Fujitsu P42HTA51 review

We don’t like to judge gadgets solely on their face but it’s a shame Fujitsu’s P42HTA51 looks so dull. Engage it in conversation, though, and you’ll find it has speakers and a stand for around £995 – which is over a grand less than its original price.   

The 42in panel has a resolution of 1024x1024i and there’s a healthy claimed contrast ratio of 3000:1, although it’s best not to get too hung up on such figures. More important is what it’s like when it’s actually switched on.

Analogue-only tuner

Once you’ve passed the first test and found the power button, the analogue-only tuner delivers a solid enough picture. There’s a little noise in deep blacks and a hint of ghosting in some edges, but it’s perfectly watchable.

The wealth of good quality, reasonably priced Freeview boxes available means the weak analogue tuner can easily be replaced with an add-on digital one. If you want to get the most out of this telly, we’d highly recommend it.

All the necessary connections to make this screen HD-ready are present and correct, namely HDMI and component inputs. There’s also two RGB Scarts to play with as well.

Spin a DVD and the Fujitsu delivers a pleasingly smooth and detailed picture via the component inputs. Fast motion presents no problems, and the overall picture is smooth and refined, with a good colour balance.

Hi-def’s a hit

Stepping up to the preferred all-digital HDMI input, colours are given a little more vitality, with vibrant films getting an extra dose of rouge, and there’s a bit more detail with a slightly better depth of field. Sound quality is solid and clear, if not particularly dramatic.

Taken with the rest of the package, it makes the Fujitsu well worth exploring. It’s attractively priced, blessed with a fine picture and represents a strong plasma performer.