Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P 42-Inch High-Definition Plasma TV
One of the best plasma TVs, simply gorgeous
I usually recommend LCD TVs (esp. Sharp Aquos) over plasmas, mainly because the LCD screen lasts longer, is brighter, consumes far less electricity, and does not suffer the burn-in problem as plasmas.<br /><br />But if you are set on getting a plasma, this Panasonic \\"Veira\\" 42\\" is one of the best plasmas on the market today.  This HDTV set (with built-in HDTV tuner) is fully 720p and 480p native, and can scale 1080i content gracefully.  (BTW there's very little 1080i content available right now.)  The picture quality is simply gorgeous, with brightness and details that rival LCDs.  Color reproduction is excellent, making watching Nature on PBS such a wonderful experience.  The screen's response time has improved over earlier models, so fast-action sports looks good instead of ghostly.  The Veira also has a Cable Card slot and although I haven't tried it, a recent New York Times review says it works seamlessly with Cable Cards.  (Cable Cards can replace set-top cable boxes; check with your cable provider for details.)<br /><br />To get the most out of DVD movies, get a digital-output (HDMI) DVD player from Panasonic, Sony or Denon.  These players can \\"upsample\\" DVD's standard-NTSC resolution and provide somewhat better video quality when you play DVDs on an HDTV like this one.  The Panasonic player in particular is a great value and a perfect match for the Veira.<br /><br />While I still think LCD TVs are a better value for the long term, the Panasonic, along with plasmas from Fujitsu and Pioneer, does give you the best possible picture out of today's state-of-the-art plasma technology.  I have friends who own Panasonic and they are all very happy, even the ones with the EDTV (instead of HDTV) sets.<br /><br />When you buy a big screen TV, you are making a serious investment (unless you just won the Mega Millions or Powerball), and I highly recommend you buy the best you can afford.  Sub-$2000 plasma TVs have poor image quality and are likely to break down quickly, plus they are very noisy.  Just go for the best after you get over the SAF (spouse approval factor) hurdle!  The Panasonic Veira is a great value considering its top-notch image quality, gorgeous styling and built-in HDTV support.o for the best after you get over the SAF (spouse approval factor) hurdle!  The Panasonic Veira is a great value considering its top-notch image quality, gorgeous styling and built-in HDTV support.