Panasonic TC-PVT50 series (55 and 65 inches)
When price is no object and you just want the best picture you can get, these TVs are just what the holiday doctor ordered.
Now that OLED TVs have been delayed, the VT50's place as the best-performing TV of 2012 is assured. And when they finally do arrive, OLED sets will cost thousands more than this awesome Panasonic plasma. Its black levels are the inkiest from plasma since the legendary Pioneer Kuro, its color accuracy is top-notch, and, like all plasmas, it benefits from essentially perfect screen uniformity and off-angle fidelity.
The good: The Panasonic TC-PVT50 series produces some of the best pictures ever, with exceedingly deep black levels, highly accurate color, and perfect screen uniformity and off-angle performance. It can get brighter than competing plasmas and performs better in well-lit rooms. Although expensive, it costs much less than comparable LED and especially forthcoming OLED models. Its styling makes it as attractive as any plasma TV I've ever seen.
The bad: The VT50 isn't as strong in terms of value as Panasonic's excellent midtier plasmas. It uses more power than competing LCD TVs, and doesn't perform as well in bright rooms as those with matte screens. It doesn't come with 3D glasses and its 3D picture shows more crosstalk than that of some competing TVs.
The bottom line: The Panasonic TC-PVT50 series represents the pinnacle of current flat-panel TV picture quality.
October 31, 2012 9:46 PM PDT
Photo by: CBS Interactive
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