Best Cheap Plasma TV Sets
for your Home Entertainment
2008 Update

One can no longer skip over the ever expanding array of cheap plasma TV sets as if these are not worth considering for serious home use. The reason is that in the mist of all the fierce competition between new entrants and major manufactures, we started to see some really cheap plasma TV sets even from leaders in the industry.

This fierce competition is not just between different plasma TV makers. Even more so, it is between plasma and LCD manufactures. It is this that has really brought about a drastic fall in the prices of flat-panel HDTVs.

It is true that for whatever reason, prices of flat-panel TVs, and in particular of plasma HDTVs, did not continue to plummet at the same rate as they did up to a year ago. But analysts still expect some further discounts on plasma HDTVs in the coming weeks and months in response to falling prices for LCD TVs. Even so, as things stand today, prices of plasma HDTVs are at their lowest ever - with name brand 42-inch plasma TVs selling at just under $1,000.

The cheap plasma TV option does not cover only the 42-inch domain, but bigger screen sizes as well. In fact, budget-class 720p 50-inch plasma HDTVs are readily available at under $1,500! Of course, a cheap plasma TV - no matter how cheap - still represents a big expense. Therefore, be very careful when opting for a cheap plasma TV, especially if it comes from some unknown brand. It is better to go for a bare-bones model from a major manufacture such as Samsung and Panasonic; major brands trade off features not picture quality, for the lower price tag.

Less known brands such as LG, Vizio and Best Buy in-house brand Insignia, are also worth considering for a budget-class plasma HDTV. Generally, top brands offer superior picture quality. Less known brands tend to offer more in terms of overall feature value to price deal;  while these may not represent the ideal choice for a dedicated home theater solution, yet they may very well represent valid cheap plasma TV options for general home entertainment needs.

So... whether to opt for a bare-bones cheap plasma TV from a top brand, or a more feature packed set from a less know brand, depends on your requirements. With a little bit of research, you can easily pick up the right budget plasma and save hundreds of dollars on features you do not really need.

To help you in the selection of a possible cheap plasma TV for your home entertainment, we are presenting here some of the best 'budget' plasma HDTV sets presently available from major brands in the industry. Products covered in this cheap plasma TV roundup include:

Note: Many of these budget-class cheap plasma TVs are 720p HDTVs. Do not let this lower screen resolution put you off; we know that sales talk by some retail reps and online media often directs less informed buyers to the more expensive 1080p HDTVs. But with anything under and including 50-inch screens, you would not be able to enjoy the added picture detail supported by the higher pixel count of a 1080p screen when viewing takes place from the recommended distance, due to visual acuity limitations.

Plasma TV Reviews Roundup: Cheap Plasma TV Options from various brands

32-inch Cheap Plasma TV Category:

This is a rather unexplored territory in plasma TV sales and while you would find many 32-inch LCD HDTVs, your choice for a 32-inch plasma TV was nonexistent up to very recent. And your choice today is still very much limited due to the limited profit margins involved at this screen size. The only available models we are aware of come from Vizio - the Vizio VP322 - 720p HDTV available through Wal-Mart and amazon, and Best Buy in-house brand, Insignia with its Insignia NS-PDP32-09 32-inch 720p plasma HDTV. These plasma TVs are selling at under $550 - at least $100 to $150 less than similar 720p LCD TVs from name brand TV makers.

The lack of 32-inch plasmas comes to no surprise. Only brands like Vizio and Insignia that employ a totally different distribution strategy than the big players can operate at the lower profit margins associated with these price levels. These brands sell TVs through selected retail outlets - retail chains like Costco, Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and Best-Buy. These retailers are looking for gross margins in the 10 percent range against the 25% of what general electronics retailers expect.

It is thus clear that the lower price tag associated with the so called 'cheap plasma TV sets' from Vizio and Insignia is not the result of a lower product quality but due to the significant savings in the distribution chain.

And speaking of product quality, product analysts agree that the overall quality of both Vizio and Insignia HDTVs is very similar to those from the leaders in the field for products within the same category.

Insignia NS-PDP32-09 32-inch 720p Plasma TV

Interesting is that the Vizio VP322 720p plasma HDTV and the Insignia NS-PDP32-09 have an almost identical specification set. These cheap plasma TVs come with comprehensive connectivity including 3 HDMI ports, component video, and a dedicated PC input. Both sets employ a similarly rated plasma display panel with a dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1, a high brightness level of 1000 cd/m2, and a screen resolution of 1024 x 720 pixels - enough to support 720p HDTV.

