Plasma TV Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Plasma TV. See our ratings criteria

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Plasma TV Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Plasma TV Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CNet.com	Editors’ Top Televisions: Plasma TV David Katzmaier and Editors of CNet.com Aug. 21, 2007		CNet.com's electronics editors continually test and report on plasma TVs, with sets that score most highly making it onto this list. Editors' Choice awards are also made on occasion, but the editors are stingy in this regard and very few plasma TVs make the grade. One that does is the Pioneer PDP-5080HD. Panasonic consumer TVs and professional monitors are also well represented, with four models -- including the 1080p TH-50PF9UK professional monitor -- making the list. Some Vizio plasma TVs don't score nearly as highly, but are recognized as good budget picks. CNet reviews more plasma TVs than just about any other reviewer, and its reviews are far more detailed than those of Consumer Reports.
2. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Plasma TVs Editors of Consumer Reports May 2007		While Consumer Reports rates lots of plasma TVs -- 19 in its latest report -- each set only gets a sentence or two of discussion, offering much less detail than other reviewers. Still, Consumer Reports updates its ratings on a regular basis, and those ratings are based on competent and thorough testing, so it remains a good source for plasma TV reviews and information.

Plasma TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Plasma TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. Sound & Vision Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Sound & Vision's Best Editors of Sound & Vision magazine July 2007		Sound & Vision magazine occasionally tests plasma TVs in highly detailed, single-set reports and multi-set roundups. Highest-rated products earn a Sound & Vision Certified and Recommended rating, which the magazine says indicates that they are "the best gear to buy right now." Plasma displays that make the grade include the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U HDTV, which offers 1080p resolution and excellent picture quality at a price that's lower than the competition, and the Vizio P50, which isn't the best performer but delivers great "bang for the buck."
4. The Perfect Vision >> Details/Subscribe	50 is the New 42 Scott Wilkinson Aug. 2007		Accorrding to Scott Wilkinson, 50 inches is the new "sweet spot" when it comes to plasma-TV screen sizes. This roundup looks at four such sets, all with 720p resolution and retail prices below $2,700 -- and sometimes far below. Although not explicitly called the best set in the review, the Samsung HP-T5064 fares well, but it is the most expensive set in the roundup. On the other end of the spectrum, numerous image flaws are noted in the Vizio VP50, but according to reviewer Scott Wilkinson, most are forgivable "in the context of its ridiculously low list price."

Plasma TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Plasma TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Plasma Displays Editors of PC Magazine As of Oct. 2007		At PC Magazine, plasma TVs are covered in single-product reviews and occasional roundups. All sets get an overall rating that can be used to compare TVs. Plasma TVs that deliver in terms of performance and value also receive Editors' Choice ratings. Unfortunately, PC Magazine has not published very many reviews in recent months, and its most recent report is of an already discontinued model. An older report on the budget-priced and still-current Vizio VP42 has some value. That plasma TV is an Editors' Choice winner.
6. Home Theater Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Plasma Displays Editors of Home Theater magazine As of Apr. 2007		Home Theater magazine covers plasma TVs in single-set reviews, multi-TV roundups and as part of home-entertainment systems. The reviews are highly opinionated and some include objective ratings, but best sets are not named. A list of top picks has not been updated in a while and seems now to be out of date. Among recently reviewed plasma TVs, the Hitachi P42H401 is a solid performer, but despite its 1080 pixels of horizontal resolution, picture quality is "not quite to the level of the best plasmas on the market, no matter the resolution." Reviewer Thomas Norton calls the HP PL4272N a solid performer and a value. He adds that although there are better plasma TVs, any will set you back an additional several hundred dollars or more. Norton calls the 1080p Panasonic TH-50PZ750U "a winner" that performs strongly with SD and HD material.
7. Ultimate AV Magazine	Buyer's Guides: Flat Panels Editors of Ultimate AV magazine As of Oct. 2007		Ultimate AV magazine tests and rates a variety of home-entertainment equipment, including plasma TVs. The single-product reports are very detailed, loaded with technical details. Unfortunately, comparisons to other models are rarely made, and a Buyer's Guide -- intended to make recommendations as to which sets the editors deem best in terms of performance and/or value -- is woefully out of date; it includes just one current plasma TV, the Panasonic TH-50PZ750U.
8. HDTV Solutions.com	HDTV: Plasma, LCD, DLP Reviews & Commentary Editors of HDTVSolutions.com As of Oct. 2007		HDTVSolutions.com occasionally reviews plasma TVs in complete and fairly detailed single-set profiles. Unfortunately, TVs are not directly compared to each other, and no overall grade is assigned -- although some key factors such as performance and value do receive ratings. In recent reviews, the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U, the Panasonic TH-42PH10UK and the Vizio VM60P have all fared relatively well.
9. Audioholics.com	Flat Panel Featured Articles & Reviews Editors of Audioholics.com As of Oct. 2007		Audioholics.com concentrates on high-end gear, with reviews that are pages long and include lots of technical details, test results and photos. Unfortunately, plasma sets are only covered occasionally and the Panasonic TH-50PF9UK is the only current plasma TV to get feedback. Reviewer Tom Andry says the TV has a fantastic picture, with great blacks and shadow detail.
10. PlasmaTV Buying Guide.com	Plasma TV Reviews Editors of PlasmaTVBuyingGuide.com As of Oct. 2007		This site lacks some of the professionalism of more highly rated reviews, but the tests seem to be fairly done and offer lots of detail. Most of what's here is now dated, but recent reviews of the Pioneer PDP-5080HD and Panasonic TH-50PH10UK are worthwhile. Robert Wiley evaluates both sets. No direct comparisons are made, but by reading between the lines and looking at the objective ratings, it is clear that the Pioneer produces a slightly better image and that the Panasonic is a better value. Wiley also looks at the 65-inch Panasonic TH-65PF9UK, finding it to be without peer in its size range.
11. HDTVExpert.com	News, Reviews and How-Tos Peter Putman As of Apr. 2007		Author and consultant Peter Putman does not write about plasma TVs very often, and finding those reviews can be a little bit of a challenge on this blog-style website, but the effort is worthwhile, especially for those interested in lots of technical nitty-gritty. The Panasonic TH-50PF9UK is called "good enough to use as a reference monitor."

