In the battles between ancient Grecian city-states, Spartan society was known for its narrow focus on militaristic goals. Modern-day electronics manufacturer Fujitsu may not be sending sales reps to battle with swords and sandals, but the company seems to have similarly dedicated its product line toward a single purpose. While the company’s competitors use creative amenities to draw attention to their flat-panel TV lines, Fujitsu has stripped its plasma to the bare essentials.

Bucking the annoying trend of putting plasma TV controls under the set, Fujitsu places its controls in the lower right corner where you can see them. (Click image to enlarge)

The company’s Plasmavision P50XHA40US 50-inch plasma TV has a simply stated design, with nothing but a thin gray bezel surrounding the screen. Its straightforward elegance reveals the company’s approach to flat-panel displays. Unlike many panels we review, this one lacks common amenities like a built-in digital TV tuner, fancy equipment control features, speakers, and outboard audio/video signal switchers (whose functions are often duplicated by your A/V receiver, anyway).

Instead, Fujitsu focuses on more pertinent functions. Leading off is the panel’s 1366-by-768 pixel resolution, which makes it more than capable of reproducing high-definition images. There are plenty of video inputs, too, including HDMI, RGB, and component. Audio inputs are scarcer, with only three provided; these are assigned through the menu to certain video inputs. The company does offer optional speakers and provides a built-in audio amplifier to power them. You can use the amp to power your own on-wall or in-wall speakers if you wish.

The panel’s remote control and on-screen menu are similarly uncomplicated. The latter lacks the graphical splash that others offer, though it provides the necessary settings for your dealer to get a great image out of the TV. It uses some cryptic terminology, though. Like most other TVs, this one offers different picture settings for different programs or lighting conditions, but the nomenclature is unique. Our favorite picture setting monikers are Fine, Effective, and Conventional. Does Fine mean acceptable or detailed? And is the Conventional setting ineffective, or the Effective setting unconventional? We stuck with the Still setting, which offered the closest thing to a neutral, accurate image.
 
The remote is more straightforward and understandably cheap in build and appearance. For most P50XHA40US owners, it will serve merely as a method of teaching a touchscreen or unified remote the TV’s infrared command signals. Separate buttons on the remote access each source input on the TV, which makes it easy to program macro-based universal remotes or automation systems to perform multiple tasks with the push of a single button. We make a few adjustments that any decent dealer can—and should—perform for you, like tweaking the system’s picture controls and changing the color temperature to the most accurate setting, which in this case is Low. Be careful, though, as you have to save your settings purposefully. Otherwise, you will lose them as we do a couple of times. Read the well-written manual to learn your way around the P50XHA40US’s pitfalls.

The resulting picture looks good, particularly with consistently bright images like those from the Training Day DVD. Color and detail are also excellent. Measurements indicate that the picture’s color is slightly desaturated, although it’s doubtful you will notice. Most images, particularly high-definition video from my JVC D-VHS player, look detailed and colorful. In many ways, the set’s color is far more accurate than we see with most other displays, which tend to exaggerate certain colors.

Fujitsu makes no pretense that the generic remote it supplies will be used for anything more than to teach other remotes the codes to operate this TV. At least you can use the batteries to power your Maglite. (Click image to enlarge)

The set has decent contrast as well, though the black level is mildly high. Black images that are reproduced as a dark gray flatten out darker scenes like those from the opening of Gladiator. This is typical of plasma technology, though. And in this regard, the Fujitsu is better than many other plasma TVs we have tested, and this flaw is not noticeable in most movie and TV scenes.
 
More noticeable is the set’s reluctance to cut from dark scenes to bright scenes; the bright scenes tend to lose some of the punch I would expect from them on this TV. Test results with a light meter prove that the set can produce a bright image, but it reacts slowly when the video signal makes quick changes from mostly dark to mostly bright scenes. It takes awhile for the panel to ramp up to its maximum light output. If the scene is consistently lit, though, then the panel can put out an impressively bright picture.
 
The TV can also produce an image that is free of most motion artifacts and other image distortions. The internal video processor does a decent job of converting most standard-definition video signals to the panel’s high-definition resolution. It usually compensates for programs filmed at 24 frames per second, which includes most motion pictures and many TV shows. Similarly, the TV appropriately converts high-definition signals broadcast in the 1080-line interlaced format to the panel’s native 1366-by-768 resolution without sacrificing detail. Occasional errors occur, but they are few and far between.Taken in pieces, the Fujitsu plasma panel seems something of a mixed bag. On the whole, though, the image quality is more than satisfying with the vast majority of program material. If you’re looking for an all-in-one TV, this is not the one for you. This set is best suited for an enthusiast’s theater system, with separate speakers, tuners, and other peripherals to accompany the plasma. In these cases, the panel’s Spartan approach to performance will suit its owner well.

DESCRIPTION
50-inch plasma TV. Sits on a low tabletop stand or mounts to a wall. Speakers optional, TV tuner not included

DISPLAY CAPABILITIES
Native 16:9 widescreen display. Accepts all standard- and high-definition signals (except 1080p) and computer resolutions including 1280 x 1024 and 1360 x 768

CONNECTIONS
Video: HDMI digital video input, DVI/RGB input, RGBHV analog input, two HDTV-compatible component inputs, S-video input, composite video input
Audio: Three stereo analog audio inputs (two back, one front), left and right speaker outputs (10 watts each)
Other: RS-232 input for external control

DIMENSIONS/RESOLUTION
DIMENSIONS: 28.6 x 47.9 x 3.9 inches (hwd)
RESOLUTION: 1366 x 768 pixels

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: $7,499
CONTACT: 973.575.0380, www.plasmavision.com