Equally important, these relatively cheap plasma TVs come with a surprisingly extensive set of user controls for the price.

While one cannot expect $500 plasma TVs to be particularly good performers, yet customer feedback shows that owners are generally extremely satisfied with the overall picture quality of these relatively inexpensive plasmas. Similarly, customers agree that product support is one of the best. This is no surprise - both Vizio and Insignia are companies that are proud to have positioned themselves as capable of providing better and more personal service. This is something that the big players can never achieve through their complex product distribution structures.

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42-inch to 50-inch Cheap Plasma TVs - Favorite Picks

Cheapest Budget-Class Plasma: The Vizio JV50P Plasma HDTV

We have already referred to Vizio above, yet there is more... Vizio plasma TVs have been earning among the best ratings in various plasma TV reviews for their picture quality-to-price deal. In just a couple of years, Vizio aggressive pricing policy in the flat-panel HDTV market transformed this little known company into one of the best-selling names in the US. A case in point is the 50-inch Vizio JV50P 720p plasma HDTV which at $1,100 is one of the cheapest 50-inch plasma HDTVs on the market.

A cheap plasma TV with an extended feature set: 50-inch Vizio JV50P 720p Plasma TV with wireless subwoofer and rear speakers

Despite the low price tag, this cheap plasma TV includes quite a number of interesting features - features that are not present on even more expensive name-brand plasmas.

In fact, with the Vizio JV50P, what you are getting is a total home theater package rather than just a plasma HDTV. This Vizio HDTV is probably the only HDTV to include full Dolby Digital 5.1 surround with wireless subwoofer and rear speakers, delivering a total of 70W RMS of audio power. The wireless subwoofer and rear speakers means that you do not need to have speaker cables crossing your room from front to back to have full surround speaker setup for your TV. This is definitely a welcome bonus. The 70W RMS of total audio power would not rock your room, but it is much better than the typical 10W to 20W of simulated surround sound you find on significantly more expensive plasma HDTVs.

Despite falling within the cheap plasma TV category, this Vizio plasma HDTV also incorporates additional features such as picture-in-picture and picture-out-of-picture channel previews - two extremely handy channel preview modes especially with sets containing multiple inputs. There is also a frame freeze mode. These features are not available on some of more expensive plasma TVs and including the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U.

The Vizio plasma comes with a contrast ratio rating of 15,000:1, 1500 cd/m2 brightness, a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, and a host of connectivity options - including 3 HDMI ports and a dedicated PC input.

According to a plasma TV review published by HDTV Solutions, picture performance of the 50-inch Vizio JV50P 720p is classified as very good despite not being exactly on par with plasma TV sets from Samsung, Panasonic and Pioneer. There are also some minor problems with the handling of standard definition content. Yet the same review adds that for the price, this Vizio plasma HDTV is capable of very good HD picture performance; overall, the Vizio JV50p represents very good value for money.

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Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U - Cheapest 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U 42-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic is considered by many as one of the world leaders in plasma display technology. As indicated elsewhere on our site, Panasonic has also been tasked by Pioneer to produce the display panels for the KURO and Elite KURO lines of Pioneer plasma HDTVs.

Valid 'cheap plasma TV' options from this world leader include entry-level Viera 42-inch sets within their 2008 PX80U and PZ80U series, the Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U, and the Panasonic Viera TH-42PZ80U. The PX80U represents Panasonic entry-level 720p series, while the PZ80U is Panasonic entry-level 1080p lineup.

These sets are proving to be among the best sellers within the budget HDTV category. Part of the reason behind this success is their relatively inexpensive price tag. The Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U is selling online at $750 - an extremely cheap plasma TV from a top brand; the PZ80U version - despite an MSRP of $1,500 - is selling at amazon at just under $1,100. At this price level, the TH-42PZ80U is probably the cheapest 1080p plasma HDTV from a leader in the field.

But there is more than just an attractive price behind the Panasonic PX80U and PZ80U success. These relatively cheap plasma TV sets are capable of the same excellent picture quality with deep blacks and clean accurate colors we associated with more expensive Panasonic plasma HDTVs.

The PX80U and the PZ80U series come with an almost identical feature set. The only real significant difference between the two is the 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution on the PZ80U against the 720p (1024 x 768 pixels) resolution of the PX80U. The PX80U also comes with a slightly lower static contrast ratio rating of 15,000:1 instead of the 20,000:1 found on the PZ80U.

Mind you, these differences are significant in terms of absolute numbers only. The human eye would not be able to perceive any significant difference in the level of picture quality and detail at the screen sizes involved.

