42IN Plasma HDtv 10K:1 1024X 768 PL4260N Black Hdmi/svid/VGA/bnc
By: Hewlett-Packard Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 16
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 On: 2008-03-13
I agonized over my purchase of an HDTV for two months, and finally settled on the PL4260N. I was very pleased with picture quality and the versatility of the TV in accepting all the different types of video inputs. HDMI audio would never work with Dolby input into the TV, but that was no big deal. The big deal is that it died. Luckily it died with a week still left on my warranty. One day I got up, turned it on, the power light went blue, but there was no picture or on screeen display. I called HP and they sent a Y board and a technician within 5 days. The technician was able to fix it so that I had a picture again, but I had all kinds of weird pixel flare after he did. Called again to have it repaired, went through all kinds of ridiculous troubleshooting over the phone, waited another 7 days for them to send another board and a technician. The technician looked at the board (tuner board) and said "this isnt goint to fix it". So the technician calls HP gets them to send a power supply board, shows up 7 days later, install the board, and I still have the same pixel flare problem. Once again I call HP and am asked whether I would like a new or refurbished TV. I ask for the new and am told to wait for a case manager to call me within 48 hours. After 72 hours I call back and am told the case hasnt been assigned, "wait another 48 hours". Well, I did get the call back within another 48 hours, answered a few questions, and was told I would have my new (LCD) TV within 5-7 business days. Its 5 days today...well see.
 On: 2008-01-29
I recieved this HP when my father in law passed away. I found the original receipt as to when it was purchsed. The picture went out at around the 2 year from purchase date. After looking at the $100 an hour service calls (the warranty was only 1.5 yrs) I started browsing the web to find out if other people were having problems.... and yes!!!! there were many. Finally, after finding a spot on the HP website regarding this apparently known issue I gave HP service a call. Well, to my shock they would not come and fix the plasma because the serial number was not within a certain range. After emailing the customer service link I have not recieved a reply, except for a link requesting me to fill out a survey regarding my latest call to their service department. GEE.... what a turd.
 On: 2007-12-18
I bought this TV just over one year ago and got a great deal on it from Best Buy. I was very impressed. But about 3 months ago, i started to see some red blotching in the lighter areas, like peoples faces. I initially thought it might be burn-in but realized it would never be in the same place. Well about a week and a half ago, the TV was on then suddenly looked like someone turned the brightness almost all the way down. I could see a ghost of an image. I tried everthing but each time I turned it on, it had severe "blotching" all over and the picture was still dark. The TV was out of warranty by three months but I called HP and they said they would be glad to repair it under warranty. Apparently is was the main board, which according to other reviews is a somewhat common problem with these TVs. HP overnighted the part and had a repair man out in less than a week to fix it. Now my TV is back up and the picture seems to be better than ever. I would recommend this TV and must give credit to HP for repairing the TV under warranty, even though it was technically out of warranty.
On: 2007-11-19
First I want to say that I am a Customer Service Manager myself so Im not one to throw out the words "bad customer service" or to write negative things about a company if they are not true. So here is my story
I have received not only a bad product, but extremely poor service. Especially for a company who on there website says there goal is to "PROVIDE PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND DELIEVER MORE VALUE TO OUR CUSTOMERS THAT EARNS THEIR RESPECT AND LOYALTY.
I purchase a HP 42 PLASMA TV ($2,300) and within 2 years, the screen began to distort. The problem was a known issue with their TV and how it was made. This was not a problem due to overuse or abuse and both of these facts were told to me by one of the Customer Service people at HP.
However, they would not stand behind their product. Only there warranty. I will admit that I did not buy an extended warranty on there TV for two reasons (1) I really had to save up just to afford the $2,300 to buy the TV and (2) I was under the impression that HP built quality products. However, I was wrong.
After having to pay $250.00 just to have someone come out to look at the TV, I came to find out the replacement part would cost around $1000 and the TV repairman also confirm that this problem was common with HP TVs and that more than likely the sound will go out next.
Now, understand I would not mind paying this if the TV was 5 years old, or if I had damaged the TV myself, but to pay $1000.00 on a known issue within the first 2 years is ridiculous. As a company you should stand behind your product, even if its past the 1 year warranty, especially when it a problem with a part, not from overuse or abuse.
