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HDTVs
Holiday commercials always seem to depict one half of an upper-middle-class couple discovering a car in the driveway with a gigantic red bow slapped on the roof. That half is invariably surprised by the gift, and flabbergasted by the other half's generosity and thoughtfulness. Imagine the same scenario, but instead of a car in the driveway, it's a big-screen TV in the living room, and instead of a huge cartoonish bow, the TV is displaying a picture of that very commercial. Your other half will be equally thrilled by your thoughtful generosity, and the surprise won't include hundreds of dollars in new monthly payments.
Editors' top pick
The bottom line: The Pioneer PDP-5080HD produces the deepest shade of black--and thus one of the best pictures--we've ever tested.
The bottom line: Although not quite as impressive as the best plasmas, the 46-inch Sony KDL-46XBR4 outperforms any flat-panel LCD we've tested so far.
The bottom line: For those who can spare no expense, the Panasonic TH-42PZ700U plasma offers the best picture quality in its size class.
The bottom line: Deep black levels and a new antiglare screen make the 50-inch TH-50PX77U one of the top choices among plasma HDTVs.
The bottom line: While it costs more than just about any rear-projection big-screen, the 58-inch Panasonic TH-58PZ700U plasma offers superb image quality.
The bottom line: Despite a shiny, reflective screen, the picture quality of the Samsung LN-T4665F makes it a top choice overall.
The bottom line: Great style, oodles of features, and a solid picture combine to make the Samsung LN-T3253H one of the best LCD TVs available at its size.
The bottom line: Albeit expensive, the 52-inch Toshiba 52LX177 LCD HDTV is packed with cutting-edge technology and produces an impressive picture.
The bottom line: Its performance isn't the best among rear-projection HDTVs, but the Mitsubishi WD-65734's excellent feature set and highly adjustable picture help make up the difference.
The bottom line: Although we couldn't quite ignore its uneven screen uniformity, the Samsung HL-T5687S still makes a compelling alternative to flat-screen wallet-busters at this size.
The bottom line: Although it has a couple of weaknesses, the overall picture quality of the Sharp LC-32D43U puts it among the best LCDs of its size.
The bottom line: The Vizio VM60PHDTV's excellent value proposition will outweigh its picture quality issues for most viewers.
The bottom line: The low-buck, high-value Vizio VP42HDTV deftly avoids most of the picture-quality pitfalls of inexpensive plasmas.
The bottom line: The decent picture quality and excellent feature set of the VX32L HDTV make good on Vizio's bang-for-the-buck promise.
The bottom line: Despite its lighter black levels, the Westinghouse TX-47F430S 1080p LCD wide-screen television produces an otherwise solid picture for a very good price.
Thanks,
The CNET TV Team
