Editors' Top Televisions
updated June 14, 2006

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Your wife or significant other doesn't want to fill the living room with a boxy rear-projector, yet you still want a big picture. Welcome to the perfect compromise: an inches-thick flat plasma display. These panels can handle all your video needs, including HDTV, although many so-called EDTV versions don't have enough pixels to do high-def content justice. Then again, EDTV plasmas cost less than higher-resolution models. Plasmas are expensive regardless of how many pixels they have, but they're getting more affordable all the time. And can you really put a price on domestic bliss?
-- David Katzmaier, senior editor

Editors' top televisions:

Best HDTVs overall | Best-performing HDTVs | Rear-projection HDTV |

Plasma TV

Plasma TV

Televisions	Editors' rating	Price	Summary
Pioneer PDP-5060HD Released: 09/30/2005	8.0 Excellent		The Pioneer PDP-5060HD offers excellent picture quality, great style, and superior features--its only real downside is that it's priced more than the competition. Specs: Plasma TV , 50 in, 1100 cd/m2, 4000:1 , 1280 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Pioneer PDP-4360HD Released: 09/01/2005	8.0 Excellent		Pioneer's PDP-4360HD offers improved black-level performance and excellent overall picture quality, but it costs a bit more than the competition. Specs: Plasma TV , 43 in, 1100 cd/m2, 4000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9

Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK Released: 10/01/2005	7.8 Very good		The 42-inch Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK is a great deal for the money, but only if you're comfortable adding inputs, you don't need a tuner, and you remember to buy a stand. Specs: Plasma panel , 42 in, 3000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9

Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK Released: 09/01/2005	7.8 Very good		Although it's missing a couple of inputs, the Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK surpasses any 50-inch plasma we've reviewed in terms of image quality and overall value. Specs: Plasma panel , 50 in, 3000:1 , 1366 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK Released: 09/01/2005	7.8 Very good	Email me when product is available	Despite limited features and connectivity, the Panasonic TH-37PHD8UK is one of the best small-screen plasmas on the market today in terms of picture quality. Specs: Plasma panel , 37 in, 3000:1 , 1024 x 720 , 16:9

Panasonic TH-42PX60U Released: 04/15/2006	7.5 Very good		The Panasonic TH-42PX60U sets the standard for value among full-featured 42-inch plasmas. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 10000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9

HP PL4200N Released: 09/01/2005	7.3 Very good		Despite some trade-offs in color fidelity, the HP PL4200N delivers a surprisingly solid picture with excellent blacks and plenty of punch. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 3000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Hitachi 55HDT52 Released: 10/15/2005	7.1 Very good		The 55-inch Hitachi 55HDT52 plasma looks beautiful on the outside, but its image quality isn't up to the same standards as its styling. Specs: Plasma TV , 55 in, 1366 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Vizio P50HDM Released: 08/01/2005	7.0 Very good		With commendable image quality and plenty of connections, the relatively inexpensive V Vizio P50HDM 50-inch plasma is the best value in its class. Specs: Plasma panel , 50 in, 1000 cd/m2, 10000:1 , 1366 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Dell W4201C Released: 12/01/2005	6.9 Good		While the Dell W4201C is suitable for brightly lit environments, its image quality for home theater falls short of that of the best plasmas we've seen. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 1100 cd/m2, 10000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9 , Silver

Hitachi 42HDT52 Released: 10/01/2005	6.8 Good		While the Hitachi 42HDT52 plasma is full-featured and downright beautiful to look at, its image quality doesn't quite measure up to that of the tough competition. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 1024 x 1024 , 16:9 , Black

Dell W5001C Released: 09/28/2005	6.5 Good		Although promising on paper, in the real world the Dell W5001C's problems handling darker material prevent it from outperforming most other 50-inch plasmas. Specs: Plasma TV , 50 in, 1100 cd/m2, 8000:1 , 1366 x 768 , 16:9

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Samsung HP-S4253 Released: 05/01/2006	6.2 Good		Although the Samsung HP-S4253's glossy black styling and numerous inputs work in its favor, its issues with picture quality lessen its value. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 1300 cd/m2, 10000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9 , Black

Vizio P42 Released: 03/20/2006	6.2 Good		Discerning viewers won't be satisfied with its home-theater performance, but nobody can deny that the Vizio P42HDTV is a great bargain for casual TV watching. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 1200 cd/m2, 10000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9

Philips 42PF9630A Released: 07/15/2005	6.2 Good		Unfortunately, this somewhat expensive plasma's unique style and solid connectivity bay are not backed up by home-theater-worthy image quality. Specs: Plasma TV , 42 in, 1500 cd/m2, 10000:1 , 1024 x 768 , 16:9 , Pearl white silver