PC World
Thursday, July 20, 2006; 8:10 PM
Normally when you buy a high-definition monitor instead of a full-fledged HDTV, you can expect a nice little discount. So it's strange that, although the Maxent MX-42HPM20 has no integrated TV tuner, it still costs $200 more than the Vizio P42HDTV , which does include one.
Head-to-head with its budget competitor, the MX-42HPM20 lagged the pack on nearly every test we performed. Jurors' opinions were fairly universal regardless of whether they were viewing high-definition programming, standard-definition broadcasts, or DVDs. The biggest complaint concerned the Maxent's brightness. Next to other plasmas, even those with the same rated brightness, the set looked dark and lacked vibrance. Color accuracy was all over the map: Skin tones careened into the red, and greens took on a surreal, night-vision-esque hue. Overall detail was generally acceptable, but the display still looked fuzzier than most, with mild artifacting and jagged edges.
Managing the monitor through its on-screen menus is a mixed bag. Menus are extremely simple and easy to use (as is the remote), but you give up a substantial amount of configurability. Worse, the menus are painfully slow to display on screen and to respond to commands, meaning it can take 30 seconds or more just to tweak the contrast. The manual lacks some important information, such as the method for resetting the TV to original factory settings (press the TV's power button, and then immediately press and hold the volume-up button until 'AV1' appears on the screen).
The connectivity options are solid. You'll find just about every port type you could need on the back of the set (including a whopping six RCA audio inputs). As long as you're not looking for a coaxial connection, CableCard slot, or DVI, the MX-42HPM20 has you covered. We do wish the connectors were more accessible (vertical ports and under-set crawling required), but overall the monitor is sturdy and efficiently designed.
Ultimately, the MX-42HPM20 is in keeping with Maxent's approach to no-frills HD at a minimal cost ($1800 as of 6/6/06) but the quality of this HD plasma display just doesn't measure up. You'll find far better machines at a similar price or less; you'll even find better-looking Maxent sets if you move to larger sizes.