These entry-level series come with a rather reduced feature set. You would not get picture-in-picture preview as found on some similar priced plasmas such as the Vizio HDTV featured above, nor a USB port. But you would still get the most important features ...and even a bit more!

In fact, these sets come with the latest generation (G11) of HD plasma displays. Connectivity is among the most comprehensive for a cheap plasma TV, with 3 HDMI ver. 1.3 complete with Deep Color (x.v.Color) support and CEC via Panasonic Viera Link; the latter allows multiple Viera Link devices to be controlled by a single remote. There is no dedicated VGA-type PC input but then you have a memory card slot to view JPG files.  A new anti-reflective coating is also being included - something which was not present on the 2007 line of Panasonic entry-level HDTVs. Other features include video noise reduction and 3D color management functions, simulated surround sound with 20W total audio power out, and equally important, a pixel shifter to eliminate possible image retention.

The only complain we have about these relatively cheap plasma TVs from Panasonic - if any - is the lack of a USB port and PIP channel preview. These two features would not have cost much for Panasonic to implement; at the same time, these would have proved extremely useful to the end user. Admittedly, these Panasonic Viera plasma HDTVs are budget-priced plasmas, and as with all budget HDTVs, what matters most at the prices involved is their solid overall performance rather than their convenience feature set.

Panasonic also makes 50-inch versions under either series - the 1080p Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ80U (approx. $1,350), and the 720p Panasonic Viera Th-50PX80U (approx. $1200); except for a larger screen size, these 50-inch versions share the same specs as the 42-inch sets.

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Samsung PN-42A450 - Cheapest 42-inch from a top-brand

Samsung HDTVs are among the most popular - often ending up ranking as top sellers and most desired within their respective category.

There is a very simple reason for this. If you want is the 'best value to price deal' HDTV, Samsung is the brand to opt for. This applies not only in the case of premium line LCD and plasma HDTVs, it is even more so when it comes to entry-level cheap plasma TVs.

Samsung 50-inch PN50A450

A case in point is the Samsung PN-A450 series of 720p HDTVs. This series represents Samsung entry-level 720p HDTVs for 2008 and comprises the Samsung PN42A450 42-Inch 720p Plasma TV and the 50-inch PN50A450 plasma HDTV.

At just over $900 for the 42-inch and $1,200 for the 50-inch version, these Samsung plasma HDTVs are among the least expensive within their respective category.

But notwithstanding their relatively inexpensive price tag, these cheap plasma TVs from Samsung still include many of the features found on upscale models within the 2008 Samsung lineup.

Main specs include a display panel with a native screen resolution of 1365 x 768 pixels (720p), a 20,000:1 static contrast ratio and 100,000:1 dynamic contrast rating, and 18-bit color processing. An automatic contrast enhancer feature (ACE) helps eliminate any traces of noise from the deepest dark tones, while a games mode reduces time lag when playing fast action games.

These Samsung plasma HDTVs use the same Ultra FilterBright™ anti-glare technology found on the more expensive sets; it is designed to block external light from washing out the blacks while reducing glare under brightly lit environments.

Audio consists of 10W RMS per channel with SRS TruSurround XT to help create a virtual surround sound field through the set speakers. Connectivity includes 3 HDMI, a dedicated PC VGA-type input, a composite video input, and two component video inputs; there is also a USB 2.0 port but this is used only for service upgrade via a USB drive.

Samsung's implementation of anti burn-in technology goes well beyond what one finds on Panasonic entry-level sets. It uses not only auto pixel shift, but also incorporate a signal pattern processing function, and an all white screen to ensure that no images are burned into your plasma panel.

An interesting feature found on the Samsung PN42A450 and the Samsung PN50A450 plasma HDTV is '3D' support. This means that it is possible to view 3D movies and gaming using special 3-D glasses. This renders the Samsung PN-A450 HDTVs unique in that as far as we know, these are the world's first HDTVs within the entry-level category that are 3D-ready.

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Hitachi Unique Down-rezzed entry-level HD1080 Plasma TVs

50-inch Hitachi P50A202 HD1080 Plasma HDTV

Hitachi also offers an interesting range of 'value category' plasmas. The 50-inch Hitachi P50A202 and its slightly smaller brother within the same series, the 42-inch Hitachi P42A202. These form the latest new pair of what Hitachi defines as entry-level HD1080 plasma TVs.

The HD1080 on these Hitachi plasma TVs refers to a rather unique screen resolution of 1280 x 1080 pixels for the 50-inch and 1024 x 1080 pixels for the 42-inch plasma. This is basically what some call down-rezzed' HDTV. This is the type of down-scaled HDTV you get from satellite TV companies when transmitting HDTV content to fit in more programs in the limited bandwidth space.

