Runco PL-42cx Plasma Monitor
January 2001
Runco PL-42cx Plasma Monitor
It's a Picture, Not a Pixel
By Grant Clauser
There's no doubt that plasma monitors are cool. They're thin, light, big...and not cheap. If you're looking for a TV you can mount above the fireplace or hang on the ceiling your choices are pretty much limited to plasma. Two years ago there's weren't a whole lot of manufacturers to choose from when shopping for a plasma monitor. Over the past year that's changed a lot, but despite all the new players in the field, Runco plasmas still rate among the top.
I get excited every time I get to immerse myself in some new high-tech product. That excitement was doubled with the Runco PL-42cx because it's actually two products in one. The main part is the 42-inch widescreen PlasmaWall monitor, a sharp-looking panel with a textured deep black frame and optional stand. The second part, and the thing which sets the Runco plasma apart from its competitors, is the Virtual High Definition controller. The VHD controller is a pixel-for-pixel video processor perfectly matched to the panel's 853x480 pixel resolution.
The plasma panel itself is a 42-inch widescreen with a resolution of 853x480 pixels. Each pixel is subdivided into three colored pixels. Runco reports a contrast ratio of 1500:1 which is considerable, regardless of how the company generates the number. Connections are adequate, including one RGB/HV component (BNC connectors), one 15-pin RGB, one composite video and one S-Video. Most of the video sources you'll use with the display are going to come through the VHD processor rather than plugged directly into the monitor.
You connect the monitor to the controller with a five-cable RGB/HV connection. DVD players can be hooked up through the component input (though a progressive DVD signal is passed through unprocessed). Laser disc players and satellite receivers can be hooked up through the S-Video jack. There's also a video component jack and a 15-pin VGA or HDTV pass-through input, which passes all signals through unprocessed. A phone jack-style RS-232 wire allows the VHD to control certain aspects of the monitor. We used a set of Monster Cable RGB/HV cables for sending all video signals from the controller to the monitor. Though the two units are sold together, they don't come with their own cables.
All pixel-addressed displays (devices that electronically trigger individual pixels rather than electronic scanning) include some sort of video processing to get the resolution of the source signal to match the fixed resolution of the display. But most in-board processors do this very poorly. You can get external processors from several companies such as Faroudja, DVDO, Dwin and Focus Enhancements, but the one that comes with the 42cx was made with this monitor in mind, so they match perfectly.
It's a Picture, Not a Pixel
By Grant Clauser
There's no doubt that plasma monitors are cool. They're thin, light, big...and not cheap. If you're looking for a TV you can mount above the fireplace or hang on the ceiling your choices are pretty much limited to plasma. Two years ago there's weren't a whole lot of manufacturers to choose from when shopping for a plasma monitor. Over the past year that's changed a lot, but despite all the new players in the field, Runco plasmas still rate among the top.
I get excited every time I get to immerse myself in some new high-tech product. That excitement was doubled with the Runco PL-42cx because it's actually two products in one. The main part is the 42-inch widescreen PlasmaWall monitor, a sharp-looking panel with a textured deep black frame and optional stand. The second part, and the thing which sets the Runco plasma apart from its competitors, is the Virtual High Definition controller. The VHD controller is a pixel-for-pixel video processor perfectly matched to the panel's 853x480 pixel resolution.
The plasma panel itself is a 42-inch widescreen with a resolution of 853x480 pixels. Each pixel is subdivided into three colored pixels. Runco reports a contrast ratio of 1500:1 which is considerable, regardless of how the company generates the number. Connections are adequate, including one RGB/HV component (BNC connectors), one 15-pin RGB, one composite video and one S-Video. Most of the video sources you'll use with the display are going to come through the VHD processor rather than plugged directly into the monitor.
You connect the monitor to the controller with a five-cable RGB/HV connection. DVD players can be hooked up through the component input (though a progressive DVD signal is passed through unprocessed). Laser disc players and satellite receivers can be hooked up through the S-Video jack. There's also a video component jack and a 15-pin VGA or HDTV pass-through input, which passes all signals through unprocessed. A phone jack-style RS-232 wire allows the VHD to control certain aspects of the monitor. We used a set of Monster Cable RGB/HV cables for sending all video signals from the controller to the monitor. Though the two units are sold together, they don't come with their own cables.
All pixel-addressed displays (devices that electronically trigger individual pixels rather than electronic scanning) include some sort of video processing to get the resolution of the source signal to match the fixed resolution of the display. But most in-board processors do this very poorly. You can get external processors from several companies such as Faroudja, DVDO, Dwin and Focus Enhancements, but the one that comes with the 42cx was made with this monitor in mind, so they match perfectly.
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