Panasonic Viera U50

Bottom Line

For those who want the best picture for the least amount of money, the Panasonic Viera U50 goes to the top of the list. Like most classic plasma TVs, it's not the best choice for well-lit rooms, and you won't get many extra features. But in the right setting, what you see on the screen is hard to beat at any price. Two screen sizes are currently available: the 50-inch TC-P50U50 (*Est. $700) and the 60-inch TC-P60U50 (*Est. $1,000).

Performance

It's a good looker. Most reviewers are floored by just how good a picture the Panasonic U50 can produce at this price. TelevisionInfo.com says its black levels even outstrip those in higher-end Panasonic sets like the TC-P50ST50 (*Est. $1,100 to $2,300). Other experts are more reserved, but say if blacks aren't better, they're as good or nearly so.

Brightness is more reined in than with the best plasma sets, but not tremendously so, especially for dark room viewing. That's exactly where you'll want to watch the U50 because it generally fares poorly under bright lights, which produce lots of glare and washed-out blacks. That's not unusual for plasma TVs, especially budget options like this one. However, Panasonic's higher-end plasmas -- like those in the ST50, GT50 and VT50 series -- feature an Infinite Black filter that makes them look so good, even in well-lit rooms, that they outperform many LED sets in that setting.

Color is more of a mixed bag. On the test bench, several reviewers say color accuracy is technically a little imperfect, but things look very good when viewing actual program material. Screen uniformity and off-angle viewing are both excellent. Power consumption is relatively high, especially compared to an LED TV, and only the 50-inch TC-P50U50 is Energy Star qualified. Sound quality is fine for everyday viewing, but you'll need to add an external home theater system to get a fully satisfying experience from concerts or blockbuster films.

Features

Few features are the trade-off for low price. The U50 is aimed directly at TV buyers who are more interested in solid picture quality and a low price rather than the latest features. You won't find 3D or any sort of streaming, but you can enjoy your own video, music and pictures stored on a USB device or SD memory card.

Design

No frills, few connections. In keeping with its place in the plasma TV pecking order, the U50's design is straightforward and basic black. As CNET says, "nothing to see here." Likewise, the clicker is basic and functional, but not backlit. The set's biggest negative is its very sparse connectivity options -- just two HDMI inputs and a shared composite/component analog video output. That's fine for a basic setup, but could be a problem if you intend to feed a lot of gear to the set without benefit of another device like a home-theater receiver to take on the role of a video switcher.

Value

A great picture for the price -- or any price. Especially under dim lighting conditions, the picture quality of the U50 stands up well, falling short of flagship models by only a small margin and outperforming the best of previous years by many accounts. You do give up some extras such as 3D and streaming, but many owners find that's a trade-off worth making considering the price tag.

Budget-conscious buyers might also be tempted by Panasonic's TC-P50XT50 (*Est. $720), a plasma set that offers 3D and limited Internet streaming for roughly the same price. However, you'll have to settle for a drop in resolution from 1080p to 720p.