I asked anyone to tell me if HP delivered the value they promise? I have written and faxed several letters to CEO and have not received a call back from someone will to help. Unfortunately, a company of HP size does not feel it responsible for delivering a quality product.
I hope that I can convince and potential HP customers to look elsewhere for their consumer electronics.
On: 2007-06-26
1 month of ownership and the unit dies. Estimated repair was 9 days. On the 8th day tech calls to state the replacement part was rerouted and therefore wont be repaired until 12 after my initial complaint. Sounds like they are having problems keeping replacement parts in stock. Getting any sympathy from this company is a waste of time. Buy from a trusted name in plasma televisions and spend the extra $ elsewhere
 On: 2007-06-02
I bought this tv on May 5th. So far the tv has great picture quality and great sound. After reading those reviews about this model having so many problems and dying makes me a little nervous. I bought the extended 3 year store warranty so im at ease if it dies ill get it replaced from the dealer. I love the tv so far. i have had no problems with it. I would recommend this tv since you cant beat the price. I always invest in the extended warranty. I will update my review if anything changes.
 On: 2007-04-17
I bought this TV before reading these reviews and was a little concerned after reading them, so I decided to wait awhile before writing a review. I have had this TV for 4 or 5 months now and have not had any problems with it. When I looked at it in a store the picture did not look as bright as some of the other TVs and the salesman told me it was due to a heavier coating of anti-glare material on the screen but I found you can tune the picture to your taste and get a stunning image. I have not experienced any of the pixelization that one reviewer mentioned. The remote and all the adjustments are very easy to use and the TV has all the features I need including the ability to hook a computer to it and view content from your computer. I got this TV for under $1200.00 and at that price it was definatley the best value I found. I am happy with the TV and would buy it again. In fact I am watching sales to get another one for the bedroom. If I experience any problems I will update this review.
On: 2007-03-28
I had this tv for 52 days and suddenly, SNAP! The screen went out. Turns out this is a COMMON problem on MANY, MANY, MANY of these HP tvs. Wish I had read the reviews sooner. HP cannot keep up with the replacements for these tvs. The replacement part I was told would take two months, at least, to receive. The store I bought it from eventually refunded me my money! BUYERS BEWARE!!! DO NOT BUY!!!! Also, I called HP and turns out they messed up in making these tvs... it will pull in any channel over 1000 (where Im from all HD channels are over 1000), but you cannot manually punch in or manually scan for setup any channel over 999. Another reason, to stay away from this tv. HP suggested I get a cable box. I was dumbfounded.
On: 2007-03-07
Buyer beware! I bought this TV from a local store and I had it for a week then I heard a loud snap. The picture went out and it was dead. I returned the TV to the dealer and they gave me a second unit. I had it for 2 weeks and I tried to turn it on one morning and...NOTHING. It was dead. No picture at all. This time I still had sound. I returned it to the dealer and got all my money back. I really wanted this HP plasma TV to be the $1500 high tech wonder I thought it was. Instead it turned out to be a overpriced nightmare. I wound up buying a 32" tube tv for $300. At least I know it will work. DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!
On: 2007-02-08
We had this Television 2 weeks before the display went out. Customer support seemmed to know what went out without asking any questions. They supposedly sent a circuit board and scheduled to replace the part in one week. I called a week later(watched the superbowl on a 19"-sweet!) and they said that the part was back ordered and they might fix it next week. Stay away from this POS as it obviously has a problem that they know about. They cant even keep the replacement board on the shelf, because they are replacing it so fast.
On: 2007-01-31
We had this TV for 24 hours.I loved the look and the sound quality was great with the two side speakers. Then, without warning the picture went out. I called HP and they asked me to try one thing, then quickly said the motherboard had gone out. They diagnosed it so quickly that I felt it was happening often. So sad.
On: 2007-01-04
Really nice A/V quality. Simple, effective, not overly technical adjustability. Overall, very happy with this TV, however, having only one HDMI input is definitely a shortcoming if you want to use up-converting/HD-DVD, games, etc. (Youll need a splitter, or manually switch the HDMI, or learn to be happy with the lower resolution the other connections provide.)
