Loewe Xelos A42 review

The infuriation is alleviated, at least partly, by an on-screen help system. The useful, context-sensitive hints mean you don't need to consult the manual to find out more about the current option. It's a massive contrast to the usual dull menu systems of your average TV (although Sony's is still the reference system), but that doesn't mean that it's any better to use in the first place.

There are some smaller touches on the Loewe that improve the experience and leave you in no doubt about Loewe's heritage. Digital Refresh mode is necessary for the ALIS plasma panel, as it will prevent screen burn. We can all be forgetful and leave a DVD menu screen on by accident, so it's good that Loewe's screen has built-in features to prevent this. The nicest touch though, and one found on other premium TV sets, is the virtual curtains that close over the picture when you turn it off. A small addition, but one that says 'I'm better than you' when you show it to your friends.

On the remote control, you can activate Picture-in-Picture if you've got your eye on two channels at once. Although the menu is very fiddly to operate, we do like the way that advanced functions, such as altering the picture format from 4:3 to 16:9 and activating the Movie Mode, which boosts the contrast of the picture, are tucked away in a sub-menu. There is also a model that sells for a £100 premium that has an integrated digital tuner -- something to bear in mind if you're in a Freeview area.

Performance
Loewe's plasma suffers from a startlingly poor contrast level, meaning that darker areas disintegrate into a greyish mess. There's also quite a bit of graininess, even when we ran some Windows Media High Definition content through it. 1080i HD content was still the most impressive picture quality on the A42, but it was a less impressive experience than on Loewe's LCDs.

Strangely, it's much better at dealing with lower quality sources from RGB Scart -- our Ronin DVD was very enjoyable, as were pictures from a Freeview digital tuner. Television studios seem to work much better on screen, with solid detail and vibrant colours. The speakers are also impressive, with enough power to handle a movie soundtrack while providing vocal intelligibility.

Edited by Mary Lojkine
Additional editing by Nick Hide