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Reviews of the best Plasma TelevisionsAre you finally ready to step up from your old tube tv to a new plasma screen? Plasma TVs were all the talk of the television industry just a few years ago but today they are being challenged by DLP and LCD tvs as well. Plasma televisions have come down in price over the last few years and the quality has only increased. Plasma tvs are the latest craze and should sell well around the holidays again this year. There is quite a bit of competition from Pioneer, Samsung, Panasonic, Hitachi, LG, Sony, and Philips. Prices have hovered around $2000 for a year now with some still costing in upwards of $4000. On the cheap end of things, you can find a Vizio plasma tv that sells for less than $1500 (42-inch). The most common size plasma tvs are the 42 inch and 50 inch models that most manufacturers offer while a few new models are in excess of 60 inches. Plasma TVs will last 10-15 years given normal use patterns. You'll want a plasma tv that has both HDTV capabilities and a 1080p rating. Not all television networks offer shows in high definition at this time, but in the next few years, almost all programming will be shown in high definition which will make plasmas screens a real winner for picture quality and sound quality. The higher the screen resolution the better for viewing purposes (1024 X 728 or larger). The 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen) is what sets plasma screens apart from conventional tvs and lets you enjoy DVD movies.
Plasma TV vs LCDs:One big decision that all consumers need to determine is, Will they buy a plasma tv or LCD? Both LCD TVs and plasma TVs are thin and wall mountable, but the plasma screens are a touch better for viewing from all angles. Plasmas have deeper black levels than do the LCD tvs which is a key factor in getting the best picture quality from your television set. If you want a tv that is over 42 inches, then consider the plasma tvs since they offer better quality at 50-inch and above. LCD tvs tend to be 42-inches or less at this point, however new, larger screens are being developed as you read this article. Pricing on LCDs is pretty equivalent to that of Plasma tvs, but we still feel that the plasma tv is the best bet when buying any large screen television. We read reviews on lots of electronics websites like Amazon, CNET, and Plasma owner forums to see which models perform the best and which ones are the favorites of customers. See the results below.
Best 42-inch Plasma:The Panasonic TH-42PX60U ($1850) is the best 42-inch plasma HDTV with features like integrated NTSC and ATSC tuners, HDMI input with HDAVI control, SD memory card slot, and front A/V jacks. You get a high contrast ratio of up to 10000:1 which gives you vibrant colors, excellent black levels, adn 29 billion colors. The built-in HDTV Tuner will let you watch sports, movies and other broadcasts in high definition (where available from broadcasters). You can use the SD memory card slot to view JPEG photos taken on your digital camera. There is no picture in picture function on this set, but the reasonable price for TV, table stand and speakers make this a great deal. The Samsung HP-S4253 Plasma Display ($1400) is another great 42-inch model. This 5th generation plasma tv panel from Samsung gives you 60000 hours of panel life, 1024 x 768 HDTV resolution, 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, built-in HDTV tuner (NTSC/ATSC), split screen and picture in picture, and 2 HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). Samsung Tvs are unrivaled at reproducing natural images and this TV does just that for great image quality.
Best 50-inch Plasma:The Panasonic TH-50PH9UK 50" Plasma HDTV is the best for this size screen at $2050. The industry-leading 16-bit color processing produces ultra-smooth gradations with over 3,072 steps. There is a 1366 x 768 resolution and up to 10000:1 contrast level. TV scans are 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i. The new 50-inch model from Panasonic is both lightweigth and energy efficient. Panasonic is leading the plasma tv market these days with innovative designs and color quality that is a step above the rest. The Toshiba 50HP66 50" Plasma HDTV ($2229) gets great customer feedback and the Toshiba is rated as a "best value" from many consumers for it's superior features when compared side to side with Pioneers and Sony tvs. Great for home theater movie buffs, the Toshiba really delivers.Cheap/Budget Plasma TV:If you want a quality plasma tv at a budget price, then consider the Vizio P42 HDTV. The Vizio plasma tv sells for less than $1500 at Costco and sacrifices little in black levels or color quality to the larger name brands rated above. The Vizio 42-inch, among the cheaper plasma screens, gets good reviews on performance and people love the low price. I must say having walked into Costco recently I viewed the Vizio versus the other name brands and couldn't tell much of a difference and would definitely consider a Vizio in the future since the prices are so cheap. The one drawback is that they are not offered through larger electronic chain stores like Circuit City or Best Buy. You will find Vizio tvs at Costco, Sam's and BJ's wholesale clubs.
Plasma TV Stands:One of the first selling points of plasma tvs was that they were easy to mount on your wall or above a fireplace. After reading dozens of consumer reviews on mounting plasma screens, we found that it's not that easy after all since the weight of a plasma is so much. Plus having the wires and cables hidden from site for aesthetics is hard work and requires lots of extra electrician fees to do it successfully. Research also shows that placing a plasma above a fireplace can be potentially harmful to the screen if it is continually operating with temperatures above 90 degrees around it. We suggest buying a plasma tv stand and eliminating the hassle of putting your plasma on a wall somewhere. Plasma tv stands are only about $200-$350 and conveniently fit in tight spots since the screens are so thin. Most plasma table stands are between 4 and 6 inches in depth.
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