Plasma TV Reviews and Product Guides

Reviewing some of the Best Plasma TV sets for Home Entertainment

Choosing your Plasma HDTV out of the variety of available models and brands can - to say the least - turn out to be a challenging time.

Help is on the way! We prepared this series of plasma TV reviews and product guides covering some of the best yet affordable plasma televisions presently available on the market. We hope that the information presented here will help make your choice a bit easier.

Samsung PN50A550 50" 1080p Plasma HDTV

Plasma Televisions - still among the HDTVs most in demand

It is a fact that the popularity of plasma HDTVs is on the decline as LCDs continue to get better and bigger.

Unfortunately, plasmas still haven't got over their reputation for burn-in despite that with the latest advancement in technology, this is no more of an issue with normal viewing. And for whatever reason, retail salespeople continue to recommend LCD over plasma.

Yet... Among the best-selling HDTVs, one would find sub-$2,000 1080p plasma sets such as the 50-inch Samsung PN-50A550 and the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U. According to many plasma TV reviews, the Samsung offers a great blend of image quality and value while the Panasonic is one of the best performing HDTVs.

The Panasonic is also one of the few THX-certified plasma HDTV sets - together with LG 50-inch 50PG60 1080p plasma TV - presently available within the 50-inch class.

But among the best-selling plasma TVs, you would also find significantly more expensive sets such as the giant 60-inch Pioneer KURO PDP-6020FD, a truly top performer.

The reality is that plasma HDTV sets are still the number one choice among videophiles looking for the best in picture performance. In particular, as most plasma TV reviews show, nothing beats plasma for its deep blacks and its ability to display shadow detail in predominantly dark content. This renders plasma better suited for home theater use than its LCD counterpart.

Some may argue that picture performance has been improving with both plasma and LCD to the point that difference between the two is getting indistinguishable for most viewers. This is another undeniable truth.

However, in as much as LCDs have the upper hand when used in brightly lit environments due to their brighter image and a screen that is less prone to glare, plasma HDTVs have deeper blacks, better off-axis viewing, and also do a better job in handling fast motion than LCDs.

It is therefore no surprise that for the informed buyer, plasma TV sets still represent a most valid and popular TV option especially at 50-inch screen sizes and above; these are the screen sizes where plasma TVs offer the best price to picture size deal.

There is a very simple reason for this. Despite that prices of plasma TVs did not continue to plummet at the same rate they did up to a year ago, prices of high definition plasma television sets have nevertheless fallen to a level that is making the big screen plasma dream closer to reality.

This also explains why giant 58-inch and 60-inch plasmas such as Samsung 58-inch PN58A550 (approx. $2,650), LG 60-inch 60PG60 (approx. 3,400), or even the relatively expensive Pioneer KURO 60-inch PDP-6020FD (approx. $4,000), are close to outselling equally valid but less expensive rear projection 1080p HDTVs within the same screen size.

A Plasma TV for Every Budget

In this series of plasma TV reviews and product guides, we look at some of the best plasma televisions at all price brackets; 'best' within their respective category, but that does not necessarily imply expensive.

Thanks to the fierce competition between plasma and LCD TV makers, plasma prices are at their lowest level ever - rendering plasma even more worth considering as a possible big screen HDTV option for your home entertainment.

Even more interesting is that cheap plasma TVs have continued to mushroom at a time when some consider the future of plasma 'uncertain'; budget brands include Vizio and Insignia (Best Buy's house brand). Both have entered a rather unexplored territory in plasma TV sales - the 32-inch. Vizio proposal here is the Vizio VP322, which is selling at Wal-Mart at under $550.

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

Insignia has a similar 32-inch 720p plasma HDTV, the Insignia NS-PDP322-09 and that is selling at Best Buy for $548. Both plasmas come with a similar specifications: a comprehensive connectivity with 3 HDMI and PC input; 30,000:1 contrast ratio; a bright display with a screen resolution of 1024 x 720 pixels - enough to support 720p HDTV; and equally important, there is an extensive set of user controls.

Do not expect $500 cheap plasma TVs to be particularly good performers. At the same time, we do not think there is much to complain about considering the price; even more important... customer feedback shows that owners are generally extremely satisfied with the overall picture quality of these cheap plasma TV sets.

Of course, one has to be careful when opting for a cheap plasma TV, especially if it comes from an unknown brand. It is better to go for a bare-bones model from a major brand. Major TV makers trade off features not picture quality, for the lower price tag.

