hello there
i'm in the market for the olevia 42" widescreen lcd. my ? is what is the accual width and height of a 42 " screen.

Go to their website or another retailer online. They usually list dimensions.

From COMPUSA (Syntax Olevia $2999)
Height: 34.8 in
Width: 43.2 in
Depth: 11.0 in
Weight: 114.7 lbs

And the screen itself should be:

H: 20.6
W: 36.6

And don't forget that the speakers are "convertible" on that model and can also be side-mounted. The height will not change but it will be wider than the 43" mentioned above.