Plasma TV Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Plasma TV Ratings Comments on Reviews

12. HDGuru.com	Exclusive - First Review of the Amazing Panasonic TH-50PZ750U Plasma Gary Merson Apr. 2007		HDGuru.com is an online blog created by veteran consumer electronics writer Gary Merson. In this single-product review, Merson calls the Panasonic TH-50PZ750U "simply the best high definition display I have ever reviewed."
13. I4U News.com	Home Entertainment Reviews Editors of I4UNews.com As of Apr. 2007		I4UNews.com bills itself as a technology lifestyle magazine and shopping guide. Reviews are more superficial than others, but don't do a bad job of tackling things from a user's point of view. The 1080p Hitachi P50S601 is the only current plasma TV on the site. It scores well in reviewer Shane McGlaun's eyes, and earns one of the site's Editors' Choice ratings. He notes it has picture quality and features that "put other sets to shame."
14. Gear Digest	The Vizio P50HDTV: A Quality 50" Plasma for under $2,000 Chris Iannicello Nov. 28, 2006		GearDigest.com doesn't review many plasma TVs, but this older single-page report on the still-available Vizio P50 is helpful and well illustrated.
15. AVSForum.com	Plasma Flat Panel Displays Contributors to AVSForum.com As of Oct. 2007		This heavily trafficked user discussion site is hard to navigate and threads can go off track, but some contain detailed and insightful coverage of specific televisions. Some of the threads are quite long and a few even contain more than 1,000 posts, so be prepared to spend a little time when investigating a particular TV set. The site also features industry news, press releases and other tidbits.
16. CircuitCity.com	Plasma Flat Panel TVs Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Oct. 2007		CircuitCity.com is one of a number of retailers that allows users to post reviews and ratings. Most of the plasma TVs listed receive enough comments to make visiting the site useful once you've narrowed your decision. Like most non-professional reviews, the quality and usefulness of the reports is rather uneven. One positive is that the site is easy to navigate and lists of TVs can be sorted many ways, including by rating.
17. Amazon.com	Flat Panel Plasma TVs Contributors to Amazon.com As of Oct. 2007		Amazon.com also invites owners to share their experiences with potential buyers. Many of the TVs get enough feedback to help potential buyers get a handle on which plasma TVs most owners consider best. In addition, there are many more sets listed here than at Circuit City. Unfortunately, the listings include many discontinued models, making navigation more difficult.
18. Epinions	Plasma Television Contributors to Epinions As of Oct. 2007		While Epinions also offers users the opportunity to share their opinions about products they own, it gets far less traffic than either Amazon.com or Circuit City. Because of that, current models tend to have very few reviews and ratings, making this a less useful resource. Still, it can be worth a quick visit, as the reviews are sometimes more detailed than those at the retailer sites.
19. Consumer Guide.com	Flat Panel TVs Editors of Consumer Guide.com As of Oct. 2007		In the past, Consumer Guide offered little of value when it came to product recommendations. But now we see clear signs that someone is putting some time into evaluating the sets and the writeups are at least somewhat critical where appropriate. On the downside, navigation remains a nuisance, as many of the plasma TVs listed are long discontinued.
20. About.com	Top Plasma Televisions - EDTV and HDTV Plasma Televisions Robert Silva As of Oct. 2007		This is a list of "favorite" plasma televisions, compiled by Robert Silva, About.com's Guide to Home Theater. Unfortunately, nowhere is the criteria for earning a spot on this list spelled out, and there is no sign that any actual testing has been done. Although the top two spots are occupied by current offerings from Panasonic and Pioneer, most of the list consists of discontinued models. (Note that ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com.)