Plasma TV Reviews

LCD TVs and plasma TVs are both thin and wall-mountable, but plasma TVs can generally achieve deeper black levels, making for more cinematic movie-watching, and they do a better job of handling fast motion. On the other hand, LCD televisions usually look brighter and have fewer problems with glare (see our separate report on LCD TVs ). Most plasma TVs come in 42-inch or 50-inch sizes (measured diagonally), but smaller screens, down to 32 inches, and larger screens, up to 60 inches, are starting to become more common. Still, LCD TVs are available in a wider range of sizes, and give you many more options for screen sizes. Plasma remains the better budget pick for those who just want a flat-screen HDTV and can accept lower resolution.

We found the most comprehensive plasma TV reviews at CNet.com, which tests the widest variety of models. Consumer Reports magazine also regularly performs thorough, comparative testing of picture and sound quality of plasma TVs. While this magazine tests large numbers of plasma TVs, CNet's reviews are far more detailed and current.

Sound & Vision magazine also does detailed single-TV reviews and occasional multi-set roundups, but covers fewer plasma TVs than CNet.com or Consumer Reports. PC Magazine, Home Theater magazine and Ultimate AV also do a good job of covering plasma TVs, but the coverage is even more sporadic. User reviews, particularly at retailer sites such as BestBuy.com, CircuitCity.com and Amazon.com are also often helpful, as are the sometimes long and detailed discussions found at enthusiast forums such as AVSForum.com.

Inexpensive sets from other manufacturers sometimes don't fare quite as well. The 42-inch Insignia NS-PDP42 (*est. $900) gets a shockingly poor rating at CNet.com. (Insignia is Best Buy's house brand.) Historically, one of the biggest worries with plasma TVs has been image burn-in. As detailed below, that problem has been licked -- or at least minimized -- with most plasma TVs. Temporary image retention -- a related but less severe problem -- is another story, however, and some TVs maintain ghostly shadows of previously displayed static images for minutes or longer.

According to David Katzmaier, the Insignia NS-PDP42 "has the worst case of temporary image retention that CNet has ever seen." He adds that the defect is "unforgivable" even considering the set's price. Black levels that are on the light side for a plasma TV are another black mark. Those negatives are unfortunate, Katzmaier says, because the TV is a decent performer for a budget option in most other ways. Interestingly, though some users at BestBuy.com note the temporary image retention problem, most seem pleased with the set regardless, especially considering the low price.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Pioneer, Panasonic and Samsung plasma TVs are the most favored brands in reviews. Pioneer makes the most sophisticated plasma TVs and delivers the best pictures overall, according to reviews. Its Pioneer Elite KURO TVs get the most raves, but if you can do without some of the extras, the regular Pioneer KURO line, including the 50-inch PDP-5010FD, delivers every bit of the same picture quality. A new generation of Pioneer and Pioneer Elite KURO plasma TVs that promise even darker blacks is scheduled to arrive in early summer.

For considerably less money, Panasonic's THX Display certified PZ800U series TVs are turning heads. Blacks are not as deep as the KURO, but they are so close most won't notice the difference, and these sets are top notch performers in most other regards as well. Panasonic's professional plasma monitors have great picture quality considering their price, but the tradeoffs -- including the lack of a tuner -- might be too much for some. Samsung plasma TVs fall short of these TVs when it comes to blacks, but overall picture quality and relative value make it one of the best choices for many buyers. The 32-inch Vizio VP322 is a singular choice as a plasma TV for smaller spaces.