Panasonic TH-50PH10UKA

While no professional reviewers have weighed in on the Panasonic TH-50PH10UKA, it is largely identical to the Panasonic TH-50PH10UK; the only difference is that dual HDMI inputs are included, while the blade containing an S-video and a composite input has been removed. Because of that, reviews of the TH-50PH10UK are still largely valid - and there are lots of those. PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com has the most positive professional review. The site lacks some of the polish of others, but seems balanced, and we like that grades are issued for many different factors. HDTV Solutions also recommends Panasonic's monitors, though its review is of the smaller 42-inch TH-42PH10UK (which should perform similarly). On the other hand, CNet is not as impressed, saying that Panasonic's consumer plasma TVs are a better buy.

The 50-inch Panasonic TH-50PH10UKA delivers great black level performance and excellent colors. However, because it is a professional monitor, it has few consumer features and no tuners or speakers. Connectivity is limited, but it does feature dual HDMI inputs. Given its price and performance, the Panasonic TH-50PH10UKA deserves consideration if you are a cable or satellite subscriber and plan to use your own speakers or home theater setup. If you do need some niceties like tuners, speakers, a stand and better connectivity, the 50-inch Panasonic VIERA TH-50PX80U (*est. $1,430) is also a good value. Image quality overall isn't as striking, but the set could be a lot easier to live with for many consumers. Other screen sizes in this series include the 42-inch Panasonic TH-42PH10UKA (*est. $920) and the 58-inch Panasonic TH-58PH10UKA (*est. $2, 290).