Hitachi HD1080 delivers 41 percent more vertical screen resolution than most plasma TVs in this screen size. The 1080 vertical pixel resolution should make rescaling of 1080i content easier. The reduced horizontal resolution may not be what some may be looking at when planning a 1080p HDTV set. But at the screen sizes involved, you still would not be able to perceive the full level of picture detail afforded by a 1080p screen resolution under normal viewing distances.

The Hitachi plasma HDTVs come at a slightly more expensive price tag than similar name-brand plasmas. However, this is offset by a rather interesting feature set - including 16-bit video processing, MPEG noise reduction, a full suite of aspect ratio settings for both SD and HD content, a games mode, and anti-reflective screen coating with high contrast filter.

Conveniences include various picture settings, including a dynamic, day, and night picture settings that are independent per input, 3 HDMI ver. 1.3 inputs with x.v.Color and CEC support that can accept both 1080p60 and 1080p24 content, adjustable audio delay - referred to as lip synch, a store (called retail) or home mode - similar to what you find on Panasonic plasmas, 20W audio with simulated surround sound, and last but not least, a suit of picture orbital pixel modes to help eliminate possible risk of image burn-in.

As already indicated above, these Hitachi come at a slightly above average price tag than similar budget-priced plasmas. However, what is surprisingly interesting here is that the 50-inch is selling online at a significantly reduced price tag below its MSRP than the 42-inch. In fact, at $1,430 at amazon, the 50-inch Hitachi P50A202 is practically selling at the same price of the 42-inch Hitachi P42A202. This makes the 50-inch Hitachi an attractive HDTV option for your home entertainment.

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LG Electronics Innovative Entry-level 720p Plasma HDTVs

During the last few years, LG has been constantly gaining market share in both plasma and LCD HDTVs - thanks to its innovative design concepts and an overall best-value to price ratio.

LG is also one of the few TV makers together with Panasonic that for 2008, released its line of THX certified HDTV sets - the LG PG60 series comprising the 50-inch LG 50PG60 and the 60-inch LG 60PG60.

Obviously, at $3,400 for the 60-inch and $1,900 for the 50-inch, these LG plasma HDTV sets do not fall within the 'cheap plasma TV' category. However, this THX display certification signifies the highest standards for quality and performance, thus ensuring that content is presented with the correct color and luminance levels.

50-inch LG 50PG20 720p Plasma TV

LG entry-level series is the LG PG20. It comprises the 42-inch LG 42PG20 and the 50-inch LG 50PG20. Except for the difference in screen size and a slightly lower screen resolution on the 42-inch (1024 x 768 pixels against the 1365 x 768 on the 50-inch), these two LG plasma HDTV TVs carry the same specs set.

Despite being entry-level sets, these relatively cheap plasma TVs still come with an extensive and we add - innovative - feature set.

To start with, these LG plasma TVs come Fluid Motion processing to give a smoother, clearer motion. The result is what LG calls 180Hz effect but... this does not mean that these relatively cheap plasma TVs from LG support a 180Hz refresh rate.

These sets have a dynamic contrast ratio rating of 20,000:1 and 1,500 cd/m² screen brightness. There are also three modes of image retention protection, and anti-reflective coating to minimize glare under a brightly lit environment.

The video supports six aspect ratio modes, plus a just scan mode for 1:1 pixel matching. You will also get enhanced noise reduction, four color temperature settings, seven picture selection modes and an additional 3 audio-video (AV) modes that are designed to optimize the picture and sound for cinema, sports, or game content.

Audio comes at 10W RMS per channel and includes SRS TruSurround XT^TM for simulated surround sound via the set two speaker system. And speaking of speakers, here is another innovation on part of LG. These plasma HDTVs use a system of 'invisible speakers' whereby each speaker is embedded in strategic points behind the front cabinet and use minute vibrations to turn the entire front bezel into a speaker system. This leads to improved sound and a wider sound field.

Connectivity includes three HDMI ver. 1.3 with x.v.Color and CEC (for use with LG SimpLink^TM to control multiple SimpLink^TM devices via a single remote, one PC VGA type D-sub 15pin input, S-video, composite video, two component video, and a USB2.0 port. The latter however is for service upgrades only.

Price wise, the 50-inch LG 50PG20 is selling at just under $1,400 while the 42-inch LG 42PG20 is selling online at $1,000. At these price levels, the LG PG20 series offers one of the best overall value packs among the 'cheap plasma TV' category.

A Final Note