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Dell Enters HDTV Market with Plasma Display

Posted by timothy on from the pushing-pixels dept.

ThinSkin writes "It was only a matter of time before PC giant Dell would jump headlong into the HDTV market. But what does a company built around making inexpensive PCs know about HDTVs? ExtremeTech has done a full review with benchmarks on Dell's offering, the Dell W4200HD 42" Plasma HDTV."

10 of 285 comments (clear)

  1. 24" 1920x1200/12msec LCD is pretty interesting too by xmas2003 · · Score: 4, Informative
    While the W4200HD is pretty cool but a bit pricy (nutshell summary of the article), a perhaps more interesting display coming from Dell is the 24" LCD offering 1920x1200 resolution and 12-16 msec response time - also reviewed by Extreme Tech with a sticker price of $1,199 ... although I have not see it for sale yet on Dell's websitee. This is going to put a lot of pressure on the large LCD makers, and with the occasional 25% off deal from Dell, could drop below $1,000.

    My christmas lights and BBQ Grill would look HULK'ing on that monitor! ;-)

    --
    Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
  2. One page version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.extremetech.com/print_article2/0,2533,a =146388,00.asp Far easier to read, IMHO.

  3. Not everyone... by Avyakata · · Score: 2, Informative

    "But what does a company built around making inexpensive PCs know about HDTVs?"

    For a lot of people, it probably won't matter. Dell is a name that most people know, and a good amount trust, so it is expected that they can make fairly reliable/quality products. Some consumers need to go no further...

  4. Re:Selling plasma HDTVs is not a rocket science... by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Informative

    I always find it funny. When a company finally beats there competitor they start taking on many of the competitors traits. There was a time where Dell wasn't considered Low Cost PC, But Reliable systems, The same with Gateway a decade earlier. If you let quality drop to far (from tring to be the most afordable) people start disliking your brand. I knew so many people back in early 2000 who got a Gateway because it was cheaper then the Dell and by 2001 They were going I should have put the extra money in and got a Dell. But now Dells quality is going down a bit and we are looking for a New Company to come up to the plate. Compaq/HP The Compaq name means it sucks, Gateway Sucks, Dell Starting to suck. IBM Getting better but they are selling their PC market. The other guys have trouble with making midrange Desktops.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  5. Not HDTV by mamer-retrogamer · · Score: 5, Informative

    At 1024X768 this "High Definition" television can not fully render neither of the two High-Def resolutions of 720p (1280x720) nor 1080i (1920x1080 interlaced).

    -Mike

    --
    Schrödinger's cat is not amused—maybe.
  6. Not a true HDTV by That's+Unpossible! · · Score: 4, Informative

    I quote:

    "The W4200HD has a native pixel resolution of 1024x768, and as such, isn't a true HD device, since it doesn't have enough pixels to draws [sic] a 1280x720 (720p) HDTV image."

    Which means it also can't do 1080i (which requires 1920x1080, almost twice the horizontal resolution this TV is capable of).

    --
    Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
  7. Re:Plasma short lifespan... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Are LCD tv's any better?

    Yes. They don't burn in images.

    You're 100% right, Plasma TVs are not worth buying unless you are the type of person who buys a new TV every year anyway.

  8. Re:They do it well by Mordaximus · · Score: 2, Informative
    Dell is a smart company that runs a lean & mean R&D machine.

    Unless you consider that many other companies are getting right out of plasma production. At any rate neither of their displays are HDTV devices. They lack the resolution to even display 720p at 16:9. Suprised no one sues for false advertising.

  9. Re:They do it well by CodeBuster · · Score: 2, Informative

    That is not necessarily true. The pieces that Dell brings to the table are, as you mention, comparative advantages in their supply chain, superior marketing and brand awareness, and a hyper efficient delivery and distribution system. One company does the R&D and licenses the design/specifications, another company does the actual fabrication/manufacturing, and the third company, Dell in this case, does the marketing, branding, and distribution. Each of these companies is specialized in their particular area of expertise delivering maximum efficiency through comparative advantages wrought by their specialization. The end result is generally reasonable quality products delivered to consumers at reasonable prices. In previous decades large, vertically integrated firms controlled all aspects of design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and branding and the result was a few large firms delivering products of comparative quality but at much higher prices than consumers pay today in inflation adjusted dollars. The good news is that there many levels of markets from mass to niche and everything in between which serve all types of customer from custom projects to mass produced goods and services. Dell is just another link in the chain.

  10. Re:disposable $4000 appliances by asylum · · Score: 2, Informative

    "My friend's TV burned out, so all Plasma TV's are guaranteed to burn out!"

    Nice logic.

    There is a lot of FUD out there concerning the longevity of plasma displays. Check out this article for a sensible analysis of the problem.

    (If you're too lazy to read the article, it basically says that you can reasonably expect to be watching your plasma tv 10 years from now)