2008 spring preview

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TVs

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TVs

Spring promises tons of new HDTV introductions as just about every TV maker rolls out its 2008 model line. We generally see the entry-level models hit stores during the spring, with more-expensive step-up models following during the summer and into the fall in preparation for--you guessed it--the 2008 holiday season. But all of that is a long way off, thankfully, and in the meantime there's plenty of new gear on tap to interest prospective HDTV shoppers. A word to the wise: If you can stand to buy slightly older technology, stores are in the process of selling off the remaining 2007 inventory--often at healthy discounts. And if you're looking for LG's models, never fear; we'll add them when the company gets back to us with the details.

Pricing note: "MSRP" is the manufacturer's suggested retail price, which is usually higher than the actual selling price; "street" is the expected store price. Many manufacturers, notably Samsung and Sony, have still not announced pricing, and we don't expect them to do so before the products simply appear on their respective Web sites. For now, we'll list the price as TBD; and we'll update this article when prices are announced.

See the slide show

Product

Type and size

Price and availability

The outlook

Hitachi UT42S402	42-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; May or thereabout	We're guessing on availability and Hitachi hasn't mentioned pricing, but we do know one thing: This LCD will be 1.5 inches thick. The UTS402 series, the cheapest of the company's three thin LCD lines, also includes 37- and 32-inch models.
JVC LT-32P679	32-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; spring	If a TV with a built-in iPod dock appeals to you, then one of your only options is this JVC--or any of its larger brethren in the LT-P789 series.
Panasonic TH-50PX80U	50-inch flat-panel plasma	$1,699 street; March	The entry-level models in Panasonic's new lineup, the TH-PX80U series (which also includes a 42-inch model) should offer great bang for the buck.
Panasonic TH-46PZ80U	46-inch flat-panel plasma	$1,999 street; March	While it's the least expensive 1080p set in Panny's new 46-inch screen size, this model still costs $300 more than the 50-inch 720p version. We have a feeling those extra pixels won't be worth the price to most folks. The TH-PZ80U series also has 42- and 50-inch versions.
Panasonic TH-50PZ800U	50-inch flat-panel plasma	$3,199 street; March	The high-end TH-PZ800U series (with 42- and 46-inch sizes, too) offers a few improvements, including THX Display certification and a "one sheet of glass" design.
Philips 42PFL5603D	42-inch flat-panel LCD	$1,399 MSRP; March	Unprecedented energy-saving chops scored this set our Best in Show" award at CES 2008, and its sleek styling, affordable price, and lack of Ambilight merely sweeten the deal. The PFL5603D series also includes a 47-inch member.
Philips 42PFL7403	42-inch flat-panel LCD	$1,699 MSRP; April	Philips' least expensive line of 1080p, 120Hz LCDs equipped with anti-judder processing, the PFL7403 series (also available in 47- and 52-inch sizes) also forgoes the company's trademark Ambilight backlight.
Samsung LN32A450P	32-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; March	Samsung's entry-level, 720p resolution line of LCDs, the six-model LNA450P series should be top sellers.
Samsung LN46A550P	46-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; March	The entry-level, matte-screened 1080p lineup from Samsung, dubbed the LNA550P series, should ably follow up on 2007's LN-T61F series.
Samsung LN46A650T	46-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; March	Yet another Samsung LCD release this spring, the three-model LNA650T series is the lowest-priced to offer the 120Hz anti-judder processing we first saw on the 2007 LN-T71F series. Too bad it has that glossy screen.
Samsung LN46A750R	46-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; March	As the highest-end of Samsung LCDs announced at CES 2008, the LNA750R series--with four total screen sizes--includes interactive capability via built-in Ethernet and 1GB of flash memory, plus 120Hz with anti-judder.
Samsung PN50A550P	50-inch flat-panel plasma	TBD; March	The PNA550P series, which also includes a 58-inch model, is the entry-level 1080p model that tries to answer Panasonic's plasma onslaught.
Samsung PN50A750T	50-inch flat-panel plasma	TBD; April	The step-up 1080p plasma line from Samsung improves via the inclusion of the company's "Touch of Color" design. The PNA750T series, which adds 58- and 63-inch models as well, offers no apparent picture-quality improvements over the PNA55P series.
Samsung PN50A450P	50-inch flat-panel plasma	TBD; March	Samsung's most-expensive plasmas announced so far, the PNA450P series, has a 3D option--as long as you purchase the requisite goggle set.
Sony KDL-32M4000	32-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; March	Sony's entry-level LCD lineup, the KDL-M4000 series with 19-, 26-, and 37-inch models as well, shouldn't be too hard on the wallet.
Sony KDL-52V4100	52-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; Spring	The company's lowest-priced line of big-screen LCDs, including this 52-incher and its smaller siblings in the KDL-V4100 series, should offer solid LCD video quality for the typical Sony premium.
Sony KDL-46W4100	46-inch flat-panel LCD	TBD; Spring	We liked the 120Hz anti-judder processing on the 2007 KDL-46XBR4, and the KDL-W4100 series, which offers 40- and 52-inch versions as well, is the lowest-priced to include the same feature.
Toshiba 32AV500	32-inch flat-panel LCD	$800; March	Toshiba's entry-level models, which include five other sizes in the AV500 series, have just one HDMI input as well as a PC input but cost a relative pittance.
Toshiba 46XV540	46-inch flat-panel LCD	$2,200; March	After last year's 177 series, Toshiba is once again offering a 120Hz anti-judder-equipped LCD lineup. The least-expensive models with that processing, the XV540 series, also includes a 42- and a 52-inch size.
Westinghouse VK-40F530S	40-inch flat-panel LCD	$1,099; March	Bargain pricing on a 1080p LCD is the claim to fame of this Westinghouse model, and there isn't much else. The VK-FS series also includes 42-, and 47-inch models.

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