At the same time, even what may be considered as relatively cheap plasma HDTVs represent substantial investment. And while your choice for a plasma TV is not as vast as that for LCDs, the large number of models available on the market from various brands - ranging from entry-level budget plasma TVs to premium feature rich plasma HDTVs - can easily make the whole plasma selection process a challenging event.

We therefore hope that you will find the suggestions presented in this series of plasma TV Reviews and product guides, of some assistance when planning your purchase. It would still require some research from your end to really make the best choice for your needs. However, we hope that the series of articles and plasma TV reviews presented here will help make the task of choosing a plasma HDTV easier!

Plasma TV Reviews: Cheap Plasma Television Options

Are you after a budget plasma TV? Well, the 42-inch $1000 Plasma HDTV dream is a present-day reality! Budget plasmas can be your way to a great big screen TV but be careful...

Choosing a budget-class cheap plasma TV can turn out to be more challenging and risky than ever.

The market is literally flooded with inexpensive 42 and 50-inch plasma TV sets from several unknown brands - sets that according to many plasma TV reviews - simply do not make the grade.

Still, this does not mean that a budget plasma TV cannot be a way forward. If you are on a limited budget, there are a few TV brands worth considering - Samsung and Panasonic in particular.

 

But even less renowned brands such as Vizio, LG, and Hitachi, all have within their product portfolio, relatively inexpensive budget-class plasmas that are worth considering for serious home entertainment use. Often, these less known but equally solid TV brands come up with plasma HDTVs that have a more extended feature set over top brands for sets within the same price bracket. For example the 50-inch Vizio JV50P 720p HDTV featured here comes with a wireless subwoofer and rear speakers - thus providing a total AV solution rather than just an HDTV.

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

For more information on the latest available 'budget' plasma HDTVs, please check our Cheap Plasma TV Reviews roundup.

...back to article index

A few things worth taking note of when buying a plasma HDTV:

Do not spend more money than you need. Despite what sales representatives at retail stores and some online media say, at anything smaller and including 50-inch, the eye is not able to perceive the added picture detail afforded by the higher pixel count of 1080p resolution when viewing takes place from a normal distance. Thus, if you do not need the feature set of an upscaled product at these screen sizes, you may easily save a few hundred dollars just by opting for a lower 720p HDTV. For more information, see our TV Viewing Distance guide.

Do not let the latest big contrast ratio numbers impress you! The resultant impact in picture quality is not as much as TV makers would like you to believe with their latest impressive ratings. For more information, read our article, The Contrast Ratio Game!

Top Plasma HDTVs: Practical Home Theater Guide Selection of Premium Plasma HDTVs

Despite the great advancements in LCD display technology, the best plasma HDTV sets still have an edge when it comes to overall picture performance. In particular, the deep shade of black of premium plasma TVs, and plasmas response to fast action movement, have yet to be achieved by even the best LCD HDTVs.

The irony is that this edge in performance that top brands like Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung can deliver comes at a somewhat lower price than similar LCD TVs for the same screen size - especially as one crosses the 50-inch boundary.

However many plasma TV review sites agree that premium HDTV sets from both Panasonic and Samsung - while not exactly on par with Pioneer's black level performance, yet they come mighty close, and in some areas can perform even better.

For example, CNET Review editor stated that color accuracy of the latest Samsung PN50A550 proved to be better than that of the 2007 Pioneer KURO PDP-5080HD plasma in a side by side comparison. Samsung plasmas are generally regarded as offering the best-overall value in terms of picture performance and features for your money. And when it comes to features, Samsung is the brand among the top performers that delivers most.

Similarly, Panasonic plasmas are capable of very good picture quality and deliver among the best overall picture performance for the price. In particular, the recently released THX-certified Panasonic plasma HDTV, the Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U, scored extremely well in plasma TV reviews published by both CNET Reviews and Sound & Vision Magazine.

CNET says that to the untrained eye, the difference in the black level performance between the Panasonic and the Pioneer KURO, is practically nil. Furthermore, its color and uniformity is better than that of the Pioneer. Sound and Vision defines the TH-50PZ800U as another step towards the ideal plasma TV - thanks to its accurate THX picture mode that can deliver exceptional natural-looking color without prior need to go through lots of picture adjustments.

More information on premium plasmas is available at our Best-Value Plasma HDTV Guide. This guide takes a detailed look at some of the best plasma TVs in an attempt to see why these models are getting the best ratings in plasma TV reviews submitted by both product owners and professional reviewers.

