is well recommended.

Bad:
Consoles that do not support progressive scan/High Definition such as the PAL (not NTSC) Nintendo Gamecube, output low resolution textures, which look poor. Fortunately the xbox supports progressive.

Like any LCD or plasma screen standard definition TV will look poor, however HD TV broadcast will produce DVD quality imagery.

Comments:
An excellent high quality LCD at a mid-level price range. It supports HDMI, VGA, and component, while a full range of progressive options will mean you receive the best picture from you console and DVD player.



This post has been edited by Manav: Apr 5 2006, 11:07 AM

hey.. how much this baby cost u?

4450RM

I doubt a 25 incher can go up to 1080i resolution, it more like it ACCEPTS 1080i BUT it resized it to the native resolution 1366x768, which closely resembles 720p.

Next gen LCDs and plasmas will offer true 1080i without resizing, but im eagerly waiting for SED technology to mature from Toshiba, to make the true next gen leap. Until this Samsung SP50L2HX i have will be my companion in my journey with Xbox 360 in 1080i(no resized).

720p and 1080i might not be distinguishable between each other at smaller screen size (<30 inch), but as you go bigger in screen size, you notice more imperfections, hence the need to increase the resolution to smoothen the picture. I generally skip any LCDs or Plasmas or any TV sizes above 50 inch for that matter, if their screen resolution is still stuck at 1366x768, smaller sized HDTV sets should be able to run at this resolution nicely, but bigger ones will look ugly. Im very picky when it comes to my displays, so this is my own personal preference.


This post has been edited by stringfellow: Apr 5 2006, 05:42 PM

Most newer plasmas, LCD and SEDs all goes up 1080p. But the price.... foooh.....

So far only the Panasonic projector i've seen is capable of 1080p. Phil Harrison of SCEA , when he was doing the real-time demo of PS3 at GDC a few weeks ago, was using the same projector. No other medium on the market are capable of the 1080p resolution yet, either plasma, LCds or the new SED.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Apr 5 2006, 07:07 PM

Eh... hmm I remember there was a slew of new product annoucements sometime back regarding 1080p plasmas. Have to check again.

This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 5 2006, 07:08 PM

In the market, only that Panny projector, we have yet to see a single HDTV with that capability in the local market. It is encouraging to see that models like Samsung HL-R5668W are dropping like a rock in terms of prices. It is already at USD1,999 at this moment, at it is a 56 incher at 1080p to boot! One last hurdle , which shop here will be willing to import this in, or when will the Malaysian version of the same model be introduced here? We all know how slow people here accept new technology, much less embrace and buy it.

Im pining my hope on SED at the moment.

Correction, the Sony VPL-VW100 is capable of true 1080p too, but with a hefty pricetag of RM32,999. Link here.

Also there's no point for a plasma or LCD to display an interlaced image when they're progressive panels, 1080p should be the one. For gaming esp, progressive is always the way to go, not interlaced.

hmmm, i wanna ask something since it's regards with LCDs / TVs but OT just a little bit

i'm in a midst of deciding whether to get a 29" Sony HDTV Ready or a Dell 24" Widescreen LCD. if i were to get the TV, it'll be hard for me to use my logitech z680 speakers and my pc can't live without them

if i get the Dell 24" inchers, would there be any ghosting problems? would my 6600GT be sufficient enough to hold the 24" incher?

thanks for answering

that's quite a tough choice there. The 6600GT wont be sufficient if u plan on gaming at 1920x1200, but it would be extremely nice for the Xbox360. What games do u play on the PC? If u game more with the XBox360, i'd suggest to get the Dell 24" then later save some more and upgrade the vidcard. Dun worry, ghosting wont be much of a problem.

hmmm, so far i only surf/download stuffs on the pc...less gaming though. only my bro plays WoW,other than that nothing much

WoW doesn't stressed too much on the gfx, so i guess it wont be much of a problem then.

Oi! Enough. If you two want to slug it out then please do it off this thread.

alkt; welwitchia, zaakath and a few others using the Dell. The thread is here.

One thing to keep in mind though, with the Dell LCD you'll be seating a lot closer compared to the TV, so perspective-wise the Dell is bigger.

MK84,

Have you tried 1080i on component with the xbox 360 with the plasma tv?
Where did you get the VGA adapter for xbox 360?
What is the lifespan of the plaxio plasma tv (ie 60000 hours)
Can convert the SCART to composite using adapter and/or component? (using adapter)

This post has been edited by huikb: Apr 16 2006, 11:02 AM

Yo MK, any noticable lag/ghosting issues when playing those 60 fps GAMES or in action scenes in movies?

Oh and since you're using the VGA cable, the screen will be upscaling your image to 720p right? Plasmas are not native 720p... Any loss in quality there?

This post has been edited by CerebralRogue: Apr 17 2006, 10:16 AM

What do you mean by upscaling to 720P?

So far no lag or ghosting issues with games. Only got some screen tearing during Oblivion intro screen. VSync problem maybe?

Haven't really tried with 1080i.
Got the VGA cable from Djinn.
Lifespan, can't remember this one, have to check the manual again.
Convert SCART to composite? You mean the other way around issit? Convert composite/component/xbox to SCART? You need to buy the cables.

Ok sweet, the tearing should be Vsync, happens to quite a number of games.

I didn't notice any tearing on my 42" Panny plasma. 1080i is very nice, no slow down or whatever. If you're not running 720p or 1080i with x360, you're lossing out a lot of the detail.

bro MK,how do u take the pics without any contrast lines or whatsoever??

mine always got lines

Low shutter speed 1/30 , big aperture F2.8. And a steady hand.

This post has been edited by MK84: Apr 18 2006, 06:44 PM

ahaha ok
thnx will go try that later...umm,what cam u using?

Canon 300D with Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 lens.

Tumpang threat

anybody experience heavy ghosting while playing DOA4 v 720P using 16ms LCD TV?

im experiencing heavy ghosting v 720P but surprisingly minimal on 1080i

mk,

One question if you don't mind. what is the maximum viewable resolution you get when you plug your plasma to your laptop? at 1366x768, do you need to squint your eyes to read this post?

thanx in advance.

Can only get 1024x768 with my laptop. I cannot set custom resolution for it. #*&%#(*&% Intel GMA chip.

So, at 1025x768, is it viewable?

Some plasmas I see do not double up well as a PC display. Either they are blurry and not viewable, or the fonts are just badly skewed.

Viewable, but kinda squashed lah. Unless you set it to 4:3.

hey MK84, how is the Plasma TV coming along so far?
My dad upgrading my house one to 4223TW high def tomorrow.. should be great stuff!

Probably would be better on 16:9 if you can set custom resolution.

wat happen after the lifespan expired?
buy new wan?

Yeah... Buy new. That's Plasma.

Hi Everyone,
Bulk for the Plasma TV eneds tomorrow 27/4/06. So hurry if anyone interested in purchasing it!

Hello Everyone,
I have decided to open back the bul order and have included Plaxio LCD TV as well. The resolution is great, the quality is good, the price is even better.
Check it out!!
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?act=ST&f...=0#entry6093451