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Marc Simon
A little perspective is very valuable. The Dell W4200HD took top honors when we first reviewed it in comparison with plasma TVs from two other companies (HP and ViewSonic) that are also better known for their PC products. The Dell won that match by offering the best picture, but we cautioned then that its color quality might not hold up as well against models from more-established TV makers.
And that's indeed what happened in our latest review of eight models: The W4200HD took last place for overall quality and for five of our seven subcategories (HDTV, DVD, bright-light viewing, color quality, and brightness and contrast). And its seventh-place showing for standard-definition content and fifth-place rank for detail were not great honors, either. Of the eight models we tested, it landed in sixth overall.
Most noticeable were the set's color failings. During calibration, we saw only unpleasant choices--settings that made the screen a bit too red or way too blue....