...back to article index

Note: For a detailed review of the full Panasonic plasma TV lineup or 2008, please refer to our 2008 Panasonic Plasma TV Product Guide.

Featured Plasma TV Reviews and Product Guides - Link Summary

Plasma TV Reviews / Guides for Current Products

Cheap Plasma TV Roundup

Best Plasma HDTVs - Review Summary

2008 Panasonic Plasma TV Line:

Panasonic Plasma Roundup Part 1:
Introducing the full Panasonic Viera 2008 lineup

Panasonic Plasma Roundup Part 2:
Covering entry-level series PX80U, PZ80U, and step-up series PZ85U

Panasonic Plasma Roundup Part 3:
Covering Panasonic 1080p PZ800U premium line and PZ850U flagship series

 

Achieved Plasma TV Reviews

Panasonic TH-50PZ700U 50-inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Samsung FP-T5084 1080p Plasma HDTV

TH-PX60U Panasonic Plasma Television Series

Hitachi HTD52 Series of High Definition Plasma TVs

TH-PX50U Panasonic Plasma Television Series

HP-R52 Series of HD Samsung Plasma Televisions

The 42PF9630A Philips Plasma TV

Panasonic TH42PA20U/P 42" EDTV Plasma Monitor

Samsung Tantus HPN6339 63" HDTV-Ready Plasma TV

Toshiba 50HP81 50" TheaterWide® HD

Article Date: 12^th Oct. 2008

Featured Reviews and Product Guides 

Plasma TV Reviews

Cheap Plasma TVs Roundup: Budget-class plasma TV reviews within the 42-inch and 50-inch category.

Best Plasma TVs:
Premium Plasma HDTVs within the 'best- value' category.

2008 Panasonic Plasma HDTV Product Guide - Part 1:
Introducing the Panasonic Viera line of Plasma TV sets for 2008.

2008 Panasonic Plasma HDTV Product Guide - Part 2:
Covering series PX80U, PZ80U, and PZ85U.

2008 Panasonic Plasma HDTV Product Guide - Part 3:
Discussing series PZ800U and PZ850U.

More Plasma TV Reviews:
Index of plasma TV reviews and product guides prepared by Practical Home Theater Guide.

Recommended Technical Guides 

Plasma Television
A complete guide to plasma television - from the features to look for when purchasing a plasma television, to installing and protecting your plasma TV investment.

The Complete LCD TV Guide:
LCD HDTVs are turning out sharper, bigger, better, and cheaper. Discover all you need to know about LCD TV sets in this series of articles on LCD televisions.

Digital TV
A complete guide to Digital Television - DTV converters, TV antennas, and DTV transition.

Guide to Digital Satellite TV
Covering satellite TV basics - with a special emphasis on satellite TV decoder choice and satellite dish installation.

Equipment Racks:
There is more to equipment racks than a storage space for your system components. More in this informative home theater guide.

The HDMI Cable Guide
To many, HDMI is still an unfamiliar term. This easy-to follow home theater guide explains all you need to know about HDMI.

Home Theater Set-Up DVDs
See how these calibration discs can come in handy during equipment setup.

Should You Opt for a 1080p HDTV?
Discover the strengths and weaknesses of the different HD formats - 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, in this HDTV Guide.

Home Theater Design:
A series of articles covering all aspects of a home theater from design to realization.

Recommended Home Theater Reading

Sound & Vision

Provides good reviews on the latest home theater gear - covering both high-end equipment and budget-priced products.

Practical Home  Theater
(2008 Ed.)

A well-written home theater guide that should serve as a valid reference to anyone interested in home theater.

Check out the latest special offers on Plasma HDTVs at amazon

For the full range of plasma HDTV sets at amazon, please click here.

Would You like to get the best out of your new Plasma HDTV?

There is no better way to make the most out of your new plasma HDTV then to invest in a good set-up DVD.

A great calibration disc is the Avia II Home Theater Set-up DVD, an exceptional AV calibration tool for both the novice and the expert.

Another interesting calibration disc is the Digital Video Essentials HD, but this is more suitable for advanced users.

For more information, please check our Guide to HT Set-Up DVDs.

 

Suggested Plasma TV Wall Mounts & AV Cabinets

Wall Mounts and Media Cabinets

A Quick Guide to Home Theater Design

The complete e-Book on how to research, design, and build your Home Theater.

by Duncan McClelland
More information HERE.

 About Me   |  Contact Form    |  Advertise on this Site   |  Site Search   |  Privacy Policy

 Copyright © - Practical-Home-Theater-Guide.com  All rights reserved.