On: 2006-10-10
I shopped around for several 42" plasmas. The HP was easily the most stylish and I liked the ability to remove the 2 side speakers. The sound quality from the speakers is fantastic. The picture is crystal clear and I havent experienced any of the negative items seen in some other reviews. HP delivered the TV for free and even set it up for no extra charge. I paid $1500.00
On: 2006-06-29
I was interested in this plasma until I began to notice the image would pixilate (digital noise) every 3-4 minutes. It is as if the image processor cannot keep up with the display. I thought it could have been a defective model so I went to another store to look at the same model but I noticed the same pixilation. I thought it was the connection so I watched the other plasmas as the HP would pixilate and the conclusion was, its the television.
The color is nice and contrast is great but the image is also grainy. It gives a nice feel to the image like youre watching a "film" from back before DV so it is acceptable but the pixilation was the deal breaker for me. I cant stand seeing a broken up image ever few minutes, that would drive me nutz.
Look at the plasma closely and see if you notice what Im talking about before you buy it. You can get a much crisper stable image from other plasmas. Believe it or not I stand behind the Maxent MX42HPM20 100% above all the other brands. Stunning color, rivaling contrast and respectable price.
On: 2006-05-31
I just purchased this TV from HP online and it is excellent. The free delivery and setup service was great and the TV picture is wonderful. I have been waiting for 4 years to purchase a big screen TV and this TV makes it worth the wait. The $2000 was a great deal. Check out the TV at Best Buy and you can view it in person.
On: 2006-05-29
Intro
This HP plasmas stunning contrast ratio, attractive price-point, and ease of integration into a quality home theater make me thrilled w/ my purchase. Though it does have speakers, it does not have any of the high $ options like cable card, hard drive, or memory stick access. However, since my installation requires none of these, it has delivered an outstanding experience.
Design
The simple HP matte-black plastic bezel is accented by a few industry-standard stickers near the bottom. Basic control buttons are on the left side of the unit, so they dont distract from the sleek design. With the great and simple to use remote, why would you want to use those buttons anyway? The dimensions w/ stand are speakers are 28.9" x 53.5" x12.3". However, recognize that if you dont use the stand or speakers, you have much smaller footprint. Thats what allowed me to fit it into my current entertainment center (a huge savings as compared to buying or having built another entertainment center!).
The unit comes w/ a simple black stand pre-installed. The optional speakers seem to easily screw on and when installed, are seamless into the system (i.e. you cant easily tell theyre separate units).
I sat down and went through the manual regarding the remote control options today. I was happy to find easy to use functions to adjust the picture, sound, and cc levels to my liking. There are an impressive number of adjustments to tweak the system to perform just as you desire for your specific architecture.
Features
The unit has a native resolution of 1,024x768. It easily handles all my inputs, such as HDMI, component, and rf. I look forward to the day when HP designs its plasma tv as it does the micro-display unit; I would have loved to be able to slide the cables under and plug them into a covered front area. For now, lifting the relatively light unit to make cable adjustments was no big deal. I also look forward to the day the micro-displays ability to select input options visually comes to the plasma units.
I used the integrated over the air tuner to sample some local digital and HD channels. I was thrilled to see the stunning picture quality examples, but wound up giving up on OTA and scheduling TWC to come out and set up a digital cable DVR for me.
I was pleased w/ the units out of the box 14:9 aspect ratio. I was surprised that the 4:3 shows I watched didnt appear stretched when I watched them. It appeared to match whatever the channels native properties and adjust them to look great in 14:9. When I flicked through the aspect ratio controls, I was pleased to find two zoom levels and options to fit every taste.
The picture adjustments include both those that are easy to understand and select for the amateur user as well as more specific settings that can be made by more experienced users.
The fact that the unit only has one HDMI input concerned me until I realized that the best experience is reached when you use your HDMI receiver to make input selections and use the TV only as a monitor. For now, I only have on HDMI anyway, so Im glad I didnt spend the high $ to get addl HDMI inputs I wouldnt use.
Performance
The 10,000 contrast ratio and the vivid pictures I saw on local retailers were enough to convince me to purchase the HP. Once installed, I was rewarded w/ all the reasons to buy plasma - great price points as compared to LCD, small form factor, and excellent range of brightness you can tune to your needs.
Perhaps I will spend the $ on getting the picture tuned at a later date. For now, Im thrilled w/ making the simple tweaks to make it a beautiful picture in my home theater.
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