The P42T01 is the latest in a long line of Hitachi plasmas to offer a wealth of features for a low price, and at around £750 online it's the company's most affordable set to date.

Even more remarkable is the fact that it's equipped with an Alternate Lighting of Surfaces (ALiS) panel with a resolution of 1024 x 1080 pixels.

While this doesn't make it a full HD TV - ALiS uses technical trickery to increase a 540-line display to a 1,080 lines of pixels - it means that the P42T01 can show 1080i and 1080p pictures line-for-line. The panel's rectangular pixels are also closer together than on regular plasmas, which boosts the perceived resolution.

Connectivity is generous. Pop open the front panel under the screen and you'll find a USB port for hooking up a digital camera to view digital photos in a slideshow, alongside an SD memory card slot.

The inclusion of two HDMIs is a bonus with so many hi-def sources around, but we have to question why Hitachi placed one on the front panel. Permanently connecting a device to this socket means having an ugly wire sticking out of the front of the TV, which severely ruins the aesthetic.

Aside from that, the set looks gorgeous. Our sample sports a matt black bezel surrounded by a tasteful dark grey trim, but for a little extra cash it's also available in a shiny finish. The speakers are tucked underneath the screen to reduce the overall width, but the cherry on the cake is the remote-controlled motorised swivel stand.

At the heart of the set is Hitachi's Picture Master FHD, which optimises colour and detail for 720p, 1080i and 1080p signals.

The feature list also has a digital tuner, bringing with it all the standard Freeview goodies like digital text and an EPG, plus BBE, SRS, and Focus audio modes.

Just not perfect

The P42T01 turns in a decent performance for the money, but if you're looking for the ultimate in picture quality look elsewhere.

With bright standard-def material such as Big Brother from the built-in digital tuner, images are hugely enjoyable. The BB house's migraine-inducing colour schemes are delivered with force and vibrancy, while noise is competently suppressed by the excellent Picture Master FHD circuitry.