Panasonic TC-PU50 series (50 and 60 inches)
Its image quality is almost as good as our favorite PST50's in a dark room, and choosing the step-down Panasonic can save you almost $700 at the 60-inch size. Of course you lose 3D and Smart TV, but do you really care about those?
The good: The inexpensive Panasonic TC-PU50 series in its superb picture quality surpasses many TVs costing hundreds more. Its black levels can get as deep as any but those of the very best plasma TVs. Color is accurate, off-angle viewing and uniformity are perfect, and its Cinema picture setting requires very little tweaking for optimal quality. There's a rare SD card slot for photo viewing.
The bad: The TC-PU50 washes out in bright room lighting, and it can't get as bright in its most accurate picture mode as some plasmas this size. It has just two HDMI inputs. It also uses significantly more power than a like-sized LCD or LED TV.
The bottom line: A low price, excellent picture quality, and bare-bones features make the Panasonic TC-PU50 series a superb entry-level plasma TV value.
October 31, 2012 9:47 PM PDT
Photo by: Sarah Tew/CNET
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