LG DT 50PY10 Plasma TV

Upside

LG is the first to market in Australia with a big-screen plasma TV with an integrated HD tuner. Previously, you've needed to add an external set top box to bring high definition glory to other big screen plasmas, which of course detracted from their style impact. This 50- inch (127cm) plasma television allows you to receive and as well as display high definition signals, without hooking up any other devices.

To complement the built in high definition tuner, LG's HD integrated plasma incorporates its "XDTM" engine that LG claims will enhance sound quality and analogue signals to improve brightness, colour contrast, detail and definition.

It also features "SRS Trusurround", a module that projects three dimensional surround sound through the TV's built in twin speakers.

To combat the effects of 'screen burn', a plasma phenomena caused by displaying an image for a prolonged period of time, the set uses Image Sticking Minimisation (ISM), a function which not only helps to prevent screen burn, but also minimises permanent 'ghost' images.

Downside

Just as the price of plasma TVs have begun dropping from their previously stratospheric levels, the LG rocks up at a whopping $12,000. Considering you can spend as little as $199 for an external set top box (to be fair, they range up to around $999), you wind up paying an awfully dear price for the built-in components.

Outlook

LG is the first, but expect many more to follow. Integration of a high definition TV and digital receiver just makes too much sense from a cost, convenience, and style perspective.